Entries: Julian Scharman

Great Wall

The group and I, in our convoy of taxis, traveled to one of the more remote entrances to the Great Wall, Mutianyu.  Our negotiated location was a place where tourists and curious Chinese travel to fulfill their pilgrimage, sans loud tour and travel groups.  We were greeted by a typical market scene, filled with it’s share of pushy shop owners and other interesting characters. However, within twenty minutes of our arrival we were making our up to the Wall, some via funicular, some by foot (myself taking the funicular).

I can’t be entirely sure of the typical person’s perception of the Great Wall before climbing it, but I certaintly wasn’t sure what to expect.
In each direction, the miles of brick cling to the every curve and dip of the northern China mountains. The paths and stairs of the Wall are interrupted by castle-like watchtowers, that now serve as shelters for the sun-exhausted. Our group scattered into three groups, each respective one maintaining it’s own pace and choosing it’s own direction.

The unofficial finishing line for our fraction of the Great Wall was drawn by what seemed to be 1,500 stairs at a 50º angle… a challenge we were more than determined to meet.  I would be bluffing if I said that I enjoyed that climb, but the view that followed was unrivaled. 
Rather than descend by way of open ski lift or stone walkway, Liz Reising, Ted Land, Sam Unger, and myself decided to take a path less traveled.  A few American families that we had shared a few laughs with along our walk on the Wall, spoke of a metal chute that adventurous tourists could travel down by toboggan.  It was a steel luge of sorts, and the engineering was questionable, but wow.. what an experience in its own right.  In hindsight, it seemed like an unusual thing to find, next to what is hailed as the oldest and most incredible work of masonry in the history of the world.
Overall, it was just an incredibly rewarding experience, as I am sure most of the group didn’t know entirely what they were getting themselves into.  Several hours of walking up and down the wall, meetings foreigners, and getting to know one another a little better all made for a great time.  It was hard to believe that the most touristy location in China was as peaceful as it was.

A Brief on the History:
The Wall, one of the largest construction ventures ever completed, began over 2,000 years ago by Qin Shi Haungdi, the first emperor of China during the Qin Dynasty. After conquering and uniting China from seven warring states, the emperor connected and extended four, old fortification walls along the north of China that originated from about 700 B.C. (over 2500 years ago). Armies were stationed along the wall as a first line of defense against the invading nomadic Hsiung Nu tribes from the north of China (today known as the Huns).  The wall, comprised of brick, rock and packed-earth, was enlarged to it’s current length during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The specific length has been widely debated; conservative estimates of 1,500 to upwards of 4,000 miles.
Historical Information borrowed from http://www.enchantedlearning.com

Zhujiajiao: Recount Through Stills

We travelled to Zhujiajiao yesterday, to find ourselves venturing to somewhat of a time capsule, where english speaking tourists clash with the muttering Mandarin of the village locals.  These are some of the 250 photographs I took which recount a local perspective, where electricity is scarce and the fragrance of fresh fish fill the afternoon air.

Below is the web-quality slideshow, however I encourage you to view the full quality version, to do so please right click the “Click to experience this media file | Right-click to download” below this entry and click “Save Target As”.

Click to experience this media file | Right-click to download

"Hit the Ground Running"

At the opening of our trip, between settling in and contacting sources, my woes of jet-lag and culture shock were overridden by a finger on the keyboard and another on my cell phone’s keypad. Overseas reporting can be a daunting task, as my peers and I have very quickly discovered, and travelling to a slew of locations throughout the city of Shanghai can make it rather easy for a student-journalist to become overwhelmed with his/her research goals. 

Over the last four days, I have been doing my best to arrange for daily interviews with experts, professionals, or students, in my attempt to examine the underbelly of what outsourcing of US labor markets to China means.  “Hitting the ground running” has been the journalistic motto at the opening of any new week, and we have all done our very best to adhere to this, and have.
Through a number of email and telephone exchanges while in China I have been able to speak with a handful of Fudan University students who have been more than willing to share there educated, and in some cases radical opinions of the Chinese government and other public concerns.  Other notable sources have included, lawyers, graduate professors, UIUC students abroad in Shanghai, Motorola reps, US reporters, and members of the Shanghai Overseas Returned Scholars Assocation, otherwise known as SORSA.

Understanding the engagement of the US and China in global labor and trade markets has closed many of the cultural gaps that we were once familiar with, particularly within each respective nation.  The cell phone has been the tool that college students are using to close these gaps, in a country like China where there are 32.7 mobile phones for every 100 people.  A student at Fudan University shared some thoughts on these roles of international social stereotyping,

“I am not sure what Americans want to believe about Chinese youth, but in many ways, we have become the same people.”

The statement followed a conversation of increased telecommunication and cell phone use on a college campus.

Many of my interesting encounters with Chinese everyday life have come before my interviews, in transit. Perhaps budding is the incorrect term to describe the technological developments in China over the last decade, as this country has been quick to assume it’s role as a pioneer in electronics.  On a taxi ride home from Fudan University riding in one of the standard-issued Volkswagen Santana cars, installed plush into the headrest, facing the backseat was a touch screen interface.  Through this interface the back seat patrons and I were able to surf a fixed set of web pages designed to cater to all tourist-like needs.  Myself and Sam Unger, put together an impromptu piece on this technology via digital camera video. 
It was moments like these that simply blew my mind, particularly when I thought about how far behind any taxi in the United States is behind it’s Chinese counterpart.

Tomorrow the group and I will take a day trip, to Zhouzhuang, one of the most famous water townships in China, located in Kunshan City.  Before the trip and all night following the trip, the group and I will be scratching our notes together and making the numerous phone calls and emails that will help us “hit the ground running” for the new week ahead of us.