China 2009
Beginning travel
We took the train from South Bend, Indiana, to Chicago; then boarded a flight to Seoul. After trying to catch a few winks in the Seoul airport it was on to Beijing. Goshen to Beijing, door to door, took about 38 hours.
Beijing
Beijing is a clean modern city with many sky scrapers and modern highways. We saw the venues for the 2008 Olympics and had dinner with MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) representatives who live there.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
After one night in Beijing we flew to Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia.
Bayanhongor, Mongolia.
We took a 1-hour flight to Bayanhongor and stayed 2 nights with Mennonite worker Laura Schlabach.
Bus trip
We returned from Bayanhongor to Ulaanbaatar by bus — about 12 hours.
Farm visit
From Ulaanbaatar we took a one-day excursion to a dairy farm begun by an American and now turned over to Mongolian farmers.
Xian
From Mongolia we flew to Xian via Beijing and stayed in a very nice hostel — more like a small hotel.
Xian — Terracotta Warriors
We visited the archeological site for which Xian is now famous — 6,000 terracotta warriors buried in formation to guard the tomb of an ancient ruler.
Xian Bell Tower
The ancient bell tower was used in the morning. We heard a short musical program on traditional instruments in the Bell Tower.
Xian Drum Tower
The ancient drum tower is on the other side of a plaza from the bell tower. It was used in the evening. We also heard a short percussion program there.
Xian Great Mosque
The Great Mosque in Xian has many beautiful courtyards and gateways.
Street Vendors and Food
In Xian we enjoyed tasting the “street food” both during the day and at night.
Great Goose Pagoda
We visited the Great Goose Pagoda in Xian.
Dumpling Dinner & Show
In Xian we treated ourselves to a dumpling dinner and show. We were served about 20 different kinds of dumplings. Many of them were shaped to look like whatever was in them. For example, fish dumplings were shaped to look like fish.
Chengdu
From Xian we flew to Chengdu, and were hosted by Mr Yang of Sichuan Normal University. In the past he was a key official who facilitated the exchange program with Goshen College.
