WunderLost

These are the adventures of an American living and studying in Shanghai, China.

[wunderchina]

WunderLost turned 1 today!

[wunderchina]

Hey! My husband and I are in Luoyang, Henan right now. It seems like you've been to some really awesome places! Where was your favorite place? We're looking for another place to travel to. :]

Well you have to see the warriors in Xi'an.  I would also go to Cambodia, Singapore, Macau, and Hong Kong.  The mountains that were in Avatar (what they based the fictional floating mountains) are in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. I would also try and make it to Shanghai, visit any garden that you can go to, try to go to the festival in Harbin, visit the Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces and visit the Ming tomb on Purple Mountain.  Purple Mountain is really awesome to hike.  

Let me know if you have any questions about any of the places that I mention in my blog.

Happy Travels!!!

[wunderchina]

I really enjoyed browsing your blog and see all the places where i've been the past year. i miss china so much :')

Thanks!!!! <3

[wunderchina]

Terracotta Army....

My time in China is drawing to a close. But there was one thing that my room mates and I had to see before we left China... the Terracotta Army.  So we traveled to Xi'an on an 16 hour overnight train (this was an interesting occurrence of events in itself), and we then we took an hour bus to the Museum of the Terracotta Army. 

And then, there, in a long pit... there they were... The Army...

I must say it was rather impressive.  There are four pits in different buildings that are associated with the Army which are about 3 - 7 meter deep. The Terracotta figures are life-sized. They vary in height, uniform and hairstyle in accordance with rank. Not all of the army has been excavated. That should occur within the next five years.

For a better view of some of the officers in the army, this is an archer...

And this is the general...

Here is some more information about the Army...

The terracotta army figures were manufactured in workshops by government laborers and by local craftsmen, and the material used to make the terracotta warriors originated on Mount Li. The head, arms, legs and torsos were created separately and then assembled. Studies show that eight face moulds were most likely used, and then clay was added to provide individual facial features. Once assembled, intricate features such as facial expressions were added. It is believed that their legs were made in much the same way that terracotta drainage pipes were manufactured at the time. This would make it an assembly line production, with specific parts manufactured and assembled after being fired, as opposed to crafting one solid piece and subsequently firing it. In those times of tight imperial control, each workshop was required to inscribe its name on items produced to ensure quality control. This has aided modern historians in verifying that workshops that once made tiles and other mundane items were commandeered to work on the terracotta army. Upon completion, the terracotta figures were placed in the pits in precise military formation according to rank and duty.

[wunderchina]

Happiness Ball....

  The happiness ball is carved from one single piece of jade. But Jade carving in general has three steps. But the happiness ball is carved from one piece of jade. There are 12 holes drilled into the stone with several movable layers with in the ball. Each layer represents a generation in your family.

Step One is the designing. Before carving the raw jade, a master had to study the jade carefully and refer to the color, structure, and vein to decide what shape and design can be carved into the stone.

Step Two is carving. Jade is very hard so drills, rim saws and other tools are use in the carving process. The tools are coated with industrial diamonds to penetrate the stone. They first start with an outline and then more to details.

Step Three is polishing. Polishing the surface can take several passes.  This is done until the stone is smooth and shines. The jade carving craft has been passed on for thousands of years and has evolved with time.

Jade is the most important gem to the Orientals and is regarded as the ‘Stone of Heaven’. Prized for its healing powers and protective qualities, jade is said to assist in the quest for immortality. The Chinese character for jade resembles a capital ‘I’ with 3 lines across it – the top, middle and bottom. The top line represents Heaven, the middle for Mankind and the bottom line stands for Earth. Jade accessories are very common in Chinese families – many people wear their jade for life. Jade is said to be able to shield their owners from harm and enhance their health.

[wunderchina]

Lu Xun Park...

This past weekend I went to Lu Xun Park.  Lu Xun Park in Shanghai was formally known as Hongkou Park until the Lu Xun Memorial was built here in 1951. Lu Xun is probably the most famous and influential writer of modern Chinese literature. After his death he was buried in the park and his tomb, with its well-known statue in front of it, attracts many visitors day by day.

Lu Xun Park is one of the largest parks in northern downtown Shanghai. Besides offering boating, fishing, badminton and strolling among flourishing trees, it is also famous for some attractive spots as Plum Blossoms Garden, Lu Xun Museum, and Tomb of Lu Xun.

Probably the most interesting thing about Lu Xun Park is the life that happens there – a peculiarly Shanghainese way of life. Especially on weekends crowds of people are singing traditional Chinese songs, amateur artists are painting or doing some Calligraphy, others just relax and watch the people playing cards, doing some sports or even taking wedding pictures.

[wunderchina]

Thesis, Thesis, Food, Thesis..

So this week consisted of writing my thesis.  The first complete draft is due next week. I didn't get out much, but there was one night when my room mates and I decided to get out of the apartment. But the most interesting and surprising event is... we decided to try out McDonald's delivery. Thrilling, I know.

And, YES... Mikcey D's delivers here in China. After an account was made, we ordered food. It came exactly when it was suppose to and it was still warm. What!!! NO cold McDonald's fries... (seriously cold McDonald's fries are the worst; they taste like cardboard). Hot fries are awesome, cold... not so much.

Looking back, my week was really, really sad. I didn't do anything, but thesis. I couldn't.  I have.... a.... the...sis...... to finish.  

So to summarize... this was my week (thesis, thesis, thesis, headache, food, thesis, fall asleep on computer, thesis, go to classes, work on thesis in class, skip a class to work on thesis, thesis, thesis, food, thesis, doubt whether all this is worth it, thesis, thesis, thesis, go to more classes, work on thesis in classes, thesis, thesis, food, headache, food, complain about thesis, food, thesis, thesis and thesis).  It wasn't all in that particular order... but you can pick up what I am putting down...

[wunderchina]

Luxiang Ancient Village....

I went to Luxiang Ancient Village last weekend. It's located on one of the islands on Taihu Lake in Suzhou City. There were three things that stuck out about that weekend.

One. the architecture was beautiful,  The residents actually live in the village and own the Halls.

Two. I totally misjudged the weather. The day before was warm and sunny; that day was wet and cold. It was.... so.... cold. The little guy in the picture totally depicts how I was feeling that day.

Three. i have been to a few Ancient Villages, and they are stating to look alike. I was searching through my photos for this blog post and a village i went to in Anhui looked a lot like Luxiang. 

Here is some information about Luxiang....

Boasting the best architecture quality and most quantity in the southern range of the Yangzte River Delta, Luxiang ancient town got its fame due to the 1995-year movie, "Shanghai Triad" (摇啊摇, 摇到外婆桥), directed by world-renowned Zhang Yimou, and staring Gong Li. The town therefore won itself another name, "Gong Li Island".

Built in the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), the ancient town is filled with various old streets featuring the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) style as well as well an array of preserved old villages with a history of thousands of years. There used to be many famous people living in the town, including 41 scholars and 2 Zhuangyuan, or top contestants in former imperial examinations.

There are around 30 Ming and Qing dynasty (1644-1912) old buildings maintained in the town at present, encompassing 10,000 square kilometers. Villagers live a simple life near Mt. Hangu. Six lanes in the town lead to Taihu Lake. Walking through the worn long lanes, you may feel like walking through an episode of history.

[wunderchina]

The undergraduate students at Tongji and the structural bridges they built...

[wunderchina]

Remember when....

For those of you whom have gone through Architecture school, you had to build a structural bridge.  There were requirements: weight, material, length, etc. And there were also calculations for load, etc. Then came the time where all of that time and money was destroyed because you have to  see if your calculations were correct in how much of a load the bridge could carry. So you had tons of pressure applied to the bridge until it collapses. The spectacle of the bridges collapsing was very intriguing. Okay, Okay... It was awesome!  They way that things could contort under the right amount of pressure is interesting to watch.

At Tongji that tradition continues, but with a few differences.  They had the same amount of material, for the most part.  But the only requirement was for each student and their professor to walk across the bridge.  It was very interesting to watch.

But I still wanted to see something break, contort, buckle... there was none of that in this case. So sad...

[wunderchina]

I got flowers from America. Well they didn't actually come from America. A very nice person sent me flowers to cheer me up from all of my thesis worries. THANK YOU!!!!

[wunderchina]

The Great Wall at Mutianyu

I finally got to go to Beijing. Therefore, I went to the Great Wall. Nestled up against the Great Wall of China are the villages of Mutianyu, Beigou, Xinying and Tianxianyu. Founded by the original builders of the Wall, these villages have retained their wonderful unique character and are a microcosm of Chinese rural life. Real working villages, these family friendly towns offer a relaxing escape from the hustle-bustle of tourism, and the pollution of the city. 

I went to Mutianyu.  The Great Wall at Mutianyu was built and restored in the early Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), on the remnants of a Wall originally built in the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577). Reconstruction took place under the supervision of Xu Da, one of the founding generals of the Ming Dynasty, who was responsible for building a Wall from Shanhaiguan in the east to as far as Mutianyu. The Ming pass at Mutianyu was officially proclaimed in 1404, where is would serve as an important symbol of protection from marauding nomads to the north.

Reconstruction began in 1568 on 1000km of the Wall including Mutianyu. Responsibility was given to Qi Jiguang, a general who had built his credentials fighting Japanese pirates, and who took his responsibilities as a builder very seriously. Construction continued for many years, as the fortifications were built up with solid granite blocks, and included the construction of some of the larger defensive towers.

The most recent renovation of the Wall at Mutianyu took place from 1982-1986, at the direction of the Beijing government. Rather than a defensive fortification, the Mutianyu Great Wall Park has been designated a national tourist attraction, where it attracts thousands of visitors each year.

Mutianyu is a bit more rugged and slightly less crowded than the more famous Badaling. There are abundant natural springs which feed a great variety of plants and trees. Over 96% of Mutianyu is covered by trees and orchards, keeping the air fragrant with chestnut blossoms in the spring and fresh all year long.

I am thankful for the clear day and blue skies.  I couldn't leave China without visiting the Wall.

[wunderchina]

Huangshan...

Huangshan is a prefecture-level city in southern Anhui province, People's Republic of China. Huangshan means Yellow Mountain in Chinese and the city is named after the famously scenic Yellow Mountains which cover much of the city's vast geographic expanse. The mountain is covered in these yellow flowers.

Huangshan is important for it culture and art. But I was in awe of another event. Tea Eggs!!! I had my first Tea Egg in Huangshan and it was delicious. And they also a very interesting appearance.

I did some research and found out how to make these eggs.

Regular/traditional method

Fragrant and flavorful tea eggs are a traditional Chinese food. The original recipe uses various spices, soy sauce, and black tea leaves and or green tea. A commonly used spice for flavoring tea eggs is Chinese five-spice powder, which contains ground cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds, cloves and Szechuan peppercorns. Some recipes do not use tea leaves, but they are still called "tea eggs". In the traditional method of preparation, eggs are boiled until they reach a hardened, cooked state. The boiled eggs are removed from the water, and the entire shell of each egg is gently cracked all around. Smaller cracks produce more marbling, visible when the egg is peeled for eating. The extra water from the boiling should be allowed to seep out of the eggs on its own. After about ten minutes, the cracked eggs are ready to be put into the prepared spiced-tea liquid and simmered at medium heat. The simmering allows the spiced fluid to seep into the cracks and marinate the eggs inside their shells. After about 20 minutes, the eggs and the spiced-tea liquid should be transferred to a glass or ceramic container for further steeping in a refrigerator. For best results, the eggs should be allowed to steep for several hours or longer. The dark color of the spiced tea gives the egg a marbled effect when it is peeled to be eaten.

Another method of making tea eggs is to boil the eggs until fully cooked inside, then remove the hard boiled eggs from their shells and let them steep in the spiced tea mixture at low heat for a little longer. The eggs and the mixture are removed from the heat and transferred to a glass or ceramic container for further steeping. This method requires a shorter steeping time than the traditional method. Also, the egg is less visually appealing without the marbled effect from the traditional crack shell method of preparation. The eggs can be eaten at anytime; however, the longer they are allowed to steep, the richer the flavor will be. The perfect spiced-tea egg should have a perfect balance between the egg's natural flavor and the spices. The cracking method is the formal feature in this traditional egg recipe. Tea eggs are traditionally eaten cold.

[wunderchina]

Huizhou WoodCarving....

Located in Huangshan is the Hong Jian Hua Carving Museum or the Huangshan Museum.  It was owned by Hong Jian Hua and every piece of wood in the Museum was carved by Hong Jian Hua.  Hong Jian Hua first started carving bamboo at the age of 17 and then later moved onto other wood types. His first success was selling a brush barrel for 100,000 yuan.  He is now one of a few master wood carvers in China.

Hong Jian Hua allows us to look around his museum of personal work and 

also his workshop. 

Only basic hand tools were used in the constructions of all of his pieces. Several pieces took years to finish and the detail is astounding. In his workshop, he is training people to carve. With the assembly line of workers, it would take them about four months to carve one piece of artwork. Each person specializes in one aspect of the carving process.

To buy one piece of artwork is quite expensive, but the status that comes along with owning one of his pieces is very much sought after.

[wunderchina]

Strawberry Picking...

I was asked if I wanted to go strawberry picking. I don't care much for strawberries, but I thought why not.  We went to a strawberry farm outside of Jiangnan Ancienttown. Strawberries are available over six and a half months in two prime periods. The first runs from April until early June. The second is from mid-November to early March.  

The process is really easy. You pick the strawberries, you pay for the strawberries (by kilo), you wash the strawberries, and then you eat the strawberries. I helped with the picking and found one really sad strawberry.

  I didn't purchase any strawberries, but the strawberries, from what I was told, were delicious.

[wunderchina]

Spicy Spirit...

After a four hour karaoke session yesterday, my roomies, some friends and I went to dinner. We all decided to eat spicy food.  So we hopped on the metro, went to line two Zhongshan Park and found a Sichuan restaurant named Spicy Spirit on Huaihai Zhong Lu.

The restaurant was located in a shopping mall. Like most shopping malls in China, the restaurant was located on one of the top floors.

This restaurant was a little different than the others for two reasons. One, they had snacks. Seriously, snacks!

Two, there was a nail salon in the restaurant. You could get your nails done while you waited on a table.

No wonder this restaurant has one of the top ratings in Shanghai.

The food was so good... Spicy and a little salty. We had frog, cauliflower, cabbage, spicy beef, kung pao chicken, potatoes, rice and pickled fish. My belly was really happy.

[wunderchina]

Tianzifang...

The neighborhood was originally built in the 1930s as a Shikumen, residential district. It remained very local until about 2006 when it was slated for demolition to make way for redevelopment. Opposition among local business owners and residents, as well as a famous artist Chen Yifei who had a studio in Tianzifang, in addition to a group submitted a proposal to the local government to preserve the Taikang Lu area and its traditional architecture and ambience.

Currently, Tianzifang has become a major tourist attraction and has more than 200 diverse small businesses such as cafes, restaurants, art galleries, craft stores, design houses and studios, and even French bistros.