Health & Fitness
Brewster High School China Trip: May 31, Day 13
A look into the last few days of the experiences of Brewster High School students and faculty in China.
We were very fortunate to have class this morning with Ms. Xiao Wen. She
took us through steps to create our own pieces of Chinese art using calligraphy.
Ms. Wen was gifted as an artist and teacher. Her patience with students as they learned brush technique was masterful in itself. As students gained confidence
and comfort with their brushes, their bodies became more relaxed.
As bodies became more relaxed, hands became steadier. By the end of our time in Ms. Wen’s class, steady hands were creating artistic treasures.
After lunch we headed to the Temple of Heaven. The Temple of Heaven is a Daoism temple used as a prayer site of the Ming and Quing dynasties. Prayers were held on the 15th day of first Lunar month to ask for good harvest and the winter solstice to give thanks for the good harvest.
Walking through the Temple of Heaven was like walking through a well-kept historical park. Of course we saw the Temple where sacrificial oxen were offered. In the temple there were stone sculptures representing the oxen. The oxen were sacrificed and then eaten on festival days. Ironically, as impressive the Temple
was, the local people enjoying park-like settings were as impressive.
As we have seen throughout the trip, the past melded with present seamlessly, offering glimpses into the people of Beijing.
Every day people bring music and dance in the open areas of the Temple grounds. Always inviting, many of us were invited and pulled into the dances. Happy to
oblige our hosts, cultural and language barriers were bridged by dances and smiles.
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Continuing on our walk, we were treated to people playing music and enjoying the company of friends on a beautiful sunny day. Even by strangers, we were treated with smiles and invitations.
Our final dinner together in China was a Peking duck dinner in our honor. Beijing 101 took all of out as their honored guests for a meal to be remembered. We can only hope to someday be able to return the generosity of our hosts.
Click on the PDF to the right for photos and the original entry.
