田睿丽 Tian Ruili & Chinese Cultural Heritage Exhibition

This morning we woke up to an email warning us of the “parades” against the Japanese and some possible terrorist acts.

I am glad they let us know. I didn't know how bad the tension was between the two countries until I came here this time and am now able to understand more Chinese. Suffice to say the situation is tense and sad.

Shungeng Exhibition Center
National Non-Material Cultural Heritage Exhibition

National Non-Material Cultural Heritage Exhibition
Entrance and Front Stage

Despite the bad news we did go out and have a wonderful day. We went to the First Annual Intangible cultural heritage show in Jinan. There were many different cultural goods from all over China. I think I love the culture Miao people and of course the Tibetans the most.

National Non-Material Cultural Heritage Exhibition
Inside the Front Entrance

National Non-Material Cultural Heritage Exhibition
Inside Looking Out

Chinese Opera Actors

The first performers we saw were from the opera. There are many types of operas here in China. I actually have really grown to love the opera here and am just able to read enough of the subtitles and watch the gestures to think I know what is going on.

Back of Chinese Opera Actors

The Chinese are very talented with their paper cuts, the handicraft is usually done by some of the minority groups.

Walls of Paper Cuts 

Examples of Paper Cutting

The Puppets are of the many characters in their costumes for the Operas.

Puppets/Dolls as the Chinese Opera Characters

Puppets/Dolls as the Chinese Opera Characters

Puppets/Dolls as the Chinese Opera Characters

Heads of the Puppets/Dolls as the Chinese Opera Characters

Heads of the Puppets/Dolls as the Chinese Opera Characters

We met two Miao women that actually embroidered their hair in these pieces of art.

Miao Woman and Me She embroiders her art with hair

Miao Embroidered Art with Human Hair

Miao Woman, She Embroidered this Tiger

The Miao women ebroidered their art with human hair. I love the flare of the Miao people, there are different groups of the Miaos and yet they all have beaituful traditional clothing and hair pieces.

The explanation of Embroidery with Hair and the Miao Woman

Another region showed their craft of weaving. this woman is weaving the bags and wallhangings behind her.

Weaving

Examples of Uyghur Instruments

Some Chinese/Uyghur instruments with a Uyghur man

Some Chinese/Uyghur instruments with a Uyghur Woman

Some Chinese/Uyghur instruments with a Uyghur man

The Mongolian Bow is a tradition passed down from the times of Ghengis Khan although they have changed in size they are still part of their cultural heritage.

Mongolian Bows

Mongolian Bows

An Example of How the Mongols Live

Mongolian Yurt and Cart

Some great Pieces I saw along the way... and a cute hanging piece of art to liven up my room.

Close Up of a Bowl

Each Bead was Placed Carefully on the Plate

I Loved the Bright Colors!

Pomegranate Trees

There were musicians playing traditional Chinese Instruments.

Girls and Traditional Chinese Instruments
The Boy is Patrick he is Adorable!

Girls and Traditional Chinese Instruments

Tibetans : )

These Wonderful Tibetans Came Up to Me so We Could Talk. I Loved Their Spirit!

I met some wonderful Tibetan people, a monk and an artist. 

Amazing Artist Penba Wangdu

Tibetan artist Penba Wangdu has art exhibited in New York, Italy and Denmark among other places.

And of course Buddha's from Tibet...

Of Course we Cannot Have Anything in Shandong Province Without Confucius

Confucius

One more note about today, I received my Chinese name. A friend Mary asked me for my Chinese name, I said I didn't have one so she said, I study so much Chinese I should have a name. I told her she could choose one for me. She chose the name and sent me the characters:

田睿丽 Tian Ruili

Tian ：field, surname; rui: wise; li: beautiful.

The Chinese name is pronounced similar to my English name.

I will now practice my chinese name. Please keep calling me Taralee in the meantime :)

Fo --- Buddha

Gym, Pizza Hut and 9/9/10 on Qian Fo Shan

Yoana, Mayte and I went to the gym! We are proud card carrying members of the Eagle Gym in Jinan! I worked out on the eliptical and every other weight I could find the strength to use. I have been dying to work out. 
Yoana and I even tried to play a bit of ping pong (yes they have special ping pong rooms in the gyme here). I haven't really played more than three times before so we just made up our own game, it was a mix of ping pong/tennis/raquetball :). We had a blast!

The Table in front is Sugar Cane Juice, this Reminded Me of The Dominican Republic.
The Table Behind the Juice is Full of Snakes and Turtles to put in alcohol for Flavor.

After the gym we went to Pizza Hut, I am such a huge fan of Pizza Hut here. We were 155 on the wait list to get in. 
I love that we are willing to wait on a list to have our delicious pizza and salad, as American as Pizza Hut sounds it is still a great Chinese experience I think everyone should have. 
My salad dressing was still mayonaise just like all the fruit salads I get here. I really need to learn the word for mayonaise so I can ask them to not bathe all my food in it.

On our way back to the bus we stopped in the stadium and saw probably thousands of policemen and women marching and shouting. It sent shivers down my spine. I know I am here and have the constant presence of the army in every place I go but I think this was a reminder that I am definitely a foreigner here and this was not my army or police force.

After one almost unbearable bus ride home I got dressed and headed out with Mary, my mom, Patrick and Mayte to celebrate the Chongyang Festival.

Chongyang Festival (Seniors Day)

The Double Nine Festival (lunar calendar 9th month and day)

This day is to celebrate longevity and is a day for all the seniors. As part of the celebration everyone climbs a mountain or something high.

We went to the festival at the bottom of Qian Fo Shan. The festival was full of wares from the locals, we saw glass blowing (he made the dragon for me), snakes to put in the alcohol and everything else you could think you would need in your house.

There is a large Muslim community here and they have a lot of barbecuing so we got to eat some of that too. Love it!

Night Picture of The 9/9 Festival Market

This is the Glass Shaper and His Apprentice

Man Blowing the Glass Dragon

After the festival we continued up the mountain to see the Golden Buddha. 
We walked and ate a delicious purple rice treat that came in a carefully woven basket that I am going to clean and use. 
Also we ate our fruit we bought at the festival earlier in the day. 
When we arrived at the top we say a lot of people dancing in unison, a man practicing his whip for martial arts and children playing on their bicycles.

Mayte and I with the Man that Made My Dragon

My Glass Dragon

Purple Rice in a Woven Basket

Physalis Fruit

Golden Buddha Statue

61st Anniversary P.R.C. Govt. Dinner and Hero Mountain

We were invited to go to the government dinner in celebration of the 61st anniversary of the P.R.C.
The experience was a good one and we definitely were satisfied there were about 12 courses.

My Invitation and Place Card for the Government of Shandong Province 61st anniversary of the Founding of The People's Republic of China

My Korean Neighbor Park suk-Jae and I at the Dinner

A Chicken head at Your Table is Supposed to be an Honor...

Lovely Dragon Ice Sculpture Bowl

Hero Mountain 1,000 Voices Singing Celebration and CCTV

Preparing Before the CCTV Camerman (behind us) Lets Us Start the Show

I was invited to help open the show on Hero Mountain. I had about ten minutes to prepare and needed to read a very basic translation. It was an interesting experience of being half awake and thrown on camera in front of a crowd of thousands but one I enjoyed.

Li Jian and I Announcing the Start of The 1,000 Voices Singing at Hero Mountain for the 61st Anniversary of The P.R.C.

If I can find the footage I will post it, my friend said she saw me on the TV, so maybe she and I will look for it.