Preparing for our Adventure in China

Usually, when I tell people that Alison and I are going to China the first question they ask is "why China?" The answer to that question is complex. It is not like we woke up one day with a burning desire to go to China. The decision to make China our next international destination grew organically. It was the consequence of a series of events. Recently Alison and I have had a great desire to see the world. We want to experience other cultures and visit amazing places. Traveling to Egypt, Jordan and Israel helped stoke that desire. It also gave us confidence in our ability to navigate areas outside the United States. If you would have asked us three months ago, we would have told you our next international adventure would be a trip to Europe. Due to some scheduling conflicts, we decided to postpone our planned trip to Europe. We began to look at other potential destinations. China is on our short list because the Great Wall of China is in both Soarin' Over the World and the list of the 7 wonders of the modern world. It also seems like it will be an adventure. Alison found some flights that were a pretty good deal and we started to get excited about traveling to China.

As we did a little bit more research we realized that traveling to China can be a daunting task. The country is huge and there are many places worth visiting. While English is spoken in many areas of China there is a significant portion of the population that doesn't speak English, which can pose difficulties for American tourists. Also obtaining a Chinese visa has a high cost and takes significant time and planning. As we considered these potential challenges we questioned whether or not we really wanted to visit China. We continued to research. We also talked to family and friends who have visited China. The more we learned the more we were confident that visiting China would be a great adventure. We also had to decide where exactly we wanted to go in China. We knew we wanted to visit Beijing. While we are there we will see the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square, and Temple of Heaven among other sites. We also decided that we would visit Xi'an. There we will see an ancient city, the Terracotta army, and Giant Goose Pagoda, among other sites. We knew we had enough time planned to visit one other city. Our decision came down to Shanghai or Guilin. The pros to Shanghai were that it was a big enough city there would be plenty of people who spoke English to help us navigate. Disney also has a park in Shanghai and we are big fans of Disney and would love to spend a day there. Guilin on the other hand is a completely different experience. It is located in southern China and will be very different from the other places we will visit. It is much more rural with beautiful landscapes that have been described as, "the best under heaven". After considering both options we decided Guilin would be a better way to end our trip.

We were advised, by some family members who have taken multiple trips to Guilin, that to have the best experience possible in Guilin we would want to hire a guide. Alison headed up our research into possible Chinese guides. She found that we could get a private tour in all three cities we would visit for an extremely reasonable price. We emailed, compared prices, and had a phone call before deciding this was the right option for us. They book our hotels, and in-country travel, cover a portion of our meals, and we will have a driver and tour guide while we are there. 

We are very excited about our trip to China. In preparation for our trip, I made a list of books and movies that I wanted to listen to/watch before the trip. I find this helps build my excitement for the trip and prepares me to get the most I possibly can out of our travels.

Books:

The Fall and Rise of China by Richard Baum (Audiobook length 24 hours 10 minutes)

Synopsis:

From the Audible Great Courses series come 48 lectures delivered by scholar and China watcher Dr. Richard Baum. Throughout these lectures, Richard Baum attempts to address the question, "How do we account for China's momentous - and almost wholly unanticipated - global rise? And what does it mean, for us in the West and for humanity's future?" The lecture begins by recounting the glory days of the Chinese empire (600 CE to 1700 CE). The focus of the lecture begins to take shape as Dr. Baum describes the collapse of the Qing dynasty and the influence of Western imperialism throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. From there he describes the political upheavals that occurred throughout the republican era and walks through multiple civil wars. These led to the rise of Chinese Communism during the 20th century. Much of the lecture series focuses on Communism and Mao. Events such as the long march, the great leap forward, the children's crusade, and the cultural revolution are explored. Mao's influence on China, for better and for worse, is dissected. Following Mao's death, the changing Communist leadership is explored, along with strengthening U.S. relations and the evolving Chinese economy. The events at Tiananmen Square in the late 1980s are described in detail. The series ends by discussing the rising Chinese economy and nationalism through the 1990s into the 2000s. 

My Thoughts:

1. Woah, there is so much Chinese history that was completely foreign to me. In school, we focus so much on the history of the Middle East, Europe, and America that the history of the Chinese and their empires are largely ignored. I do have to give a big shout-out to Mr. Crump and his political science class. Taking that class in the 12th grade at least gave me some understanding of the evolution of Communism and some familiarity with the key names and terms. Mr. Crump's class provided a knowledge base that was invaluable as Dr. Baum expounded upon hundreds of years of history. I was grateful going into these lectures I at least knew a little bit about who Mao was and some of the terms like the great leap forward, the cult of personality, or the thousand flowers movement. Even still, there was so much about China that was completely new. These lectures did a fantastic job of covering Chinese history. I am glad I started my preparation with these lectures because they have provided a solid foundation for my learning experience. 

2.  Dr. Baum is a fascinating person. Interspersed throughout his lectures he shares personal experiences that greatly enhanced the learning experience. For example, he talks about the time he smuggled top-secret documents out of Taiwan or when he was in Beijing in 1989 during the student protests. His first-hand account of the events brought the lectures to life. Throughout the lectures, it was evident that he loves China and devoted his life to developing a better understanding of this complex society. I was sad to learn that he passed away in 2012. It makes me very grateful we have incredible technology that allows me to listen to his lecture series years after his passing. 

3. A lot has happened in China over the past 200 years. A lot has happened to China in my lifetime. Many events happened in China during my lifetime that I didn't really understand until I listened to this lecture series. I am a little embarrassed to say that I didn't really know why the student protests at Tiananmen square happened in 1989 or why the government responded with violence. I had seen the iconic picture of a lone man blocking the path of a column of tanks, and I associated it with this event. It is a moving picture, but it means more now that I understand the context of what was happening in Chinese society at the time. This lecture series taught me a lot about the development of modern Chinese culture and will surely help me appreciate Chinese culture more during our trip. 

4." China is a sleeping giant. Let her sleep, for when she wakes she will move the World." - Napolean Boneparte

After listening to these lectures I am unsure of what the future holds for China. It is clear China is a significant player on the world stage. They are positioned to be a force for years to come. They will have a big say in world events in the years to come. I am excited to visit this emerging powerhouse and experience what China has to offer.

Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China by Evan Osnos (Audiobook length 16 hours 47 minutes)

Synopsis:

Age of Ambition explores China over the last decade by examining the lives of Chinese citizens. The individuals described throughout the book are economists, artists, bloggers, journalists, and reform-minded citizens. Through their stories, Evan Osnos explores a country in transition. Topics such as nationalism, economic priority, corruption, government, and culture are all part of the narrative. 

The book is split into three main sections. The first section is Fortune. This section mainly focuses on the first generation of entrepreneurs in China post-Mao, the challenges they faced, and the fortunes they made. 

The second section is Truth. This section focuses on the clashing of political tradition with the desires of the people to learn and know more. It focuses on the growth of the internet in China and the impacts increased connectivity has had on the country. This includes discussions of the great firewall and ways people attempt to circumvent censorship. 

The final section is Faith. This section ties together the different perspectives that have been explored throughout the book. Here the author illustrates both individuals and the government have adapted to their fast-moving environment to create a new Chinese experience where highly individual people live in a system that is still coming to terms with allowing for individual expression. 

My Thoughts:

1. This book was somewhat difficult for me to get into. Unlike the other books, I read it did not have a clear structure. Rather it meandered through the lives of various Chinese individuals. It took a while for the book to make a clear point. The stories it told were interesting, but it was hard to understand how the stories fit into the larger context. Part of me wanted to give up on it, but I am glad I did not. This book was more personal than the other books I read. It presented the thoughts, hopes, and dreams of individual Chinese people. Eventually, the author did weave together consistent themes, but the real focus of the book was always the individuals. 

2. This book focuses on the collision course between the powerful forces that are shaping China. The government, the internet, and the economy are all competing for influence in the lives of Chinese citizens. It is unclear which forces will win out. What is clear is that this is a period of significant change and that the change is moving forward at a breakneck pace. While it is unclear which direction the change will take Chinese culture will certainly be changed forever. 

China Road by Rob Gifford (Audiobook length 10 hours 37 minutes)

Synopsis:

“Hope cannot be said to exist, nor can it be said not to exist.

It is just like the roads across the earth.

For actually there were no roads, to begin with,

but when many people pass one way a road is made.”

― Lu Xun

This book chronicles the journey of Rob Gifford, a journalist living in China, across China on road 312. He travels from Shanghai to the China-Kazakhstan border. He stops in the cities and villages along route 312 to interview locals and experience diverse areas of China. 

My Thoughts:

1. This book highlights the aspects that are really good and really bad about China. One moment Rob Gifford will be swept up in the modern marvel that is Shanghai or the stunning natural beauty that can be found in China. The next moment he will encounter a group of women who enforce the one-child policy by performing forced abortions (this book was written before the end of the policy) or see the struggle of the Tibetan or other minority people in China. This book highlights that while China has many things that can be considered amazing and wonderful it also has many troubling issues. This shows the complexity of such a large and diverse nation. It is human nature to categorize and want everything to fit neatly into categories, but more often than not life is messy. Next to a beautiful mountain, there might be a noxious factory. This is probably a more accurate depiction of China, it is ultimately complex and difficult to truly understand.  

2. Reading this book put into perspective the size and diversity of China. At one point the authors cite the number of people who live on the European and American continents. Within these two continents, there are more than 50 sovereign nation-states. This is compared to China. China has just as many people, as both those continents, and they are all living within one nation-state. When you have that perspective it becomes absurd to then compare China to another developing nation, such as Albania or Thailand. China is not just trying to develop a country it is trying to develop an entire continent. The sheer scope of this undertaking is unparalleled in human history.

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (Audiobook length 10 hours 37 minutes)

Synopsis:

This novel follows the life of Wan Lung. It begins shortly before his wedding to O-Lan and follows his journey to amass and cultivate the land. He obtains his wife from wealthy landowners in his village, the House of Hwang. Wang Lung takes great joy in cultivating his land. With O-Lan by his side, they slowly begin to earn money to buy land from the declining Hwang family. At the same time, they begin a family of their own. O-Lan has a few sons and a daughter. Their fortunes are looking up until a severe famine spreads across the land. This famine and the resulting malnutrition result in the eldest daughter becoming severely handicapped due to lack of nutrition. Wang Lung's family is forced to migrate to a city far away to survive. The family sells everything they own, except their land. In the city, the family camps in the slums. O-Lan and the children beg while Wan Lung pulls a rickshaw. They do not starve, but they live in poverty, with little to no hope of earning enough to return to their land. 

Wang Lung's future outlook changes when a riot erupts. He follows the mob into a rich man's house. He stumbles onto the rich man. The rich man gives Wang Lung all his money because he fears for his life. Wang Lung takes the money and tells the rich man to run away. Wang Lung uses the money to take his family back to their land. On his way, he buys a new ox, tools, and furniture for their home. Shortly after they return home he finds that during the riot O-Lan found a stash of jewels hidden in the rich man's house. Wang Lung demands the jewels, which O-Lan desires to keep for herself. Wang Lung agrees to let her keep two pearls for herself and uses the rest to buy all of the House of Hwang's remaining land.  

With his great land holdings, Wang Lung becomes more prosperous. He hires servants to work the land with him. O-Lan bears more children including twins. Wang Lung sends his eldest two sons to school so they can learn to read and write and will be able to represent him in the markets. As he becomes more prosperous he grows bored and begins to visit a prostitute at a tea house in the town. Eventually, he brings the concubine, Lotus, into his house to live as part of his family. In an ultimate sign of his betrayal, he takes the two pearls he gave to O-Lan and makes them into earrings for Lotus. O-Lan suffers silently, often unnoticed by Wang Lung, until she becomes very ill. During her illness, Wang Lung realizes how much O-Lan has sacrificed for him. He remembers his love for her and is willing to pay for everything he owns if it would enable the doctor to save her. Alas, she is beyond repair and passes away, but not before witnessing the wedding of her eldest son. 

Wang Lung grows older and his family continues to prosper. They buy the old House of Hwang and move into the town. In many ways, his family becomes very similar to the old family of Hwang. They are prosperous and respected by the community. Wang Lung comes to love his land, almost above all else. His family begins to have disputes, mostly driven by their prosperity. Wang Lung just wants peace. The story ends when Wang Lung hears his sons planning to sell their land. He warns them that selling land is the beginning of the end for a prosperous family. They assure him they will not sell the land, but give each other knowing smiles. 

My Thoughts:

1. I really enjoyed this book. I am really glad that I added it to my list. I was a late add. One of the other books I read mentioned it and I thought I should read The Good Earth. I actually tried to read this book once when I was 12. I could not get into it. My expectations this time around were not very high. This book greatly exceeded my expectations. I could hardly stop listening to it. I found the entire story to be fascinating.

2. What made this book so interesting was the rise and fall and rise again of Wang Lung. Not only does it chronicle his changing life, but it details his changing attitudes as his wealth increases. As a poor man, Wang Lung is fairly content with his life. He loves his land and wants to be able to cultivate his land. He is timid and feels out of place in the village and great house of Hwang. As his wealth grows so does his desire for more land. He sees land as the ticket to a better life and becomes obsessed with owning more good land. In the city as a poor man, the only thing he wants in the world is to return to his land. As he eventually returns and gains even more land his wealth allows him to be idle. His idleness becomes more of a challenge than being poor. When he no longer has to work, the land he loves he begins no longer fulfills him, and seeks out something to fill the void. This leads him to betray a wife who has supported him unconditionally for many years. I think this story reveals a truth that is often overlooked: every person, no matter their circumstances, has problems that they will need to deal with in life. Owning land and being prosperous did not lessen the number of problems Wang had, it only changed the nature of his problems. 

3. This book takes a different look at China and Chinese culture than any of the other books I read. It takes place in pre-revolutionary China before communism and the world wars. It also focuses on life outside of the big population centers. It paints a picture of what life would have been like living in the Chinese countryside from the end of the 19th century into the 20th century. It gives me one more reference point to understand Chinese culture. 

Movies:

Born in China

Synopsis:

Based on the wilds of China this film follows the stories of four animal groups: the majestic panda, the savvy golden monkey, the agile Chiru (Tibetan antelope), and the elusive snow leopard. The film follows each animal through summer, fall, winter, and spring. It shows new life, growth, and even hardship all set to a backdrop of stunning mountains, forests, or plains. 

My Thoughts:

1. This film was more entertaining than I expected. Alison and I watched it with Skylee. I expected her to be bored, but she was thoroughly entertained. This film did a good job of showcasing the diverse landscapes and vistas found throughout China. China is such a huge country it has much to offer. It helped get me excited about our decision to visit Guilin, where we will get to see a little portion of the natural wonders within China.  

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Synopsis:

This film begins with renowned swordsman Li Mu Bai ready to retire. He gives his close friend Yu Shu Lien his prized sword, the green destiny. Mu Bai has decided the sword carries too many memories and asks Shu Lien to take the sword to Beijing to deliver to their friend Sir Te. While in Beijing Shu Lien meets Jen Yu, the daughter of a rich merchant engaged to be married. 

Shortly after the sword is delivered to Sir Te a masked thief breaks into Sir Te's estate and steals the green destiny. Mu Bai and Shu Lien trace the theft to the governor's compound and realize their nemesis the Jade Fox has been hiding in the governor's household for many years. Mu Bai becomes friends with a police investigator and his daughter who have traveled from the country in pursuit of the Jade Fox. They are invited to a showdown with the fox that night. The investigator and his daughter are about to be defeated by the Jade Fox when Mu Bai arrives and saves them. Before Mu Bai kills the fox the masked thief (who we learn is Jen) arrives and evens the fight. The Jade Fox kills the inspector before she and the thief flee. Both the Jade Fox and Mu Bai are impressed by the fighting skills of the thief. 

Another night, a bandit named Lo breaks into the governor's manor and visits Jen. He pleads with her to leave with him. It is revealed that when Jen was traveling through a desert that her caravan was attacked by this bandit and that he stole a precious comb from her. She chased him through the desert and eventually fell in love with the bandit. Lo eventually convinced Jen to return to her family so that they would stop chasing him. He arrived in Beijing to try to stop her wedding. Jen refuses to leave with him. He even goes so far as to interrupt the wedding processional. 

Jen does decide to leave her husband on their wedding night. Disguised as a man she is accosted by a group of warriors at a restaurant. She easily defeats them using the green destiny and her training. On her way to Mount, Wudang Jen visits Shu Lien. The women engage in a duel and Jen can counter Shu Lien's superior skills with the green destiny. Eventually, Shu Lien defeats Jen but decides to show mercy and Jen returns the favor by cutting Shu Lien's arm. Mu Bai arrives and fights Jen. She agrees to be his student if he can disarm her in three moves. After he disarms her with one move she goes back on her word. Mu Bai throws the green destiny over a waterfall. Jen dives to retrieve the sword. She retrieves the sword and is saved from drowning by the Jade Fox. 

The Jade Fox uses a drugged Jen as a trap to entice Mu Bai and Shu Lien. They discover Jen in a cavern where they are ambushed by the Jade Fox. Mu Bai prevents the Jade Fox from poisoning members of his party with poison darts and manages to kill the Jade Fox. After he has killed the Fox her realizes a poison dart got him. Jen knows the secret of the Jade Fox's poison and travels to obtain an antidote. 

In the cavern Mu Bai faces death. With his dying breath, he finally confesses his love for Shu Lien. Jen returns but is too late to save him. She returns the green destiny to Sir Te. She travels to Mount Wudang where she spends one final night with Lo. She asks him to make a wish, and he wishes that they can be together. She then echos a legend Lo told her earlier, that anyone who will jump off mount Wundang can obtain any wish. Jen jumps down the side of the mountain. 

My Thoughts:

1. When we were talking about movies to watch before we go to China Alison mentioned this film. I thought she was joking. As I looked at recommended movies this one consistently showed up at the top of most lists. This is considered one of the most influential foreign films ever. The cinematography and martial arts were both pretty amazing. I really enjoyed this film and I would watch it again. It is a fun movie. It is one of China's biggest cultural exports.  

2. There are interesting elements of Chinese culture in this film. Particularly the role of women. Women play key roles in this film. Traditionally women also played an important role in China. It is believed women developed many traditional martial art styles of fighting. This is true of the Wing Chun style of fighting that favors deception and efficiency. This style evens the playing field to allow individuals of all physical strengths and stature to gain an advantage by mastery of the technique. The crouching tiger, hidden dragon name eludes to this style of fighting, suggesting powerful creatures that strike by surprise. China has a long tradition of promoting equality among the genders. Even Mao was a big proponent of men and women being considered equal in all aspects of life. 

Farewell My Concubine

Synopsis:

This film tells the story of two male members of the Peking Opera during the mid-1900s. As children the two boys become inseparable, but as adults, their relationship is tested when Xiaolou falls in love with a courtesan at the House of Blossoms. This greatly upsets Dieyi because he loves Xiaolou and does not want to share him. The impact of political turmoil occurring in China - the Japanese invasion during WWI, the rise of Communism, and the Cultural Revolution, also test the relationship of these "opera brothers". Throughout the film, the issues of friendship, homosexuality, suicide, and communist violence are explored. 

My Thoughts:

1. This is an interesting film. It was pretty good, but somewhat hard to get into. It was made in China for a Chinese audience. I watched this film because it is highly recommended. It is consistently ranked as one of the best Chinese films ever made. I can see that for the period it was released (1993) this movie is very well made. It also has an interesting plot and deals with controversial issues head-on. Due to the nature of the issues that are addressed, some scenes were really hard to watch. 

2. The portrayal of Mao and the Culture Revolution is very unfavorable. Artists had it particularly hard. The movie portrays a brutal tribunal where the artists were forced to plead guilty to supposed wrongs. After the tribunal, they were publicly humiliated and tortured. It is hard to understand how people can be so mean to their fellow human beings and how the government could encourage this behavior. 

3. I also noticed that traditional Chinese opera/singing has a very distinct sound. I would hear this same sound in many of the other Chinese films I watched. 

Lost in Beijing 

Synopsis:

This film tells the story of two couples whose lives become inextricably linked. Liu Pingguo and An Kun are migrant workers who have moved to Beijing with the hope of improving their lot in life. Lin Dong owns the Golden Basin Massage parlor and his wife Wang Mei practices Chinese medicine. 

Liu Pingguo works at the Golden Basin Massage parlor as a foot masseuse. Her best friend, Xiao Mei, is fired after Xiao Mei cuts a customer's toe when the customer attempts to assault her. Pingguo and Mei drown their sorrows by drinking heavily at lunch. Pingguo returns back to the Golden Basin Massage parlor and falls asleep in an empty office. Lin Dong finds Pingguo in her vulnerable state and rapes her. Pingu's husband, who works as a window watcher, witnesses the rape. 

An Kun is furious and lashes out at Lin Dong. He vandalizes Dong's Mercedes and attempts to blackmail Dong and Dong's wife for 20,000 yuan. Wang Mei does not pay Kun. Instead, she seduces him and they begin an affair. 

Then Pingguo discovers she is pregnant. An Kun and Lin Dong are uncertain which of them is the father. Lin Dong really wants a child because Wang Mei is barren. Kun and Dong come up with a contract that states if the baby is born with blood type A they will assume An Kun is a father and he and Pingguo will keep the child. If the baby is born with the blood type B they will assume Lin Dong is the father and he and Wang Mei will keep the child and pay An Kun 100,000 yuan. If the child is born with blood type O they will perform a paternity test. 

When the baby comes An Kun and Pingguo are at the hospital. The doctor gives An Kun a certificate showing the baby has blood type A. An Kun cannot pass up on the 100,000 yuan so he bribes the doctor to change the blood type on the birth certificate. 

Pingguo moves in with Lin Dong and Wang Mei so that she can care for the child during the child's first year of life. Wang Mei insists Lin Dong sign a contract stating that if he has an affair with Pingguo he will divorce Wang Mei and give her half of his business. Wang Mei decides she cannot stand her husband and divorces him. An Kun sees how happy Pingguo is caring for the baby and decides he has made a mistake. He attempts to kidnap the baby. This fails miserably and he ends up attempting to buy back his baby. Lin Dong refuses. Pingguo takes the money An Kun attempted to use in his buyback, and the baby, and leaves both An Kun and Lin Dong. 

My Thoughts:

1. This film was much different than I expected. It wasn't bad. In fact, I found the plot to be very interesting and I had no idea where this film would end up. Since this is a foreign language film it had my undivided attention while I read the dialogue. The nature of the subject was fairly dark. The film illustrates the seedy underside of Beijing and how difficult it can be for a migrant couple to survive in the big city. The living conditions of migrants in Beijing can be quite poor and the pressure to survive is great. 

2. Watching this film got me thinking about the story in terms of the current #metoo movement. It illustrates that women, especially vulnerable women, can be at risk for assault and abuse. Massage parlors and Karaoke bars in China often are fronts for prostitution (this was discussed in the books I read, as well as being depicted in this film). There are likely many untold stories of Chinese women who have endured loathsome treatment. This film explores one such story. Throughout the story, Pingguo is used by both An Kun and Lin Dong. It is only at the end when she leaves that she has a chance to control her story, rather than being controlled by the men in her life. 

Eat Drink Man Women

Synopsis:

This film tells the story of Old Chu, a widower and chef, and his three unmarried daughters: Chu Jia-Jen, Chu Jia-Chien, and Chu Jia-Ning. Each of the daughters is dealing with their own issues within the context of their traditional Chinese culture. Chu Jia-Jen is a school teacher and devout Christian. Her family and friends believe she may never marry after she fails to get over a boyfriend who broke up with her many years before. Chu Jai-Chien is an up-and-coming airline executive who has lots of opportunities. She struggles to balance her career with taking care of her family. She also shares a passion for food with her father, which she has been unable to pursue. Chu Jai-Ning is often overshadowed by her older sisters. She hooks up with her friend's off-again on-again boyfriend. The narrative of each sister plays out against a backdrop of traditional Sunday dinners held by Old Chu. The sisters do not really want to attend, but they feel obligated to support their father. These dinners become the site of important announcements. Chu Jia-Ning announces she is pregnant and has decided to marry her boyfriend. Chu Jai-Chien announces she made a bad investment that cost her most of her savings and that she turns down a significant promotion that would require her to move to the Netherlands. Chu Jai-Jen meets and falls in love with a fellow teacher. They decide they cannot wait and are married. She announces to her family that she has married at Sunday dinner. The most shocking announcement comes from Old Chu. He is struggling to find his place in life as he ages. He loses his taste and is no longer able to be a master chef. He also becomes increasingly lonely as his daughters branch out and develop relationships outside the family. He falls in love with Liang Jin-Rong a young divorced mother and friend of the family. He also loves making an elaborate lunch every day for Liang Jin-Rong's daughter. When he announces his intention to sell his home and marry Liang Jin-Rong his daughters are shocked. They expected him to marry Laing Jin-Rong's mother, who was much closer to his own age. The film ends by showing everyone happily married, except for Chu Jai-Chien who has moved into the ancestral home and is pursuing her love of cooking. Together she and her father spend one last Sunday sharing a traditional meal before the home is sold. 

My Thoughts:

1. This show made me very excited about the food in China. The film itself was not that interesting, but it really showcased traditional Chinese foods being prepared and served. They all looked amazing. They were very foreign and things that I have never tried before (it wasn't the Chinese food you find in most restaurants here). I am really excited to try new things and expand my pallet. 

To Live

Synopsis:

This film tells the story of Xu Fugui and his family. Fugui is the only son of a wealthy family. He is also a degenerate gambler, who despite the pleas of his wife, gambles away his ancestral family home. His continued gambling also causes his wife, Jiazhen, to leave him. Along with their daughter and unborn son. Fugui and his wife are reunited, after the birth of their son. To survive Fugui starts a traveling shadow puppet troupe. While traveling with the troupe Fugui is conscripted into the nationalist army, during China's civil war. The fighting conditions are brutal and eventually the nationalist army is defeated by the revolutionary (communist) army. Fugui and his friend, Chunsheng are captured by the revolutionary army. They spend time entertaining the army with their shadow puppets. 

Eventually, Fugui returns home. He is recognized as a hero in his hometown because he bears a certificate stating that he served in the revolutionary army. Soon after he returns home a nobleman from the village Long'er is put on trial because he is a wealthy land owner. Long'er was the gambler who won Fugui's ancestral home. Long'er is eventually executed when he is unwilling to donate his wealth to the government. Fugui returns home to tell his wife of Long'er was executed for owning the property that was previously their own. Fugui and his wife frame his certificate showing he served in the revolutionary army as a sign they are not part of the landowning class. 

The story jumps forward a decade to the great leap forward. As part of the government's push to start small steel mills, the family is asked to donate their iron tools and cooking implements to the local steel mill. The chest containing Fugui's puppets is nearly donated until Fugui points out that he can perform for the town to boost morale. Problems crop up as local boys pick on Fengxia, Fugui's daughter. Fungxia is mute due to a sickness she had as a little child. Her brother  Youqing gets back at the ring leader by dumping a large bowl of noodles in chili sauce over the ring leader's head in the communal kitchen. This leads to questions about whether Fugui and Youqing were trying to sabotage the community (a serious charge). Fugui is furious and tries to discipline Youqing, but is stopped by Jiazhen. Jiazhen explains to Fugui why Youqing acted the way he did, which leads to a new appreciation of Fugui for his children. 

The village, and especially the children work hard to reach the steel quota. The town holds a celebration for reaching the quota and everyone gets to eat dumplings. Fugui's children are so exhausted they sleep during the celebration. While they are sleeping Youqing's classmates come to get him to return to the factory because the district chief is coming to visit. Jaizhen does not want to wake him, but Fugui worries about how it will look if his son sleeps through the inspection. He wakes Younqing and sends him to the factory with a small package of dumplings. Younqing was so tired he falls asleep by a wall of the factory. The district chief's jeep runs into the wall, injuring the chief and killing Younqing. The district chief visits the family at the graveside and is revealed to be Chunsheng. He begs the family for forgiveness and tells them he owes the family a lifetime. As he returns to his jeep he finds his guard beating Fungxia, who had been breaking the windows in the jeep. Chunsheng commands the guard to stop and leaves in sorrow. 

The film jumps forward another decade to the cultural revolution. Fugui is warned by the town chief that he must burn his puppets because they have been deemed counter-revolutionary. Fugui complies with the warning. The chief also stopped by to tell Fugui that Erxi, a local leader of the red guard who was crippled by a workplace accident is interested in marrying Fungxia. Erxi visits the family and falls in love with Fungxia. He proves to be a kind and loving man and they are soon married. After the marriage, Erxi soon tells Fungxia's parents that she is pregnant. When the time has come for her delivery the parents accompany Erxi and Fungxia to the hospital. They are worried to learn that the doctors have been imprisoned for being educated and elite and the hospital is left under the control of students. Erxi can bring a doctor from the prison camp to help alleviate Fugui's concerns. The doctor though is exhausted and hungry. Fugui buys the doctor some buns to eat. The baby is born and everything appears to be fine until Fungxia begins to bleed out. The students do not know what to do to help her. Fugui turns to the doctor, but he ate so much food so quickly that he is mostly unconscious and unable to provide assistance. Fungxia dies from loss of blood. 

The film jumps forward six years with the family gathered around the graves of Younqing and Fungxia. Fugui and Jiazhen tell their grandson Mantou about his mother and uncle. Along the way to the graveside, Fugui bought his grandson a box of chicks. When they get home they put the chicks into the box that used to hold his shadow puppets. The film ends with Fugui stating, "and life will get better and better" as the whole family sits down to share a meal. 

My Thoughts:

1. This film does a great job of depicting the experience a fairly average couple may have had as the Chinese people adopted communism and through the era of Mao's leadership. It shows that they faced many hardships, but at the end of the film they have hope for the future. I thought this was a great message about the human spirit. No matter what challenges we face we can retain the hope that life will get better. 

2. This film depicts critical events from Chinese history. The events depicted laid the foundation for Chinese culture and society today. 

Overall Thoughts:

Learning about China was fascinating. It was eye-opening to realize how little I knew. There is so much history and the culture is so foreign to me. The books I have read and movies I have watched barely scratch the surface. They have given me a base of knowledge that will hopefully make our trip more meaningful. I am very excited about our trip to China.