Some of Sara's Photos

And here are the rest:http://www.flickr.com/photos/8748600@N06/sets/72157608063906947/

The First Emperor: The Man Who Made China (Part 1)
(an excellent 10 part series about the man who united China, started the building of the Great Wall and for whose tomb the Terra Cotta Warriors were built. )

With reenactments, expert commentary, and impressive graphic re-creations, Discovery Channel's The First Emperor: The Man who made China traces the rise of the young king, who, an ingenious and often brutal ruler, transformed seven warring states into a single, united empire ten times the size of the Egyptian pharaohs' domain.

You can watch the rest of the series on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYCM64KTRX8

Tibetan artist Gonkar Gyatso will give a talk at the Spencer Museum of Art at 7 PM Thursday, August 28, tipping off three days of activities in the Lawrence and Kansas City area that will include visits to studios of local artists, talks with KU students and faculty, and a Saturday, August 30 lunchtime conversation at the Kansas City Art Institute’s H & R Block Artspace. The events at the Spencer and the Artspace are free and open to the public. Born in Lhasa in 1961, Gyatso’s artistic career charts the course of contemporary Tibetan history, documenting a creative engagement with what it means to be Tibetan in the 21st century.


More info: KCUR.org events calendar: http://events.publicbroadcasting.net/kcur/events.eventsmain?action=showEvent&eventID=778215

Spencer Museum of Art: http://www.spencerart.ku.edu/gyatso.shtml

Beijing’s Silk Market is full of smooth talkers

Great article by Joe Posnanski in the Kansas City Star!

“You need underwear, yes, you do,” a second woman yelled at me as I wandered aimlessly from one booth to another, steadied only by the presence of my intrepid interpreter, Linjun Fan, who had two purposes: 1. She was here to prevent me from spending my life savings on an “authentic” Chinese fan; 2. She was here to take hilarious video of this clueless American getting fleeced at the Silk Market.

http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/758661.html

Dear China Travelers,

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to watch as many of director Zhang Yimou's films as possible before our departure for China.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Yimou

I'll send around a list of his films (by email) and where some of them can be found around town.

A couple of my personal favorites (I haven't seen them all yet) are Raise the Red Lantern and House of Flying Daggers. They are exquisite.

From the BBC

An excellent country profile on contemporary China, specifically on leaders, the media, social unrest and human rights:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1287798.stm


Also, a modern timeline with audio and video:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1288392.stm

"Up the Yangtze" movie

There is a very interesting movie that is playing at the Tivoli in Westport through July 31st.

In many ways, it is hard to watch. It follows the life of a teenager and her family who are very poor farmers and are displaced by the flooding of the river. The teenager gets a job on one of the big river boats and we get quite an inside look at the lives of the workers on these ships.

The ship that is featured is one of the Victoria line and is not like the ship which we will have for our 5 nights on the Yangtze. Ours is the Regal China Cruise line. There are no cheezy piano sing-a-longs or ballroom dancing. There is a nice quiet lounge and library at the front of the ship. Onboard edu-tainment consists of "classes" on oriental medicine, massage, tai chi, carving, etc..

The movie does show some of the beautiful scenery that we will see and also gives a glimpse as to the magnitude and scope of the Three Gorges Dam project and the resulting upheaval.

If you would like to help the family that is featured in the film, there is a special website set up for it:
http://www.givemeaning.com/project/yufam. Here you can also read updates about the family.

Here is a trailer for the film...

Power, Politics and the Olympics
from America Abroad Radio

We go beyond the fun-and-games of the Summer Olympics to explore the politics, agendas, grandstanding and the debates involving China.

Sunday at 6 pm on KCUR 89.3 fm
Listen online at www.kcur.org

Probing China's Changing Character
Fresh Air from WHYY, July 23, 2008 · What happens when an entrenched culture suddenly opts for rapid change and the upheaval of centuries of cherished tradition? NPR Book Critic Maureen Corrigan finds some answers in two new works of nonfiction.

Learn more, listen to the story, and read excerpts from the books.

Fourth Annual International Dragon Boat Festival
Saturday, July 26th

Thanks to China traveler Carol Perry for the reminder about this weekend’s Dragon Boat Festival on the Plaza. You can find the details here: http://www.chinagardensociety-kc.org/dragonBoat.htm

Here's a pdf of the flyer: http://www.chinagardensociety-kc.org/pdf/2008%20Dragon%20Boats%20Flyer-7.26.2008.pdf

The Summer Palace in Beijing

I was completely enchanted by The Summer Palace. I can't wait to go back and spend more time there! I even bought a map of the grounds and have it posted in my office.

www.chinasummerpalace.com

Thanks to China travelers Sue and Tim Scholl for this tip…..

On Thur, July 31 KCPT will have a Globe Trekker program on Beijing, a city guide., On Thur, Aug 21 they will show a program on central China. 10: PM- 11 :PM

The web site is www.globetrekker.com

Thanks to China traveler Jennifer Randle for this tip....

Ted Koppel is hosting "Koppel: People's Republic of Capitalism," on the Discovery Channel (45 on Time-Warner) over four nights - Wednesday, July 9 through Saturday, July 12, at 9 p.m. each night. The series focuses on Chongqing where we are disembarking from our Yangtze cruise.

Dear Travelers,

You are invited to join us for a one day seminar created especially for our travel group.

Date: August 2, 2008

Time: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. (with a one hour break for lunch)

Location: The Mary Clark and E. Grey Dimond Scholars' Center (also known as The Diastole House)

Address: 2501 Holmes St., KCMO, 64108 (directions here: http://www.diastole.org/directions.asp)

**If you have not yet joined us for a Near & Far event at The Diastole House, you can learn about this wonderful center and view photos here: http://www.diastole.org/tour.asp

Seminar Details: Robert Gamer, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Political Science at UMKC, and editor of the book “Understanding Contemporary China” will lead us through a multimedia exploration of contemporary Chinese culture, politics, business and agriculture. He recently presented this seminar as part of the distinguished Carolyn Benton Cockefair Lecture Series at the University.

Fee: $45.00 (includes a lovely lunch at the new Bo Lings Restaurant in the nearby City Market area)

If you would like to attend this seminar, please send a check payable to Dr. Gamer, to the KCUR address below. Please put it to my attention. RSVP and payment are due by July 21.

KCUR Radio

4825 Troost Ave Ste. 202

Kansas City, MO 64110

(attn: Sara Jane Crane)

Internet Helps Liberate Music in China

Morning Edition, June 25, 2008 - When America was rocking to the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, the airwaves in China were dominated by songs with lyrics from Chairman Mao's Little Red Book.

It's more open today, but the Communist government still bans anything that mentions sex or violence, or that has "low class humor" — which bans an awful lot of American music. So the music most likely to come pouring out of the radio in China is syrupy ballads usually produced in Hong Kong or Taiwan.

But Chinese musicians and fans are finding a whole new universe of sound on the Internet. And it's helping to create and nourish a new generation of independent artists in China.

Learn more and listen at NPR.org

Discover Chinese Indie Music Here

Frontline Documentaries about China

Jesus in China ,Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 8 p.m. on KCPT
A wave of Christianity is sweeping across China and the country's Communist Party leadership is racing to control it. FRONTLINE/World travels from rural villages to urban centers to go deep inside this underground movement. http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/china_705/

Other Frontline Documentaries on China

I really enjoyed the documentary "Young and Restless in China" that aired last week on our local public tv stations. You can watch the entire program and explore much more related material at the Frontline website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/youngchina/

Frontline also produced another much more indepth documentary in 2001 called "China in the Red" . It is also available online and explores topics like "Facing the State Sector's Crisis", "Scrambling to Survive", "Fear and Optimism in the Countryside", "The New Generation", "Corruption Crisis" and more. You can view it and learn more here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/red/

Not familiar with Frontline?
Since 1983, FRONTLINE has served as American public television's flagship public affairs series. Hailed upon its debut on PBS as "the last best hope for broadcast documentaries," FRONTLINE's stature over 25 seasons is reaffirmed each week through incisive documentaries covering the scope and complexity of the human experience. Visit their website here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/

As far as I am concerned, it's the only reason to watch TV.

Sports, Culture and Politics at the Beijing Olympics

The 2008 Summer Olympics will take place from August 8-24 in Beijing, China, amid concerns about environmental issues and human rights violations. Join the IRC in a discussion about what happens when sports, culture, and politics intersect for the largest international sports competition.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008
7:00 p.m.
Kauffman Foundation
4801 Rockhill Road, KCMO

Mike Fannin, Editor of the Kansas City Star and former head of the the Sports and Features Departments, has recently completed a term as President of the Associated Press Sports Editors. He has also visited China in 2007 to work with Chinese sports journalists about covering the Olympics. Dr. John Kennedy, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas, has an ongoing relationship with Northwest University in Xian, China, and makes frequent research trips to that region. He will return from his most recent trip one week before the IRC program.

$10 members/$15 non-members

Learn more at The International Relations Council Website

http://www.irckc.org/

LIVE from Shanghai, from WBUR in Boston

Broadcasting live from Shanghai, WBUR's On Point program, dove into the ideas, economics, people, culture, and politics that are driving China today. They talked with movers and shakers, party bosses and those who challenge them, with artists and activists, business moguls and visionaries — all describing what China is today and imagining what China will become, its life as a nation and its looming impact on the world.

Visit their website where you can listen to the program's audio, view slideshows, listen to some Shanghai music and explore their invaluable resources section for a multitude of other information about China.

http://www.onpointradio.org/china/index.php/about-the-china-series/

Don't you just love public radio?

The 4th Kansas City Dragon Boat Festival (NEW DATE)

The fourth annual Kansas City International Dragon Boat Festival will be held on July 26th, 2008!

* Chinese cultural performances are scheduled from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15.
* The Wake the Dragon Ceremony will start at 1:00 p.m.
* Dragon Boat Races will start at 1:15.

The performance stage will be set up near the corner of Wyandotte Street and Ward Parkway. The races will be held on Brush Creek, adjacent to the Plaza.

Learn more here.

On the Road in China

In a seven-part series that aired on Morning Edition, NPR's Rob Gifford set out on a 3,000 mile-14 day trek across China, and discovers just how far the world's most populous nation has to go to catch up with its potential.

Visit www.npr.org and search for "china" to learn much more and listen to excellent news coverage about China's climate, culture, and politics.

Hello future China travelers!

Recently, I journeyed to China and experienced the itinerary for our upcoming September tour first hand. The tour company that we have chosen for our tours, Collette Vacations, was kind enough to send me out ahead of our group so that I could approve hotels, restaurants, timelines, etc.

I will start by telling you that we all have quite an educational, fantastical, jaw-dropping excursion ahead of us. From the eerily beautiful Yangtze river to the unreal Beijing, Chongqing and Shanghai super-megapolises, every moment of this tour will surprise and challenge any preconception that you may have about this huge country.

The hotels are all very beautiful and new.

Shanghai Marriott Hongqiao, Shanghai

Guilin Bravo Hotel, Guilin (my favorite! It is located across the street from a wonderful, magical park)

Grand New World Hotel, Xian

Loong Palace Hotel & Resort, Beijing

The food choices were incredibly varied. My favorite meals were the 18 course dumpling dinner in Xian (yummy monkey-face dumplings!) and the home-cooked family meal in the Beijing hutong.

I am making some changes to the itinerary, but they will not affect any air schedules or hotels. I felt that the tour was too rushed and did not allow enough time at some of the locations where it seemed important to immerse ourselves more fully.

ABOUT THE RIVER BOAT: An important topic that I want to fully disclose to you is the reality of the Yangtze river boat. Collette is using one of the most highly rated cruise lines operating on the Yangtze, “China Regal Cruises”. You can visit their website here: http://www.chinaregalcruises.com/. The staff was wonderful, charming and helpful. The meals were all served buffet style and featured a choice of several entrees, rice, noodles, salads, fruits and desserts. The chef did make some attempts at “western” entrees, but for some reason they all still ended up tasting like Chinese food! There is a wonderful lounge area and library area at the front of the boat which provide comfortable seating and beautiful views.

I do want you to know that the cabins are quite small and have a toilet/shower combo. The beds also seemed to me to be a bit smaller (and harder) than we are used to. However, after a short period of adjustment I found that I was comfortable enough and did enjoy the experience quite a bit. They are all outside cabins and have very large picture windows. There is also a TV (with CNN and Fox news in English)and a phone in each cabin. There are intermittent internet connections available but you should not count on trying to work while on the boat and/or try to read or write emails every day.

If you have cruised on one of the European five star river boats, then I would like for you to know that this is not quite up to that standard. Several seasoned travelers onboard told me that the China cruise ships are very similar to the quality of a Russian River cruise ship. (if that information helps you at all!)

Our Collette Tour Director was wonderful and I am trying to get her assigned to our tour in September. We had one or two local guides with us at all times. Their English was perfect and they were all very knowledgeable about each location.

There is so much more information that I will share with you at one of our pre-departure get-togethers. I don’t have those scheduled yet, but will get those in place soon.

Please know that you are welcome to call or email me if you would like any more specific information about the tour.

Offsite your carbon emissions!

Concerned about offsetting those carbon emissions from your travel flights? You can reduce your impact on global warming. Visit this site or many others, use their emission calculator and then make a donation to one of several environmentally friendly projects.

Group Pleads: Bring Your Own Chopsticks to China

All Things Considered, February 20, 2008 · Environmentalists in China have a message to Olympic-goers in Beijing: Bring your own chopsticks.

Some environmentalists say that disposable wooden chopsticks are contributing to deforestation. China's government has recently slapped a tax on disposable chopsticks and urged restaurants not to use them.

more

The Painted Veil

Starring Edward Norton and Naomi Watts, The Painted Veil is based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham. It is a love story set in the 1920s that tells the story of a young English couple, Walter (Edward Norton), a middle class doctor and Kitty (Naomi Watts), an upper-class woman, who get married for the wrong reasons and relocate to Shanghai, where she falls in love with someone else. When he uncovers her infidelity, in an act of vengeance, he accepts a job in a remote village in China ravaged by a deadly cholera epidemic, and takes her along.

This movie was filmed in the area around Guilin. Our tour will be spending Days 8, 9 and 10 in this unique and art-inspiring area.

I highly recommend this 2007 movie. It is now released on DVD. I rented it from the KCMO public library.

Movie website with trailers

China's Three Gorges: Assessing the Impact

A Three Part Series from NPR....

Next year, the reservoir behind the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River will be filled to capacity and the project will be declared complete. Just at this critical moment, some are expressing concerns that the dam could cause major ecological disasters unless preventive measures are taken.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17785161

A Must Read

China Road, by NPR's Rob Gifford

National Public Radio China correspondent Gifford journeyed for six weeks on China's Mother Road, Route 312, from its beginning in Shanghai for nearly 3,000 miles to a tiny town in what used to be known as Turkestan. The route picks up the old Silk Road, which runs through the Gobi Desert to Central Asia to Persia and on to Europe. Along the way, Gifford meets entrepreneurs hoping to cash in on China's growing economy, citizens angry and frustrated with government corruption, older people alarmed at changes in Chinese culture and morality, and young people uncertain and excited about the future. Gifford profiles ordinary Chinese people coping with tumultuous change as development and commerce shrink a vast geography, bringing teeming cities and tiny towns into closer commercial and cultural proximity; the lure of wealth is changing the Chinese character and sense of shared experience, even if it was common poverty.