We went to China with Grand Circle Travel and greatly recommend them and their sister company, Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). We have now been on 8 trips with one or the other of these sister companies, and they all have been absolutely fabulous. We see and do much much more than we ever could have managed on our own. The groups are small (only 16 for OAT), about 30-60 for Grand Circle, so you don't feel like a huge herd of sheep and you can do many things that larger groups cannot. There is a large education and cultural component to each trip which I especially enjoy, including home hosted meals and visits to primary schools. Check it out!

• Size: 9.6 million square kilometers
• Population: 1.3 billion
• Language: Mandarin is the primary language, while dialects include Minbei, Gan, Hakka, Cantonese, and Wu.
• Religion: most of the population is atheist, but there is also Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity.
• Education: In the cities, 6-15 grades are free and compulsory, University is subsidized, and teacher training is free. In farming communities few children go beyond 10 years of free and compulsory education.

The People's Republic of China, with a recorded history of 4,000 years, is the birthplace of four major inventions: the compass, papermaking, moveable type printing, and gunpowder. All are significant contributions to world civilization. Situated in the east part of Asia, on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean, China is the second largest nation in the world in land area, after Canada.

With a population of 1.3 billion, it comprises a quarter of the world's inhabitants. China's land boundaries measure over 12,000 miles in length (east to west and north to south are both about 3,000 miles long). On its border with Nepal lies the world's highest peak of Mt. Everest at 29,198 feet. China is made up of 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 3 municipalities.

The People
The Han nationality makes up about 94% of the total population with the remaining 6% divided among 50 minority nationalities. Beijing (Peking), the capital for over 800 years, covers an area of 6.87 sq. miles and has a population of about 9 million people. It has numerous historical sites including the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Ming Tombs and the imposing Great Wall.

Waterways and Resources
China has the Pohai Sea, Yellow Sea and the East China Sea to the east and the South China Sea to the south. There are a large number of rivers (approx. 1500), the longest being the Yangtze, (which is 3,828 miles long) then the Yellow River, and the Pearl River. The Yangzte River (Changjiang) is the world's 3rd longest river after the Amazon and Nile rivers. Mineral resources include coal, iron, petroleum, copper tin, lead, zinc and mercury. Agricultural products include cotton, rice, soybean, sorghum, wheat, corn, potatoes, sugar beets, tobacco and tea.
Archaeological Sites
In 1964, archeological discoveries showed primitive man living and working along the Yellow River as far back as 600,000 years. Peking Man inhabited caves nearby Beijing. In the areas around Xian, the Terra Cotta Warriors were discovered, protecting the tombs of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi from the Qin Dynasty of 200 years BC.

The Language
In 1958, the State Council adopted the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet System (Pinyin) for romanizing Chinese names and places. This new Pinyin system of spelling has replaced other systems including the English version referred to a "Wade Giles." The country's signs, posters, newspapers, etc. now show both the Chinese characters and the Pinyin spelling side by side.

The Government
The President and Vice President are elected by the National People's Congress (NPC). The NPC is the highest organ of state power with a 5 year term in office. The NPC is comprised of elected deputies from each of China's provinces one deputy each 400,000 people minimum. There is also a Standing Committee and a State Council. All citizens can vote at the age of 18 and women enjoy equal rights with men in all phases of life.

Currency
Chinese currency used by the local people is called "renmimbi" (RMB). This basic unit is also called yuan," which is divided then into jiao (like our cents) and then divided into "fen" (tiny amounts used on the street but you probably won't see them. There are approx. 8 rmb/yuan to one dollar.

Shopping
Specialties in China include lacquer ware, enamel cloisonné, carved jade, embroidery, carpets, silk, terra cotta, and yard goods. When you make a purchase, the clerk will write up a receipt for you to take to the cashier. The cashier will then stamp your receipt "paid" and you take it back to the clerk to claim your purchase. Allow yourself plenty of time for this rather lengthy transaction.

Social Customs
If, on arriving someplace, the Chinese greet you by clapping, it is a nice gesture to clap in return as appreciation.

Using Chopsticks
The best way to master chopsticks is to be hungry with no tempting chopsticks nearby. Pick up one chopstick with the hand you write with, making sure the narrower end is touching the plate). Pretend it's a pencil and place it in the V shaped space between your thumb and forefinger, resting it on the middle finger. Pick up the second chopstick in your other hand and place it between your forefinger and thumb, keeping the lower chopstick in place. Try clacking the two ends together. The top chopstick, the one held between thumb and forefinger, has more control and leverage. Use it to pick up your first piece of food from your plate. Chopstick etiquette calls for taking one piece at a time from your dish (after using serving spoons to put several pieces on your own plate). Good luck and have fun!

Confucius

The teacher, Kong Fu Zi "master Kong" was from Lu, in Shandong Province. He was born Kong Qiu in 551 BC. His teachings have had a major influence on Chinese culture for 2000 years, and determined all areas of social behavior. The 6th century BC was the period of "blossoming of the human spirit" At this same time Buddha was teaching in India and Socrates in Greece. China was not a unified country, and the various states constantly struggled for supremacy. Kong Qiu was a traveling teacher, who tried to influence the fate of the country through his pupils and through his contact, as an advisor to rulers. His ideal was that a virtuous ruler should be an example to his people and lead them to high moral standards. Otherwise he would fall. Natural catastrophes and bad harvests were signs that the ruler was not good "If the ruler is upright, the people will imitate him as grass bends before the wind."

The cornerstone of Confucian thought was the recognition of hierarchy; in family relationships, in loyalty to the ruling house, in relationships between all human beings. This was the focal point of his philosophy, not a god or higher power Man receives his "nature" from Heaven and God, he must act in accordance. Heaven and God to Confucius were synonymous, a Supreme Being or state. The ideals of a true gentleman were loyalty, faithfulness, wisdom, rightness and self-cultivation. The two virtues: "Li," proper conduct and "Ren", benevolent love or consideration of others. A gentleman must strive to be truly good. Nobility would not be determined by birth, but by attitude of mind and resulting actions. Nobility of mind and a hierarchical order of ruler and subject; ancestor and descendant; father and son; man and woman; old and young; teacher and student, was the basis for right action.

Confucius was a traditionalist. He tried to establish the customs and rites of the Zhou Dynasty. But also he was ahead of his times in that he practiced rationalism and enlightenment rather than mysticism. His teachings were not popular during his lifetime, but during the Han Dynasty they became state doctrine because they offered a problem-free system of administration and strengthened the power structure. Confucianism became bound to the imperial system, and formed the ethical base of Chinese society.

In 1687, the teachings of Confucius were published in Latin in Paris. This brought a China craze to the Age of Enlightenment, which lasted about one century.

Communism was a great opponent of Confucius, because his teachings opposed political change. It also degrades women since first she had to obey her father, then her husband, and then her son.

197907Group

Jim Rutherford, the co-leader of the group, is in checked shirt, mustache, towards rear. Just behind him and to the right is Paul Hurd, the other co-leader The chief interpreter (Zhiang?) is the woman on the far right in about the middle row. At her left, in a hat, is Bart Bartholomew. Arthur Luehrmann is the 3rd from the left in the rear row. To his right is the director of the Franklin Institute. The black woman to the left of Arthur (and a bit in front) is Alice _, a teacher at the lab school at the Univ. of Chicago. To the right of Arthur, and in the next row in front, is Mary Budd Rowe, science education researcher at the University of Florida