Information on International Pilgrimages with Youth

Wednesday, March 05, 2003  

Journal Entry by Scott Brown of Phoenix, New York

We continue to enjoy the exceptional hospitality of our Chinese friends.  Our day began with a large and delicious breakfast, complete with foods we had not yet tried (including pig stomach soup).  According to our Chinese friends, curing ailments can happen by eating things that correspond with the part of the body in which the ailment is located.  For example, if one has a stomach problem eating stomach is thought to cure it.

Our main excursion today was to the ancient city named Heping, which means “peace”.  This city is 1,000 years old, and was about a two hour bus ride from where we stayed in Shaowu.  We used some of the bus trip as a time in which to practice our spiritual disciplines.  The area has a population of about 20,000 and agriculture and bamboo production are its mainstays.  We were the first group of Americans to visit Heping and its neighboring town.  We were warmly greeted by government leaders and our tour guide, Merryl.  As we visited the ancient buildings and grounds a large crowd gathered, interested in these visitors from far away.   The specialties of the ancient city are tea, bean curd (which we tried) and fish. 

The buildings of this city tell a fascinating story.  The city was inhabited by wealthy people, as trade was very good at this time.  So respected was the city, that it was established as the center of the county, and government offices established here.  Windows in the buildings are very small, so as to keep women from being seen outside.  A high ranking official of the Ming Dynasty lived in a home with an especially impressive window that identifies the attributes of a highly educated person:  piano (music), chess, calligraphy, and drawing. 

The buildings were adorned with meaningful symbols.  Some featured carvings of fish over the doorway, which was thought to help the owners overcome difficulties and also to encourage many offspring.  One man in particular was blessed with 21 children and three wives, so it must have been effective.  His legacy is estimated to be 40 million descendants.  Another building featured four idioms:  a pheasant and plum flower for happiness, a peony for fortune, and a leopard and bamboo for peace.  One home featured a phoenix and a dragon, chosen by the empress and emperor respectively as a representation of honor and status.

After returning from Heping, we had some free time before packing our bags for an overnight train trip to Nanjing.  Most of us took the opportunity to explore the city on our own.  Our Chinese friends from the East Gate Church accompanied us to the train station, and we all thoroughly enjoyed a hymn sing both on the bus and in the train station.  Some tears flowed as we bid our new friends good bye and boarded the train for our overnight trip to Nanjing.

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