DOCSLIB.ORG

China January Study+Travel Program (4 Weeks, 7 Cities) PROGRAM INTRODUCTION

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
China January Study+Travel Program (4 Weeks, 7 Cities) PROGRAM INTRODUCTION China January Study+Travel Program (4 Weeks, 7 Cities) PROGRAM INTRODUCTION We live in a shrinking global village. Easy, widespread communications have broken down walls of isolation around the world. Now, more than ever, we need to become acquainted with other cultures in order to take advantage of the opportunities provided in this new age of global interdependence. Our Winter Study+Travel Program aims to give students an authentic insight into the modern day China as well as its traditional past. This program involves trips to bustling metropolitan cities like Beijing and Shanghai as well as small rural towns and villages in China's interior heartland. Experiencing the great diversity of land, people and cultures is at the root of the Chinese experience. As a part of our Winter Study+Travel Program, students will have the opportunity to explore Yunnan, China's most diverse province and Lonely Planet's top choice in China. As Lonely Planet contends, “If you have time for but one province in China, Yunnan should be it.” Yunnan, and its cosmopolitan capital Kunming, are perfect destinations for cultural immersion because of their great diversity of land and people. From Tibetan towns in the Himalayan north to Thai villages in the tropical rainforests of the South, Yunnan is the perfect microcosm of China. Unlike most Mandarin-speaking cities located in China' north, Kunming enjoys warm winters and cool summers, making it an ideal place to study Mandarin. The city's average summer temperature ranges between 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degree Celsius) and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius), whereas its average winter temperature fluctuates between 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) and 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius). Kunming's air quality is the best of all large cities in China according to UN's climate monitors. About Minds Abroad Minds Abroad is a US based organization that conducts study abroad programs in China for both individual students and customized groups from colleges and universities. Our programs are a blend of morning classes, afternoon volunteering or language exchange sessions, evening cultural activities and weekend excursions to sites of educational value. We were recently named as a “Top 10 Program in Citizen Diplomacy” by the Center for Citizen Diplomacy and U.S. State Department. This section introduces Minds Abroad as an organization, giving an insight into ALL the programs that it conducts in general. Two Options for Individual Students: (1)Weekly Morning Class andAfternoon Activity Program, and (2) Study+Travel program: Students, who enroll in Minds Abroad directly, rather than with a school group, have two options. First, students participating in our weekly Morning Class andAfternoon Activities Program can enroll on any Monday and stay as many weeks as they like. In the afternoons, they can intern in a local business, volunteer with one of our partner non-profit organizations or take part in our language exchange program. Second, we also conduct Study+Travel Programs which incorporate all the elements in the previously-mentioned program but also include extensive travel to sites of historic and cultural importance on weekends. In total, the Study+Travel program combines morning Mandarin classes, afternoon interning, volunteering or language exchange sessions and weekend academic travel. Earn University Credits Through our Classes: In China, we teach Chinese language and cater to all levels of language students - beginner, intermediate and advanced. All our teachers are university faculty with years of experience in teaching Chinese to international students.Students may be able to earn credits from our partner universities, where our classes are held, depending on the policies of their home institutions. For more information on transfer of credits, visit our “Transfer Credits” page. Small Class Size and ExperiencedUniversity Faculty: Our class size is usually small (normally 2-4 students but with a maximum of 7 students) in order to enhance interaction between students and teachers. All our teachers are university faculty with years of experience in teaching Chinese to international students. About Minds Abroad(contd) This section introduces Minds Abroad as an organization, giving an insight into ALL the programs that it conducts in general. Opportunities Beyond Class- Afternoon Interning, Volunteering, or Language Exchange: In addition to the classes, we identify several afternoon activities for our students. Students are free to choose internships in local companies and non-profits or hands-on volunteer service learning work to help the local community. Volunteer service learning projects for interested participants can be arranged for at our non-profit partner organizations in both China and India.Participants intent on polishing their Chinese skills could also choose to take part in language exchange sessions with students from local schools and universities. Through all these activities we hope to improve the participant's insight into the social, economic and cultural life of the Chinese people. Impact Abroad, the Volunteer Partner of Minds Abroad: Impact Abroad, a volunteer organization that works with Minds Abroad, collaborates with various local non-profit organizations in the fields of education and community development to serve the less fortunate individuals with limited economic and educational opportunities in China. Impact Abroad creates and coordinates volunteer placements for international volunteers and students at these non-profit organizations. Program Components Morning Mandarin Class While in Kunming, students will study basic Mandarin with teachers from Minds Abroad's partner institution in the mornings. The purpose of these classes is to help give students the basic Chinese language skills they need to more fully enjoy and experience their time in China. Knowing basic Chinese will not only enable them to do simple tasks like order food and ask where the bathroom is but will also give them the confidence and skills they need to interact with Chinese people on a daily basis. To ensure maximum student-teacher interaction we have small class sizes, normally 2-4studentsbut with a maximum of 7 students. Afternoon Volunteering in Non Profit Organizations During weekdays, in the afternoon, participants will teach English to students in non-profit organizations that are devoted to helping children from ethnic minority groups. These groups are from extremely economically disadvantaged areas and many people belonging to these groups migrate to Kunming in search of a better livelihood. Participants will primarily give English lessons to these children, changing their lives for the better. Minds Abroad provides teaching curricula and manuals to help participants efficiently offer lessons to the children who are not well conversant in English language. Our materials emphasize the different teaching methods that our participants can employ in order to make this learning experience a stimulating and fun-filled one. We encourage participants to use a lot of audio-visual tools (wall-charts, flash-cards, illustrated pictures, two-dimensional objects) and other out-of-the-box teaching methods (sign languages, real-life settings and role-playing) in order to engage the children's attention. Participants can always use their own teaching aids, while imparting lessons to these children. Teaching English can be a rewarding experience, especially when it succeeds in instilling passion for the language in these children. By teaching basic English to these disadvantaged children, participants will indirectly give them the skills that they need to escape poverty. Through this activity, participants will not only have an excellent opportunity to immerse themselves in Chinese culture but will also learn about community and developmental issues in a typical Chinese city. Weekend Academic Tours As a part of this program, over the weekends students will visit fast growing metropolises and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We believe this diversity of excursions not only gives participants a balanced perspective on the rapidly modernizing urban China, but also on rural society where the majority of the people in China still live. Some of the places of interest that students will visit are large metropolises like Beijing, Shanghai and ancient towns like Dali, an ancient walled city, Shaxi, a beautiful mountain village, Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Shangri-La, a Tibetan town in the Himalayas. Evening Cultural Activities During the trip, students are free to participate in cultural activities to get an in- depth understanding of the ways of life of the local people. These activities include attending performances from local ethnic musicians and dancers, visiting local museums, and going to sites of local interest. The Price and Items Covered in the Program The full price of this program is $3985. This is inclusive of the following: - Morning class or facilitated language exchange of normally two to four students (however with a maximum of seven students) - Afternoon activities, either volunteer placement or language exchange - Weekend academic excursions listed in the program including admission tickets to all sites - Accommodations in spacious modern apartments (more details below) - All meals during the days of the program (except on select weekends when students do not have any scheduled activities) - A cell phone, SIM card, and a small initial credit for in-country calling
Load more

Recommended publications
  • New Materials of the Late Miocene Muntiacus from Zhaotong Hominoid Site in Southern China DONG Wei1 JI Xue-Ping2 Nina G
    -327 第52卷 第3期 古 脊 椎 动 物 学 报 pp. 316 2014年7月 VERTEBRATA PALASIATICA figs. 1-5 New materials of the Late Miocene Muntiacus from Zhaotong hominoid site in southern China DONG Wei1 JI Xue-Ping2 Nina G. JABLONSKI3 Denise F. SU4 LI Wen-Qi5 (1 Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100044, China [email protected]) (2 Research Center for Southeast Asian Archeology & Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology Kunming 650118, China) (3 Department of Anthropology, the Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802, USA) (4 Department of Paleobotany and Paleoecology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History Cleveland, OH 44106, USA) (5 Zhaoyang Museum Zhaotong, Yunnan 657000, China) Abstract Rescue excavations carried out from 2007 to 2010 at the Shuitangba lignite field in Zhaotong, Yunnan Province, not only resulted in the discovery of a new hominoid cranium and the addition of a new hominoid site in Yunnan, but the finding of a new muntjak with following characters: the brow tine is very close to the burr, which is moderately developed; the main beam extends backward and somewhat laterally, and then turns somewhat medially; and the neocrista and entocingulum are developed on the upper molars. The four limbs are relatively short. A cladistic analysis shows that the new materials represent a muntjak that is not in a sister-group relationship with Muntiacus leilaoensis from Yuanmou Late Miocene hominoid site, but rather represents an independent branch. Muntiacus zhaotongensis sp. nov. is proposed for the new muntjak materials.
    [Show full text]
  • The Mission Was Conducted by Mr
    Report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Fact-Finding Mission on the Legal Protection of National Folklore China November 28 to December 4, 2002 The Mission was conducted by Mr. Wend Wendland, Head, Traditional Creativity and Cultural Expressions Section, Traditional Knowledge Division, and Ms. Helga Tabuchi, Assistant Legal Officer, Copyright Law Division, Copyright and Related Rights Sector, of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). WIPO’s meetings and activities in China were facilitated and coordinated by the Ministry of Culture of the Chinese Government. The WIPO representatives were accompanied throughout the mission by Mr. Lei Xining, Deputy Director General, Bureau of Policy and Regulation, Ministry of Culture; Mr. Ye Qi Lian, Vice Director, Department of Culture, Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee, National People’s Congress; Ms. Zhao Weiying, Division of Multilateral Affairs, Bureau for External Cultural Relations, Ministry of Culture; Miss Wang Heyun, Department of Policy and Law, Ministry of Culture; and, Mr. Cai Yenghui, Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture (in Yunnan only). Beijing The WIPO delegation arrived in Beijing on November 28, 2002, where they were met by the above officials. The WIPO and Chinese officials departed on that same day for Kunming, Yunnan Province, the province in which the fact-finding mission took place. ./. The Terms of Reference for this mission are attached. Kunming On Thursday, November 28, upon arrival in Kunming, the WIPO delegation and the Ministry of Culture officials participated in a dinner hosted by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture. Among the local officials hosting the dinner were Ms. Zhao Zi Zhuang, Deputy Director of the Department.
    [Show full text]
  • 2014 Valley & Ridge Goes to China
    Day-by-Day Itinerary Valley and Ridge goes to China May 21-June 12, 2014 May 21 - • Early Afternoon Arrival in Kunming, Yunnan Province • Dinner with Yunnan Vice-President Xiao May 22 - • Walking Tour of Yunnan University neighborhood (Green Lake area; Farmer’s market; Bird and Flower Market; center city Kunming) May 23 - • Fieldtrip to Chengjiang early Cambrian geological site and museum with Dr. Yujing and Prof. Hao (faculty at Yunnan U, Key laboratory in Paleobiology are the discoverers and chief research group for this world famous early life fossil locality) May 24 - • Fieldtrip to Shilin Stone Forest World Heritage Site (Permian Karst limestone weathering) • Visit Farmer/Entrepreneur Mr. Wu Yunfeng (experimental farm, training facility, solar water heating and biogas installations in sustainable village) May 25 - • Free day and arrival of Kristin Strock May 26 - • Fieldtrip to new University City (new home for 11 university entities on the outskirts of Kunming) • Participated in alternative energy conference at Yunnan Normal University campus • Visit to Yunnan Normal Univ. Institute for Alternative Energy (exhibit of solar and biomass energy technologies) • Lecture: Biomass energy conversion by Dr. Xu May 27 – • Lecture: Overview of Chinese minorities; Dr. Bai of the Ethnology Research Institute • Lunch with Drs. He and Li (Director and Vice Director of the Institute • Visit and tour of Kunming Botanical Garden May 28 – • Tour of Yunnan University Key Paleobiology labs • Tour of Yunnan University Anthropology Museum (?) • Lecture: Agricultural Economics in Yunnan Province by Dr. Zhang Huijiun, Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, Ethnology Research Section May 29 – • Lecture: Kunming’s Water History (Pan Long Jiang river and Dian Chi Lake) by Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Download 968.98 KB
    Completion Report Project Number: 36432 Loan Number: 2116-PRC June 2013 People’s Republic of China: Dali–Lijiang Railway Project CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS Currency Unit – yuan (CNY) At Appraisal At Project Completion 1 Sep 2004 9 July 2012 CNY1.00 = $0.1208 $0.1571 $1.00 = CNY8.277 CNY6.365 ABBREVIATIONS ADB – Asian Development Bank AFD – Agence Française de Développement BOA – boundaries of analysis DBMAP – Dali Bai Minority Autonomous Prefecture DLR – Dali–Lijiang railway DMF – design and monitoring framework EIA – environmental impact assessment EIRR – economic internal rate of return EMDP – ethnic minorities development plan EMP – environmental management and monitoring program EMR – environmental monitoring report FIRR – financial internal rate of return GDP – gross domestic product GMS – Greater Mekong Subregion LAR – land and acquisition resettlement MOR – Ministry of Railways PCR – project completion report PMO – project management office PRC – People’s Republic of China SEIA – summary environmental impact assessment SEPA – State Environmental Protection Administration TA – technical assistance WACC – weighted average cost of capital WYRC – West Yunnan Railway Company YEAC – Yunnan Ethnic Affairs Commission WEIGHTS AND MEASURES km – kilometer km/h – kilometer per hour mu – unit of area equivalent to 667 square meters p-km – passenger-kilometer m2 – square meter t-km – ton-kilometer NOTES (i) The fiscal year of the government and its agencies ends on 31 December. (ii) In this report, "$" refers to US dollars. Vice-President S. Groff, Operations 2 Director General A. Konishi, East Asia Department (EARD) Director T. Duncan, Transport Division, EARD Team leader X. Chen, Senior Transport Specialist, EARD Team members T. Bisht, Safeguards Specialist, EARD K. Guy, Young Professional, EARD G.
    [Show full text]
  • SECOND BULLETIN China
    INVITATION Chinese National Committee on Large Dams 1999, Madrid (Spain) in 2003, Zaragoza (Spain) in (CHINCOLD) and Spanish National Committee on 2012 and Chengdu (China) in 2015, the coming one Large Dams (SPANCOLD) have the honor to invite jointly organized by CHINCOLD and SPANCOLD, professionals to the 8th International Symposium on will continue to contribute significantly to the Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) Dams, which knowledge and application of RCC technology with will be held in 11th -12th Nov. 2019 in Kunming City, a wide range of contents and international scope. SECOND BULLETIN China. The Symposium will serve as a perfect venue for RCC dams have the virtues of saving a great practitioners, engineers, researchers, scientists, deal of concrete, building quickly, making project managers and decision makers from all over the cost down and early bringing into playing project world to exchange ideas and technology about the advantages and so on. Hence, the technique of latest developments dealing with RCC dams. constructing dams has been quickly spread and Beside international best practice, the applied since it came out. Today there are more than participants will have the occasion to visit 400 RCC dams in more than 40 countries. Great Wudongde Hydropower Project (H=270m, under successful experiences and advanced technologies construction), Baihetan Hydropower Project have been achieved. CHINCOLD and SPANCOLD (H=289m, under construction), Huangdeng RCC have devoted to promote the technology from early Gravity Dam (H=203m, completed), Shibahe 1990’s. The first Symposium on RCC dams was RFC Gravity Dam (under construction), Lvutang jointly organized by the two committees in 1991 RFC Arch Dam (completed),and Xijiang CSGR in Beijing China, which was a success start of the Dam(under construction).
    [Show full text]
  • US-China Arts Exchange
    US.-China Arts Exchange SPECIAL YUNNAN S S U E Volume 1 1 Fall 1995 Newsletter of the Center for U.S.-Chino Arts Exchange at Columbia University Program Years 1990-1995 Yunnan Nationalities Cultures Project Since the summer of 1990, the main focus of the Center's work has been the Yunnan Nationalities Cultures Project. Designed to assist the cultural leaders of Yunnan Province in creating a compre hensive strategy for the continuation and further development of the traditional arts of Yunnan's twenty-five minority nationalities, the project has involved hundreds of specialists in China, in the United States, and throughout the Pacific region. This special issue of the Center's Newsletter highlights our work with Yunnan's leaders in nationalities arts and arts education and also provides an update Chou Wen-chung greets Wujiepu Village residents in Luxi County during his December on our other continuing programs. ■ 1990 research trip to Yunnan Province. Designed to address some of the gaps in and the Art Department and China U.S.-China cultural exchange, we initi Studies Institute at San Diego State Bringing You ated conferences; workshops; seminars; University, brought painters from China and radio, video, and translation projects. to the California campus for a four-week Up To Date One example of our Core Programs was seminar. After the seminar the University Our last newsletter, published in the the introduction into China of a "musical provided the artists with studio space and spring of 1992, reported on the Pacific season"—something China had never the time to create new works.
    [Show full text]
  • Naturalism, Nature and Questions of Style in Jinsha River Rock Art, Northwest Yunnan, China
    University of Wollongong Research Online Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive) Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health 2010 Naturalism, nature and questions of style in Jinsha River rock art, Northwest Yunnan, China Paul S. C. Tacon Griffith University Li Gang Cultural Relics Administrative Institute Yang Decong Yunnan Institute for Cultural Relics and Archaeology Sally K. May Australian National University Liu Hong Yunnan University See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/scipapers Part of the Life Sciences Commons, Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Tacon, Paul S. C.; Gang, Li; Decong, Yang; May, Sally K.; Hong, Liu; Aubert, Maxime; Xueping, Ji; Curnoe, Darren; and Herries, Andy I. R.: Naturalism, nature and questions of style in Jinsha River rock art, Northwest Yunnan, China 2010. https://ro.uow.edu.au/scipapers/5212 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] Naturalism, nature and questions of style in Jinsha River rock art, Northwest Yunnan, China Abstract The naturalistic rock art of Yunnan Province is poorly known outside of China despite two decades of investigation by local researchers. The authors report on the first major international study of this art, its place in antiquity and its resemblance to some of the rock art of Europe, southern Africa and elsewhere. While not arguing a direct connection between China, Europe and other widely separated places, this article suggests that rock-art studies about the nature of style, culture contact and the transmission of iconography across space and time need to take better account of the results of neuroscience research, similar economic/ecological circumstances and the probability of independent invention.
    [Show full text]
  • Harris – Final Itin Dep 4 Apr 2010
    A Private Journey to China Prepared for Mr I Harris & Miss J Wormleighton 4 April to 27 April 2010 QUICK REFERENCE ITINERARY 04/04/2010 Arrive Beijing 05/04/2010 Fly Beijing/Kunming 06/04/2010 Kunming 07/04/2010 Drive Kunming/D ali 08/04/2010 Dali 09/04/2010 Dali 10/04/2010 Drive Dali/Shaxi 11/04/2010 Drive Shaxi/Lijiang 12/04/2010 Lijiang 13/04/2010 Lijiang 14/04/2010 Drive Lijiang/ Zhongdian ( Ringha ) 15/04/2010 Ringha 16/04/2010 Ringha 17/04/2010 Ri ngha 18/04/2010 Fly Zhongdian /Sanya 19/04/2010 Sanya 20/04/2010 Sanya 21/04/2010 Sanya 22/04/2010 Sanya 23/04/2010 Sanya 24/04/2010 Sanya 25/04/2010 Sanya 26/04/2010 Fly Sanya/Shanghai 27/04/2010 Fly Shanghai /London Heathrow YOUR FLIGHT SCHEDULE International flights have been booked independently of Steppes Travel DETAILED TRIP ITINERARY Sunday 4 April Beijing This morning you arrive in Beijing (BA039 at 09.30). You will be met as you exit from customs and transferred to your Hotel. An early check in has not been arranged. DuGe is a designer courtyard boutique hotel in which traditional Chinese architecture frames sleek, lacquered contemporary furniture and rooms are illuminated by ornate, crystal chandeliers. Each themed suite and room is uniquely designed with its own matching and coordinated bath or shower room. Black paper-cuts adorn the courtyard-facing windows, wall-coverings and drapes are rich and luxurious. Colours are warm, bold and subtle by turn, and each suite creates a mood that is both welcoming and surprising.
    [Show full text]
  • Naturalism, Nature and Questions of Style in Jinsha River Rock Art, Northwest Yunnan, China
    Jinsha River Rock Art, Northwest Yunnan, China Naturalism, Nature and Questions of Style in Jinsha River Rock Art, Northwest Yunnan, China Paul S.C. Taçon, Li Gang, Yang Decong, Sally K. May, Liu Hong, Maxime Aubert, Ji Xueping, Darren Curnoe & Andy I.R. Herries The naturalistic rock art of Yunnan Province is poorly known outside of China despite two decades of investigation by local researchers. The authors report on the first major international study of this art, its place in antiquity and its resemblance to some of the rock art of Europe, southern Africa and elsewhere. While not arguing a direct connection between China, Europe and other widely separated places, this article suggests that rock-art studies about the nature of style, culture contact and the transmission of iconography across space and time need to take better account of the results of neuroscience research, similar economic/ecological circumstances and the probability of independent invention. Since Palaeolithic rock art was first recognized by sci- to contemporaneous art of other geographic regions, ence in 1902 (Bahn & Vertut 1988, 25) there have been while at the same time it is a distinct and relatively many lively debates about the nature of style, stylistic long-lasting stylistic entity in and of itself. But how longevity, its cultural significance and whether or how can we explain other bodies of naturalistic rock art, far it can be used as an indicator of cultural presence (e.g. removed from western Europe, that are in appearance papers in Lorblanchet & Bahn 1993). Pigeaud (2007) Magdalenian-like? has recently further examined these questions in In this article we examine naturalistic paintings regard to various phases of European rock art, intro- from the Jinsha Jiang (Yangtze Kiang) River region of ducing a methodology to help distinguish subtleties of northwestern Yunnan Province, China and report on change.
    [Show full text]
  • 428 S G Keates Most Early Modern Homo Sapiens Fossils Of
    THE CHRONOLOGY OF PLEISTOCENE MODERN HUMANS IN CHINA, KOREA, AND JAPAN S G Keates Email: [email protected]. ABSTRACT. The chronological status of Pleistocene fossils of early modern humans in the People’s Republic of China is based almost exclusively on indirect dating of the stratigraphic context and faunal and radiocarbon dating of associated or supposedly associated archaeological specimens. A similar pattern is observed in Korea and Japan. This paper examines the 14C and other dating techniques of early modern humans in East Asia to gain a more complete and up-to-date understanding of their chronology. INTRODUCTION Most early modern Homo sapiens fossils of Pleistocene or presumed Pleistocene age in East Asia are from the People’s Republic of China (PR China), while far fewer have been found in Japan and Korea. The reasons for this are the larger land area of PR China (the third largest country in the world) and the greater length of Pleistocene archaeological research in China, and, perhaps equally important, the more favorable sedimentary conditions in this country. There are 46 localities with early modern H. sapiens fossils in China. The majority is dated by means of stratigraphic and/or fau- nal assessments. A similar pattern can be observed in Korea and Japan. Korea has 7 sites and Japan 16 (Table 1). In this paper, I include all sites that have yielded Pleistocene fossils attributed to early modern humans to document the number of dated and undated sites. Some human fossils may be earlier than late Late Pleistocene, while others could date to the Holocene.
    [Show full text]
  • Museum and Change
    Museum and Change Regional Museums in the People’s Republic of China Heng Wu Dissertation for the degree philosophiae doctor (PhD) at the University of Bergen 2011 Dissertation date: April, 2011 2 Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest thanks and gratitude to my supervisor Professor Katherine Goodnow, who has been not only a supervisor but also a good friend in the past years and has been offering me not only professional guidance and suggestions but also life advice. Thank you Kate for your constant support and help. Thanks for the encouragement and patience. Without you, this thesis would never have been possible. I would like to thank the Department of Information Science and Media Studies, University of Bergen, and the lovely people here. Thanks for offering me a good working environment and research facilities. Thank you Wenche Førre for having been always so kind and supportive. Thank you Prof. Knut Helland, Prof. Dag Elgesem, Prof. Jostein Gripsrud, Prof. Anders Johansen, Prof. Peter Larsen and the others for offering me support and advice. Thank you Ankica Babic for your friendliness and those nice chattings during coffee breaks. Thank you Weiqin Chen for sharing my concerns and giving me suggestions and encouragement. Thank you Ana Luisa Sanchez-Laws and Jose Andres Fonseca for good company in the office and sharing my happiness and unhappiness. I would particularly thank Gjartrud Kolås, Rune Arntsen and Terje Thue, thank you for having been always handy and helpful whenever I met practical problems. I would also like to thank Professor Jack Lohman for offering me the chance to meet and communicate with the professionals in his museum, and Professor Lu Jiansong who helped me to make contacts with various museums in China.
    [Show full text]
  • Yúnnán Province (China) 云南 YÚNNÁN PROVINCE (CHINA)
    447 © Lonely Planet Publications Yúnnán Province (China) 云南 YÚNNÁN PROVINCE (CHINA) YÚNNÁN PROVINCE (CHINA) RICHARD I’ANSON 448 Yúnnán Province (China) 云南 ‘The mountains are high and the emperor is far away.’ So goes a Chinese proverb, which well describes this diverse province so far removed from the comparative monoculture prevailing in many other parts of China. A liminal zone in the truest sense, Yúnnán is a land of fusion where hybrids of faith and culture coexist, offering the traveller a plethora of experiences, the likes of which you’ll not find elsewhere in either Southeast Asia or the Middle Kingdom. For the spiritual traveller, Yúnnán is a place where you can drink yak-butter tea with monks on the grounds of a sacred Tibetan monastery and view Buddhist frescos in temples reminiscent of those found hundreds of kilometres south in Thailand. To the naturalist, the province offers a stunning variety of ecological zones, from the high peaks and rarefied Himalayan air of the northwest to the rolling green hills of Xīshuāngbǎnnà and the near-sea- level jungles in the southeast. And for those more interested in staying on the beaten path, Yúnnán is where you’ll find some of the most oft-visited spots in southern China – touristy, no doubt, but still infused with charm and even a little magic. For readers of this book, which is, after all, devoted to following the tribes and nations connected by the mighty Mekong, a trip to Yúnnán is an indispensable way to truly get to know the river’s character. Though born in the frigid highlands of Tibet, it’s through these lands that the Mekong (Láncāng Jiāng in Chinese) passes from childhood into adolescence, winding and warming slowly under the Yúnnán sun as it passes through gorges and canyons before exiting to the south into the sweltering jungles of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
    [Show full text]