At the Huilin Community Centre we got to see what the mentally disabled people experience in China. They all seemed happy to participate in the activities we did such as singing, dancing, games and craft. They performed a song for us and we performed the Australian National Anthem; this was followed by more performances from other people at the Community Centre as well as a performance by Liana, Louise and Yvette. After this we sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in both English and Chinese with people at the Community Centre. We then did some dancing, games and ended with doing some of the Chinese crafts such as beading and paper cutting. The people at the Community Centre enjoy going to it as they are surrounded by friends and people who want them to be independent and have a good life. The staff even provide homes and carers for the people who live too far away. I thought this was a good experience to see how happy they were to be living there, not worrying about their disabilities.
After we said goodbye to the people at the Huilin Community centre, we headed to the train station and navigated our way to the Wild Goose Pagoda by subway. The teachers picked Ruby, Kevin and Lilly to find our way to get there. The subway in Xi’an was very crowded, and the train had barely any seats, so they could fit more people. There were safety doors so booth could jump onto the rails and they were always on time. This is very different to the Melbourne trains, as they’re not on time and not very crowded. This would be because the population is much smaller in Melbourne than in Xi’an.
We were then relieved to be exempted from the bustle of the subway and were able to take a bus to the city wall of Xi’an. The city wall was a relic of the city’s ancient past and a window to the history of China. Our tour guide Charles enlightened us with a saying:
“If you want to see 100 years of Chinese history go to Shanghai, if you want to see 600 years of China go to Beijing, if you want to see over 2000 years of China, go to Xi’an.”
At the walls our imaginations were put to work as we visualised hordes of invaders rushing against the formidable gate, fended off by the arrows and solid defences of the city in order to protect the treasures and wonders inside. This was our first glimpse into the history of Xi’an as the ancient capital of the first Emperor of China, QinShi Huangdi.
From the city wall there was a short walk back to our hotel in order to freshen up before dinner. For dinner, our constant stream of Chinese food was halted with a meal of pizza!
Prior to our meal we were selective over our choice of pizza whether it be with pineapple or vegeterian, however once the pizza was placed before our eyes, the type and flavour was voided insignificant as we wolfed down pizza along the length of the table. Ten pizzas were soon lined up and were even sooner devoured by the hungry mouths of 20 growing teenagers, calling for more pizzas for the table.
After our delicious meal we proceeded once again to the Muslim Quarter, a region of bargains and shopping. Hundreds of counterfeit goods and figurines galore. The sounds of bargaining rang through the shopping mall, cries of outrage and exclamations of joy. It can be fair to say that after an hour and a half of shopping our wallets were considerably lighter and arms laden with bags full of souvenirs and gifts.
This was the end of our action packed day, and another part of our journey completed, laying the foundations for the experiences to come.
By Joanna and Stephen
Happy birthday Heather!:) – Laura
