More importantly, I came to realize the essence of cultural research was transmissions, trying the best to help people get what I had. Thus, I continuously wrote articles about my grandfather's experiences and published them in USA, expecting more and more people to know the real life of Beijing natives, especially the food culture. Ever since my childhood, I was fond of seeking for the secret of Chinese culture in old Beijing Hutongs. For me, real research is not in laboratory, neither in classroom. It is in life and integrates into my blood and soul. I can go through every Beijing Hutongs with my eyes almost closed and speak out the core skills in cooking famous Beijing and Sichuan cuisines. They are what I think the real reading methods of culture.
By the way, I want to let you read my new travel story!!!
Food and Travel
Special experience
Alone and lonely
“Really？You don’t know any history stories about the forbidden city?” I shouted loudly, forgetting I was standing in the big museum. “Sorry, nobody has told me the historical stories of China, so I don’t know how to protect the historical buildings.”the little boy answered with a happy relaxed look on his face. In contrast, I could only return an expression of helplessness to him.
This discussion with a little boy, a Chinese visitor in the Forbidden City, reverberated in my mind while I was writing this article. This summer, I went back to china and visited a lot of famous palaces in Beijing, for instance, the summer palace, the great wall and others.
The entire point of protecting the old buildings is to teach children traditional culture and justice as well; the entire point of teaching the young people is to promote the development of national pride. As to my knowledge, even if I am studying in a culture which is different from Chinese culture, I still remember my motherland’s accomplishments and literature, because I was born there. I think if my country had not given me knowledge and power, I would not be a student in the U.S. now. So I think everyone should know their country’s stories, but this thing happened and changed my mind.
When I went to the Forbidden City, vicissitude and simple breath blew on my face. The old buildings made me feel like returning back to a hundred years ago. The exciting moment was when I finally saw the Hall of Supreme Harmony. As the most magnificent and main hall of the three major buildings of the Forbidden city, the Hall of Supreme Harmony is commonly known as the hall of Golden Chimes. Standing behind the old stone wall of the building. It was like traveling back in time.
Suddenly, a little bad thing caught my attention: NING WANG, a little boy on his trip in the Forbidden City, felt very curious about everything. He wrote his name on the old wall, and drew a picture after writing the sentence. The ancient wall groans of pain, the action made me feel heartbreak. I asked the little child：
“Do you know this building needs to be protected ?… How many Chinese history stories do you know?”
“I don’t know…”
“Go away, this is my kid.” The little boy’s father shouted at me.
I opened my mouth and said nothing, it was impossible to tell anything to this little boy because of his father’s rebuke. I wanted to go back home quickly. I imagined what a cultural protector’s life would be; maybe most people will not understand him.
Frustration, helplessness and hopelessness are three bad qualities that can defeat any students when living far away from their confidents and friends. Being a cultural protector is one of the loneliest job, because people always reject their behavior. On the other hand, the cultural protector is a special martyr. There are two difference between the cultural protector and the poet: the protector has to use his actions to make people understand the truth and poets have to use their words to teach people to understand the truth.
Hope and happiness
It is Better to be unborn than untaught, for ignorance is the root of misfortune.
-----Plato, Ancient Greek philosopher
What is the significance of the martyrs? There is an old saying in China “lay down one’s life for justice.” I thought over the whole conversation again and again, recalling how I was in this position to begin. Ultimately, I couldn’t believe I need to give up teaching the little child. If I did, that would be a sorrow in my life.
Meanwhile, I returned back to my room with hopefulness and happiness, I tried to begin a great work. Using the history books of QING Dynasty as a basis, I studied the history of the Forbidden City by myself every day. About one month later, I created a little club about the Chinese history in the community center. Of course, I was the first group leader. I went to the Forbidden City for a second time. I felt very lucky to meet another girl in the museum, someone who is smart, pretty and who is interested in history.
“Yes, I‘d like to, but I only knew a few things about that.” The strong light from the wall of the museum filled her face, whose smile was lovely full of happiness.
After that, our group helped a lot of children study the history of the Forbidden City. Unlike work, which you can choose yourself, which job is fixedness and steady, the special experience will appear in your mind forever and ever. Thinking of the cultural protector, the special martyr for the traditional culture, I recall the old saying: “history should be a human teacher.”
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