Finally, I made it back to the UK however the long haul flight really took it out of me, even with the airport assistance (invaluable). I found myself back in Blighty but quite run down and even needed some support from the good old NHS. It was quite lovely not having to even think about payment. I honestly don’t think that we appreciate our health services enough.

Originally we had planned an action packed month traversing the country a couple of times and visiting people that I hadn’t seen for a long time. It was going to be a squeeze to fit everyone in and sort out the house but I was looking forwards to it. However all that had to be curtailed and I was forced to pace myself, sleeping regularly and cancel it cut short some visits, which was a great shame but necessary.

One of the things which we did prioritize was Oliver & Steph’s first wedding anniversary celebration which was held in the same venue as the wedding which I had missed.

It was a nice opportunity to meet some of Steph’s extended family and to catch up with mine.

But in all the visiting we had planned a little break for just us. A mini break somewhere that we hadn’t been before. Kevin had arranged it all and we went for a long weekend to Copenhagen.

The weather was dull, wet and dreary when we left Manchester but we arrived to glorious sunshine. It was lovely to be in a European city after 6 years traveling around Asia. Little things like coffee in the hotel rooms (although I did actually miss not getting my 2 bottles of water) and no noodles for breakfast!!!

We took a sightseeing tour on a boat around the canals.

The Danish in the 1600s wanted to attract the wealth of the Dutch so modeled much of their new city on Amsterdam hoping to attract lots of guilder but it turned out that the Dutch preferred their own Amsterdam because everyone there spoke their own language. So the experiment in Copenhagen failed. All that remains are the colorful buildings.

Below is an interesting recycling plant, the one with the chimney on the right. It burns rubbish to generate power for the city. At the side is the world’s largest climbing wall AND a dry ski slope! How innovative! This is the way we should all be going really. I was impressed.

The navel vessel beside it is known as the ‘whoops-y-Daisy’ due to an unfortunate incident a few years ago when the captain accidentally fired a missile into a group of holiday homes, destroying 4 completely and damaging 140 others (one of which belonged to his mother-in-law!) He apparently got off scot free and the missile launching company was blamed for faulty equipment!

Which isn’t. This is in fact an ordinary stone bridge painted to look more opulent with a marble effect but which ended up costing much more than if they had used marble in the first place!!! The folly of mankind.

Where Hamlet was performed on its opening night. This theatre is interesting because it is built on special poles which absorb body heat and recycle it to form the heating in the building. another great innovation.

It’s much smaller than you imagine. Commissioned by the son of the founder of the Carlsburg brewery (yes Kevin had some) and modeled on the likeness of two different people. A famous ballerina called Ellen Price and the sculptor’s wife (as Ellen Price refused to pose naked). She has been vandalized many times and has had at least two new heads. So locally she is known as ‘Frankenstein’.

I love the shape of this spire. There are dragons at the base which were placed there as protection against fire (this is a very Chines idea and animal spirit protection can be seen on many rooflines in Asia). It has worked here though as despite several fires the building has remained untouched.

This is the view from our room. We got an upgrade (thank you Kevin). More lovely spirals. It looks to me like a helter skelter.

The best one yet! A private international hospital experience, Sino United. A whole other world.

Since having the internal bleed following the thyroid biopsy I have had a neck and chest full of pooled blood which as shifted through some stunning colors.

The swelling has been reducing but frustratingly slowly. And I still have limited mobility in my neck, can’t, for instance lift my right arm above my head to put my hair up very easily ( important now that the super sweaty season has arrived in Shanghai)

Concordia has been amazingly supportive. I have been blanketed in prayer and showered with love and care in the form of a Soup Rota, flowers and kind messages. I have been so touched.

The HR department were concerned about me and suggested that a I have a follow up appointment to double check that it was safe for me to fly home on 10th. They made me the appointment and sent me to the top private hospital in Shanghai, Sino United, which it turns out is owned by one of our Concordia Families.

This was a whole different experience with everyone speaking really good English, communicating effectively and the atmosphere was very calm and peaceful, unlike the over crowded state facilities.

Dr Tong took one look at me and said, ‘woah!’ In all his career he has never seen a bleed like this after a thyroid biopsy. I have also done some research and what happened to me is apparently extremely rare. All medical procedures carry a risk and I was just unfortunate on this occasion.

By this stage I knew that although shrinking the clot was still there. I had resigned my self to hearing that my flight home would probably be need to be delayed.

Dr Tong did a CT scan and said that not only is it too dangerous for me to fly at all, but that the clot is too big for my body to reabsorb naturally so I need to have surgery urgently to remove it. Being in the neck the clot could become infected and the infection would spread quickly through my body.

Interestingly, the CT scan at Sino alone cost more than my entire bill from the state hospital!!!

I was paying 800 rmb per night for the private (but no frills) room at Shanghai East. This is about £90 and because this hospital doesn’t have a direct billing arrangement I had to pay everything up front on discharge and claim the money back from the insurance company (which believe me is a pfaff!!!)

Sino United, on the other hand does direct billing with the insurance company so I don’t have to pay anything and charge more like 10,000 rmb per night (approximately £1116) so a HUGE difference, but then again a much preferable stay.

It was like having a staycation in a swanky hotel but without the pools, bars and spas and with people sticking sharp implements in me every so often !!!

Sino provided everything. Toothbrush, phone charger, disposable knickers, pyjamas. The lot! All I really need to bring was myself and a book!

So while everyone else packed up their classrooms and waved goodbye to the kids I was wheeled into surgery. It was hard missing all the end of year celebrations and not being able to say goodbye to people properly but I knew that this had to be done.

I was on my own this time, but that was fine as their English levels were fantastic. Everything was explained very clearly to me and staff took their time. Sino United is modeled on the American Mayo Clinic and the level of care was outstanding.

Surgery went well and they liberated a tennis ball sized blood clot, which was frankly, bigger than I thought it would be. I felt relieved and lighter almost immediately. I do have a drain and stitches in my neck, which is less than comfortable and I have had many bags of antibiotics through IV. They DO however have poles on wheels which means that you can use the bathroom independently, unlike the state hospital where someone had to unhook the bag and accompany me to the loo!!! Not a dignified experience!

None of the other doctors that I had seen had suggested a follow up to check how I was doing. I got the impression that they were all too busy dealing with the huge overcrowded state wards to do that. They only had the capacity to be reactionary.

The food here is also like a hotel. I haven’t had much appetite but the breakfast looked really cute.

I still had congee (rice porridge) which is bland and easy to swallow and fortunately something I like.

This morning I ordered the ‘western’ breakfast but somethings were not quite en pointe. I got a large sandwich and a big bowl of mayonnaise! Wasn’t expecting that.

The nurses were very kind, caring and more like the nurses are back at home. I could ask questions and I felt that they were caring. They checked in on me regularly and even chatted to me. This was so different to my previous hospital stays where the nurses were busy, perfunctory and did not show any compassion. They do only medical procedures and your relatives and friends have to do everything else.

I am on the mend now and when the stitches and drain come out next Saturday I will then be able to fly home (all being well) Yay. My summer is delayed but not ruined. We have booked airport assistance to help me with my bags and with the transfer so that is a weight off my mind. I have been told that I will have a scar on my neck and if I want cosmetic surgery to remove it I can but that’s not covered by the insurance. I’m not bothered about that. I see it more as a battle scar. A reminder that I survived.

And most importantly I can feel my Qi again. The blockage has gone so now I just need to rest and let my Qi work in the healing. What happened to me was unfortunate but I feel so lucky to have survived it.

Soon I will be back to my Taiji.

The health insurance that we receive here is excellent and we can have annual wellness checks. You may remember that our first health check in 2021 found the tumor which led to me having my kidney removed and potentially saved my life. So I am a big fan.

This year I went for my tests quite happily only to be told that I had some nodules on my thyroid (the technician called them noodles- bless) These are quite common in women especially as we age. Normally these are benign but this year the clinic noticed a change. Some of the nodules had hardened and become irregular in shape. I was offered a biopsy which I decided to take because thyroid cancer is a silent killer and without these tests I would have no idea.

The biopsy was booked for Sunday lunchtime and in the absence of Kevin, my friend Leping accompanied me. This was a shrewd move as she speaks mandarin and excellent English. Even though this was an international clinic is is helpful to have a native language speaker along.

We were talked to by the surgeon in advance who told me that the procedure was quick and simple and not too painful. All good news. However I was to be careful for 24 hours afterwards and not 1. take a hot shower 2. Eat hot food 3. Play sports 4. Get angry, as these factors could increase the risk of minor vessel ruptures. Not a problem I thought.

Off we went to the ultrasound room and I lay down. The needle was very fine and I didn’t feel too much as it went in. A bit of tugging as they extracted the cells and it was all over after 20 seconds.

However when they applied a dressing to the puncture point I though ouch. THAT bit hurts. They sat me up and asked me to swallow and it was painful. Immediately they lay me back down and did another ultrasound of the area which wasn’t pleasant as it felt extremely tender. Then they said I had some internal bleeding.

The doctor produced a block of ice wrapped in a towel and suggested that I lay down on a recovery bed for 30 mins holding the ice against the site. I dutifully did this meanwhile Leping googled thyroid biopsy and bleeding to discover that this complication is quite rare. If ice doesn’t work then they can give a pill to stop the bleeding but if that doesn’t work then surgery is sometimes necessary.

Fortunately after 30 mins of a cold numbing neck I had a further ultrasound and was told that the bleeding has stopped and I could go home. Phew.

It had all been a bit traumatic and not as straightforward as I had hoped so when I got home I decided to have a rest and went to bed for a nap.

About an hour later I surfaced and decided that it was time to call Kevin who should be awake. We were having a chat about what had happened when I suddenly began to feel unwell. Swallowing became painful again and I had pain on the right hand side of my face up to my ear. Kevin has since told me that he was worried because it sounded as though I was choking.

I tried lying down but my throat felt so uncomfortable that I had to get up. I googled pain swallowing after thyroid biopsy and it said that you need to call your doctor. So I did. Eventually I got hold of the surgeon but by then I was sobbing down the phone and he said he would send a nurse in a car to see me.

I called Leping who didn’t answer as she was cleaning at her father’s place. I thought I would have to go back alone but I knew that I needed to go back. The pain was getting worse and worse. I called Shifu and (I don’t know how but) he managed to reach Leping. I must have sounded desperate because they came immediately.

I was relieved, as this was Sunday afternoon and I knew that the clinic was going to close. I put my phone in my pocket and had the presence of mind to pick up my health insurance card as I thought I might have to pay for another ultrasound. I staggered downstairs to wait in the lobby.

The 20 minute wait for the nurse was excruciating as my throat was getting tighter and more constricted. As it happened my good friend Sasha was passing through the lobby on her way out just as Leping arrived. She was shocked at how I looked. I gasped out an explanation and she very kindly stayed with me. Other concerned teachers saw me and offered help but I was in terrible pain by then and barely registered them.

The nurse arrived took one look at my now extremely swollen throat and said she was taking me to the nearest public hospital’s emergency room. At that point I realized that all was very definitely not well.

To be honest the 20 min drive to the hospital was a nightmare. I wished that we had a blue light but we didn’t. We sat in traffic and waited for lights to turn or traffic to turn right. There isn’t a central Ambulance service here unlike the UK. Ambulances will come but then take you to the hospital that they originated from. It was the best way to get there. It just didn’t feel like it at the time. The nurse used her horn a couple of times which is very unusual in China.

Once we finally arrived the nurse checked me in and paid the check in fee herself. I have no idea how much that was but I am eternally grateful. I am hoping that insurance will sort everything out at the end of the day.

I was taken to a triage doctor who I wouldn’t let touch my throat as it felt on fire. He said I should go to the international ward, being a foreigner. We set off walking down multiple corridors and up to the 23rd floor. Only to be told that there was no doctor there that day and they only had one nurse. So we had to stagger back. At that point I just wanted a wheelchair. Leping found one. You pay to unlock it using a QR code and it is up to your relations or friends to sort this for you.

Back to the triage doctor who sent me for a CT scan. They confirmed that I was bleeding internally. The doctor kept saying that this was dangerous. I think that if your airways get too constricted with the blood then you can die.

They wheeled me into ICU and sat me on a bed. They put oxygen on and I began to breath more easily. They hooked me up to a drip and told Leping that it was medicine to stop the bleeding. Everything but everything had to be translated.

I had to sit upright because lying down felt like choking. I realize now that I have an appreciation of what it must feel like to be strangled or choked to death.

The thyroid specialist at the Shanghai East hospital was at home on a Sunday afternoon but he was called in as this was an emergency!!!

Leping and Sasha were beyond great. They contacted school, my line manger, Kevin and the insurance company. I was under Doctors orders not to speak. Not that I could much. They arranged everything.

After several hours there it was decided that I needed to be admitted and given more medicine intravenously. I had 1 bag of something to stop the bleeding, 2 bags of antibiotics and 1 of glucose.

I was told that I couldn’t eat or drink anything in case the bleeding didn’t stop and I would need to be taken for emergency surgery! Fortunately for me I was stabilizing and that didn’t happen but it was a tense time waiting.

The school sent Nurse Jenny to stay with me. It is the custom here for the nurses on the wards to only do medical procedures and your family or friends do all the other care (like finding a wheelchair for you) Shifu and Sasha went home and got some essentials for me like a toothbrush, toilet paper (you provide your own) and PJs. You have to provide everything yourself here, even a spoon and a mug for your food!!!

Fortunately I was given a private room and Jenny was able to sleep on the camp cot. She had a busy night as I slept only fitfully. I was attached to the drip which made going to the bathroom a bit difficult.

I had another brick of ice wrapped up in some old hospital pajama bottoms! So I had a cold neck all night.

Nurse Jenny managed to persuade them to give me a painkiller shot. Mind you she had to ask three times. China is SO reluctant to give any pain relief.

In the morning the ice trick must have worked because I felt a little stronger. I think the big bleed has finally stopped but the swelling hasn’t gone down yet. So I am rocking a bullfrog look at the moment.

The Doctors visited and said that I have a high white blood cell count which means that I am fighting an infection. The swelling hasn’t gone down so they want me to have 4 more bags of antibiotics by IV

Nurse Jenny had to leave mid morning so when you don’t have a family member with you, you can employ the services of an Ayi. She costs me approx £30 for a day and she helps to take me to the toilet with my drip (as mentioned a challenging event) and she helps with my bed and food etc.

She doesn’t speak any English and so we communicate a lot by mime.

I wasn’t allowed food or drink until 10am this morning just in case I needed the emergency surgery if the bleeding hadn’t stopped or had got worse. So now I am back on Chinese hospital food. It’s a good job that I quite like congee (rice porridge)

Leping is coming back and will stay with me tonight. When I get discharged I will not be able to cope with the paperwork on my own as it’s all in mandarin!!!

The chief doctor from the clinic where I had the biopsy done came to visit. He said in all the times that they have done this procedure I am the only one to have these complications. So I guess I will go down in their history books!!! He was so sweet and brought me two boxes of fruit. He thinks I should stay in for 4-5 days until the swelling goes down but we will see what the doctors here think. I certainly don’t feel right just yet.

He did bring one piece of good news. The biopsy results came back as benign. Phew!

The hospital doctor has just visited as said that I am no longer in a life threatening position and can go home after tomorrow. But not back to work until the swelling goes down.

Everyone here has been so kind and supported me with prayers and good wishes.

What an end to the school year!!!

This was the highlight of the break and the whole reason that we came here. To visit the Tao mountain, San Qing Shan. San means three, Shan is mountain and Qing means pure or clean so the name translates to ‘3 pure peaks’.

The whole of the surrounding area was once a stronghold of Taoism with many villages and temples dotted around the mountain. Taoist philosophers came here to live and study giving the area its reputation. Even today there are many signs and symbols remaining and it is a great place for Taiji and reflection.

There are 2 cable cars going up the mountain but bad weather has closed the one we were supposed to take. It was too windy to run so we had to drive around to the other side to take the second cable car. This actually turned out to our advantage as it came out nearer to our hotel.

The bad weather didn’t deter us and we wrapped up and went for a walk. The weather made for some very dramatic and atmospheric scenery.

We were walking above (or sometimes in) the clouds at 1800 meters above sea level. In China all mountain hiking is similar, you take a cable car up then you follow a concrete route around the tops. In many cases this involves multiple steps or stairs and this mountain is no exception.

It is all very safe with wide paths and strong barriers but you know that you are high with sheer drops when you are in the walkways.

I actually felt very proud of myself. Practicing Taiji has improved my balance and reduced my vertigo. Even a year ago I wouldn’t have been happy going near the edge but here I am rocking it (& relaxed too)

I think that the dense cloud cover helped somewhat because I couldn’t see how high up we were. but even during the breaks in the cloud I was reasonably ok.

We saw many natural features that were symbolic of Taiji philosophy. For example

The path that we followed at 1800 meters was in fact the coastline not once in the history of the planet but three times. Geologists have found evidence of a shoreline millions of years old. It was humbling to feel how much the earth has changed and indeed will continue to change and to think that where we walked was once water.

We stopped to do some meditation

At the end of the trail was an ancient Taoist temple

I could just imagine the monks who climbed up the whole mountain doing their Taiji and meditation there amidst the spectacular scenery. We found lots of interesting old symbols…

And spent some time playing our Taiji routine.

Amazingly the qi felt very strong there and apparently it is to do with the type of granite rocks around us and the earth’s magnetic poles.

I learned such a lot. Even the bad weather showed me that things in life don’t always go to plan. I watched trees being buffeted in the gusts of wind and reflected that life can sometimes be pleasant, sunny and calm when we can blossom and bloom but sometimes life can be challenging with adversity and unexpected events, but like the tree branches in the storm we can be flexible, bend and be strong. We can flex and recover from whatever is thrown at us.

An early start today for a visit to Jing de Zheng, famous for its ceramics. In fact it is the only industry in town. In a secluded spot the porcelain production has survived war, conflict and revolution.

Fun fact: ceramics are called China in the west because the early traders would shout ‘China, China’ when showing off their wares, to indicate where the items came from but this was mistaken by the westerners to mean the name. So our best tea services became known as our ‘China’. It’s interesting how language develops.

Anyway, our morning was spent having fun making some pottery. It was ‘get your hands messy’ time.

I have to admit that I am not skilled at a potters wheel and my creation crashed and I had to be given more clay! Even then the teacher largely did mine.

Leping and I did have a hilarious time though

Shifu and Leping Re-enacted a bit of the scene from ghost

I managed to paint my vase by myself

Then it was off to hit the weekend ceramics market which was quite extensive.

After lunch we visited China’s biggest China museum. Here we learned about the history of fine porcelains.

The earliest porcelains were all produced for the royal family and in the beginning they favored a simple plain style in a pure unadulterated color.

Later traders encountered the cultures from the Persian peninsula and were influenced by the geometric tiles in their mosques. This is the oldest Ming vase that has been found with its distinctive blue and white pattern. It is probably the most valuable item in the whole collection.

These large pitchers were placed around the palace to collect rain water which was then kept to put out fires as all the buildings were made of wood. They all had the same dragon pattern on so this has been put together from different pitchers. Only the Emperors were allowed to use a dragon with 5 talons. These are the true dragons. Any beasts with 3 or 4 claws are only ‘bao’ or snakes

This piece has 4 animals on it representing the 4 points of the compass. It would have been placed in a tomb so that the spirit could find its way back.

I got very excited to see this piece as it is from the Tang Dynasty, the era of my namesake Wu ZeTian. (Approx 600 AD)

They would burn scented oil inside the duck and the smoke would come out of the beak! Very ingenious when you remember that this was made in the 1450s!

There is a saying in China, ‘you are not a fish so how do you know that the fish is happy you cannot say that the fish is happy’ which I think is quite profound. We often make assumptions about others (not just fish) and treat them badly without compunction.

I wasn’t expected to be blown away by the items in the modern section but look carefully at this snow leopard. The spectacular finish was caused completely by accident. This piece was being fired in an electric kiln when there was a major power cut. The workers all thought that the items would be ruined. Instead the leopard emerged with this beautiful effect for his coat and has since become a prize winning piece.

Finally we went to the site of an ancient kiln and old ceramic factory which reminded me very much of the UK with the brickwork! I haven’t seen red bricks in China before.

Another great day was had by all

36 square kilometers of caves, ancient villages and ancient forests. It is filled with stone monsters, strange water and ink fragrances. This visit was an opportunity for Shifu to teach us some natural philosophy.

Notice the shape of the valley and the reflection on the water. In our life we see either the mountain or the reflection depending on your point of view. Both are beautiful.

The chambers in the cave were enormous, carved by thousands of years of cascading water. The rock walls were like the bones in our body and the spaces were like the meridians through which our energy (qi) flows. Both are essential.

In Taiji we aim to move like flowing water. The qi flows through us when we do the routine and when the energy is strong it feels as though your hand is meeting resistance, literally like moving through water. Water is essential to life. It is so innocuous in small quantities yet can be such a powerful and even destructive force in large quantities.

This feature resembled a Ba Gua which is a focal point for meditation and you can see the terrace pools in the out rings which are like the flow of the energy rippling out from our meridian points

Visiting the caves made me appreciate the beauty of slowing down. Like the uneven floor from yesterday’s qi gong practice, you have a choice in life rush along and skim over the surface or slow down and appreciate the detail. It isn’t always easy but it is worth it.

At lunch we stayed in a tiny place just outside the caves where we were the second table and so we had to sit outside. The owner asked if we wanted chicken then went and killed one for us!!! I was given the opportunity to watch but didn’t fancy it. That has to be the freshest meat I have ever eaten!!!

The afternoon saw us meandering back and visiting an old covered bridge and a huge camphor tree.

In China if you walk under an old Camphor tree they say you will live to your 90s. If you touch one you will live to be 100.

Our accommodation on this trip has to be the most stunning place that I have ever stayed in. (Thanks go to Leping for finding it). Way off the beaten track in an old village we are staying in a 200 year old guest house.

Given that most houses in ancient China were constructed from wood very few have survived both fires and the cultural revolution. This is a real gem.

You cannot get there by car. Instead we walked over planks across a stream, down cobbled streets and over a huge threshold. Our luggage had to go separately by a little cart.

This house received a special mention from the Emperor because they had 7 generations under this roof in 1842. There were 100 people plus servants living here. This is quite an achievement.

Littered with little alcoves that make relaxing tea ceremony places and unique outdoor courtyard spaces, this place is very calming. Just what the souls needs after a busy stressful start to the year.

The whole house is made from natural materials and there are no televisions in the rooms (wifi is slow.) This is a place to get away from the world and find some inner peace.

Immediately you come in there is a central courtyard. Open to the sky at the top cooling air circulates naturally. Birds fly in and out and it was the perfect place for our early morning Qi Gong training.

We exercised to the sound of the cock crowing and breathed air tinged with sweet scented wood smoke as the kitchens fired up.

There is so much symbolism in this house. Full of delightful books and crannies there is always something unexpected around the next corner. Every room is different just like the Tao (universe) and there are pros and cons in each space.

My room for instance has no outside window, only a skylight. I got a chair and not a sofa but the woodwork is exquisite. Like life where we have to accept what we are given and make the best of it. Round the next corner of our lives unexpected surprises are waiting.

This morning I practiced Xing Yi, some walking exercises based on the 5 elements.

The stone flags of this inner courtyard are worn and uneven so sometimes when I balance on one leg I was very strong and stable but other times I wobbled and had to work hard to steady myself. Just like our journey through this life.

Spring Break this year sees most teachers finally able to travel somewhere. For me this affords a much anticipated trip with a Taiji friends to the Tao Mountain (San Qing Shen) in the Jiangxi province beginning with a few days touring some of the scenic spots.

Jiangxi is a 3 hour train ride from Shanghai on the bullet train and we feel very much in the mountainous countryside here.

First stop was Jiang Ling a village nestled in the stunning terraced fields of rape. This plant flowers for only one month a year and becomes one of the four ‘seas of flowers’ in China, a major tourist destination.

Even though it was a cloudy day the effect is still stunning.

On the walk down we actually took the wrong path and bypassed some of the scenic spots but instead walked through the village where the locals live. In my opinion this was even more interesting seeing local village life and it transported us back in time with narrow alleys, ancient doorways and free range chickens!

We did do the tourist thing and bought the flower crowns which gave us a delicately scented accompaniment to the trip. I understand how bridal bouquets came to be as the perfume around us masked everything else

We have fun riding a miniature steam train and strolling through the fields of yellow surrounded by spring blossoms.

Then to have some of the local delicacy which tasted delicious.

Interestingly, these old country houses (still occupied) have mirrors above the door to reflect bad spirits away. look carefully for the small shiny circle. Superstition is alive and well in rural communist China.

In the afternoon we popped into a small museum where they decorate the local stone for ink grinding stones, the way ink was produced for centuries.

And finally, Leping and I had dress up fun at Huangling, the ancient town. These clothes and the hairstyles are Han dynasty. Apologies for the photo dump but we took loads!

In the Song Dynasty when nearby Hangzhou was the capital, (approx 1000 AD) the ancient Watertown of Shaoxing became a city renowned for its education, arts and intellectualism.

Here many studied for and sat the civil service entrance examination to become government officials. It was a tough test and many failed. These failures went on to become what was known as ‘Advisors’ who would be employed by individuals or businesses to help assist with things. They were clever and well educated just not good enough for the very top jobs. As an advisor you could specialize in law or finance or even teaching and make a very comfortable living.

There are many watertowns in China but most are just tourist destinations. Shaoxing on the other had is still a thriving community and I was probably the only non Chinese person there!

You could buy any type of preserved meat

We took a trip on one of the long slender traditional black boats that used to distribute goods and people along the network of canals. They were towed using a combination of feet and hands.

Also here was a working Soy Sauce factory which was fascinating. I had literally no idea how it was made. Soy beans and wheat powder are mixed with salty water and stored in these huge containers for 180 days in a sludge form. From there is is pressed and filtered and in some cases stored for a further 180 days!

It was a beautiful bustling old town full of charm and character although it did get a little crowded as people flocked in to enjoy the afternoon sunshine by the water.

In the evening we visited the birthplace of China’s most famous writer (sadly I had never heard of him but his works feature in every Chinese textbook I was told.)

Lu Xun was born and educated in Shaoxing at the end of the 19th century. He wrote many books and articles encouraging national pride among his countrymen who were suffering under Japanese oppression at the time. The language is supposedly exquisite.

Then it was on to the Yue Opera. Done in similar style to the Peking Opera (even down to the long sleeves) this was sung in the local dialect which most people don’t understand (I was not alone) however they did provide sub titles in Mandarin. Shifu gave me a running translation so that I got the gist of the story.

Boy and girl (actually cousins!) love each other and want to marry but are thwarted by his mother who has him sent away to become a government official. He sends his love a letter asking her to wait for 3 years and he will find a way for them to be together. The letter is intercepted by the mother who alters it and the girls thinks he is never coming back so she marries someone else.

On his return the son is devastated and writes her a love poem. She writes one back to him. Based on a true story the poems are part of China’s rich cultural history that has been preserved.

Their assignations all took place in a garden where the opera takes place and we were alike to wander around the beautiful setting after the performance.

On an amusing note, I had some toilet experiences today! The first was an extremely old public toilet in the Watertown. The oldest I have come across here

The second was in the gardens at the opera. It was closing time and they wanted us out so they simply pulled the plug plunging us into total darkness mid flow, leaving us with no electricity and no water! That’s one way to get your message across!!!

The Lunar festival in China lasts for 15 days and finishes today which means that everyone goes back to work tomorrow and hotel prices stop being triple the normal rates. So Shifu, Leping and XiaoMa invited me to join them on a weekend break to Shaoxing, a town located about 3 hours drive south of Shanghai. A last hurrah before we go back to school.

Our first stop was the Orchid Pavilion (although it was the wrong time of year to see any of the actual flowers) which is known as the holy land of Chinese calligraphy and has a calligraphy museum.

I wondered why this place should be so special for calligraphy and discovered an interesting tale. In 303 AD the Shaoxing area was a hotbed of culture and full of the intellectual thinkers of the day. One such was Wang Xi zhi (pronounced Wong she jer) a poet who owned some land around which he build a goose pond. Much of his calligraphy was influenced by the geese who have long, slender, curvaceous necks but who remain proud and upright. He became very renowned for his artistic style.

One day Wang invited some poet friends over for a party which involved drinking games. The games went like this: everyone sat on either side of a winding stream.

A cup of wine was floated down the stream. Whoever it floated to either had to make up a poem on the spot or drink all the wine. As you can imagine everyone got very drunk but that night from the 41 guests 38 amazing poems were produced.

It was decided to bind these poems into an anthology and as host Wang Xi zhi had the responsibility of writing the preface. I mentioned before that he and his guests were plastered but nevertheless he took up his brush and ink and in his cups he penned a piece that was absolutely astoundingly perfect in terms of both words and brush strokes.

No one has been able to better the piece then or since and even he couldn’t replicate it when he sobered up the next morning! It has become known as the best example of Chinese calligraphy ever and Wang Xi Zhi, the master craftsman. I guess the moral is that you can produce great work when you are drunk!

The piece of writing was handed down through several generations of his family until in the Tang Dynasty there were no more heirs and it was gifted to the Emperor (first husband of my namesake Wu zhi tian) who thought it was so amazing that he challenged people to copy it. Then he requested the original be buried with him! It hasn’t been seen since.

It was interesting to learn how generations of calligraphers were taught the art. They used water on slabs of stone to perfect their technique and it took 18 vats of water before they were every permitted near paper and ink!

The museum showed the evolution of chinese characters from the old flowing script to the more boxy, angular style used today. I think that I preferred the softer characters as they seem to have more energy and vitality to them.

The museum was set in beautiful grounds at the foothills of a mountain range. so we enjoyed some walks in the winter sunshine (It was about 1 degree out of the sun)

We had a chance to do some writing ourselves.

Unfortunately during the cultural revolution the stone with the name of the site inscribed on it was damaged

Fortunately the locals at the time realized how precious the stele (stone carving with the preface on) was. So they covered it up with boards. They painted party slogans over them and pretend that there was an outbreak of an infectious disease in the area. That kept the Red Army away and the stone has been preserved.

We each had an opportunity to catch a cup in the stream and say a poem.

I know several but I was told ‘short’ so I recited a bit of Australian doggerel which no one around me could understand anyway!

Apparently this game has been replicated in countries around the world amongst the literati.

Shifu bought us all a HuLu, gourd which represents the Tao with its smooth bell shape. It has a heavy bottom which balances in the earth. It expands like our dantien where our energy circulates then bulges out again to be our heart before sending the qi out to infinity. It is hollow and was used to store medicines to help people. You just hold it in your palm and roll it around, like a stress ball.

After this visit to the symbolic culture of ancient China we moved to our hotel where we were greeted at the door by a service robot who asked if it could help. (we were good)

We were well and truly back in the 21st century! China is a country of surprises sliding seamlessly from deep cultural resonances to state of the art modernity.