Shandong revisited

I did not return to Jinan, Shandong Province, with enthusiasm. My last visit in 2004 left an impression of a dusty, cluttered city, not as polluted as Wuhan but without any charm or appeal. But, I had turned down an invitation since then, and one of my favorite students in now a Vice Dean of Shandong University, so I accepted the invitation to give a keynote presentation at the conference there. In fact, this is my first visit to China since this blog was started and I also wanted to have an opportunity to visit Qifu, the hometown of Confucius and take some photos.

Jinan appears to be permanently covered in a sheath of dust. Dust sits on roads, buildings, and roadside trees. The leaves look only vaguely green. The theory is that the region below the Yellow River (the Huang Ho) has a cloud of fine dust hanging over it. Another theory is that building construction and vehicles produce dust/pollution. The number of cars on the road has increased tremendously. In addition to the numerous VWs I saw on my previous visit, the roads were clogged with locally assembled Buicks, Toyotas, Nissans, Hondas, Suzukis, Skodas, and numerous local models. I even saw a Bentley. Thousands of motorcycles and scooters, with their polluting two-stroke engines, made the situation only worse. Bicycles appeared to be fewer in number.

Shandong University is large, with over 50,000 students. One attractive feature is the large number of birch trees that line the roads and which could also be seen all over campus. The above photo was taken by a student on a clear day. I wonder why all these trees, and the ones I saw along highways, are painted with a white band?

Any official visitor to China is soon inundated with banquets. On previous visits, I recall tables piled with meat and fish (vegetables weren't popular) and new dishes being brought even after the diners have stopped. This visit was no different, although two banquets were elegantly done, and there were more vegetarian dishes on display. The toasts can be endless. Wine is served sparingly and beer is drunk from wine glasses, which is a blessing because of the number of toasts. Tsingtao beer is brewed in Shandong, so large bottles of the brew kept appearing as the meals progressed. I wonder what happens to the leftover food? China has many poor people and wasting food would be criminal.

I had two wonderful surprises in Jinan. The first was the majestic Roman Catholic cathedral and the second was the lovely Lake Daminghu. I had missed both on my previous visit. This time, I saw the cathedral quite by accident on a visit to the old campus of the university. For the visit to the lake, I am indebted to Joanna, actually Mao Dan, my "shadow" during the visit. (More about her in the next blog entry.)

On the way to the cathedral, Joanna and I passed these old friends chatting on the sidewalk, happy together. Note the scooters they are using. A few years back, they would have been using bicycles. At the church square, we saw older men flying kites and spinning tops. The tops were nothing like the ones used by children and were noisy and appeared dangerous.

The first view of the cathedral comes as a shock because of its size, being probably larger than St. John's cathedral in Hong Kong. It's Roman Catholic, dedicated to the sacred Heart Of Jesus, and was built by an Austrian clergyman at the the turn of the 20th century. Begun in 1901 and completed in 1905. Qingdao, on the coast, was a German enclave around this time so their influence appears to have spread into the interior.The sky was overcast and I couldn't take a good photo, so Joanna sent me the following photo taken be her roommate a couple of years ago.

The cathedral appeared to serve as a backdrop for wedding photos, but inside, we found a lay preacher addressing an attentive group of people. The interior was somewhat bedraggled, but, considering the pollution and the shadowy place of Christianity in China, in fairly decent shape. I am sure it was desecrated by Red Guards. Now the cathedral is serene, a good place to meditate away from the chaos outside. The usual confessionals, altars, statues, candles were all in place.

The photo shows a closer view of the cathedral as it appeared on the afternoon I visited. I wonder how many visitors recognized the statue as that of Virgin Mary.

Christian churches survive at two levels in China. The recognized church, under the control of the Communist Party, appears to attract older people. The underground or "house" churches are increasingly drawing a younger congregation, especially university students and new graduates. These Christians are said to outnumber Communist Party membership. I recall Andrew (not his real name), a graduate student from Shandong who arrived at the Chinese University about 10 years ago. Soon after arrival, he drew me to a side to ask where he could attend Catholic mass in Hong Kong. Andrew must be an underground Catholic.

The fine Gothic architecture reminded of the Notre Dame in Paris.

That afternoon, Joanna took me to the lovely Lake Daminghu (Lake of Great Light), only a taxi ride away. This is a lake formed by natural springs, and is surely a welcome relief for the residents of Jinan. It covers a large area and is well served by footpaths and bridges, and lined with Weeping Willows. The numerous lotus plants appeared to be dead, this being Autumn, but, as the photo at the bottom of this entry shows, the flowers and the greenery must be a feast for the eyes in Summer. Thankfully, the surroundings have not been commercialized. Marco Polo had seen and commented favorably on the lake in the 13th century. This is a place where I could spend an entire afternoon, even a day. The cathedral and the lake are Jinan's saving grace.

Loaded with gifts, I left Jinan on an early morning flight, and was charged RMB68 for a tepid "latte" at the airport cafe. And I thought Starbucks was a ripoff.