China
Kia’he, Gannan
Here, on the main street of Xia’he, Gannan in the Tibetan Autonomous Region located in northwest China, a man noses through objects in a Tibetan religious shop. With his goatee and Mao-style glasses, he appears to be a traditional Han Chinese. He does not wear the traditional yak fur jacket, a somewhat surprising fact as most wear it in winter in Gannan when the temperature plummets. While the vast majority of Han Chinese are not religious, there are some from older generations who have of late turned to Tibetan Buddhism, mixing in various Confucian tenets and Daoist beliefs, thereby creating a very layered and complex religion.
Photo © 2010 Mathilde Verillaud
China/People’s Republic of China
Eastern Asia, bordering East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow and South China Seas, between Korea and Vietnam. Mostly mtns, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills east. 9,596,961 km2 (slightly < USA), 15% arable.
Capital Beijing (12.2M)
Population 1.3B (140/km2)
Life expectancy 75 years
HIV/AIDS 0.1%
Literacy 92%
Lang(s) Std Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Tawainese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority language
Religions Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3-4%, Muslim 1-2%
Ethnic Groups Han Chinese 91.5%; Zhuang, Hui, Manchu, Miao, Uighur, Tujia, Yi, Mongol, Tibetan, Buyi, Dong, Yao, Korean, and other 8.5%
Gov’t Communist State
GDP/cap $8,400
PCVs 1993-present; teaching English (TEFL), Chinese, and cross-cultural issues. Volunteers in country: 162. Total to date: 754.
Nat’l holiday Anniversary of founding of People’s Republic of China, 1 October (1949)
Adult Books
River Town
by Peter Hessler
Paperback: 402 pages
Publisher: Harper Perennial; Later Printing edition (April 25, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-0060855024
Book Description
Subtitled Two Years on the Yangtze, this 2001 memoir is an account of Hessler's service in the Peace Corps as an English teacher, and first American resident in more than fifty years, in Fuling, a small city in China's Sichuan province.
Kids' Books
Little Eagle
by Chen Jiang Hong; translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick
Format: Hardcover, 36 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1-59270-071-4
Age Range: 8–12 years
Publisher: New York: Enchanted Lion Books, 2007
Films
Film: Still Life (Sanxia haoren)
Director: Zhang Ke Jia (2006)
Music
Focus Word
Focus Word for 2013 - "Friendship"
Chinese Mandarin: You-Yi (You-Ye)Chinese Cantonese: Yow! Yee (Yow-ee)
Tibetan: Dvokpo (dee-voak-po)
Egret symbol of longevity and purity.
Copyright © Julie Olsen
China 2013
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Wisconsin-Madison is a public charity registered under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States. Its EIN is 39-1669348. It is also an affiliate group of the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA).
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