So far, I’m feeling very fortunate to have had the opportunity to take part in this trip. Reflecting over just past few days I can’t believe how wonderfully things had to align in order for us to be here right now. The history that took place, the people working together now, the political climates, etc. all have blended to come together to bring us here. In just two days we have done numerous things that many people would never even dream of—and that’s very humbling. Two days ago, we visited a place that was denied to even the people who resided in the country. Yesterday we ascended one of the seven wonders of the world—The Great Wall of China. I’ve heard many things about the Great Wall of China, but until I was able to experience it for myself, I could never fully appreciate it. The largest man-made defense structure ever built, I can only image the amount of time, energy, money, pain, love, suffering, and passion that went into the design and construction of it. It is truly remarkable. Not only the structure itself, but the process through which it came into existence.
Before the we went to the Great Wall, we visited an independent research institution in China called the China Development Research Foundation (CDRF) where Mr. Hu Ziqiang, Mr. Yu Jiantuo, Ms. Liu Bei, Mr. Du Zhixin, and Mr. Feng Wenmeng presented us with fascinating insights into Chinese culture, concerns, and their approaches to measuring and addressing issues in regards to income distribution, early childhood development, social integration of migrant children, and population development. The tourism has been tremendously gratifying, and the opportunity to gain first-hand insights from the people working on the issues we so often hear about has taken this trip to another level—one that won’t be easily forgettable. I apologize for the brevity of these blog posts. There’s a lot of stuff to do and very little time in which to do it, but I want to keep you as posted as I can about our journey. If you have any questions, requests, or comments, please feel free to leave the below. Let me know what you’d like to see a picture of, provide your recommendations of places to see or things to do. What insights can I help bring back for you?
Until next time…peace