How are you? Have you had a good week and enjoy your weekend?

I have finished 3 travels in Beijing, Weifang City of Shandong Province and Wuxi City of Jiangsu Province and come back Shenzhen City of Guangdong Province.

-- May 27 to July 27, I had a travel in Beijing. Mainly I attended and passed a national English examination and entered the next phase in Chinese National Academy of Arts – to write my dissertation base on the previous study for 4 years for the degree of Master of Fine Arts. Now I have chosen a professor as my tutor to direct my writing and I have started my study since July 15; while I have completed the second draft of the first painting of the my American Cultural Map base on 11,460 photos. Two boxes of painting tools had been sent to the USA before I left from Beijing. :- )

-- July 24, I flew to Weifang, Shandong Province in the early morning and flew back Beijing at the midnight for visiting an art exhibition which includes 150 paintings of my tutor – Professor Mu Jiashan (he is on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th photos) for I would like to learn from him as much as possible before I leave for the USA.

-- July 27, I flew to Wuxi, Jiangsu Province to visit my father, brother’s family and 4 groups of my former colleagues and entrepreneurs.

On the road from my school to Beijing Capital International Airport. I answered a phone call from one of my middle school teachers and a current scholar from France. After hearing something about my cross-culture and comprehensive art project, he thought I have done something creative. Therefore, he would like to help me and to see whether it is possible to introduce what I have done in the USA into Europe someday.

-- July 28 and July 30, I met my father, brother and his wife, daughter who will leave for the USA for her master degree, and the family members of my niece who got her master degree in Jiangnan University in Wuxi.

-- July 29, Mrs. Deng Yiqing (she is on the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th photos and in the red address)- Associate Dean of the Wuxi School of Administration accompanied me to visit the Wuxi Museum, Mr. Qian(he is on the 6th photo) - Curator of Wuxi Museum welcomed us by the gate and a narrator spoke for us for whole of the morning. Then they sent me two big albums of the ancient paintings and calligraphy works which their museum has collected. :- ) In the evening, Mr. Ye Jianjun (he is on the 9th photo in the middle) – Vice president of Kanghui Agency invited 3 of my former colleagues and I had a dinner. We discussed something about my cross-culture and comprehensive art project.

-- July 30, Mr. Qin Renxin (he is on the 9th photo on the left and on the 10th photo on the right)– former Associate Dean of the Wuxi School of Administration introduced me to Mr. Qin Baoxin(he is on the 10th photo in the middle) - President of the Association of Qiguan’s Descendant and Clan Relatives, to see whether it is possible for us to have some cooperation since their ancestor Qiguan(1049 -1100) is one of the famous Chinese poets in Song Dynasty (960 -1279 ).

-- July 31, Mrs. Sun Na and her husband Mr. Hu Junming – Dean of Wuxi Vocational Technical College of Electronic Information came to see me and invited me to have a lunch. They gave me some very good idea on developing my little cross-culture and comprehensive art project.

The strongest feeling in my travels is: No matter in Beijing, Shandong or Jiangsu, people have showed their huge enthusiasm to discover and to develop Chinese culture and arts.

-- In Beijing, the area of my school located has become one of quite mature art centers from a big building site of 3 or 4 years ago, so that you can see at least 3 art galleries or restaurants or art schools within about 100 meters… if people did not know the development process as I did, they would certainly think it is a mature area which has a long history in Beijing. :- )

-- In the art circles I have touched, no matter a famous artist or a new student, almost everyone is working hard with some dream. On July 20, even though a rainstorm hit Beijing and the water has covered my feet in the street, still a group of most famous Chinese artist came to Chinese Traditional Painting School to attend an event. Just now, in the hottest weather of a year, my tutor – Professor Mu Jiashan and a group of students from Beijing are painting from the nature in Shandong. Almost every night, when I left for home at about 9:30pm, 10:30pm or 11:30pm. there were about 1/5 of students still worked in the classrooms in my school. Even, one of my elementary school teachers who is 71 years old has become the first new students of 2016 class year of Chinese Traditional Painting School, base on her art study in an art training school in Beijing...

-- In Weifang, Shandong Province, so many audiences came to my tutor’s art exhibition and people are interested in the traditional painting with Chinese ink only so much.

-- In Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, besides many elementary school students came to the museum at about 9:30am with me together, I did find, many entrepreneurs are supporting the Chinese culture's discovering and development. Mr. Ye Jianjun (he is on the 9th photo in the middle)who is a vice president of a famous travel agency has offered capital to support a magazine for years and Mr. Qi Baoxin(he is on the 10th photo in the middle) who is a president of a clothes factory has offered capital to support an association to study an ancient poet of their family in Song Dynasty ( 960 - 1279) for 8 years. A former official Mr. Qi Runxin(he is on the 9th photo on the left) is studying how to write classical poem in the Wuxi 诗社 and his 9 years old granddaughter is learning how to paint traditional Chinese painting in a painting training class... Almost all of the gifts I have gotten in Wuxi are ancient books or magazines...

Then I do find that the social order and custom are getting better and better in China.

-- In Wuxi, I did find that my father who is 92 years old is just like a child to be looked after and even “ be spoiled ” when he is among the family members of my brother and shows so much happiness and relaxation naturally; I did also find the mother of Mr. Qin Runxi who is 88 years old is same in her family. Both of the two old people are living in the family there are 4 generations together...

-- In Shenzhen, since I came back at about 10:30pm last night until now, what I have felt is that the area of my home is so peaceful. There is no any noise even though I open the windows most of the day... and I feel quite comfortable at home... although there are so many people in the area, the quiet degree is as similar as I felt in my house in the USA. The feeling is so comfortable that I cannot helping asking myself, whether my ears have some problems? Of course, NO. :- )

-- Another impression is that China is just like a “ sea” of mobile communication, almost everyone works on cell phone, even my father is “Playing” Wei Chat with video frequency with us. :- ) Anyway, it was I who taught him to do it. :- )

-- My airport from Beijing to Wuxi was later for 4 hours and from Wuxi to Shenzhen was later for 2 hours, but I has gotten some compensate form some insurance company for it.

I am thinking, the rise abruptly of a nation should be showed on its culture at the first. China is just in the phase of its culture’s renaissance, along with the time, we will certainly create a new and greater brilliant history.

I am really glad for I am living in this great times. I am really happy for President Xu Yixiong of Jinan University Press would like to organize some conference to discuss how to improve the 2nd volume of our serise books while to revise the 1st volume. During they work on their jobs, I will work on the music with Professor Men Weiye and hope to complete the music record before I leave for the USA.

I would really like to do my best to study and to work for helping more people and this world with what I have learned and studied...

I am lucky enough for I have come back home, because Shenzhen Government has published its first red alarm and asked all of the citizens stay at home and stop work, business or study for the typhoon “ Ni Tan” will hit the city tomorrow.

How about you? Do you have anything special to share?

I am just a student on Arts of Painting, Music, English and Management, to work on the web site in my free time. I would really like to do somethings with what I have learned to make this little web site to be an Electronic Bridge of Cross - Culture and Comprehensive Arts, Language & Friendship. To help the others and this world while improving myself and realizing my own value of life.

I would really like to appreciate you for your understanding, directions, supports and help.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, you are welcome to write to shirley@ebridge.cn or leave your message on Message Board.

Sincerely,

Shirley Yiping Zhang
August 1, 2016 (Beijing Time)