March 24, GuangMing XiaoXue (光(guāng)明(míng) 小(xiǎo)学(xué)), The First High School (抚顺一中)

GuangMing XiaoXue (光(guāng)明(míng) 小(xiǎo)学(xué)),

This is a rebuilt school. Once there were only a few rooms. Can you believe that we had half a day of school until I was in 5^th grade. Today, I connected with my niece’s 3^rd grade teacher. My niece went to the same elementary school as me. It is amazing to see how 3^rd graders learn around the globe. When I was in school, English didn’t start until I was in 6^th grade. But now, Chinese kids study English when they are in kindergarten. 

The First High School (抚顺一中)
By the name itself, you may figure out that the school ranks pretty high in terms of achievement. In each city, there are few great public high schools, where the 8^th grade students actually have to take a test to get in. It requires serious studying. Too often, I hear my friends in China to complain about the homework. Many students finish five to six hours of homework each night. When I went to school here, middle school was on the south side and high school was on the north side. Today, the campus only has high school.
High school only is three years in China.

March 23, Puyi 溥仪

Puyi (溥仪; pinyin:Pǔyí) The last Emperor of China and the twelfth and final ruler of the Qing Dynasty, Fushun, China

 

 

When I was in high school studying ancient Chinese history, my classmates and I were all very happy when we finally reached to the last dynasty, Qing. The last emperor was a sign of hope; we would then move on to the familiar renewed modern political systems. Little did I know until the movie “Last Emperor” came out; our country’s last emperor Puyi was imprisoned as a war criminal for ten years only 20 miles away. 

In just few days, we will visit Forbidden City in Beijing, which was once was Puyi’s palace. He became the Emperor at age of 2 years and 10 month old. At the age most kids just started to talk in sentences. He was taught by his father to sit on the throne and manage the country. You wondered why the dynasty was soon over. What would life be in charge of everyone at such young age and yet live in a prison later in life? Even though history has been passing us by, how we can leave a positive influence around us is still a challenge.