Goodbye Shanghai, Hello Kunming!
Yesterday we left the bright lights and big city of
Shanghai for the southern city of Kunming, in Yunnan Province. This area is famous for its beautiful
landscapes and spicy foods - both of which we can attest to! We started our first day in Kunming with
spicy noodles for breakfast, then headed down to the lake for a morning lesson
in Tai Chi. Everyone agreed that this
ancient Chinese practice was physically challenging and yet also calming and
peaceful. The Tai Chi Master Teacher
showed us some Kung Fu moves at the end of our lesson!
After a leisurely stroll around the
picturesque Green Lake, we met up with our host families and their adorable
children. We had lunch and then crossed
the city to spend the afternoon at the Sheng Ai Hospital for Traditional Chinese
Medicine. We were entranced from the
very beginning - learning about the ancient philosophies of yin and yang,
observing patients undergo acupuncture and massage treatments, and watching the
preparing and selling of specialized herbal medicines was mind boggling.
The medical practitioner even took the time
to evaluate us. Reilly, Leatrice, and
Mrs. Jiang had their tongues evaluated for signs of other ailments - fortunately,
all three were pretty healthy and the most important advice from the doctor was
to drink more water and eat more vegetables 😇🍅🌽🍌. Taylor had her skin checked through her
ankles, and then many of us had our "humidity" checked by a
mesmerizing suction cup test on our backs - certainly an experience none of us
will forget anytime soon! Getting our
health in order, we came back to the hotel to meet up with our home stay
families who will generously invite us into their homes for the next two
days. Up next: hiking the western hills
and learning about the ethnic minorities of Yunnan Province.
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| Tai Chi in Green Lake Park |
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| Discussion of Traditional Chinese Medicine |
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