Diane Vagnini, Instructor of English, is pictured above taking a photo along with other pictures.
Dianne wrote, "Today we explored Zhongshan Mountain National Park. Also known as Purple Mountain, the compound includes many attractions, including Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum and the Ming Tomb Ruins. The walkway leading to the Ming Tomb is called the Sacred Avenue. This avenue winds through a garden and is lined with stone warriors and animals that guard the path to the tomb. We actually started at the tomb, so we worked our way backwards. The warriors (huge, standing and holding big swords, boring in comparison) and animals are carved from a grayish color stone. They line the Sacred Avenue in groups of 4: one pair resting, the other standing guard. It is a spectacular view, gazing down at what appears to be an endless, enormous line of unicorns, horses, 2-hump camels, and lions.
Along the Sacred Avenue, we encountered a Chinese man and his 5 year-old (I’m guessing her age) daughter. She was the cutest thing wearing a floral dress, stockings, and sandals with a pink bow in her hair. When she first noticed us, she was very shy. She would examine us and then run behind her father. As we continued down the walkway, her confidence grew and she began to pose on and around the animals for us. During our visit to China, most of us have experienced what I can only describe as a “rock star” moment: Chinese who appear to be fascinated and excitedly pose for pictures with us. It was curious to watch the little girl’s attitude toward us go from timid curiosity to hamming it up for our cameras."
