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By Mary Rose Kennedy, Class of 2014
My favorite activity while in Xi’an was climbing Mount Hua, which was located about two hundred miles from the city. Hua Shan is one of five great mountains in China. As the westernmost mountain, it is famous for its steepness. The mountain is named “hua” for its shape because it looks as though it is covered in lotus flower from a distance. Our group climbed the South Peak, which is more than 6,000 feet above sea level. Climbing Hua Shan was valuable because it provided an opportunity to experience China outside of its major cities. The views from atop the South Peak were overwhelmingly beautiful. I contemplated my smallness in comparison to the majesty of the mountains. My few hours climbing Hua Shan were insignificant compared to the time spent on the mountain by the millions of people who climbed the mountain before me, but I realized that this insignificance is what made my time there all the more valuable. Thus, I appreciated climbing every grueling step, and I took time to stop and interact with others.
During one of our class sessions in Shanghai, a student had told us that if we wanted to know “the real China” then we would have to “visit the countryside.” Hua Shan was the closest we got to rural China. I had the opportunity to interact with men and women who make their living on the mountain. Tourism has fostered the construction of a restaurant and hotel in addition to the establishment of vendors on Hua Shan. Throughout the climb, I passed men carrying supplies to these venues. I even observed a worker’s camp, which consisted of a row of canvas tents and a few fire pits. These men and women lived very different lives in comparison to those who lived in the cities.
Mary Rose Kennedy, of Owenton, Ky., is a senior McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. She is pursuing majors in History and Political Science and a minor in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies.
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| Mary Rose Kennedy |
During one of our class sessions in Shanghai, a student had told us that if we wanted to know “the real China” then we would have to “visit the countryside.” Hua Shan was the closest we got to rural China. I had the opportunity to interact with men and women who make their living on the mountain. Tourism has fostered the construction of a restaurant and hotel in addition to the establishment of vendors on Hua Shan. Throughout the climb, I passed men carrying supplies to these venues. I even observed a worker’s camp, which consisted of a row of canvas tents and a few fire pits. These men and women lived very different lives in comparison to those who lived in the cities.
Mary Rose Kennedy, of Owenton, Ky., is a senior McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. She is pursuing majors in History and Political Science and a minor in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies.