For most of us, including myself, it was our first experience to take in and absorb all the new wonders in Shanxi Province.įrom there, we continued on to Xian, the old capitol in Shaanxi, a neighboring province, to visit the Qin and Tang Dynasties imperial city walls and, of course not to miss the Terra Cotta Soldiers at the excavation site of the tomb of Qin Shi Huang Di, the “First Emperor” who united all the fiefdoms in China. He is the film director who created the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, also in Guilin, Yunnan’s Li Jiang, West Lake in Hangzhou, and Impression Wu Yi Shan. ![]() We also took in the beautifully produced “Impression Pingyao” spectacle by the creative team presided by Zhang Yimou. Next, we spent several days at the ancient city of Pingyao, still very well preserved with charming authenticity. Although Shanxi Province is full of history and ancient wonders, it was only recently developed to accommodate growing tourism. It was almost too overwhelming to take in all the sights. We precariously ascended the spectacular “Hanging Temples” along the cliff of the chiseled mountains, on our way to Wu Tai Shan (the most famous group of Buddhist, Tibetan and Taoist temples spreading out on the 5 Terraced Wu Tai mountains) before traveling on to another ancient city, Tai Yuan, for more historic buildings, temples and famous mansions. We also visited the schools to observe them in practice.Īfter we had gathered the Lan Ting Institute seminarians, we embarked on a spacious chartered bus to the ancient capitol of Da Tong, on a tightly paced but exciting adventure to several historic and cultural wonders, including the ancient wooden tower, the marvelous restored imperial walls of this old city, and to marvel at the giant Buddha statues at the Yungang Grottoes nearby. I took them to visit the Chinese Opera Club to see a delightful performance by the young actors in training. Immediately following the Spring Seminar, I flew to Beijing and after a few days recovery from Jet lag and met with others who arrived early at the same hotel. We appreciate you with heart-felt ALOHA, Gerry. Many thanks to the devotion and able management of Gerry Bradley who comes from the East Coast each spring to organize this event with us. We continue to sustain this annual event, and are always happy to welcome the “faithful” to return for this traditional home week in Illinois. ![]() Shortly after returning from the Winterthur Easter Week and my annual visit in London, we began to prepare our Spring Seminar at home in Urbana. There is much to share with you from of the events in the past months, so to begin: The Granada is where art and history converge, a grand theatrical tradition that adds to the spirit of Santa Barbara Arts.Summer is gone so quickly and autumn leaves are beginning to turn and soon will be falling. Performances by the Santa Barbara Symphony, Opera Santa Barbara, CAMA, State Street Ballet, Santa Barbara Choral Society, UCSB Arts & Lectures, and the Broadway Series are regularly held each season. The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, American Ballet Theatre, New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra and Berlin Philharmonic are but a few of the world-class companies to appear. In addition to having offered premieres and sneak previews of historic films such as Gone With the Wind and Guys and Dolls, the Granada has played host to the 20th century’s greatest artists and entertainers: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Henry Fonda, Sir John Gielgud, Ethel Barrymore, Al Jolson, Will Rogers, Helen Hayes, Jon Vickers and Martha Graham have all graced the stage with their presence. The Granada Theatre recently completed a vast restoration that enhanced both its breathtaking, historical charm as well as its technical capabilities as a state of the art performance hall.
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