Travels in China 2007
The Ancient City of Pingyao, Shanxi Province
We spent a remarkable day wandering through the streets of the ancient walled city of Pingyao, an outstanding example of a Chinese Han city during the Ming and Qing dynasties which provides a vivid snapshot of a highpoint in Chinese cultural, intellectual, and commercial life. Walking around the city on the top of the walls, you would walk 12 miles to travel the circumference and have a spectacular view of gabled roof tops and a vibrant city life.
We stayed at the Fu Xing Gong Hotel, an authentic Ming Manchurian establishment which in almost every detail was as if we had stepped back in time 400 years. We walked down the narrow stone streets and visited the well preserved opera house, temples, schools, banks, halls of justice, jail, kung fu training center, and other finely preserved examples of daily life that the World Relics Committee of UNESCO has helped to maintain in their original form.
One of the most fascinating parts of our tour is the visit to the very first bank in China, here in Pingyao. These early creative entrepreneurs developed a highly sophisticated banking system with great security for their investors, which included techniques analogous to our password system, safety deposit environments, and checking accounts. Imagine what you would do 400 years ago to make a secure delivery of thousands of dollars of silver from one part of the country to the other, with no Brinks delivery trucks and no wire transfers. Well, the enterprising bankers here were the first to figure this out, which contributed to the development of their great wealth and prestige.
They developed delivery systems that utilized the abilities of kung fu masters who were renowned in the country for their martial arts skills. These kung fu masters were the protectors of the silver used as currency and pushed the silver carts to their destination, the cart emblazoned with a flag announcing to the world which delivery company was responsible and which kung fu masters would be the protectors of the precious cargo.
In the picture, you can see the carts in the front, and behind the plants are the racks of weapons they carried with them in case of attack. In the back of this complex is a place for the kung fu masters to train, complete with all the equipment necessary to keep them at peak form.
As we continue our walk around the city, we learn that Dr. Paul Lu, Yun's father, is one of the people responsible for protecting this historic city from destruction by officials who wanted to demolish it and make way for "progress." Dr. Paul Lu worked in conjunction with university professors from all over the country to implore the national and local governments to protect this cultural and architectural treasure, and they fortunately prevailed with the financial assistance of UNESCO.
This road trip gives me an opportunity to spend more time with this remarkable gentlemen who is the Director of the Chinese Branch of Golden Courage, and I'd like to take this opportunity to share with you something about his background and work at the current time. Dr. Lu's family were the Lords of the Light Yellow Banner, one of the 8 Banners or royal families of the Qing Dynasty. Dr. Lu was educated at the University of Beijing and became the Dean of the Department of Chinese Culture, Ancient Philosophy and Literature. During the Cultural Revolution, he was imprisoned for 11 years, not knowing if his wife or newborn child (Yun) lived or died. During this same time, Dr. Pang (Yun's mother) was sent to the center of China to provide medical care for farmers and working people, and Yun was living homeless on the streets in the care of his grandmother. In the late 1970s, Dr. Lu was freed from prison and reunited with his family, and he and the country tried to begin a new life.
Dr. Lu was asked by the Chinese government to become a board member of one of the new political parties, the Revolutionary Committee of the Goumindang, which was composed of the surviving people of education and lineage. It is this political party and Dr. Lu's connections that have helped to establish Golden Courage International as one of only a few legally sanctioned non-profit organizations in the country. This was Dr. Lu's initial work - to create the connections and articulate the need for an organization that brings hope and education to a whole generation of children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic and those living in desperate poverty. Working together, Dr. Lu and Yun created a new and successful model of how government, citizens, and the global community can work together to benefit children.
Dr. Lu observes: "When Yun was a child and I was in prison, I couldn't do anything about his situation of abuse, malnutrition, and homelessness. But now I can do something for others' children." For Dr. Lu, Dr.Pang, and Yun, this work of helping children find a healthy and more hopeful life is very deeply felt; it is a way of ensuring that no child will experience the fear and desperation that they knew so well.
During our interview, Dr. Lu also spoke about his vision of future possibilities for Golden Courage now that it is so well recognized and legally sanctioned. He is one of a growing number of leaders in China who are recognizing that protection of the environment and reduction of polluting greenhouse gases is an essential component of a healthy future for our children and grandchildren globally. He intends in the coming years to initiate a branch of Golden Courage focused on this important international issue.
Now Dr. Lu can see that Golden Courage has undergone a transformation in the eyes of the government. It is now recognized and embraced by officials at the highest levels and those in the local communities as a model that truly serves the needs of children, their families, and communities. Dr. Lu says: "I am so proud to be part of the pioneer group that has established Golden Courage in China. I am so proud I can make a difference in the lives of these children."