Field Trip

Last Sunday, the thirteenth of September, my classmates, teachers and I embarked on a field trip toward the Tibetan Autonomous Region of Sichuan. It was the first time I would leave my parents for more than just a few hours. The trip was four days long and it was quite fun. The environments we covered were varying and beautiful, and we discovered many different lifestyles that people in Tibet follow. We visited three significant spots and explored them. We stopped first at Wenchuan Earthquake Museum, which chronicled the effects of the deadly earthquake which struck Sichuan in 2008. After that, we settled in a village home stay, high up in the mountains. Then, we went to our final destination for the trip, Hei Shui, which was very beautiful.

  The drive from Chengdu to the Wenchuan Earthquake Museum was around two hours. The scenery on the way there was beautiful, but once we reached, it wasn’t so cheerful. The first thing that caught my eye when we parked the bus was a ruined school, barely standing. They were remains from the Earthquake from 2008. We went into the museum, and saw videos which showed the horror of the disaster. We also saw gravestones of the first responders during the Earthquake. They were the first to act and save lives when the Earthquake struck. It was heartbreaking, as I actually felt the tremors of the Earthquake, since I was in Beijing at the time.

        After our time at the Earthquake museum was over, we rode our bus to a village that was close by. The ride was not long. At the village, our guides told us about the history of the village, and we also climbed up a mountain. The history of the mountains was explained, and we learnt that the mountains were once under the sea, but that collisions between continental plates formed them. We also learnt about the waterways that interconnected under the village, and explored the labyrinth of underground gates hidden below the village. I learnt that the gates were used to defend against other tribes in the area.
The next day, after a healthy, traditional Tibetan breakfast, we headed for Hei Shui. The bus ride lasted 5 hours. We reached the town at a time when it was dusty due to construction. There were Tibetans wearing traditional clothing as well. During our stay at Hei Shui, we visited a Monastery at the top of a mountain, which had been there for over a thousand years. The scenery from the top was beautiful, and the patterns on the walls and roof of the Monastery showed traditional art. There were statues of many deities that the Tibetan Buddhists believed in. Another beautiful experience at Hei Shui was the glacier we visited. It was four thousand, eight hundred and sixty meters high, and it was quite icy. The glacier was over twenty thousand years old. The experience there provided for some very picture worthy moments.

This trip was my first time away from my parents, and also made me feel very independent. I learnt about Tibetan values, food, culture and Buddhist beliefs. I also learnt about the geology of Hei Shui and the mountains surrounding the area. Overall, in my opinion, the trip was an exhilarating experience, which provided a taste of the world as well as a piece of Tibetan values. I hope I get to learn more about Tibetans in the future, as their culture and their beliefs are very colorful.

Sources:
https://www.google.com.hk/search?newwindow=1&safe=strict&biw=1366&bih=667&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=Hei+Shui+mountains&oq=Hei+Shui+mountains&gs_l=img.3…14448.30949.0.31147.30.17.10.0.0.0.545.1791.0j10j5-1.11.0.ecynfh…0…1.1j4.64.img..23.7.373.N6Hoy_47Row#imgrc=aD99BO1NOKPB1M%3A

https://www.google.com.hk/search?newwindow=1&safe=strict&tbm=isch&q=Wenchuan+earthquake+museum&spell=1&sa=X&ved=0CBgQvwUoAGoVChMI0vHo7LP_xwIVjJ2UCh245g5d&dpr=1&biw=1366&bih=667#imgrc=bpAv9IfZ4C8nkM%3A