Samuel Grant Robinson: Amazing Second Day

[Jan. 2, 2011-BEIJING] What an amazing day our second day in China was. We started with a wonderful breakfast here in the hotel which was a mixture of both traditional Western and Chinese items. My favorite was the Hawthorne juice and steamed buns. Following breakfast, we went to Tian An Men square. It is very moving to be there, especially when you consider the monumental history that has occurred there. To see the main gate, Chairman Mao's mausoleum, and the national flag was absolutely breathtaking. The students really enjoyed bargaining with the local vendors, and many were able to supplement their cold weather clothing (it is quite cold here now).

From the square, we entered the Forbidden City, the traditional home of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. You enter nine gates, and as you pass closer to the center, it gets increasingly more peaceful and spectacular. Eventually, you end in one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen. I will be forever grateful for the comprehensive knowledge of our tour guide.

After lunch, we went to the Temple of Heaven, the spiritual home of the Ming and Qing dynasties, then back to the hotel to grab instruments and concert dress before heading to the Beijing Conservatory for our first concert. After a brief rehearsal, we had dinner with students of the Chinese Youth Orchestra. It was wonderful to see our students interact with these young people, and I'm sure that this will be an experience that they will treasure for the rest of their lives. The concert was amazing. Our orchestra was in very fine form, and was warmly greeted by the sold-out audience. The Chinese orchestra was incredible, playing traditional Chinese music with great virtuosity. My favorite moments were hearing two young soloists playing traditional double reed instruments (they were absolute rock stars), and chatting with a group of students from a Beijing university after the concert, and seeing our students interact with the young people from this country.

Tomorrow, it's off to the Great Wall and a performance of a Peking Opera