Historically, although there have been many changes that have occurred throughout the many decades in terms of civilization and innovation, China has managed to retain a legacy of the noteworthy principles and values continue to remain strong within the culture and have been integrally recognized by society as a whole. As in the earlier centuries, togetherness has always been a way of life, and the roots of the culture run deep serving as building blocks for greater things. The future will always be bright for a collection of communities who work towards goals centered around unity, which seems to be the direction of flow throughout all the various places we visited. throughout the many cities we visited a common theme of servitude toward the fellow man or woman radiated in the atmosphere.
The early days of the Dark Alley were nothing short of mystifying. From the stories local parents passed on to their children and down the generations about the horrors and mishaps that come along with crossing into such a threshold. Some even threaten to be left there in a state of abandonment. According to a story written, it was only when a boy and a younger girl dared to see it through to the end in what seemed to be in an almost unintendedly only to find there was indeed light and life on the other side. Now the Dark Alley in Shanghai is filled with shops and boutiques with delicious food and places offering for sale bits of Chinese culture for locals and travelers. The buildings still stand, still housing families that work together to make things work even in what seems like dark times.
Religion is something that is present in every culture, whether it is followed or not. In many places we visited temples where people could be seen engaged in worship to various deities. Buddhism is the religion that seemed the most prevalent among the people. The core teachings center around understanding suffering, its causes and a path to liberation. The takeaway from such helps guide followers to somewhat an awakening to the higher self through recognition of 4 Noble Truths and introduces an eightfold path to follow in order to bring desires into fruition.
Theatre and artistic expression are important to people because it allows them to express themselves in a way that can be felt in the depths of the souls of not only the audience but also in the hearts of the performers. The earliest forms of the Chinese theater were said to be found in shamanistic rituals, where the performances with used to communicate with the spirits. The art has evolved through the years through the development of the opera which we witnessed in parks captivating onlookers, to modern drama, to challenges and revival and even contemporary theater which we see in the picture on the right reflecting the vibrant and evolving theatrical landscape.
In Chinese culture, it is expected that food be left over after a meal, something that I found surprising. Growing up in western cultures, if all the food wasn't consumed, it was a slight to the cook. Whereas in China, if there's no food left over, it's taken as if you weren't fed enough! During the visit, we often ate at these types of tables. The dark circular center rotated in both directions which is where the food was placed. The entire space would be covered with a variety of food and beverages to be shared, often times there wouldn't even be room enough for everything to fit. In Chinese culture we learned it was common when greeting someone to say hello and ask them if they have eaten. Such a greeting signifies a certain level of care for your fellow human being to ensure they are well. Also, when the meal is finished, it was customary to cup one's hand and cover the mouth while using a toothpick to indicate someone was finished eating which I also found interesting to the point that I've now begin to include such a gesture in my daily eating routine.