Xi’an is an ancient city, established centuries ago. As was customary for many cities over the years, a wall was constructed to enclose the city as a protection from invaders from surrounding territories. The City Wall in Xi’an was first constructed of dirt and clay; in the 1300’s, it was reinforced with stone and brick. It stands intact today, a structure that is 15 meters wide at the base, 15 meters tall, and 12 meters wide at the top; it’s circumference is 13 kilometers. There are four historic gates, at the four compass points, and there are guard and watch towers every 120 meters. The position of the guard towers at 120 meters was based on the fact that an arrow, shot from a bow, would fly for 60 meters. so the tower placement meant that every point of the City Wall was protected.
Today, the four gates are open all the time, with Xi’an’s busy traffic flowing in and out of the inside city. (The traffic is crazy, but that’s another story.) The City Wall is lit at night, and the towers are especially beautiful. It is an historic attraction, and if one visits Xi’an, one must climb to the top of the wall and walk along it, at least for a ways. Fortunately, the City Wall is much more accessible than the Great Wall. It is a climb of 66 steps, easily done. Once at the top, one can walk, or one can rent a bicycle and ride. So we biked.
I haven’t ridden a bike for years, but it’s true, you just get on, and it all comes back. It was a relatively cool morning, a most pleasant time for a bike ride–on a wall that’s been standing for 700 years. I am constantly reminded of the ancient nature of the Chinese land and people.
When time was up, we returned our bikes and waited for the last members of our group to join us. It was still pleasant, so we waited in the sun by the bike rental stand. Bess was wearing her Nebraska volleyball t-shirt. A man walked up to us and asked if we were really and truly from Nebraska. We affirmed that, and he told us that he’s a professor at Dort College in Iowa. He and his wife were in China visiting the exchange student from Beijing who had lived with them last year. They had come to China from Zambia, where he had been teaching agronomy for four weeks at a college that is a sister college of Dort. It is indeed a small world….
I believe there is evidence that many colleges and universities are developing sustained relationships with higher ed institutions in other countries, and that study abroad is a more and more common experience for college students. All that we are doing to help our students see themselves as citizens in a global society is a good thing; we are increasingly connected. Meeting an agronomy professor from Dort College, who had just come from Zambia, on the City Wall in Xi’an is a picture of that connectedness. Cultural competence is not just a nice attribute for our students to develop; it’s an essential.
