⌈Day 1⌋
On November 1, students from Wood 3 and Wood 4(including several students from other houses) had their trip to Wuhan.Our head teachers Margret and Arron led us to the Railway station and headed towards the destination.The sleeper trains were much more comfortable than we had imagined and we had a good rest on the train.
⌊Day 2⌉
The sage on yellow crane was gone amid clouds white.
To what avail is Yellow Crane Tower left here?
Once gone, the yellow crane will never on earth alight;
Only white clouds still float in vain from year to year.
By sunlit river trees can be counted one by one;
On Parrot Islet sweet green grass grows fast and thick.
Where is my native land beyond the setting sun?
The mist-veiled waves of River Han make me homesick.
Yellow Crane Tower
——Cui Hao
translated by 21st
We arrived at Wuhan at early morning and headed towards the Yellow Crane Tower after breakfast.The Yellow Crane Tower has been extolled by numerous poets in the Chinese history and Yellow Crane Tower by Cui Has is definitely the most significant poem that makes the tower well-known.However, the Yellow Crane Tower nowadays is different from the one that Cui Hao met in the past since the tower had been destroyed several times in the war and the one we see now is reconstructed in the 20th century.Still it retains the Chinese traditional architectural style.For example, the overhanging eaves are used to present the lightness of the tower as if the eaves are soaring towards the sky.Also, inside the building, there are nine floors, but only five floors are visible when looked from the outside.This implies the royal prerogative because the number nine and five has a special connotation of the emperor in ancient China.
In the afternoon, we went to the Wuhan university.Along the road, Chinese parasols were planted.In autumn, the leaves turned gold.I wondered if these elegant trees still attracted phoenix to rest on them.Behind the parasols, lay the Cherry blossom Dormitory.We needed to go though a long stair to reach the terrace.Going up along the stairs, we looked up at the blue eaves and half-opened dull-red windows, feeling the time’s mark on the mottled brick wall.The sky was high and the air was crisp.The light breeze soothed our tiredness, making us relax and delighted.In this dormitory with a long history, we saw the trace of history and also felt the tranquility and serenity at this quiet corner of the university.
At night, we went to the busy Hubu Alley and tasted various Wuhan specialties, such as the hot dry noodles and the skin of beancurd.After enjoying the light show, we ended the first day’s journey.
The second day, we went to the Hubei Province Museum.All of us were amazed by the complicated craft of the exhibits and the ingenious ideas of the ancient Chinese.The bronze exhibits, such as the Zenghouyi chime bells and the Zenghouyi copper zunpan, conveyed steadiness and profoundness.Moreover, auspicious animals such as dragon, phoenix, crane and turtle which symbolized power and longevity were used in the bronze work of arts to express people’s positive feelings.In the Hubei Province Museum, we could know about the lifestyles and history of people living thousands years ago by looking at the elaborate bronze products and listening to the explanation of the guide——it was really an active and meaningful live history class.
After going sightseeing in the Donghu Park and having lunch, we took the high-speed train to return to Shenzhen.On the train, some of us rested for a while, others utilized the time effectively and did homework.Play hard, study hard.This is the principle we always follow.
This field trip to Wuhan is enjoyable.It provides us with a peek of the natural and human landscape of Wuhan and allows us to relax ourselves and enjoy the precious coziness of mid-autumn.We feel more connected to each other as a G2 member of the Wood House as we know more about each other in the three days. Now we are looking forward to the next exciting field trip.
(Written by Chloe Ou-Wood 4; Pictures provided by Wood 3&4)
