Official
Publication of US-China Peoples Friendship Association, Chicago Chapter, www.uscpfa.org/chicago
Roger Noback, Chapter President and Editor,
630/762-8225 September 17, 2006
“The only way to have a friend is to be one.” –
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The scheduled venue, time, topic, and activity for the USCPFA September
17, meeting are
2-4 p.m. @ Jin’s Mandarin Restaurant, 790 Royal St. George Dr., Naperville 60563
China’s
Silk Road Today:
Mineral, History and Culturally Rich Xinjiang
Province
By College of DuPage
Prof. Jane Wu and Panel
Xinjiang, by far the largest of China’s provinces and autonomous regions (1/6 of
all of China),
borders 8 countries in all directions.
Xinjiang holds one-third of China’s confirmed deposits of oil and natural
gas and 40% of its confirmed deposits of coal, each China’s largest, and it is
by far China’s largest cotton producer, and a leading producer of
cashmere. The ancient Silk Road began in
Xian and connected the civilizations of Greece,
Rome and the Eastern Mediterannean with those of
China, India, Persia
and Arabia.
With nearly half of the fabled Silk Road
running through Xinjiang, it is rich in cultural sites and relics of many eras
and civilizations. For example, Xinjiang
boasts 14 Buddhist cave temples and over 990 caves. The sculptures and murals in the caves,
welding Chinese culture with those from India
and Persia,
gave birth to a unique style of art of their own. Buddhism entered China
from India
through Xinjiang.
Each year, Chapter member and COD Prof. Jane Wu
leads a tour of a different region of China for COD course credit,
principally for adults. This event will
offer one of the rare opportunities to our members to see and hear about sites
and scenes in Xinjiang, China, and to experience the
hospitality of the native Uigur people.
The panelists will take us along the Silk Road: the Gobi Dessert; the
ruins of the ancient cities of Gaochang and Jiaohe, comparable to those of
ancient Rome; a
visit to the vineyard of the Uigurs; and having tea inside of a yurt of a Kasac
family. In addition, members of the
tour, as a panel, will share different perspectives of lives in China today.
SAVE THE DATES
(See enclosed and chapter
website for more information about the first two events.)
Sat. nite, Oct. 7, Autumn Moon Festival:
The Way the Ancient Chinese Celebrated It, spontaneous poetry
readings and dance with beverage (byo) at Ping Tom Park in Chinatown.
Sat. afternoon, Dec. 2, Annual China Symposium
2006 at Loyola University Chicago-Lakeside Campus.
Dec. 4-6, Reception for Delegation from Beijing Photographers’
Association and photo exhibit: Ordinary Beijinger’s Life, venue
to be announced.
Several Rare Tours
to North Korea are offered during the period Aug.10 through Oct.
10, 2006 through the company of longtime USCPFA members Walter Keats and
Winnie Lu, Asia Pacific Travel, Ltd., see www.northkorea1on1.com or call 800-262-6420.
Directions to Jin’s Mandarin Restaurant: From Chicago’s Loop, take the Eisenhower
(I-290) west to I-88, and continue going west (several miles past
I-355), exiting at Winfield Road.
[Those coming 1-88 eastbound can also get off at Winfield Road; from
Northwest and North Suburbs, go south on either I-94/294 or I-290/355 to
I-88 west.] Go LEFT (south) on
Winfield to Diehl Road. Turn LEFT (east) at Diehl and travel
1/2 mile to Mill Street.
Turn RIGHT (south) on Mill and drive 1.5 miles to Ogden Avenue (Hwy 34). Turn RIGHT (west)
at Ogden. The
shopping center containing Jin’s Mandarin is on the left side, right after you
pass Naperville North High School.
It is in the same center as the Office Max. You can turn LEFT at the light at Benedetti Drive to
get into the shopping center, or go down to the next light at Royal St. George.
The phone number for Jin’s is
630/416-1188.
Typically, the regular
monthly Chapter meeting is held on the third Sunday of the month
and includes a delicious traditional Chinese multi-course meal, which begins at
2 pm; the hour long luncheon talk (with Q&A) begins at 3 pm; and all this
is only $15. Meetings are typically
scheduled on odd numbered months for Chicago’s Chinatown (e.g., May, July) and
on even numbered months (e.g., April, June) for either Evanston (North Suburbs)
or Naperville (West Suburbs). Please
attend and bring a friend.
Please reserve in advance at AssociationSvcs@aol.com (indicate
USCPFA in subject line) or call
847.251.1400, ext. 0 (members have priority seating). Cfade91706FINALema