Beijing Summer Camp 2007
Thoughts & Commentary
Now that the camp has concluded, these are some of the closing thoughts of camp leaders, CCAA officials, parents and children.
Dragons, History, and a Thrilling Trip
by Kyle Liston
The invitation began...
"There is a dragon in the distant orient: its name is China. Do you want to be in China to feel its history of thousands of years? Do you want to be in Beijing and be a part of the rich Chinese culture? Do you want to have a colorful summer vacation in the country where you were born?"
I opened it and read along. The China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) was inviting 25 children adopted from China and living in America to a special camp to better understand their Chinese culture. It only took me a nanosecond to realize this was the opportunity of a lifetime, and that I wanted my daughter to have this chance. I quickly printed out the application, filled it out, and faxed it off to the National Council For Adoption (NCFA) who were already busily working with the CCAA to make this happen.
Two days later, I learned that the camp was filled beyond original capacity. Now 30 instead of 25 kids would be able to go. They would need a fifth chaperone, preferably one with nursing/medical experience. Chuck Johnson from NCFA asked: could I go? About 50 phone calls and several hours later, an enthusiastic YES!!! This news was much to the relief of my daughter's father, and a bit of a "bummer" for my 12 year-old girl, who was eager to be on a teen-only vacation. But after explaining that with me on-hand there would be more retail opportunities, and a little more shopping money, she relented.
So, we quickly started getting our documents ready, buying backpacks and school supplies for the kids in the Tianjin orphanage we would meet, buying gifts for the CCAA staff, stocking up on meds we might need for the trip, writing parents and giving them CDC medical links, packing, repacking, making arrangements for our pets. I had to arrange to be away from my busy Chinese medicine/acupuncture practice, and farm out some of my clients.
So, what was all of this talk in the invitation about dragons? My training in oriental medicine had me curious. In addition to traditional Chinese medicine, I had studied Taoist 5-element acupuncture. There are two treatments in that system called the 7 Dragons. I'd just have to go and find out for myself.
We arrived safely in Beijing on the 14th of August, just in time for a quick meal and fast night's sleep. We hooked up with the other campers and chaperones in the morning.
Opening ceremonies began early the next morning at CCAA. The children were shown the dossier room, the matching room, and the records room. I am convinced that real magic occurs in the matching room, where all the little children's pics were on the wall of each cubicle and a dedicated staff member took the time to match the right child to their new parents. The kids were really fascinated by this.
The most exciting room of CCAA was the records room. For each child whose records were stored here, CCAA had pulled their file and had it waiting for them. The kids were invited to open and have a look. There before their eyes were their referral pictures, their parents original application, and stacks of carefully hand-stamped documents. The CCAA staff tried to translate some of the info one-on-one for the children as they asked their many questions. They were thrilled! They were home!!!
The next activity was a four-hour lecture by Mrs. Ma, a very talented local Chinese English teacher. She condensed 5,000 years of Chinese history, culture, calligraphy, painting, paper making, kite flying, paper cutting, pottery, fish, reading/writing characters, language, counting into her tantalizing lecture.
So, how does one come to understand a dragon? Mrs. Ma explained the dragon and its symbolism in China to her eager audience. Within minutes, her mesmerizing pictures of the dragons, China, Chinese characters, calligraphy, pottery, fish, landscaping and writing all started to make sense. It was as if an ancient memory was stirred in each child's being. They were searching for the dragon in the pictures and characters in her presentation, looking at dragon masks and dragon dances. A red thread was starting to weave this together.
Dragons are very magical, mythical creatures, bringing good fortune, protection, and prosperity. The dragon is the only Chinese zodiac animal that is imaginary. According to Chinese tradition, China represents the blue dragon pertaining to water. Think of the element of water, the nature of flowing, steady, courageous motivation and tremendous resources. Water pertains to the kidneys, seen as the source of all of the ancestral heredity and power. The heart is seen as the Emperor himself. The red dragon pertains to the Imperial Minister of Fire of the heart in Chinese medicine and culture, as it brings joy and love to all it touches. In Chinese medicine, there is an acupuncture point on the heart protector meridian called "Neiguan" which translates as "inner frontier gate." This is considered the gateway into the heart itself.
Now it was coming together. The invitation, Mrs. Ma's lecture, the CCAA, and the Minister of Civil Affairs had done it! The great red door to China's heart was opened wide for these blessed children. At the end of our visit, we learned the source of the invitation. The Minister of China's Civil Affairs, Minister Li, had issued the call home along with CCAA. That was the call from the ancient dragon. It was as if Minister Li had pressed the magic Neiguan point of China to open that gate into the heart, the emperor fire, of the country. We would also learn that Minister Li's own heart was deeply extended to these children, as he has a 13-month old baby girl also adopted from China.
Minister Li and the CCAA staff warmly welcomed all thirty children and their five chaperones. We felt loved and wanted at once. The children were constantly told that they were welcome in China, China is their home, and they are free to come back as often as they wish.
Treated like little emperors and empresses, they would rapidly need this in preparation for their camp visit. They were treated with lessons in song, dance, paper cutting, kite painting, language, and haggling skills for shopping. They now could count and use Chinese hand signals to bargain in the bustling markets. They happily dined with chopsticks and slurped down noodles in the local fashion.
The children also enjoyed historical presentations, such as the Beijing Opera, changing face/mask presentation, Mongolian music and dance, and Beijing Acrobats. They experienced trips to the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace, Beijing Cultural Museum, Beijing zoo, and many more sites.
Everywhere they went, looked for the common thread of the dragon and other cultural ties. They took pictures of the dragons in the beautifully painted buildings at Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City. They bought dragon t-shirts, dragon paper cuts, dragon painted chopsticks and more (about 50 suitcases worth of more, to be exact). They spent an entire day with a family in Beijing, which all reported to be the favorite experience of the whole trip. They visited an orphanage in Tianjin and really enjoyed playing with and entertaining the children, presenting them with backpacks brimming with school supplies, and sharing candy. They soon discovered who they truly were in their core at the hand of the loving guides and teachers from CCAA and the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The kids really bonded with each other, the families that they spent the day with in Beijing, the Chinese counsellors, the CCAA staff, the Ministry staff, Camp Director Mr. Ji, Director Lu, Director Zhang, Mrs. Chu, and Mrs. Liu. The children will remember them all, and are happy to have their new Grandfather Li in China. Mostly, they found the Chinese counsellors to be like older sisters.
So many of these lovely children reclaimed their identity by participating in this trip. Some said it filled a hole in their heart that they never knew they had. For others, it was their first exposure to such a large group of kids with similar backgrounds. For all, there was a unique sense of pride and connection with their birth country and its culture. Most have been very homesick for China since their return.
All five chaperones and 30 children were appreciative of the warm embrace of China's heart and the loving reception of the Chinese government and people.
For me, I will not only remember the trip. I will forever see in my mind the Blue Water dragon of China merrily dancing with the Red Fire Dragon of America. I will never forget the loving and well planned actions of the CCAA and the Ministry of Civil Affairs, as they welcomed their sons and daughters from afar. And I think there was another rumbling from the great dragon: CCAA and Minister Li said would be more camps and more campers in the future.
The China Initiative is a bold endeavor to benefit children in Chinese orphanages, children who have been adopted from China, and adoptive families. It is also an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen the bond families and children feel to China.
Click here to learn more about the China Initiative.