“You learn more about who’s telling the history than you do about the history itself,” was the basic premise of a world history course I once took. At first the idea seemed like academic-theory hogwash to me, but then I came to see what that chubby Australian professor was trying to teach us. Does a missing story in U.S. high schools’ history textbooks mean it didn’t happen? Hardly…it just tells us what today’s writers of history, and our society, value.
I thought about that premise often today as I visited The First Pass Under Heaven, a pass (uh, the first one) through the Great Wall in Shanhaiguan. Although the weather was dreary, and the attraction isn’t a big one for tourists (I only found it mentioned in Frommer’s guide books), I thought I’d still give it a go. Although not too much to see, (especially because a big portion of Shanhaiguan and the Wall are undergoing renovations for the 2008 Olympics), there is some; portions of the towers and walls have authentic and replica army clothes and weapons on display. But that’s not where I spent most of my day. Nope. It was the included museum visit. The nearby Great Wall Museum took me a good couple of hours to wander through. With way more information on bricks and towers than most people would enjoy, the museum chronicles the Wall start to finish.
Near the end of the exhibit was a room on Shanhaiguan’s strategic military importance and the battles fought there. The U.S. was mentioned a couple of times, most notably for a “slaughter” in 1900 and the country’s aligning with China’s nationalist party when it was struggling for power against China’s communist party. Um, yeah, not the most loving descriptions of America (although another room did have a huge photo of Ronald Reagan walking on the Wall), I’d say, and the descriptions of China throughout…well, they were obviously much more glowing.
When I came home, I looked online for the 1900 battle mentioned in the museum; I found nothing. Then I reread Frommer’s description of Shanhaiguan, and it gives a far different description of the city’s strategic importance. But, I’m not surprised at all. And I can’t tell you who’s right. But if that world-history lesson is true, I’d say our Chinese friends still only trust us as far as they can throw us. (Which with our rate of obesity, ain’t very far)
Today is my first visit to your blog, Jayna, and I can already tell it will be my new daily ritual. I’ll grab my cup of coffee and peek at your blog! I am so envious and proud for you. Thanks to modern day advancements, I’ll live vicariously through your writing!!! Thanks…. Miss you already!