Since，I have been in China and Quzhou。I have attended official ceremonies celebrating the 20 year anniversary of Quzhou municipality。I have had the privilege of sitting with the vice-Mayor of Quzhou for a discussion of theatre and other topics as well as delivering a picture of The Sheldon Theatre，an anniversary present from The City of Red Wing and the Sister Cities Commission。I received a statue of Confucius for Red Wing in return。I have seen the Confucian Temple。I have met the 75th generation of Confucius。I have seen the new museum。I have enjoyed the superb dancing and singing of the Quzhou’s young people to the traditional and modern music of China in celebration of their city’s anniversary。I have visited new economic development sites around Quzhou which promise that this city will be growing rapidly over the next few years into one of China’s top one-hundred most important cities。。
That was just the first week。
During my second week at Quzhou No。2 Middle School，and I have the high honor of working with a group of dedicated，hard working，and very smart teachers and administrators who have made me feel very welcome and instantly a part of their team。I am teaching some English classes，30 all together over two weeks and working on some scenes from Alice in Wonderland。The students I have been pleased to meet are energetic，bright，and eager to learn。When I pass them walking on campus，they say“Hello！”and smile。I know they all will go far in this new China of a rapidly growing economy。
During my stay I have eaten many new foods including bony fish，duck head，rabbit head，（many heads），chicken’s feet，and many tasty versions of the foods we eat in the United States。I really like the pork and the eggplant。I have never had any of these dishes，many I am told are native to this Quzhou and this region。
Each day continues to be a wonderful new adventure in food，people，and places。
China to me is a dramatic epic being played out upon stage that is as ancient as any on earth。During my first week I found that it is a continuing story that includes traditional ways infused with Confucian thought and the newest renovations。It is incredibly ancient yet young，brash，and full of energy。
What will keep it together as culture of one people as it faces the many challenges of the 21st century？It will hold，because I sense a bed rock supporting this mix of old and new：a deep emotional sub-strate that is thousands of years old but lives on today in everyone。
One day recently，a teacher from the Middle School took me to an outdoor marketplace in downtown Quzhou。We saw plant shops，picture shops，electronics，a large variety of different kinds of small shops and large stores。We came upon one small place that had flutes and stringed instruments，a music shop。The owner was lounging in a chair dozing。My friend got his attention。He opened his eyes。My friend asked him if he could play the erhu。He said yes。Would he please play，asked my friend，so that her American friend could hear what it sounded like。He said：“It probably won’t sound too good，I am a little drunk。”
The man proceeded to play expertly，to my untrained ears，a tune that was a least one thousand years old and was as sad as the sorrows of ten centuries。Though played like a violin with a bow，the sound of erhu to me was very sharp，clear，and emotionally crystalline，not mellow like a violin can be。
When he was finished，I was stunned。Here in the middle of a hot and crowded market place an unknown artist（at least he appeared that way to me）connected me to an ancient and beautiful resonance with-out fanfare or recompense。
On another day，I visited the Quzhou Technical College。It is a college that features coursework in science and music among other things。The college wants to prepare students to get good jobs in the modern world not only by teaching them the latest in technology and modern science，but also by fostering their expression in the modern and traditional arts。
During this visit I was treated to a demonstration by a faculty member on an instrument，created thousands of years ago，called the gu zheng。The musician broke away from her busy day to tape picks to her fingers，laboriously tune the 21-stringed instrument，and play me several very old and beautiful tunes。She also played a modern composition about fishing and typhoon。Her fingers glided nimbly across the strings，dancing a ballet that also must go back centuries。
I am new to Chinese music and I do not know any of the techni-cal theory behind it。I do，however，get a sense of the music being the impression of people living on earth and and the expression of feeling，of sorrow，excitement，violence and contemplation。The course of music in China is very long and there are，I am told，many famous pieces that everyone knows。
To me a thought emerges about China：even though some people here may not now listen to the old tunes，everyone knows them，and those who know them and can play them wish to share this music and send the message that This is the soul of China，let it live in you too。Music，I believe，is merely one of the strata upon which we may stand here in China，another seems to be the wisdom of Confucius。Music，though，is universal，and being abstract，can be shared equally and without translation。
Those of us from an Anglo-American tradition can only look back 400 years to Elizabethan times when Shakespeare wrote for an equiva-lent period where everyone（whether they were for it or against it，rich or poor）shared a common cultural heritage。
This cultural base of China，this strain of music that vibrates through the soul of a people，and this way of making and sharing music，will serve，in this outsider’s mostly ignorant opinion，as part of the solid ground upon which China can build a dynamic and powerful future。
