A NEW GERMAN FAMILY MOVES TO SHENYANG
Maxi and Lara just moved to Shenyang with their parents Christian and Hanna. Maxi is an 8-year-old boy and Lara is a 15-year-old girl. Their family will be staying in Shenyang for 3 years. How does the family adapt to Shenyang life? Let us experience their new life through their journals.
June 5, Munich
Today is my 8th birthday! My friends Otto, Frank, Lucas, and Andrea came to my party after school. We built a big castle together before having cake. After everyone sang happy birthday, I got lots of presents. In the evening, Mum and Dad told me I should get involved in our family's big decisions as I am getting bigger. Mum is thinking of working in Shenyang, China for 3 years, so we should all go in the summer break to decide if we should move there. I can't wait! I love to explore the world and hope it comes quickly.
July 7, Munich-Shenyang
The journey is finally here! After nine hours on the plane, we arrived in Shenyang, Liaoning province. Although Maxi and I had been expecting the journey for more than a month, we were still a bit nervous. I have never traveled so far away or out of Europe before. And most of my friends have no idea about China. But our worries quickly disappeared after we settled into the hotel. Even though the jetlag made us pretty tired, Ms. Annie Li, the lady who picked us up from the airport, was so nice and friendly. She gave us a bit of a tour on the way to the hotel – I can't wait to explore the city more.
First view of the Shenyang skylineJuly 9, Shenyang
Lara and I were keen to see the city even though we had jetlag. Ms. Li gave Mum a list on the way from the airport to the hotel. We looked at this and talked about where to go first. It was so hard to decide. We want to see them all. Eventually, we came up with a two-day city tour to see some history and natural highlights.
The Imperial Palace that the Mandarin Emperor built nearly 500 years ago was a "must-see" on our list. The architecture was very different from the castles or palaces in Germany. I couldn't count how many dragons I saw on the building, and each one looked different! We found out the dragon was the symbol of the Emperor. There were also lots of antiques in the palace, including some clocks from Europe. But what I liked most was the ice cream in shapes such as animals and knight's armor – just like the building! I can't believe this palace was not even the oldest in the city. Its history goes back 200 years before Jesus Christ was born!
July 11, Shenyang
I was really impressed that Shenyang has so many museums. Not just ancient but also modern and contemporary. Liaoning Provincial Museum is a historical museum well-known for its rich collection of cultural relics. Even though I did not recognize the Chinese characters, the calligraphy artworks were amazing. Some paintings were drawn by the Emperor more than a thousand years ago and are the most precious pieces in ancient Chinese art history.
China Industrial Museum was all about industrial development in China and had a lot of antique machine tools. But I preferred the "1905 Creative Cultural Park", which used to be plants with many workshops. It felt like we were traveling back in time to the 1960s, except for the giant posters that brought us back to the 21st century. The mix of old with new was really fascinating.
July 13, Shenyang
Our family loves nature, so Bird Island was a paradise for Lara and me. "Island" sounds far away from the city but, in fact, it is less than an hour’s drive from the city. We saw all kinds of birds walking around the island and swimming in the pond, not behind bars or nets. That was why so many kids like it there. The parrot performance was so funny. I would love to come back again. We were on the island for quite a long time as it was so nice.
Later in the afternoon, we went to the old Ferry Park on the bank of the Hunhe River and saw a beautiful sunset. Can you believe there is a 61km long road along the river called Hunhe Slow Space for cycling and fitness? I'm glad I took my scooter! Lots of people were exercising, either jogging or walking, with big smiles on their faces. This makes me think that people here are very friendly and happy. It must be a good place to live.
People are cycling at Hunhe Slow SpaceFrom Mum and Dad's conversation with Ms. Li, I realized that Mum will start working here soon. That's why we didn't spend a lot of time sightseeing. We have to visit schools tomorrow. I wonder what the schools will look like. And as it is summer, I wonder if any kids will be there?