China Part XVI - Vist to Children Village Orphanage outside Xi'an

After leaving the terracotta museum we were scheduled to visit an orphanage where we would deliver gifts to the kids who live there. This was one of the preplanned attractions of our tour package. Before leaving home in the United States, we prepared for this event by packing gifts that we would be able to distribute to the children. We were told that the children ranged in age from less than one year to the early twenties.

First, however, we had an appointment with lunch at a restaurant near the museum. 

There was a large statue of Emperor Qin in front of the complex that housed the restaurant, shops and vendors booths.

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This photo was taken through the windshield of the bus, thus explaining the blue-green tint at the top..

 

We resisted temptation and passed by the vendors and had lunch in lieu of shopping.

Refreshed after lunch we sauntered past the vendors. There was quite an array of furs on display.

 

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Soon we were back in the bus and on our way again. We saw some police directing traffic in a very militaristic fashion.

We also drove by the Xi'an Poly-technical University.

This apparently had something to do with a construction project, keeping the soil from washing into the roadway.

 

We continued on our way through the countryside...

 

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and at long last arrived at the Children Village Orphanage.

 We piled out of the bus and gathered up the gifts that we had brought for the children.

 There was and entry way and then a short walk down a quiet lane

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 where we were greeted by one of the staff and the woman who runs the orphanage. They opened the gate and welcomed us in.

 

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Many of the walls were gaily painted by it would appear the children themselves, inside and out.

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 Many of the buildings bore signs designating nations and groups who had made donations providing for their construction and or maintenance.

 

We were invited to inspect some of the living quarters.

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This is the woman, we were told, who founded and runs the orphanage.

(see the YouTube video link toward the end of the post)

Here she introduced us to some of the youngest children.

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Some of the kids showed how they do their school work.

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Here our guide Henry #2 gives us details of how the children spend their days.

Here are the rooms of some of the older teen aged girls. Like teenagers everywhere they had posters on the walls of singers and movie stars.

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Their mode of heat (as is the norm in China) was coal. This is their coal shed, the supplies looked a little low.

We collected money from our group for a donation to help them buy coal to heat their buildings through the winter.

Next we visited the cafeteria/classroom. The staff were busy preparing for the next meal.  Outside was a garden where they grew some of the food they would use.

Note the exposed wiring (above - click on the photo to enlarge for a better look). This was very common throughout China.

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The last place we visited was an assembly room which had a little stage at one end. Here we delivered the gifts that we had brought for the kids. There were toys, books, handmade quilts, clothing, toiletries etc.

 

The kids were ushered in and sang for us.

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 Then the gifts distributed.

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Among the din of the children playing and celebrating sat one little girl by herself.

 

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This little girl sat dejected as the other kids received gifts and began to play and share their new found bounty. I watched her sitting by herself. She had tears welling up in her eyes. It was so very sad. Who knows what her young life has been like. Most of the children were here because their parents were in prison or had been executed as criminals. (Many we were told were convicted for various crimes and or acts of political dissidence. They say half of the parents were convicted for murdering their spouse and face long prison terms or have been executed.)

I remembered that among the things I had carted over from the USA, was some costume jewelry that I'd picked up at a 'dollar store' (plastic bracelets, necklaces and rings etc., ironically made in China). I saw that they were still sitting on the chair where I had originally placed them, untouched. I picked them up and approached lonely little girl. I offered them to her. She reluctantly took them, head down  barely looking up at me or the jewelry, perhaps to hide her tears.

I paused to think about the whole situation. Here they are, they live here in an orphanage, in a spartan world of want, and every now and then we foreign tourists arrive to hand out gifts and trinkets and we expect them to jump for joy and show us their gratitude, make us feel that we had made a big difference in their lives. That we have brought them everlasting happiness, assuaging our egos, when momentarily we will be on our luxury coach ride back to our luxury hotel rooms focusing on all the tourist attractions we will be visiting tomorrow or the souvenirs we plan to purchase while we dining on a bounteous meal in what for them would be an out of reach luxurious restaurant. They are left with trinkets that soon tarnish, are lost or break and a meager cafeteria style dinner and a crowded noisy dormitory. My heart and prayers go out to them and I attempt to enumerate my countless and copious blessings. I only hope that in some way, if only for a moment, we actually did bring some happiness and  hope into their lives.

Incidentally, I did see the little girl a little later, she was showing off her bangles, and yes, sharing them with some of the other girls. The tears in her eyes wiped away at least for now.

Click on the link for an informative and moving YouTube video about this orphanage.

Children Village - Morning Tears

If you are interested in adopting there are many agencies. 

Click link for one based in Ogden, Utah with a branch in Burnsville, Minnesota.

Wasatch International Adoptions

©2001 Wasatch International Adoptions
1140 36th Street, #204
Ogden, Utah 84403
Phone:801-334-8683
Fax: 801-334-0988
info@wiaa.org

©2001 Wasatch International Adoptions
2646 Boulder Way
Burnsville, MN 55337
Phone: 612-802-5614
charles@wiaa.org

Our time with the children passed quickly and it was soon coming time  for us to return to our hotel. We left the room and went out into the courtyard where we could join the kids at play for a short time. They showed off their skills with the soccer ball.

Mom, in her chariot, enjoying watching the children at play.
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We thanked the staff and children for inviting us into their lives, make our last goodbyes and gave our final hugs to everyone..

and were once again on our way past the modest homes and farms back to the city.

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Along the way we witnessed the farmers air-drying their corn. In some places they had covered half of the roadway with ears of corn. The only photos we got were a bit blurry, sorry.

The sun was setting as we arrived back in the smoggy modern city of Xi'an.

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 Tonight, after dinner we would go downtown for a water and light show in the public square.

Next up:

The evening Water and Light show in Xi'an