Day 4: Wuhan

We started the day with a buffet breakfast at the hotel, then headed to the Yangzi river ferry boat with my brother and mom. My father’s ashes were spread near the intersection of Han River and Yangzi River, which is in the path of the ferry boat ride.

I used to take this ferry boat ride every day when I worked at the other side of the river. My commute consisted of a long bus ride from home to the river, then a ferry boat ride to the other side of the river, and then another long bus ride the other side of the river. One way trip would take me 2 hours!! Just recently, I had a nervous dream about not able to catch the bus to get to the ferry boat on time. Clearly this 4 hour commute still haunts me to this day.

We arrived to the other side of the river, and visited a Wuhan history museum. I was happy that Steve and Evan had the chance to learn a bit more about my hometown.

Wuhan holds a significant role in the history of China. After Opium War between Britain and China in mid-19th century, the Western winner of the war forced China to open its ports to allow the Opium trade (mainly for Britain to dump massive amount of Opium to China and made millions of Chinese drug users), Wuhan was the port that reached furthest inland for the Westerners. The city was then divided 5 ways among Britain, France, Russia, Japan, and Germany. The unfair treatment of Chinese by the foreigners caused deep unsettled feeling in the city, and a death of a paddler caused a uprising which resulted in a massacre.

10/1/1911, a revolution to replace more than 2,000 years old feudal system with a republic of China started in Wuhan, which lead to the overthrow of Qing Dynasty. It became the first Capital city of the Republic of China. Then during WW2, it was captured by Japan, became a major port for Japanese Amy’s transportations. After WW2, 8 years of civil broke out, this city was once again a major battle ground due to its significance in transportation.

After the Communist Amy won the war, Wuhan was once considered as the Capital of the New China, but they decided to choose Beijing instead.

OK, end of the history lesson, back to the journal.

My sister in law met us after our visit to the museum, with several bunches of white and yellow chrysanthemums. We then went back to the ferry boat, feathered at the tail of the boat. Once the boat started moving, we each took some flowers, and throw them into the river in remembrance of my father.

Stood against the railing, I cried.

I remembered when I was about 5 years old, my dad held my hand walking towards an outdoor theater to watch a movie. The moon was full, the summer night was hot, he was reciting a famous poem about the moon to me, and I recited back to him. I kept looking at the moon, wondering why the moon kept following us.

I remembered one morning when I was a teenager, my dad forced me to get up early in the morning to climb a hill with him. The morning dew wet the bottom of my pants, the mist made the air cooler, waking me up from my sleepiness. Once we reached to the dirt trail at the middle of the hill, he started practicing his Tai Chi, and I started with my run against the rising sun.

I remembered when I was preparing for my college entrance exam, I was studying none stop for many, many days. My dad saw my exhaustion, and took me for a walk against the sunset. We talked and talked, until the moon rise.

The boat arrived, l said goodbye to my dad.

At night, my brother and mom came to my hotel room. We talked until midnight, about my dad. After sharing many memories, we concluded that my dad was a flawed man, but a good man.Read more