Old Wounds

The foreign teachers here in Weihai are an international group: New Zealanders, Canadians, Americans, Australians, British, Korean, Japanese. I feel sorriest for the Japanese, as the Chinese have such negative feelings about them because of the history of warfare between their two peoples. It's something outsiders do not fully comprehend, like the tension between the English and the Irish in the British Isles.

I think the Japanese nationals teaching here are very strong people. There is a palpable tension between Japanese and Chinese on the basis of history.

The Chinese have erected many monuments in memory of those who died in military conflicts with Japan. Liu Gongdao island, just off Weihai's coast, is one such memorial. Above: flowering gardens on the island. Below: Joe standing at the entrance to an exhibit.