Gazette in China

Courtesy photos

As part of the Gazette's centennial celebration, Mike and Linda Nielsen of McCook took us along when they and their daughter, Adrienne Zhang, her Chinese husband, Guang, and their 2-year-old daughter, Isabelle visited China in May. Clockwise from the top, Dr. Nielsen holds a copy of the Gazette in front of buildings constructed over the last 10 years for the expo in Shanghai last year; on the steps leading to the Ling Yin Temple, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in China -- 340 A.D.; with Linda at a granite post that marks the geographical center of Asia, about 20 miles from Urumqi, which was their main destination in China; on the steps of the largest protestant Christian church in China, which draws about 7,000 attendees each Sunday; in a classroom for 7th and 8th graders; and in front of the International Grand Bazaar Banquet Theater in Urumpi. He said one of his most unusual experiences occurred in the theater, when a belly dancer placed a live snake on his neck. Another highlight include a trip on a high-speed train -- which cut a two-hour trip to 30 minutes by traveling 218 mph. "Our main objective was to visit Urumqi in northwest China, a city of about 2 million near Kazakhstan where our son-in-law lived and where he grew up and attended school," Mike Nielsen said. "It was a wonderful trip and, although we saw many sites, the thing that we will most remember is the wonderful people of China. Their friendliness and sense of duty in being a gracious host is unparalleled in my experience. ... The trip would not have been possible without Guang, who was our personal guide and interpreter. We owe him much gratitude for our enjoyable and safe trip to China."