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Friday 4 May 2012

Terracotta Day

To we caught a local bus to the site of the Terracotta Warriors. This was not a tour bus and it was not all duplicated in English like the Beijing subway. But with the good grace of locals and the little bit of Mandarin we know we made the 1 hour trip by Bus to this historic site. They claim it is the Eighth wonder of the world. I wonder how many places in the world claim that. We have already visited another with the Great Wall of China also laying claim to that place.

The Terracotta Warriors where made for an old Chinese Emperor over 2000 years ago to protect his spirit in the next life. He had over 6000 unique warriors, infantry, cavalry (with horses) and archers individually sculpted for his protection. Then he buried the lot around his tomb where they remained hidden for nearly 2 millennia. Until they where accidentally discovered by some locals digging a well. Since then a massive effort has been made to unearth and then slowly reconstruct from the broken fragments thousands of this life-size clay statues. 

It was great to visit this impressive site and find out a little more about Chinese history.

1 comment:

  1. Hi Gareth, sounds like you are having a great time. Sorry not to get back to you with any guidance for reporting back from Thailand. I have outlined something below. There are basically 6 questions to try and cover with Alan but in a low key way. I can send you in an email if you are opening them. Safe travels. Peter

    Aspect 1 – effectiveness
    Have the programmes been effective in achieving the intended programme objectives?
    The programmes have the following three objectives:
    1) to reduce the number of new HIV infections through a schools education
    programme
    2) to alleviate the suffering of those sick and dying of AIDS at home by providing
    non medical home care
    3) mobilising local churches to positively support those affected by HIV/AIDS and
    play their part in communicating good HIV prevention messages as well as being
    a source of volunteer educators and home carers.

    Aspect 2 – impact
    3.6 What impact have the programmes had on beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries?

    3.7 Areas for consideration for each objective include:
    the intended and unintended effects (social, physical, environmental, economic,
    spiritual), both positive and negative, of the project on beneficiaries and non beneficiaries
    (e.g., paying of stipends to volunteers is a major benefit to those
    who find it very hard to find work in areas of high unemployment);
    the major factors influencing the impact of the programmes on beneficiaries and
    non-beneficiaries.

    Aspect 3 – relevance
    3.8 How relevant are the programmes to the priorities and policies of the target group, the
    local church,
    3.9 Areas for consideration include:
    the validity of the programme objectives;
    the relevance of the programmes with the needs and vulnerabilities of the target
    group;
    the major factors influencing the relevance of the programmes to the priorities
    and policies of the target group, the local church,

    Aspect 4 – efficiency
    3.10 Have the programmes been efficient in achieving the intended objectives?
    3.11 Areas for consideration include:
    the cost-efficiency of programme activities;
    the achievement of objectives to time and to budget;
    the major factors influencing the efficiency of the programmes.

    Aspect 5 – sustainability
    3.12 Will the benefits of the programmes be sustained after the end of the project?
    3.13 Areas for consideration include:

    Aspect 6 – coordination and coherence
    3.14 How have the programmes been integrated with the activities and priorities of other
    agencies and organisations (including local and national government)?
    3.15 Areas for consideration include:
    the linkages and relationships between the target group, ACET EC, the local
    church, and other agencies and organisations;
    the coherence of the programmes with national and local policies;
    the major factors influencing coordination and coherence of the programmes
    with the activities and priorities of other agencies and organisations.

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