SCETV's Open Line takes us to Shanxi Province, China in 1980 with a 21-person delegation from the University of South Carolina headed by James Holderman, University Board Chairman Markley Dennis, House Speaker Pro Tem Michael Daniel, three representatives of Governor Dick Riley, as well as University faculty, staff and students as well as Tom Fowler and photographer Allen Sharpe from SCETV. The purpose of the visit was to set up an exchange program for higher education between USC and Shanxi Province of the Peoples Republic of China.
Upon their return from the trip, they were asked time and time again, "What was China like?" Shanxi province was especially important as both the Chairman of Chinese Communist Party Hua Guofeng and Chinese ambassador to France Yao Guang both from Shanxi, and we get a tour of Shanxi through the lenses of videographer Allen Sharpe.
The University of South Carolina had relationships with other universities in other countries, but it was believed that the delegation and signing of the agreement with Shanxi Province in China set South Carolina apart and at the front of national and international development. The American students would study the culture as well as language. Chinese students would study English and sciences. There would be opportunities to study economic matters for business as well as cultural exchange for both groups. The delegation had a chance to observe Tai Chi, martial arts, music and dance, and were invited to play basketball, which turned out to be a real learning experience for the overconfident American team.
The delegation visited various departments at Peking University where they observed the consequences of the Cultural Revolution which set China back about two decades. Despite working with antiquated equipment and facilities, the American visitors were impressed with what the Chinese were able to do with their limited resources.
As part of the documentary of the delegation's trip to Shanxi, there was a spectacular tour of the Yungang Grottoes near Datong, as well as video taking the tour beyond paths not generally afforded to foreigners at that point in time. Note, in 2001, the Yungang Grottoes were made a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To learn more about the caves and their carvings and sculptures, see Side Notes for additional resources.
Side Notes
- USC, Peking University partnership to fill a void in China (2016) - Occupational Therapy. On Monday, October 17, USC and Peking University, China’s premier college, formalized their partnership to develop one of China’s first graduate programs in occupational therapy, a rehabilitation field with growing demand because of a massive, aging Chinese population.
- James Bowker Holderman (January 29, 1936 – April 3, 2021) Holderman was selected to be president of University of South Carolina on June 30, 1977. During Holderman's tenure, the university expanded its honors college, raised the academic standards for entering freshmen, and increased state funding. Holderman started the university's endowment program and promoted its international business programs. Holderman is also credited with bringing Pope John Paul II, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush to the university's campus
- Caves in Shanxi Province - The most famous caves in Shanxi province are the Yungang Grottoes near Datong. These grottoes, dating back to the Northern Wei Dynasty, are a UNESCO World Heritage site and feature a vast collection of Buddhist cave art, including over 51,000 statues carved into 252 caves.
