I am from Shanghai. It is the largest city proper by population in the world. It has the largest bus system and the busiest sea port in the world. It is a shopping paradise. Shanghai at night is breathtakingly incredible with all the bright, colorful and vivid lights and structures. People in Shanghai like sweets and this is obvious in the dishes. It is said that more sugar is used in Shanghai than in any other part of China. The city flower of Shanghai is the white magnolia. The Huangpu River that divides Shanghai in half never freezes and is ice free.

 
Shanghai Chenghuang Temple   Shanghai snacks

I grew up in Yiyang in Jiangxi province. I like animals. I had many pets during childhood: dogs, cats, chicken, ducks, squirrels, chipmunks, fish, turtles, tadpoles, silkworms, longicorn beetles, a mynah bird, an owl named Hali, a hedgehog named Madison. They brought me so much fun as I grew up. I like drawing and painting, photography, computer graphics, and origami. I like hiking, traveling and adventures. I like fruits, nuts and 99% dark chocolate. I like cartoons and anime -- the writing is clever; the animation is refreshing and the shows are funny.

 
Guifeng mountain in Yiyang   Dragon Boat festival on Xinjiang river

I went to college in Peking University in Beijing and studied Mathematics. I received my Ph.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. I joined Union College in 2007. Founded in 1795, the college is the first comprehensively planned college campus in the United States. I have been enjoying working here. There are seven traditions at Union. Painting the Idol is one of them.

The Idol was donated by Rev. John Farnham. He graduated from Union College in 1856. He was a missionary to China. He and his wife settled in China in 1860. He sent a Chinese statue of a lion to the college as a gift. Painting the statue, known as the Idol, is now a tradition as different groups try to keep it painted their colors.

     
A thorough cleaning in 2005