The China YEREN-BIGFOOT Writing Project

In 2009 at Xi'an International Studies University, China, American teacher Christa Harrison (see her BLOG, From the Redwoods to Red China) used Bigfoot as a writing project subject with her English language-learning Chinese students. In association with Bigfoot Books' BIGFOOT'S bLOG these papers are being posted here.

Students were encouraged to think of Bigfoot and their own native cryptid hominid-hominoid traditions such as the Yeti and Yeren. They were encouraged to write a Western-style research paper, but as you'll see, the perspectives are also uniquely Chinese. These students are preparing for study next term in the USA at Humboldt State University, Northern California.

Christa's full lesson outline and analytic aparatus:

"The original purpose of this assignment was, of course, to give the students a space to practice their developing writing skills. As a writing teacher, I am always trying to think of creative ways to give students an access point to their assignments, so that it’s not “just another paper.” The particular group of students I’m working with are Chinese University Freshmen headed to the US of A for at least two years of study. I teach in an intensive one year program designed to help students ease into their studies in the US as university life in China, as well as education in general, is quite different. Students in China are not taught how to research, and when they are taught how to write in English, they are not taught Western structure or format. They do not know how to use quotations or analysis. My job is to teach them these skills, necessary for survival (at bare minimum) and success at an American University where they will be competing with native speakers. We talk about culture a great deal in our class—Chinese culture, American culture, classroom culture, culture clash, counterculture—and thus I decided to introduce them to Humboldt County culture by using Bigfoot. It was also an opportunity for them to build a cultural bridge between China and the US. The students are always keen to talk about their own culture, but I wanted them to go beyond the usual topics of discussion: China's long history, Confucianism, chopsticks, Mao, food... Steve and I have often talked about Bigfoot, and my being in China led us to talk about Yeren and thus the project was born. I first asked the students what they knew about Yeren, and then explained that the US has a Bigfoot too. They watched the Patterson-Gimlin film, and a short film about searching for Yeren (http://current.com/items/76361782/bigfoot_in_china.htm). Once they had some ideas in their heads, I had them look at Bigfoot imagery and begin to brainstorm ideas for an academic essay about Yeren and Bigfoot. To practice their researching skills, and to further develop their ability to discern whether or not a source is reputable, I guided the students to a series of articles about the creatures. They were then asked to find their own sources. With all these ideas in mind, the next step was for them to put together some sort of thesis, and build an essay on said idea. Each essay went through a series of drafts, peer review, and revision. "

Class photo and most individual bio. images by Christa Harrison.Student works and text content on this blog remain copyrighted by their producers.Steven Streufert kind of claims credit for some of the other images and the general blogification of this. Other images are archival/historical or borrowed from friendly sources.

Donna: Thanks, Bigfoot

Donna, June 18, 2009

Thanks, Bigfoot

It was an unusual night. Quiet and dark from outside, the workshop is shiny with exhilaration and excitement because people are expecting something new that will shock the world. Clustered round by the roaring crowd, one middle-aged man came into the workshop. Then, seriously and cautiously, he took off the paper and sit down. One shutter. One confident pose. The next day, October 5, 1958, California and even the world exploded because of that man with one amazingly huge foot-shape plastic cast in hand. (Streufert)He is Jerry Crew, one of a forest road-building crew, along the northern border of Humboldt County, up on Bluff Creek. The crew some of whom are Hoopa Indians spotted shocking finding --- the evidence of Bigfoot, opening a new age of Bigfoot hunting.
Bigfoot is said to be a kind of animal who looks like human ancestors. People who have either searched the traces of Bigfoot for many years, or just “came across” the Bigfoot themselves, have a strong belief that Bigfoot does exist. Nowadays more people become interested in this unique mysterious species, and whether Bigfoot does exist or not is not fairly relevant because it has become an interesting topic that brings money and popularity. The fact is that thanks to Bigfoot, Many people from all over the world participate in the Bigfoot and other related industry, such as Bigfoot Products Company, and strengthen the connection of the world.
Having a long history and being a global culture, Bigfoot is not only a special phenomenon in North America. The earliest appearance of Bigfoot in literature can be traced back to 4000 years ago in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Native Americans call it Sasquatch, which means “the wild man of the woods”. In Nepal, there is Yeti, called the Snowman in the Himalayas. Whatever its different names, almost everywhere in the world “has” the trail of Bigfoot. Same to search for UFO and Crop Circles, people from all walks of life are engaged in revealing Bigfoot myth and exploring “truth” that rise people’s interests and attentions. Photos, videos, hoarse recording footprints of Bigfoot released from all over the world have been showed the track of Bigfoot is everywhere.
Looking at the reports that witness have offered to us, we have lively stories and vivid description of how the witness have encountered the Bigfoot, what the Bigfoot is like, and the surrounding where Bigfoot appeared. One witness said he met Bigfoot in person as he possibly hit him by car outside of Willits, Ca, on July 2008. It was only 25ft away from the witness to come across this unique creature. He also described that the animal, 7ft tall, 500 pounds and looked like giant human or ape, tried to climb the embankment. (bfro.net 2008)However, he saw it alone. What a pity! There are no other witnesses or proofs to testify his peculiar observation. One week later, the Field Investigator came to the original ground and said in public that according to the tracks, it shouldn’t be human behavior. (bfro.net 2008) such exciting news!
Bigfoot is also reported in China. The first government report dated back to 1976 in the forest in Shennongjia, Hubei Province. The appearance of Bigfoot may bring the humxan race research to a new era. Six government officials came across the mysterious creature which later was named Bigfoot on May, 14, 1976, but they had no equipment and instrument to catch that creature or record that scene. They specifically described the appearance of Bigfoot in a report to Chinese Science Institution which has a highest reputation in Chinese academic field. Later in November, 1976 110 scientists from all over the country came to Shennongjia to participate in this huge researching project. The government of Hubei Province even sent out one group of army, including 56 excellent scouts, to direct this action. After going to the forest three times groups by groups in twelve months, scientists concluded that the environment is good for Bigfoot living, though nobody have captured real Bigfoot and only found hair, footprints, shit and carves that supposed to be of Bigfoot. Scientists said that collecting information on the environment, including climate, landform, animals and plants formed the basis of subsequent researches. (cctv.com)
The amazingly same accounts of Bigfoot convinced many people; many investigators came to the place where witness have spotted the Bigfoot in person, justifying the situation of the locale is true of what the witness said. Though, with no bones, no DNA test and no scientific proofs, people believe things that any people made with whatever intention, neglecting the reliable scientific proof that need “live or dead bodies, or relatively complete skull or bones of limbs” (Zan44-45). Besides many of those compelling stories, we have no scientific proofs. Interestingly, money, fame and popularity come along.
Another two Georgians got more convincing proof on August 2008 --- they have Bigfoot’s Body! This time “science” was used to proof the existence of Bigfoot! As stories continued, they dragged the dead body of “Bigfoot” and they have video and photographs. Too sadly, it is said that the find is already kept in a secret place outside Atlanta. “But they promised even more proof, including video, a DNA test and, of course, a mission to capture one of the big guys.” (Mckinley) By far, no related news, no scientists declare anything and no open exhibition that showed the dead body of Bigfoot have been presented in front of the mass. Yes, not to our surprise, there is no even the so-called scientific proof thus that news is another hoax again. Despite the results, two Georgians are visited by reporters and advertisers for many times because of Bigfoot information. They published Bigfoot news, became spokesman of Bigfoot, make Bigfoot videos and certainly gain fame and money as they wish.
In China, since first report of Yeren in 1976, in the introduction part of Shennongjia we could see some changes --- added information of Shennongjia--- “it has also gained fame as the home of the mysterious Yeren, or Chinese Bigfoot. Rumors abound and stories of Yeren have only added to the appeal of this remote area.” (Zan44-45) Thanks to Bigfoot, thousands of hundreds of tourists came here; famous anthropologists, zoologists, botanists and geologists also came here to do research. More and more businessmen are serving these people who come here like waves.
In America and other places around the world, the Bigfoot industry is also thriving and expanding because Bigfoot came to be the global focus, driving more and more attention. Many people take Bigfoot hunting as their jobs, finding their meaning of life --- to look for a breakthrough. Witnesses or reporters, such as writers, businessmen who offers Bigfoot tours, and member of Bigfoot hunters became popular. One company even produced a set of oversized plastic bags on feet that you could use fooling your friends and family. In Willow Creek China Flat Museum there is also a $100, 000, 00 Reward for Bigfoot tracks! Whether there is Bigfoot or not, exploring this interesting topic rewards a lot.
Bigfoot is still a myth. Only two questions can be answered--- Who are the witnesses? What has really changed after those witnesses revealing Bigfoot reports? Till now the Bigfoot witnesses and believers provide no scientific evidence. Like a flash in the pan, more delicate proofs people create, more money and fame they will gain in a short time.

Work Cited

“$100,000.00 Reward for BIGFOOT TRACKS”, bigfootencounters.com, April 19, 2009 http://www.bigfootencounters.com/articles/reward.htm
Zan Jifang. “Hubei Bigfoot--Fact or Fiction?” Beijing Review, 50.51 (2007): p44-45
Jesse Mckinley, “Two Georgians Say They Have Bigfoot’s Body”, New York Times,
August 14, 2008, April 19, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/us/15bigfoot.html?_r=1&scp=14&sq=bigfoot&st=cse
“Man Has Face to Face Encounter Outside of Willits”, bfro.net, Thursday, July 10,
2008, http://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_report.asp?id=24146
Stefan Lovgren, “Forensic Expert Says Bigfoot Is Real”, National Geographic News,
October 23, 2003, April 19, 2009
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/10/1023_031023_bigfoot.html
Streufert Steven, “Bigfoot in Humboldt County – fifty years or 50,000?”, Weblog
entry. Bigfoot’s Blog. Monday, December 29, 2008, April 19, 2009
<http://bigfootbooksblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/bigfoot-in-humboldt-county-fifty-years_29.html>
“Chinese Bigfoot report” 17, September, 2004
http://www.cctv.com/program/zbzg/100658.shtml

[IMAGE above: courtesy of Duane Flatmo, preliminary sketch for the Willow Creek Ace Harware bigfoot mural.]

Donna. No biography yet submitted.

Yuting: The Translucent Actor---Bigfoot and Yeren

YUTING, MAY, 30 2009

The Translucent Actor---Bigfoot and Yeren

Being like a translucent actor playing on the stage, Yeren/ Bigfoot plays a mysterious role in the world because it includes both transparent aspect and opaque aspect. Its transparentness is that much phenomenon shows the possibility of its existence, while the opaqueness is that expects still have no strange evidence of its existence. However, in case that Yeren is existing in the world, how could they survive or make a living outside in the forest, where the summer is so hot while winter is so cold? What are the conditions making Yeren be able to live in forest, where they may live along with other dangerous animals as a human-like creature? What are the conditions making Yeren be able to live in the world without being known and discovered by human beings for such a long time? Observing all the places appeared this kind of creatures, we could find that these places have permanent common conditions- natural aspect and social aspect- that make mysterious Yeren present thus situation today. The social condition is that Yeren always lives in the dense forest, where human beings seldom enter, while the natural condition is that the natural environment Yeren lives in is so good that both the climate and plants have advantages for them to get enough food and move about.
Darwinism had showed that human was evolved from ape thousands years ago. However, at that time, there’re also apes, which hadn’t enough evolution and were left with keeping characteristics of original apes. Because of the effect of the change of their living environment at that time, parts of apes had to bring up stronger ability to get over the difficulties to make a living. Hence, those apes had ability to make instrument at first, and then gradually tried to do some brainwork and to use strategy to meet difficulties and beat enemy. With more and more use of brain, apes had a higher intelligent brain and the ability to walk by standing. The specialties, which apes got in the process of evolution, made them high-ranking animals, which had many characteristics similar with the fundamental characteristics of human beings. (Darwin)
However, after pars of apes evolved to human beings with the gradually increasing intelligence and ability to make conditions for themselves to make a living, what about the other parts of apes? Whether these kinds of apes exist in the world nowadays? Living in better environment so that they needn’t make a living so hard, the other parts of apes needn’t develop their ability to learn to make instrument and to walk by standing to make their living as those apes being in a poor situation. As a consequence, they didn’t have so enough evolution that they still kept some specialties of ape. What’s their situation now? There’s a word that the not enough evolved apes are still living in the world nowadays, and they’re called Bigfoot, Yeti, Yeren, etc.
Yeren’s so strange a creature that we seem never to see it in the zoo. “Generally described by witnesses as being between 2-3 meters tall, over 230 kg and having a footprint in the region of 30 to 40 cm long…” (Zan Jifang. 44) It’s the so-called Yeren’s/ Bigfoot’s figure according to some witnesses’ words. It’s a creature which is like human beings but seems too tall and heavy, also like a bear or an ape but still has many characteristics of human beings. Many witnesses misunderstood bears to the so-called Yeren or Bigfoot. For instance, “A team of paleoanthropologists from Beijing, local researchers and reporters have discovered 40-cm-long footprints, brown hair and chewed corn cobs in Shennongjia last October.” However, the creature is believed to be a bear by Yuan Zhenxin, “a well-known paleoanthropologist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences”. (Xinhua News) New sighting of human-like creatures occurred in China’s Shennongjia in 2003. Those human-like creatures are called Yeren in China; in addition, they also have other different names all over the world depending on different regions’ custom. “It's referred to as Bigfoot in the United States, Mapinguari in the Amazon, Sasquatch in Australia and Yeti (Abominable Snowman) in Asia.” (Zan Jifang. 44) These names show a fact that the so-called Bigfoot may exist all over the world. Apes evolved with big change of nature environment all over the world. However, because the changes of environment were different from this place to that place, the steps of their evolution were different. As a consequence of it, many apes may not enough evolve till today so that they’re rather like apes than human beings.
How could they live in a high-developing society nowadays? What are the conditions making them alive? Bigfoot’s living environment needs to be paid more attention to be researched, as a most important factor to search whether exist Bigfoot and how could they live till today. I think Bigfoot’s living environment needs two aspects – social aspect and natural aspect – that they need to live in places appeared seldom human beings and having proper climate and less dangerous animals. In China, Shennongjia is the most famous place which is said to appear Yeren in Hubei Province. However, no one has found strong enough evidence to support his expect about whether the Yeren exists in Shennongjia or not. Although investigations have different personal opinions about this mysterious problem and do many researches on it, it’s still a secret nowadays about Yeren’s existence.
What’s the origin of the name of Shennongjia? Locating in the verge of Hubei, Sichuan and Shaanxi, Shennongjia is a number of mountains filled with flourished virgin forest. There’s a word that the ancestor of Chinese named Shennong had developed his agriculture and made medicine here because of the diverse plants on these mountains. Then these mountains were named after this great man’s name. From the origin of Shennongjia’s name, it proved that there’re a great number of plants on the mountains of Shennongjia.
Shennongjia’s a good example to search the advantage of condition for Yeren’s living based on its social and natural environment. Although Shennongjia isn’t seemed to be a good place for living “according to the law of geographical distribution of animals”, its desolation makes it a place in which seldom human come into. Also, people in Shennongjia pay more attention on the quality of environment these years to make more spaces and better living condition for creatures to live in. Shennongjia has a very large space, many different kinds of natural scenery, rich plants and less dangerous mountain animals so that it has the richest ecological system in the world believed by many experts. So many experts believe that there must be Yeren in Shennongjia. For instance, “the Shennongjia forest area covers over 3,000 square km, with a complex natural environment and ideal climatic conditions for animals. It is very possible for unknown species to live in the dense forest or remote caves there,” said by Guo Jianwei, Editor in Chief of the Fossil magazine of China. He had doubted the existing of Yeren in Shennongjia, but his view was changed after he saw the environment of Shennonjia. “After I went to Shennongjia and researched the ecological environment, I changed my view,” he said. (Zan Jinfang. 45) According to compare the two kind’s attitude of Guo Jianwei, his word is a typical example to show that environment is a very important condition for Yeren’s existing.
The special creature, I research above, has its name known by people nowadays and is supposed to have proper conditions of environment to live in. What are they? They’re human-like creatures, called Yeren, Bigfoot or Sasquatch, etc. And how could they live? The strange human-like creatures need necessarily special conditions to live in. The conditions aren’t only seldom human beings’ entering as social aspect, but also, as natural aspect, there’re proper climate, rich plants and less dangerous animals, which are dangerous for Yeren’s living.

WORK CITED

Zan Jifang. “Hubei Bigfoot--Fact or Fiction?” Beijing Review. 20 Dec, 2007: Vol. 50 Issue 51, p44-45

Darwin, Charles. Darwinism: The descent of man and selection in relation to sex. Beijing: Science Press, 1996.
“Tourists Visit Location of ‘Bigfoot’ in Fall.” Editorial. XINHUA NEWS AGENCY [Wuhan] 26 May. 2000.

YUTING.

Bio not yet submitted.

Amber: BIGFOOT

Amber; May, 22, 2009

Bigfoot

Have you ever heard about any kinds of species who is “as tall as 12 feet and weighing as much as half a ton, who is covered with long hair except for face and hands”, and having “a distinctive human-like form”.(Murphy, Christopher L. “Bigfoot and the FBI”.) It named bigfoot, a popular saying. Because of the sasquatch has many famous stories by different people in different area, bigfoot belong natural have different calling in different area. Such as the popular saying bigfoot only used in north America, a name Sasquatch, which was called by many Australia, named Mapinguar in Amazonas, also in China, because of nation geography facotr, people called bigfoot as Yeti. (JiFand, Zan. “Hubei Bigfoot-Fact or Fiction?”) If bigfoot is not exist, why almost all over the world people try to make a same lie that bigfoot is exist? I mean they are impossible to make a deal to say this same lie, they even don't know each other countries language. In my opinion, I believe bigfoot do exist for a long time.
An evidence shown from the middle 19th century, the huge giant which has similar appearance but actually have no relative society similary with human beings, when it was roaming the earth has been sightings almost every continent.( JiFand, Zan. “Hubei Bigfoot-Fact or Fiction?”) That’s the earlier time have record about bigfoot.

Work Cited
Murphy, Christopher L. “Bigfoot and the FBI”. The Washington Star-News. July 1975. PG1
JiFand, Zan. “Hubei Bigfoot-Fact or Fiction?” Culture. 17 Dec. 2007. <http://www.bjreview.com/print/txt/2007-12/17/content_90934.htm>.

AMBER BIOGRAPHY:

Hi！I’m Amber. I’m a Chinese girl whoes hometown is in the ancient city, Xi’an. Xi’an with Athens, Rome and Cairo, are four famous ancient capital all over the world. And 13 dynasties established their capitals in Xi’an. How wonderful place, isn’t it?
Now I study in Xi’an International Studies University, my major is Journalism, to be an excellent journalist is my dream. Because I love to find out truth espically research something. Therefore, bifgoot is one of my interesting topic, after research so many articles, pictures and some video, I think there are three possible parlances to explain bigfoot existed or not. First, bigfoot is a trick from those boring person. Second, bigfoot is not that bigfoot, it’s only some people whose body type are huge than others, then those eyewitnesses misunderstood the hunge body type people are bigfoot. Third, bigfoot are real exist in the past, just die out recently years. The reason why I said so because I believe bigfoot cannot exist in today’s such terrible environment. And many people with what kinds of high-tech cannot give out any believable evidence to prove bigfoot’s exist. I always think: seeing is believing. Even though I don’t see bigfoot before, I still interested in this secret figure.

Forrest: The Bigfoot Wears Tennis Shoes

Forrest; May 20, 2009

The Bigfoot Wears Tennis Shoes

When i was young, my mom always joked with me that “Bigfoot is coming” if i did not listen to her, then i was scared about this monster at that time, because in my mind, the Bigfoot sames like the monster who have fangs, the big weapons, and they are so angry. When i grew up, i had saw a lot of imformation from the TV programs, the internet, and the exhibition in Hu Bei province. After my research about this creature, i believe that majority of Bigfoot was faked by some one who wanted to make money on this creature.
When people are talking about the Bigfoot, the primary impression of the Bigfoot should be a tall monster with human characteristics. Just like Robert Sullivan said: “Among those who believe that such a thing as the Sasquatch which were called by by the Indians exists.” Sullivan also described the general shape of Bigfoot, “the creature, which probably stands between seven and ten feet tall, weighs between a thousand and two thousand pounds, has elongated arms, is covered with either black or aubum hair. Its feet that may be as long as twenty, so it could walk over twenty miles a day. (Sullivan) Even though Bigfoot have amazing weight and height, but the figure of Bigfoot still have similarities with human characteristics, which include the figure, facial features, and the method of walk, so people consider it “a half man, half beast.”(Goldman) In another word, Goldman wanted to show us this creature looks like a kind of beast, but the action like human being. Therefore, there is a large space for some one who want to make money on this creature, because its subhuman characteristics.
Bigfoot had been recorded in many places in this world, but people cound not find some strong evidences. The scientists who were still sereaching the Bigfoot always said that they had found some kinds of Bigfoot--Snowman, the Chinese Bigfoot, and the native Bigfoot which spreaded in whole Cala.(Murphy) Different Bigfoot came from different places, the Snowman maybe lives in the Himalayas, which is a plateau in Tibet. If the investagitors want to find some evidence about Bigfoot, Shennongjia which is the most famous place that Bigfoot appeared in there is the best place to research. Even though the evidences there were just the news, some drew pictures, and some footprints, but after some witnesses stranded out and gave us some valued information. The situation there was totally changed, because they siad that they had seen “the real Bigfoot which have the red hair and eat for corn on the cob, and it had over 2.5 meters tall.” (Chinese) If the witnesses’ evidences are the truth, Bigfoot would be in Shennongjia, but these evidences are the verbal evidences, some amphibolous picture.
Even though there were lots of hi-tech means to research the Bigfoot, but there was not any strong point to prove the fact. It was reasonable that people could not take photos when they saw the Bigfoot in an incidental time. However, there were many porfessional scientists or the investigators went to the forest with their equipment, such as the camera, portable video, and GPS guide, so they could connect with others on the internet very easy. However, these new equipments did not bring some good luck for investigators, and the witness of Bigfoot became less and less. Now, Bigfoot have become as famous as UFO, which is the biggest mystery in the world. There are many similarities between Bigfoot and UFO, the first one is that there are many people claim that they were the witnesses. The next similarity is that there is no DNA test to proof them. Now, every controversial thing should be proved by scientific basis, so the only thing can prove the Bigfoot whether or not such creature exists is the DNA text. (Regal) However, some scientists have declared that “Bigfoot fails DNA test."(Christie) In this article, a scientist named Curt Nelson said “One of two samples of DNA said to prove the existence of the Bigfoot came from a human and the other was 96 percent from an oppssum.” (Christie) After Bigfoot fails DNA, the only one evidence became failed. Even though there are many scientists used many kinds of hi-tech to prove the existence of Bigfoot, but the result is unsatisfactory.
If some one faked this creature, and made money on its news, it should be terrible. There was an example, an American contractor Ray Wallace, who produced amazing documentary evidence depicting North America's version of the Himalayan abominable snowman. There was a record of sasquatches sounds along with photographs showing Bigfeet eating elk, frogs and even Frosted Flakes cereal. “The capstone was colour movie footage shot in 1967, supposedly showing a female Bigfoot on the move near Bluff Creek, that was the famous Bluff Creek tracks.”(Hebert) However, Loren Coleman, who is the American author of two books on sasquatches, comments that intelligent wild animals can be extremely elusive. "It took 60 years of searching to find a live mountain gorilla in Kenya."(Hebert) He adds an example that he remembers one horrible faked film of Ray. “You can almost see the tennis shoes.” Hebert also siad that “Wallace tried to sell his video productions for up to US$250,000.” On another occasion, “the fraudster offered to sell a Bigfoot to Texan Tom Slick and then backed out when the millionaire made a serious bid.” (Hebert) Now, this became a big joke in Bigfoot reaserching, and the consequence of that man who faked the movie was mocked by people, and this phenomenon was not only affected the scientists who are still working on this creature, but also make common people feel so disappointed. What’s more, Chinese people felt disappointed about Bigfoot too. It is very ironical that the economy of Shennnongjia grow very fast after these “witnesses” claimed they see the Bigfoot there, all these revenue should attributed to the tourists and investigators, so everybody in this county is living better than before—countless new apartment were built by the villiagers, many Bigfoot museums were set by Brueau of culture, hunderd of motels were opened like the mushroom after the rain. However, the Bigfoot were disappeared after this county became famous, and no one standed out to claim it again. Are these the coincidences？I considered that for the benefits of local government, may be these “witnesses” were required to say some words.
Maybe Bigfoot is the legend in everybody’s mind, and when people remember this kind of creature they should know that there were some Bigfoot lives in the forest, they were afraid to meet human. However, when Bigfoot wears the tennis shoes, I have known what’s going on eventully.

Work Cited

Robert Sullivan.”Bigfoot”. Copy right © 2009 Open Spaces Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. April 20, 2009.
http://www.open-spaces.com/article-v1n3-sullivan.php
Kim Murphy. “Science Is Hot on Heels of Bigfoot Legend”. Los Angeles Times Sunday January 21,1996 April 20, 2009
Rick Hebert, “Bigfoot – dead or alive?” Report / Newsmagazine (National Edition); 1/20/2003, Vol. 30 Issue 2, p46, 1p, 1 bw April 25, 2009
\ http://ezproxy.humboldt.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.humboldt.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=afh&AN=8904833&site=ehost-live
“CHINESE TEAM HUNTING A RED-HEADED 'BIGFOOT” San Jose Mercury News June 25, 1997 May 5, 2009
Jim Christie “Bigfoot fails DNA test” REUTERS Sun Aug 17,2008 May 26, 2009

FORREST BIOGRAPHY:

My name is Cao Chen, I am a freshman in XISU, and I am going to HSU in Fall semester. Researching is my hobby, and I am interested in some fantastic things, such as the alien, the water monster, and the Bigfoot.

Vera: Mysterious Bigfoot

Vera, May 24, 2009

Mysterious Bigfoot

Curiosity is such an amazing thing that it always driven people to dig out new things. Once find some unusual things, they will focus on this subjects closely for very long time. This discovery process helped to improve the human’s society greatly, and has become one of the most important characteristics of the human progress. Also, this process is pretty attractive as with the exploration can always bring people exciting new discoveries and better understanding of things even without so many great breakthroughs. It is the process itself and the desire of know better about the world driven people to get close to the world they living and approaching.
From different kinds of historical records, human have been changed a lot since they existed especially physical structure in the long process of development. Although there are many different kinds of fossils of the ancestors of human, people are still very “confused” about their old appearances and life. Scientists and researches have made many experiments to try to find more information on the “cousins” of human—like apes, chimpanzee and some other “quadrumana”. “Human ancestors were believed to have hunted the giant ape species Gigantopithecus Blacki to extinction 500,000 years ago. Present day villagers in the rugged, rain-soaked mountains of Hubei Province report occasional encounters with large animals fitting the description of this species. Gigantopithecus, an ancient cousin of the orangutan, is known to science by the fossilized teeth and jawbones that have been found in this part of China, and in other parts of Asia. Americans and Canadians report observations of similar animals, which are referred to as "Bigfoots" in the U.S., and "sasquatches" in Canada.”(Hubei)
Experiments with the relationship between human and other primates have offered many valuable information and breakthrough in science. According to some historical records and some witness as well as some other materials in different forms, a kind of special creature stepped in to people’ horizon for a long time. This special creature is usually lived in some very secret places and looks very strange, and they are the mysterious Bigfoot. Stories about these mysterious are known by more and more people. Do they really exist? How and why they are can still live in the Earth? Are they special creatures or some crazy people? Why people believe or not their existence.
Like many of curious people, have heard and read some of the stories about these special creatures since I was a child. But I still cannot state whether they existed or not affirmatively, for the information I get is not so strong and reliable which are mostly only witness without academic proofs, even the professional science workers cannot find very remarkable evidence. Some times I think they are truly existed, but sometimes I cannot, because of the unreliable evidence. Even though, the discovery process of collecting Bigfoot information itself is an interesting thing.
The historical records may have some not very true, and many of them cannot be check any longer, but they still offered many hints and examples about Bigfoot. Since the later times of last century, more and more witness have appeared, but there are till not some very reliable specific material, but this kind of small discoveries has attracted people’s attention quite a lot.
China used to be “forbidden” to talk about this topic for some unknown reasons, as I concerned, but the research work of Yeren is never stopped. “Guided tours on the periphery of Shennongjia Nature Reserve, believed home to the "Bigfoot," will be provided in the fall, said Wang Zhenyou, mayor of Yichang City where the Three Gorges Project is under construction.”They will be able to visit the roads where local residents have reportedly seen 'Bigfoot,' but tourists will not be allowed to go further into the Nature Reserve,” Wang said. Researchers and reporters have discovered 40-cm-long footprints, brown hair and chewed corn cobs in Shennongjia last October. The possibility that it was a bear has been ruled out by Yuan Zhenxin, a well-known pale anthropologist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)”(Zan)
Different kinds of reports and predictions had appeared in different kinds of media. These mysterious creatures have left so many “miracles” and images to people, especially to the researchers. In the hometown of Chinese Bigfoot (Yeren)—Shennongjia, a nice place in the central Hubei Province, many groups of researchers had stepped in to this holy land of Yeren. Many scientists find some samples, such as the hair. They found that “the hairs are from an animal similar to humans, but as yet not discovered, it would be a major scientific breakthrough” (Zan) “Sighting incidents have been reported in 1976, 1993 and 2003 respectively, all in the Shennongjia area. Although scientists failed to physically see any Yeren, they did collect lots of hair and excrement suspected of belonging to a certain kind of Yeren, and spoke to many witnesses. The findings of authoritative institutions prove that the hair found is not from humans or apes,’ said anthropologist Wang Shan.”(Zan) The reports of Bigfoot have existed in the past years. As one Article titled Bigfoot a myth, China declares published in Independent (a famous English publisher) in 1998,” Searches go back to 1959, mostly concentrating on Shennongjia but also in Tebit, a possible home for Yeti, an ape-man said to inhabit the high Himalayas. According to Xinhua there have been 114”sightings” of Bigfoot in the 70 years in the region. Unfortunately, no one managed to produce any compelling evidence, such as a photo.”(Poole)
With different kinds of explorations and observations, scientists are in different positions.” Zhou Guoxing, a researcher at Beijing Museum of Natural History, who has over 40 years of experience in anthropological study, said that he had researched almost all the sites where so-called yeren had been reportedly sighted, and the results concluded that most of those examinable were bears or monkeys.” (Zan) At the same time another very interesting and special idea from, Yuan Zhenxin, a very famous researcher, compared Yeren and panda. He pointed out that” ‘"If expeditioners had not been to forests in Sichuan and Shanxi provinces, we would not have found the offspring of ancient pandas. It took humankind a decade to discover pandas," Yuan said. It is because of an increase in environmental awareness that more space is now available for these creatures to multiply and survive, said Yuan. He is confident that the mystery of yeren will be unveiled sooner or later.” (Zan) Also, some scientists had changed their ideas with the deeper exploration. Guo Jianwei thinks that “the Shennongjia forest area covers over 3,000 square km, with a complex natural environment and ideal climatic conditions for animals.” It is very possible for unknown species to live in the dense forest or remote caves there"(Zan)
Not only China had found such kind of strange creatures, but also many other parts of the world had found the similar ones. This kind of reports also appeared in many other overseas media, ““Bigfoot” was “born,” at least as a cultural phenomenon, in Humboldt County. On October 5th, 1958, the Humboldt Times ran with a story of giant footprints having been found and cast by a forest road-building crew along the northern border of Humboldt County, up on Bluff Creek” (Bigfoot) “Our stories about Bigfoot, an alleged hominid believers say roams the forests of the Pacific Northwest, and the effects of the full moon on the behavior of animals and criminals alike, held commanding leads until late in the game. The search for extraterrestrial life using radio transmissions from space also made the list.” (Sharks) This kind of “Bigfoot culture” is pretty interesting, from one of the Bigfoot’s scholar’s blog I find some very interesting ideas that he analyses the guessing reasons of Bigfoot, which includes the Native Americans and Cold War. With the continuing heat of Bigfoot, many of the historical reports attracted people again. “ in 1929 anthropologist J.W.Burns, working with Northwest an Canadian Native tribes, was the first to put forth the anglicized term,' sasquatch', derived from the myriad names nearly every tribe from Alaska to California had for the creature.[...] date back to 1840s, many remarkably consistent with reports of today. The legends of back to the dawn of human presence on the North American continent, and were being recorded by European Americans as early a 986A.D. story of Leif Erickson coming to New World and being met and attach aced by a band of stone-throwing hairy giant man-like beasts” (Streufert) this kind of reports also existed in many other media which had fulfilled people’s curiosity but not enough for them still, and most people are still looking for more “true” stories but not only stories and witness.
Although there are many reports about them, and scientists have offered some examples like some big footprints to prove the possibility of Bigfoot’s existence., but the current high-tech checking ways are very limited to ensure the whether these samples are form some strange animals or the Bigfoot. Some people think that they are the combinations of human and some other creatures, like the “wolf girl" in Russia, the “snowman" in the mountainous areas in Southeast Asia and so on. But how and why do human and other creatures be together and make the next generation? If it is not, are they the “relatives” of some huge animals? How to prove this point as people cannot get their information for such a long time with many advanced ways? How to explain such kind of questions?
I think it is still not the right time to state the existence for there is sill lack of the evidence to support this kind of discovery. To made people believe in the theory of Bigfoot’s existence, I do think that there still need more scientific examples. As far, the examples are not strong enough to convince me. I really appreciate the courage and efforts people have put into the untiring discovery, many of the scientists stepped into the Bigfoot’s living areas and undertake many misunderstanding of their crazy actions, but they sill kept on finding the truth. With this kind of efforts, we will get to the truth closer and have better understanding of these special creatures. I wish to get more information about them, and I always imagine that maybe human and some Bigfoots can become friends as they have similar characteristics but living in different environments.

Works Cited

“Hubei Province, China”17Apr2009http://www.bfro.net/GDB/ASIA/CHINA/as_ch001.htm
Steven Streufert “Bigfoot in Humboldt County—Fifty years or 50, 000?” Bigfoot’sBlog29 Dec 2008 17Apr 2009 http://bigfootbooksblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/bigfoot-in-humboldt-county-fifty-years_29.html
Zan Jifang “Hubei Bigfoot-Fact or Fiction?” Beijing review Beijing review 17 Dec 2007 17 Apr 2009http://www.bjreview.com.cn/culture/txt/2007-12/17/content_90919.htm
Ryan Mitchell “Sharks, Bigfoot Lead Our Top News Stories of 2003” National Geographic31Dce 2003 17 Apr, 17 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/12/1215_031215_toptenstories2003.html
Stefan Lovgren “Forensic Expert Says Bigfoot Is Real” National Geographic 10 Oct 2008 17Apr 2009http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/10/1023_031023_bigfoot.html
Teresa Poole “ Bigfoot a myth, China declares” 16 Dec 1998, 25 Apr 2009 http: //
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/bigfoot-%20a-%20myth-china-declares-1191729. html

Vera, Biography:

I am a student from Humboldt College，XISU. HSU is the university where I am going to finish my second degree in the next 2 or 3 years, and I am going to major in international studies, globalization concentration. My Chinese name is Mu Xueyun, which is originally from a beautiful poem (but is pretty hard to pronounce for many English speakers), and my English name is Vera. Chinese, history, philosophy, geography, literature are several of my favorite subjects. I really enjoy reading, for I can have access to the mysterious explorations. Music and photography are also very important things in my life. I really like to introduce Chinese culture to everyone. Every time I know more about my country I feel more proud of her. Also, I am sure you will enjoy Chinese culture.
I have gotten different kinds of information about mysterious creatures since I was young. My personal ideas about them are that they exist because of the process of biology, evolution and the strange phenomena of the environment. However, there are still not so many strong and scientific examples to convince us. Like many of the researchers in the US, China also has many fantastic scientists in this field. The hometown of Chinese Bigfoot ( Yeren), Shengnongjia, is not only a great place for travel, but also a very good place to get some exciting information about Yeren, for much of the information on Yeren is from this mysterious land.
I will be happy to answer your questions, and this is my email address: tianyulove718@yahoo.cn.

Panjie: Does Bigfoot Exist?

Panjie, 5/24/09

Does Bigfoot Exist?

There is a kind of thing that famous of almost 400 years. It is still a mystery. Some people said that they have met it before. But nobody can improve it. It is Bigfoot.
Bigfoot appeared everywhere. In different places, it has different names and similarities. In China, it is called Yeren, while Indians called it Sasquatch, which is means “wild man”. Overall, it has same characteristics. It is very large that about 2 or 3 meters high. It has huge footprints that about 30 cm. It is covered with hair and seemed like human. (BFRO)
Though there are a lot of stories about Bigfoot, the most famous place of Bigfoot is northern California. There even built a museum for Bigfoot. There is a large area of forest in northern California, so it seems Bigfoot like to live in forest and away from human. Northern California is Mediterranean climate, which wet in winter and dry in summer. It is very famous for its Redwood Park. The tourists are very many all years, especially holiday. If Bigfoot really exists and wants to live away from people, California is not a good place. Discussing to here, I might think, does Bigfoot exist, or created by American’s great imagination?
There is a famous theory that called Evolution. It mentioned that every creature develop from easy to complex and would be more easy to suit the environment. Also, every creature develop very slowly, but do developed.(Darwin) In that way, it is hard to imagine 400 years ago, a group of creature appeared without any conditions and in nowadays, they hardly being different, as we learned from stories.
Among all of the research, a film that was made by Patterson was attracted by a lot of people who interested in Bigfoot. The film was about a Bigfoot across the forest and turned back to glance them. In Linda Newton’s article, we found the truth of this video,
“Morris says Patterson wanted the suit for a prank when he asked him what the suit was for, "..., but I thought that was pretty odd because these were expensive suits," said Morris.”Our customers were movie studios and famous magicians, the suits cost $450. Back then. That is like over $1,000 today. I thought it was odd to spend so much on a prank, but I sent him the costume."
The research of this video seemed to be a joke. And it also made the research harder, because we don’t know which to believe. Some scientists interested in Hair Identification. In the article of “Hair/Fiber Identification”, the author said,” As with any set of hair/fiber samples collected over a given period by Bigfoot enthusiasts, most will eventually be identified as known mammals or plant fibers”. The analysis of Bigfoot’s so called “physical evidence” has no obvious help on the research. What is more important, nobody has been looks for and truly found the Bigfoot remains.
As to me, I don’t think this kind of creature exists. If they do, why do we only have footprints and stories instead of truly physical evidences, such as the body or true hair? Otherwise, as the number of Bigfoot is so little that we even can’t find them, how can they keep continuity for 400 years? As human being have already develop the earth so deeply, it is so hard for us not notice a kind of animal that so original and live with people for so many years. China has these stories as well. Shennongjia is the famous place of China that has been said there are Yeren there. But in 1977, Chinese scientists did a large-scale of research, including over 100 biologists and anthropologists. But nothing was found. (Yuan, Wang)
The legend of Bigfoot is charming, but that is hardly to say it is the truth. At least, no research shows that there is this kind of creature exists. So, as my point, there must be some mistaken in such things, such as recognize other animals as monster, or even just for fun.

Work Cited

BFRO, “What is Bigfoot?”
http://www.bfro.net/gdb/show_FAQ.asp?id=584
Newton, Linda “Lies and Bigfoot” Perry's Newspaper Column, December 03, 2008, AuthorsDen.com
Yuan, Wang “Experts doubt Bigfoot In Malaysia”
http://www.uua.cn/Discovery/show-1149-1.html

PANJIE BIOGRAPHY:

My name is Panjie Wang. I am a student in XISU, Humboldt College. In spare time, I like surf the Internet and read some information about monster, such as vampire. Recently, I am interested in Bigfoot. I think it is a good thing in story, but I don’t think it exist in the world. It is not followed the rule of nature. But, nobody can improve it. I think monsters are more attractive than other things, because they are mystery.

Yuqi: Mysterious Creature – Bigfoot

Yuqi, 05/23/09

Mysterious Creature – Bigfoot

There are many legends about so called “Bigfoot” in the whole world. In China, people call this legendary creature Yeren, and the word “Bigfoot” refers to the one living in America. However, what is it actually? This is the point of the matter but also a confused question that no one could give a clear answer now. According to the information people have found, Bigfoot (or Yeren) is “being between 2-3 meters tall, over 230 kg and having a footprint in the region of 30 to 40 cm long” (Zan) In Humboldt County, a place where Bigfoot is being suspected living in, people found “footprints, and large, unidentifiable scat, complexly constructed nests, and a few stray “unknown primate” hairs” that it left. (Streufert) In order to find the answer and explore the mystery of Bigfoot, scientists from all over world keep working.
Not like other scientific work, Bigfoot is harder to discover that also makes the results of exploration obscure. For one reason, Bigfoot has never showed its face as other large size animals – bear and ape – did. As an explorer said the Bigfoot is “a creature that has never left a skeleton behind that has been found by humans” (Streufert). Moreover, the deep mountains and dense forest where the creature lives in make investigation pretty difficult. For instance, Shennongjia, the place where yeren is suspected to exist in, is miraculous because there are sparse plants and endangered animals (Zan). Therefore, people doubt if yeren is one of the endangered animals that live there. Results from these obstacles, although it has been exploring for years, there's still no accurate evidence for its authenticity, such as the Chinese yeren. Scientist thinks that “to date no tangible evidence has been found to confirm the existence of yeren” (Zan). Therefore, the mystery of Bigfoot is still being enveloped by fog which is waiting to be cleared away.
Whether Bigfoot is truly exist or not, this unknown problem captures wild attention of the world. However, some evidence gradually appears and become convincing. For example, there are questions in article The Yeti Goes International – why governments in Himalayan area do lots of work on Yeti although it is possible a creature which fictitious and illusive? The author gave two reasons. “On one hand, if it turned out to be real it would be a rare, amazing, and endangered species; On the other hand, there’s money and publicity in the yeti legend regardless of whether there really is such a beast”. (Skeptic) In other words, governments in Himalayan who keep concerning yeti have two possible purposes. One is this mysterious creature could attract money benefits, and another one is the effort done for yeti is with the purpose of proving its existence and even protecting them because they might be rare and endangered. From this example, we can tell that yeren, as well as Bigfoot, is more likely to be real.
There is the achievement of discovery on Hubei Bigfoot – yeren which could prove its real existence. In 1977, an expedition went to Shennongjia and tried to find trace of yeren, but they didn’t see yeren with own eyes. However, as anthropologist Wang Shan said, they collected lots of hair that was very likely to belong to yeren, and later, through biologists’ analysis, it was really proved that not from humans and apes. (Zan) This could be a great encouragement and improvement in people’s work. Besides, the special geographic location gains more possibility of its existence. According to Guo Jianwei’s words, the environment in Shennongjia let him be more sure because “the Shennongjia forest area covers over 3,000 square km, with a complex natural environment and ideal climatic conditions for animals”, and he also said that "It is very possible for unknown species to live in the dense forest or remote caves there” (Zan).
In Bigfoot discovery, there is a very important thing that scientists, especially the ones who are in expedition team to explore Bigfoot or Yeren in their living places, need to pay attention to the creature itself. In other word, people cannot do only with a view to result of exploration. If Bigfoot is a creature that really exists and lives in own way, though human have no right to break their natural life or even kill them, intentionally or not, just life we protect other animals. According to people’s know to Bigfoot, it always tries to get away from human. Said by You Wenhai, a member in an investigation team for Shennongjia Yeren, “the way the site was left and the depth of the footprints show that the creatures had rushed away after being frightened” (Zan). This is also let us thinking of the work from government in Himalayan area. It is a really bad thing that some people use the attraction of Bigfoot to get money, but if people could do effort on keeping the creature in a better environment to multiply and survive, it also does help to discovery. Therefore, before taking any measure, people should consider much more aspects outside of the purpose of the creature’s mystery.
No matter Bigfoot is real or not, people cannot stop the discovery as they always do. Just like people’s question of Himalayan’s government, if this creature is not real, why so many scientists give themselves to the exploration? The scientists who believe in Bigfoot’s existence are running on the way to the truth. Looking at this creature in a scientific and also ordinary view, taking scientific measures to explore and treating the creature as an ordinary animal, we can look forward to the day that Bigfoot is unveiled and truly appears in the world.

Work Cited

Streufert, Steven. Bigfoot by the Roadside. 2008. Bigfoot Books. Willow Creek, Humboldt County, CA. 19 April 2009.
Zan, Jifang. “Hubei Bigfoot--Fact or Fiction?” Beijing Review Vol. 50 Issue 51: p44-45. 20 Dec. 2007
“The Search for the Yeti!” Skeptic. 2003: p101

YUQI BIOGRAPHY:
My name is Zhu Yuqi. I am a student in Humboldt College in Xi’an International Studies University, and I will also study in Humboldt State University in the next two years. My major is Globalization concentration in International Studies. I have a special skill in piano, and I also like listening to many kinds of music such as Pop, Folk, Indie rock, and my favorite Britpop. My hobbies are a lot. In high school, I studied geography and enviornment very well, so I still want to gain more professional knowledge in this field. Besides, I'm very interested in psychology. Most of my extra readings are about phychologies in self-cognition, carrer development, and interpersonal relationship and communication.
At present, besides the necessary study in college, my biggest dream is to continue travelling alone to every beautiful place in the whole world. I enjoy walking in strange cities, not famous spots, and feeling different atmosphere with only myself. My recent plan for holiday is Eastwestern China, and I might go to travel in the U.S. in two years.
This is my contact: zhuyuqi_0725@126.com
I'm very like to talk about music, psychology, travel, or any interesting topics with you.

Tina: Balance the Truth and Tale

Tina, May 23th 2009

Balance the Truth and Tale

With regard to the truth and the tale, the former one is telling about the fact, which existed on earth and we can prove it true using effective and virtual evidence to let the public to trust it. However, there is a great deal of people who make up many ostensible and inauthentic objects in the movies or the novels to captivate people’s eyes of which one is true which is not.
Bigfoot is a kind of animals that looks very much like human, some reports said the human beings has found our relatives. By means of reading several essays and articles what I looked for and including which the teachers sent to us, at the present I have a better understanding of the Wildman in China or the bigfoot in America. It was reported by the whole world for years.
“With one giant stride, the "wild-man" of China has stepped off the biological record. This big creature was two meters tall, had long red hair, left 40cm footprints, it even can walk and stand straight just like a human being, but it has no tails, although “tales told of the wild man evoke those surrounding of the yeti, or Abominable Snowman, or the Himalayas, and the Sasquatch, or Bigfoot, of the Pacific Northwest, whose existence is also unproved, discovering the Wildman is a continuous process, it is not a thing of the past.'' (WREN) The earlier record said that there were four scientific expeditions have searched for the wild man since 1976, concentrating on the mountainous, thickly forested Shengnongjia region of northwestern Hubei. And “in September 1981, Fang Jingchuan and two other members of a scientific expedition said they saw a wild man before it fled into a bamboo thicket. Researchers have found curious footprints, strands of hair and feces. But the mystery remains unsolved, for they have yet to capture or film a wild man.” (WREN ) Only with the footprint it seems no very precise to say the bigfoot is existing at present. And there are also some other things can be considered. The proofs including the videos, photographs, footprints, feces, hairs, dead bodies, in 1980 MengQingbao, a leader of an expedition, found 1,000 footprints, and which owns the highest trust is the persons who have seen the bigfoot by their own.
In China, there is someone who can say that he saw the Yeren by himself. “WuHan, China one evening last April in Cangyuan County north of China's border with Burma, a schoolteacher named Li Mingzhi heard the village dogs bark. He took his hunting rifle, thinking a wild animal was prowling about, and went out into the bright moonlight. He assumed that the human form he saw was one of the villagers and walked up to meet him. As Mr. Li told it afterward, he found himself face to face with a giant hairy primate. Mr. Li not daring to touch or shoot the creature, until it disappeared into the dense rain forest.”(WREN) We have no ideas whether it is true or not, maybe it is just a story. But one thing is that “where the Wildman or the Bigfoot appeared are all in the remote areas, The Shennongjia region, where the wild man has been most often reported, is a rugged area of high mountains ranging up to 10,000 feet and deep valleys with heavy vegetation and caves. It lies in a remote corner of Hubei Province”(WREN) Where there is a large of dense forests, woods, and brushwood for them to hide themselves not to be disturbed or damaged by the human beings.
As a result, the places bigfoot lived or hidden which added much more invisible difficulties to the bigfoot research, then the process of searching always not very smooth, still did not appear some strong believable proofs.
Between the tales, stories and the fact, is it really live among us, is it true to live on earth now, is it actual what just like the report said. “In the fascinating and comprehensive look at the fact, fiction, and fable of the North American "Sasquatch," award-winning author Loren Coleman takes readers on a journey into America's biggest mystery-could an unrecognized "ape" be living in our midst? Drawing on over forty years of investigations, interviews, and fieldwork on these incredible beasts, Coleman explores the modern debates about these powerful, ape-like creatures, why they have remained a mystery for so long, and what we can learn about ourselves from these animals, our nearest cousins”. (Loren) Yes, we research the bigfoot not only for the bigfoot itself but also has a better chance to do the study of the human being ourselves. To watch what we had and have disappeared. So from seeing the bigfoot the human can understand ours character from another point of view.
Well, why this big and curious creature has been reported and researched for decades, maybe this is not the story or the tale just like what the people described. In my opinion, something happened must have its own reasons ahead. However, in spite of the movies, the literature and the books to think up or to make the bigfoot true on purpose, then, the people all consider maybe it is really existing on the earth, although it does, nor like what appeared in the movie. Well, after my own study and research I can give a result that the bigfoot or the Yeren has existed before but I am not sure that whether they are still living now.
There are a couple of scientists who have already proved that they saw the creature’s footprints and feces as evidence to say the half-man and half-animal is still existing at present. (WREN) As saying goes “every corner has two sides”. But I think the existence side is much stronger. Because there were countless evidences stand out to say and emphasize that the bigfoot is not just in the book or in the movie, it was not merely described as the big creature which we can see in the television, after distinguishing tons of proofs the public cannot only say the bigfoot is only a nonobjective image which comes from the person who has conceived that. There are also a couple of scientists and biologists who are still researching on the Wildman, so it not only what the TV show reported or said, it has academic, professional sources and documentation. There are so many continuous reports about the bigfoot all over the world.
Nevertheless, no matter the fact and the truth, the tale and the story both of them can date back to their sources in the real life. whenever, wherever or however did it find and report, we can say that just keep the fact or the tale balance in our heart, not express or explain something is like this or like that on purpose. We human to respect what on earth have existed or never and ever have existed in order to keep the world balance.

Work Cited Page

Teresa Poole in Peking. Bigfoot a myth, China declares.
Wednesday, 16 December 1998.
<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/bigfoot-a-myth-china-declares-1191729.html>.
Chinese idioms.
CHRISTOPHER S. WREN. ON THE TRAIL OF THE 'WILD MAN' OF CHINA. June 5, 1984. <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/16/theater/theater-review-fringe-festival-reviews-looking-for-bigfoot-other-lost-souls-651583.html?scp=8&sq=bigfoot%20in%20China&st=cse>
Loren Cloemman. Bigfoot. True story of Apes in America. Loren Cloeman:Books. Paraview Pocket Books (April 8, 2003)
<http://www.amazon.com/Bigfoot-True-Story-Apes-America/dp/0743469755>

TINA BIOGRAPHY:

Gender: female; Age: 21; Identity: will be a foreign student in HSU. Peraonal Hobby: 1> climb mountain in the open air and to kiss the nature under the beautiful sunshine, 2> to collect the inspiring and encouraging famous words or sentenses to a notebook, 3> to travel in order to have a better understaing of the human being’s culture religion and history, 4> to write something special and meaningful to leave a unforgetable memory in my life, 5>listen to some rock music to make the brain feel different and have more power. Personal Experiences: After traveling form the HongKong, the self-value has a great change. Because I heve seen a great deal of prosperity and advanced technology, which I have never seen in real life, it was the first time, so what have presented in my eyes did great shock in my heart and for a long time cannot forget. Because it has set fire to my heart. I always thinking that all the human beings are living in a certain earth, so as long as we do the great effort I have a strong belief we can achieve goals and the dreams. So my inspiring words are: “ as long as work hard, I will obtain something in the future more or less.”

Jinna: Mysterious Track – Bigfoot

Jinna, 5/22/2009

Mysterious Track – Bigfoot

When you are going to a place where is said has Bigfoot, wouldn’t you feel excited? Maybe out of your hiking tent, she/he is taking a family walking. Maybe when you walk along the forest, Bigfoot is hunting his/her dinner. Maybe you are lucky enough, you could see he/she is just running not very far from you. Would you just run away with fear? Or would you trace his/her way to see the fact to clear your suspicion and curiosity?
When people trying to find Bigfoot, there are believers, there are deniers, also there are fakes. Bigfoot’s mysterious tracks have attracted so many people to search and study. Even there still no convinced evidence of its existence, Bigfoot is no longer a simply nature phenomenon but also a culture which influences people’s life.
Bigfoot has appeared almost a century, however, until now the mystery about them still exists. “The term, ‘Bigfoot,’ has been in folk and the journalistic use since the 1920.” (Streufert 3) From that time many people “see” Bigfoot, feel Bigfoot, report Bigfoot and research and study them. Even until now the mystery about them still exists, but it is this mystery that makes people from all over the world crazy about it. Not only in America, Bigfoot “exists” almost every continent. “It’s referred to as Bigfoot in the United States, Mapinguari in the Amazon, Sasquatch in Australia [,] Yeti (Abominable Snowman) in Asia,” (Zan 1) and Yeren in Shengnongjia China. No matter where, at first, Bigfoot affairs only belonged to “amateurs”. It was just tracked by “amateurs” as interests. With more and more things appeared about Bigfoot, scientists started taking actions and studying them. They use advanced machines to track Bigfoot and they identified the hair which said are Bigfoot’s. During people’s researches there happened very excited things—many people said they saw Bigfoot, but there are still some fakes that confused people to judge. Also, Scientists still don’t have strong evidence to prove Bigfoot is there or not. (Regal)
Among the evidences that may prove Bigfoot’s existence, the witness stories are very attractive and convinced. When I read them, I really wish that I could be part of those stories to see the real Bigfoot. I read the witnesses of Bigfoot such as the story mentioned in the “Bigfoot seen in vicinity of Christmas Tree Lake”, and “the Bossburg incident” (Regal 1) which really made others to believed that Bigfoot exists. While there are fakes, like the “findingbigfoot.com” that found by Biscardi (Streufert 5), that made people to doubt Bigfoot’s existence. I think the people who make fakes just take advantages of passionate people’s attentions to earn money, fame, or maybe they just for fun. However what those fakes brought out are worse than just fun. Because those fake, people fell even hard to believe the true stories about Bigfoot.
What fakes use are people’s passions toward Bigfoot. Why people have so many passions to find out Bigfoot? It’s because human beings all have curious about the mysterious things. At the beginning, Bigfoot appeared “in the Times at the right cultural moment, when the world was ripe for a new mystery […when] new symbols of the wild and natural were required.” (Streufert 3) People want to know whether Bigfoot is out their house or not, they want to know what Bigfoot is, how she/he lives. While for scientists Bigfoot is not that simple, it may have more complicated meaning — “some scientists theorize the creature could be the missing link between primates and humans.” (Bigfoot’s sighting in China 1) This is the reason why scientists set up tents in the remote mountains or forests to search Bigfoot.
For me, I also agree the point that some scientists think Bigfoot is the missing link of human’s revolution and I prefer to believe that Bigfoot is a kind of ape. Based on the pictures and people’s descriptions of Bigfoot, it is hairy, big and has “the huge, hunched back, ape-like face […] flexing feet and hands.” (Streufert) These figures all like an ape. Ape is also big, hairy, walked by legs and has hunched back, they are so similar. As we know ape is the predecessor of human, so maybe Bigfoot could tell us the detail process of how ape became human being. If it is found, I think it may make a big breakthrough in biology revolution theory.
Besides the important meaning of Bigfoot in professional fields, among people, Bigfoot gradually becomes a “cultural phenomenon.” (Streufert 3) For instance, in Humboldt County, north California, Bigfoot has already become part of people’s life. In the Humboldt County, bookstore named Bigfoot; people’s T-shirt and hats marked with Bigfoot logos; the status Of Bigfoot stands beside the street. Maybe people live there are not very eager to find out what Bigfoot is, they just live with Bigfoot in harmony. For the Bigfoot in China —Yeren, this culture phenomenon also occurred. In Shennongjia people built up Yeren statuses-- standing along the road and waving hands to you; they made Yeren souvenirs of different sizes; also there is a valley just besides Shennongjia named Yeren Valley is open as a tourist spot. No matter in America or China, the Bigfoot or Yeren in people’s mind is beyond the scientific meaning but became part of people’s life.
In the enormous forests, deep valleys and remote mountains, there are a lot of things we don’t know. Bigfoot maybe just finished his/her new cave behind one of the trees. However, maybe all we saw are just the problem of light reflection, it may just a bear or monkey. Because those unknown reasons Bigfoot became a mystery, while, because of this mystery, people are promoted to find out the truth. No matter Bigfoot is real or not, what undoubtedly is Bigfoot already became part of our lives and we are looking forward to see, a real Bigfoot.

Citation

Streufert, Steven. “Bigfoot in Humboldt County--Fifty Years or 50,000?”
BIGFOOT'S bLOG. 29 Dec. 2008. 7 Apr. 2009 <http://bigfootbooksblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/bigfoot-in-humboldt-county-fifty-years_29.html>
Zan, Jifang. “Hubei Bigfoot-Fact or Fiction?” Beijing Review. Arts & Culture. 17
Dec. 2007. 18 Apr. 2009.
<http://www.bjreview.com.cn/culture/txt/2007-12/17/content_90919.htm>
Regal, Brian. “Amateur versus professional: the search for Bigfoot.” Endeavour
Vol.32 No.2. ScienceDirect. 2008.p53-57. HSU Library, Arcata.18 Apr.
2009.
Path: Wildlife, ScienceDirect, Amateur versus professional: the search for Bigfoot.
“'Bigfoot' sighting in China.” CNN. Asia. 30 Jun.2003. 16 Apr.2009
<http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/06/30/china.bigfoot/>
Cosay, Bennett. “Bigfoot seen in vicinity of Christmas Tree Lake.” Fort Apache Scout. Whiteriver, Ariz. Vol.46 25 May 2007. p1-3. Ethnic NewsWatch. ProQuest. HSU Library, Arcata. 18 Apr. 2009. <http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.humboldt.edu/pqdweb?index=2&did=1289304571&SrchMode=2&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1240025752&clientId=17853>

JINNA BIOGRAPHY:

Jinna Zou. I’m 20 years old Chinese exchange student of Xi’an International Studies University and Humboldt State University. My major in Humboldt is BA—International Business. I’m interested in painting and Chinese calligraphy, and sometimes play photography, I also like play basketball as well even I’m short. Moreover I can’t live without film and music. If you know Chinese, welcome to my space—http://jinna118.spaces.live.com/. Email: jinna118@hotmail.com

Davis: Does China Really Have the Big Foot–Yeren?

Davis, 20/05/2009
Does China Really Have the Big Foot–Yeren?

Bigfoot, UFO, Loch Ness Monster and Bermuda Triangle are the four Mysteries of Nature. However, among them the research of the Bigfoot is the most fascinating one which interested us. Yeren and is the name of the Bigfoot animal which found in China and these years more and more report about the Yeren and Snowman appeared was reported by the press. However, does China really have the Yeren?
It is reported that there were two areas in China the Bigfoot had ever appeared. “The first place where found the Yeren was along the India, border of Myanmar, Karakoram, Tibet and Pamirs. The Yeren always appears Himalayas area.” (Emanuel Vlcek. 217-218) The first report about the Yeren in China was in 1832 and it was 144 years earlier than the Yeren found in Hubei. People find Yeren in the valley of the Himalayas area. “The Yeren is 1.4- 4 meters tall and they have long hair which hidden their eyes and the color of their hair is brown or black. Their body shape like the human beings and they walk by foot. It is said that the Yeren has a bad smell like the garlic.” (Emanuel Vlcek. 217-218) Because of the technology in 19th century was not as modern as today, so except the dictation which passes generation by generation, the Snowman left nothing. Also from 1832, there aren’t finding Snowman in the valley of Himalayas in China any more, so lots of people doubt about the reality of this report.
Comparing to the report of Yeren 19th century the report of Yeren in 20th ceuntry seems more reliable and valuable, because every appearance of Yeren all left the evidence to let the scientist search it. There are more and more Yeren appearance was reported these years. However the place where has a close connection to the Yeren should be the ShenNongJia in Hubei province. Because of the Yeren appeared, ShenNongJia become a famous sight which to see the Yeren. It attracted millions of people to go there per year and among them there are also lots of foreigners who want to see the appearance of the Yeren. However among those reports, the most reliable and marvelous report of Yeren appeared should be three times in different years. It can prove there is Yeren in China and help the scientists to research the Yeren.
The first time was on the 1:00, May 14th, 1976, there are five leaders of the ShenNongJia just finished their meeting and went back to ShenNongJia. “On their way back in a village called ChunShuYa, the found an animal like a big orangutan that went straight to their car. Then the driver wanted to run down the animal, however the animal climb up the mountain to avoid the impact immediately. But because of the mountain is too steep to climb so the big animal drops from the cliff. All the people get off from the car and obverse the big strange animal which covered with red hair several miles away. Few minutes later a person throws a stone to the animal then the animal walk towards the forests slowly and disappeared gradually.” (Ding.) Because there were few minutes for the people to confront with the big animal, so one of the five persons who took a camera with him took photo to the big animal. That is the first time Chinese have such a close touch to the Bigfoot. More than that, this close touch left lots of valuable evidence for the scientist to research the Bigfoot.
Seventeen years later in 1993, a group of people found the Bigfoot again in Shennongjia. “On 18:15, Sep 3rd, when a group of people pass the YanZiYa they saw three Yeren. When they drive across a corner of the mountain, the driver saw three Yeren go straight to their car. As the Yeren who on the left saw the car then he pushed the other two and they rush at the forest several miles away.” (Ding.) However, all the process was just in one minute, so nobody took photo to Yeren. But after comparing the footprint with the Bigfoot 17 years ago, scientists believe they are the same kind of animal, but not human being. This research largely makes the desire of Chinese people to research Yeren and it is also a turning point of the attitude towards Chinese to the Yeren. People believe there is “Yeren” in world even in China gradually.
Unbelievable, in the 21st century the “Bigfoot” appear in Shennongjia the third time. “On the 23:40, Jan 28th, 2002. When people after work and came back home from the storehouse, they saw a big animal covered with yellow hair. Because of it happened just after snowing, so the animal left his footprint in the snow land. The footprint was 40 centimeter long and 15-17 centimeter wide. The shape of the footprint likes a people’s footprint without shoes.” (Ding.) Because of the accurate data of the Bigfoot was reported this time, so people now have an idiographic impression to the Chinese Bigfoot – Yeren.
The most valuable thing should be the appearance of the Yeren left the footprint and feather all three times. After researching, scientists believe that there is really a big foot animal which different and bigger than human beings, so there was really Yeren exist in China. Based on the research of the scientist and after comparing and analyzing the report, I believe that there is really Yeren live in China.
To research the Yeren well and solve the mystery of the Yeren earlier, “The Yeren Research Organization of China was built in 1981.” (Xiao.) This organization organizes the professors of the Yeren in China to research the footprint and feather that Yeren left to us. Nowadays they even went into the forest where the Yeren was reported appeared to found more evidence. The reported of the three time’s Yeren’s appearance is a key to open the door of the Chinese Yeren research. The reports not only left the footprint and feather for the scientist to research but they also gave Chinese the confident and faith to believe the Yeren was exist in China, so I believe the Yeren must appear in few years time again. As the technology become more and more modern and more evidence of Yeren was found in China, I believe that one day the scientist will declare that they find the real Yeren in China.

Work Cited
Emanuel Vlcek. “Old Literary Evidence for the Existence of the 'Snow Man' in Tibet and Mongolia” 59 (Dec, 1959): 217-218.
Ding. “The Yeren of ShenNongJia” (25 Jan, 2005) <http://www.hubeitour.com/gtt/citymemo/read.asp?id=333>
Xiao. “China Yeren” (5 Oct, 2007)

DAVIS BIOGRAPHY:

I am Jiang Molin, you can call me Davis. I am a boy and I was born in Aug. 9th 1989. I come from Qingdao a beautiful Coastal city in the southern part of China. Now I am studying at Xi’an Internatioal Studies University Humboldt College. I love sport and travel. Sport can help me keep health and relax myself from the high pressure work. Travelling can let me see the nature scenery and know different cultures from different places. That’s me who is open, talkative and like to make friends with people who come from different places.

[Yeti image from "TinTin in Tibet" by Herge]

Preston: A Mystery Covered by the Forests

Preston, May 21, 2009

A Mystery Covered by the Forests

One night, a special guest paid a visit to Steve when most of the people were sleeping soundly. As a result, the majority of people didn’t know what happened. Luckily, Steve felt it. “It was not a deer or bear and it left with depressions and big footprints.” (Streufert) What would you think it was? Personally, I would like to believe that guest must be Bigfoot because every now and then I can see news on Bigfoot appears in the media like the newspaper, TVs, websites and so on.
Bigfoot is mysterious to the people and “there has been great national interest in search for bigfoot since late 1960s and early 70s when films and newspapers began to show the Bigfoot.” (Bynum 354) People are born curious about those things and they have the desire to know how it really is. Whether Bigfoot exists or not is always a contentious problem that people are trying to solve, especially those researchers who are enthusiastic with it. Since then the research has never stopped no matter in the USA or in China.
Most of the people believe the existence of Bigfoot because of the big footprints near the forests and the vague photos taken by those witnesses. Scientists are always looking for evidence of the Bigfoot. “Some Chinese scientists began a yearlong hunt for bigfoot in 1995 with the purpose of investigating reports of a 7-foot Bigfoot.” (Oregonian) As a part of the world, this action of the Chinese scientists reflects the attitudes of people all over the world toward the Bigfoot. From this, we don’t fail to find that people would like to believe in the Bigfoot. Scientists in other countries like India, America, Russia where exists the possibility of Bigfoot spend quite a lot time and money on the research for Bigfoot as well. Some even just live in the forests and look for the evidence of Bigfoot day and night. The Snow mountains and the forests have been the home of some scientist. Chinese scientists who have interests in Bigfoot just live in Shennongjia with the hope to find Bigfoot.
Owing to the efforts of those scientists, we, more or less, get some information about the Bigfoot and people begin to know more about it. However, as Streufert says “it (the Bigfoot) is incredibly sly.” (Streufert) It leaves little evidence for scientists to follow and those big footprints often make scientists happy. Following the footprints, the scientists get nothing but confusion because the Bigfoot didn’t leave other evidence. Despite of the difficulty, the scientists made progress. Everything cannot be done in one time. We need to follow the steps. “Wang—the leader of the group of Chinese scientists in Shennongjia—said progress toward unraveling the myth of the wild man would of great scientific significance and it needn’t jump to swift conclusions.”(San Jose Mercury News) Their team does this job gradually and concludes that “the Bigfoot is human-like with about 440 pounds and 37 centimeters footprints—the biggest ones in Shennongjia in 1997” (San Jose Mercury News) The step by step efforts make the myth of Bigfoot covered by forests clear to the whole world.
Although we have known more about the information of the Bigfoot, people especially those scientists would never be satisfied these results. The determination to have a clear look of the Bigfoot drives them to continue the research. Luckily, in 1999, the Chinese scientists made breakthrough. “The scientists found 40-cm footprints, brown hair and chewed corn cobs at the spot where the hunter said he saw the beast, and concluded they were not left by a bear.” (China tracks red-haired corn-eating Big Foot) Although they did not see the creature, the evidence, which is believed to be left by Bigfoot, would make the existence of Bigfoot more believable.
Not only the scientists but also other common people find great evidence for us to believe the fact that there exists Bigfoot. Some people see the Bigfoot out of the forests or mountains by accidents. Even though they don’t see the Bigfoot clearly, that’s the best evidence to support the existence of Bigfoot. People especially those travel around the virgin forests would run into the situation where the Bigfoot has appeared every now and then. Just as Shang Zhenmin’s case, “he together with other five people saw a grey colored ape-like animal with shoulder-length black hair moving along a road through the reserve at high speed.” (Bigfoot spotted in China) One person said that we might doubt while we cannot deny that the six people were all wrong. The Bigfoot’s existence is a fact. This discovery in a sense encourages the scientists to work on the research. It is just saying there is a great chance to find the Bigfoot as long as we don’t give up looking for it.
More and more tourists have reflected that they see the Bigfoot in Shennongjia. Scientists would follow the directions and try to figure out the facts. Through the process, “although scientists failed to physically see any Bigfoot, they did collect lots of hair and excrement suspected of belonging to a certain kind of Bigfoot, and spoke to many witnesses.” (Zan) There is no doubt that the witnesses’ presentation and the results found by scientists support the existence of bigfoot, which make more and more people to believe that the bigfoot does live somewhere in the world.
Not only the Chinese but also people from other countries say to see the Bigfoot. This proves that the Bigfoot is not unique in China. The Bigfoot just as we human beings lives around the world. Tom Biscardi was the one to see the Bigfoot in snow. According to his description, “things came that when he heard a rustling in brush and he was surprised to see a blurry blackness rising from a squatting position. The creature was walking upright like a man, which was also denied as a bear.”(Breitler) To this situation, the scientists explained that “it is legitimate enough for the existence of bigfoot.” (Breitler) Biscardi’s meet with the Bigfoot seems a little stranger. Maybe it is because of Biscardi’s getting close to the Bigfoot and it wants to keep away with people. As a result, the Bigfoot wants to do something to drive away the stranger. This, in the eyes of the biologists, is acceptable. They see this as the nature of creatures, which makes sense to people. Since the little knowledge of Bigfoot we have and the mysterious places Bigfoot lives, the appearance or the things left by Bigfoot can be strange but accepted by people.
As is known, the world is larger than we think and absolutely there exists something animals or plants we don’t know like the Bigfoot. We cannot know everything in the world but we can try to know more. Taking the Bigfoot as an example, we don’t have the enough information about it but we are spending time and money on exploring it. That’s why we are here. We are here with the responsibility to solve the myth and turn the unknown to known.
Bigfoot—the myth of the nature, which is believed by most of the people, will be solved by the passional scientists who work on it. What we need to do is believing in ourselves and the existence of Bigfoot and keeping trying. Just as Greenwell says “If you start off by saying it’s impossible, then what you’re doing is you’re taking the short-cut.” (Locke) The optimistic attitude towards the Bigfoot is necessary to solve the myth.
With people’s optimistic attitude and never-stopping efforts, great breakthroughs are making all the time. The big footprints, and the presentation of the witnesses are all the evidence to make sure the existence of Bigfoot. According to what we have collected, we can make prediction of Bigfoot about its weight, height and other characteristics.

Work Cited

Streufert, Steven. Bigfoot in Humboldt County—Fifty Years or 50,000? Bigfoot’s Blog 29, Dec. 2008. You Tube. 17, Apr. 2009 <http://bigfootbooksblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/bigfoot-in-humboldt-county-fifty-years_29.html>
Bynum, Juyce. Bigfoot--a contemporary belief legend. Folklore: Maps & Territories 49.3 1992：352-357 17, Apr. 2009 <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.humboldt.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=5&hid=3&sid=23299c57-392e-42cb-a608-7f112a5b994b%40SRCSM1>
Chinese Scientists will begin a yearlong hunting for Bigfoot Bigfoot/Yeren Reports from China 25, May. 1995. Oregonian. 17, Apr. 2009
Chinese Team hunting a Red-Headed “Bigfoot” Bigfoot/Yeren Reports from China 25, June. 1997. San Jose Mercury News. 17, Apr. 2009 <http://www.bfro.net/GDB/ASIA/CHINA/as_ch001.htm%20>
China tracks red-haired corn-eating Big Foot Bigfoot/Yeren Reports from China 6, Dec. 1999. 17, Apr. 2009 <http://www.bfro.net/GDB/ASIA/CHINA/as_ch001.htm%20>
Bigfoot spotted in China BBC News Asia-Pacific 30, June. 2003. BBC 17, Apr. 2009. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3033316.stm>
Zan Jifang Hubei Bigfoot-Fact or Fiction? Beijing Review 20, Dec. 2007. 17, Apr. 2009.
Breitler, Alex. "Bigfoot sighting leaves lasting imprint" 16, April 2005. bigfootencounters 17, Apr.2009
locke, Michelle. "Big hopes riding on Bigfoot exhibit Willow Creek, California " 15, June. 2000. bigfootencounters 17, Apr.2009

PRESTON BIOGRAPHY:

My name’s Zhu Wei. You can also call me Preston. I am a 20-year-old Chinese boy. I come from Shangyu, Zhejiang province. I am now studying in Xi’an International Studies University. I am the monitor of Humboldt College. We will go to Humboldt State University to study. I like to play volleyball in my free time. I also like travel and see different people, enjoying the beautiful scenery.