1st Full Day in Beijing...

One other thing very important in China is Jade. This day we would begin our adventure with a visit to a Jade Carving Factory. We would observe a master at his craft working a piece of jade into a 'Generations Ball'. It is actually made from one cube of jade which is carved into intricate patterns with 3 other balls carved inside. You end up with, symbolically, four generations of a family carved from one cube of jade. We purchased one of these treasures for our home. The third pictures shows the stages of this work starting with the cube on the right and working to the Generations Ball on the left. Even in their displays it was right to left not left to right as we are used to in the States.

 

The factory has some beautiful things made out of jade. Here are a few. The ship was carved from one piece of jade, even the chain that is draped over the front. Two of the pictures are Claude standing by life-sized figures of terracotta warriors. Who wouldn't love a jade picnic table and chairs. But, if you look closely behind it, there is a screen with colorful figures behind it. All those figures are made of different colors of jade. The carved horses are important because, well, we live in Kentucky where horses are a very big deal. The last picture is of a 'ding'. This would have been like a wok in our day and would have been used for cooking. They came in round shapes with three legs as well. They have become a symbol of power, dignity and prosperity.

Now over the river and through the woods to the Great Wall of China. Here is our tour group at the Great Wall of China.

We entered the area through a gate of the Juyongguan Section of the Great Wall. The Wall is over 4,000 miles long. There are sections that you cannot walk at all. But there are sections in many areas you can walk the wall. The Juyongguan Section is not far outside of Beijing. We could see where the wall continued on the mountain across from us. Very scenic.

And walked into a big space set up for visitors with the traditional gift shop where you could also get a snack. 

This is Claude and me before our hike. We would climb to the tower above my head at the top of the hill. We were told as we got to the wall that this was not a competition. We could do as little or as much as we felt we could do and we should be happy with that effort. The younger people went all the way to the top of the peak on the right. There the pathway ends for this section. Some didn't climb at all, they just sat and enjoyed the views. We felt great about what we were able to accomplish. The second picture shows the steps we were climbing. They really go straight up at this point and many are a foot deep. This is a tough climb. Please note another of the clever signs the Chinese posted for people at their tourist sights. While I did the climb and got back down safely, the rail was my dear friend both directions. Coming down we happened to descend when there wasn't much foot traffic, for which I was grateful. You see, I took it one step at a time and went very carefully. If you fell, you would just keep rolling to the bottom and it would hurt a great deal. Exhilarating to say the least.

The wall has guard stations and signal stations. The guard stations were usually along the wall and the signal stations were out a bit. If you have ever seen the movie Lord of the Rings, there is one where a fire is lit in a tower so that some one further along the mountain can see the fire and then light their fire in their tower so that the next person further along does the same things. This sends a signal across vast land areas quickly. That is what the signal stations were along the Great Wall. The first picture is a guard station. I took this one because is is loaded with cell tower things which just seems amusing to me, old with the new. The second picture is a signal tower set away from the wall a bit.

Here are a couple of the views from up at the guard tower we climbed to. The first is looking across to the mountain on the opposite side from where we were. The other is looking around the guard tower we climbed to and further up the mountain.

Everywhere we went we found people from other countries and took pictures together with them. Restores ones faith in humanity. 

Claude took this picture of me sitting on the Great Wall. I love it.

After we finished our climb, we left ourselves some time to roam around the gate area.

There was a souvenir shop near the gate. We popped in and found this great medal and had our names and the date engraved on it stating we climbed the Great Wall. It will be a Christmas tree ornament this December. 

This has to be the most elegant bathroom ever. Flanked by the lions guarding the steps up. It just doesn't look like a bathroom from the outside.

Back to Beijing and on to visit the Sacred Way. This is the straight path leading to the paths that would take you to the tombs of the Ming Dynasty. We didn't go to the tombs, just walked this beautiful path.

At the entrance is a gate!! Imagine, another gate. There are grassy areas with some tall pillars there.

Inside the gate is a giganormous turtle with a equally giganormous tablet on his back. This tablet held the records of all the ancestors, basically, it the genealogical record for the Ming Dynasty. Claude is beside it so you get how big everything was.

Along the Sacred Way was a place to purchase these little red wooden blessing cards. We saw this in Japan. I just think they are beautiful. Along with the cards are red rope tied in the Chinese good fortune knot. 

Along the sacred way are large stone statues of mythical creatures. There are four of each creature. The first two are of the creature kneeling and the next two are of the creature standing. The two creatures are across the path from each other. Here are some of the mythical creatures. We do lots of 'Where's Claudo?' pictures. Can you find him with some of these creatures?

The creatures are followed by statues of people. Again there are two of the same kind across the Sacred Way from each other. Here is one of the people with Claude pretending to fit in. He is such a great photography poser for me.

This stone doorway really shows how the base of any doorway is raised to keep out evil spirits who cannot get or see over it. It also makes you need to bow a bit as you step over the doorway base.

I love getting pictures of Claude walking down a lane ahead of me. 

It was Spring and the trees were flowering. The white blossoms were pears and the pink ones were peaches.

Our day was about used up. the final event was a walk through the Olympic Park. The first is the dragon building and it shows their interest in building unique architecture. The tall building in the center is the dragon head. the square building to the right is the first hump of the dragon body. There were at least two other buildings right behind it to form more of the dragon body. The final building was smaller and was the end of the tail sticking up. 

Claude and I in front of the Bird's Nest. 

A view of the Bird's nest across the lake. You can see the dragon building to the right. 

This is the Water Cube. It is an aquarium now. 

And this is just the very big, open walkway for all of the people that would have been at the Olympics. To the right and underground is the big shopping center we went to the previous night. 

We got back to the hotel and went to the restaurant for dinner. I tried crocodile belly something or other. It is like trying to eat a very thin sole to a shoe. Enough said. Then we hurried back to our room in time for the fitting of the first partially finished suit. They would be sure it was right and use it as a guide to complete the other two suits. It looked great on Claude.