Andy's Travels In China--July 31st and August 1st!!

Beijing - Friday
Today we went to a jade factory and learned about the 3 different types of Jade. I thought it was really cool how intricate the carvings were, and we saw the carvers in action. In the store some of the sales people were making paper airplanes, so I made one, too. They thought it was pretty neat and laughed, so I made them an origami crane before we left.

Next we went to the Great Wall. We were concerned because the forecast was for rain, but the weather was perfect & clear. There are 1600 steps to the top of the wall. Mom & I didn't make it all the way to the top, but Dad did. Then he RAN all the way down. We were all amazed at how they got all the bricks that high up the mountain.

After lunch we went to the Ming Tombs and walked the sacred pathways which is a mile long. There are 13 Ming Emperors buried there from 1409 to 1644.

Before dinner we saw a Chinese acrobat show which was one impossible feat after another that they made look easy, plus lots of music, and laser lights. Tomorrow is our last day in Beijing, then we fly to Xian.


Posted by Andy at 5:40 AM 0 comments
Beijing - Thursday - Adoption Day!
Today we went to Tienanmen Square. Our guide, Jonathon, told us it is the largest square in the world. Jonathon also told us it's said that 1 million Chinese could stand in the square...or 500,000 Americans...or 2 million Japanese. Jonathon and my Dad joke around together. One building has the mausoleum of Mao Zedong, and another has a large poster with his picture on it. The square was quite crowded with lots of tourists and was decorated for the Olympics.

Then we walked under the street to the Forbidden City. It was forbidden because common people couldn't enter it. Most of the walls were red, and there were several courtyards before we actually entered the City. There are almost 1,000 buildings, and it was home to 24 Emperors over 2 dynasty's.

After a traditional Chinese lunch we went to a silk factory to see how silk is made and how strong the silk fiber is. Dad bought me a silk embroidered dragon for my room.

Then we we went to the Temple of Heaven. I thought was neat how the temple was built symbolically. It is a circle that represents the Heavens, surrounded by a square that represents Earth. The levels of the temple have pillars representing 4 at the top level for the 4 seasons, then 12 on the next level representing the 12 months, then 12 on the lowest level representing the 12 parts of the days. There are 360 banisters around the temple to represent the 360 degrees in a circle. We walked a lot today.

We went back to our hotel for a short rest. I played Scrabble with Dad - he won. Jonathon & Yao (our driver) picked us up for a traditional Chinese dinner and then a Chinese Kung Fu show. It was like a play with a story and some singing, but it had real Kung Fu moves. I liked it - it was exciting, entertaining & cultural. Best of all, it was in English.
Posted by Andy at 5:20 AM 0

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