The Great Wall & Summer Palace

Today was lots of fun. We began our day climbing the great wall in rain and mist. Now when I say climb, I mean turn your legs to jelly climbing. The pictures can’t begin to capture the view, or the hike. My family teases me that it’s not a vacation if Mom doesn’t make us take at least one hike. We all agreed today qualifies for our hike. The wall was connected, all 3000 miles of it in 200 B.C. It’s mind boggling the 2000 year history, the cost in human suffering and human life to build it, the power of the emperor to accomplish such a feat without modern machinery, simply an army of workers.

We also enjoyed the opulence and excess of the imperial family as we toured the Summer Palace. You don’t have to spend very long to see the disparity between the rich and the poor throughout thousands of years of Chinese history. No wonder they embraced Mao and his promise of an equal society. When you’re on the working, suffering, slaving for others end of things, why wouldn’t you follow those who offered you land, hope, opportunity, and change. I probably would have marched with them, at least for a while until it turned sour.

We toured a cloisonné factory, marveling at the attention to detail, the methodical and patient painstaking work and craftsmanship still so evident in much of Chinese work.

Tonight we went to “Old Beijing” and enjoyed a bit of the more traditional look of Beijing, along with some fun tourist shopping. We are enjoying our time with Nicole and Alex. They’ve been lots of fun. Tomorrow afternoon we fly to Xian. We are getting so anxious to finally meet Siyuan. Two more days!