Where in the World?

We started our day at a state owned jade factory called Run De Jade Garden of Beijing. The tour taught us the many different forms and grades of jade. We also got a first hand view of artisans at work carving jade statues and figurines. The pieces were exquisite. I became quite fond of a small intricately carved dragon of translucent green jade called xiu yan jade.Walking the Great Wall is the third item I can now check off my “100 Things to Do Before I Die” list. Even though I can now say I’ve been here, it will not be the last. It was much more than my expectations which was surprising because my expectations were very high.

That’s me in the foreground in the photo. We hiked a very steep portion of the Badaling section of The Great Wall. I was with a tour group and we only had one hour of free time, so we hiked/climbed up to the second tower from the entrance and saw a monument to Mao. Some sections were so steep that I had to put my hands on the steps so I wouldn’t fall.

The May 21st issue of The New Yorker has a nice piece called “The Great Wall Mystery” and was written by Peter Hessler. The New Yorker website has a short abstract of this article. It’s a fascinating look at David Spindler’s obsession to unravel the mysteries of this enigmatic structure. According to Hessler, “There isn’t a scholar at any university in the world who specializes in the Great Wall.” It really is hard to believe.

After a quick buffet style Chinese lunch in Badaling, we proceeded back down the mountains to the Ming Tombs. Originally this was a huge complex where no common man was allowed to walk. But now, mixed in with the ancient structures are some of the best fruit producing areas around Beijing.

13 emperor tombs plus numerous other tombs for concubines and other important figures are scattered in this region surrounded on three sides by beautiful mountains. We went to the largest called Chang Ling. The complex was huge and quite beautiful. I saw a Tai Chi demonstration with a master (our group leader) while there. The Stele Pavilion can be seen in the photo to the right.

We continued our journey in the Chang Ling tomb by walking to the top of the Soul Tower. It is the highest point in the area, mountains excluded. Beautiful vistas of the mountains to the west were visible in varying shades of blue gray.

The statue to the left can be found in The Hall of Eminent Favor. It was quite impressive. Chang Ling is one of the two tombs that have been excavated. Inside The Hall of Eminent Favor were many excavated items including ornate headdresses, clothing, armor and etc.

We ended our visit to the Ming Tombs by walking a 1/2 mile of the Sacred Way. It’s a beautiful causeway lined with cottonwoods and willows. Along both sides are large statues of government officials and animals carved in the 1400’s. The sun was low in the west above the distant mountains and there was a light, cool breeze blowing. It was a peaceful and relaxing way to end the day.

On the way back to Beijing, we passed near the 2008 Olympic construction area. We saw the bird’s nest stadium and the water cube. They are two of the most unique and interesting displays of architecture I have ever seen. I can’t wait to see the finished work in August 2008.

Tomorrow we visit the newly opened Beijing Capital Museum, the China Art Gallery and the World of Kung Fu Production.

Michael