It turns out it is much easier to wake up at 7AM when you know that you are going to go see the Great Wall of China. We went to Badaling, the most visited part of the Great Wall, just north of Beijing.
There were almost equal amounts of Chinese and tourists climbing the wall.
The wall didn't see to be guarding much more than empty hills, there wasn't a bad view anywhere.
A long way to the top, and when you're almost there, what do you find? A tourist store. I don't envy those shop proprietors having to climb the entire wall every morning just to go to work.
After the Great Wall, it was off to the other major tourist site outside the city, The Summer Palace.
A picture within a picture, the entire lake was dug out and now forms the hill that the summer palace is built upon.
Chairman Mao said, "He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man," encouraging the populace to visit the Wall, some say to increase national pride, others say to increase revenue.
The Summer Palace, as seen from across the lake on the island where they sent people with no food or water to die. On the plus side, they got to walk across a beautiful bridge to get there.
The Bridge of 17 Arches, because, well, as the tour guide put it: there are 17 arches. Every one of the pillars on the hand rail are carved lions with cubs, with 544 lions across the entire length, all carved from white jade.
Home of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Pangu 7 Star Hotel, the Water Cube, the Broadcast Tower, and the Bird's Nest.
Peking Duck, quite delicious.
Beijing Walking Street, on Chinese Valentines Day. We took the subway back to the hotel. They are still building the line to the hotel though. They are going to add many miles of track to the Beijing subway system. They are constantly building in China, always expanding. And since this is part of their 5 year plan, its not just talk. They haven't missed anything on any of their plans yet.
No comments:
Post a Comment