Beijing February 3-8, 2007
We survived our trip to Beijing and got settled into our hotel. Rumor has it that we are very close to the Forbidden City... which we plan on visiting during our time here. We don't think that we will have enough time to see the things that we want... however, we are certain about the need to return here. Our travel from Nanning was a very long process... all we wanted to do was find a grocery store and eat dinner.
We wanted to get Addison settled in for the night as we were concerned that she would be really fussy with the change in hotel. So, after dinner, Grandma came to give her a bath and spend some time with her... shortly after drinking her bottle, she fell right to sleep in Grandma's arms. It must be a ploy the two of them have worked out... although she woke up a little while later and cried for a very long time.
February 4th, 2007
Today was another great day for us. Another chance to fulfill a dream of ours to see the Great Wall. We met with the group downstairs at 1000 and boarded the bus for our trip to the Great Wall... our first stop was a Jade factory. Another perfect time for us to do some more shopping. Then, finally, we were there. The Great Wall symbolizes China's ancient civilization and is one of the world's most renowned projects. It is the only man-made object visible from space. The wall was initially built by Emperor Qin around 200 BC and began to fall to ruin. Further work was done on the wall during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The wall stretches 6700 Km and has had some restoration done where the visitors go. What an amazing site to see as the bus approached.
Front Row: Mom, Heather and Addison, Kara-Lynn and Kaitlyn, Tammy and Naomi, Susan and Meagan, Shona
Back Row: Dale, Dad, Mike, Grandma Sue, Stuart and Elizabeth, Adrienne and Fenella, Gillian, Bruce
The site where we went onto the wall was quite steep and proved to be a daunting task for climbing... Mom made it part way up the wall and then she and Grandma Sue went for coffee.
Things were going well with Addison in the Snuggli (thanks for the loan Matt and Rhonda)... but for whatever reason, she got quite fussy. So, we took her out of the Snuggli so that she could walk along the wall, and then we proceeded carrying her... not the safest move as half-way up, we abandoned things and put our fighting baby back into the Snuggli for the trip down.
We then hiked up the wall in shifts... amazing views to be seen. We would like to come back and see another section of the wall.
February 5th, 2007
The first thing on the agenda was an early morning trip to a medical clinic... to ensure that Addison was healthy enough for her trip to Canada. Not having experienced a pediatric examination before... we were relieved that Addison was an old pro, she made no noise and was very good while everyone was poking at her. Following a clean bill of health, we headed back to the hotel for her nap.
The afternoon was filled with site-seeing and shopping. Our first order of business was to find the hospital where Dad was born. Amazingly enough, we were staying only a few blocks away from it. Dad was born at the Peking Union Medical College... after some false starts and a walk down a dodgy looking alley, we found a policeman who directed us to the hospital. Not surprising, it looked like every other hospital we have been to... although, this was a very different mission. A quick photo stop and back to shopping.
We were staying on Wangfujing Street which is a main shopping street... that becomes a pedestrian shopping street at night. The Chinese Department Stores are worth browsing in; they feature an increasingly large range of items to buy. The staff are always available to help and demonstrate their wares. We spent a little bit of time walking around and shopping for shoes for Addison and then we were on our way back to the hotel for another nap. Just up the street from our hotel is a multilevel children's department store... with an entire level of children's shoes.
Upon waking up, we proceeded to the Silk Market. The Silk Market is a huge building with 6 floors of small shops. There is an entire floor dedicated to purses, handbags, and luggage. Everywhere you turn, there are shop people pulling you into their store and trying to get you to buy something. They are willing to bargain on the price, so bartering is a must. We didn't pay anything near the initial price that they were quoting us as all of the items that we were looking at were things that we didn't need... so it was easy to walk away if the price wasn't right. We learned quickly that we could get the price that we wanted by walking away. We were told not to pay anything more than 50% of the asking price... We couldn't believe how many stores there were and how many different things are available. There are floors dedicated to men's clothing, women's clothing, children's clothing, and handicrafts.
February 6th, 2007
Today was a very busy and exciting day. We took a tour of The Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and the Summer Palace. We had been taking tours throughout the various cities so that we could see as many sites as possible and minimize the walking for Mom and Dad. We soon found out that we were going to be doing a lot of walking on this tour. Which, luckily turned out OK, as all of the walking was on level ground.
The Forbidden City
Our first stop was at the Forbidden City. At this time, several key parts of the Forbidden City are under renovation, in preparation for Beijing to receive the world for the Olympics in 2008. It forms the very heart of Beijing. It is now known as the Palace Museum. Home to the Ming and Qing Emperors from 1421 to 1924, it is said to have been constructed by over 100000 laborers. The Forbidden City housed 24 emperors who ruled china for nearly 500 years. It is China's most magnificent architectural complex and was completed in 1420. It houses some 9999 rooms. The number nine recurs frequently in the architectural details.
The surrounding wall consists of over 12 million bricks. Another 20 million bricks ended up constructing the walls of the pavilions and the surfaces of the courtyards. The Forbidden City is a bewildering complex that defines the imperial. This is the largest palace enclosure in China, it was closed off to all except members of the royal court and official delegations for over 500 years.
The basic layout of the palace unfolds along a north-south axis. Which was originally thought to be the beginning and ending at the center of the world. Most important buildings in Beijing are aligned along this north-south axis. Directly in line with the Forbidden City lies Tian'an Men Square, the Bell Tower, and the Drum Tower.
At the entrance to the Forbidden City are five marble bridges, which symbolize the five cardinal virtues of Confucianism. The bridges cross the golden Water, which flows from west to east.
This Marble Carriageway is a central ramp carved with dragons chasing pearls among clouds and was reserved for the emperor's use.
The Temple of Heaven
Our second stop was the Temple of Heaven. Completed during the Ming Dynasty, the Temple of Heaven is one of the largest temple complexes in China. This temple was built at what was believed to the the exact meeting point of Heaven and Earth. Here, the Son of heaven (the Emperor) was obliged to perform sacrifices after praying for the year's good harvest during the Winter Solstice. As the Son of Heaven, the Emperor could intercede with the gods on behalf of his people.
The primary temple in the park is the hall for Prayer for Good harvests, located at the northern end of the park. It is one of the most amazing buildings in China: it is a round tower capped by a magnificent three tiered, blue tiled dome. it is paneled with the most ornate carvings. Inside, there are four inner columns which represent the four seasons and are surrounded by two concentric sets of 12 outer pillars, representing the months of the year and the two-hour units of the day (an ancient method of telling time). All of these pillars provide the support for the building.
The Round Altar, has three marble tiers representing Earth, Man, and Heaven, was believed to be the centre of the world. We were able to have our pictures taken on the spot where the Emperor used to pray.
The Summer Palace
Following lunch, we proceeded to the Summer Palace. In the summer, the emperors pulled up stakes, left the Forbidden City behind, and encamped in the pavilions on the lakeshores at the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace is the loveliest imperial park in China. It is landscaped with gardens and graceful pavilions along the shores of Kunming Lake.
The Summer Palace became the pleasure ground of the Empress Dowager Cixi. She rebuilt the palace at a time when China needed the money for its own defense. She was one of the most powerful women in China and many local guides have stories telling of her extravagances at the expenses of the people. Even after repeated restorations, the Summer Palace harmonizes the functional and fanciful... with the views that are available.
One of the most particularly extravagant constructions at the Summer Palace is the Marble Boat. The most delightful construction at the Summer Palace is the Long corridor, which links the different palaces to the Marble Boat. The corridor is about a half mile long and proceeds along the lakefront... it is a undulating covered walkway that is a gallery of scenes, detailing Chinese geography, zoology, botany, and myth. The Long Corridor was burned down in 1860 and rebuilt in 1888 by the Empress. The paintings that decorate the ceiling, beams, columns, and the four intersection pavilions are like old cartoons. The lake views are spectacular.
February 7th, 2007
We arranged for a tour of the Hutongs of Beijing. At first glance, Beijing seems to be a thoroughly modern city. But we learned when we were on our walk the day before that down the alleyways, the Hutongs still exist. We also learned that my Dad had lived in one of these courtyard homes when he was a little boy. We aren't sure exactly where he lived... but we know that it was within a short bike ride of the hospital where my Grandfather and Grandmother worked. When my Dad lived in Beijing, they lived in the entire courtyard home.
The essential architecture of Beijing is not the temples or palaces but the courtyard homes and the narrow alleyways. The Hutongs weave across most of central Beijing, many of the residents of Beijing still live there. Hutongs are created by the walls of a courtyard houses. They are now protected by the government. Originally, there were four families who shared the courtyard and had homes on the area around the courtyard... For our tour, we climbed into a rickshaw and toured around the alleyways. Our first stop allowed us to learn about the importance of the entry door... how the construction will indicate the level of the families status in the community.
We then were invited into the home of a local family. We were able to talk with her about her life and her family. Her husband performs in the Beijing Opera and she is a retired Kindergarten teacher... so, she was thrilled to see Addison with us.
We walked down the opium street, one of the oldest streets in Beijing... which is now home to many nightclubs and bars. We then proceeded to The Drum Tower to watch a demonstration of drumming. To attain the level where we could see the demonstration... we needed to climb up 68 steep stairs (almost like a ladder). In the upper chamber, there are 25 drums... one of them is the largest drum in China.
We had our guide drop us off at Tian'an Men Square. Tian'an Men was the stage for the democratic movement that culminated in the military movements over the protestors on June 4, 1989. I thought that there would have been a memorial or some sort of indication of what had happened on that fateful day... but there was no indication of what had happened here many years ago. The interesting thing about this square is that everywhere you look, there are monuments. In the centre of the square, aligned with the north-south axis that runs through the square, the Forbidden city, Temple of Heaven, etc. is the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall. There is an enormous line of visitors waiting to have a 60 second look at Chairman Mao lying in state in a crystal sarcophagus. Each morning, the Chairman is raised up for visitors to view and each evening he is lowered down to a refrigerated underground room.
The afternoon was filled with a nap for Addison and more shopping at the Silk Market.
For our last night in Beijing, we gathered together with our group for a goodbye dinner. Our last meal of roast duck and the company of our new friends, before our flight home.
February 8th, 2007
Another quick trip to the Silk Market for more shopping and then last minute packing before our flight home to Vancouver. It was hard to believe that our trip had come to an end. We had spent the last three weeks running around and seeing places that we had dreamed of. Today, we were flying home to Vancouver with our new daughter. With the impending flight, all we wanted to do was get home... and see our dogs.
One last picture of the girls, with our guide Anna, prior to flying back to Vancouver.
After a long flight we finally touched down in Vancouver. The flight seemed extremely long, as Addison wouldn't settle to sleep... no matter what we did to try and get her to sleep. The ten and a half hour flight seemed to last an eternity as she cried and fussed for most of the flight. Finally, Addison fell asleep, so we did everything possible to keep her that way. Luckily, she slept until 10 minutes before we touched down.
When the plane landed in Vancouver, it was very emotional for us as we were finally home. The long wait, the whirlwind trip, and finally we were home with our daughter.
We cleared customs, lined up in immigration, and Addison is now officially a Permanent Resident of Canada... all that is left is for us to apply for her Citizenship!
Please send us an email at daleandheather@shaw.ca
