Trips

 

After lunch we went to the Temple of Heaven, also built in 1420.  It was a Daoist temple (the sky is round and the earth is square).  The gardens are now full of people enjoying leisure activities.  One area is designated as the marriage corner, where parents try to find spouses for their children.  There were groups formed around dancers and anyone could join in.          During the 2008 Olympics the torch and marathons went by this site.
Peaceful grounds	Seven-Star Stone Group which represent the seven peaks of the Taishan Mountain, a place of Heaven worship in classical China
A music group	One group was learning to sing a song accompanied by an alto sax.  Several areas were set aside for people to play cards or board games.
	No idea what this game is - a variation of Hackey Sack?
Some kind of flute?	Colonnade leading to the Temple of Heaven
Hall for Prayer for Good Harvest	Temple of Heaven
Temple of Heaven	After an hour at our hotel we went by bus in very slow traffic to a restaurant to have a genuine Peking Duck Dinner.  We had the usual Lazy Susan full of stir-fried platters but the chef came out and sliced up a crispy fried duck for each table.  The waitress showed us how to wrap the duck in a tasteless wrap with plum sauce, cucumber and onion.  It is a tradition but we were not excited about the taste.
Preparing the Peking Duck	Dinner
Mon., 9/29/14 – Beijing          Our first stop today was at the government run Cloisonné factory and showroom.  The Cloisonné style of artwork has been made since 1450.  A vase, bowl, or figure is formed in bronze or copper, then a design is placed on it by gluing wire to the surface.  Enamel paint is placed inside the wire using eyedroppers.  Six to eight layers of enamel may be applied.  The surface is then rubbed with emery stone, then whetstone, and then charcoal to make the surface smooth and shiny.  The designs are intricate and beautiful, but it is a dying art.  The workers are mostly in their 40’s and 50’a and young people are not interested in doing the fine labor.
Another Feng Shui building on the way to the Wall	Gate of Virtuous Victory
Entrance to the Cloisonne Factory
Cloisonne	Cloisonne
Cloisonne	Cloisonne
Cloisonne	Next we drove out to Badaling to climb on the Great Wall.  The Great Wall was built in three periods.  The first wall was made of dirt during the Waring States Period 2200 years ago.  The second one was from East to West in the north of China and was also dirt.  The third wall was built 600 years ago (Ming Wall) and was made of brick and stone.  Only this third wall is still in existence.  The Ming wall was originally 5,500 miles long with towers that observers could use to send smoke signals to warn that invaders were approaching.  The exterior sides were brick and stone was used to fill between the brick.          It was a beautiful clear day and we got to climb a mile or so on the Great Wall.  The steps were of varying heights and there were some steep slopes without steps.  The wall goes up and down and around in the hills.  We climbed up and down and through several towers.  The building of the wall was an amazing feat and we were very lucky with today’s weather. We were also fortunate with the location chosen by OAT as there were practically no other tourists to spoil our enjoyment.
The Great Wall of China snaking through the hills and mountains
Made of brick with stones added as filler	Great Wall
Gale climbing a steep part	Donna pulling herself up a very steep section
Great Wall	Resting
Us at the Great Wall	We ate lunch at a neighborhood place – not a home or a real restaurant.  We had lots of veggies and not much meat.  The roasted peanuts were the best.
On the back	We ate lunch at a neighborhood place – not a home or a real restaurant.  We had lots of veggies and not much meat.  The roasted peanuts were the best.  We ate lunch at a neighborhood place – not a home or a real restaurant.  We had lots of veggies and not much meat.  The roasted peanuts were the best.  Traffic is horrendous! the signs on the right below are illuminated (orange) to tell drivers where the really congested spots are - not that they can do anything about it.
	There are some cute traffic signs
This evening we joined the optional tour for dinner and an acrobatics show.  Dinner was mediocre, but the show was excellent.  The performance included tumbling, a fan dance, umbrella tumbling, a contortionist, juggling, balancing, pole acrobats, etc. The acts were tied together by a clown mime who blew a whistle instead of talking.  He was amusing.  The show looked like parts of a Cirque du Soleil.

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