China!!!

Obviously China was completely amazing! So many fun experiences and memories. I'm just going to post the highlights. I'll let you know the "must-dos" and the "it's okay to miss thats". :)

 

 First Stop was Shanghai!

Only had about a day here but it was AMAZING! We took the sight seeing tunnel (don't waste your money on this) from the financial district, seen above, to where we were standing. They call it The Bundt and it is so fun! Almost anywhere along it are excellent picture opportunities. There's snacky snacks for sale and kids running and playing. I bet it looks AMAZING at night!

Hidden in the middle of Shanghai (and I mean hidden! very difficult to find!) is the YuYuan Garden.

GORGEOUS! So difficult for me to choose just one picture for this one. Water, stone bridges, and pagodas everywhere. It's crazy this was once someone's home and they would just walk through this paradise. Take the time to find this place, it is VERY much worth it. A little piece of serenity away from the busy city just beyond the walls.

Next  on to Xi'an (pronounced She-Ann) and of course the famous Teracotta Warriors.

The feeling of seeing the three different pits is truly overwhelming. When you stop to think that it is only a tiny portion of what is ACTUALLY there. Emperor Qin Shi Huang (pronounced Chin-Shoe-Horn) was who commissioned that these warriors to be sculpted to protect him and his empire after he died. According to my tour guide, there are over 30,000 of these soldiers (though only close to 6,000 have been recovered currently) and they were all painted. The paint has worn over time leaving them with the color of the material they were constructed from. They are all different as well, indicating they may have been sculpted from the likenesses of actual living soldiers.

 The Big Wild Goose Pagoda has an amazing fountain and light show that makes anything you've seen in Vegas look like child's play. They last for about 20 minutes and the area that the water and light show occurs on looks to be about the size of a football field. There are shooting fountains and then lights shooting up all over to the rhythm of the music. It's exciting and VERY fun!

The wall that surrounds Xi'an is still there. Every major province used to have a wall that surrounded the city. After the inventions of airplanes, the Chinese state that these became "garbage". I rode a bike around the whole thing, it was so much fun but VERY bumpy! You could walk for a little ways and get the idea, but it was fun to see all around the city!

 We next went to the museum in Xi'an. It was very interesting and there were cool things to see there. I went out and spent a lot of time with the people. They speak very little English (despite what I was told) but they are the sweetest and friendliest people. They are so eager to please. They had these strings of kites that looked like they went up as high as airplanes. 

 Our next stop was Beijing, and our tour guide arranged an overnight train ride to get us there. It was crazy sleeping in a moving train. I had never done it before, what an experience!

We were lucky enough to stay in Olympic Park in Beijing. The walk to The Bird's Nest and Water Cube were less than a block from our hotel. Home to the 2008 Summer Olympics!

 This isn't really historic but it was one of my favorite things that I saw while in China. It's called the Irridescent Cloud. All the different panels of colors are thin sheets of plastic. When the wind would move the cloud, the sheets created a beautiful movement making it seem lighter than air. This is also located in Olympic Park. 

 Nearly everywhere we went, there was music and people dancing. We would stop and learn the dance with them and dance with them. They loved it! One group even asked me to teach them some moves. My moves although quite pathetic, were fun to teach and they smiled the whole time and just had a good time with me.

The Great Wall of China was not quite what I had expected! You're in awe as you run your hands along the top of the wall as you stumble on it. When I say stumble, I mean the area you're walking on is not flat at ALL. My tour guide informed us that 14 year old boys built the Great Wall and so they just tried to find what would fit to make it strong and build it up. You have to keep an eye on where you're walking at all times or you will trip. The stairs were also very inconsistant, it could be a very small step, or you may actually be CLIMBING up The Great Wall to get to the next step! 

 The Sacred Way where all the emperors of the Ming Dynasty went after they passed away. It's absolutely beautiful. The coffin is brought by horse to the Red Gate and then they have to carry the emperor the rest of the way on foot. Along the journey, they pass through this beautiful pathway shown above. There were pairs of statues of animals on either side, first standing and then kneeling. Then there were statues of dignataries towards the end of the path.

 Elephants are among my favorite animals, but I wanted to give you a perspective on size!

This is Tiananmen Square. It is so steeped in history and the security to gain access here rivals the security precautions at an airport. The people of China are absolutely forbidden to discuss the events that took place on June 4, 1989. There is lots to see here, but it also feels very uneasy to be walking where so much bloodshed occurred that was unprecedented.

 Outside the Forbidden City where Chairman Mao's face will hang. There really isn't that much religion in China, most will claim to be Buddhist, but nearly all of them pay homage to Chairman Mao in some way.

 Forbidden City is absolutely breathtaking and awe-inspiring. I had a lot of fun because the Chinese love to have their pictures taken with Americans. They had me sing songs and they loved to let their children see my blue eyes. They said that they may never see them again. Forbidden City just seemed to keep on going and going. They were so thoughtful in their architecture, and everything down to the number of stairs has symbolism. I saw beauty and care in every inch that I observed in this place. It felt like a place that is truly special.

The rock garden at the Forbidden City. Probably my favorite part. I was one of the last people of the day to go through, so I had this place to myself. Very thought provoking and made me want to just sit and find some inner peace.

 The Temple of Heaven where the emperors would come to converse with their gods. You'll see very few building with blue roofs, because the color blue belongs to the gods.

A group of school students interviewed us and videoed us. I got to sing a little Adele with them. The girls were so excited and chatted to me about all sorts of different things. I cannot get over the elegance of the way the Chinese dress. They all look like they just stepped off the covers of a fashion magazine. The boys were so shy and I couldn't get them to say two words!

We got to ride through a hutong in a rickshaw. It was fun to get around that way. The hutong was amazing. It's kind of the way the Chinese do suburbs. They will have a courtyard which a few families will share (depending on how wealthy you are) then in each housing area there is usually a dining or family room. Then there may be one or two rooms off of that and they cook outside. Then there is a community bathroom where they go for showering and to use the facilities.

My tips on using toilets not considered western: bring plenty of toilet paper for you and for others to share. The squatting isn't so bad and you get used to it pretty quickly. Don't be a snob about the toilets, just buck up and use the toilet the best you can.

Most importantly, bring lots of hand sanitizer because while there may be faucets, but generally no soap or a way to dry your hands.

 The view from the Summer Palace is breathtaking no matter where you turn. It's not just one thing that contributes to the beauty. The pearl infested waters, the beautiful landscapes, the buildings, the architecture, the forest, etc. I could go on and on at the beauty of this place. "The Dragon Lady" the only female emperor in the history of China made this her palace of choice. It's truly stunning.

 This man was writing beautiful Chinese characters with water on the ground.

Our last stop was to see the pandas at the zoo. It was fun to see these fuzzy creatures whose existence is dwindling!

Well that was my trip to China in a few short words and pictures. I was so blessed to have such a safe and wonderful experience!