Day 3: Beijing – Jade Factory, Ming Tombs, Great Wall, Peking Duck

Today we went to a Jade Factory (wow expensive). High quality Jade bracelets make a spectacular ringing sound in comparison to the low quality jade which sounds like thumping a rock. Of course, I’m getting the feeling everyone gets ripped off in state run tourist factory stores – regardless of whether your Jade thumps or pings. It’s very pretty stuff though, in all sorts of colors.

We followed The Sacred Way to The Ming Tombs (picture set) – This must have been spectacularly stunning thousands of years ago, to be one of the chosen few allowed to walk along this path towards the ancient tombs. The stone animals guarding the path were said to be able to come to life to protect the tombs (the sitting animals were on night shift). The tombs themselves are stripped bare and empty, all that remains are a few mock ups. All of the real artifacts have been destroyed by raiders in the cultural revolution, or have been moved for safe keeping. We had some lunch at the Friendship Store – typical Chinese circle eating as we’ve seen before.

We went to a Cloisonne Factory. After seeing the painstaking human effort that goes into making one of these, I had get one for my mother. ;)

Tonight was Peking duck at Beijing's famous Quanjude. I have to say, it was an experience, but I was not substantially impressed to fit the bill if the opportunity arises again.

Decidedly the best part about today was the Great Wall. (see picture set). We visited a very famous and gorgeous portion of the wall that loops along and follows the mountains. The wall actually forms a full circle hidden by the mountains. This was designed to ensnare the Mongolians. After enticing them to break through one section of wall, the oncoming hoard of raiders would then realize that they were now surrounded and enclosed by wall. A very expensive trick... that only works once. Various vendors await at certain points along the journey up the incredibly steep stairs and slopes, ready to carve your name in a badge of honor. One man pointed to a path off of the wall that led to a small hut in the barren landscape that he lives in every day. This is almost beyond comprehension.

I hiked farther than most of the students and went off to the most remotely reachable portion of this section of the wall. As I was the last to return (and got caught up taking entirely too many photographs), I sprinted downhill towards the bus at a furious pace so as not to be late. I bounded down stairs and railings, with the endless energy of a runner’s high. About this time, Monty Python’s “I like Chinese” came up on my mp3 player, and I truly entered a moment of Zen. As I continued my rapid descent, Chinese onlookers actually clapped for me at various key junctures, shouting “Go” “American”, smiling and cheering me on as I leaped down stairways. I feel that this sort of behavior on my part certainly would have drawn a different response at a New York tourist attraction. I would later come to realize that this was my first experience in not only the good nature of the Chinese people, but also the American celebrity treatment I was to experience on a number of occasions. Looking back now, I feel that perhaps Chinese people saw something different than a crazy downhill runner. I was doing something silly, attention getting, and individualistic – something decidedly not traditional Chinese. As stupid as it sounds, this was a cause for joy and exclamation.

I am beginning to notice that marble is everywhere in China. Hotels… restaurants. Its amazing. Perhaps its more available than in the United States.