China

Our trip to China began in the northern city of Beijing, capital of the People's Republic of China. Beijing has a population of over 14 million and is one of the largest cities in the world. The next destination was the ancient city of Xian located in the heart of China and at the eastern end of the Silk Road.

China is an amazing destination that has stunning natural beauty, incredible man made structures, history that dates BC and it still possesses an air of communist mystery. We've made two trips to this fascinating country and have barely scratched the surface. I would still love to see Guilin, Chengdu, the 3 Gorges Dam, Tibet and cruise the Yangtze.

Our first outing in Beijing was to the historic Hutong district. We began walking along Qian Hai lake through the Hutongs to the Drum and Bell Towers and around again. A hutong is an ancient city lane that was typical in Beijing starting in the Yuan Dynasty. The houses are called Siheyuan and each has an open courtyard with buildings on four sides. The hutongs are a dull gray color with red gates which means happiness and good luck. In fact, in China, everything means something. I was really into learning how to decode Chinese symbolism but Bob got bored with it and everytime I would ask "what does this mean?" he would say "Longevity". The funny thing is 9 times out of 10 he was right!

Bell and Drum Towers were ancient time keepers and were built throughout China starting in 206 BC during the Han Dynasty. The tower in Beijing was built in 1272 but has been re-built twice due to fires. According to our tour guide, the people woke to a morning bell and didn't leave their homes after the dusk drum until 1911 when the last Emperor left the Forbidden City.

On day two my cousin Regan from North Carolina joined us. She was on an amazing multi-country Asian tour and was able to meet us in Beijing and then later visit our home in Korea. I loved having her with us but sometimes wondered how she felt about traveling with a big, loud family of 6.











Here are a few more photos. Overall, I'm a little disappointed in the pictures I took on this day.






I took a snapshot of this man, thanked him and began to walk away but he pulled his Quotations of Mao book from his pocket and asked me to take his picture again! I would love to have a conversation with this man. Amazing that the Cult of Mao still exists. I recommend reading Wild Swans for a fascinating glimpse into life in China during Mao's cruel reign.