BEIJING - NOVEMBER, 2012 [PART FOUR]

On my last full day in Beijing I took a day trip to the Great Wall of China which is about 40 miles north of Beijing. In 2008 Michael and me went to the Badaling portion of the wall which is the most popular tourist location, and most frequently visited portion, of the wall. Badaling was almost completely rebuilt in 1979, so it looks rather modern, and little of the wall is the original construction. This visit I went to the Mutianyu portion of the wall , which is less frequently visited, and contains more of the original construction of the wall itself. On the way to the Great Wall we stopped at the Ming Tombs, which are located in a valley between Beijing and the wall. In this valley 13 Ming emperors are buried. Only one of the tombs has been excavated, so there is little to see in the tombs themselves. We went to the entryway into the valley area where the emperors would enter the valley to pay homage to the previous emperors.

The entry into the valley entrance begins at an imposing stone portico through which the emperor would pass, then down the Shendao, or Sacred Way, which was reserved for imperial travel; which passes between rows of stone sculptures - representing imperial advisors, and huge elephants, camels, lions, and horses - on to the 4 1/2 mile journey to the burial sites.

Arriving at the base of the mountains that the wall traverses, you had a choice to hike from the valley floor to the wall or take a ski lift up to the wall to begin your hike on the wall. Needless to say, I took the ski lift.

From the point that the ski lift terminated at the wall, you began a one hour hike to the uppermost portion of the wall that was safe to climb. It was very steep, and although you had steps to climb, often it was so vertical that you had to use your hands, as well as feet, to climb up. It was a great workout for the legs and lungs. Few of the people in my group made it to the top. I was the first to get to the top, and the views were amazing and well worth the effort.

When you returned from the top of the wall to the access point where your hike began, you could return to the valley floor by the ski lift, or you could take the toboggan run (which was like the Alpine Slide at Park City or Big Bear.) I took the tobbogan run which was fast, steep, and long to the valley floor. What a great way to end my trip to the Great Wall and Beijing. I truly enjoyed my trip to Beijing, and will have many great memories from this trip.

BEIJING - NOVEMBER, 2012 [PART THREE]

On my third day in Beijing I went to the Olympic Park to view the stadium (Bird's Nest) and swim facility (Water Cube) where the 2008 Summer Olympic Games were held. Because it was raining and cold that day, there were few people at the different sites, so I pretty much had the run of the venues to myself. The following day I went to the Forbidden City. It was really fun there because there were a lot fewer people there than when Michael and I were there in 2008, and because I was not on a tour I could sightsee at my own pace.

The Olympic Stadium (Bird's Nest) was the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies, and the track and field events in the 2008 Olympic Games. It is a beautiful stadium, but is apparently rarely used now except for the occasional sporting event or musical concert.

The swim stadium (Water Cube) was the site for the swimming and water polo competitions. The exterior walls are made from a plastic material that lets the inside light shine through. The stadium is still used for swimming competitions and public swimming. My friend Vivian Zhang is a member of the swim club there, and she loaned me her ID card so that I could get inside the stadium and take some pictures.

Tiananmen Square is the largest public square in the world. Usually the square is packed with tourists and families, but when I was there the Chinese Communist Party was holding their 10 year convention electing a new leader of the Communist Party to lead China, so the square was closed and heavy security was in place. At the north end of the square is the Gate of Heavenly Peace (with Mao's picture). Going through this gate you enter into a long promenade that leads to the Meridian Gate, the entrance to the Forbidden City. The previous Friday night my friend, Vivian Zhang, drove me around Beijing, and she knew of a way to get into the closed area outside the Meridian Gate which is beautifully lighted at night.

The Forbidden City was once the home to a long line of emperors. The site is made up of 800 buildings, and more than 8,000 rooms, and is the world's largest palace complex. It took 200,000 workers 14 years to build, and was completed in 1420. You may recognize these buildings from the movie, "The Last Emperor". The entire Forbidden City is surrounded by a large moat.

North of the Forbidden City lies Jingshan Park. This park was built around a small peak formed from earth excavated for the Forbidden City's moats. You climb a winding stone staircase past peach and apple trees to the  Wanchun Pavillion, the peak's highest point, which affords panoramic views of Beijing, and overlooks the Forbidden City.