Today, we were going to visit the Great China Wall! ... and other stuff!!!

We had an early start, the drive was to take an 1 hour or so, a drive of only 72km to the Badaling site.

Well, the drive took close to 3 hours: at times we moved inch by inch, other times, we did not move at all.

Only those on their e-scooters weaved in and out of traffic and made good progress.

While "enjoying" the traffic, our local Beijing guide (Tom, highly recommended) entertained us with accounts of Chinese family responsibilities, housing, getting a license plate for a car (lottery in Beijing).  Among others, we learned that in China, families with a son pay for the marriage expenses, called the 3 Cs:  Condo, car, cash.  The amount of money involved was mind boggling, and very few on our bus would have been able to provide such luxuries to their sons.

We also learned that building regulations requires that apartment buildings with more (!!!) than 9 floors must have elevators, and that a condo is being sold only as an empty shell.  No finalized plumbing, heating, carpeting, wall finishes ....

Such a difference to the ancient city places we have visited so far (built for the emperor and support staff).

Eventually, we made it.  So far, we had always blue sky, which is very unusual for Beijing.  But today, the weather had another surprise in for us:  A sandstorm was to arrive from the Gobi desert in the North; that sounded exciting!

The Great Wall of China is in effect series of fortifications made of either stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, or other materials, and follows an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China.

The original purpose was to protect the Chinese states and empires against the raids and invasions of the nomadic groups of the Eurasian Steppe.  Sections of the wall were built 700 BC, and eventually interconnected and rebuilt, maintained, and enhanced; the majority of the existing wall is from the Ming Dynasty and measures 8,850 km (5,500 mi).

Eventually, the purposes of the Great Wall included border controls, allowing the imposition of duties on goods transported along the Silk Road, regulation of trade and control of immigration and emigration. Furthermore, the defensive characteristics of the Great Wall were enhanced by the construction of watch towers, troop barracks, garrison stations, as well as signaling capabilities through the means of smoke or fire.

And we were not alone to visit this jewel of architecture.  In effect, the majority of visitors to the wall are from China, with Western tourists playing only a minor role.  Having said that, we also became an attraction while climbing the wall and posed for numerous photo shots.

 

 

And look at the sky, there is a yellow tint to it.

The pictures hint at it, but one has to experience it.  The wall requires a rather hard climb, or a steep decent, and always a watchful eye on one's feet.  To "see" something, we have to stop: to look around ...  and to catch our breath. (This is why Marleyne stopped at some point, tired of looking at her feet rather than at the beautiful landscape; while Heiner was going further, Marleyne stopped and smiled, waiting for  photo opportunities!!!).

After a few hours climbing the wall, and not getting enough of the scenery, we returned to the base, where delighted Chinese visitors requested many more group photos with us.  In turn, we took one as well ...

What an experience.

Off to another delightful lunch, and a guided tour at the "Cloisonné State Factory".

Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects, using vitreous enamel, and/or inlays of cut gemstones, glass, and other materials.  The decoration is formed by first adding compartments (cloisons in French) to the metal object by soldering or adhering silver or gold wires or thin strips placed on their edges. These remain visible in the finished piece, separating the different compartments of the enamel or inlays, which are often of several colors. Cloisonné enamel objects needs to be fired in a kiln.

In the end it looks like porcelain ... but this one is "unbreakable.  Would have loved to take a piece back home, but they were just too large for our luggage.

But we were not done for the day ....

 

Taking the bus back into Beijing downtown (another slow go), we arrive at the Summer Palace.

The Summer Palace is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces. The palace is mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake. It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometres, three-quarters of which is water.

Longevity Hill is about 60 metres high and has many buildings positioned in sequence. The front hill is rich with splendid halls and pavilions, while the back hill, in sharp contrast, is quiet with natural beauty.

One has to realise .... that the Kunming Lake covering 2.2 square kilometres was entirely man-made (digging all by hand) and that the excavated soil was moved north to build the Longevity Hill.

In 1888, it served as the summer resort for the Empress Dowager Cixi. 
She transferred 3 million taels of silver for her summer project, money which had been designated for the Chinese navy (Beiyang Fleet), for reconstruction and enlargement of her private Summer Palace. This diversion of funds away from the military affected the outcome of the First Sino-Japanese War, which China lost, and also hindered its ability to combat colonial forces taking control of China.

In 1860 the British and French burned the palace down at the end of the Second Opium War (the Old Summer Palace was also ransacked at the same time). The destruction of large parts of the palace complex still evokes strong emotions among some in China.

The Summer Palace was slighted a second time in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion when it was seized by the eight allied powers (Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States - one wonders about this alliance, with the first world war only 14 years later).  At that time, the gardens were burned and mostly destroyed and many of the Palace's artefacts were divided among the eight allied nations. These are still retained by various countries - such as France and United Kingdom - much to the annoyance of the current Chinese government.

Wikipedia has an excellent summary of the politics of that time: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer_Rebellion

 

 

We could have spent many more hours here, but look at the sky, the sand storm is approaching. 

 

Indeed, driving to our last restaurant of the day (another great supper), the storm hit.  Later on we learned that it was the biggest sand storm Beijing had had for the last 13 years.  This is what Tian'anmen Square looked like when we passed by ...

And tomorrow we will be off to another destination ... Xian with its Terracotta Warriors, here we come!