Our Trip to China - Part 2 of 5 - The Great Wall

     Many Asian cultures prepare for their day with early-morning physical exercises.  Great idea!  So we made our own healthy "morning romp".  By the end of it, we had quite an appetite.  Amidst bright sunshine, we breakfasted in the hotel's main room so Lewis could people-watch.  

     We easily detected the loud American tourists, while other German, French, Japanese, and provinçial Chinese socialized in cheery but more muted tones.  Thankfully, I wasn't the only "white person" that the young Chinese children wanted to stare at.  (Maybe it was my colorful socks, shoe soles, and cardigan).  During the meal, I was amazed at how the chefs got their plated omelets so perfect and so fast—without fried residue or char marks.  I savored the congee, adding shredded dried seaweed (it's good for you) and pickled veggies.  Tomato juice and green tea washed it down. 

     We arrived in the bustling lobby earlier than planned.  

     Always punctual, Frank was already there, standing by the revolving doors and two doormen.  Our daily car was waiting by the curb, and we eagerly hopped in.  Speaking in Mandarin, the driver complimented Lewis on how natural his Mandarin speaking skills are.  (It was helpful with vendors and waiters, too).  Frank agreed wholeheartedly, as it allowed Frank to describe some sightseeing more naturally to Lewis (and thus to me).  

    The driver sped north through the concentric Ring Roads that encircle the capital.

    When our car merged onto the Jingcheng Expressway, Lewis and I were impressed that it lacked the typical traffic congestion that plagues America's highways and expressways.

     We zoomed to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China.  It was 76 kilometers away, in the Huairou District.  It is the longest fully-restored section of the wall that is open to tourists.  It connects the Jiankou section to the Baima Pass section.  What is called the "Great Wall" is actually a series of walls; some are connected.  The Mutianyu part was erected in 550 AD by the Northern Qi Dynasty.

     It protected the population from the 6th-century until the 15th-century.  It was rebuilt 700 years ago, during the Ming Dynasty, by Zhu Di, the Yongle Emperor.

     It is probably the largest UNESCO World Heritage Site!  We were thrilled to be at it!

    During the 1.5-hour drive, we admired the colorful fall foliage, as the elevation rose to 489 meters (1,467 feet).  I noticed thousands of tree trunks painted white.  Frank explained that the white stuff was a natural solution that protected the trees from insects like cicadas.  

     Our driver left the expressway onto a narrow road that wound through several small communities and villages.  

     All kinds of street cleaning seems to involve old-fashioned brooms.  To their credit, even the rural roads in crumbling towns were immaculate and clean.

     Our car wove its way around Quan Mountain and Hongluo Mountain.  

     We arrived at the newly-built tourist depot for access to that "local section" of the vast Great Wall of China.  Our car remained the lower parking lot, and we took an electric shuttle bus to the Visitor Center.  That was designed to prevent visitors' automobile exhaust from darkening the monuments.  

Frank retrieved our admission tickets and advised us to use the restroom.  In the toilet, it was humorous for us to see something with an American label in China (usually things made in China are found throughout America).  Ha ha!

     With shops still nearing completion, the tourist area was impressive.  It featured wide tree-lined, stone-paved paths and various eateries in sleekly rusticated buildings.  It was also an uphill route.

     There is a choice of hiking uphill to the Great Wall or taking the cable car.  The cable car offered GREAT views of the wall's silhouette.  If also saved time/energy that we invested in exploring the historic wall.  We ascended 52 meters (632 feet) to the peak.

Excitedly, we began our alpine hike!

     To guard the mountainous terrain—which was already formidable for Mongol or Turkish attackers to infiltrate—the walls had watchtowers, approximately 2.5 kilometers apart.  Some were "beacon towers" which used smoke signals (like Native Americans) or lit bonfires to raise alarms.  The towers also garrisoned troops.  Made of granite, the crenelated walls are 5 meters thick and 8 meters high, with 2 meters of battlements on top of them.  There were always sentries posted atop the walls.

     It is utterly astounding to ponder how they brought tons of granite stones up to the tops of miles of mountains ranges, to perch on such a steep ridge.  Bricks were made and hoisted into place by barefoot or sandal-wearing laborers.  The wall is constructed over mounds of muddy clay.  Stewed rice was used to make the strong mortar that held the stones together for hundreds of years!  That same rice fed the workers.  As you may notice, many different types of stones were used: floor stones, wall bricks, triangular-shaped stones atop the wall, and ornamental-carved "viewing ports" for archers to use.  

     Records trace the origin of the first Wall to 656 BC, with their connections in 221 BC.  Enhancements during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) reinforced them.  Thus, construction took centuries, and several Walls of China stretch for hundreds of miles across frigid and humid regions of the country.  Consider Roman Emperor Hadrian's wall... and consider this.  

     In this province, there are 20 restored towers and sections of wall that are open to the public.  Beyond them, folks are warned to proceed "at their own risk".  According to Frank (who gleefully visits the wall on a monthly basis and loves its Zen-ful natural surroundings), other parts of the Great Wall are crumbling downhill, toppling, and unsafe.  None of that stopped other adventurers from proceeding.  We saw specks of faraway tourists/explorers tiptoeing along those peaks.  We opted to stay on the restored parapets.  Like mountaineers on steep slopes, our trio merrily traversed 14 of the 20 towers.  We're proud of that accomplishment.  It took us 3 hours.  It was magnificent!

     The towers, constructed in 1442 (long before Columbus reached the Americas in 1492), are in amazing good shape!  

     Some have roof access.  They contained barracks, officers' quarters, food storage, and signal fuel.  None seem to have cellars.  Soldiers probably stored their individual items in carved-out nooks in the brick walls.  

     Signal towers were used to send smoke-signals when lookouts spotted intruders.  The number and color of smoke puffs indicated the type and amount of enemies.  Faster than horse-messenger (and similar to the telegraph), each tower echoed the smoke messages all along the wall… eventually alerting military leaders at the capital.

Over the centuries, some of the steps have been worn away.

     Standing on Tower 19, the amazingly steep Wall soars uphill to Tower 20, built atop a mountain peak named Niujiao Jian.  At the top (seen above), notice a narrow staircase, leading to mountaintop tower.  British gentlemen advised us that they tried to reach it, but they practically crawled on their knees to get up those stairs.  Notice the blocks along that path?  Those are "rest spots" for people trying to climb up.  Do you think it's easy?  Lewis and I will attest to the great workout that the Great Wall gave us.  

     Graffiti is prevalent in certain places—and has been for centuries.  Instead of spray paint, most of it is carved into the bricks.  Frank told us that local villagers trekked up to the wall (years before the Tourist Center was built) for unsupervised fun.

In the picture above, we looked back at the parts of the wall that we crossed.  

Seen below, we walked on a terrace outside of the wall.

     You meet all sorts of people on the Great Wall... like a grand hotel lobby!  All it needs is a an al fresco café.  We met chatty Germans, French families, Danish gents, Japanese couples, and quite a few Brits.  One Englishwoman showed her new "Selfie Stick", claiming it was her best companion on solo trips (I'll bet).  

     We admired how the ancient technicians built the wall on such steep slopes (seen below).  Amazingly, the bricks along the tops of those wall didn't slide off downward.  Those steps are about 2 inches high.  There are so many!  That's me, seen below.

     During its 15th-century construction, notice how craftsman invested in adding some ornate details: the angled bricks showing their corners along the tower, for decoration.  It shows that human culture desires a bit of ornament in its architecture—even in the most remote sites!  After all, who saw those towers on the outskirts of Chinese mountaintop civilizations?  Yet, they are ornamented to signify China's magnificence.

     As we neared the last tower, we were able to walk "alongside" the wall to admire its foundation and facade.  I admire how Chinese designers preserve trees and Nature.  Seen below, that's Lewis on the stairs.

     A total surprise for us was the option of riding a toboggan to go down the mountain: the longest toboggan run that I ever saw!  Like gleeful children, we raced to the starting point.  

     The long curving ride whooshes downward, around huge boulders, over streams, and waterfalls.  

     Riders zipped past guards (wearing old military surplus coats), who peered out from outcroppings to ensure proper behavior.  I felt like James Bond dashing past enemy snipers!  

     The only "casualty" of the ride was that Lewis wore his Prada backpack, and it dragged a bit along the slide and got scuffed.  Not to worry, it was repaired later.

     All of that fun exploring necessitated soothing refreshments.  I wanted to try coffee grown in the Yunnan Province.  

     Coffee plantations began there in the 1880s, but the industry started in 1988 when the United Nations and the World Bank partnered with China's government for that purpose.  Nestle went there to foster the plantations, too.  In America, Starbucks buys half of the coffee imported from China (yet they over-roast the beans and ruin them).  

     Brewed correctly in that mountaintop shop, the coffee was quite tasty.  Seen below, the coffeeshop employed a Caucasian woman who spoke fluent English.  Lewis joked that they probably paid her more, so she'd approach all the English-speaking visitors and sell refreshments.

     Outside, Lewis and Frank ordered savory crêpes.  As we know, "smaller shops" sometimes have the best quality homemade food, as opposed to the commercialized chain-restaurants.  The fact that Frank chose that crêperie convinced us; we know to go where the locals go. 

I admired how modern craftsmen were able to creatively use the same curved tiles to create 3 different mosaics...  

     Rows of souvenir shops sold the same merchandise.  Storeowners came out to approach us and haggle for prices of their items.  We got magnets for friends' fridges.  

     As Americans, we are conditioned to seeing that souvenirs in America (including American flags) are made in China.  This time, it was sensible that the souvenirs were made in China.  (Incidentally, China makes high-quality items, but greedy/cheap American companies only request things that are the cheapest to make, so America is inundated with low-quality items from China).  

     Please realize that after WWII (1945), America won the largest world economy, which was a huge intake from its Depression-era 1930s.  It squandered it.  In 2013, China achieved the largest world economy.  China bought most of the USA's national debt, while the USA calls itself a premier power.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but if someone else owns the debt on your home, do you really own it?

     The shuttle bus took back to the "car park".  We appreciated that our chauffeurs always had 2 chilled bottles of water in our cup holders, whenever they picked us up.  Throughout China, bottled water is the necessary drinking type—even in hotels and restaurants—unless boiled for tea.  

     From there, we were driven to the vast Imperial Summer Palace.  It is a UNESCO Site that encompasses Longevity Hill.  It was a 1.2 hour journey... perfect time for a nap!
  

     Begun in 1153, the imperial complex was always used as a parkland for leisure.  During the 1700s, Emperor Qianlong renovated it into a more lavish site.  It is a different place than the Imperial Gardens (seen below), built in the 1700s and now called the Old Summer Palace.  When Europeans invaded to ransack the Old Summer Palace in 1860, its gargantuan size and lavishness was mind-boggling.  

     The Old Summer Palace was looted and decimated by the British and French during their Opium Wars and again after their phony Boxer Rebellion. 

     The surviving Summer Palace is well-preserved, including some relics from the destroyed one.  

As you can see above, the hipped roofs are adorned with imperial roof figurines.

     When we got there, they seemed to have a red carpet rolled out for us!  Ha ha!

Two bronze Chinese lions were installed by Qianlong, to guard the main entrance.  The beasts are actually qilin, comprised of different animal parts.

     The huge man-made Kunming lake was excavated as a reservoir for the palace.  Its displaced dirt made the hilltop for the "Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha".  Other waterworks are fed from natural springs.  

     Seen above, the mile-long covered garden walkway has 4 gazebos that tell painted tales about the 4 seasons.

Here we are in the Garden of Virtue & Harmony, near the "Hall that Dispels the Clouds".  We liked the curved bridges.

     As we rode to the hotel, Lewis dozed, and I answered Frank's questions about America.  By then, he deduced that Lewis and I were a couple, yet his discretion prevented him from mentioning it directly.  I voluntarily gave insight about how we survived in America's ongoing homophobia.  Two streets away from the hotel, we saw Dongdan Park.  It is iconic throughout China as a gay rendezvous area during the 1960s to the 1990s.  In 1901, the Qin Dynasty designated it as a training ground for foreign troops working for their embassies in the capital.  (Embassies are still there: Brazil, Burundi, USA, Poland, United Kingdom, Kingdom of Thailand, and Bangladesh).  In 1963, it became a public park.  It has paved plazas that are fitness areas: tai-chi, dancing, and aerobics.  It has a hilly area filled with cedar trees, circular pavilions, and rocky walkways.  In pre-internet China, homosexuals "cruised" the area for playmates... and dates.

     Back at the hotel, we freshened up and changed clothes.  We went to the bar.  I sipped jasmine tea, and Lewis ordered spring rolls and a White Russian cocktail.  The cocktail's name has a history.  During its 1917 Revolution, war-torn Russia was divided into White Russians—who were royalists supporting the Czar—and Red Russians—who were “red” Soviet Communists.  After the imperial family was slain and the monarchy collapsed, many White Russians relocated to European settlements in China, such as Shanghai and Hong Kong.  

     At dinnertime, Frank reunited with us and walked us 3 blocks to a great restaurant, Da Wan Ju, for a traditional Peking Duck dinner!  It was included in our tour package.  (The ancient Chinese were the first to domesticate ducks for consumption).

 

     With parents who owned three Chinese restaurants in Manhattan, Lewis developed an appreciation for proper cookery and waiter service, and he knows what authenticity tastes like.  The chef at his parent's third restaurant was Cantonese and showed him how to authentically make the recipe of Peking Duck.  Our authentic meal made him so happy!  Eating it in the capital of China made it extra special.

     The recipe originated in 420 CE in Nanjing.  It was served as imperial cuisine during the Yuan dynasty: 1271-1368, and it remains internationally popular.  Ducks are inflated (usually with bicycle-tire pumps) to keep their skin taught and separate it from the fat.  The carcasses are blanched and hung to dry, so the skin tightens more.  While hanging for 24 hours, the skin is glazed twice with honey, marinades, soy sauce, five-spice powder (star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and Sichuan pepper).  Sometimes, nutmeg or citrus peel are used.  The ducks are roasted in a brick oven, fueled by straw and wood from fruit trees (that imparts a distinct flavor).  That cooking technique allows the meat under the skin to remain tenderly juicy but makes the skin crispy—and easy to shave off.  Occasionally, ducks are roasted in an "open oven", which was an innovation of imperial kitchens during the Qing Dynasty.  Finally, the birds are presented, and the heads remains attached to the carcasses to keep the juices inside.  In classic presentation, the duck is carved table-side, so diners can admire how the skin is expertly shaved from the succulent meat.

     Duck bones are used to make tasty soup, which is served beforehand as an appetizer.  

     Seen above, watching the duck-carving was impressive.  The skin was expertly removed from the meat in thin portions.  It was intended to be eaten by itself.  Its crispy yet melt-in-your-mouth texture was unbelievable!  Then, some skin was kept attached to slivers of meat for our consumption.  The rest of the moist and flavorful meat was eaten in individual crêpes that we flavored with matchsticks of celery and onion, topped with duck sauce.  

     We also ate lotus root (I love that) and snow peas with mushrooms.  Savory buns (like French gougères) completed the meal.  

     During our meal, we discussed the purpose of the Wall.  Initially for protection, it eventually reinforced China's inward habit of ignoring the world beyond its borders.  Europeans clamored to enter China for business and trading purposes.  As early as 1535, the Kingdom of Portugal was the only successful one.  In 1553, England's King Edward VI sent officials to China, but their trek only reached the Caspian Sea.  In 1579, England's Queen Elizabeth I dispatched an emissary, but he tried three times to get all the way to China and couldn't; he died during the final journey.  She sent another in 1596, but he only reached the West Indies before he vanished.  In 1636, King Charles I sent Captain John Weddell.  Full of determination, he arrived and used his ship's cannons to try and force the Chinese government to obey.  Outnumbering him, the Chinese arrested his soldiers for piracy.  The Dutch attempted to reach China but their ships were damaged a typhoon.  Another voyage succeeded, but they tried keeping Chinese ships as hostages until they were given "trading rights".  The Chinese fleet arrived and was superior.  In 1624, a two-year war ended with China forcing them to stay on Formosa Island (now Taiwan).  In 1788, Nepal invaded Tibet (a tributary nation to China), and the Dalai Lama requested help, so China defeated Nepal.  China rebuffed invaders until 1839.

Dessert wasn't needed; sleep was!  We returned to our hotel, while the city bustled during the night.  Next stop: Shang Hai.