A Tourist in China

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CHINA Tourist

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This is one of the 13 Ming Tombs. Only one I visited. The big building in the background is very deceiving and quite typical of many China locations that I have visited. You think that is your goal but when you get there you realize that it is just visually blocking the march on up the mountain. The way the tomb was built it was then 16 flights of stairs down into it but only five up to get out the other entrance.

The Chinese have a saying that "He is not a hero, who has not climbed the wall." I did feel quite heroic in having made it up there since I had just gotten out of emergency that morning where they had put a catheter in me. The wall goes on forever and you will see people climbing further up behind me - but I didn't make the trip.

The famous picture of Chairman Mao that one sees from Tiaminen square. We are facing the square and his tomb. The entrance to The Forbidden City is behind us. They don't allow pictures in the tomb where one still sees him lying there embalmed. My three young guides are with me in the picture. They are also our WLP Regional Coordinators.

When my guides told me their translation of Mao's quotes, I was so impressed that I had my picture taken separately. The quote over his right shoulder says - "The unity of China is important." And the quote over his left shoulder says - "The unity of the world is important." Heavy thoughts regarding Taiwan, the Olypmics and the future.

The Forbidden City is gigantic in size and while I walked all the way straight through it would take many days to explore all the buildings. Behind me is one of the many giant 'parade' or 'court' yards where thousands of high officials would stand before the Emperor.

Here behind us are the city buildings where there lived the 1,000 concubines of the Emperor. He had a special large building for every activity. One (actually perhaps more) for just getting dressed - and so forth. Everything that one looks at is immense such as a single carved stone that it took 10,000 men to carry. With all of it - they didn't have air conditioning, running water in the toilets, central heating, or electric lights. Softy that I am - I wouldn't trade places with the Emperor.

Here I am at another historic location, called the Summer Palace, which was built for the Empress. A long, long climb to the top of the prayer tower. You can see a boat that is down below in the lake that is just part of the grounds. I am told the old Empress made the climb everyday. I would need an elevator - or at least an escalator to do it again.

The trip down was much easier through a shaded path. Lots of steps though because there was not much rise to each step. Wherever we went people would ask to have their picture taken with me. My guides tell me that when people passed by they heard them refer to me as 'Father Christmas'. Turns out that I was a major tourist attraction. :)

Still another famous location set in another gigantic park. This is called the Tower of Heaven and it has a number of curiosities. One court yard is built as a sound mirror. You can stand behind a building and whisper and a person behind another building can hear you but people in between cannot. There is also the three clap stone. On stone one you hear one echo. Two on stone two and three on the third stone. I am standing at the center of the the complex. Actually called the center of the earth. The special stone I am standing on has a special effect on the voice. It is surrounded by 9 circles of stone - each having a multiple of 9 stones. Quite curious.

HOME : Mission : History : Chancellors : Projects : Essays : Photos : Site Directory : Contact

	This is one of the 13 Ming Tombs. Only one I visited. The big building in the background is very deceiving and quite typical of many China locations that I have visited. You think that is your goal but when you get there you realize that it is just visually blocking the march on up the mountain. The way the tomb was built it was then 16 flights of stairs down into it but only five up to get out the other entrance.
	The Chinese have a saying that "He is not a hero, who has not climbed the wall." I did feel quite heroic in having made it up there since I had just gotten out of emergency that morning where they had put a catheter in me. The wall goes on forever and you will see people climbing further up behind me - but I didn't make the trip.
	The famous picture of Chairman Mao that one sees from Tiaminen square. We are facing the square and his tomb. The entrance to The Forbidden City is behind us. They don't allow pictures in the tomb where one still sees him lying there embalmed. My three young guides are with me in the picture. They are also our WLP Regional Coordinators.
	When my guides told me their translation of Mao's quotes, I was so impressed that I had my picture taken separately. The quote over his right shoulder says - "The unity of China is important." And the quote over his left shoulder says - "The unity of the world is important." Heavy thoughts regarding Taiwan, the Olypmics and the future.
	The Forbidden City is gigantic in size and while I walked all the way straight through it would take many days to explore all the buildings. Behind me is one of the many giant 'parade' or 'court' yards where thousands of high officials would stand before the Emperor.
	Here behind us are the city buildings where there lived the 1,000 concubines of the Emperor. He had a special large building for every activity. One (actually perhaps more) for just getting dressed - and so forth. Everything that one looks at is immense such as a single carved stone that it took 10,000 men to carry. With all of it - they didn't have air conditioning, running water in the toilets, central heating, or electric lights. Softy that I am - I wouldn't trade places with the Emperor.
	Here I am at another historic location, called the Summer Palace, which was built for the Empress. A long, long climb to the top of the prayer tower. You can see a boat that is down below in the lake that is just part of the grounds. I am told the old Empress made the climb everyday. I would need an elevator - or at least an escalator to do it again.
	The trip down was much easier through a shaded path. Lots of steps though because there was not much rise to each step. Wherever we went people would ask to have their picture taken with me. My guides tell me that when people passed by they heard them refer to me as 'Father Christmas'. Turns out that I was a major tourist attraction. :)
	Still another famous location set in another gigantic park. This is called the Tower of Heaven and it has a number of curiosities. One court yard is built as a sound mirror. You can stand behind a building and whisper and a person behind another building can hear you but people in between cannot. There is also the three clap stone. On stone one you hear one echo. Two on stone two and three on the third stone. I am standing at the center of the the complex. Actually called the center of the earth. The special stone I am standing on has a special effect on the voice. It is surrounded by 9 circles of stone - each having a multiple of 9 stones. Quite curious.