Friday, September 14, 2007
BEIJING TOURING DAY
Considering that it’s only 6:30pm and we’ve got two down for
the count here in the hotel room, you could say that we had
a fun and very busy day. We met up with another CHI family,
David and Tammy from NYC (they’re mom and dad to Anabel here
on the myadoptionwebsite – hi guys!), here at the hotel and
then left for a day of touring. First stop – a street vendor
for rain ponchos and umbrellas. Next stop – the Temple of
Heaven. Even under gray skies, the bright colors in the
paintwork is amazing. There is an explanation for just about
every architectural detail. So much symbolism. Did you know
only the Emperor could wear yellow? Glad I stuck with basic
black.
Next we went on a pedicab tour of Beijing’s hutongs. This is
a very old section of the city consisting of narrow
alleyways and one-story homes. We were able to visit a
family’s home where they served us lunch. Some things
familiar, most were not. But in all, it was great to
experience Chinese culture away from the touristy areas.
After the hutongs, we climbed a mile-long flight of stairs
(ok – maybe a half mile) to the top of Beijing’s Drum Tower.
After our heart rates descended back to a normal level, we
were able to see a traditional drum show. The tower was
originally built in the 11th century and the drumming was
used as a way to announce the time in the evenings. A
community clock of sorts. We were also able to stop by a
local pre-school and visit with the children. Avery sang,
“Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” to them and they sang
“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” (in Mandarin) in return. So
cute!
And last, we saw a traditional Chinese acrobat show.
Amazing! Many of the performers are children who do two
shows a day, ten months out of the year. That’s showbiz.
Tomorrow is another big sightseeing day, including the Great
Wall. Stay tuned! |
Temple of Heaven.
Somebody must have prayed for rain.
Heaven and Earth meet at the center of the round alter, a
geometric marvel.
In the pedicab ready for the hutong tour. |
