Peanut and PopTart: Our last days as a family of 3….

Incredible! That’s one way to describe our events yesterday which we know will pale in comparison to Monday, but there are so many words to choose from when you stand back and view the Great Wall of China while standing atop of it for the first time.

Yesterday started off with waking up at about 5:00 am local time since our
bodies are still trying to adjust to the time change. After spending a
little time in the room we headed downstairs for a great breakfast here in
the Novotel XinQiao. After breakfast we left the hotel for a tour of the
Great Wall at MuTianYu and a Chinese Cloisonné factory. The first stop was
the factory at which we were amazed at the level of detail and craftsmanship
that goes into each piece. Walking through the artisans workshops one can
see how primitive the tools and techniques of the workers truly are as they
recreate the items just as they were in the 14th Century here in China.
Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects, in
recent centuries using vitreous enamel, and in older periods also inlays of
cut gemstones, glass, and other materials. The decoration is formed by first
adding compartments to the copper object by glue thin copper 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 are worked on with enamel powder made into
a paste, which then needs to be fired in a kiln. First developed in the
Byzantine Empire, the technique spread to China by the 14th where it was
used for much larger vessels such as bowls.

We then headed to the Great Wall at MuTianYu, a section located in Huairou
County 70km northeast of Beijing. As one of the best-preserved parts of the
Great Wall, the Mutianyu section used to serve as the northern barrier
defending the capital and the imperial tombs. First built in the mid-6th
century during the Northern Qi during the Ming dynasty, under the
supervision of General Xu Da, construction of the present wall began on the
foundation of the wall of Northern Qi. In 1569, the Mutianyu Great Wall was
rebuilt and till today most parts of it are well preserved. We spent a good
two hours traversing and climbing the wall up and down until our legs could
not take anymore! We then headed back down the cable car to the bus for our
ride back to Beijing! What a beautiful sight!

On our ride back we stopped at a local tea house for a presentation of the
history of tea in China. We sampled many types of tea, learned proper
techniques for heating the water, brewing the tea and drinking it. Then
after a few purchases we headed back to the hotel! Tired and still
recovering from the flight over, we had a traditional Chinese meal here in
the hotel and headed back upstairs for some much needed sleep! Yes, we
missed seeing a lot of sights here in Beijing, but we have much more
important business to come in the next few days! With that in mind, we know
we will be back to China several more times to experience the culture and
hospitality of this great country! So now we bid you wǎn ān from
Beijing….next stop, Nanning! Till then……

Mike (Are we going to climb the whole thing?), Ann Marie (No! I am not
looking down!), and Savannah (is this wall older than you Daddy?) Kennedy