Beijing.
Beijing is the capital of China and the birthplace of Chinese civilization.
Today we go to the Great Wall of China! It was a chilly 3 degrees walking over to breakfast. Our new guides name is Mary.
We are so incredibly lucky and blessed today because there were blue skies and the sun was out! It was around 10 degrees during the day. Normally it is super smoggy here from the air pollution.
There are 24 million people in Beijing. We learnt about womens feet wrapping to make their feet small. This didn't stop until 1911 when the Emperor decided that women were aloud to have an education.
The one child policy was only changed 3 years ago and now there is a two child policy.
Chinese people use red lanterns because back in the day they would use fire to scare away evil spirits/ghost so the red represents the fire to keep you safe.
On the way to the Great Wall, in the rugged mountain landscape north of the city we stopped at a Jade factory. We saw beautiful jewllery and sculptures.
The Great Wall was built almost 2 thousand years ago to keep the rabbits out..just kidding! It was to keep the Monogolians out. The Great Wall is 6500kms in length!
Men from 18-50 years old had to come and work on the wall for free for 2 years. Many people died building the wall and they got built into the wall.
If they were found hiding at home without completing their 2 years then they were killed by the government.
The mountain scape is incredible.
The wall starts from the ocean and ends at the desert.
We walked all the way to the top of 1 side and quickly realised we had enough time to race down and go up the opposite side! Most people didn't even make it up the 1st (easy side) but we made it up and back both! We were the only ones from our group to make it up the 2nd super steep side. It was a race against the clock to get up and back in time before the bus left. I couldn't believe we made it, we were very proud of ourselves!
Such incredible views and barely any people around.
We went to lunch and then travelled to a traditional chinese medical centre.
It is called the Beijing herbal research institution. We had our feet soaked in herbal tea and then had a foot massage from doctor students. We tried a cream that takes away pain and an anti-wrinkle cream. Some people got the opportunity to try bamboo cupping. While we had a foot massage a doctor and english interpreter came around and looked at our hands and palms. They told both Mum and I that we have low blood pressure and that Mum has headaches from poor circulation.
From here we headed to the 2008 Olympic Park to see the Birds Nest.
Then we went to dinner and headed back to the hotel.
We have our own private spa on the side of our hotel room so we had a super hot spa from the natural spring water! Great way to relax after a busy day.
