The Great Wall and Beyond…

| View Show | Create Your Own

A nation of more than 5,000 years of cultural evolution…wow! Words do not give justice to the visual beauty of China’s capital, Beijing, or the country’s main fluvial artery (the Yangtze River), the wondrous Terra Cotta Warriors in X’ian, or even the mega-metropolis of Shanghai. Although I had traveled to Asia before, I was not prepared to encounter an incredibly developed China, with futuristic cities, and its incredibly well-landscaped and intelligently-planned capital. I first arrived in Beijing, a capital worth much praise. Unlike its rival neighbor to the South, Shanghai, Beijing is a green city with open spaces, parks, gardens, landscaped “islands” that divide the bike lane from the roads, imperial palaces, large squares (Tiananmen Square being the largest in the world!), and colorful flowers that sprout neatly just about everywhere. The city government has planned well for the Olympics, but it has also planned well for its inhabitants. People in Beijing zoom by on their bicycles, and on their electric motorbikes, on protected paths that are separated by park-like “islands” which keep traffic moving smoothly and safely. The avenues, streets, and boulevards are clean and laden with pedestrians walking busily from street to street. In the gardens and parks, couples whisper to each other, retired folk practice Tai Chi, sing in public choirs, or simply play board games or dominos with friends. Beijing is alive with the buzz of active people. I was in awe of this magnificent city. My immediate thought was, “why can’t I live in such a people-centered city?” I just imagined myself driving an electric moped to work, taking leisurely jogs at one of the many beautifully manicured gardens, and meeting friends at the local dim sum joint.

X’ian is the home to the famous Terra Cotta Warriors (nearly 8,000 of them!) which were commissioned by one of China’s Emperors (over 2,000 years ago!) to protect his grave site. Every single clay warrior is different. Each warrior was molded by hand, fired, and then hand painted…to resemble the Emperor’s real-life military warriors. Believe it or not, a farmer unearthed a piece of one of the warriors in the late 1970’s when digging a well, thus, “discovering” the buried Terra Cotta Warriors for the first time in modern history.

On the Yangtze River, we cruised for four days stopping here and there to visit historically significant sites, such as the White Emperor City. We were fortunate enough to ditch the large cruise for a few hours and sit in a small, handcrafted canoe which was propelled by local rowers. Drifting along the pristine waters of the Yangtze, we were able to enjoy the landscape: farmers working their terraced land, local rowers singing love songs, and “stupid” fish sitting still in the translucent waters. One of the most impressive man-made features along the Yangtze is the Three Gorges Dam which will be completed 1-year ahead of schedule. The project dispossesses thousands of villages upstream, while saving the lives of tens of thousands of people downstream. The government has a comprehensive plan which relocates entire villages. The water level will rise by 15 meters from the dam westward. The cruise concluded in the mega-city of Chongchin, which is a municipality of over 30 million inhabitants. This was the WWII capital of China, and the launching point of the Flying Tigers.

What about the city of lights? Shanghai boasts more skyscrapers than New York city, with more than 4,600 buildings above 125 meters. As far as skyline, Shanghai has the most breathtaking evening views I have ever seen in my entire life. The bund (German word for “canal”) is a hip and popular pedestrian walk that coasts the main canal that runs through the heart of Shanghai. It is from the bund where the best views of the city’s evening skyline can be enjoyed. Just a few hours from Shanghai is the city of Szouzu, or “the Venice of the East.” Szouzu is an industrial city that may rival Shanghai someday. Many of China’s manufacturing power houses are based in this city. But, it’s most visually and culturally attractive feature is the old city with its meandering canals. City dwellers still live in their small, stone homes with back doors that open to the canals. The grand canal was actually constructed during the time of the Great Wall construction…thousands of years ago!

For all of those who have never been to China, I highly recommend the adventure!