Forbidden City/Temple of Heaven

It is shameful that I am pooling these two marvelous, historical architectural wonders together, but I am sick of writing about China and I am sure you are sick of reading about it. Also, it sort of sums up our trip. There was a lot of enthusiasm at the beginning of our trip, but after miles of walking (and many of those miles were done in heels--Amber!) and going nonstop from the minute we arrived, our perseverance subsided and we observed our surroundings leisurely.

When you see the outside of the Forbidden City, you can't help but be in complete awe at the grandeur of the huge Imperial buildings. What is also impressive is the number of Chinese tourists that are wandering the grounds. They touch all the brass figures and huddle around all the windows and openings of the main buildings. For 500 years the Forbidden City served as the seat of government and was off-limits to ordinary Chinese citizens. It was like they were touching the bronze statues in honor of their ancestors who only heard of what was behind the tall brick walls.

The dragon and phoenix figures bring protection against lighting and fire.

The lace bark tree

ceiling of a gazebo

The empress' bedroom. This is where she committed suicide after she found out they had been defeated.

Various thrones:



The nine dragon wall:

To me, the buildings were great, but the people watching was even better:
Here are some samples of Chinese high fashion:

Temple of Heaven

I am dreaming up a plan to go back with Axel. I know he would groove the art and appreciate the culture. The trip was amazing and Amber and I have said over and over again we would go back in a minute. What would make it all the better is if we moved there. Maybe? Please?

Shopping in Beijing

Since everything comes from China, I knew we were going to devote a lot of time to shopping. It is a girlcation after all. I brought one overnight carry on and one HUGE empty suitcase. Amber did the same and we were so ready to spend a few bucks. We went to the Pearl Market, Silk Market and the 'dirt market' over a span of 3 days. It was so good to know that our husbands and children could have never endured this kind of shopping torture. It was a true girlcation.

The Chinese take haggling to a whole new level. They start at least 10 times the real price. If I was with Axel, he would have said, 'You offend me by starting so high' and he would move on to the next guy. But in China, it is all part of the game.

Once the price is given, you cut the price by 1/10th and move up from there. Sometimes they are immediately offended that you start too low and they grab their calculators and scoff at you as you walk away. They are mad that you are privy to their game. So many dumb American tourists see the price and pass the cash. Not this girl.

The other trick I came to learn while in China is that if the price is fairly reasonable to you and you are not 100% sure that you will see the item again, you should buy it. A number of times I said, 'I will come back.' When I did, the price we negotiated went back up to the original price and they would not budge knowing I obviously really wanted that one thing. I passed up two items that I deeply regret not buying.

The Chinese use all the typical tactics but some of them are highly exaggerated:

1. They will grab you, call you friend and tell you you are the most beautiful person they have ever seen.

2. They will make faces to show that you are offending them as a human being for trying to negotiate so low.

3. They will tell you about the high quality of the fake knock off they are selling. This one always made me laugh because they would say, 'Good quality, made in China'. To me, that is an oxymoron. I had one lady tell me that sometimes the fake one is made better than the original. Surely.

4. When you will not budge from your price, they will yell at you, call you stupid and ugly as you walk away. OR, they will put on an angry face, show you that you are slitting their throats (by hand gestures) and take the money while putting the item in the bag. OR they will barely be able to contain their excitement for selling their item for 5 times the real price.

Sadly, I fell into every one of these categories during our shopping excursions. It was tricky business, but I think if I go back, I will be all the wiser.

One of my favorite purchases was a collection of calligraphy brushes.

My favorite places were the toy shops. It was so interesting to see all the items that are Made in China. Everything was about 1/3rd of what you would pay in the states and about 1/6th of what you would pay in the Middle East.

Amber found her treasure--wigs. A brown and blond wig is just what a redheaded actress needs!

Amber spent a lot of time at the Pearl Market looking at pearls. I wasn't that into the whole pearl thing until I saw how beautiful they looked on. Amber bargained hard and bought quite the collection. After she did all the hard work, I bought some from her. As payment I lugged an extra 5 pounds of her stuff in my carry on. It was totally worth it. I look dazzling in my pearls!

A very small sample of what we bought while we were in China. Our luggage was close to double the weight allowed on Qatar Airways. We didn’t have to pay extra. It helps to flirt and smile a little.

It is necessary for one to go to China with nothing and come back with unexpected treasures. My only regret is not buying more--of everything. Be prepared to invest a lot of time in being the seller’s friend or enemy. There is no in between. In China, bargaining is a passionate game.

Summer Palace

A must see in Beijing is the Summer Palace. We expected to visit the palace in a few hours. When we arrived and saw the sheer size of the property, we knew we would have to rearrange our plans for the afternoon. The scenery is tranquil and the architecture is elegant. It took us hours to meander through rock caves and wander through the Chinese classical-style structures.

Our first arrival at the Summer Palace and a great shot of Longevity Hill, which was named after the Qing Dynasty Emperor's mother on her 60th birthday.

In order to get around the Summer Palace one must take a dragon ferry. The ride wasn't nearly as fun as watching people stare at us. During that short ride, I think there were at least 10 pictures taken of us in one form or another. Not to mention the group of people who followed us after we hopped off the boat. It's great to be famous.

Some of the many structures:

The crowds were ridiculous, but that is to be expected in China. The great thing about the Summer Palace is that it is huge enough that if you aren't in the path of a must-see sight, you can sit and relax without any bother at all. Next time I come I am bringing my children, a blanket, and a picnic.

Warning! - Chinese Style

When you arrive at the Beijing airport one of the first things you see is a glass case of what you are not allowed to bring into the country. Heroin is a no-no and so is psychotropic substances. And if you wondering what those things are, here is a nice sample:

Also, no Spam.

For the dignity of all man kind, shouldn't have this been band years ago?

These signs also intrigued me. In case you don't know Chinese or English, there are pictures to clearly define what you should not be doing.

...or shoot cobalt blue laser beams from your camera

My only question for this one is, what if you change your mind in the middle of your business? What to do?