We began our day by touring a Cloissone Factory near Beijing. This is where pots and figurines are handmade from copper and painted with minerals to make nice, authentic and decorative Chinese art. All of the work here was done by hand. After getting a tour from our guide, Babbit, we were able to visit the gift store. I bought some beautiful figurines including a rooster for my grandma.
Our next stop was the Great Wall of China. I actually didn't realize how many stairs there were! We had a little over an hour to explore near the Great Wall. I didn't go all the way to the top, but did get some great pictures of the surrounding mountains. I even bought a metal certificate that has my name and the date engraved on it and confirms that I climbed the Great Wall.
On our way to the pearl and jade factory, our bus stopped near the Olympic stadiums, the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube. We didn't get very close to them, but it was neat to be in the same area where the Olympics were held not too long ago.
Next, we went through a museum at the jade and pearl factory that showed us the different qualities and colors of jade. After eating lunch at the factory we had some time to wander around the very large pearl and jade gift shops. One thing I have realized is that at every tourist attraction there are places to eat and buy things. I did end up purchasing some pearl earrings and a pearl ring. They were a lot cheaper in comparison to pearls in the United States and our tour guides informed us that this was the best place to buy them because they are guaranteed to be real.
Even though our day was very full already, we had a couple more stops to go. We went to the Temple of Heaven. Surrounding the Temple was a large park area where local Chinese people were singing, dancing, playing cards, playing hackey sack, knitting and selling items to tourists. It was like an outdoor community center. I was able to barter with a lady to buy a small knitted purse.
The rest of the group's final hours in Beijing were spent shopping while the Minnesota group met with American Soybean Association Director Phil Laney. We learned about soybean marketing and the relationship between the United States and China. Before we went to the Beijing Railway station, we had just enough time to stop and eat at McDonald's. There are actually quite a few McDonald's, Pizza Huts and KFC's in China. The most popular is KFC followed by McDonald's. I ordered chicken nuggets and fries which tasted exactly the same as if I had ordered them in the U.S.
Today I also learned to appreciate American toilets. Chinese toilets are simply a hole in the ground and are not the most pleasant facility to use. We also take for granted free refills at restaurants. Refills at Chinese restaurants need to be purchased.
Getting on the sleeper train was quite the experience. Our group got split up once we got off the bus to find our train. The tour guide that was with us had a dead cell phone and didn't know which train number we were supposed to be on. Needless to say, after our group boarded the train it left right away. We left Beijing at 9:00 pm and arrived in Xian at 9:00 am on Sunday.
Caitlin
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