On Monday afternoon we made a quick trip to the Forbidden City just before it closed for the day. The Forbidden City is the walled area within Beijing where the emperor and his court lived during the centuries before the Cultural Revolution and dawn of communism in China. Acres and acres of buildings are now maintained as a museum that draws huge crowds every day of the week. Jason, our personal tour guide, wasted no time in leading us through the highlights and sharing insights with us. Many times I had to run to catch up with the gang after pausing just long enough to snap a photo.
I did manage to convince everyone to stand still for just a moment before we entered the great courtyard.
By that time the crowds had begun to stream toward the exit, with stragglers racing to get out before the massive red doors slammed closed. Fortunately Jason knew of another exit so we had an extra minute or two to take in the magnificent, iconic view:
Once outside the gates, we said goodbye to Jason and headed across the street to a hilltop park and pagoda allegedly enjoyed by generations of royals. After climbing the 9082 steps to reach the top, I became convinced that no royal person ever really took that hike.
Maggie and I rewarded ourselves when we reached the top of the hill by throwing heavy costumes over our sweaty clothes (ewwwww...wonder how many thousands of other people had done the same thing before us?!) and having royal portraits made. At least it gave us a good excuse to sit down for a minute and catch our breath!
The breeze and view over the city were additional rewards for a multitude of trekkers, and it seemed that no one was in a hurry to head back down. Group photos were being taken all around, including this one of all my best galpals...
...and this one of some guy who grabbed a bunch of willing local girls for a fun souvenir of his trip to China:
To celebrate safely making it back down the hill, I asked our group to pose the way so many Chinese girls like to pose in front of landmarks. Abby was uncharacteristically unenthusiastic.
A couple of days later we took a boat tour through the imperial canal, which links several of Beijing's major sights. We cruised past the Beijing Zoo (I later heard from a fellow American that this was the highlight of her visit to China) and stopped to explore the grounds of a stone pagoda temple with Indian-style features. Many statues and burial markers from all over the Beijing area have been moved here, and the temple exterior is currently being restored.
We were greeted by these 12-foot statues:
When we took a look at these burial markers, we were surprised and moved to discover that many of them were used to mark the graves of European Christian missionaries. Why were these markers saved by a government that was not interested in Christianity? How many missionaries gave their lives to the cause that continues to this day? Our questions weren't fully answered, but out tour guide Edward did spend a few minutes translating the Chinese for us so that we could get a better idea of the missionaries' identities.
Inside the temple there are four Buddhas, with evidence that worshipers had already made their morning offerings of money and flowers:
We met this guy on our way out of the temple:
Next we returned to our boat and headed to the Purple Bamboo Garden. This quiet park is filled with lovely bamboo trees...
... foot-massaging stone patios...
... local folks who regularly meet to make music and play games together...
... and amateur choirs who add to the park's beauty with their daily impromptu performances. This group bravely agreed to sing for us even though their conductor/accordionist could not be there to lead them. They did a great job, and Emily and Abigail hummed along with one of the familiar songs they performed.
We climbed aboard our canopy boat one last time and finally arrived at the Summer Palace, originally built as a relaxing getaway for the royal family when they needed a break from the Forbidden City. Today families from all over the world congregate at the Summer Palace and have their pictures taken in front of unique statues.
There were thousands of people visiting the Summer Palace the same day we did, so it was difficult to resist the current of moving bodies and stop to take many photos. I climbed up on one of the benches to capture a glimpse of the Long Corridor, which was designed to allow royal women wearing long-trained robes to enjoy walking alongside the canal regardless of the weather. Each crossbeam features a handpainted illustration of a Chinese folktale or moral principle.
How did the Empress Dowager thumb her nose at government officials who tried to establish national budget priorities such as a well-funded navy? She spent millions updating and expanding the Summer Palace, then spent millions more on this one-of-a-kind (for obvious reasons) marble boat:
Fittingly, our day ended with our very own Queen making a grand purchase. I mean, when you see something as fabulous as this funny glasses + silly red nose + double squeaky thingy combo, you simply MUST have 20 of them. She said they were for her kindergarteners, but I'm not so sure...
By the end of this day's outing, Maggie and I had pretty well hit overload. So many sights, sounds, smells to be taken in, so little time! But we would not have missed it for the world, and we're so thankful that we can trust God to continue to guide and care for our beloved friends as they serve Him in this amazing place.
Trust the Lord and live right!
The land will be yours, and you will be safe.
Do what the Lord wants,
and He will give you your heart's desire...
He will make certain each step you take is sure.
The Lord will hold your hand,
and if you stumble, you still won't fall.
Psalm 373-4, 23-24 CEV
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