Today we rose again to sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures for Beijing - another balmy 50 degree day! Suppose we should quit saying that, huh? We might bring ourselves some bad luck and South Dakota weather! :-) (Yes, we do hear the news from home!)
Off we went, westward and northward out of the city of Beijing toward the mountains and the Great Wall. Before jumping there however, we made a brief stop to see Chinese jade and how it is turned into beautiful things....many of which are coming home with us. LOL.
But then, a few miles up the road, the Wall came into view. I'll let the photos do most of the talking, but you should have an idea of what the Wall is all about.
The Great Wall, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was listed
as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, it
winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus,
stretching approximately 21,196 kilometers from east to west of China.
With a history of about 2,700 years,
some of the Great Wall sections are now in ruins or have disappeared. However, the Great Wall of China is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.
If you were to measure all the sections ever built, a new reports suggest the Great Wall of China could be a staggering 13,170.7 miles long. The most popular (and arguably the most beautiful) section was erected during the Ming Dynasty, and runs for 5,500.3 miles between Hushan to the Jiayuguan Pass. Even if you only take into consideration the main-line length of the wall (about 2,150 miles) it’s still the record holder!
How tall is the Great Wall of China? The general answer is that the structure’s height varies considerably, from 15 feet all
the way to 39 feet. At its widest point,
the wall is 32-feet-thick.
For the most part, our students made it at least 3/4 of the the way to the top of the mountain in the section of the Wall we visited. That's about the equivalent of climbing a 120-story building. Surprise - the wall is not flat! Not flat indeed. Here's Dr. Unger - proud as can be....he reached the top!
Following this extraordinary visit on such an extraordinary day, we had lunch and then headed back into town for a visit to one of the Peking Opera Training Schools in Beijing. Most of the kids are on vacation now for the Chinese New Year, but four adorable kids stayed to show us their work, and to teach us a bit about how we too could become members of the Peking Opera. Honestly, I doubt we have the skills, but we sure gave it our best Augie try!
The Men in rehearsal. Followed by the Women in action!
Our volunteers for the opportunity to be made up as members of the Peking Opera, here are Grace Feterel and Sam Konzem. Not bad, huh?
Off we went, westward and northward out of the city of Beijing toward the mountains and the Great Wall. Before jumping there however, we made a brief stop to see Chinese jade and how it is turned into beautiful things....many of which are coming home with us. LOL.
The Great Wall, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was listed
as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, it
winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus,
stretching approximately 21,196 kilometers from east to west of China.With a history of about 2,700 years,
some of the Great Wall sections are now in ruins or have disappeared. However, the Great Wall of China is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.
If you were to measure all the sections ever built, a new reports suggest the Great Wall of China could be a staggering 13,170.7 miles long. The most popular (and arguably the most beautiful) section was erected during the Ming Dynasty, and runs for 5,500.3 miles between Hushan to the Jiayuguan Pass. Even if you only take into consideration the main-line length of the wall (about 2,150 miles) it’s still the record holder!
How tall is the Great Wall of China? The general answer is that the structure’s height varies considerably, from 15 feet all
Following this extraordinary visit on such an extraordinary day, we had lunch and then headed back into town for a visit to one of the Peking Opera Training Schools in Beijing. Most of the kids are on vacation now for the Chinese New Year, but four adorable kids stayed to show us their work, and to teach us a bit about how we too could become members of the Peking Opera. Honestly, I doubt we have the skills, but we sure gave it our best Augie try!
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