We docked at Tianjin, China, the third-largest urban area in China. This area is one of China’s most important financial and cultural centers, but we only saw the cruise terminal here on our way to Beijing. A nearly three hour ride from Beijing would require an overnight hotel stay on the excursion we had chosen.
We traveled by motor coach to the youngest of China’s Imperial Cities, and the capital of modern China, Beijing. Our first stop was the spectacular structure and most recognizable landmark – The Great Wall. Running from the sea to the Gobi Desert, this monument was 13,171 miles long including overlapping sections that were rebuilt. The wall constructed during the Ming Dynasty, the most well-preserved section is about 5499 miles long. The Great Wall is more than 2300 years old, but most of today’s Great Wall is over 600 years old, sections built before the Ming Dynasty have almost disappeared. Climbing the wall is perhaps the best way to describe what goes on. The steep incline and the very uneven steps and terrain make for a very challenging climb for those who try. The scope and size of the wall can be seen from the section we visited and one can only imagine the extent to which construction was carried out by mostly forced labor. It was an incredible experience and one not to be missed when visiting China.
Our next stop was The Ming Tombs in the hills outside Beijing. These tombs are a collection of mausoleums built by the emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Of the 16 emperors who ruled China during that time (1368-1644) 13 are buried in this area. The tombs location and structure are classic representations of Chinese Fengshui theory. Our timing was great as it was very late in the day and we seemingly had the place to ourselves. The Ming Tombs gave insight into imperial life including stone thrones, huge human and animal sculptures and other evidence of Chinese culture and traditions.
After leaving the tombs we were headed for our overnight hotel stay. We arrived into the bustling Beijing city and had just about a half an hour to rest in our hotel room prior to leaving for a Peking Duck dinner in the city. The highlight of this was not so much the dinner but the city lights of Beijing at night. Our guide pointed out many different attractions along the way and most notably, Chang’an Avenue “the Street of Eternal Peace”. This is the street that is used for the military parades held every 10 years in Beijing. The overall length is over 28 miles east to west and has soaring skyscrapers and decorative lighting that was incredible.
