School Visit

We woke up again today with gray skies and rain.  Temperature was a cool 50 degrees.  After a leisurely breakfast, we boarded our motorcoach and traveled for about an hour to visit a local school. Our group visited a first grade class of 65 with one teacher in a relatively small room.  The children performed for us and we were able to interact with them.  As you might expect, the students were very loud as they were excited to see us.  Also they were typical first graders in picking at one another and one little boy was seeing how far he could put a pencil up his nose.  Everyone in Tennessee should be very proud of the schools that our children attend.

Our delicious lunch today consisted of some Chinese delicacies-Pig ears,  Pig tails, chicken feet, lotus root and dried tofu. Yum,Yum!

Chinese First Grade

Chicken Feet

Pig Tails

The Little Emperor

Three Gorges Dam

We left our boat this morning in intermittent rain for a tour of the Dam. High 55 degrees

Opened in 2008, the Three Gorges Dam is the world's largest artificial generator of electric power from a renewable source. Costing $28 billion, it is the most expensive hydroelectric project in history.

We had an afternoon sail through the Xiling Gorge.  At nearly 50 miles long, the Xiling Gorge is the longest of the three gorges. Pearl presentation later. There are many shops onboard and are able to make custom made clothing.

Saturday Morning Tour

This morning we departed our boat for smaller boats to The Goddess Stream-the true highlight of the region, offering spectacular views that cannot be seen anywhere else in China.  We really enjoyed this cruise and the rain has stopped and the high is mid-fifties.  After lunch a scenic afternoon cruise. Tonight at 9:15 pm we will have a passage through the Three Gorges Dam Ship Locks.

The Goddess Stream

This is Me Dancing the night away

Cruising Along the Yangtze

Today we spent the morning cruising on the Yangtze River-the world's third longest river (15 miles longer than the Mississippi).  It was raining and in the afternoon some of us went to see the extraordinary Shibaozhai Pagoda-an exquisite example of ancient Chinese architecture in the form of the Precious Stone Fortress. Some of the hearty of the group climbed the 99 steps to the temple.  In the evening we had a very good Chinese dinner onboard.  The sweet and sour fish was our favorite.

We arose early to see spectacular scenery as we sailed through the Qutang Gorge. Enjoyed  a delicious buffet breakfast then we were treated to more scenic sailing through Wu Gorge.

Captain's Cocktail Party

Chongqing

Today was a travel day. We arrived this evening in Chongqing-a city of 33 million inhabitants.  A fantastic light show awaited us from the many high rise buildings in this city.  Mile after mile of 50 plus story buildings.  Las Vegas lights times ten. Most of us agreed that we have never seen anything like this before.  A wonderful evening meal aboard the Viking Emerald.  Sailing out at 9:30 pm

Lights of Chongqing

Xi'an

Day 5 begins with dark rainy sky. We traveled a couple of hours to visit the site of the excavation of the Terra Cotta Warriors. More than 8,000 life-sized sculptured warriors, archers, infantrymen, horses & chariots have been unearthed. The excavation began in 1974 & is still ongoing today. No one knows just how many more will end up being found. The Emperor who had the soldiers made was one who worried that his enemy would advance to kill & capture all in his domain. These Warriors were placed facing East where the enemy would be approaching. The attention to detail is unbelievably unique. It is believed to have taken up to 60 months to make one warrior.  After a delightful lunch, we returned to Xi an.

Tonight we are going to the Tang dinner & show. Tomorrow is a travel day. Stay tuned.

Rickshaw Ride

Another Rickshaw Ride

Painting inside bottles

Making noodles

Terra Cotta Warriors

Terra Cotta Soldier

Our Fabulous Guide Johanna

Tang Dynasty Show

Beijing Day 3

Our day began with a stop at a local tea house.  We were shown how to prepare several different teas and tasted 5 different kinds. Only 2 of us, Mike for one, spilled the tea.  Next came the treat of a Rickshaw ride through the Beijing of Old into the city's ancient back lanes of hutong neighborhoods.  Our next stop was at the home of a local resident whose home was a modest 600 square feet.  The lady was preparing dumplings in her kitchen. They looked good, but we were not able to taste. The lady's niece was a talented painter and paints inside bottles and jars.  This part of Beijing is not the best, but the people seemed happy and contented with who they are, what they do and the life they live. It made us realize how fortunate we are to live in our country.  Later we took a flight to Xian where we will stay for the next 2 nights.

Sipping tea at a local Tea House

Beijing Day 2

We left the hotel bright and early at 7:00 am. The bus ride to the Great Wall reminded us of 5:00 pm traffic in Nashville on a rainy afternoon.  When we arrived, we were greeted by at least 1 million Chinese.  For the first couple of days, we were blessed with good weather.  However, the closer that we got to the Great Wall the more windy and cooler.   We had some who thought they could bounce.  Right on up too the top with no problem.  Well they, along with everybody else found out that was not in the cards.   But It was a very good day getting to see and walk on a "Wonder of the world" here in China. The Great Wall is indeed a construction marvel that started over 2000 years ago. It is something to see.

The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China to protect the Chinese states and empires against the raids and invasions of the various nomadic groups of the Eurasian Steppe. Several walls were being built as early as the 7th century BCE; these, later joined together and made bigger and stronger, are now collectively referred to as the Great Wall. Especially famous is the wall built 220–206 BCE by Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. Little of that wall remains. Since then, the Great Wall has on and off been rebuilt, maintained, and enhanced; the majority of the existing wall is from the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).

Great Wall with Joyful Friends

Great Wall Coffee Shop

After our visit to the Great Wall, we had a very nice lunch at a place where Jade was sold. Very nice jewelry however, very expensive. Then we were off to see the tombs of several of China's rulers. Thirteen emperors are buried in the Grand Mausoleums between 1368 and 1644. The tombs are guarded by 18 pairs of massive sculptures of elephants, lions, camels (2 humps) and mythical beast.

Camel at the Mausoleum

And last, the day ended with a wonderful 5 course Peking Duck dinner. A great evening was had by all. However, everyone could not wait to get back to our hotel & hit the sheets as we have another long day tomorrow.

Lunch at Jade Carving Factory Restaurant

Brenda was a pro with chopsticks

Beijing Day 1

We have had an exciting first day in Beijing.

At 24 million residents it is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world.

Today we saw Tiananmen Square and The Forbidden City.  

At the historical heart of Beijing lies the Forbidden City, the enormous palace compound that was the home of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties; the Forbidden City hosts the Palace Museum, which contains imperial collections of Chinese art. Surrounding the Forbidden City are several former imperial gardens, parks and scenic areas, notably Beihai, Shichahai, Zhongnanhai, Jingshan and Zhongshan. These places, particularly Beihai Park, are described as masterpieces of Chinese gardening art,and are popular tourist destinations with tremendous historical importance; in the modern era, Zhongnanhai has also been the political heart of various Chinese governments and regimes and is now the headquarters of the Communist Party of China and the State Council. From Tiananmen Square, right across from the Forbidden City, there are several notable sites, such as the Tiananmen, Qianmen, the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China, the Monument to the People's Heroes, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. The Summer Palace and the Old Summer Palace both lie at the western part of the city; the former, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, contains a comprehensive collection of imperial gardens and palaces that served as the summer retreats for the Qing imperial family.

Forbidden City

Tiananmen Square - At 100 acres, it is the world's largest public square

Tiananmen Square

The square contains the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China in the square on October 1, 1949; the anniversary of this event is still observed there.  It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several important events in Chinese history.  Outside China, the square is best known for the Tiananmen Square Massacre, an armed suppression of a pro-democracy movement in June 1989.

Imperial Jewels Of China!

Oct 21-Nov 3, 2016    

IMPERIAL JEWELS OF CHINA
Beijing to Shanghai
Nov 3-7, 2016 Hong Kong

We are so excited to be going to China!  This phenomenal trip will present China’s key highlights in just 13 days.

In Beijing, we will explore historic imperial treasures like the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, and walk through Tiananmen Square- the world’s largest public venue.  We will also visit Xian and look into the faces of the Terra Cotta Warriors.

And we will cruise the legendary Yangtze River and visit the Three Gorges Dam, an engineering marvel that has changed the face of China.

Beijing, Xian, Chongqing, Shibaozhai, Three Gorges Dam, Jingzhou, Wuhan, Shanghai