China, The Final Blog

OK, now my final blog about our China trip. This is a hodge podge of pictures that didn't fit into the themes of my previous posts....enjoy!

we went to a park that had quite a few rules/restrictions...I'm still trying to figure out what a few of these are :)

The Summer Palace:

the Marble Boat (exclusively for the head concubine)

We went to a show that was akin to the Cirque du Soleil productions that most people are familiar with. It was very impressive, and they did not mind if you took photos during the show.

This man was supporting two contortionists: one with his feet and the other with his hands...AND he was rolling across the floor, from back to stomach to back, etc. As he transitioned from lying on his back to lying on his stomach, he had to do some flexible maneuvers with his shoulders that almost made it look like his arms were coming out of socket. Surreal.

11 people riding on one bike....doing tricks

OK, back to some classical Chinese architecture:

the Temple of Heaven - constructed with interlocking beams, without the use of nails

We visited the Lama Temple:

18 meter tall Buddha carved from a single piece of sandalwood

On our last day, we had a few more hours to kill, so we headed to the drum towers. They used to ring a bell in the morning and beat a drum in the evening to signify the time.

Amanda cautiously navigates up the extremely steep stairs to the top of the drum tower.

The view from atop the drum tower shows the juxtaposition of the nearby hutong (narrow alleys) and the modern city skyline in the distance.

original drum in the tower against the daylight flooding in through the paned windows

a troop of volunteers re-enacting the playing of the drums...I only wish they would let me play too :)

Well, this concludes the plethora of pics from our second China trip. With how fast the country is growing, I am sure it will be much different the next time we go to visit. If you ever have the chance to visit, I highly recommend taking full advantage of discovering all the sights and culture that China has to offer. There is a passion for prosperity that can be found throughout, and the respect and continuation of thousands of years of tradition is unparalleled in any other land on Earth.