Beijing, here I come!!! Part 2

Woke up early today.. er.. at least early for a non-working day.. hehe
Had breakfast which was bought last night and then went to the hotel lobby. There's a counter there where we can book short tours, and we chose a tour package covering the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall.

The bus came around 10, and we boarded it. There were some other tourist also.. We even stopped at another hotel to pick up more tourists.

This is the tour guide trying to explain to us the history of the destinations..



First Stop. Jade Making...

I guess this kinda stops comes with all tour packages.. but found some interesting info.. hehe.. This is the process of Jade making, basically, they have to slowly shape the jade from a square block of jade. There's even a piece that is a ball within ball kind.. very interesting... can be up to 5 layers, i think.. Look at that huge carving of a chinese junk!! its longer than my height!!



The birth stones and what each means, if anyone wanna know



and also.... Me trying to act cute..



Ming Tombs, visiting the dead.. hmm...

Travelled a long road. Was told by the tour guide that in the past, nobody is allowed to settle in this area cos of the tombs. In the past, the government is bigger, now.. the people is bigger.. at least in this aspect.. hee

Long long road sia...



Look at the map.. there are altogether 13 Emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368A.D. - 1644A.D.) buried here.. Changling Mausoleum is the biggest, and the first of the tombs, containing Emperor Zhu Di and the Empress, and also the largest in scale.

Cannot see the tomb itself.. only the entrance or front part.. the tomb itself is not touched... as the tour guide says, the best way to preserve something is to not touch it at all.. This the greatest of the Ming Emperors.. the others who are not so significant are explored though.. life is cruel.. hee







Some items that were excavated from other tombs. I was fascinated by the gold ingots, as they dun look like what i see in chinese dramas. There's also gold utensils that a drunkard Emperor used..



Not forgetting the woman behind the "successful" man..



The man itself...



Can u imagine those pillars are whole trunks?? noticed the floor is elevated, and the pillars are protected.. they are serious abt preserving this place man..



I like this photo.. the scenery is very good.. :D



Other nice scenery





Lunch..

Time for lunch.. We arrived at some factory area, and entered some factory manufacturing vases. Its interesting in that it uses thin strips of copper and then paste small pieces one by one, the thin side, onto the vase. Then colour dye is added onto the vase and its placed in the kiln for firing.. After that, more dye is added and then placed in the kiln for firing again.. this process is repeated over and over again until the vase is smooth and the stips are flushed..

All that hard work!!




We had rice wine on the table.. It was a small bottle and our cups are so small.. I only took sips at a time, and can already feel the strong alcohol effect.. imagine drinking the whole cup at one time, think i'll faint!!


Great Wall of China (不到长城,不是好汉) (translated: those who have never been to Great Wall of China is not a man! hehe)

Starting point.. just looking at the length sweat liao..



Getting there!! *pant pant*



Finally at the top!! (at least the highest i'm going.. hehe) how come i see no dragon?? oh yah.. have to see from space.. haha



What goes up.....



Must come down!!



Final Stop of the day.. Tea Shop..

We had a final destination of a tea shop. Sat down and then watched tea ceremony and also walked around the shop.. After some looking around, I inquired abt some item i'm interested in buying. The shop assistant girls mistook me for the tour guide!! I figured it must be the winter coat I was wearing.. cos its my dad's one which he bought in China and looks like what the locals will wear.. haha.. They gave me discount though cos they say we're all Chinese.. I think it pays to be able to speak chinese also.. hehe

After the tea shop, we were brought back to the hotel and have our rest.