Day 4- Great wall, Jade factory, Ming tombs

Day four was a big one. We set out early in the morning so that we could accomplish everything that we had planned that day. The bus ride was fun because we were with a guide that told us about some of the history of Beijing and China in general. It was enlightening to learn about the movement of different dynasties and where emperors were buried and why they were buried there. 

First stop was the great wall. Coming up on the mountains was grand enough, but seeing the length of the wall and the beauty of it all was breathtaking. 

Our friends the Green's going up the mountain on the lift.

The valley below

I have no idea what this says. Hollywood?

Stairs leading up to the tower where they would
signal that the enemy was near.

 We got to go down on an alpine slide. It was pretty awsome to rip down the mountains in an unstable little cart. We made it down with most of our dignity, and more appreciation for life. They say that once you have climbed the great wall you have become a man. I think they should say that about going down the slide.

Jade factory

After the wall we stopped in to see one of the jade factories. It was very interesting to see the workers carving into the beautiful stone. The ones that we saw were working on what are called happiness balls. These balls symbolize the family, each generation inside of another, for eternity. Protecting each other and giving rise to another generation. The bigger the ball, the better because the more balls carved into other balls, the more generations you will have, symbolizing fertility, and the jade symbolizes prosperity and wealth. The balls are very intricate in their carving. There are different levels of expertise, and the better the carving, the more you pay. Masters of carving can sell a small ball for hundreds of dollars. 

This ship which is as tall as the ceiling, and wide as half the
room, is all made of jade. It is worth more than a million dollars

General Mao Zedong

I wanted this. Christmas anyone?

This jade carving covered an entire wall of the museum.

We also learned the difference between real jade and glass and plastic made to look like jade. It's all in the sound, no matter how real it looks, it's probably not if you are getting it for a decent price. 

Ming tombs

The ming tombs were interesting because they are the last of the tombs that are in tact enough to go see. As the last dynasty, the tombs contain tombs of the last emperors. We went through a gate that is called the "Ghost gate" where it is said that if you pass through, you cannot come back without saying "I'm back from the dead!" in Chinese three times. But we made it just fine, and as far as I can tell we're not dead yet. 

This is a silk burning stove, the people would
make fake money and burn it in here to bring
the emperor wealth in the next life.

The ghost gate 0-o