by Kathy
24. April 2010 20:25
Who is not mesmerized by images of the Great Wall snaking up and down jagged mountain ridges and fading into the distance? For me, the ribbon of stone has always held an aura of mystery with a heavy dose of enchantment. I knew that one day I would visit the Great Wall and see all of that beauty in person.
Last year, I had a vivid dream that I was finally standing next to the Wall; but I was blind, so I couldn’t see it. I could only reach out and feel the rough stones with my hands. I stretched my arms out as wide as they could go, embracing the hardness and letting my fingertips linger in the crevices. This dream remained sharp in my mind the next morning. What did it mean? I didn’t ponder the question too long. Soon, I had a map of China pinned to my bedroom wall, and I began plotting a family journey for the following spring.
The dream was not a premonition, as I did experience the visual wonder of the Great Wall. It was truly magnificent.
In addition to seeing the Great Wall, we traveled to six different areas of China. Among our many activities, we explored the Forbidden City and Summer Palace in Beijing, visited a “hanging temple” that was built onto the side of a vertical cliff wall near Datong, viewed the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, climbed along the holy mountain peaks of HuaShan, witnessed the ongoing transformation of the ancient town of Lijiang, relished the tranquility of a rural community near Yangshuo, and experienced the bustle and bright lights of Hong Kong.
We are in the process of writing the daily stories about our experiences. The blue titles below have in-depth stories attached. The dark red titles will change to blue after the completion of each related story.
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Day 1: Beijing, Lost in Translation |
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Day 2: Beijing, Tiananmen Square & the Forbidden City |
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Day 3: Beijing—The Great Wall |
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Day 4: Beijing, the Summer Palace and 798 Arts District
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Day 5: Datong, Hanging Monastery and Yungang Caves
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Day 6: Xi’an, Within the Walls
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Day 7: Xi’an, Hiking on HuaShan
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Day 8: Xi’an, Terracotta Warriors
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Day 9: Lijiang, Black Dragon Pool
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Day 10: Lijiang, Lion Hill and Wangu Pavilion
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Day 11: Lijiang, Impressions Show
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Day 12: Chao Long, Just What the Doctor Ordered
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Day 13: Chao Long, Peaceful Tranquility
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Day 14: Yangshuo, In the Rain
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Day 15: Chao Long to Hong Kong
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Day 16 and 17: Hong Kong and Home!
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Tags: family travel china, china family travel, family china adventure, china with children, china travels with children, china with kids, beijing family travel, beijing, forbidden city with kids, children in china, things for kids in beijing, travel with kids in china, family adventure, family travels, family tour of china
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