The Great Wall of China

It was a rainy and foggy Saturday to visit the Great Wall of China, but visit we did, and climb we did... That's a lot of steps straight up! Catherine made it full up to the second tower from the bottom. Steve made it up four towers! The towers were spaced by the builders about two arrow shots apart to leave no part of the carriageway unprotected. The Great Wall itself was created after the unification of China under Qin Shi Huangdi (221-120 BCE).

Oh Yes, We Did Eat Today...

We had more food at lunch than we could possible all finish: fish, egg-drop soup, steaming beef, two kinds of pork, and much more... I (Steve) enjoyed the meal, especially the big flat fish. More things were fried and the sauces were heavier and sweeter, we all found, in comparison with the Chinese food that we are used to in the states. It's unclear yet whether these are general traits of Beijing food, or just the style of this one restaurant.

Summer Palace: View of Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill

Beyond Catherine and me in this shot you can see the slopes of Longevity Hill (Wanshou Shan) assending from the palace Lake (a huge artificial lake). The Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddah (Foxiang Ge) dominates the hill, but other impressive religious buildings are also visible.

The "Summer Palace," Beijing

Another great full-group photo. From left to right: Steve, Catherine, Edmund, Janelle, Melanie, and Charlie. Here we are on a picturesque bridge by the East Palace complex of the Summer Palace, a sprawling 716 acre imperial retreat of the Qing Dynasty. The residence and park was built up and made famous by the Empress Dowager Cixi in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The Temple of Heaven

Here's our full Barker-Agency group at the Temple of Heaven, one of the largest temple complexes in China and a paradigm of Chinese architectural balance and symbolism. Each year at the winter solstice, the emperor would sacrifice and pray to Heaven for a good harvest.

Forbidden City: The Imperial Gardens

The spectacular gardens in the north part of the Forbidden City date from the reign of the Ming Yongle emperor. They include pavilions, temples, halls, rock gardens, and ancient trees. This was perhaps my (Steve's) favorite part of the complex.

The Forbidden City (Outer Court)

Just North of Tian'an Men Square is the Forbidden City, China's most magnificent architectural complex (completed in 1420). The huge palace was home and court to 24 emperors for nearly 500 years. It was the symbolic center of the Chinese universe, and the exclusive domain of the imperial court and its dignitaries. Here Catherine and I are standing in the Outer Court, easily the most impressive and imposing part of the complex.

Tian'an Men Square

We started our first day in Beijing bright and early with a huge buffet breakfast at our hotel, the Regent Beijing, and a trip to Tian'an Men Square. The Square of the Gate of Heavenly Peace is a vast open expanse at the heart of modern Beijing. It's like the DC mall and NY's time square in one. Here is Catherine with our guide for the duration, LiFeng.

Made it to Tokyo-Narita (NRT) Airport

It is about 4pm local time at Tokyo-NRT airport on Thursday, March 1st. Our connecting flight to Beijing departs in a little over an hour, and we are waiting comfortably in the ANA lounge. Steve is going to get a drink and, if I have my guess, it would be coffee, but since it is 2am in the morning at home, he had a Perrier.



We had a smooth flight and a very comfortable one. Long, but Steve says it was one of the best flights he has experienced. Hurray for business class! The food we ate by choice was Japanese. When in Japan, eat as the locals do. Everyone in Japan bows to you and is super polite. Very little turbulence on the flight.

The business lounge, where we are now waiting, is neat and decorated in a natural modern style.

I was sick a little last night, due in part to having put on a med-patch on my ear to handle motion sickness. On the plane we saw a bassinet for a baby in enconomy and that baby was sleeping in it quite peacefully.

This has been a little overwhelming---a long haul flight. We miss you all, and shall post when we can after ariving in Beijing.

Off to Dulles Airport...

Time to power down the home computer and throw the toothbrush in the luggage. This will be our last post from Alexandria. The journey has begun!

Warm Messages of Encouragement and Support

Here is the inside of the card just mentioned (click to enlarge):

A Gift for the Orphanage from the Seminary Staff

Cathy and I cried tears of joy yesterday, when a score of our close friends on the Virginia Seminary staff gave us a beautiful card and a very generous gift of money to hand deliver to Rebecca's Social Welfare Agency in Chongqing, China. There are many great needs at the orphanage, including several children waiting to have life-saving surgery that cannot be performed until sufficient money is raised. I know that the SWI directors will be overjoyed to receive this gift! Warmest thanks to all who contributed! Love, ---Steve & Cathy

Dressing Warmly

The weather in Beijing looks like it will be pretty much as it is here in the DC area. I guess we'll be wearing our winter coats when we fly out tomorrow morning! Of course, the cities in the south of China that we'll be visiting will be much warmer.