China: Day 4

First we went to a cloisonné factory where it was really interesting to see all the craftspeople at work and the techniques they use. I bought a beautiful plate with red blossoms on it.

We carried on into the mountains and my breath was taken away by my first glimpse of the Great Wall. We went to Badaling and were free for a few hours to climb as much or as little as we liked. The path was very steep in places. Although it was a hard slog and my legs ached for days afterwards, it was well worth it. It was an awe inspiring experience and a great thing to be able to say that I have done. The wall was even more impressive in real life than in pictures or on TV. And the views were spectacular.

After working up an appetite, we ate a great meal at a friendship store, then in the afternoon we visited the Sacred Way with its statues of animals and people, and a museum of artifacts from one of the Ming tombs.

We went to a tea house for a tea ceremony at which we tasted numerous different teas including oolong, jasmine, puer, and lychee & rose. We went on to the theatre for an acrobatic show, then to a restaurant well-known for its Peking Duck.