Todd's Travels in China: Day 3 - The Great Wall & Ming Tombs

Day 3 - Tues. Dec. 31: Today was an unforgettable day that began with a trip to the Great Wall at Badaling. It was very cold and windy, and the wind sharply snapped the red flags that lined the top of the wall like cards on the spokes of a moving bicycle wheel. We spent almost 2 hours walking the wall. Bundled in layers of clothes, it was hard work, especially in the wind, which drove the temperature well below the freezing point. By the time we got to the restaurant after the amazing adventure, my clothes were almost soaked through from sweat, and the only heat in the restaurant came from space heaters. Not very modern, I thought. In my cold, damp state, I was worried about the possibility of catching a cold so early in my visit. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. The restaurant was also very stingy with water and napkins. Not very customer friendly, I thought. Fortunately, the food was good and hot.

Great Wall at Badaling

One of the seven architectural wonders of the world, the Great Wall snakes over deserts, hills, and plains for almost 4,000 miles. If you straightened the winding wall into a straight line, it would stretch all the way from New York City across the Atlantic Ocean to Berlin, Germany. Construction of the wall began as early as the 7^th century BC and lasted approximately 2,000 years. Meant to keep out invading forces from the north, it failed spectacularly, most notably with the incursions that established the dynasties of the Jin (Jurchen), Yuan (13^th century Mongols), and Qing (17^th century Manchu). Most of the wall has crumbled or collapsed into piles of rubble; however, several sections have been reconstructed, giving tourists a glimpse of their former grandeur. It was an incredible visit that I’ll never forget.

Great Wall at Badaling

After the Great Wall, we visited the Imperial Tombs of the Ming Dynasty about 30 miles northwest of Beijing. The resting place for 13 of the 16 Ming emperors, four of the tomb complexes are open to the public. The area was chosen because of its auspicious feng shui, the Chinese system of laws considered to govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy (chi); a ridge of mountains to the north cradles the tombs on 3 sides. We stopped first at Chang Ling, the resting place of the third Ming emperor, Yongle (1360-1424). Yongle, meaning “eternal joy,” moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing, where he oversaw the construction of the Forbidden City. Chang Ling is the oldest, largest, and most impressive of the tomb complexes, which spread over 15 square miles.

Hall of Eminent Favor at Changling

Yongle - 3rd Ming Emperor - at Changling

After Changling, we made the short drive to Ding Ling, tomb of the longest reigning Ming emperor, Wanli, whose rule began the downfall of the Ming dynasty. Ding Ling is the only Ming burial chamber to have been excavated and opened to the public. The intact underground chambers were discovered and excavated in the 1950s. After exploring the underground tombs and park, we walked along the top of the wall that surrounds the burial complex. I actually enjoyed the Dingling site more than the Changling site.

Burial Chamber at Dingling

While at Dingling, we met an very old man who was confined to a wheelchair. We had seen him earlier that day at the Great Wall and had wondered how he was going to see anything. Anyway, he was there with his family, and his son asked if he could take a picture of his father and me. Apparently, he believed that I was his good foreign friend. I was honored to have a picture taken with him.

A Chinese friend at Dingling

On the way back to the hotel, we passed by the "Bird's Nest" and the "Water Cube" - buildings constructed for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Unfortunately, I was exhausted after all of the walking I had already done today, so we didn't stop to walk around. I had hoped to come back later, but never made it. Oh well, next time!

We ended the day with a New Year’s Eve concert by the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra at the Beijing Concert Hall. It was like a mash-up between an orchestra and a circus. There was a great deal of high-jinx and audience participation, which interfered with the quality of the show. (Note I said show, not concert.) In addition, the orchestra and the conducting were far below expectations for a world-class orchestra. Not what we expected and somewhat disappointing, but still had an ok time. Although it was a rather strange ending to the day, it was an incredible experience.