China in Transition, Part 6

China has become a tourist attraction. Everywhere you go, there is something new to see and do.  I learned recently that Disneyland is going to build a theme park near Shanghai.

We have visited the Great Wall several times over the years.  The areas of the Great Wall that we have been to are an hour or so out of Beijing. The most popular site is at Badaling.  The second choice, Mutianyu, is more dramatic. Since we have visited the Badaling section before, we decided to see Mutianyu in September 2008. It was worth it. This portion of the Great Wall runs along the ridge of a mountain range. Badaling, meanwhile, is in a mountain pass and there is a steep climb on the wall to reach the higher altitudes.

The best way to reach these sections of the Great Wall is by taxi or bus. After you get there, you will discover the usual tourist shops before you reach the wall. Since I enjoy looking for the rare find and love to haggle, I always spend time checking out this area.

At Badaling, there were real camels and horses you could pay a fee to sit on while having your picture taken.

 Once you reach Mutianyu, you have a choice to make—take a few hours to climb the mountain or ride a ski lift to the Great Wall in fifteen minutes. Getting back down is easy. Take the toboggan seen during the 2008 Beijing Olympics on network TV.

I’m sure that during Mao’s time as the leader of China, most Chinese would have never imagined what was about to happen.  China is changing fast. Every year, we return and discover new things.

On our way back, we stopped at a factory where we learned about the manufacturing techniques for brass vases decorated with a colorful porcelain coating and hand painted figures.  I bought a set of three small vases. They are yellow with a blue trim.  One has a blue dragon on it, the second a phoenix beside a chariot, and the third has running horses.  Since they are sitting on a bookshelf behind me, I’ve been spinning around to make sure I described them right. Each one is about the size of my hand.

 The Great Wall at Mutianyu