The Great Wall and Lama Temple

Saying the Wall is Great is an understatement. It was astounding to say the least. I went on one of the most perfect days, cool in the morning and warm by the afternoon. The sun was high in the sky and there was a warm breeze blowing from the South. The air was so fragrant and clean. I couldn't stop wanting to take deep breaths so maybe I could clean my lungs out from all the smog of Beijing. There were some steep parts that I climbed and I am so proud of myself for doing it! It was so rewarding. The view was beautiful. The trees all over the mountain were in bloom and I could see the small towns at the base of the mountains. I learned that the mortar holding the stone together to build the Great Wall is nothing but rice and a plant. That combination was sticky enough to hold this massive structure. Of course now, when they restored parts of the wall they used cement, but you can tell where the original parts are because of the color of the mortar. To get down from the wall there was a taboggan ride that you could take so we did and it was a fun end to the afternoon. If you ever go to the Great Wall I strongly suggest the Mutianyu section. I think it is the best when comparing what my roommates say about the other parts.

I also visited the Lama Temple the same week. It is my favorite temple out of all the ones I have seen. That might be because it is one of the more active ones. There were people praying and lighting inscense. We listened to a group of monks chanting while they were sitting around a big statue of Buddha. There were a lot of different statues of Buddha, Monks, and Buddha's guards. The best part was seeing the 18m high Buddha that is carved out of one piece of sandalwood! It is in the Guiness Book Of World Records for 1990. It was so amazing. Apparently this kind of tree of this size is very rare and the Dahli Lama found one and bought it. It was transported to Beijing, but the Emperor thought it was too beautiful to make furniture out of so they carved the Buddha out of it and then they built the temple around it.

The Great Wall and the Lama Temple are two must sees if you ever come to Beijing. They were really beautiful sights.