What a privilege to meet one of the royal family of China. This man is one of China's treasures in many ways. First of all, he is the nephew of the Last Emperor of China, member of the twelfth generation of the Emperor's family. Second, he is a very great artist, a calligrapher, specifically. Third, he is a philanthropist, and gave his personal wealth to the Red Cross to assist those who are suffering in Sichuan Province, under the devastation of the great earthquake.In front of us is a work he did - as we watched. His seemingly effortless manner belied the fact of his consummate mastery of the skills required for such perfect work. Having begun his calligraphic training at four years of age, he continues on into his sixties. We met him at the end of the day, quite by accident - through a formal introduction by a museum worker here at the Forbidden City. The only downside is that this came at the end of a very long, very soggy day, and we were exhausted. If I had had presence of mind, I would have written down his name. I will inquire and hope to update the blog with that information by mid July.
This is a shot of one of the Emperor's thrones. Our guide, Jimmy, told us all sorts of interesting facts about the throne, what it was used for and when; the way the tiles were made on the floor - and what makes them completely unique; the calligraphy - which was painted by the hand of the Emperor himself, and its special meanings, and so forth. Very fascinating.
Connie caught a shot of this monk running across the brick courtyard with an umbrella. I think this is a delightful picture. He reminds me of Mr. Tumnus in C. S. Lewis' book, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, a fawn who carried an umbrella.
This lion head was part of a huge guilded bronze laver that stood in one of the enormous courtyards.
"The Four Hundred Year Old Tree," that's what it's called. This was not the only old tree at the Forbidden City. After all, the Forbidden City is hundred's of years old and was a royal residence until the early twentieth century. Every square inch of this place is connected to history. There must be a million intriguing stories in this place. But, to stand in the presence of something old and still living, something that dates back four hundred years, gives one an odd feeling. What was happening four hundred years ago in America? That would have been 1608, and the first English Colonies were not established until 1620. The U.S. did not become a nation until 1776. So, this tree is older than the English colonies and older than the United States itself. This gives one pause.
With all that running around, a boy has to eat. These noodles are absolutely wonderful. This meal was so delicious. It was a bit different than regular Chinese cuisine in that it had a Mongolian twist. This is where, just behind me, the chef came out and grabbed a large fish out of what I thought was the "aquarium" and dragged it off into the kitchen. I guess it wasn't an aquarium after all. Hmmmm. 
The night market in Beijing is a bustling place. Tourists, merchants, businesses, music, noise, humidity, and a seemingly endless offering of trinkets and merchandise were crowded into a backstreet, just off one of the city's centers.
This couple made two stamps for us to give to our daughter, Joey, and her husband, Matthew. Joey is a writer, and Matthew is a boat designer. We though they might think it novel to sign their works with with a stamp of their own names, specifically and lovingly created just for them.
This tree, in one of the Forbidden City's special gardens, is called "The Loving Tree." It is intertwinded and grows together, like the lives of lovers. Many couples stand in front of this tree to have their pictures taken. To do so, they say, insures the longevity of your love for each other. This year, on June 1st, while in Xi'an, China, Connie and I celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary. I would say we already have that "longevity" thing going on in our marriage, but it never hurts to build in a little "insurance."
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