You may have heard of PEKING DUCK. Yes, it is a specialty in China, now it is called Beijing Duck, not nearly as poetical. But at least we caught a glimpse of this illusive creature, and persuaded it to have its picture taken with Connie, and one of the traditional Chinese lions . . . for protection. After the picture, the Peking Duck suddenly vanished. We considered ourselves lucky to have been able to secure such an auspicious and important photo opportunity.
Jimmy was our guide through the nearly infinite maze of buildings called the Forbidden City. Several of our acquaintances told us to skip the Forbidden City and go to the Summer Palace instead. They said they could not remember much of the Forbidden City. When we got there it became immediately clear to me that anyone not being guided through this vast royal palace complex would have no idea what they would be seeing. So, for 200 Yuan (RMB) we hired a guide for the day. 200 RMB is about $30 (USD). I figured it would be worth it, and golly was it ever!Jimmy was a deep reservoir of knowledge. He was also an excellent English speaker and has a truly delightful sense of humor. He told us many jokes and witty things. He was absolutely the best guide ever! It seemed he knew so many details about the Forbidden City. He ought to. He gives two to three tours a day, everyday. Not a way to get rich, but it sure is a way to improve one's English speaking abilities. Jimmy spent the whole day with us, and took us directly to places that some tourists spend hours trying to find. He was fantastic. If you go there, we will be happy to give you Jimmy's business card. You will definitely want to hire this guy. We were SO LUCKY!!!
Many buildings are being refurbished and fixed up for all the visitors coming to Beijing for the Olympics in August. It is going to be insane. I asked Jimmy how many people come to the Forbidden City each year. He said, "I don't know, but last October, over two million people came to the Forbidden City on one day!" I was shocked. I questioned him on that and he held to his story.
I don't know if that number was accurate, but I suppose 170,000 people per hour for twelve hours might be possible. Still, 3,000 people entering the Forbidden City per minute for twelve hours is hard to believe. Nevertheless, Jimmy defended that number. Whew!
Perhaps the "city" was open longer than twelve hours, I couldn't really get a clear idea of how those statistics worked. Whatever the actual case is, at least Jimmy believed the number, and he works there, so he might be right.
The Chinese lion, which just about everyone is familiar with, is represented as both male and female. The male is on the right and has a sphere under its right paw - symbolizing power. The female is on the left, with a one of her cubs under her left paw - symbolizing maternity and the home, I suppose. There are different styles of lions. These lions are very old and appear more traditional. They were only about three feet tall. I liked this design better than some I've seen.
The bronze work on this door was exquisite! The dragon, probably two to three inches tall and about three times as long, was so perfectly executed that it arrested my attention. It appears polished because people touch it all the time . . . including myself. I couldn't resist. The curvilinear forms, the movement and the dimensionality of this magnificent work evokes an automatic tactile response from the viewer. I can't express how stimulating this metal work is, but it is a pure joy to behold. Someone once told me that what we today consider "the crafts" in the western world, will eventually save the visual arts from the chaos and the inevitable nihilistic abyss into which the "art for arts sake" mentality is sending it. This work, simple as it is, makes be believe them because of the sophistication and restraint this work demonstrates.
Mythological creatures are part of Chinese art. Some of them are scary, and are meant to be so. This is one of those creatures that you really don't want to meet in a dark alley, or a lit one either. Jimmy told us about it, but I can't remember the specific name. I just remember that it was NOT a lion. It was intended to be a protector of the emperor and the palace.
On a lighter note. I thought this little girl was a joy. Look at her little umbrella and clothing. This child is obviously "special" to her parents - as are all the children in China. A one child policy will make one appreciate what a blessing children truly are.
This NINE DRAGON SCREEN WALL is very famous. It is one of several in existence. You can read more about it on the plaque by clicking onto the image. A larger, more readable version will pop up. Just click the back button to get back to this page, to continue. 
This is a model of the heavens. I think it has a larger version someplace in the Forbidden City. Both versions have real pearls to locate the place of the stars of the constellations. The larger version, as I understand it, has five thousand three hundred pearls . . . or was it three thousand, five hundred pearls in the place of the stars? I can't remember all the details. Let's just say that there are thousands and thousands of pearls that make up these three dimensional ancient space observatories.
The Forbidden City was full of carved marble wonders, like this staircase for the emperor. The items carved in this long vertical frieze is of dragons, mountains and sky. Jimmy tells us that the Forbidden City, over its lifetime of housing emperors, employed over 100,000 artists and over 2,000,000 workers.
Everywhere there were wonderful carvings, which if you look close, need some tender loving care in order to restore them to their best condition. Connie and I contributed to the restoration project going on here at the Forbidden City. It is just a small way of becoming part of history, as well as investing something personal in the betterment of China and its ancient heritage. Now, Dan and Connie Rice will forever be part of the Forbidden City. That is a really cool thought. 
Jimmy told us the story about the meaning of the crane. This particular crane stands on a dais, above the people, in a vast courtyard. On this platform there is an altar for burning incense. Funerary rituals are associated with the burning of the incense. It is said that if a person did good in life, the crane would carry their soul to a happy afterlife. If they did not do well, the crane would carry their soul to a place under the earth, to a not-so-desirable afterlife. I though it was intriguing how the "afterlife" theme was part of this culture, and how much it is a part of many (if not every) cultures. There seems to be a recurring theme here in the psyche of human beings. This is exactly what the modern China is struggling with - spirituality, morality, consequence and reward. Institutional atheism has not cured the religious needs of the human soul. I have heard many people say, "We do not need the idea of God in order to live moral lives. Living for the good of humankind is motivation enough." Well, guess what? That might sound plausible and nice, but I have observed that it really doesn't work that way. People need the Lord, for lots of reasons. Many of which reach far beyond the issues of morality and human ethics. I think we are going to see some very interesting events in China with regard to spirituality in the next fifty years. China, again, is the place to watch.
The Great Wall of China, of course is one of the wonders of the world, and rightfully so. All I can say is, "You gotta go there, in order to appreciate the magnitude of this wonder." I kept pinching myself and saying, "Dude, you are walking on the Great Wall, of China!"
People from around the world want others to know that they had made this nearly-sacred pilgrimage, and a pilgrimage it is. When you see this marvel, it puts some things into perspective. This part of the wall is younger than that near Xi'an. This portion of the wall is only three thousand years old.
Yes, the stairs can be a bit steep at times. Connie took this picture of me, which shows that she was marching on ahead of me, leaving me in her dust! Thanks, dear.
Then, she takes this picture of me, as she lets me catch up. No, I am not annoyed, just a little out of breath, but I am ready for the next set of stairs.
Here they are. Up you go!
The Beijing airport was expecting us. Despite the adventure of China, and despite the benefit we were to so many hundreds of students, it felt good to be going back home. Nearly a month in Asia put new thoughts into our minds, filled us with wonder (countless times), opened our thinking to new and old ways of doing things, and to objects we had never considered as food. We talk of returning one day.
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