Fantastic Day (long post)

We had a long busy day today in Beijing.  We left early for a tour of the Ming tombs, a Jade factory, the Great Wall and then a silk factory.

About 30 miles northwest of Beijing is the Ming Tombs Scenic Area, where lie the mausoleums of thirteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty (From 1368 to 1644).

 Grounds around the tomb site

The tombs are under this area

Heading into the tombs

This was used to lock the tomb doors

Tomb sites

The Emperor's throne

 Gia peaking out

In the museum - things found in the tombs

Wood carvings

Silk tapestry 

Woman's Robe

 Many golden pots, plates etc.

Emperor's Jade Belt

Jade Pendents

More pictures around the grounds

Gia was tired after visiting the tombs

Next it was off to the jade factory

Craftsmen working with the Jade.  These are really cool.  they start with a solid piece of jade, carve it into a ball and carve smaller ball on the inside of the first. Then another one in side the second and so on.

Massive Jade sculpture.

 Cassie starting to fade to.  We had lunch here.  That perked everyone up.  Then it was on to the next stop, the Great Wall

 The Great Wall. On other trips to Beijing, we have gone to tour the Great Wall closer to the city.  This time we were out at the Ming Tombs so we went to a location closer to there, near Tianshou Mountain.

This section of the wall was higher in the mountains.  We had to take a gondola to reach the wall.  These were some shots heading to the gondola

 The gondola cars 

Heading up the mountain

The kiddos enjoying the ride up 

At the great wall (someone else posing for a picture)

 Pictures walking on and from the wall

The flag indicates the highest point on this part of the wall.  Molly and Emma were the only ones in the group to make it all the way to this point.  Cassie made it about half way up before she decided her sisters were crazy :-)  

This is the start of the steep climb to the flag

Cassie taking in the view

Gia and Mom

The Polus girls on the Great Wall 

Gia 

 There was a documentary crew filming on the wall while we were there.

Heading back down from the Great Wall 

 

Next Up - The Silk factory

 

 Raw silk

 Silk worms

Silk art

Silk Chairman  Mao vest

On the way back we went by the Olympic village

In the background you can see the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube

 Another shot of the Water Cube

End of a long day - Gia and Cassie napping on the way back to the hotel

Lastly, the T-shirt of the day