My China Trip Day #4

Today I am going on another tour. Everyone woke up at 7:00 am. We changed our clothes, brushed our teeth, and ate our breakfast. At 7:30 am, we walked to the tour bus and unbelievably we had Sherry as our tour guide again and the same taxi driver! 3 people from Australia were also on the tour with us. Then, the taxi driver drove us to our first, The Great Wall of China. （長城）It took about 1 hour 30 minutes to get there. Along the way, Sherry told us about the Mr. He Jade. Soon, we started to see sections of The Great Wall. The section we were going to was the 八達嶺 section. When we were there we went out of the taxi. Sherry recommended that everyone goes to the washroom because at The Great Wall there won't be a washroom. Once everybody was done we met at a spot. We had a choice of either going in a cable car to get to The Great Wall, or going in a sliding car. Everyone chose sliding car because it was funner. Then, we all walked to the sliding car. But, first Sherry needed to buy some sliding car tickets. Finally she came back and she gave each one of us a ticket. We gave our tickets to a staff. He let us through and we went up some stairs. But we saw a long line to get to the sliding car. Finally it was our turn and we went in a seat. The sliding car looked like a roller coaster. Next, someone disconnected the seats and the sliding car started to move. First, we went through a dark cave. Soon, the cave started to end. Then, the sliding car went through a long, green passageway. Soon, the passageway ended. We unbuckled our seat belts and quickly got out. Finally, we climbed up some stairs. When we were at the top we realized we were finally at the 八達嶺 section of The Great Wall of China. We first went to a place where soldiers would look for enemies. I learned that when soldiers lit one fire it meant there were 500 enemies. If they lit two fires it meant there were more than 5000 enemies. And if they lit three fires it meant there were more than 10000 enemies.! Then, we walked across the actual Great Wall. Sometimes The Great WAll went up and it was very steep. Sometimes it went down and you had to walk very slowly. At 11:30 am, we went back to the sliding car. But there was another line! Man oh man, my patience meter was BEYOND full!!! Finally it was our turn and but every child had to go with a parent. So I sat with my mom in the front seat. Also, they didn't disconnect the seats. The sliding car started to move and it went down very fast. The sliding car skidded to a stop at the end. Then, everyone met at a meeting spot. We went back in the taxi and the taxi driver drove us to our second destination, a jade market. Once we were there, we went out of the taxi and into the jade market. After, a staff guided us to a place to where there were lots of jades. She told us the procedure in making a jade sculpture. First, they design it using paint. Then, they carve it with determite tool. Finally, they polish it. Next, she took us t a place where there were 3 jade bangles. She said 2 of them are fake and 1 is real. She told us how to know if it is real jade. If you bang a coin on a bangle made of marble it will make a low sound. If you bang a coin on a bangle made of glass it will make a hollow sound. And if you bang a coin on a bangle made of real jade it will make a high-pitched call. Finaly, she let us explore around and look at the jade bangles and carvings. When I was exploring I saw the Happiness Ball, the Happy Buddha, and even 貔貅 the Baby Dragon. Soon, we had to eat lunch. We walked to the restaurant because it was right beside us! We found a quiet table. But then people were giving us foods when we didn't even orer yet! Then we figured out that Sherry already ordered food for us! We enjoyed a good meal of beef, rice, cabbage, watermelon, and water, Once everyone was finished, we went back to the taxi. The taxi driver drove us to our third place, the 13 Legendary Tombs. But only two were available to public. We were visiting just one. When we were there we went out of the taxi and Sherry started her tour. We walked through the gates to the tomb. We were lucky enough to go through the middle gate, the Emperor gate! Then, we went in the 長嶺 Mausoleum. This is where 朱棣 and Empress 許 were buried. The 長嶺 Mausoleum was huge! There were many exhibitions inside. Sherry explained some of them. I learned that when 朱棣's eldest son became emperor he controlled China for one month and then he died! There was also a map of where the tombs were. We figured out that we were in the 長嶺 Tomb, resting in between Tiger Mountain and Dragon Mountain. Soon, we had to go back in the taxi. We went back and the taxi driver drove us to our fourth destination, a silk factory. Once we were there there we went out of the taxi and went in the silk factory.Then, a staff told us the silk cycle. First, it starts out as silk worm eggs. Second, the egg hatches into a silk worm. Next, the silk worm transforms into a silk cocoon. Finally, the silk cocoon evolves into a silk moth. Next, she guided us to a place where there were two cocoons. There were two types of silk cocoons. They were single cocoons which contain one silk worm. And double cocoons which contain more silk and two silk worms. Then, the staff took us to a place where workers were stretching out silk to make a blanket. The staff let us try pulling it out. We thought it was easy but when we tried, we tore it apart! We had to be gentle. Finally, she took us to a place where there was a silk blanket and a silk blanket cover. The staff said that price of the blanket is based on weight. And the price of the blanket cover was based on size. Soon, we had to go back to the taxi. We went back and the tour ended. The taxi driver drove us back to grandma's sister and brother's apartment. We ate a great dinner that they cooked for us. Then, we slept from the long day.