It rained. Not just a summer splash, but a torrent of rain with thunder and lightning; the likes that Annabelle had never seen before! So, we decided to go to a mall that had an entire floor of entertainment for kids. A room size sand pit with toys, trucks, and a kitchen (?), cars for her to drive, bikes to try, a playground with an inflatable bed to bounce on, as well as other things filled hours for us to escape the torrent outside. This is where we ended the night eating Hot Pot (a pot of hot soup that boils while you feed it vegetables and meat to cook and eat) next to the lawyer couple who works for the government. They came to our rescue when we realized the menu had no English and the waitress spoke none either! We saw this place packed with people eating so figured it was good…alas; we had no idea how to get what they had. But this nice couple got us set up and answered our new flood of questions about the government and their lives.
We found out that you can choose what you want to become in China, it is not dictated like I thought it was. It does help to know the right people in order to get a job…but when doesn’t that help? They said it was a privilege to work for the government and they seemed genuinely happy. Barrett learned a bit more from them as Annabelle was tired, whiny, and in-between us, so listening was difficult. Yet, it was still fun.
We hired a tour guide for the next day to take us to the Forbidden City. His name was Aaron and his energy matched his big smile. He is the young man that told us he had only recently heard about Tiananmen Square and he informed us about the card you had to have to have more than one child. He spoke so easily about abortion it actually took me aback. Abortion seems to have become the expected and accepted norm and I also didn’t expect that. Later in the trip, we had a friend explain to us more about this policy as well. But I’ll write about that another day.
Well, back to the city. This is where the Emperor lived during the Ming to Qing Dynasties (15th century-1912…yeah! 1912!). We entered into the courtyard where executions and floggings took place for all those who were against the Emperor. Huh. The Palace grounds were the only buildings in China that were allowed to have yellow roofs and red walls. These are the colors of royalty. The Emperor is said to be the son of a god that looks like a dragon. So dragon imagery was commonly seen. One of the throne rooms is also constructed into the shape of the Chinese character for earth while the steps around it look like a cloud. Thus, the imagery shows this place is the reign of earth in heaven. So fascinating how clever people are! The creativity of man in construction to be like god has not changed since the tower of babel, huh?
He had a special throne room to meet dignitaries, to rest, and to have marriage ceremonies. He had as many wives and concubines as Solomon! Ok, not that many. Each day he would choose which lucky lady would be with him that day or night. Barrett can barely handle me…can you imagine women into the 1000’s? Each had their own room in the palace. So did the servants and soldiers. This place was huge! There were stone cranes and turtles everywhere to symbolize longevity for the Emperor as well. There were also male and female lions to show power and care for the young. The center walkway through out the palace was raised and only used by the Emperor. They also have large gold plated basins strategically placed everywhere that would have been filled with water in case the palace caught on fire. Can you imagine that bucket brigade? Wow.
We continued walking though the gardens, taking pictures, and trying to fathom that this palace was used only 100 years ago while America was making cars, railroads, and writing newspapers. So radically different!
This place was amazing. It took our breath away. Yet, I kept thinking that all the people in this palace had to go to the bathroom the same way. Odd, I know. But all men and women are created in the image of God and have equal worth…yet we try and elevate ourselves to greatness when in fact; we all have to use the hole in the ground just like any other person. So humbling.
After seeing the palace we visited some Hutongs to see what they looked like. Hutongs are narrow streets where you live, buy things, and eat. It’s kind of like a serpentine neighborhood. The sites and smells were memorable…we cannot handle stinky tofu but the others were pleasant enough! We found a place to sit and rest our singing feet while listening to a college kid play his guitar and share his tune . Annabelle would dance around and people would try and take pictures. She liked the guitar player and policeman enough to allow a picture. So we did.
It was an amazing day. I hope that this sparks enough interest to dig into history a bit more. They way of life back them is amazing! Their art and crafting skills were top notch! And these dynasties lasted so long…to the 1900’s! Wow.
Well…I think I can fit the rest of our trip in 2 or 3 emails. This is either good or bad news depending how much you enjoy these. Thanks for coming along with us!