Don't eat the watermelon

Well, it was our first full day in Beijing. Our sleep last night not only rested us but it taught us some new wisdom which was a real bonus- it really is true that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! The beds were hard and the room was 84 degrees but other than that it was a perfect night's rest.

We woke up and had a terrific asian+american buffet in the hotel- they did a really great job. The Plaza Hotel is only 2 years old and it is 4-star. It is really quite nice. Our guide Jennifer picked up the 6 adults and 2 kids who have arrived so far out of our adoption party in a giant pink motorcoach which my daughter Maddie would appreciate. The tour company rented a big coach since in the next day or two we will have 21 total in our touring party in Beijing.

We departed for sightseeing at 9am and went first to Tianamen Square. This is a famous site in Beijing that everyone has heard of and everyone sees. It was 30 degrees or so but we bundled up and were fine. The square is apparently the largest in the world (our tour guide told us at least 3 things we saw today were the largest in the world and I was the largest guy in Tianamen Square so that kind of worked out well.). This area is a site for government offices and historical monuments. Chairman Mao is buried in a crystal casket and preserved in one building we did not go see. Across from Tianamen Square is the national museum which is also a 2008 Olympics planning site. We did start seeing a lot of military in that area and at the other national monuments for the rest of the day.

We then went to the Forbidden City which is only a short walk away. This is where emperors lived for 1400 years. This is a huge site next to Tianamen and right in the heart of this enormous city of Beijing. It is really a throwback to a different time. Emperors ruled in China until 1911 and they lived at a level that we wouldn't understand today. When you enter the forbidden city and look from high vantage points you see a sea of golden rooftops with dragons and animal characters on the corners of the roofs. Under the eaves of all the buildings are miles and miles of special designs, carvings, and paintings. Carved rock bridges and stone pathways you can look down on and see special pictures and characters in are common. The emperors apparently lived off the people vs living to help their people. You should hear how the emperors treated some of the people. The history we heard was fascinating to learn though sometimes bittersweet. However the history we saw was breathtaking everywhere we turned. I kept saying "unbelievable" all day long and I took over 150 pictures to try to preserve some sense of it. Literally sometimes taking the picture of just a section of a roof because I wanted to try to capture some of the detail that was done. It is really amazing that though it is faded there is a lot of original paint. There is also a lot of original gold. We saw throne rooms, bedrooms, original furniture, clocks, and much more. Everything was beautifully designed and painted and many things had gold on them and some had jewels. It was truly a wonder to see and to imagine that time.

The emperors lived well and they created dynasties and built big things but at the end of their lives no matter what they built and no matter how powerful they were they still died and had to face a holy God and were accountable for what they did. This is a reminder to all of us that though we work hard and build things we need to slow down in this short life and make peace with God through Jesus Christ - because the paint fades, the bricks disintegrate but the one who repents and believes in Jesus lives forever. (feel free to inquire on that via email)

The Chinese seem to have symbols for everything- our guide was really quite good with the historical details. Yellow was only allowed to be used by the emperor- anyone else who used it without permission was killed. Red was a common color for happiness and it is to this day. Today even the bride wears a red dress. The crane bird is a symbol of longevity, the bat is a symbol of good fortune, and the lion is a royal symbol found in front of perhaps every building we saw in the Forbidden City or any historical place.

After the forbidden city we went to lunch at a fancy restaurant full of fish tanks, and various demonstrations of water and flowers. We were served several selections and you always eat "family style" and share everything. The food is placed on a spinning "lazy susan" in the middle of the table. The food bore a similarity to Chinese food in the U.S. with a few differences- but it was good.

Then, we went to the Summer Palace which was absolutely spectacular. We saw the longest corridor in the world (there we go again) apparently which was alongside a lake built by the emperor. The long corridor was painted with hundreds of unique paintings that told stories or accounted historical things. There were many breathtaking scenes but one of the most amazing is a huge all-marble imperial party boat. It doesn't float but it is a boat in the water, attached by a dock, and used for parties.

Oh yah, you can't drink the water in China - everyone buys bottled water and the "Don't eat the watermelon" title of this blog entry came because after lunch they brought out watermelon and we all felt it might be a risk to eat it due to the high water content - so we didn't. We're probably crazy but it sounded like a good blog title.

Thanks for the encouraging comments and the prayers of many. We get our baby girl Sunday! Maddie, we miss you and pray for you every day.