The Wall

@GreatRailJourneys

An early start today to avoid the crowds, but worth it. The weather has improved so a warm and dry day, perfect for our visit to the Great Wall if China. We visit the Wall at the Mu Tian Yu section because, although slightly further away from Beijing, the views are better and the crowds smaller.

The final part of the ascent is in a cable car gondola. The one that I rode in had lettering on the window advising that the gondola had been occupied once by British Prime Minister John Major. Apparently there’s also an Obama one doing the rounds.

Our Local Guide in Beijing is Lily and we have a little tradition. Every time we meet on Tour we get a photo at the Wall in the same pose and place.

The Chinese characters carved into the mountain behind us were constructed during the Cultural Revolution and translate as “Be loyal to Chairman Mao”. So we are.

After lunch we visited a Cloisonné factory to see how these beautiful items are hand made.

I absolutely must have these two figures outside my front door, but I’m not certain Mrs TimOnTheTrain would keen and anyway they cost just South of 250,000 (I was however offered free postage and packaging)