I returned home last night from a truly incredible trip to Beijing, Tianjin, and the Great Wall. As someone who has loved to travel from an early age, it was thrilling to see places that, previously, I had only read about in books and only dreamed of seeing with my own eyes. As a teacher, I was so overstimulated, trying to take in every detail so that I can help history come alive in the years to come. I realize how blessed I am to have had the opportunities I have had this year.
On our first day, we flew to Beijing around lunchtime, checked into our hotel, and explored a bit on our own. We went to the Beijing walking street to shop and eat some snack foods, then we walked through Tienanmen Square. It was overwhelming, to say the least. We walked through a student art exhibition and had Peking duck for dinner. (SO delicious!)
On our second day, we took a private tour through all of the major highlights of Beijing: The Summer Palace, Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven. We were able to see the Olympic stadium from 2008 from the car window. At the end of the day, we took a train to Tianjin, where we met up with my friend, Peter. We ate dinner, exchanged “China stories” from our year of teaching, and played card games.
The next day was by far my favorite. We traveled to the Great Wall at the Huangyaguang Pass. We originally missed our train, so we went several hours later than planned. It ended up being a good thing, because we missed the heat of the day. When we arrived, it was cool and misty. As we hiked, we could hear the thunder rolling in the distance. Eventually, the rain did come, but it was followed by a glorious hour of golden sunset. About halfway through the hike, it began to hail. It was the first hailstorm there in many years. We found cover under a rest stop with a tin roof, and listened to the ice pelting down. When the hail stopped, we began the second leg of our hike as a rainbow emerged between the mountains.
By this point, my legs were terribly wobbly. Every step was painful (We hiked over 5,000 meters of wall, tens of thousands of stairs, and the equivalent of at least a 158 story building). But (miraculously!) I was continually able to lift my leg “one more time” and climb “one more step.” Our goal was the walk to the end of the wall, ending with the “stairway to heaven.” Probably the most difficult and seemingly endless set of stairs I have ever climbed.
As we climbed, I thought about the name given to this part of the wall and I was increasingly thankful that I don’t have to work or climb my way to Christ. As we consistently encouraged each other, I thought to myself that had I been hiking alone, I would have given up a LONG time before that point. The hike would have been impossible without friends encouraging and cheering each other on. We considered the spiritual parallel, that in our spiritual life, we need each other. Edifying friends make all the difference.
At the top, we saw the beginning stages of a magnificent sunset. Out of breath and at a high altitude, we sang a very poor rendition of “How Great Thou Art.” Our voices may have been weak, but our hearts were so full.
By this point, the sun was setting and we had about a 45 minute hike ahead of us to get back to where our driver was waiting for us. The sunset was brilliant. Iridescent blues and pinks stretched out over the horizon. We paused to read Psalm 19 as we stood in awe of the beauty around us.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.”
The sun was setting and the moon was rising. And it was growing dark quickly. When we reached the spot where we were supposed to head back to the car, it had grown dark and we couldn’t find the exit. After walking in circles 2 or 3 times, we realized we were trapped. We called the driver, who then found someone to come find us. (the lady owned a local restaurant. She had to find someone to unlock the gate to get us out…because the wall had closed 3 hours earlier.) While we waited, we stared up at the stars and realized that we were experiencing something few people ever experience. We were the only people on the wall and we were stargazing into the clear night sky.
The kindness of Chinese people astounds me sometimes. The lady who came searching for us on the wall opened her restaurant after hours and cooked a meal for us. (we were famished!) After that, we rode three hours to get back home and fall into a very, very deep sleep. (after popping some ibuprofen!)
The next day was less eventful and our sore muscles were glad for that! We took a taxi to Tianjin and spent most of the morning standing in line to ride the Tianjin Eye. We couldn’t have hoped for clearer, bluer skies as we got a good look at the city for a bird’s eye view. Afterward, Peter took us to “Blue Frog” for the best burgers and sweet potato fries I have had in China. Western food can be difficult to find and often it is still not exactly what we’re used to. Blue Frog gave Red Robin a run for it’s money. 🙂
Finally, we took a series of trains, taxis, planes, and more taxis to get back home. This was one of the best trips I have ever taken. It was 4 days that were full of culture, history, and wonders. Two days later, it still hurts to roll over in bed, but climbing the Great Wall gave such a great feeling of accomplishment. Over the course of this trip, we were stretched and challenged. We were encouraged by godly fellowship. We were dazzled by the accomplishments of men over the course of hundreds and thousands of years. We were entirely awe-struck by the majesty of our good Father.
I am thankful for the privilege of experiencing this rich culture. In two weeks we will be flying again, and this time we will be flying home. It will be time to embark on a new adventure. A different kind of adventure, and I am absolutely thrilled for that! As I transition back into teaching in America and enjoying every second of being with kids again, I will carry with me the lessons I have learned in China.
Adventuring in China 