James Lie: The Great Wall

Sunday, October 12, 2008

The Great Wall

We made it to China. We had an absolutely wonderful time and all flights made the right connections were made. Even our baggage survived. All the way over the north pole and through Hong kong and then the whirlwind tour of Beijing with our lovely guide Linda. Here's where we were today- the Great Wall. We walked up those steps behind us. 700 steps. Woohsh. We needed the workout. Joseph had his own paparazzi. People thought he was beautiful and wanted to take pictures with them.

We also saw the Forbidden City and Tiannamen square and have been eating very well, even Joseph.

Tonight we are in Chengdu and in 9 short hours we'll meet our baby, Dong Lie. James. I can't really type a coherent sentence anymore. More later. Tomorrow is the day!!!!!!!!! I want to cry but can't cause of jet lag!

Love, Kelly and Joe and Joseph

3 comments:

Crankshaw said...: Awesome. Glad the trip is going well so far. love you, john, kristin, claire and connor; October 12, 2008 at 1:45 PM
Unknown said...: So happy to hear for you - I've been checking this blog even when i knew you were in the plan. what an amazing trip! More pictures.

Good luck tomorrow!

p.s. - we'll cry for you :-); October 12, 2008 at 7:55 PM
JABster said...: Oh go ahead and cry. I'm pretty sure it helps with the jet lag. We meet Jon Wiley in 2 hours, and I tear up just thinking about it. See you in a few days!

Jolie; October 12, 2008 at 11:45 PM

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About Chengdu

Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province, the most populous province in China (map). Sichuan means “Four Rivers,” referring to four of the more than 80 mighty rivers spilling across the province. There is much diversity in the Sichuan landscape - the east supports one of the densest rural populations in the world, the west rises in giant steps to the Tibetan plateau where green tea shifts to the Tibetan staple po cha (butter tea) and Confucianism shifts to Buddhism. In fact, Chengdu provides the main inland city access to Tibet.The remote mountains of Sichuan, bordering Gansu and Qinghai provinces, are the natural habitat of the giant panda, the shy animal that has become synonymous with China. Visitors gravitate to the Panda Breeding and Research Center located in Chengdu, which houses the world's only giant panda breeding and research center.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty (35-330 AD), the imperial court appointed an official to supervise the fast-growing brocade industry in Chengdu, which was then known as Jincheng, or Brocade Town. When it was discovered that the brocade turned brighter and fresher after being washed in a nearby river, the river was given the name Jin Jiang, or Brocade River.

Since ancient times, Chengu, which is surrounded by mountains in all directions, has tried to reach out to the outside world. As early as the third century, Chengdu had already opened the famous Southern Silk Road that started in the city and continued to the ocean. The earliest paper currency, Jiaozi (not the dumpling!), was first printed in Chengdu.

During the Five Dynasties era (907-960 A. D.), Chengdu was for a time the capital of China, and hibiscus was planted all along the city wall. Because of this, Chengdu became known as the City of Furong or Hibiscus. Today, flowers and trees grace the wide streets and the city’s many parks.
Agriculture and light industry are the mainstays of the region and brocade is still manufactured along with other textiles and handicrafts.

An old adage says China is the place for food, but Sichuan is the place for flavor. In Chengdu, visits can enjoy delectable Sichuan (often spelled Szechuan in the west) cuisine, the hot and spicy food known all over the world. Common preparation techniques in Szechuan cuisine include stir frying, steaming and braising, but a complete list would include more than 20 distinct techniques.

Sichuan pepper and chili pepper are some of the ingredients in two of the region’s signature dishes: MaPo DoFu, which is a spicy tofu with a meat sauce; and Gong Bao JiDing (known in the west as Kung Pao chicken) named after a Qing dynasty government official named Ding Baozhen who is said to have particularly enjoyed it. There are many conflicting stories about why Ding Baozhen favored the dish, including one that claims that a chef invented the finely chopped dish because Baozhen had bad teeth.

In Chengdu, chili is as common at mealtime as rice is across the rest of China. So is Sichuan pepper, known in Chinese as huājiāo (花椒; literally "flower pepper.”) Despite its name, Sichuan pepper is not related to black pepper or chili peppers; it is the outer pod of the tiny fruit of a number of species in the genus Zanthoxylum.

Although many dishes live up to their spicy reputation, Sichuan cuisine also includes recipes that use little or no hot spices, including Tea Smoked Duck.

Despite its fiery cuisine, Sichuan is one of the most laid-back regions of China, where entire village populations lull about in teahouses, playing mahjong and gossiping. There is a saying that holds that the tea houses of Sichuan rank first in the world, while those in Chengdu rank first in Sichuan. Even in busy Chengdu, locals find time to shop, cook, eat, and spend hours relaxing and socializing in teahouses.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

The Great Wall

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