Beijing: Cloisonné Factory

Growing up, I remember seeing cloisonné in my grandmother's antique shop and admiring the bold colors and intricate details on each of the pieces. At the time, I had no idea how cloisonné was made or that I would one day be living in a country which still produces these masterpieces. So when our guide suggested we stop at the Cloisonné factory on our way back to Beijing from the Great Wall, we enthusiastically said yes. 

To make cloisonné, you start with a metal base (in this case, a copper pot).

A craftsman then bends small pieces of copper wire to create a design on the surface of the metal base. By doing this, they also create small enclosures, known as cloisons (French for partitions). The enclosures are then pasted or soldered onto the metal body.

A glass paste or enamel of varying color is then added with an eye dropper into each of the small enclosures.

The item is then fired in a kiln at a relatively low temperature (around 800°C or 1470°F). The enamel often shrinks after firing, so the process is repeated several times to fill in the designs. Once this process is complete, the surface of the pot is polished until the edges of the cloisons are visible. The remaining metal is then gilded, often in gold.

We enjoyed our tour of the factory greatly but be warned, many tour companies make a commission off anything you buy and can therefore be quite pushy in the gift shop. We specifically booked our tour through a company that does not participate in this practice.

Beijing: The Great Wall of China

Our third day in Beijing brought us to perhaps the most iconic tourist attraction in China, the Great Wall of China. To avoid the crowds, we ventured an hour outside of Beijing to the Mutianyu section of the Wall. Here, we boarded cable cars and road to the top of the mountain. I could barely contain my enthusiasm as the Wall began to peak out from above the tree tops.

Contrary to popular belief (and what your guide will most likely tell you), you cannot see the wall from outer space. Still, the Great Wall is nothing short of impressive. My dad simply stared in awe at our surroundings for much of the time there, remarking that he never imagined he would see the Great Wall in person.Visiting one of the Seven Wonders of the World was rather surreal for all of us.

After climbing endless steps and taking hundreds of photos, we prepared to leave the Great Wall. And like most things in China, even getting off the Great Wall was an opportunity for some toursity fun. So we hopped on single person bobsleds and tobogganed down the side of the mountain. Totally fun, totally unsafe, and totally worth the overpriced ticket.

To get to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, I would highly recommend hiring a guide and driver. While there are many companies which offered guided trips, I greatly enjoyed our experience with Hi-tour Travel. 

Barry Xu 
Director of Marketing 
Hi-tour International Travel Service 
Cell Phone: 13901107220
Telephone: 86-10-63961002
Email: barrytour@hotmail.com

Beijing: Forbidden City

After a wet start to our trip, we were rewarded with clear skies on our second day in Beijing. Too bad the wind decided to pick up instead. Despite the chilly temperatures, we spent over eight hours wandering around Beijing. A whopping six of those hours were spent entirely in the Forbidden City. Most tourists only spend a short time here but we simply could not tear ourselves away from the stunning architecture and beautiful scenery. Or the sordid tales of jealousy and betrayal among the Emperor's concubines. One such woman was even drowned in a well by the Emperor's wife. Those Real Housewives women have nothing on Imperial China.

This was actually my second trip to the Palace Museum, yet with two visits and over eleven hours of touring, I still have not managed to see the entire Forbidden City. Perhaps a third visit is in order?

Beijing: Temple of Heaven

My parents arrived in Shanghai on Thursday afternoon and by Saturday morning, we were boarding a train to Beijing. To be honest, I am not a big fan of flying, which is why I simply adore using public transportation in China. We sped through the countryside at over 300 km/hour and arrived 1300 km away in just under five hours (think Boston, MA to Charlotte, NC for our American readers). Unfortunately, the weather was less than cooperative for our visit. We were welcomed to Beijing by rain and temperatures hovering just above freezing. North of the city, it even started to snow.

My family was determined not to let the weather ruin our trip and after layering on a few extra pieces of clothing, we headed to the Temple of Heaven. We were clearly not impressed with the less than ideal conditions.

The Temple of Heaven was an imperial sacrificial altar during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The emperors would visit this location in order to pray to the heavens for a bountiful harvest. Today, the temple is surrounded by a large park where locals come to practice tai chi and a community band leads impromptu singalongs with tourists.

After a few hours of wandering the grounds in the rain, we ducked into a Szechuan restaurant where we warmed up over hot tea and spicy food. My mother even had the pleasure of selecting a live fish for our meal. Though I doubt pleasure would be the term she would use.

Beijing Street Food

You all know I love me some street food. You can find an array of delicacies from tasty noodles, to scorpion, tofu skewers, or even fresh soy milk. But in Beijing, I was the happy recipient of this bad boy.

And yes, I ate the whole thing.

Paparazzi

A bald Britney Spears. Lindsay Lohan sans underwear. Kim Kardashian without her wedding ring. And me at the Forbidden City. What do these all have in common? Each event inspired a mob of frenzied people to whip out their cameras in order to capture the perfect shot. That's right, in Beijing, I was practically a celebrity.

 

 Posing with one of my many admirers

I should backtrack slightly and mention that I have had my picture taken before in Shanghai. At least once or twice a week, I will notice a camera or cell phone being slipped out of someone's pocket as I walk by. But in general, foreigners are so common in Shanghai that most Chinese could care less about our presence.

But in Beijing, I was a novelty, especially to the many Chinese visiting from rural areas for the holiday weekend. Add in a tourist attraction and chaos ensued. I was first asked for a photo while waiting in line to buy my ticket. I said yes and within seconds, a line of approximately 50 people had formed to have their photo taken with me. I smiled, I put my arms around men, and I even threw up a few peace signs as was often requested by my admirers. And then someone dropped a baby into my arms. It was like I was a presidential candidate on the campaign trail.  They wanted a picture of me holding their baby. By the end of the day, I had posed for hundreds of photos and my smile was starting to strain.

I suppose this incident has made me into a seasoned professional should I ever decide to run for public office. Or for when I forget to wear underwear in public. Whichever comes first.

36 Hours in Beijing

We took a whirlwind trip to Beijing during the Labor Day holiday this past weekend. How did we spend our time there?

We first hit up the Beijing Auto show. Seeing as this was technically a work trip for Matt, we spent a fair amount of time here. It was insanely crowded with people, cars, and people standing next to cars.

 

 

I entered on an exhibitor's badge. Looks just like me, right?

(side note, yes I am wearing a cat shirt and no, I did not buy it in China. I actually bought this in the US, thank you very much)

  

While Matt manned the booth for his work the following day, I spent my time exploring the Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City was the Imperial Palace for numerous Chinese emperors, spanning a 500 year period. Unfortunately, I went on a very hazy, and very busy day, neither of which lend themselves to decent photos.

 

 After five hours of wandering around (yes, there is that much to see), I took my tired feet to the airport where I met back up with Matthew and headed home to Shanghai.