Personal reflections on visiting China and trekking part of the Great Wall...

 

In September 2012 Karen Patrick walked part of the Great Wall of China for Dementia Care.

Her story is related in her book 'Scaling the Dragon's Back' which is available from Amazon for Kindle, Barnes and Noble for Nook, on Kobo and on all other formats from theendlessbookcase.co.uk

Her book is sold in support of Dementia Care. 

On returning from my trip friends and colleagues asked me what were the highlights and what were my impressions of today's China.  At the time I had not fully assimilated the experience and could not give a considered view.  Now over one year on here are my picks, in no particular order...

The breathtaking beauty of the more remote parts of the Wall.  And, the sound of silence found there; no noise.

 

The view from a turret.

The air pollution in the cities I visited and the drabness of many of the apartment blocks.

View from the window of my hotel in Xian.

The sheer size and scale of the Forbidden City, Beijing

Rooftops of the Forbidden City.

The beauty and tranquility of The Summer Palace, Beijing

View of the lake at the Summer Palace.

My horror at Chinese health and safety, or the lack of

A builder at work.

Making sense of Mandarin to English translation

Above the cash desk of a Beijing Dim Sum restaurant.

The contrast of old and new styles of architecture

Inside the Lama Temple.

The magnificence of the 'Birds Nest' stadium and Olympic Park

Beijing's Olympic Stadium

The traditional skills on view, sadly many of these skills are rapidly disappearing as China modernises.

Villager working with willow

Worker in a jade factory

Papercutter

 Xian's Muslim quarter as I would imagine the Chinese cities of yesteryear

A typical street scene Xian Muslim quarter.

The awe inspiring Terracotta Warriors

Pit 1 - Infantrymen

For more impressions and recollections of my trip see my ebook 'Scaling The Dragon's Back' available on:   The book is available at Amazon for Kindle.

Available on Nook format from Barnes and Noble at  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/scaling-the-dragons-back-the-great-wall-treck-karen-patrick/1119808986?ean=2940149691784

For all other ebook formats from http://theendlessbookcase.com/ebooks/scaling-the-dragons-back/   

See reviews for 'Scaling The Dragon's Back'  http://kephr.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/reviews-for-scaling-dragons-back.html

My thoughts and impressions of Beijing  http://kephr.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/beguiled-and-bewildered-in-beijing.html


Read why I wrote it at http://kephr.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/scaling-dragons-back-visiting-china-and.html
 

25 years on Tiananmen Square remembered  http://kephr.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/tiananmen-square-remembered-25-years-on.html