So this summer Luz and I decided to head East again, this time to explore the wonder that is China: a country of contrasts, where old meets new, and communism pits itself against capitalism on a daily basis, each vying for the future of the nation and her people.
Our trip starts off in Beijing (Peking), the capital, where we visited the Forbidden City/Imperial Palace, and the famous (and infamous) Tiananmen Square, followed by more recent additions like the Olympic Park. From there we traveled north of the city to see the Great Wall--and yes, it is truly incredible!
Our next stop took us to Xi'an, ancient capital of China and home to the famous Terracotta warriors...and, more importantly, my good friend Spencer, a.k.a. "Faxing". Here we had the privilege of visiting him at his monastery, where he was in the process of becoming a fully-ordained monk (the first Westerner to do so on the mainland in this particular school of Buddhism!) It was great to see him, and find him so happy and at peace. The wonderful experience continued with his Chinese friends She Ming and Gao Qi, who, after taking us back to the city, proceeded to invite us out to dinner (which, subsequently, was by far the best meal we had on our trip :) and show us around--the epitome of hospitality and goodwill!
After our far-too-brief stay in Xi'an, we were whisked away to Hangzhou (pron. HAHNG-JO), a beautiful city on the West Lake, south of Shanghai. This charming town (well, fairly large city actually) was full of natural beauty, and a plethora of pagodas and temples all waiting to be explored by the curious traveler...
Last, but not least, we went to Shanghai, a city symbolic of China's booming future. Here, more than anywhere else, it was clear that the Sleeping Tiger was indeed awakening: the sheer amount and speed of growth was simply overwhelming. The age-old debate of tradition vs. progress was more than evident as we strolled through the charming canals of the old town of Qibao, only to then take the metro to the futuristic financial district...
So what is the destiny of China? Where does its future lie? Only time will tell, but I for one think it definitely wouldn't hurt to continue studying Mandarin... ;) For now though, let's just sit back and enjoy the pics:
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