Great Wall + Beijing

The next day after Forbidden city we went to the Great Wall. We got a late start in the day unfortunately but ended up doing a tour package that included the Great Wall, Jade Factory, and Ming Tombs and lunch was also included.

So first we got on a nice bus with just us and the tour guide and she told us some cool things about Beijing as we headed to the jade factory. 

We got to learn a bit about jade and how it is cut. Jade is very hard so they use diamond to cut and design it! Then we got to wander around looking at the jade for sale until lunch.

We had lunch in the jade factory in a special fancy room. Very yummy and my favorite- moving tables!

Then we made our way to the Great Wall!

We only got about 2 hours on the wall which was too short for my liking. It was great while it lasted though. We took a tram up and hiked a little ways down. Very beautiful! And very steep.

We went to a part of the wall that was more new and reconstructed. It would be cool to see an older side too though.

While we were driving we could see the wall and we got SO EXCITED. This part you can tell has not been touched for centuries!!

another view as we were driving there

Me and Kayla

Totally candid photo- I love this I think it is so cute!

Posed like this just to be dorky but it actually turned out really cute/funny. I love it too

"WE'RE INSIDE THE GREAT WALL!"

Me Maegan Carina

After the Great Wall, it was getting late since we started the tour late but we were still able to head to the Ming Tombs for a few minutes. This is where all the emperors from the Ming Dynasty are buried. We just happened to be there right as the sun was setting which made for beautiful lighting and pictures. :)

These pillars are made from a single piece of wood/tree!

Carina Me Kayla

Thought this was a pretty cool shot!

Beautiful

As we were leaving the ming tombs we had to go through this archway, first "shaking off" the ghosts and spirits and saying a certain phrase as we use our right foot first to step through the arch.

Some other pictures of things around Beijing!

All the city buses run like electric cable cars

Old Traditional Chinese homes

There is a famous night market in Beijing that we went to. The street is lined with street food stands galore. It was really on my bucket list to try some street foods so I tried several things, including a starfish.

Notice the progression of my face as I am eating the starfish....

It was really hard. It wasn't disgusting but it definitely wasn't good.

Our last day in Beijing we had a half day before we went to the airport so some of us went to the National Museum of China. It is the largest museum in China and it was free. And it was actually really cool, I learned a lot and it was so interesting to see ancient Chinese artifacts.