China!

China! What an amazing country. We crossed the International Dateline and arrived in Beijing, the capital of China. We visited Tian'anmen Square, the largest city square in the world, a square where many political and emotional events have happened. From there we walked to the Forbidden City. My favorite part of Beijing was the Great Wall. I was determined to walk to the top. I made it!

From Beijing, we flew to Xi'an, my favorite of the cities we visited. It retains it's old city wall and it's where you find the famous terra cotta Warriors. There are over 8,000 life-size figures of warriors and horses, made to protect what would be the tomb of the Emperor of Qin. They are amazingly beautiful. When I first say them, they took my breath away. Some say the terra cotta warriors are the most exciting archeological find of the 20th century.

Then onto Shanghai, a city with a frenzy to it. We walked the Bund, a waterfront park. Across the famous Shanghai harbor we viewed buildings of all shapes and sizes. The most interesting skyline I've ever seen.

China!