In April, Jean, Debbie, and Larry Taylor took an amazing and adventurous trip to China! This file is a PowerPoint Show of our trip. You must have PowerPoint 2007 or later to view.

1. Our amazing china adventure April 2010 Jean, debbie & Larry taylor

2. CHINA April 2010

3. OUR >18,000 MILE TRIP

4. Confucius say….. "He who crosses arctic ocean twice without washing is a cold, dirty double crosser."

5. April 11-12, Chicago - Beijing 6,579 miles, ~13 hours

6. BEIJING APRIL 12-16 Jean & Debbie took in the sights of the fabulous “Northern Capital” while Larry conducted business. We stayed at a Marriott Courtyard near Tiananmen Square.

7. BEIJING HUTONGS In Beijing, hutongs are alleys formed by lines of siheyuan, traditional courtyard residences. Many neighbourhoods were formed by joining one siheyuan to another to form a hutong, and then joining one hutong to another. The word hutong is also used to refer to such neighbourhoods. Since the mid-20th century, the number of Beijing hutongs has dropped dramatically as they are demolished to make way for new roads and buildings. More recently, some hutongs have been designated as protected areas in an attempt to preserve this aspect of Chinese cultural history. Hutong represents an important culture element of Beijing city. Thanks to Beijing’s long history and superior status as capital for six dynasties, almost every hutong has its anecdotes, and some are even associated with historic events. In contrast to the court life and elite culture represented by the Forbidden City, Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven, the hutongs reflect the culture of grassroots Beijingers. The hutong are residential neighborhoods that still form the heart of Old Beijing.

22. Beijing National Stadium (colloquially as the Bird's Nest), is a stadium in Beijing, China. The stadium was designed for use throughout the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

24. The Summer Palace or Yihe Yuan (literally "Gardens of Nurtured Harmony") is a palace in Beijing, China. The Summer Palace is mainly dominated by Longevity Hill (60 meters high) and the Kunming Lake. It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is water. The central Kunming Lake covering 2.2 square kilometers was entirely man made and the excavated soil was used to build Longevity Hill. In the Summer Palace, one finds a variety of palaces, gardens, and other classical-style architectural structures.

36. Badaling is the site of the most visited section of the Great Wall of China, approximately 50 miles (80 km) northwest of urban Beijing city in Yanqing County, which is within the Beijing municipality. The portion of the wall running through the site was built during the Ming Dynasty, along with a military outpost reflecting the location's strategic importance. The highest point of Badaling is Beibalou, approximately 0.63 miles (1,015 m) above sea level.

53. Tian'anmen Square is the large plaza near the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen (literally, Gate of Heavenly Peace) which sits to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City. It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several key events in Chinese history. The Tiananmen Square is the largest city square in the world (440,000 m² - 880 m by 500 m) . It has been the site of many events, among which a gathering of pro-democracy protesters in 1989. The protest ended when hundreds[citation needed] of these protesters were killed by government troops in the streets leading from the square.

58. The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost five hundred years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government. Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms[1] and covers 720,000 m2 (7,800,000 sq ft). The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture,[2] and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987,[2] and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. Since 1925, the Forbidden City has been under the charge of the Palace Museum, whose extensive collection of artwork and artifacts were built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Part of the museum's former collection is now located in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Both museums descend from the same institution, but were split after the Chinese Civil War.

80. The Temple of Heaven (TianTan) literally the Altar of is a complex of Taoist buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing, in Chongwen District. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. It is regarded as a Taoist temple, although Chinese Heaven worship, especially by the reigning monarch of the day, pre-dates Taoism.

85. sunday, 4/17/2010: Beijing - Xi’an Hong Kong

86. CONFUCIUS SAY…… "Man who walk through airport door sideways is going to Bangkok."

87. Xi’an APRIL 17-19 We flew on Hainan Airlines to the ancient Capital of Xi’an, and stayed at the Grand Mercure Hotel for 2 nights.

88. Xi'an City Wall Many cities in China once had massive defensive walls to thwart invading armies. Among the few city walls that remain, the one of Xi'an is undoubtedly the most impressive and photogenic. Meanwhile, 600-year-old Xi’an City Wall also is one of the largest well-preserved ancient military defensive systems in the world. It becomes the emblem of this ancient capital city attracts visitors all over the world including famous former US president Bill Clinton. Combined City Wall with its attached forest belt, moat and ring roads, it becomes a vivid city park. It is the ideal place for local residents doing morning exercises and cycling.

89. Shaanxi History Museum Located to the northwest of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in the ancient city Xi'an, in the Shaanxi province of China, is one of the first huge state museums with modern facilities in China. The museum houses over 300,000 items including murals, paintings, pottery, coins, as well as bronze, gold, and silver objects. The modern museum was built between 1983 and 2001 and its appearance recalls the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty.

103. The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Work is ongoing at this site, which is around 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum, Lintong County, Shaanxi province. It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China. Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the first Emperor of all China, had work begun on his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his after life. A group of peasants uncovered some pottery while digging for a well nearby the royal tomb in 1974. It caught the attention of archeologists immediately. They came to Xian in droves to study and to extend the digs. They had established beyond doubt that these artifacts were associated with the Qin Dynasty (211 --206 BC).

122. Huaqing Hot Springs Situated at the northern foot of Mt. Lishan in Lintong County, 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from Xian City, Huaqing Hot Spring is famed for both its dainty spring scenery and the romantic love story of Emperor Xuanzong (685-762) and his concubine Yang Guifei in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Its long history and location among the wonderful landscapes of Xian should entice any visitor to visit and bathe in this hot spring. It is said that King You built a palace here during the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC-711 BC). Additions were subsequently made by the First Emperor Qing (259 BC-210BC) and Emperor Wu during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24). During his reign, the Emperor Xuanzong spent dizzying amounts of his funds to build a luxurious palace, changing its name to Huaqing Hot Spring or Huaqing Palace. Over the course of 41 years in his days, he visited the palace as many as 36 times. The palace thus has a history of 3,000 years and the hotspring a history of 6,000 years! Ranked among the Hundred Famous Garden in China, it is also has the status as a National Cultural Relic Protection Unit and a National Key Scenic Area.

145. Xi'an Bell Tower (Zhonglou) 626-year-old Xi'an Bell Tower, one of the top ten attractions in Xi’an, is the largest and best-preserved of its kind in China. It is used to tell people the time as same function as the Drum Tower, bell-ring means morning is coming and drumbeat means the night is falling in the ancient time. Located on the very center of Xi’an old city and near the Drum Tower, it became one of the landmarks of Xi’an. Meanwhile, many art exhibitions often held here all year around.

146. Tang Dynasty Show Tang Dynasty Show, a performance of Chang’an music and dance that originated in Tang Dynasty (618-907), has been recreated in accordance with various historical records as well as ancient art and relics discovered in Xi’an . Tang Dynasty Show is a kind of song and dance drama that imitates people do in Tang Dynasty (618-907). China experienced tremendous cultural, artistic, and technological achievements during the Tang Dynasty. Even now, much of modern Chinese culture owes its heritage to the historical legacies of the Tang Dynasty

149. Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. It is located in the southern suburb of Xian City, about 4 kilometers (2.49 miles) from the downtown of the city. Standing in the Da Ci'en Temple complex, it attracts numerous visitors for its fame in the Buddhist religion, its simple but appealing style of construction, and its new square in front of the temple.

162. Xi'an Dumpling (jiaozi) Dinner Jiaozi is a cherished delicacy in Xi'an. Dinner is a Dumpling Banquet at a fine restaurant. They serve every kind of dumpling you can not imagine. They are stuffed with spinach, pork, beef and other delectable.

163. Monday, 4/19/2010: Xi’an - guilin Hong Kong

164. guilin APRIL 19-21 We flew on Hainan Airlines to Guilin, and stayed at the brand-new ShangriLa Hotel for 2 nights. The monsoon had arrived early and we had to adjust our schedule considerably.

165. Reed Flute Cave Located in the northwest of Guilin City, 5 kilometres away from the center of the city, the park is a famous scenic spot, mainly offering a majestic fairyland of karst caves with landscape and rural scenery. The length of the Reed Flute Cave is 240 meters, whereas the whole distance of touring can last 500 meters. There are too many things for the eyes to take in. the natural beauty of large amount of stalactites, stalagmites, stone columns, stone curtains, stone pillars in fantastic shapes and colours, which formed the numerous imaginable spots, such as 'Dawn in the Lion Hill', 'Round-topped Mosquito Palace', The Hill of Flowers and Fruits', etc.

174. South China Pearl Museum Before lunch, we visited the South China Pearl Museum

176. Tea Cuisine Lunch We had a wonderful and visually appealing lunch at a small restaurant in Guilin which doubled as a book store.

179. Seven Stars Park covering an area of more than 120 hectares (297 acres), is the largest comprehensive park with great scenery in Guilin City. Located at the east bank of Li River, the park is 1.5 kilometers (0.9 mile) from the downtown area of Guilin. The park was so famous because of the seven peaks (the four peaks of Putuo Mountain and three of Crescent Mountain) inside resemble the form of the Big Dipper constellation. The park is endowed with elegant mountains, clear water, miraculous stone forest, deep and serene valleys, plentiful animals and plants and valued cultural relics. It has been popular since the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) Dynasties. The main sights contain Flower Bridge, Putuo Mountain, Seven Stars Cave, Camel Hill, Crescent Mountain, Guihai Stele Forest and Light of China Square. The park also housed an interesting rock /mineral museum & shop.

191. Guilin The show of Longji Soul Dreamlike Lijiang (Li River) is a nightly theatrical spectacle that celebrates the rich natural and cultural heritage of Guilin. By pushing the boundaries of dance form with its wildly inventive acrobatics, introducing creative scenery setups and transitions, Dreamlike Lijiang exquisitely blends the highest artistic concentration, geographic changes, historic shifts and local legends into one production.

192. Li River is a picturesque river in Guilin, it is also the soul of Guilin scenery. Along the river stands gainlykarst hills. The region covers 83-km karst area with clear, exotic, ingenious and changing characteristics. Take a boat a boat and enjoy yourself with the wonderful scenery of peeks, rivers, sunshine and reflections on the water. Guilin is a fairyland in the world with "Fascinating Views of Three Hills", "Nine Horses in Picture Hill", "Places of Interest in Xingping" and "Green-Lotus World" etc. Travelling on Li River is indeed a wonderful experience, enjoyment and exploration, because it is always like an endless beautiful sonata of hills and waters. Note: for the past few days Guilin had been experiencing torrential rain, and the Li River had flooded the city. We were VERY fortunate to have 1 day when it didn’t rain (much) and could take the boat trip!

211. Wednesday, 4/21/2010: Guilin – Hong kong Hong Kong

212. Hong Kong APRIL 21 - 23 We flew on Hong Kong Express Airlines to Hong Kong, and stayed at the so-so Hotel Jen for 2 nights.

230. Jean & Debbie: April 23 – Hong Kong - Newark 8,065 miles, ~15 hours

231. Larry: Saturday, 4/24/2010: Hong kong - zhengzhou ZhengZhou Hong Kong

232. Zhengzhou The ancient city was the capital of Shang Dynasty (16th - 11th century BC) 3,500 years ago when porcelain and the Chinese technique of bronze smelting were comparatively more developed. A green ceramic glaze pot unearthed in Zhengzhou has been shown to be the most ancient porcelain in China. A long history has left Zhengzhou with many cultural and historic sites. Shaolin Temple situated at the foot of Mt. Song is the cradle of Shaolin Kong Fu. If you are interested in Chinese Kong Fu, the temple and the performances must be seen. One of the four Academies of Classical Learning in the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), SongyangShuyuan, gives a complete depiction of Chinese ancient education. In addition, many ancient tombs, temple buildings and battle sites all show the dense culture of Zhengzhou.

233. The Lanzhou–Zhengzhou–Changsha product oil pipeline is a pipeline carrying diesel and other oil products from the northwest to the central regions of China. The 2,070-kilometre (1,290 mi) pipeline starts in Lanzhou in Gansu, and runs through Zhengzhou in Henan to Changsha in Hunan. In Zhengzhou, it is linked with Jinzhou–Zhengzhou product pipeline running from Jinzhou in Liaoning to Zhengzhou.[1] The pipeline project was approved in 2007. The 1,188-kilometre (738 mi) long Lanzhou–Zhengzhou segment started operating on 30 March 2009. The hengzhou–Changsha segment is expected to be completed by the end of June 2010. The pipeline has an annual transportation capacity of 15 million tonnes. It is operated by PetroChina.[1]

235. Larry: Saturday, 4/24/2010: Zhengzhou – Beijing (rail) ZhengZhou Hong Kong

237. China Rail Trip The ride from Zhengzhou to Beijing was a pleasant 5 hours in a new, comfortable, 2nd Class regional train. I later found out that for about $5 more I could have ridden 1st Class; however, my Chinese associates were required to go 2nd Class. The tracks were MUCH smoother than either the Amtrack Eastern Corridor (BOS-WAS) or the line from Tacoma to Portland, both of which I’ve ridden several times in recent years. Although the leg-room was a bit limited, the leather seats were very comfortable, and the train was immaculately clean.

238. Station Arr. Dep. km 1 Zhengzhou - 12:19 0 2 Xinxiang 12:58 12:59 80 3 Anyang 13:45 13:46 187 4 Handan 14:14 14:15 247 5 Shijiazhuang 15:23 15:25 412 6 Beijing West 17:22 - 689 (428 mi) Avg. speed = 135 km/h = 85 mph