February 2013
I was bundled up like a kid about to tube down a snowy hillside. We were waiting in line and I bounced up and down on my toes with excitement. I wasnʼt sure what to expect. Snow or hail, I didnʼt care. I was determined to climb this fortress known as the Great Wall, with every bit of might inside of me. I glanced down at my ticket, squinting at the elegant Chinese characters printed on my stub. They appeared to be like tiny pictures—one character looking as if it were a tree bending in the wind. Yet another looked as if a person was playing soccer with a kickball.
It reminded me of a Chinese calligraphy class I had taken earlier. My thoughts rushed back to where I dipped my pen in inky black, coal-like liquid, sweeping my brush across the richness of the delicate rice paper. I watched as my characters danced and twirled across the page. Perhaps thatʼs why they were called Chinese “characters.” I spotted our tour guide waving us in towards the bus, holding a sign that read “SAS” in bold blue lettering which matched his distinguished blue jacket.
“My name is Tony,” he said, smiling with a quirky nod. “Please, ask me anything you like. You are very welcome to China.” I grinned, shoving my knitted bear hat onto my head, passing through the airport and into the city of Beijing on our tour bus. I remembered earlier in Tiananmen Square, the biting winter wind was unforgiving, blasting across our faces in the shivering cold. I pressed my nose to the foggy window and prayed it wouldnʼt be the same on the Great Wall.
We sped past the city, Chinaʼs flashing colours of red seen everywhere like flames. It was the New Year and I noticed thousands of countless festive red lanterns that swung in tree branches like bells ringing in a chapel. This city was literally sparkling with life. Narrow downtown streets were overflowing with vendors and bustling like New York City on steroids. Chinese restaurants with neon lights splashed across the night sky. Bikes would glide across the street and bounce to abrupt stops as hundreds of pedestrians milled through the tiny streets, cars blasting and beeping their horns. This city never rests, I thought.
I remembered the group of school children we met earlier, all matching in bright red vests and huddling around us at the square. They saw our group of students and didnʼt just greet us with a “Ni Hao”, but with a simultaneous “hello! hello!” as if eager to show off their English greeting skills. It was enough to make my heart melt like a gooey Hershey kiss.
During our trip, someone pointed out the tall apartment buildings. They were stacked neatly on top of each other like giant building blocks. Tony the tour guide explained that when a young couple wanted to get married, they had to have a stable job to pay for one of these high-rise apartments.
“The legal age for marriage is twenty-two for a young man, and twenty for a young lady,” he said, in his strong Chinese accent. To me, I felt the young Chinese had lots of responsibilities to carry. Not just worrying about a job but also taking care of the older generation as they grew. I learned that it’s the responsibility of the youth to care for two sets of parents, plus themselves. This is without the help of siblings because of the one child policy. But times are changing for China.
“Just recently in 2013, government passed law for young couples to have option of having two children,” Tony said, with a swift nod.
China is ever-growing, and its fast pace is accelerating. I rested my hand in my chin, pondering silently about this country and its future. What would it be like in ten years? My thoughts were interrupted by Tonyʼs loud and happy announcement.
“Finally weʼve arrived. Welcome to the Great Wall, everyone!” Tony waved us towards the entrance. To my blessed surprise, we were greeted by the warmth of the sun, and a perfectly clear day. We were quickly swept into a chair lift that helped us soar far above the horizon. The afternoon sun was peeking behind the clouds and I snuggled my nose under my wooly-knit mustard scarf. The Great Wall snaked across the hills as a white line that followed the earths surface. When we arrived at the top of the wall, I could see hills and valleys stretching for miles in the distance, as far as my eyes could see.
Vendors eagerly awaited the sidelines for a chance to sell us weary travelers a fuzzy scarf or warm pair of gloves. I almost succumbed to purchasing an adorably cute panda bear hat with fuzzy black ears. But I was happy that I had landed after the lifts journey, and my feet were stable. I felt firm and tall, like the wall I was standing upon. Itʼs beauty left me breathless. Especially after climbing the first few flights of stony stairs. At one point, our group was all sitting down and scooting inch by inch down the hill. We were laughing and stumbling down the almost vertically straight pathway, trudging downhill and joking about how unfit we were.
The Great Wall is certainly worthy of its title. Heavy stone bricks are laid perfectly row after row, evolving like a castle formation with several peeking through holes, most likely for soldiers from the past to spy through. I tried envisioning them at their posts, standing their guard and glued to the mighty walls on the lookout for potentially dangerous intruders. I paused as I sat breathlessly, wondering what it would have been like to be one of those tall soldiers from ancient days.
Before we left, we tobogganed down the Wall, which was a blast of sheer fun, especially after our hard trek earlier. It was the highlight of the day, arriving at the bottom of the hill in a pile of laughter. I stared back up at the elegant wall and sighed a spine-chilling breath of Beijing air. I silently made a wish. I knew Iʼd be back.
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