Our trip began in Beijing, where we met the Marske's who flew in from Iowa. While in China's capital we visited the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, Tianamen Square, and the Lama Temple. Besides all of the delicious food, we got to indulge in a traditional Peking duck dinner. We took a rickshaw ride through the hutongs of Beijing. Between all the sightseeing we squeezed in visits to three different markets. Before leaving the city, we experienced a tea ceremony and sampled many local teas.
	The most memorable part of our trip was our day on the Great Wall. We drove two hours north of Beijing to Jinshanling (Golden Hill). Here we began our 10k hike to Simatai (Dead Horse Ridge). The hike was rugged and steep and the wall was surprisingly deteriorated. However, the views were breathtaking and the immmensity of the wall was humbling as we imagined the intense labor and numerous deaths that were required for its construction. The day left us physically exhausted but mentally refreshed.
	Xi'an was the next stop on the itenerary. While there, we visited the now famous Army of Terracota Warriors. Over 6000 terracota figures of warriors and horses stand guard at the tomb of Qin Shi Huang. Also in Xian we visited the city wall, Wild Goose Pagoda and the Muslim Quarter. Our favorite place in Xian was actually a 2 hour drive out of town, Mount Hua (Hua Shan). The peaks were very steep and the views were amazing-however the toilets left much to be desired. We were the only white people on the mountain except a couple of Canadians.
	Then we flew south to the city with views of the famous limestone karsts. Guilin was our favorite city, although the weather was foggy our entire stay. We visited the Reed Flute Cave, Elephant Trunk Hill, and watched commorant (water birds) catch fish for local fisherman. Then, we took a cruise on the Li River to view the famous karsts and transport us to the cozy town of Yangshuo. This touristy village boasted West St.- a long street with many shops and cafes that come alive at night. During the day we rented bikes and braved the streets with the locals for additional sightseeing and shopping.