- Montana delegation at the Temple of Heaven
Finally, a warmer, sunny day! We started our day with a visit to a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinic and pharmacy. They rely heavily on herbs and holistic medicine here. They also have a strong inclination toward wellness and prevention. We even had a checkup from their “professors” of medicine – quite an event!
From there, we headed out to lunch, but we had to take a different form of transportation to get there. We went by rickshaw. Instead of the traditional runner, these were powered by bicycle. After a ten-minute ride (including a few races and bicycle vendors hawking their wares to us as we traveled!) we ended up at our destination – a private home. There, the family made us a traditional lunch and we got to talk about China. The very modest home (tiny by American standards) was over 100 years old and the owner was born and raised there 60 years ago. She likes America and has family there.
On the way to the next stop, we had quite a discussion about homeownership and banking, much to the delight of our banker on board. Our tour guide said the Chinese learned about loans for homes or cars from America. We also learned that about half the businesses in China are now owned privately, with the number growing. The government doesn’t allow private ownership of media, air/rail, or banks.
The Lama Buddhist Temple is the only one in Beijing. It was formerly a Prince’s Palace, now a working temple. We saw many worshippers there and the air was filled with incense. This is also the site of the world’s largest Buddha statue, carved from a single sandalwood tree. It stands 26 meters (around 80 feet) high. Our bus ride before and after this visit focused on religion. Lily said all religions are allowed, but not many exist. Only one, Falon Gong, is forbidden.
Another government-run enterprise was our next visit. This was the porcelain factory. Again, we learned all about the making of porcelain and the difference from pottery. Afterwards was the obligatory shopping experience. No problem, “Katrina” obliged!
Dinner was one of our quietest so far. I think everyone realizes we will leave Beijing tomorrow. That, along with the 5:15 a.m. wakeup call and 6 a.m. departure, left us all a little melancholy. The adventure continues, as we head to Shanghai and Suzhou tomorrow!
