I did it. I walked on the Great Wall of China. For everyone who just arrived on Planet Earth, this means that I can now successfully feel that both my journey to both Asia and China have been completed. Now I don't have to avoid the inevitable "You went to Asia? Did you walk on the Great Wall?" questions from the majority of people (none of whom understand that the Great Wall doesn't span all of Asia. It doesn't even span all of Beijing...it took a two hour drive outside of Beijing and a cable car ride just to get to the Great Wall. It is like asking every single person who lives in America if they have been to the Grand Canyon). But "Yes...of course, I went to the Great Wall. When in Asia, right?" Enough with me acting pretentious and worldly. It seriously was an amazing feeling to be up on the Great Wall of China. The wall itself is not actually that high up but I truly felt on top of the world in that moment. Despite the severe fog (thank you, Beijing pollution) and ridiculous wind that honestly could have blown me right off the wall, I can happily say that I can check off a huge item on my life bucket list. For those wondering if my bucket list will ever end...no, no, it will not. Now that I am done bragging about my little hike up the wall, it is time for a lovely little history lesson on the differences between Hong Kong and China. I have realized that I have adapted the Hong Kong stereotype of automatically correcting people who say I live in China.
"I don't live in China, I live in Hong Kong."
"Same thing."
"NO."
They just don't get it. I mean, yes, it is the same thing. But no, it is not the same thing at all. Everyone who has been to Mainland says how different it is and I did not believe them until now. There are actually a lot of Mainlanders who visit or live in Hong Kong so I thought that I had a pretty good idea of what Mainland China is like. I was seriously wrong.
I am not referring only to the people and their attitudes but rather the culture. There were some commonalities which I found better reflected Asia as a whole rather than connecting Hong Kong to China.
Andrea and I took a tour which was ended up being extremely informational and I got quite a bit of knowledge about the history and traditions of Beijing and China (more so than any other place I have been during my travels). They were so fascinating and I learned a whole bunch of stuff about the Chinese:
"I don't live in China, I live in Hong Kong."
"Same thing."
"NO."
They just don't get it. I mean, yes, it is the same thing. But no, it is not the same thing at all. Everyone who has been to Mainland says how different it is and I did not believe them until now. There are actually a lot of Mainlanders who visit or live in Hong Kong so I thought that I had a pretty good idea of what Mainland China is like. I was seriously wrong.
I am not referring only to the people and their attitudes but rather the culture. There were some commonalities which I found better reflected Asia as a whole rather than connecting Hong Kong to China.
Andrea and I took a tour which was ended up being extremely informational and I got quite a bit of knowledge about the history and traditions of Beijing and China (more so than any other place I have been during my travels). They were so fascinating and I learned a whole bunch of stuff about the Chinese:
- Feng Shui: Feng Shui is extremely popular in China. You can see it in the way that old buildings and cities were constructed and furnished, and in modern day medicine shops, temples, and homes. Not everyone believes it to be true but those that do believe in its important role in creating a prosperous lifestyle.
- Colors: Colors stand for everything and mean everything. Blue represents the sky and green represents the Earth and when they come together, they meet. Yellow is the color of royalty and red is the color that brides wear. It symbolizes new life and new dynamics.
- Number 9: Number 9 is extremely lucky in Chinese culture. The number is repeatedly used, especially in places of royalty (such as the Forbidden City). Everything was composed in groups of nine or multiples of nine (staircases, doors, steps) and it is taken very seriously.
- Yin and Yang: The core of Chinese belief revolves around yin and yang and balance. Everything needs to be balanced; the male and the female, hot and cold, colors, and stability in life. The belief that balance is so necessary for a strong, stable and healthy life is seriously interesting, especially seeing it reflected wherever we went.
- Chinese Medicine: One of our tours took us to a typical Chinese medicine clinic, the largest one in Beijing. We learned all about how balance in the fundamental of Chinese health and Andrea and I got health screenings. Everyone else in our tour group had some sort of problem (which the doctor discovered through palm reading) and bought dollars worth of medicine. I was told that I need to drink less cold stuff and wake up earlier. Thank you, Chinese medicine culture.