We had such a full day in the Shaanxi province! After another marvelous Chinese breakfast, we set out for the Terracotta Warrior museum. On the way, we stopped at a factory where replica statues are made so we could learn about the process. We also saw how porcelain, lacquered furniture, and silk-embroidered goods are crafted. It was amazing!

The museum is a series of three “pits,” the first of which is the most extensive. Archaeologists are still working to restore the statues. The warriors and their horses were situated in a manner to protect the first emperor’s tomb. They were destroyed at some point by someone (we got two stories about that), through smashing them and setting them afire. They laid buried for some 2000 years until farmers working on a new well site discovered them in 1974. It was an amazing experience, and Abbie loved it (she took 50 photos).

We also got a lesson in real jade versus fake jade at a shop outside the museum. Then it was time for lunch and a tea ceremony. So cool! Afterwards, we visited the Da Yan Pagoda temple, back in the heart of Xi’an. This is a very tranquil place, and we learned a lot about Buddhism and Daoism from our tour guide, Anna.

As I write this, we are sitting at a dumpling banquet, trying to make room for a few more of the 16 varieties we’ve been served (some even shaped like frogs, ducks, and porcupines!). After we finish dinner, we will watch a Tang Dynasty song and dance performance depicting the story of Empress Wu Ze-tian. It’s been a very full day indeed!

At the Terracotta Warriors

At the Terracotta Warrior Replica Factory

At the Terracotta Warriors

At the Terracotta Warriors

Lunch and Tea Ceremony

Da Yan Pagoda Temple

Dumpling Banquet

The Story of Empress Wu Ze-tian

Today was quite a day for Abbie…a true roller coaster of emotions. The morning was a peak, both literally and figuratively! We climbed 1000 steps (yes, Abbie counted) of the Great Wall at Juyongguan, the same place Reed and I went in January of 2005. Today it was cloudy and drizzly (good for us Oregonians), but still much warmer than my last time on the Wall. It is difficult – some steps are shallow while others literally require some true climbing. Abbie was pleased we went past where Reed and I did all those years ago, and Julia was with us the whole way. It was great fun and the views were spectacular.

After about a 90-minute drive back into Beijing and a delicious lunch, we went to Alenah’s Home, a Children’s Hope foster home for disabled (“waiting”) children. It was established around the same time we got Abbie by a man from Kansas who lost all of his family – including his adopted Chinese daughter – in a flash flood. He has taken tragedy and turned it into hope and healing. You can learn more about Alenah’s Home here, if you wish. Here begins the down-turn of the emotional roller coaster…

After a tour of the bright and tidy facility, we sat down to play with 11 of the 20 children who reside there (9 were at school). We observed ranges of cerebral palsy and Down’s Syndrome, as well as physical deformities, such as club feet. All 11 were girls. Aside from the bulletin board with a photo and bio of each child, we were not allowed to take pictures. However, the images will remain in my mind’s eye forever. Though very well cared for by the four resident nannies, the signs of institutionalized children remain…self-soothing, repetitive behaviors; indiscriminate, brief contact with others; flat affect and limited range of expressions. And there sat Abbie, trying to interact and not quite knowing what to do. How do you get them to respond? Why don’t they play like we’re used to? An 8-year-old named Huihui really got to Abbie. Severe cerebral palsy limits Huihui to a wooden chair. She can’t respond verbally, and loud sounds scare her. Abbie sat by her, let Huihui pull her ponytail, and did her very best to love on her for their brief time together.

Once we departed and were back in the van, Julia shared that when she first started helping at Alenah’s Home, she cried so hard by all of the sad stories. Over time, she has come to see hope in each child, and she reminded us how their mothers did the most loving things they could by abandoning them where they could receive the medical treatment and therapy they need. This echoes what we’ve always told Abbie about her mom…for a reason we will never know, she loved Abbie most by giving her up. And through a miracle as big as the miracle of life itself, she was given to us.

Speaking of that precious moment, our roller coaster ascended again because we were reunited with Lina when we returned to our hotel! She was with us in 2005 when we were given Abbie, and she is a very, very special person. She was thrilled to see Abbie, hear her speak Chinese (thank you Yafei!), and reminisce about those incredible days over 12 years ago. The time with her was too short, but I believe Abbie will return to Beijing one day, see Lina and Julia, and perhaps even volunteer at Alenah’s house. The time with Lina was followed by a dumpling dinner with Julia, re-packing for our departure from Beijing tomorrow afternoon, and some deep journaling and talking with my daughter. This is a day I will cherish always.

1000 Steps at the Great Wall (Juyongguan)

1000 Steps at the Great Wall (Juyongguan) with Julia

1000 Steps at the Great Wall (Juyongguan)

1000 Steps at the Great Wall (Juyongguan) with Julia

1000 Steps at the Great Wall (Juyongguan) with Julia

1000 Steps at the Great Wall (Juyongguan)

1000 Steps at the Great Wall (Juyongguan)

CHI’s Alenah’s Home

Lina appears at our hotel!

Dinner with Julia

We had a wonderful day in Beijing! First, we started with a delicious and bountiful breakfast…Abbie (Beibei) loved having noodles and eggs, along with a croissant. 🙂

Julia and our guide, Lee, collected us at 9am, and we set out in the bustling city streets. Lee said 30 million people live in Beijing, and there are 7 million cars (many of which we’ve observed to be German!). We first went to a hutong, which is an old neighborhood with narrow streets. In the hutong we went for a rickshaw ride which was so much fun! We stopped a couple of times to explore, and we found the lake there to be beautiful. Next we went to the Temple of Heaven and walked among its many gates and temples. It is surrounded by a large park, and it was fun to see the locals gathered to enjoy its beauty. There was dancing, arhu and singing, hacky-sack, and even poker games! It was lunchtime and we were really in for a treat = Peking duck! Abbie loved the whole meal and so did I (who knew fried duck skin dipped in sugar was so delicious?!). Abbie also survived her first squatty potty. 🙂

After lunch, we did some bargaining in a pearl market. No pearls were bought, but Abbie did a good job getting the prices down for her purchases to a range Lee had suggested. She also did well using her Chinese, and she was often complimented by the merchants. Next came an amazing acrobat show where we were often on the edge of our seats! Abbie is so very happy here; it is such a gift to share this with her.

In the market

In the market

Temple of Heaven

Lunchtime

Ready to “go”

Acrobats in action

We are settled into our hotel in Beijing after a very long day of flying. Things went smoothly (Air Canada was great!) though we were starting to lose hope in my suitcase arriving with us. Finally it did. Julia from Children’s Hope International was among the sea of people waiting outside customs, and we soon found our driver and made our way through the heavy Sunday traffic. Julia is very sweet and smiley, and she was impressed with Abbie’s Chinese speaking skills already. We found an ATM and picked up a few provisions at the Carrefour market down the street (photo taken along the way). Beijing is much warmer and greener than when Reed and I were here in January of 2005, and the air quality seems good today. Abbie said it sort of feels like a dream to be here…we are both very excited for our day of site-seeing tomorrow!