Beijing Day 3,The Great Wall,overnight in Chengde

TO DAY, I REALIZE ONE DREAM OF MY LIFE:WALKING ON THE GREAT WALL BUT BEFORE, WE HAD TO VISIT A CLOISONNE FACTORY WHICH FINALLY WAS INTERESTING, SEEING ALL THE PROCESSES OF THE MAKING OF CLOISONNE ,ONE OF THE FAMOUS ARTS AND CRAFTS OF BEIJING WITH A HISTORY OF OVER 600 YEARS.

I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT THE ITEMS HAVE A COPPER BASE(I THOUGHT IT WAS CHINA!)THE FIRST STEP IS THE MODEL HAMMERING,FORMING COPPER PIECES,AN EASILY HAMMERED AND STRETCHED METAL,INTO VARIOUS SHAPES.THE .SECOND STEP IS THE FILIGREE WELDING:THE ARTISAN ADHERES COPPER STRIPS OF 1/16 INCH IN DIAMETER ONTO THE BODY WHICH ARE BENT INTO THE DESIRED PATTERN .THIS STEP REQUIRES GREAT CARE AND CREATIVITY.THE THIRD STEP  KNOWN AS ENAMEL FILLING IS A PROCEDURE  GIVING A COLORED WRAP,THE ARTIST FILLING ENAMEL GLAZE INTO THE COPPER LATTICES .

THE FORTH STEP IS ENAMEL FIRING :THE PIECE IS FIRED IN A CRUCIBLE AND THE LAST IS SURFACE POLISHING.DANIELLE BOUGHT THERE A MAGNIFICENT RED AND BLUE BOWL AS OFFERING TO THE DUST OF OUR ROOM!

AFTER THE FACTORY VISIT,WE DROVE NORTHEAST TO BAKESHIYING TOWNSHIP IN HEBEI PROVINCE TO SEE THE JINSHANLING SECTION OF THE GREAT WALL,A REMOTE AND PEACEFUL SECTION  SITUATED 140 KM NORTHEAST OF BEIJING.IT IS THE BEST PRESERVED PART OF THE GREAT WALL WITH MANY ORIGINAL FEATURES.WE HAD LUNCH FIRST IN THE RUSTIC RESTAURANT SITUATED AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE PLACE,FORTUNATELY DANIELLE DID NOT SEE THE KITCHEN(I did:D).AFTER THE LIGHT  BUT FINALLY  SAFE LUNCH,WE TOOK THE CABLE CAR TO THE TOP(ELEVATION 700 M).AFTER 5 MINUTES WALK,ACCOMPANIED BY SOUVENIRS TOUTS,WE REACHED THE NEAREST WATCHTOWER WHERE DANIELLE STOPPED.

ON THE FIRST FLOOR THERE ARE SOME WINDOWS FOR SHOOTING ARROWS.I BOUGHT THERE A DRINK AND PASSED ON THE WALL WITH 2 MEMBERS OF OUR PARTY WHO BECAME MY FRIENDS,BARIZA,A NURSE AND HER HUSBAND JEAN,A PHYSIOTHERAPIST LIVING IN THE SOUTH COAST OF FRANCE.ON THE WAY,WE SAW SEVERAL ENEMY TOWERS(THERE IS ONE EVERY 100 METERS) AND WATCHTOWERS(THERE ARE  THERE 67 ALONG THE 11 KM OF THE SECTION).THE ROOFS OF THE TOWERS ARE VARIED,QUADRANGULAR,OCTOGONAL,FLAT OR ARCHED.AS THE CONDITION OF THE WALL AT THE BEGINNING WAS QUITE GOOD,SOON IT BEGAN TO DETERIORATE WITH A LACK OF STONES AND BRICKS AND PEOPLE HAVE TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS AND WEAR GOOD SHOES PARTICULARLY ON THE WAY DOWN WHEN THE WALL IS VERY STEEP.

EXHAUSTED AND THIRSTY,WE ARRIVED BY THE CABLE CAR AND WERE GLAD TO FIND THERE DRINK AND SOUVENIRS TOUTS(I BOUGHT THERE 2 CHEAP TEESHIRTS FOR THE SONS )BEFORE DRIVING TO CHENGDE WHERE WE VISITED AT DUSK THE BISHU SHANZHUANG,THE IMPERIAL SUMMER VILLA BEFORE GOING TO THE YUNSHAN HOTEL.