Maria's Musings, Part 2

As much as I didn't want to 'do' the Great Wall, in the end we had no choice: having relinquished control over our destiny to the enterprising apartment manager, by agreeing to have her get us train tickets to Xi'an, we were suddenly faced with imminent departure from Beijing - never mind we didn't have travel permits or train tickets for the onward journey to Lhasa. Not wanting another surprise, we declined her over-sized Great Wall offer and started off on foot to the bus station. Ted has already described that adventure in great detail. Unfortunately, it meant we had all of 2 hours to spend at the famous site, and although it was an incredible sight to follow the line of the ancient watch towers zigzagging over steep ridge lines into the distance while clambering up the next set of stairs, I felt somewhat short-changed by the experience. It would be neat one day to return and hike the whole 10,000 li (680 km) all the way from the Yalu River in Liaoning Province to Jaiyuguan in the West. China does not (yet) allow overnight stays, at least not on the section that we were on, but the offically authorized, badged Simatai farmers-turned-hawkers that followed us up as far as we would go are certainly ready to take advantage of the tourists, no matter whence they come or where they go.

I was amply rewarded when I stepped into the 'mound' at the Temple of Heaven the next day, though: much like at the ancient religious sites of Greece, I felt a certain awe overcoming me at the sight of the vast, circular altar structure, surrounded by 3 levels of wide, sweeping marble balustrades, each post intricately carved with mythical dragons, and a total of 24 gates. The West Gate, in particular, had me under its spell, maybe because most people just passed over the top from North to South like a snaking ant colony and hardly ventured to either side. Or maybe because the gigantic lantern pole that was used to raise and lower a bamboo lantern, whose flickering light must have undoubtedly cast a magic spell over the site during the sacred ceremonies, was to the West. Whatever the reason, I was reminded of our Greek Orthodox wedding, so full of rituals and mysteries in its own right, where the couple walks counter-clock wise around a table with the chalice, after being crowned the King and Queen of the Household.

Although it was an incredible sight to follow the line of the ancient watch towers zigzagging over steep ridge lines into the distance while clambering up the next set of stairs, I felt somewhat short-changed by the experience.

Another association that came to mind, trite as it may sound, was Stonehenge, with its connection to the celestial elements, the prayers for a good harvest, the Emperor as the 'Son of Heaven' officiating as High Priest, and the ancient stones (rebuilt as recently as 1740, as Ted didn't fail to point out, but nonetheless dating back in concept several centuries earlier). All this made me sense and quietly bow to an ancient power in reverence. The subsequent halls in the temple complex all seem to have served the purpose of storing stone tables used in the ceremonies, and despite being magnificent to look at with their green, blue and golden painted beams and upturned eaves, and the blue glazed tiles with the gargoyles keeping watch at all four corners, they felt a bit repetitive and devoid of meaning. The Imperial Vault, however, another round, three-tiered structure (rebuilt after a fire with Oregon fir!), with its architecture laden with symbolism (all multiples of 12 for the 12 'watches' of the day, 12 months of the year, etc) was a fitting finale for a magical afternoon. .