Ancient and Magnificent China!

Ancient and Magnificent China!
Tony Guo

China, the grand and glorious domain comprising of thousands of years of history and culture- conflict, civilization and heroism! Preserved until today, are the many surviving artefacts and ancient architecture, which make China famous throughout the world. Although I was wary about the dramatic lifestyle in China, I decided to pursue an exciting voyage back to my home-country. I glimpsed extraordinary sights on this trip and experienced the explicit culture of China through its exotic food, historical attractions and friendly or (not so friendly) natives. I visited many attractions and historical sites, but only some appealed to me.  Join me and the rest of my group on my amazing voyage to China... Learn through the many extraordinary traditions and historical culture of the Chinese. Be sure to show some Asian Pride, all the way!
The densely populated streets of Beijing inflicted with poverty, pollution and traffic. However, Beijing City’s resourceful history remains ever preserved.  The Great Wall shines upon representing, an everlasting feat of ingenuity, burning ambition and courage!  Reaching up to about 6,700 metres in length the great wall was built merely by manpower; an accomplishment truly worthy of recognition.  Over the years, The Great Wall has survived countless ruthless wars and battled the rough terrain. The looming watch towers provided the nation with military defences and served as a natural barrier in the Yuan and Ming dynasties long ago.  Unfortunately, the wall had suffered fractures and severe damages, so we have yet to discover its true expansion and historical wonder.  I gazed upon its splendour, JuYongGuan’s view of the enchanting wall. Countless steps aligned, watchtowers were visible in the midst of a serene and lush hillside.  The mist shrouded and blinded my view but not my destiny, for I courageously ventured up the crumbling steps, radiant with energy.  It was tedious and exhausting, but the exhilaration was worthwhile...  Nature was blooming, as the elevation provided me with a captivating view of the forest, mountains and the wall below. Fantastic and breathtaking pictures could be taken from the wall’s astounding attitudes. If you ever stop to take a breath, enjoy the awe-inspiring scenery that the vast 18-km valley, Guangou offers.  The overflowing amount of visitors, the blazing humidity greatly suppressed my speed and endurance. I, along with my fellow teammates sprinted up the steps in succession competing against each other and the forces of nature. After one and a half hours of sweat-induced labour, I along with 7 of my teammates had successfully progressed to the highest tower of JuYongGuan Pass. Conquering the elevation and the vast distance of the wall on foot, I had finally and victoriously reached the summit of the Great Wall- longest fortified wall in history. Be warned; this daring quest is not for the feeble-minded- it’s a long way up but an even longer way down!
Besides the many historical sites in China, there are also many modern attractions in China. Standing in the midst of the Pudong district, is Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl TV Tower -the third tallest free standing tower in the world. This wonder of modern architecture is a vast beauty at night from afar; swirling and flashing rainbow lights illuminate its presence.  The tower’s total height stretches to 468 metres above ground level, due to its long broadcasting antenna. If you thought the Great Wall offered a great view, you haven’t seen anything yet. Similar to the CN Tower in Toronto, the TV Tower offers observatory decks equipped with binoculars where visitors can enjoy the comforting view of Shanghai, City. I was fascinated when I realized that a couple of floors down, I was actually standing on transparent glass panel floors gazing down from a whopping attitude. This feature offered a direct view of the beautiful Huangpu River and the looming buildings overhead. I took many stunning pictures in the outdoor observatory deck, as this Oriental Pearl Tower truly is a modern wonder. There are a total of 15 scenic and observatory levels, with a built in -revolving restaurant!  Being short on time, the group and I unfortunately did not visit all of the floors, but we still enjoyed the fantastic scenic atmosphere. Be sure to visit this outstanding attraction, as it is a great introduction to the Shanghai City.  Did you know that seen from a distance, the Yangpu and Nanpu rivers seem like two Chinese dragons dancing with the pearls of the Oriental Pearl Tower?
Who could forget the smashing Olympic Games in Beijing 2008? To celebrate the launch astounding event, last year, tourists all around come to visit the Olympic Stadium in Beijing, China (The world’s largest steel structure). Our visit to the Birds Nest and the Water Cube was certainly impressive! The Olympic stadium spans a vast floor area of 258,000 sq. meters, and it’s ingenious steel grid formation adopted the nickname “Bird’s Nest. This gigantic stadium seats a total of 80,000 spectators; the place was surrounded with seats of red and white. The interior design was all but incredible. This provided me with an environment to take inspiring pictures of the captivating stadium architecture.  LCD screens adorned the stadium, the Judges panel was visible amongst the seating and the center of the stadium was a huge grassy plain- where athletes could compete in various track and field events. However, the Bird’s Nest lacked interest or excitement. There were no live performances /competitions! We just stood inside the dome, distressed and fatigued from the heat wave and boredom. Most of us were at an outrage, (50 yuan for an admission to an empty arena?) Overall this experience was worthwhile, though I wasn’t quite satisfied.
Eventually our group ventured towards our next scenic spot “The Beijing National Aquatics Center” (aka. The Water Cube). The official water events of the Olympics were held, in the famous Water Cube, close to the Olympic Stadium. Despite its nickname, the Water Cube is actually a colossal rectangular dome, with a stylish yet ingenious framework and grid design. Celebrating the athletes’ swimming or diving expertise, the Water Cube is a large, indoor center comprising of three indoor pools.  Spectators from all over gathered last year to watch their athletes participate in a variety of water-based activities such as: water polo, swimming races, synchronized diving, water ballet and so on.  Did you know that swimmers broke 25 world records while competing at the Water Cube during the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics? Since the temperature was scorching and humid, we rushed inside the refreshing, cool atmosphere... Inside I stumbled upon a large indoor stadium, numerous international flags aligned across surrounding the dazzling stadium with a stream of colours. Young aspiring divers were demonstrating their dives, in preparation for the future Olympics. Their dives were almost flawless, as they soared off the diving podium. The water seemed so refreshing, so beautiful; I had the desire to jump in too! Live performances were underway by the center of the stadium, as the audience took out their cameras to capture and savour this moment. They were demonstrating mesmerizing dances, martial arts and swordplay. Demonstrating sword mastery and dance skills, the audience watched in awe and erupted with deafening cheers. They were in perfect synch, as they demonstrated somersaults, flips and clashed their swords.  The racing pool remained barren but peaceful in front of the action. This pool was where the legendary Michael Phelps earned eight of his gold medals! If you come to the Water Cube at night, you’ll see the building emitting a vast radiant surrounding of mystical blue around the framework, like water droplets. Fireworks, lights and projections can be applied at night to give the building exterior, a different appearance.  I sure had sensational time seeing the Water Cube live! The Water Cube provides a lively environment for all to enjoy and memories to cherish that will never be forgotten, that of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics.
These were just some of the fantastic highlights of our group’s highly anticipated trip to China! Overall, this trip was an excellent and beneficial opportunity for us as a group to explore some of China’s greatest aspects and historical wonder. From the exciting performances to the stunning attractions, this trip was certainly a smashing debut for all of us, teens and adults alike to savour.  For instance; no one could ignore the delicious and appetizing food that was served during this trip. It was certainly a gracious and lively environment that no one could ignore, as we were deeply immersed in group discussions, exchanging comedy and singing enlightening songs as we travelled and gathered amongst the midst of China. We had many memorable moments as a group, creating new friendships, engaging in a variety of new activities together and so on. I hope I will be allowed to visit and explore the depths of this miraculous place again in the near future.