Greatwall of China

I have been anticipating this day for along time. Actually getting to walk the Great Wall of China has always been a dream. I started the morning off with a big breakfast and I loaded up on some granola knowing that this would be a large task. I think it took close to 1hour to reach the section of the wall I was going to hike. I was hiking the Badaling section in north west Beijing. I knew today would be a day that I would never forget.

As we approached the wall, all I could think about was the millions of people who have spent their lives building this great wall. The wall in itself extends for over 4,000 miles across China and was built to keep hoarding nomadic tribes, huns, and other invaders from encroaching on the people of China.

The magnitude of the wall winding its way up and down the mountain side is overwhelming. Without pause, I started my climb and the first portion was rather daunting. Every 500 yards or so there would be a tower that you could stop and look out over your accomplishments. The difficult thing in hiking the wall is that the steps are not uniform. There are steps that are a few inches high all the way up to 2 ft high so you really have to pay attention to where you place your feet. I would have to say just after the first 1,000 yards I was rethinking how far I was going to hike. I had to remind myself that here I was getting the chance of lifetime. Its all mind over matter. As I was thinking this I could feel a surge of energy and I would get up and begin walking again. During my walk you could hear a steady beat off in the distance and I had thought it was probably cars and trucks travelling over a bridge but when I looked down into the village below, there were huge red drums being beat my men. It was motivating and the rest of the walk I used the beat of the drums to push me along.

During my time on the wall I felt a since of pride because if you have ever seen pictures you will know that it is very intimidating. I had anticipated the hikes up the mountains as being the hardest but to my surprise the hikes down were even more difficult. My hamstrings burned on the way up but my knees buckled on the way down. I knew that sometime the next day I would feel the pain of both but I knew the pain was well worth the effort.

As I approached the end of my trek, there were local villagers selling items of great interest. You could by local fox furs, drums, charms, silk, and wind chimes. These people were very impressive. There skills did not go unnoticed. I did manage to buy some wind chimes with a happy Buddha that I will place at my cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

To sum it all up, I would have to place this near the top of all the adventures I have taken so far in my life time. This experience I will carry with me to the day I die and hopefully it will be past on to my daughter and her children. I must say that it was an adventure that I thought I would never reach but now I can pack it in the box of memories that I have of this great world of ours. The Great Wall of China lives up to its name.

I am leading a delegation of parliamentarians to China at the gracious invitation of the Chinese Communist Party in its 30th year of reforms celebrations. It’s my first visit out of the country as an MNA and I am proud that it is to China. I have with me a PPP and ANP MNA and a Northern Areas minister. Here is part 1 of the three-part city wise account of the trip…

Beijing is modern, fast-moving, with lots of modern infrastructure. Our first visit was to the Great Wall of China. It was freezing. The walk up and down a portion of the wall made me think of Chairman Mao’s saying that till you have not climbed the Wall you are not a real man! As I walked through the wall I thought of the tremendous history of China. Their first recorded dynasty was the 2200-1700 BC Xia Dynasty. And their latest was Qing from 1644 to 1911. After which came the republic of China till 1949 and finally the modern day China as we all know it the People’s Republic of China. I saw the Great Wall of China as a physical demonstration of this chain of history through their different periods.

Later the same evening we were taken to an acrobatic show which went beyond acrobatics. It was a demonstration of their nationhood which they were so proudly showcasing to their foreign guests. Precision, timing, practice, discipline, teamwork. This is exactly what China’s success was all about. What a feast for the eyes.

The next day was official meetings with senior officials. It was my first delegation that I was not just part of but one that I was leading so I was conscious to meet all diplomatic norms and put across the strategic messages efficiently. Our first meeting was with the vice minister of the Communist Party’s International department. It was a banquet breakfast meeting which was to be the most important message delivery made by the Chinese as per Ambassador Masood Khan, who attended the meeting with us.

The CPC’s message was loud and clear. Firstly, that the bilateral relationship was all-weather and a strategic “partnership.” That the responsibility of taking bilateral through to greater heights was being passed on to the next cadre of young leaders consciously. They explained in detail how the “China model” was successful but had to be localised to suit each country’s needs. They were certain that Pakistan could weather the current challenges; they assured us that they would stand by us at all costs despite the disruptions being caused to regional stability by dark forces. They considered cross-party discussions critical for unity of purpose on China and their department’s main objective to engage with all ideological parties. Their basis for engagement was based on independence, equality, mutual respect and non-interference. This was their secret ingredient that fitted all sizes of societies.

My message was a pro-Pakistan state and devoid of all political party colours. In between the breakfast delicacies and the translations I spoke for Pak-China strengthening of ties. We were honoured to be here. We appreciated their special hospitality. We brought with us good wishes of the people of Pakistan and each political leadership of Pakistan for the people of China and their leadership. We felt at home in our second home. China’s success was fascinating and was a great study subject for us. Our main objective was to exercise legislative oversight over executive on economic, social, defence bilateral relationship and fast track cooperation. We would continue to support each other on multilateral forums on issues like Tibet and Kashmir. In midst of WTO and financial world crisis this cooperation was even more critical. I assured them that our government was doing its utmost to secure their nationals. I laid special emphasis on power projects and special economic zones to strengthen our bilaterals. I appreciated their quake assistance efforts. I complemented them on their Olympics and space mission feats. I talked of need for university to university youth partnerships.

Next was a working meeting with the DG of the International department of the CPC. I presented the WAPDA projects and asked for investments in this area. The other delegates added their wish lists, including smaller dams and Thar coal and Bhasha-Diamir assistance. Later in the afternoon we had the great privilege of being received in the Great Hall of the People by the Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of their National Congress. Again it was one of the historic places one had read about. It was one more great meeting with thoughts of institutionalising a Pak China parliamentary caucus which would track through legislative committee system the progress on trade, social indicators. This was the only way of making things China-centric back in parliament. I committed to put a strategic legislative tracking plan together and on my return present it to the Speaker for her approval. It is a new idea to the extent that the legislative branch has never executed tracking of country specific bilaterals. I think it is not only possible but also time-critical. The host was an older senior chairman of the foreign relations committee who seemed pleased with my narrative on the mechanics of the parliamentary caucus. He even asked me for my advice on how to improve China. I was humbled. His message was that Pakistan was not just a brotherly country but a partner country. All his words were very important signals, as I learnt later from our ambassador.

Day 3 started with a visit to the Forbidden City. We walked through the imperial Palace in piercing cold and I thought of Chairman Mao declaring this nation as a People’s Republic close to 60 years back on the second floor of the front building. The architecture of the Forbidden City was incredibly well preserved and it was a treat to soak the history all in. Lunch was at a very special historic restaurant where leaders like Nixon had eaten Peking duck. We had the privilege of being served the 1.15 millionth duck and its every possible cut and organ only to be followed by a grand main course; it was a culinary experience I will never forget. But this was not to be just a duck meal. I proposed and got excellent response on a local government proposal to contribute to people-to-people grassroots partnership. The Nazim-Mayor sister town 5 point partnership plan that I unveiled included the following technical and capacity building elements: equipment for clean drinking water, hospital, school, garbage turned energy project, and horticulture trade increase. This coupled with voluntary youth delegations teaching language, history and culture would ensure superb people to people contact.

We visited the Olympics stadium Bird’s Nest and Water Cube that day. Again here was modern China in full swing. With their financing of this spectacular sports bonanza through private-public partnership namely corporate and overseas Chinese assistance it was infrastructure that would live beyond the 2008 Olympics. Business ventures for future generations with their multipurpose usage plans. The guided tour was a true demonstration of the Chinese’ long-term spirit and the competitive element of making the best through sheer hardwork and ingenuity. I could well imagine how records of excellence had been made and broken at this great high-tech venue some months back.

The day ended with a superb banquet dinner in our honour by our most able ambassador. His briefing later on made me even more conscious of my new role as speaking on behalf of the state of Pakistan whilst on foreign soil. I learnt through him of the efforts and achievements of the last presidential visit. And I decided for the sake of the bilateral to delete party politics on this issue.

More in the next diary blog from Shanghai.

A SEATON firefighter is trekking the Great Wall of China to raise money for the service.

Andy Mackie, 31, of Buttercup Close, will take part in the 10 day challenge to raise money for injured firefighters and their families.

The assistant manager at Sidmouth Sports Centre and Swimming Pool and retained firefighter said the charity was close to his heart.

He said: “This is something I wanted to do and I received an e-mail invited me to do it for the service and I thought what better time?

“Few people have done it and those who have said it’s really hard work – with between six and eight hours trekking a day. There is a lot of loose terrain and unstable parts. But it’s for a worthy cause and I may need use of them one day.”

The registered charity assists over 11,000 individuals every year by providing treatment and support services. It costs over £9 million every year to keep the charity running, and with no government funding they are reliant on donations from the public. For more information visit www.firefighterscharity.org.uk .

Andy needs to raise £2,500. He has already paid £300 towards costs himself. To sponsor Andy, visit www.justgiving.com/andymackie.

*A sponsored slim is being held at Sidmouth Sports Centre and Swimming Pool to raise money for the charity. People are invited to take part with instruction offered free of charge. Participants will meet once a week for an informal chat about nutrition, diet and exercise and will be prescribed exercises to help them achieve their goal and keep motivated.

Tourists with knives are fast becoming the great threat to the GreatWall. It has been a trend for years to carve one’s name into the wall in the name of graffiti. Taking a knife to this World Heritage site should not be acceptable. You do not see (modern day) graffiti on other World Heritage sites such as StoneHenge in England.

Deputy Chairman of the Great Wall Association, Mr Dong Yaohui is clearly upset about the latest attacks from tourists and the fact that barely a stone has escaped the graffiti. Dong Yaohui went on to say that he felt terribly ashamed of his fellow Chinese who had carved on the bricks with knives.

There has even been reports of tourists with paint brushes ruining sections of the wall with mindless graffiti.
In Beijing, the municipal government in August 2003 introduced a local law to help protect the wall.

The law states that all local government bodies along the Great Wall, as well as all tourists, are obliged to look after the wall for the generations of visitors to come.

Old age is hitting the Great Wall bad these days. If its not tourists attacking the wall and stealing parts for treasure then it is locals stealing parts of the wall for building materials.

The Great Wall not only has to deal with humans but also from years of bad weather, wind and ravaging rain.

There has been reports in the mmedia that about 1/3 of the 100 mile stretch in Northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Region, also known to many as China’s Museum of the Great Wall, has disappeared.

This section of the wall dates back to the Warring States Period (that is 475-221 BC) and the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

There is a big effort being made now to keep and eye on the wall and to stop local residents taking away the clay stones.

Stephen Jackson is on a bus, somewhere in China, on his way to see the Great Wall for the first time in his life.

At the moment, however, he is not sightseeing. He is talking on a special global cell phone, borrowed from a team P.R. rep. Thanks to a vast international network of towers, airwaves, and digital bits, his voice is transmitted from that bus outside Beijing to my dining room table, where I have a phone pressed to my ear, and a pen in hand.

He has lots of time, and I have lots of questions. It’s time to get to know Stephen Jackson.

My first question is the same question I’d ask my mom in this situation. How’s China?

“Jack” hears me. This is a world of small miracles.

Being in China, he says, is great. It’s a lot of travel, but he’s happy to do his part to globalize and strengthen the NBA.

I point out that he is no stranger to international travel — having played professionally, in his pre-NBA days, in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Australia. He points out that this time around, he’s staying in the Ritz Carlton, and it’s a lot better.

Then he says a bunch of other stuff about international travel, only that vast global network of towers, airwaves, and digital bits is now on strike, or in stroke, or worse.

Briefly he sounds like metal in the microwave. Then that fades, there are clicks, and finally, magically, ” … in the Dominican Republic, I mean …” then more clicks, and dead air.

He’s talking D.R. The P.R. man is calling me back. We’ll try again.

Jackson: “Can you hear me?”

Me: “Loud and clear now.”

Jackson: “Good.”

Moving right along. If losing parts of the conversation here and there is bad, losing the same conversation again and again is surely worse.

Me: “OK, let me ask you about mopeds. After what happened to Monta Ellis, is it taboo to joke about mopeds on that team?”

Jackson: “One thing about this team. There is nothing that’s off limits in the locker room. Bad shoes, bad haircut, anybody can get it at any time, for anything. Plus, I’ll tell you what. Monta’s in Oakland right now, riding the bike, ahead of schedule. He’s going to be back. And everybody makes mistakes. I’m a living testament to that. What matters is not the mistake, but what you do after that, and he’s going to do great.”

Me: “A moped, though …”

Then Jackson starts talking, and I know it’s going to be interesting. He’s no chicken. He talks honestly.

Only … now he’s C3PO again, speaking a rare form of droid dialect.

Angry digital bits, cranky digital journalist.

This is more or less what happened for the next half-hour. I asked questions on provocative topics. Jackson tackled them earnestly and with flair. And here and there, between dropped calls, sad silences, and robot grunts, I managed to hear some parts of some answers.

Some highlights:

Jackson says that negotiations on a contract extension with the Warriors are going very well: “I’m comfortable it’ll be done in the next few weeks.” He says he has a great relationship with “Bobby” (which can only be team President Robert Rowell) and owner Chris Cohan. Jackson says he doesn’t believe in so-called contract years, “because I won a title in 2003 [with San Antonio] and still didn’t get a deal.”
He is resolute that the Warriors will be good. In no particular order, he says the eight playoff teams in the West will be the Warriors, Spurs, Lakers, Mavericks, Jazz, Blazers, Rockets, and Suns.
There have been stretches, in the past, when Stephen Jackson has been among the very best defenders in the entire NBA. There have also been times when he has been his team’s first-line playmaker (for instance in the absence of an injured Baron Davis). And there have certainly been many times he has been a leading scorer. Without Baron Davis, Matt Barnes, and Monta Ellis in the early part of this season, the Warriors will no doubt be counting on Jackson to be all that and a bag of chips. If he does all that, and the Warriors win like he says they will, I point out, he’ll be in the MVP conversation. “I’m proud to do everything I can to help my team,” he says. “I don’t care about the awards. But this will sure be my best opportunity.”
Laugh all you want at Jackson’s close friend Stephon Marbury. Jackson realizes a lot of people think Marbury’s crazy. But, he points out, almost nobody at Marbury’s position has made that much money or put up those kinds of numbers. How crazy is that production? “And if the Knicks let him go, and somehow make the playoffs, I guarantee they’ll be wishing they had that experience. … And if he’s not a Knick, I guarantee that we’ll try to get him.”
Jackson was sorry that he hadn’t been able to watch the final presidential debate because it conflicted with a game.

Should Warrior fans feel betrayed by Baron Davis? “I look at it two ways,” Jackson explains. “The first way is that it’s a business. He got to go home, and he got the contract he wanted. Meanwhile the team opened things up for Monta, so it worked out beautifully for both parties. The second way …” The straight story of Boom Dizzle, and the phone line straight boom fizzles. He’s speaking in droid tongues. Connection severed.

We’ll leave it there. It’s too much. Impossible to talk. And the Warriors are arriving at the Great Wall anyway. That wonder of the world has been sealing out foreigners for ages. As far as I can tell, it’s still working.

Ben Stubbs finds the budget way to true manhood.

WHAT A place to sleep on top of one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

WHERE Jin Shanling, three hours’ drive from Beijing.

WHY GO It’s not often you can say you slept in a guard tower all alone on the Great Wall of China. Chairman Mao once said: “He who has not climbed the wall is not a true man.” Hiking up to an abandoned tower and bunking down for the evening like a sentry is certainly a unique way to experience this structure, which cuts across the misty hills of northern China.

The Great Wall of China spans an impressive 6400 kilometres, from the barren deserts of Inner Mongolia in the west to its crumbling tail on the outskirts of Beijing in the east and if you believe everything you watch on television, the Great Wall of China was constructed by Emperor Nasi Goreng, who was attempting to keep out all the rabbits that were plaguing his kingdom.

The wall boasts an impressive quota of Guinness Book of Records statistics: it is the longest man-made structure in history, the largest structure ever built, it was once believed to be the only man-made structure visible from space (this claim has since been withdrawn after a Chinese astronaut in 2003 couldn’t spot the wall from his shuttle) and it is also one of the most visited tourist sites on the planet.

The Great Wall is a part of the new Seven Wonders of the World list and sections closer to Beijing can be crawling with visitors. Despite the popularity (especially after the Olympic Games) it is possible to experience this tourist site without being over-run.

Only three hours north-west of Beijing is a less-visited section of the wall called Jin Shanling. In the smoky hamlet below the wall, an enterprising group of locals has opened the guard towers above the village as a unique accommodation option for curious tourists.

In the same way that bridge climbs and twilight tours have shown a different side of Sydney Harbour, this local initiative displays a side of the wall many tourists would never normally experience.

This isn’t a luxury option for only the rich and privileged either. Slumber parties in the sleeping quarters of a 15th-century Ming Dynasty commander can be arranged from numerous guesthouses and travel agencies in Beijing for as little as 550 yuan (about $115). An even cheaper option is to catch a local bus up to the wall independently and approach one of the small convenience stores around the car park. They will provide you with a guide up to your accommodation, sleeping bag, mattress, lantern and noodles for breakfast.