Stairway to Heaven and Stone Menagerie

I think all of us were pretty charged up today because it was time for the Ultimate China Experience—climbing the Great Wall. What better place to listen to voices carried away by song (and by the wind) than at of one of the world’s greatest wonders?

The Chamber Choir gathered at the foot of the Wall to sing several songs, including the “Usuli Boat Song,” which was particularly poignant in this place where thousands of workers spent years carving a cut-stone path into the mountains. There was a smaller crowd today, but as one student pointed out, it was an audience from around the world … with many Indians, Japanese and Europeans. Many visitors were anxious to begin the ascent, which entailed taking deep lunging steps onto steeply uneven stairs. But what a way to climb into the sky …

Some funny things I saw: this businessman (Japanese?) in an Armani suit climbing the Wall. A woman in knee-high, four-inch heel red crocodile boots and a belt to match, cavorting around at the bottom of the Wall, where you could buy drinks and sit. And the craziest of all—this guy who is climbing down the stairs to the bottom and stopped halfway down to … light a cigarette? Kind of crazy, all of it, but since I’m a people watcher, I loved how bizarre it all was.

Then it was off to the Ming Tombs—peace and quiet and freedom from the stampede of tourists. Lots of beautiful old trees. The Chamber Choir—on their own and without any direction from Karen—at one point gathered inside a domed chamber at the top of one of the buildings and began to sing. It was neat to see how they were starting to sing on their own, because they wanted to. They also sang frequently throughout the day during our ride between destinations, making Karen tear up for a second. “They pick the songs that are significant to them. It touches me, deeply. It’s different than when it’s a class."

One of my favorite moments of the day was the walk along the Sacred Way. The whole experience made me want to study Asian art history. There’s this long path stretching out before you, flanked by giant, intricately carved stone emperors, warriors and animals—horses, elephants, camels—and weeping willows. It’s a place of peace. You feel like it will go on forever and all you want to do is walk and think.

We capped the day off with a brief stop at a tea place where we sampled different teas and then a great Peking duck feast that was by far the best culinary moment of the trip. My table suddenly started conducting with chopsticks. Perhaps revved up from such a visual day, I took a picture that I recognized later as an echo of an Edward Hopper painting I love called “New York Movie.”

This was a visually intense part of the trip. Loved it and loved watching and listening to our students as they start to move forward on their own and perform just because they feel inspired, not because it’s on the itinerary. They are a solid group with a lot of talent.