Central Beijing, China

Forbidden City is a palace complex in central Beijing, China. It houses the Palace Museum, and was the former Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty (the years 1420 to 1912). The Forbidden City served as the home of emperors and their households and was the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government for almost 500 years.  This famous landmark, along with Tiananmen Square are must-sees for any visitor to Beijing.  We arranged for a private van and tour guide for Kathy and Tony to have the best possible experience. It was a cold day, but we learned a lot and enjoyed our time together.

Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province, China

The Hanging Temple, also Hanging Monastery or Xuankong Temple is a temple built into a cliff (75-metre (246 ft) above the ground) near Mount Heng in Hunyuan County, Datong City, Shanxi Province, China. Built more than 1,500 years ago, this temple is notable not only for its location on a sheer precipice but also because it is the only existing temple with the combination of three Chinese traditional religions: Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. It was VERY cold up on this mountain, so the grandparents and grandkids decided to stay in the visitor center.  Matt and I ventured on with our guide to endure the long lines and bracing cold winds.  The temple was absolutely stunning, in spite of the cold.  (Click any photo for a larger view.)

Datong, Shanxi Province, China

The Yungang Grottoes, formerly the Wuzhoushan Grottoes, are ancient Chinese Buddhist temple grottoes near the city of Datong in the province of Shanxi. They are excellent examples of rock-cut architecture and one of the three most famous ancient Buddhist sculptural sites of China. They are an outstanding example of the Chinese stone carvings from the 5th and 6th centuries. There are 53 major caves, along with 51,000 niches housing the same number of Buddha statues. Additionally, there are around 1,100 minor caves. A Ming Dynasty-era fort is still located on top of the cliff housing the Yungang Grottoes. In 2001, the Yungang Grottoes were made a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Words can not capture the stunning experience of standing in these grottoes, some of which were carved in 450 AD.  (Click any photo for a larger view.)

Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China

Here are some of our favorite pictures from our time in Xi’an.  The Terracotta Army is an amazing site and Xi’an has years of history that are almost incomprehensible.  We are so thankful for our time there, especially experiencing it with Grandma and Grandpa. (Click any photo for a larger view.)

Shaanxi and Shanxi Provinces, China

Xi’an City Wall, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China

Xi’an City Wall, represents one of the oldest, largest and best preserved Chinese city walls. It was built under the rule of the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang as a military defense system. It has been refurbished many times since it was built in the 14th century and as recently as 1983. The wall encloses an area of about 14 square kilometres (5.4 sq mi) and tourists can rent bikes to ride along the wall.  We had fun riding the tandem bike for awhile, but did not make it all the way around as it got too cold.  We drew some attention from locals that wanted to take pictures with the girls and grandma and grandpa!

Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China

Haidian District, Beijing, China

Phuket, Thailand

The 2 weeks we spent in Phuket, Thailand were exactly what we needed during our first year of living abroad. Since our arrival in Beijing in August, we have been nonstop busy, and it felt like we didn’t even have a moment to pause and breathe.  Phuket finally provided us the time to appreciate what we were experiencing.  We saw animals, people, food, landscapes, ocean, islands, and so much more beauty. Click any photo for a larger view.

Island Tours, Phuket, Thailand

In my research for Phuket, I found many options for island day trips.  Some people advised to wait till we got to the island and decide what islands to see.  Others said to book the trips before we left.  I wanted the easiest possible vacation, so I booked three island tours spaced out over our last week in Phuket.  I used a site to book all tours, but each was a different vendor.  The four of us experienced many amazing things for the first time during these trips and we’re thankful for each tour.