There are common everyday superlatives to describe something of considerable size. Mammoth. Gigantic. Colossal. There are even newer terms that better capture the immensity. Ginormous. Hugemongous (made this one up myself!). Some occasions, however, call for something even grander.
I’ll admit that I was excited to see the Great Wall of China. We were going to visit one of the great wonders of the world! I think I was more enamored by the thought I could I say that I had been there than the actual visit itself.
What struck me the most (and has stayed with me) as I stared at the seemingly boundless length of the fortification were the practical matters of life. The Wall stretches over 13,000 miles; roughly the distance from Seattle to Miami four times over. Interspersed along the Wall were watch towers where soldiers stood ready to signal (with bonfires) approaching invaders from Central Asia. How did they get food? Where did they bathe? Where did they even get the water to bathe and drink? Did they just hang themselves over the rampart to urinate and defecate?
How did they spend their days? What did they do to occupy themselves so they wouldn’t feel lonely or lose their minds?
FUN FACT. The are portions of the wall, like at Juyongguan, where tourists are allowed to visit. The steps along the fortification are sometimes uneven, steep, and, in places, not very uniform. Even the most physically fit may feel winded going from one watch tower to the next.
Some visitors are even rewarded for their physical toil with a photo op of a randomly wandering camel in the parking lot.
Despite its name, I was less enthused about visiting the Forbidden City. The exclusivity and restrictiveness of gated communities in the US was the first image that came to mind. The emperor’s vast palace complex was no exception. In fact, the Forbidden City could be considered the world’s first ever gated community.
Often times, tributes to the divine are built to incredible scales; a reflection of the followers’ devotion and reverence. The Ling Shan Great Buddha (one of the largest in the world) in Wuxi was a perfect example.
As was the Nine Dragons Bathing statue at the foot of the Buddha.
There is scant information online of the sheer magnitude of Shanghai’s AP Xinyang Fashion and Gift Market. Probably intentional as the underground labyrinth of small boutiques was home to the country’s best-quality knock-offs. Nonetheless, I am sticking to my claim that the maze felt like it stretched for a full square mile, at the very least.
FUN FACT. The shop owners in the Market are very aggressive! Just the merest glance at an item or even a whiff of interest will start the entire bargaining process. The old adage of threatening to “go to another vendor” does not work as there are dozens of others selling the same exact product at the same exact price. I was reprimanded with perfect American profanity when I decided that I was “not really interested” in the faux North Face jacket.
Some “random” stranger, who showed us the location of the closest bathroom, even waited outside to make sure we heard his spiel. Apparently, there are corners of the Market where one could find less savory and more titillating merchandise.
