Beijing, Day 4

(Today's post was written by our first blogger volunteer, Nathaniel)

Today was yet another day full of action-packed adventure. It was a good thing we all made a run to the convenience store to pick up gigantic bottles of water (mine was 1.25 Liters, one of the smaller ones,) because our hike up to the Great Wall was a lot more difficult than we thought!

Instead of visiting the more tourist-filled refurbished sections of the Great Wall, the section we visited was located just outside of Hexi village, about a two hour bus ride from our hotel in Beijing. We learned from our guide that particular section of the wall not only served as a border in ancient times from nomads on horseback, but also served as a border in modern times to separate Beijing and Hebei provinces.

After climbing back down the mountain, we had the chance to discuss our group projects with the local officials of Hexi village. Before we left for China, each of us prepared for discussions on various topics, such as Plumbing, Tourism, and Waste Disposal. The officials were very excited to listen to our suggestions, and they also explained to us their solutions. Their direct involvement in finding solutions to these problems gave us a chance to see how small-town development occurs in China. In the news, we often hear about Beijing and Shanghai, but these small villages also play a role in the development of China.

In the late afternoon we visited an Organic farm in China, which at first might seem a little strange, considering our modern perceptions of China as filled with factories spewing dangerous chemicals. However,  Green Cow Farm’s techniques for organic farming use both ancient and modern techniques to create a healthy alternative to mass-produced chemical laden produce. For example, many of the farmers who work there grew up using traditional Chinese farming techniques, which did not use many of today’s dangerous chemicals. In addition, we were able to see pig pens surrounded.... by electric fence powered through solar panels. This experience gave us an appreciation for many of the people who choose to go against the grain of using modern chemicals to grow produce, and how this type of farming creates not only healthy food, but a healthy perception of the world around us.

On the bus ride back to the hotel, we were all very pleased to learn we will be eating Peking Duck tomorrow. Tomorrow we will leave for Nanjing, and there’s nothing like eating a Beijing specialty as a climax for our last day in China’s capital city.

-Nathan