Tiannamen Sq, Forbidden City, Silk Factory

Alright! So.....We started out at Tiennamen Square. Pretty cool. Although, the temp. was not! Then, on to The Forbidden City. I cannot describe how big that place is. We were there for hours, and barely entered the place. Huge! Boy....being an emperor had its perks. He had a room for getting dressed. And not some shabby old closet. It's a mansion. And it's just one of 13! We bought a book w/ lots of pictures, as my pics cannot possibly do it justice. After sweltering there for several hours, we went for a rickshaw ride and had a traditional Chinese meal in a home. It was so yummy! They just kept bringing on the food! Next, we went to the silk market. We saw how the worms make the silk and then how it's made into fabrics. Very cool. We bought Joy a couple of dresses there. It was a very tiring day, but incredible. I just love driving around the city, peeking down the streets to see the local people just living. It's neat. The homes are very old and some are crumbling. But, they are so beautiful. Tomorrow we will go to The Temple of Heaven and then fly to Nanchang, where we will meet Joy on Monday morning! Gasp! We are all getting very excited, now. It's so close! Thanks!!!! Maria