We then moved on to the Forbidden City, which was built by Chinese emperors during the Ming Dynasty. Like the Great Wall, it was incredible to be standing in such a significant place in Chinese history. The beauty of the palace was breath-taking; pictures alone could never fully capture it.
And finally, I couldn't help myself with this last picture...I made a few friends along the way :) Love Asian tourists.
I think I fell in love with China--the people, the language, the culture, the history, and even some of the food (just say no to chicken feet). Going into the trip, I thought I would be overwhelmed by spirits of oppression and warfare simply because of what I had heard or read about China, but this was not true. Something shifted in my heart while I was there, something that I'm still trying to name and describe. I do know this--I left part of my heart with an 8 year-old with cerebral palsy in an orphanage in a small city in southern China. (He could use chopsticks better than me, by the way.) I don't meet the international adoption requirements in China yet, so I couldn't bring him home :) There's no way I could detail the whole trip here, so for now this will have to suffice. It was incredible, and I can't wait to go back.
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