Sightseeing in Chongqing

Yesterday morning we went out to see a few sights in Chongqing. First was the Chongqing Zoo. We actually only saw the pandas and a tiger! The zoo also seemed to function as a park. There were lots of people gathering, and there was a small lake, lots of greenery and nice pathways. I can see why people would like to go there -- it was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the big city!

At the entrance:

It hasn't taken Leah too long to warm up to Daddy:

Smiling grass:

Actually this close to a tiger -- no zoom:

We didn't have time to do much exploring, but here's an example of the beauty of the park within the zoo:

Chongqing sits at the meeting of two rivers, the Jialing and the Yangtze. Our next stop was to see the place where the two rivers meet.

Yangtze to the right, Jialing to the left:

Our final stop was to a 17th century structure, which I believe functioned as some kind of community center. There was a temple where we were told they worshipped the first emperor of China, and there were also areas described as "opera stages" and "coffee houses" (where of course they drank tea, not coffee!). We had a great guide take us through, and I absolutely loved seeing some of historical China.

Statue of the first emperor:

Nice juxtaposition -- in a 17th century structure with a view of a modern bridge over the Yangtze:

"Opera theater" (the stage is to the right in this picture):

Woodcarving and other excavated artifacts:

Our fabulous guide Michael took us all to a dumpling restaurant for lunch!

Leah has been doing very well. She comes alive in our hotel room, getting into everything and making lots of noise! When we go outside, I think she becomes quite overwhelmed because she basically shuts down. I empathize with her, because I don't like all the chaos either! Also, I am getting very tired of all the "looks." As I mentioned before, we stick out big-time, and now that we have a child with special needs with us, I really get the impression that many of the "looks" we get out in public are quite disapproving. In the gift shop at the community center, the lady asked us if we got to choose the child we adopted. When we said yes, she seemed surprised and asked quietly, "Did you get to see a picture before you came?" By no means do I fully understand the culture here, but it seems like there is no basis for understanding that people with special needs could be of value. This is not limited to Chinese culture of course, and I am 100% sure we will get some of "the look" back home as well, but it has been a reminder of the transformative nature of God's love.

We fly to Guangzhou tonight!