Beijing Part 1 - Hanban headquarters and Peking Duck dinner

After the busy day at the Forbidden City, we went back to the hotel, changed into suits and had an added bonus to the itinerary (which happens a lot) to a Confucious Temple.  It was hidden down a small alley in Beijing but when we walked through the gates it was colorful and ornate.  

Next we visited the Hanban Headquarters. They had all kinds of activities for us that showed different elements of their culture and heritage. They showed us how to make bracelets, paper cutting, animals out of leaves, and had traditional outfits to dress up in.  It was a gorgeous building and they were very hospitable, allowing us to order teaching materials for free as well. We will be bringing back a case of traditional Chinese movies as well as other materials. 

Next we headed to a Peking Duck dinner, a local favorite.  Served family style, the duck is sliced and then wrapped with cucumber and a dark brown sauce, and eaten almost like a small taco.  We all tried many other traditional dishes and as always, finished it off with some watermelon.

After we got back to the hotel, we ventured out to the night markets and mall, which were around the corner from the hotel.  In the one market area, known for its unusual food, people in the delegation tried scorpions on a stick and silkworms.  There was no way any of that was going to be ingested by me, I could hardly handle the smell, but I did get pictures.  Some of the group went off to massages after the market, but I would have just been paying for a nap so Inwent back to the hotel and called it a night.

Tomorrow we head to Henan province with about 60 members of the delegation!

Picture of the Peking Duck dinner, more pictures of scorpions on a stick to follow!