Mark Shorey (L), from CRIENGLISH.com asks questions at the press conference in Chengde, Hebei Province, northern China, on December 14, 2009. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

By Mark Shorey

The first milestone was crossing the north border officially out of Beijing and into Hebei Province. The landscape seemed to change gradually into so many tree farms and signs of development. Terraced hillsides of cultivation showing care had been taken to get the most out of the land then on to more challenging landscapes both pointed and sharp.

Then from the back of the bus I heard "Great Wall!" and I looked up to behold my first ever sight of the wall that is world famous. The wall, I said to my companion, is in an impossible place. It was running along the top of a knife-edged mountain. It is impossible in my mind to climb, much less to build a wall of such dimensions. I cannot say the word 'amazing' enough times to convey the sheer magnitude of this sight. At this moment I deeply respect the ancient builders. I know it sounds cliche but you simply have to see it for yourself.

Birds nestling on the ice of the more frequent small canals and spillways became the norm. And still more and more orchards. Leftover snow hidden in the valleys and then gradually a city started to appear. At first I was not impressed but then as the buildings became more and more organized my heart started to see life, as I would like it. Not so much a tourist resort, as I had been told, but a true unique destination.

Now let us talk about rivers, of which there are four. The Wulie River that runs through the town is the substantial feature for me and will always be remembered. At first I saw ice on the river, which I thought might be too thin to walk on, but then I saw the ice skaters practicing and thought "I want to be there now." It took me back to London and the River Thames. It makes a city to have water bringing in so much energy and prosperity. Chengde has both of these in abundance.

The abundance was also seen in the two amazing meals, lunch and dinner. When compared with my humble roots, it was something I would only expect at the table of President Obama. But this day it was all for me.