My wife Lingchi and I would like to share our exciting American Artists' 2007 Dream Journey to China with you. There were two parts of our trip. Part One took us to some of the must see places. Part Two traveled through the exotic Shangri-la and the mysterious Tibet. The grandeur of Imperial China came first. We painted on the Great Wall in Beijing the first day. We then traveled south. A Li River cruise took us to Guilin. We rode the lift up to Yao Mountain to enjoy an awesome panoramic view. In Hangzhou, we stayed by the West Lake. Rolling sampans took us through secret passages and led us to Flower Harbor. We made rice paper and block print in Fuyang. We set out to find the Venice of the East and discovered the quiet little water town of Wu-Zhan. Our first part of the trip ended in Shanghai. Joined freshly with new members, we begun the second part of the trip by flying to Lijiang. We managed to stay in an old style inn, in the heart of the ancient village that carried a culture dating back to the beginning of time. Following the beginning of the mighty Yangtze, we took a breathtaking ride up to Shangri-la in the foothills of the Himalayas. We visited the imposing Tiger Leap Gorge and visited the 17th century young Ganden Songzanglin. After flying over the Himalayas from Shangri-la to Tibet, we took a ferry across the Yaluzangbo-the highest river in the World; and rang the bells of the oldest monastery in Tsedang. On the Roof of the World Lhasa, we climbed the Potala Palace, the home of the Dalai Lama. We witnessed the grand ceremony on the holiest day of Tibetan religion. We provide the best opportunity to see China through artistic eyes, to experience China as a source of creative inspiration. No one has explored the scenic wonders and cultural depth of China like us. We do not sit on a tall bus and watch folks go by. We make an effort to get to know real people living their lives. We reach out to make friends and try to understand the hopes and aspirations of common folks. Part One: Beijing When one thinks of China, one thinks of the Great Wall. Very few sentiments could equal having the Great Wall as the first sight of our Dream Journey. China is the land of the celestial dragon. The Great Wall is the spirit of that celestial dragon. It was magical. We had a nice sleep. In our dream, we entered a tunnel. We woke up and found ourselves on top of another world. It was a small group on our first leg of the journey. Barbara and Gayrene are good friends from Milwaukee. Diana from Arizona brought her family of four. Steven and Gwen are a young couple from Montana. Maria from Portland and Kathryn from Newport Beach are celebrating their birthdays. And, Donna from Colorado jumped in at the last second. We climbed the Great Wall the very first morning. We chose Chu-yun Gate in the canyons of Yen Mountains as our site. Chu-yun means to stay in the middle, to live with the Golden Mean. China was the Middle Kingdom. The Gate safeguarded the Chinese way. There were many different styled pavilions, towers, and other interesting structures here. There was a lake below and tea plantations on the layers of emerald mountains, many happy dots on the hills. I like this spot because it is quiet here. We have the Great Wall to ourselves. The Chinese host set up tables and chairs near the gate tower. Our artists began to fulfill the ultimate dream-to paint on the Great Wall of China.

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