Lovely photos…my son went to China and sent back photos of weird things. He went to rural China, and everyone wanted a photo of him or with him because he was a white guy…I assume they are rare around the countryside. 
Can I ask why nobody is allowed to speak?
Can you speak Chinese? same as they can’t speak English, but the tour guides speak good english
display cabinet with glass top inlaid with Jade. To this day they can’t do this and have no idea how they managed it and below chair and bed used by an emperor
The number of wooden studs above the entrance to a home denoted the status of the house owner
Here 4 studs of a high ranking person
bit of their handywork in stone
I can speak some Chinese, yes. I just thought there was a political reason for them not conversing, like the queens guards can’t have a conversation either. 
Great photos and excellent narrative realspeed, thanks for sharing your holiday with us.
I find the Chinese a fascinating people. I couldn’t help noticing that all the information boards and plaques were written in Chinese and English. That seemed very welcoming as an Englishman.
Yes we got on so well with the tour guides. Just one thing I forgot to mention, when having breakfast in the hotel going past the dining room several times was this guy. I got the feeling he was just checking up . May have been nothing but seemed suspicious, you never know who is watching you!
