Beautiful. Inspring. Profound. Exhausting.

These were just some of the reactions by Pierce Law CHIPSI program participants who hiked up to the Great Wall of China and visited the Ming dynasty tombs last Saturday. With a refreshing mist of perception on our backs, we hiked from a small village outside of Beijing to the Great Wall and hiked as much of the 6,700 km Wall as we could in two hours, The views of the vast mountains were an awe-inspiring and welcomed contrast from the urban landscape of central Beijing. We were also blown away with the history of the immense construction, many parts of which have been standing for over 2000 years.

After enjoying the Great Wall, we took a chairlift ride over forest-covered trails down to the village below. The sole disappointment of the day was that the toboggan ride that runs down from the Wall to the village was closed due to the rain.

We then went to a restaurant for a delicious authentic Chinese lunch. The restaurant was adjacent to one of the largest jade emporiums in China. Jade is one of the most valuable and celebrated ornamental stones of China. We were able to see how the stone was cut and shaped. After lunch, we headed to the Ming Tombs. The elaborate mausoleums are home to thirteen tombs of the Ming Dynasty. This was a full day that exposed us to the vast history of Chinese culture.

Following the Great Wall trip, Pierce Law student David Connaughton was asked to summarize his experience: "I won't realize how profound an experience it was being here, considering how historically significant and beautiful this is. I can say 'I was at the Great Wall of China.'"

The Pierce Law China Intellectual Property Summer Institute brings together students from across the world for a 5-week intensive academic program at Tsinghua University--the leading intellectual property institution in China. Students also experience life in Beijing and Xian, and enjoy the many sights, sounds, and tastes of China. In addition to the program-sponsored trips, we have seen Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Olympic Village. Stay tuned for more updates for CHIPSI!