国庆节快乐！ Going to "Disney" on Chinese National Day!

The first week of October is the time China celebrates becoming the nation it is in it's current configuration.

Here it is celebrated with a one week holiday for almost everyone in the country.  

We were warned to not try touristy things this week as nearly all Chinese are on vacation and well, as if traffic isn't always tough, this holiday week makes it even more so.  

Unlike Chinese New Year when it is expected that you'd go home, this week families can travel to other countries or just enjoy things in and around their city and country. We saw some crazy videos of the Great Wall on October 1 where so many people were there they couldn't even move and the traffic being so bad that people started cooking outside their cars on the road. :)  

However, our sweet friends are super brave, so they brought both their cars and took us out to the countryside to what they called, "Sichuan Disney."  

Those who know me, know I love just about anything Disney.  

But had never heard of a Disney in Sichuan before, and it wasn't, but the name "Disney" is synonymous with amusement parks so that is their intention.  I think if Walt had a farm, he might would have approved. lol

None the less...

This place was so cool y'all!  

Anytime we leave the city we are super stoked - clean air, beautiful blue skies (although that day the skies were even blue in the city). :)

Immediately upon entering there were fun things to do.

Our kids had a great time too.  They had this place where you buy your food and cook it up yourself! Super cool right?  It was like having a beautiful outdoor kitchen, but old style for the city dwellers to re-live by-gone days. haha.  

Ian and our friend's son loved keeping the fire going.  We learned that in the villages these types of stoves were all they had until just recently.  Our friend grew up in a home where all three meals were cooked on a wood burning stove like this.

Aili was amazing by helping cut the vegetables and then she helped Meisi clean all the bowls.

After lunch, we found they had these really fun obstacle courses too..  

I was proud of the kids for continuing to try.  They were so brave.  Falling into less than clean water multiple times. 

And that is the lesson learned.  

My friend said we needed to bring nothing additional on the trip.

From now on... a change of clothes is a must.  There ya' go.. lesson learned.

Now there were a few Disney-ish characters here.

They were even playing, "It's a Small World" in different parts of the park (in Chinese of course). :)

There was also this interesting parade.  The guy in the front dressed to look like a Japanese soldier and behind him the Chinese soldier.  That relationship is still pretty tough there.  The week before they had a siren that sounded multiple times through the day all over China to remember the humiliation of Japanese invading....  The parade wasn't just fore the holiday today.  Our friends say that is just the normal parade for this park.  

As we walked back to the car I enjoyed the scenery, the architecture. Old Chinese architecture is so beautiful to me.

We were all completely exhausted, but so thankful for friends who enjoy spending time with us enough to take two cars two hours outside of the city. :)  Thankful for a God that gave us absolutely gorgeous blue skies to enjoy this day with friends. :)