Day 2: Beijing, Summer Palace

By Chuck

After a very busy morning and another awesome lunch we headed to the Summer Palace. We were fortunate that the drizzle stopped and we just ended up with a cloudy day. The crowds were very heavy today and it is still hard to get used to how the Chinese culture is so different from ours when it comes to sightseeing. There is no concept of getting in line, people just walk in front of you in line, push right through you to get somewhere, with no apology. They are not being rude, it is just how they interact in public. Just one of the cultural differences we had to get used to.

The Summer Palace is an Imperial Garden from the Qing Dynasty where the emperors would spend the summer months to get away from the heat of the city. In December 1998, UNESCO named the Palace to it’s World Heritage List.

Longevity Hill is 200ft high and overlooks the Kunming Lake, and sitting atop of the hill is the Tower of Buddhist Incense.

Some photos of Kunming Lake:

This was a beautiful boat made of marble:

This is a Qilin, a mythical hooded creature who is said to appear on the imminent arrival or departure of a ruler.

This is the Longevity Well; it is said if you look into the well you will be granted a long life.

There were many rock formations throughout the gardens. When it rains the water runs off the rocks which enables people to see the art differently. They were massive and hard to get in one shot.

thanks for reading,

Chuck