My second day in China started with a big western-style breakfast at the hotel before we boarded the bus and drove through Beijing to the Summer Palace. The city used to be almost exclusively a bicycle town, but flirting with capitalism has greatly increased vehicle traffic. It's still about half and half, but the combustion engine looks to be winning.
There is a lot of road work, and there is a good system of express roads to carry traffic around. One of these took us from the central area where our hotel was, out to the northwest quadrant, to the Summer Palace.
Yi He Yuan is actually more of a garden than a palace, and it was the summer residence of the Qing court from around 1860 to 1908, when the Empress Dowager Cixi died. Built in the 18th century (with slave labour) to resemble another of the emperor's retreats, it was destroyed and rebuilt twice.
From the garden on the south side to the north is the Long Corridor, a 728 meter covered walkway. Each and every beam is decorated with colorful pictures, some 8,000 in all. There are beautiful examples of Chinese gardening styles along the way, with the Tibetan Buddhist temple looming at the top of "Longevity Mountain."
Foxiang Tower of Bhuddist Fragrance (above).
Dragon boats (above) carry tourists around the lake, to the central island, where you can see the 17-Arch Bridge (below).
On the way back to our bus, we were met by a few of Beijing's poor, begging for whatever we could give. There is a lot that is shiny and new in China, but there is also a lot that is still struggling to survive.
From the Summer Palace, our next stop was a hospital, where doctors took our pulse, told us what was wrong with us, and were ready to prescribe the proper medicine (for a modest fee).
After lunch, and a visit to a jewelry shop (specializing in pearls), our next stop was the Temple of Heaven, an impressive group of buildings that was visited by the emperor only three times a year. The Round Altar (below) was for sacrifices at the winter solstice. The story is that if you stand at the centre, your voice can be heard around the world.
The triple-roofed Hall of Prayers for a Good Harvest (which stands on a similar round altar) was where the emperor presided over a sacrificial banquet for the benefit of the agricultural sector.
Qinian Hall Of Prayer For A Good Year.
From one altar to the other is a long walkway, called the Road to Heaven. There are displays outlining the elaborate rituals the emperor had to go through to ensure peace and prosperity for his kingdom. The emperors thought of themselves as divine, so it was natural for them to do great homage.
The gates to the Hall Of Imperial Heavenly Vault.
After dinner, we were taken to a local theatre to enjoy a version of the Beijing circus. There were some very talented gymnasts and performers, doing some juggling, balancing, and feats of physicality. Then it was back to the hotel to rest up for the next day's trip. The Great Wall.
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