BEIJING
THE ASIAN SERIES PT14
As expected The Summer Palace was amazing, Tina had showed me photos and mentioned that she was there for six hours. Initially, I found this hard to believe because I thought it was just a building. However, I ended up hanging around for over three hours, even though I usually like to do things quickly.
The Summer Palace
THE SUMMER PALACE
The Palace is dominated by Longevity Hill and covers an area of almost 3km², overlooking Kunming Lake. Surprisingly, I noticed how few people were inside the Palace; it’s not until you walk outside that you realize where they are all hiding. After visiting the palace up close, it is best to walk around to Nanhu Island to gain a different perspective.
The Summer Palace
SNEAKY PHOTOS
Here, I noticed a few locals trying to take a photo of me enjoying the view, which I don’t mind. However, I can only imagine what would happen if I were to take photos of someone at home. This situation occurs frequently in China, but when caught, they just smile and move on. Consequently, I am getting into the habit of taking their camera and snapping a selfie before handing it back to them, which, to be fair, usually opens the floodgates!
RELATED READ: DIVING GREAT WHITES
KITE FLYING
On the bridge of Nanhu Island, there is the most impressive kite flying you will ever see. These weren’t any ordinary kites; instead, they were about 3 meters wide and flew about 400 meters away. It was pretty cool to see! Indeed, the days of kids flying kites back home are long gone!
Additionally, the streets around this area are fascinating and worth getting lost in. You won’t find any Starbucks or Walls Ice Cream umbrellas here, just 100% real China.
SUMMER PALACE:
- The Chinese name translate to Nourishing Peace Garden
- In the summer months the Imperial families preferred the airy gardens here than the humid walled Forbidden City
- Built in 1750 by Emperor Qianglong
- It was partially destroyed in 1860 by the Anglo-French and rebuild in 1886.
- It has the longest covered promenade in the world – Long Corridor
- In 1998 it was declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site
FINAL THOUGHTS
What an incredible place China is and for the most part the extend of it’s history was unbeknown to me! I couldn’t help but be in aw of it from day 1, anyone who enjoys significant history, architecture and photography must visit China! For my China Reflection post, click here.
NEXT UP
Heading onto Seoul in South Korea for some live squid, egg shots and to visit the infamous DMZ/North Korea border! Click to read.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
31/229
This episode is part of The Asian Series. Click to view episode1.
Question Time
- Would you like to visit the Summer Palace?
- What is at the top of your China visit list?
Let me know in the comments below . . .
