There are many cultural sites that make Beijing a vacation destination; the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Linggu Temple, Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum, the Temple of Heaven, and Tiananmen Square to name a few. A month ago I traveled to all of these sites, but none of them impressed me as much as the Summer Palace. Don’t get me wrong, the Great Wall is certainly impressive and not to be missed, but after about an hour of walking you still are looking at a lot of bricks.
The Summer Palace is located about 9 miles northwest from the heart of Beijing. This imperial palace sits atop a lush, green hill overlooking the large, blue Kunming Lake. Originally built in 1153 under the Jin Dynasty, the palace received its name in 1888 when Empress Dowager Cixi used silver to repair and restore it. Walking through the palace you are instantly taken back in time.
In order to tour the Summer Palace, you must climb several small stairs that wind and cut through large boulders – but this cultural tour is not dangerous nor is it strenuous (there were even women performing Tai-Chi in a stone courtyard midway up the hill). When you reach the top there is a breathtaking, nearly panoramic view of the Lake and the land. But, your tour is not complete. Next you must walk through the vibrantly painted rooms and halls, past the towering pagoda, to the lakeshore. There you will take a dragon-shaped boat across the Lake to an island. The neatly manicured island is attached to the 17-Arch Bridge. Cross over this magnificent bridge to a vendor-lined, cobblestone street. Make sure to enjoy an ice cream treat before riding another dragon boat back to the entrance of the remarkable Summer Palace.
You will want to have an empty memory card to take several pictures of this brightly painted Palace set atop a hill.
The Summer Palace is located about 9 miles northwest from the heart of Beijing. This imperial palace sits atop a lush, green hill overlooking the large, blue Kunming Lake. Originally built in 1153 under the Jin Dynasty, the palace received its name in 1888 when Empress Dowager Cixi used silver to repair and restore it. Walking through the palace you are instantly taken back in time.
In order to tour the Summer Palace, you must climb several small stairs that wind and cut through large boulders – but this cultural tour is not dangerous nor is it strenuous (there were even women performing Tai-Chi in a stone courtyard midway up the hill). When you reach the top there is a breathtaking, nearly panoramic view of the Lake and the land. But, your tour is not complete. Next you must walk through the vibrantly painted rooms and halls, past the towering pagoda, to the lakeshore. There you will take a dragon-shaped boat across the Lake to an island. The neatly manicured island is attached to the 17-Arch Bridge. Cross over this magnificent bridge to a vendor-lined, cobblestone street. Make sure to enjoy an ice cream treat before riding another dragon boat back to the entrance of the remarkable Summer Palace.
You will want to have an empty memory card to take several pictures of this brightly painted Palace set atop a hill.
For additional information on Beijing travel, contact Kelly Kasic, President of GLOBAL ID, LLC. – A Management Consulting and International Market Research Company. http://www.identifyglobal.com/
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