Day 75 (28th July) Beijing
We spent a somewhat less than enjoyable day at the Summer Palace due to the heat, humidity and enormous throng of people. We got the No.1 line from Wangfujing station to Zhidan then the No.4 line to Beigongmen station which is close to the entrance to the Summer Palace and we got in for nothing being old and foreign. The most (if not the only) enjoyable part of the day was Suzhou Street which is actually a long pool with large shoals of grey goldfish and offshoots full of huge water lilies with pink flowers. Originally called “Business Street”, it was built in the style of South China cities during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795) in the Qing Dynasty. It was where the Emperor and Empress could go shopping to the small shops lining the pool, pretending to be ordinary citizens. It was burned to the ground by Anglo-French forces in 1860 and restored in 1990. The current-day shops include a teahouse, restaurant, pharmacy, bank and stores for hats, jewellery and groceries to give an illustration of South China towns in the 18th century.
We then climbed many steps up the mountain to Si Da Buzou (“Four Great Regions”), a square surrounded by four Tibetan-style Buddhist structures. They correspond to the four Buddhist continents round Mount Meru: Jambudvipa (Southern), Uttarakuru (Northern), Purva (Eastern) and Aparagodaniya (western). They were burned down by the Anglo-French army in 1860 and restored to the original design in the 1980’s.
We finally climbed to the Paiyin Dian (Hall of Dispelling Clouds). The original construction here was the Hall of the Great Buddha of the Temple of Immense Gratitude and Longevity in the Garden of Clear Ripples. It was burned down by the Anglo-French in 1860 and reconstructed on its original site in 1886 as a place to celebrate Empress Dowager Cixi’s birthdays. We couldn’t go in the hall, but could see some of the presents given to her by princes and ministers.
I then climbed the 213 steps up to the pagoda which dominates the Summer Palace, where there was a magnificent view of the lake. At the lakeside, a breeze made the atmosphere bearably cool, so we had an ice cream and returned back to the hotel.
Legoland
Suzhou Street
The lakeside
View from top of pagoda
