Sunday, July 26, 2009
Beijing - Summer Palace
Yes, yes -I know, its been months since I've posted to the blog. I'm sorry. A thousand lashes with a we noodle. The China project has become all consuming and leaves little time for much else. I promise, I've done a bit more sightseeing and will eventually get more pictures posted from my June adventures. That said, I went to the Summer Palace this morning.
Most of my team is still in the US, so this is the first time I've ventured out on my own. The Summer Palace is on the outskirts of Beijing, so about a 30 minute cab ride. The Summer Palace was built in the late 1700s and razed by the British in the 1850s. Its been rebuilt and restored several times with the last major renovation taking place in the 1980s. What makes the Summer Palace so different from many of the other sights is its relative youth and that its part historic buildings and part historic botanical gardens.
When I started exploring the Summer Palace I was pretty underwhelmed. Many of the buildings are badly in need of paint and quite a few of them are not open to the public. The Summer Palace also covers several square miles so it is very difficult to go from building to building. You get lost among the multitude of paths, trails, trees and ponds. Once I stopped worrying about following a defined path I found I enjoyed the Palace much more.
The north entrance. I got there at 9:00 am (it opens at 8:30) and the place was absolutely crazy.
The first car ever imported into China
This was a massive stage and "makeup" area. One of several throughout the Palace.
A close up of the stage complete with musical instruments. The stage also featured the ability to have running water and fog effects.
Once I started to realize that at least 80% of the Palace is a garden I started to enjoy it.
This scene was surreal. Too pretty to really exist.
This was an interior courtyard for a small building. The buildings on the 2nd floor displayed period furniture. Very detailed -all hand made.
About 70% of the Palace is water. I walked through a courtyard, ducked through a gate and was met by this vision. Unfortunately, pictures don't do it justice. Today is fairly smoggy, so pictures don't come out too great.
I believe this is called the long corridor. It was completely mobbed. The people seated are facing the water. Vendors were hocking Popsicles, grilled corn and other snacks. It smelled good.
The Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha towers above the entire palace.
There is a LOT of stair climbing to getup to the tower. About half way up there are move buildings anchored to the side of the hill.
The view from the (almost) top was totally worth it.
Full view of the temple (from the back).
You don't normally associate China with Buddha. But there you go. He was originally covered in Gold, but it seems to be wearing off.
The top most building on the hill houses several Buddha statues. This is the building's exterior, notice all the Buddha's? Most of the lower ones have their heads snapped off. :(
This was by far the largest statue. I'd put him at about 20 feet tall.
I left the temple from the rear and had many, many stairs to go down. After four hours in the hot summer sun, I didn't take nearly as many pictures on the way down. Here's the last view on the way out of the Summer Palace (the rear entrance on the North side):
Most of my team is still in the US, so this is the first time I've ventured out on my own. The Summer Palace is on the outskirts of Beijing, so about a 30 minute cab ride. The Summer Palace was built in the late 1700s and razed by the British in the 1850s. Its been rebuilt and restored several times with the last major renovation taking place in the 1980s. What makes the Summer Palace so different from many of the other sights is its relative youth and that its part historic buildings and part historic botanical gardens.
When I started exploring the Summer Palace I was pretty underwhelmed. Many of the buildings are badly in need of paint and quite a few of them are not open to the public. The Summer Palace also covers several square miles so it is very difficult to go from building to building. You get lost among the multitude of paths, trails, trees and ponds. Once I stopped worrying about following a defined path I found I enjoyed the Palace much more.
The north entrance. I got there at 9:00 am (it opens at 8:30) and the place was absolutely crazy.
The first car ever imported into China
This was a massive stage and "makeup" area. One of several throughout the Palace.
A close up of the stage complete with musical instruments. The stage also featured the ability to have running water and fog effects.
Once I started to realize that at least 80% of the Palace is a garden I started to enjoy it.
This scene was surreal. Too pretty to really exist.
This was an interior courtyard for a small building. The buildings on the 2nd floor displayed period furniture. Very detailed -all hand made.
About 70% of the Palace is water. I walked through a courtyard, ducked through a gate and was met by this vision. Unfortunately, pictures don't do it justice. Today is fairly smoggy, so pictures don't come out too great.
I believe this is called the long corridor. It was completely mobbed. The people seated are facing the water. Vendors were hocking Popsicles, grilled corn and other snacks. It smelled good.
The Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha towers above the entire palace.
There is a LOT of stair climbing to getup to the tower. About half way up there are move buildings anchored to the side of the hill.
The view from the (almost) top was totally worth it.
Full view of the temple (from the back).
You don't normally associate China with Buddha. But there you go. He was originally covered in Gold, but it seems to be wearing off.
The top most building on the hill houses several Buddha statues. This is the building's exterior, notice all the Buddha's? Most of the lower ones have their heads snapped off. :(
This was by far the largest statue. I'd put him at about 20 feet tall.
I left the temple from the rear and had many, many stairs to go down. After four hours in the hot summer sun, I didn't take nearly as many pictures on the way down. Here's the last view on the way out of the Summer Palace (the rear entrance on the North side):
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