Běijīng: Summer Palace

Monday, 22nd April, 2013.

 

Once a playground for the imperial court fleeing the suffocating summer torpor of the Forbidden City, the grounds, temples, gardens, pavilions, lakes, bridges, gate-towers and corridors of the Summer Palace are a marvel of landscaping (Lonely Planet).

 

The Summer Palace – with its huge lake, hilltop views and energising walks – offers a pastoral escape into the landscapes of traditional Chinese painting (Lonely Planet).

 

The domain had long been a royal garden before being considerably enlarged and embellished by Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century.

 

Emperor Qianlong marshalled a 100,000-strong army of labourers to deepen and expand Kūnmíng Lake, which takes up three-quarters of the park.  The excavated soil was used to build Longevity Hill.

 

 

Anglo-French troops vandalised the palace during the Second Opium War (1856–60).  It is claimed that Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled navy funds to reconstruct it as a resort in which to spend the rest of her life.  The marble boat at the northern edge of the lake was her only nautical – albeit quite unsinkable – concession (Lonely Planet).

The marble boat is currently undergoing some restoration.

 

 

 

I think we were in China at a great time of year for the flowers.

 

Beside the lake, an elegant covered walkway called the Long Corridor is decorated with paintings. 

 

Beside the Long Corridor, an avenue of flowering trees fringes the lake. 

In warm weather, pedal boats are available from the dock.  I wouldn’t have called this particular day warm by any stretch of the imagination, but one hardy couple was out determinedly peddling away.  At least the exercise would have kept them warm. 

 

The grounds of the Summer Palace are studded with beautiful buildings with beautiful names, such as the Hall of Dispelling Clouds, the Hall of Moral Glory, the Hall of the Sea of Wisdom, Hall for Listening to Orioles etc.

We enjoyed a brief stroll around the grounds, coming upon one delightful or surprising vista after another:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The plaque reads:

HELP PROTECT THE CULTURAL RELICS.                                                                                                  HELP PROTECT THE RAILINGS.

We saw quite a few people who looked like Chinese tourists in ethnic dress.

 

The metal gratings were in the shape of symbols of longevity.

 

Our visit to the Summer Palace was to conclude with a trip across the lake on a dragon boat.

 

Unfortunately, we were last on and had to stand outside and it was FREEZING!

 

However, being on the outside section of the dragon boat meant that we did have a good view of the graceful 17-arch Shíqīkǒng Qiáo bridge as we chugged freezingly past.  Even the sun (see top of picture) is making an effort to come out and warm us up.