BEIJING - NOVEMBER, 2012 [PART TWO]

On my second day in Beijing I travelled to the Summer Palace which is about 7 1/2 miles north of central Beijing. This large garden and lake complex dates back eight centuries when it was built as an imperial retreat from the summer heat of Beijing. It was ransacked by British and French soldiers in 1860, and burned by Western soldiers in 1900 seeking revenge for the Boxer Rebellion. It is a huge park with pagodas, palaces, lakes, and forests. Most of the 700 acre park is taken up by Kunming Lake, which is largely man made. The dirt from the excavation of the lake was used to build Longevity Hill, upon which the main Summer Palace buildings are built.

As you enter the palace grounds on the north side, through the entry gate, you climb up the north side of Longevity Hill which contains the main buildings of the Summer Palace complex. As you reach the top of the hill you look out over Kunming Lake, and then walk down to the lakeshore.

When you reach the lakeshore you exit through the south gate of the temple complex. There are walkways, bridges, canals, and dikes to walk along with a view of the lake and of the temple complex on Longevity Hill. There are boats that you can take to ride about the lake, and out to South Island in the lake. There are also places to eat along the lake. It must be very beautiful in the summer when the weather is warm (but the crowds are large.)

I took a boat ride out to South Island which is connected to the shoreline by a causeway, then walked back to the main palace complex before leaving the park to return to Beijing. I have also included a professional photo which gives a clearer view of the complex on Longevity Hill. My day at the Summer Palace was long and strenuous, but filled with many memories.