It is quite near to my hotel and I headed there on Sunday morning. It was quite cold, however the place was crowded mainly by Chinese tourists. I found a spot with elderly people practicing Tai Chi, it looked impressive to see fluent movements full of strength and power, intensified by the place of an old pavilion overlooking the lake. I was told that people usually practice Tai Chi in parks round 6 am, and I might find a teacher or a class in a university (there is the Peking University nearby).
I was going with the AudioGuide (recorded description of significant places being played automatically when you approach such a location) equipped with my camera, and I just fell victim to taking pictures for most of the time. The place is very big and requires fast walking if one wants to see everything..It is on the outskirts of the inner Beijing, the Longevity Hill can be seen from distance and it promises a different, almost out-of-the-city day with views of the lake, and mountains and a pagoda in the near distance.
The whole complex is renovated (some spots rebuilt in the 1990s, renovation is still undergoing for 2008) and at times one has to imagine the spirit of history there..
It was severely destroyed in the war of 1860 (which is always mentioned on the info panel near each site), now on the list of UNESCO World Heritage (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/880).
Detailed info / photos on web, e.g.:
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/summer/index.htm
http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/beijing/summerpalaceindex.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment