Assalamualaikum w.b.t (Peace be upon you)
Day 7 (March 9, 2011)
Last day in Guilin & a quick peek into Xi'an
We spent our last day in Guilin at the Seven Star Park. A large park on the East side of the city and about 15-20 minutes walk from the main pedestrian area in the centre of town. Has a small zoo area on the East side farthest from the entrance with the main attraction being the giant pandas and the red pandas, additional fee to enter the zoo of ¥32, the staff host a small show with monkeys, bear, tigers and lion at scheduled hours. ¥35. It's raining that day. Strolling around the par, we found the place as a typical Chinese Park. The only attraction we found interesting in the park is the Camel Hill. The name was derived from it's shape which resembles half upper part body of a camel. Complete with the camel's head and hump on the back, the area made a great background for your photos.
The Camel Hill. The head and the hump looks real...
On our way out, we found another interesting place, the Maping Mosque. The mosque was situated near the park's exit. Unless you can read or recognize the kanji, it's quite impossible to know it's a mosque. Took a quick peek inside the mosque. Unfortunately the door to the main prayer hall was locked at that time, so we just enjoy it from outside.
On our way out, we found another interesting place, the Maping Mosque. The mosque was situated near the park's exit. Unless you can read or recognize the kanji, it's quite impossible to know it's a mosque. Took a quick peek inside the mosque. Unfortunately the door to the main prayer hall was locked at that time, so we just enjoy it from outside.
Maping Mosque, Guilin. Another discovery of mosque in China.
Journey to Xi'an from Guilin, we opted to take the flight. We can still opt for the train but we will lost almost a day inside the train. Wada Hostel can arrange a taxi ride from the hostel directly to the airport which costs around 80 yuan. You can arrange when to depart for the airport but it's best to get there at least 2 hours before your flight departure.
Day 8 (March, 10 2011)
A day in the ancient capital of China
Our day began with a trip to the world famous Eight Wonder Of the World, the Terracotta Army Museum. Getting there is easy. Wherever you are in Xi'an, just head to the Xi'an train station. When you arrived at the station, just walk east (assuming you're facing the station as North). From there you'll find a lot of minibuses. A lot of buses go to the Terracotta Army. Even if you don't know where to head to, there's always touts roaming around the area carrying pamphlets and posters showing images of the Terracotta Army. We followed what was recommended by the Lonely Planet. Take bus 306 as their last stop will be the Terracotta Army. The fare is 7 yuan, one way. The journey took around 40 minutes so get up early.
This is the bus, as suggested by Lonely Planet.
This mighty army of terracotta warriors and horses, found in three vaults, is perhaps the most popular tourist attraction of Shaanxi and one of the most popular in all of China. An in-site museum has been built over these pits, covering a floorspace of 20,000 square meters and displaying 8,000 life-like terracotta warriors, 100 or so chariots, and 30,000 weapons. The assemblage has been billed by the tourist industry as the Eighth Wonder of the World and a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO in 1987. Entrance fee is ¥110, half-price for students. Before we enter the entrance, a woman approached us from a nearby booth and asked whether we need a guided tour or not. At first we agreed but after buying the tickets, we thought maybe it's OK to explore the place ourselves. It costs 150 yuan for three person. We then decided to cancel the deal made before but she replied she just cannot return back to the booth empty handed, without money. We even argued, we haven't even use her service yet ........
We got ourselves some wall scrolls, keychains, terracotta warriors scaled statue (which is mass produced I think) and other significant stuffs.
One of the Xian's delicacies.....
You can't say you've been to China without tasting their unique foods all over the country. I could say, every districts, provincial and regions have different types of foods. Foods in Xi'an is not a problem especially for Muslim. Since Xi'an holds a large community of Muslim in China, it means getting Halal foods is not a problem. Either you recognize the food stalls by the hawkers clothing itself, or they hung signboards with Halal written on it. If you know those kanji (Chinese characters), be it Chinese or Japanese, you may find most of Muslim food shops display the word 'Muslim'.
Day 9 (March 11, 2011)
To Beijing
Xian Great Mosque and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda
This is our last day in Xi'an and it's Friday. We get a chance to perform the Jumaat (Friday congregation) along with other local Muslims. Well, the format is quite different but still the same. Maybe because of their pronunciation problems I hardly can catch any Quran verses the Imam read during the prayer. The congregation began at about 1330hrs and ended around 1420hrs. I had a mixed feeling when I was about to leave the Great Mosque. That's one of the earliest mosque in China, since the Tang Dynasty.
The Great Mosque in Xian is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China and its location is northwest of the Drum Tower (Gu Lou) on Huajue Lane. According to historical records engraved on a stone tablet inside, this mosque was built in 742 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). This was a result of Islam being introduced into Northwest China by Arab merchants and travelers from Persia and Afghanistan during the mid-7th century when some of them settled down in China and married women of Han Nationality. Their descendants became Muslim of today. The Muslim played an important role in the unifications of China during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Hence, other mosques were also built to honor them. In Xian, it is really well worth a trip to see the Great Mosque, not only for its centuries-old history but also for its particular design of mixed architecture - traditional Muslim and Chinese styles.
Occupying an area of over 12,000 square meters, the Great Mosque is divided into four courtyards, 250 meters long and 47 meters wide with a well-arranged layout. Landscaped with gardens, the further one strolls into its interior, the more serene one feels. The first courtyard contains an elaborate wooden arch nine meters high covered with glazed tiles that dates back to the 17th century. In the center of the second courtyard, a stone arch stands with two steles on both sides. On one stele is the script of a famous calligrapher named Mi Fu of the Song Dynasty; the other is from Dong Qichang, a calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty. Their calligraphy because of such elegant yet powerful characters is considered to be a great treasure in the art of handwriting.
At the entrance to the third courtyard is a hall that contains many steles from ancient times. As visitors enter this courtyard, they will see the Xingxin Tower, a place where Muslims come to attend prayer services. A 'Phoenix' placed in the fourth courtyard, the principal pavilion of this great mosque complex, contains the Prayer Hall, the surrounding walls of which are covered with colored designs. This Hall can easily hold 1,000 people at a time and according to traditional custom, prayer services are held five times everyday respectively at dawn, noon, afternoon, dusk and night. Mosques in China, this Great Mosque is the only one open to visitors from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Non-Muslims, however, are not admitted to the main prayer hall or during times of prayer.
The Great Mosque in Xian is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China and its location is northwest of the Drum Tower (Gu Lou) on Huajue Lane. According to historical records engraved on a stone tablet inside, this mosque was built in 742 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). This was a result of Islam being introduced into Northwest China by Arab merchants and travelers from Persia and Afghanistan during the mid-7th century when some of them settled down in China and married women of Han Nationality. Their descendants became Muslim of today. The Muslim played an important role in the unifications of China during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Hence, other mosques were also built to honor them. In Xian, it is really well worth a trip to see the Great Mosque, not only for its centuries-old history but also for its particular design of mixed architecture - traditional Muslim and Chinese styles.
In front of the Xian Great Mosque
Pavilion at the mosque's courtyard
At the entrance to the third courtyard is a hall that contains many steles from ancient times. As visitors enter this courtyard, they will see the Xingxin Tower, a place where Muslims come to attend prayer services. A 'Phoenix' placed in the fourth courtyard, the principal pavilion of this great mosque complex, contains the Prayer Hall, the surrounding walls of which are covered with colored designs. This Hall can easily hold 1,000 people at a time and according to traditional custom, prayer services are held five times everyday respectively at dawn, noon, afternoon, dusk and night. Mosques in China, this Great Mosque is the only one open to visitors from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Non-Muslims, however, are not admitted to the main prayer hall or during times of prayer.
The Big Wild Goose Pagoda
The Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Remember the Cantonese drama, The Journey To the West? yep, I guess most of us watched that around 10 years ago. The story is about an epic happened in Tang Dynasty when a Buddhist monk, Xuan Zang was sent west (India) to learn about Buddhism and translated them and preached Buddhism in China. His Journey took 17 years both ways and he spent the same amount of time translating those scriptures and sutras.
Next, we went to one of the Xi'an's iconic landmark the Drum Tower. It is located near the Muslim Bazaar, you can see it from there. There's a double entry ticket for the Drum Tower and it's sister tower, the Bell Tower. Te double entry ticket cost 40 yuan (30 yuan for student). We climbed the tower and encircled the tower around and inside. Lucky, there was a drum performance when we arrived. Good timing. Inside the tower, there's a drum exhibition. Next, to get the bird's eyeview of the Xi'an city, head upstairs (different entrance). The view of the city itself was breathtaking. The weather was perfect. You can even see the city's gate on a clear day.
Next, we headed to the last attraction of the city, the Bell Tower. Situated at the city central area, the tower stands majestically with it's typical Chinese architectural. Getting there from the Drum Tower is easy. Just get underground in the subway, and look for the sign 'Entrance to the Bell Tower'. You can't enter the tower by crossing the road. It's too dangerous after all. It's quite hard for us to leave Xi'an. We love the food, the people, the attractions, everything.
Day 10 (March 12, 2011)
Hey, it's Beijing
My first impression: Dusty and hazy.
Any guidebook will warn the same: air quality in Beijing is worst during winter. Be extra careful with your health and drink lot of mineral water.
Arrived in Beiing in the morning and being picked up by one of our friends who is studying in Beijing. Ahhhh...... it feels great once we arrived there. It's the capital of the most populated country in the world, and we were inside that capital. It's totally different in Beijing compared to other places we've been before. It's crowded, crampy and noisy. We then headed to their hostel where we will be staying for the next 3 nights. We then had our lunch at a restaurant nearby, which is famous among the university student.
That's it for the day.
Day 11 (March 13, 2011)
The Great Wall of China
We started our day early to go to one of the Ancient Wonders of the World, The Great Wall of China. Then some unexpected problems occurred so we had to take the 13:00 p.m train to Badaling, one of the section of the Great Wall. It costs 14 yuan for one way trip. Take a good pair of shoes and sufficient clothes if you go in winter or spring as it could be windy up there. We only covered maybe half of the accessible route and get down after about an hour of hiking. Indeed it was tiring enough even for half of the route.
Some introduction and information about Badaling section of Great Wall. The Badaling Great Wall, constructed in 1502 (during the Ming Dynasty), once served as a crucial military fortification, and is now the most impressive and representative section of the striking Great Wall. It is located in Yanqing County, about 70 kilometers (43.4 miles) from the downtown area of Beijing. Twisting and turning at an altitude of 1,000 meters (3,281 feet), the Badaling Great Wall appears exceptionally lofty on the undulating mountains. It is an architectural marvel that has been praised by many leaders, from China and around the world. Both Richard Nixon and Margaret Thatcher visited this section of the wall, and in 1987 it was placed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO, a list reserved for destinations considered to have outstanding universal value. As Badaling was once an important military strategy point, here the wall is comparatively high and firm. It has a length of 3,741 meters (2.3 miles) and it is equipped with dense watchtowers. The wall is about 8.5 meters (27.9 feet) high and slopes inward as it rises in height. The wall is 6.5 meters (21.3 feet) wide at its base, and its rim spans about 5.7 meters (18.7 feet) across. The wall's exterior is composed of large granite slabs that surround layers of loess and gravel. Its coping is made of large bricks that provide a smooth walkway, wide enough for ten people to easily walk side by side. A parapet on the coping once provided a defense barrier against assailants.
Crenellated battlements decorate the parapet's exterior. In the battlement, there are square holes, from which soldiers had an outlook and shot at the enemy. Two-storey castles lie approximately every 400 meters (about 1,312 feet) on the wall. The castle's second floor gave soldiers an additional advantage over attackers; the arched cavity below was used to store artillery and also doubled as a simple dormitory for the watchmen. A number of high beacon towers were built so that when the enemies invaded, signals could be sent out to call for reinforcement.
On our way back, you can opt to take either train direct back to Beijing or you can take a private rent car. To save budget, we asked the driver to take us not all the way back to Beijing, but to the nearest Metro station. Believe me, you save a lot, but make sure you cut the deal with the driver first. In our case, our driver took us to somewhere we don't even know (we were lost). Around half an hour later we arrived at the nearest Metro station. Refer to the latest Beijing metro map and look for the Nanshao station at Changping Line.
On the night we went to one of the Beijing's modern landmark, the Beijing National Stadium, famously known as the Bird's Nest, thanks to it's design. The air quality in Beijing is quite low and very dusty. Use the flash from your camera and you can see small particles, clearly dust, interrupts the images.
The bullet train that took us to the Great Wall. One way journey costs 14 yuan. Board the train from the Beijing South Station.
Some introduction and information about Badaling section of Great Wall. The Badaling Great Wall, constructed in 1502 (during the Ming Dynasty), once served as a crucial military fortification, and is now the most impressive and representative section of the striking Great Wall. It is located in Yanqing County, about 70 kilometers (43.4 miles) from the downtown area of Beijing. Twisting and turning at an altitude of 1,000 meters (3,281 feet), the Badaling Great Wall appears exceptionally lofty on the undulating mountains. It is an architectural marvel that has been praised by many leaders, from China and around the world. Both Richard Nixon and Margaret Thatcher visited this section of the wall, and in 1987 it was placed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO, a list reserved for destinations considered to have outstanding universal value. As Badaling was once an important military strategy point, here the wall is comparatively high and firm. It has a length of 3,741 meters (2.3 miles) and it is equipped with dense watchtowers. The wall is about 8.5 meters (27.9 feet) high and slopes inward as it rises in height. The wall is 6.5 meters (21.3 feet) wide at its base, and its rim spans about 5.7 meters (18.7 feet) across. The wall's exterior is composed of large granite slabs that surround layers of loess and gravel. Its coping is made of large bricks that provide a smooth walkway, wide enough for ten people to easily walk side by side. A parapet on the coping once provided a defense barrier against assailants.
part of The Great Wall (Badaling Section)
Crenellated battlements decorate the parapet's exterior. In the battlement, there are square holes, from which soldiers had an outlook and shot at the enemy. Two-storey castles lie approximately every 400 meters (about 1,312 feet) on the wall. The castle's second floor gave soldiers an additional advantage over attackers; the arched cavity below was used to store artillery and also doubled as a simple dormitory for the watchmen. A number of high beacon towers were built so that when the enemies invaded, signals could be sent out to call for reinforcement.
On our way back, you can opt to take either train direct back to Beijing or you can take a private rent car. To save budget, we asked the driver to take us not all the way back to Beijing, but to the nearest Metro station. Believe me, you save a lot, but make sure you cut the deal with the driver first. In our case, our driver took us to somewhere we don't even know (we were lost). Around half an hour later we arrived at the nearest Metro station. Refer to the latest Beijing metro map and look for the Nanshao station at Changping Line.
On the night we went to one of the Beijing's modern landmark, the Beijing National Stadium, famously known as the Bird's Nest, thanks to it's design. The air quality in Beijing is quite low and very dusty. Use the flash from your camera and you can see small particles, clearly dust, interrupts the images.
Day 12 (March 14, 2011)
The Forbidden City
Just for today, the three of us will be a temporary emperor of China. Start the tour early if you want to watch the flag raising ceremony at the Tiananmen square, though we don't know when is the exact time of the ceremony. Upon arriving at the Tiananmen Square, you will be awed by it's huge wall and the gate. Even it was low season, still there are many tourists flocking to the place, you'll even wonder, is today a holiday for China?. We started our journey in the Forbidden city by following the Meridian Line. A Meridian Line is a line drawn straight from the emperor's throne straight to the outside wall of the Forbidden City.
On October 1, 1949, chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed on Tian'anmen Rostrum the founding of the People's Republic of China. Since then Tian'anmen has been the symbol of New Chine\a. Chairman Mao's portrait is hung above the central entrance, flanked by two slogans:" Long Live the Great Unity of the Peoples of the World". Today, the splendour of Tian'anmen attracts million of visitors from all over the world. The Rostrum on its top was opened in 1988 to the public for the first time in its history. It offers a panoramic view of the Square and the city proper.
Some information about the Forbidden City:
The Forbidden City, also named the Palace Museum, shares the honor of being one of five world-famous palaces with the Palace of Versailles in France, Buckingham Palace in England, the White House in the U.S. and the Kremlin in Russia. The palace, the most magnificent and splendid palace complex in China, was listed as a World Cultural Heritage Building in 1987. It was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the construction of this group of buildings took fourteen years from 1406 to 1420. In the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it was the imperial palace where twenty-four emperors ascended the throne and exercised their strong power to the nation. The incomparable palace occupies an area of 720,000 square meters (177.9 acres) and has approximately 8,700 rooms. A high red wall with a total length of 3,400 meters (3,718 yards) encases the palace. There are four gates in each side, with Meridian Gate (Wu Men) as the main entrance. Four exquisite watchtowers sit at the corners of the wall. With roofs covered with golden glazed tile, red painted walls and grey-white bases, the rectangular palace appears extremely luxurious and grand. Spectacular halls in it are neatly arranged in bilateral symmetry along a central axis that conforms to the axis of Beijing City.
Decorations on top of every roof top inside the Forbidden Palace. It was created to show the might of the emperor as all those small 'army' always stands guard to protect the emperor and the Forbidden City.
The palace has two primary parts: the Outer Court and the Inner Court. Some halls are converted into art galleries to exhibit paintings, clocks, bronze wares, pottery and other invaluable treasures. It is said that there are over 1,000,000 articles in this museum that account for one-sixth of such national treasures. Tourists can enter into the palace from the Wu Men (Meridian Gate) or the Shenwu Men (Gate of Divine Might). It is impossible for visitors to see every corner of the palace in a single day (This is true).
The Stone Carving. The largest of its kind in the palace is 16.75 meters long, 3.07 meters wide, and 1.7 meters thick, and weighs more than 200 tons, hence the name: Large Stone Carving. It was carved out of a huge natural stone in the early Ming Dynasty, when the three main halls were constructed. In year 1761 (the 26th year of the Qianlong reign period of the Qing Dynasty), the old patterns on the stone were all hewn away, and new patterns were carved. With beautiful interlocking lotus patterns all around, the huge stone carving has curling waves at the bottom and nine dragon amidst clouds in the middle, as the dragon is an imperial symbol. The stone was quarried from Dashiwo in Fongshan, the western suburbs of Beijing. It was transported to the Palace Museum (Forbidden City) by sprinkling water on the road in winter to make an iced road. Then it was pulled along the iced road.
On October 1, 1949, chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed on Tian'anmen Rostrum the founding of the People's Republic of China. Since then Tian'anmen has been the symbol of New Chine\a. Chairman Mao's portrait is hung above the central entrance, flanked by two slogans:" Long Live the Great Unity of the Peoples of the World". Today, the splendour of Tian'anmen attracts million of visitors from all over the world. The Rostrum on its top was opened in 1988 to the public for the first time in its history. It offers a panoramic view of the Square and the city proper.
Some information about the Forbidden City:
The Meridian Gate
The Forbidden City, also named the Palace Museum, shares the honor of being one of five world-famous palaces with the Palace of Versailles in France, Buckingham Palace in England, the White House in the U.S. and the Kremlin in Russia. The palace, the most magnificent and splendid palace complex in China, was listed as a World Cultural Heritage Building in 1987. It was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the construction of this group of buildings took fourteen years from 1406 to 1420. In the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it was the imperial palace where twenty-four emperors ascended the throne and exercised their strong power to the nation. The incomparable palace occupies an area of 720,000 square meters (177.9 acres) and has approximately 8,700 rooms. A high red wall with a total length of 3,400 meters (3,718 yards) encases the palace. There are four gates in each side, with Meridian Gate (Wu Men) as the main entrance. Four exquisite watchtowers sit at the corners of the wall. With roofs covered with golden glazed tile, red painted walls and grey-white bases, the rectangular palace appears extremely luxurious and grand. Spectacular halls in it are neatly arranged in bilateral symmetry along a central axis that conforms to the axis of Beijing City.
One of the Royal Throne inside the complex. Another thrones in another halls were used for different purposes and functions.
Another throne
Again.......... another throne....
The palace has two primary parts: the Outer Court and the Inner Court. Some halls are converted into art galleries to exhibit paintings, clocks, bronze wares, pottery and other invaluable treasures. It is said that there are over 1,000,000 articles in this museum that account for one-sixth of such national treasures. Tourists can enter into the palace from the Wu Men (Meridian Gate) or the Shenwu Men (Gate of Divine Might). It is impossible for visitors to see every corner of the palace in a single day (This is true).
The Large Stone Carving
The Stone Carving. The largest of its kind in the palace is 16.75 meters long, 3.07 meters wide, and 1.7 meters thick, and weighs more than 200 tons, hence the name: Large Stone Carving. It was carved out of a huge natural stone in the early Ming Dynasty, when the three main halls were constructed. In year 1761 (the 26th year of the Qianlong reign period of the Qing Dynasty), the old patterns on the stone were all hewn away, and new patterns were carved. With beautiful interlocking lotus patterns all around, the huge stone carving has curling waves at the bottom and nine dragon amidst clouds in the middle, as the dragon is an imperial symbol. The stone was quarried from Dashiwo in Fongshan, the western suburbs of Beijing. It was transported to the Palace Museum (Forbidden City) by sprinkling water on the road in winter to make an iced road. Then it was pulled along the iced road.
One of the dragon at The Nine Dragons Screen in front of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity. Notice the lower body parts of this white dragon? Legend has it that during the construction of the palace, one of the artisan in charged of this dragon accidentally broke the piece, supposedly the lower body parts we can see today. During that time, every artisan's work had some kind of seal, as a prove of their best craftsmanship. Afraid of being punished with severe punishment, he quietly carved the missing part using a wood. As we can see it today, the missing part still exists today and it's quite difficult to see the different without listening to the explanation provided by the audio guide (can be rented at the palace's entrance).
Notice: To enter the palace, you need to buy another ticket which is available at any entrance gate.
Go read the rest from wikipedia. It's the same.
p/s: I wonder if there are any thieves (of course in the ancient times) dare to enter this complex. It's so damn huge, any thief would think many times before decided to sneak in.
Day 13 (March 15, 2011)
Last Day in Beijing
The last day in Beijing. Our last main destination was the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace is a complex with a lake, temples and palaces inside the area. We had only half day to cover the Summer Palace and the complex was really really huge, yet breathtaking scenery await visitors. A little information about the Summer Palace Complex.
The Summer Palace (Yiheyuan), located in the northwestern outskirts of Beijing, is the largest and most famous imperial garden in China. The palace features hundreds of architecturally distinct buildings, halls, pavilions, pagodas, bridges and corridors dispersed among magnificent and elegant gardens. It has an area of 290 hectares (717 acres), three quarters of which is water. The palace has three unique areas: Court Area, Longevity Hill Area and Kunming Lake Area. The garden was originally named the Garden of Clear Ripples (Qingyi). It was a summer resort for the emperors in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). In 1860, the garden was burnt down by the Anglo-French Allied Forces. In 1866, Empress Dowager Cixi rebuilt the garden using embezzled funds from the imperial navy and named it the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan). In 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion, the Eight-Power Allied Force ransacked the palace. After another reconstruction in 1903, the garden was restored to its original beauty and magnificence. As the grandest garden in China, it was added to the World Culture Heritage list in 1998.
The 17 Arches bridge, the Summer Palace Complex
The Marble Boat (Chinese: 石舫; pinyin: Shí Fǎng), also known as the Boat of Purity and Ease (Qing Yan Fǎng) is a lakeside pavilion on the grounds of the Summer Palace in Beijing, China. It was first erected in 1755 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. The original pavilion was made from a base of large stone blocks which supported a wooden superstructure done in a traditional Chinese design. In 1860, during the Second Opium War, the pavilion was destroyed[1] by Anglo-French forces. It was restored in 1893 on order of the Empress Dowager Cixi. In this restoration, a new two-story superstructure was designed which incorporated elements of European architecture. Like its predecessor, the new superstructure is made out of wood but it was painted to imitate marble. On each "deck", there is a large mirror to reflect the waters of the lake and give an impression of total immersion in the aquatic environment. Imitation paddlewheels on each side of the pavilion makes it look like a paddle steamer. The pavilion has a sophisticated drainage system which channels rain water through four hollow pillars. The water is finally released into the lake through the mouths of four dragonheads.
The boat design of the pavilion may relate to a quote attributed to Wei Zheng, a chancellor of the Tang Dynasty renown for his honest advice. He is said to have told the emperor "the waters that float the boat can also swallow it", implying that the people can support the emperor but can also topple him. With this in mind, Emperor Qianlong might have chosen to construct the Marble Boat on a solid stone base to indicate that the Qing Dynasty was not to be overthrown. The Marble Boat is often seen as an ironic commentary on the fact that the money used to restore the Summer Palace largely came from funds originally earmarked for building up a new imperial navy. The controller of the Admiralty, the 1st Prince Chun, owed much of his social standing as well as his appointment to the Empress Dowager, who had adopted his oldest son to become the Guangxu Emperor. Because of this, he probably saw no other choice than to condone the embezzlement. The pavilion is 36 meters long. It stands on the northwestern shore of Kunming Lake, near the western end of the Long Corridor.
The Summer Palace (Yiheyuan), located in the northwestern outskirts of Beijing, is the largest and most famous imperial garden in China. The palace features hundreds of architecturally distinct buildings, halls, pavilions, pagodas, bridges and corridors dispersed among magnificent and elegant gardens. It has an area of 290 hectares (717 acres), three quarters of which is water. The palace has three unique areas: Court Area, Longevity Hill Area and Kunming Lake Area. The garden was originally named the Garden of Clear Ripples (Qingyi). It was a summer resort for the emperors in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). In 1860, the garden was burnt down by the Anglo-French Allied Forces. In 1866, Empress Dowager Cixi rebuilt the garden using embezzled funds from the imperial navy and named it the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan). In 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion, the Eight-Power Allied Force ransacked the palace. After another reconstruction in 1903, the garden was restored to its original beauty and magnificence. As the grandest garden in China, it was added to the World Culture Heritage list in 1998.
The Marble Boat (Chinese: 石舫; pinyin: Shí Fǎng), also known as the Boat of Purity and Ease (Qing Yan Fǎng) is a lakeside pavilion on the grounds of the Summer Palace in Beijing, China. It was first erected in 1755 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. The original pavilion was made from a base of large stone blocks which supported a wooden superstructure done in a traditional Chinese design. In 1860, during the Second Opium War, the pavilion was destroyed[1] by Anglo-French forces. It was restored in 1893 on order of the Empress Dowager Cixi. In this restoration, a new two-story superstructure was designed which incorporated elements of European architecture. Like its predecessor, the new superstructure is made out of wood but it was painted to imitate marble. On each "deck", there is a large mirror to reflect the waters of the lake and give an impression of total immersion in the aquatic environment. Imitation paddlewheels on each side of the pavilion makes it look like a paddle steamer. The pavilion has a sophisticated drainage system which channels rain water through four hollow pillars. The water is finally released into the lake through the mouths of four dragonheads.
The Marble Boat.
The boat design of the pavilion may relate to a quote attributed to Wei Zheng, a chancellor of the Tang Dynasty renown for his honest advice. He is said to have told the emperor "the waters that float the boat can also swallow it", implying that the people can support the emperor but can also topple him. With this in mind, Emperor Qianlong might have chosen to construct the Marble Boat on a solid stone base to indicate that the Qing Dynasty was not to be overthrown. The Marble Boat is often seen as an ironic commentary on the fact that the money used to restore the Summer Palace largely came from funds originally earmarked for building up a new imperial navy. The controller of the Admiralty, the 1st Prince Chun, owed much of his social standing as well as his appointment to the Empress Dowager, who had adopted his oldest son to become the Guangxu Emperor. Because of this, he probably saw no other choice than to condone the embezzlement. The pavilion is 36 meters long. It stands on the northwestern shore of Kunming Lake, near the western end of the Long Corridor.
Last destination in Beijing, a must go, the Wangfujing Snack Market. Headed there by metro. A dazzling array of snacks from all corners of China can be found here. The majority of diners here are foreign, and the cost is not low. However, for a comfortable and relaxing meal, Xin Dong An Restaurant comes highly recommended. Location: south of Haoyou Department Store, Wangfujing Business Street, Dongcheng District.
Look for this archway for entrance to the market.
Took a stroll in the market to see those
Some of the so-called snacks:
Spiders
Scorpions
Crocodile and snake nuggets
Starfishes
Sea urchins(??)
One of Beijing's sweets, Bin Tang Hulu
That's all from Beijing. The next destination, the second largest city in China, Shanghai.
To be continued......
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What do you say?・どう思いますか？