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Published: March 27th 2009
For our last full day in Beijing, Shane and I decided to head just outside Beijing to the Summer Palace.
We were lucky to have a beautiful and sunny day to explore the Palace. Entrance was a cheap 60 Yuan, but we did not get a map which made the grounds hard to navigate, even with our Beijing guidebook’s map of the Palace. Lots of tourists and we kept walking in circles only to wind up back in a line with the same large tour groups.
Veering off the beaten path, we found ourselves on a peaceful climb up a hill, at the top of which was a temple filled with locals singing and playing instruments. Another man was practicing tai chi while another created beautiful calligraphy on the floor of the temple with water and a brush.
We were both a little templed out after a week in Beijing but the Palace was refreshing. We took a boat cruise around the lake to see some f the other islands. There is far too much ground to cover to be able to see everything on a single day.
One of the main sites was the long corridor
Summer Palace
Lots of tour groups everywhereand the marble boat, both of which were impressive. Took lots of pictures of the Palace, several bridges, and the lake. A Suzhou-style street has been recreated on the grounds of the Summer Palace. It was used for the emperor and his concubines to enjoy. It’s a little gimmicky and touristy, but it was worth the stroll around for some photos.
Back in Beijing, we opted to try a Muslim Mongolian restaurant just off of the Wangfujing area. Fantastic food in a crowded little restaurant. Mongolian food is SPICY! Some of it was a little too hot for my tastes, but Shane enjoyed it all. Our feast cost us a mere $16 Cdn. Of course, we over-ordered because everything sounded so good, so by the time we had finished eating, we practically had to roll ourselves back to the hotel.
That’s it for Beijing as we continue onto Shanghai. We were pleased with the amount of time we spent in Beijing since we were able to fit in everything we wanted to see at a leisurely pace. Traveling independently in Beijing was definitely the way to go, and despite the language barriers we managed just fine. Beijing was
an enjoyable trip, with some of the best food I have ever eaten; however, I think I enjoyed Hong Kong much more.
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