Day 06: Summer Palace, Beijing (April 2019)

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Tuesday, 23rd April 2019

Summer Palace is a long metro ride from downtown Beijing where I stayed. Tucked away at a north-western corner of the city towards the tail end of the metro line, this was where the Emperors would stay during the hot summers in the past. The Kunming Lake provided a cooling respite from the heat. No prize for guessing it correctly - the place is huge even by modern standards. Walking is probably the only way to get around even though there are boat rides around the lake for tired souls.

I couldn't recall the places or the buildings that I visited today. All I remembered was the constant climbing of stairs to the top where views of the lake and the palace compounds could be had. It was a crowded time at the palace compounds this morning.

Did I enjoyed my time? Indeed it was an eye opener and definitely worth the long distance to get to. Go there when your legs are still fit and be prepared to hike a fair bit. But it's worth the efforts.

Exiting the palace in the afternoon, I took a late lunch at the Beijing Wanliu Mall, one of the malls managed under the BHG Retail Reit which I had invested. At least I had some idea where my money had gone to. I opted for a salad at one of the outdoor restaurants and it was refreshing from the morning walk. The accompanying juice was timely to wash down everything. Certainly, I felt revitalised after the healthy meal.

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