CHINA...Beijing...The Summer Palace...Walking on Water

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July 7th 2012

Published: July 7th 2012

CHINA...Beijing...The Summer Palace...Walking on Water. When I visit Beijing...David & his wife Pauline are in town. David took Denise and I to the Summer Palace...special entry...different to other routes I have taken...old men swimming in parts of the lake not frozen...no way I'm crossing the ice this time...no way...so we sit in a tea house...just us...and David tells us his story. His f... Read Full Entry

Photos are below

Photos: 97, Displayed: 21

7th July 2012

taracloud
Tara Cloud

Snow magic!
What incredible images with words and photos of magical adventures! Sounds as if your friend David conducts business in a civilized way, and treats his guests like royalty. Thanks for the historical insights, too!

7th July 2012

Dancing Dave
David Hooper

THANKS TARA
Good to hear from you. I was wondering where you were at. Nothing like a bit of snow magic to lift my spirits...and makes it much easier to walk on the water...no snow where I'm from. Much of my enjoyment of travel is in the people I meet...the generosity of spirit of the Chinese...their stories...rich and poor...has led to many amazing times in China...watch this space.

7th July 2012

Home and Away
Bob Carlsen

Not sure I would have kept walking after hearing the first crack of ice...
I like your style; bringing together the memories from many trips to a special place. As my life began in China, I also have a special fascination for the country. I read many books before going there in 2009. Favorites were: 1421 (which you've read) and 1434 (which you must read) by Gavin Menzies; Prisoner of the State by Zhou Ziyang, the Secretary General of the Communist Party in 1989; Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thubron, Lost on Planet China by my favorite travel writer J. Maarten Troost; On China by Henry Kissenger; and Return to the Middle Kingdom by Yuan-Tsung Chen which traces a family history from th Opium Wars and Taiping Rebellion of 1850-64 to Sun Yatsen's revolution in 1911 to the Communist takeover in 1949...fascinating history. In 2015, if not sooner, I hope to fly to Beijing and then make my way to Xian to travel the Silk Road at least as far as Turkministan.

7th July 2012

Dancing Dave
David Hooper

THANKS BOB
I'm looking forward to meeting you when you visit Sydney later in the year...and we both have a fascination with China. The beauty of the family in the ether that is Travelblog. I also love Chinese films...especially on history and the endurance of the spirit...my travels much enriched by my research of the psyche of this amazing country. I saw one a few days ago...amazed how humour in silly things was so familiar...how humour as well can be universal rather than cultural. And the ping and cracking of the ice...made crossing Lake Kunming with my wife and children memorable indeed.

11th August 2012

anonymous
non-member comment

different scene in winter
I have been in Summer palace twice, one in early summer-June. one in Winter-Feb. But never seen so many snow there, feel different from the photo with snow... That is a rare chance to have the kind of scene.

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CHINA...Beijing...The Summer Palace...Walking on Water

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