China - Chengde

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I arrive in Chendge late in the evening and the town has been quite badly flooded. Fortunately, most of the water has subsided by morning and the weather brightened a little, but the streets are still covered in mud.

I visit the Imperial Palace and Summer Villa, and stroll around the very beautiful park and grounds. They have deer running wild that bite if you get too close (take my word for it...), ponds FULL of goldfish and some amazing pagodas, with many tiled rooves.

In the afternoon I got to the Puning Si, a Tibetan style temple containing a 22m high, many-armed Buddha, one of the world's biggest wooden statues. It's a working temple and there are hundreds of monks around, hacking and spitting.

I also get to turn my first (hundred) prayer-wheel(s).

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Photos

Arty shot of Chengde
It didn't look this good in the daylight

Goldfish!
Lots of them!

Prayer wheels
Make sure you spin them to the right

Monks spend a lot of time in their beds
You heard it here first

Melons!
My favourite pic

Padlocks
Young lovers get their names engraved on them and chain them near temples

Mask
Very colourful