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The Marble Boat  
   

The Marble Boat

The Summer Palace

April 11th 2019
When I first visited China many, many years ago, one of the places I really enjoyed in Beijing was the Summer Palace. It was definitely somewhere I wanted to revisit and finally the opportunity arose. I took the subway to Beigongmen Station. That was a bit of a novelty as when I'd visited previously there had been no subway and we'd been at the mercy of taxi drivers, who weren't exactly legit. I h ... read more
Asia » China » Beijing » Summer Palace

Chinese Flag For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. A... ... read more
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2nd September 2020

Cixi & The Marble Boat
I have only ever seen the Marble Boat in winter from the shore and also standing on frozen Lake Kunming and on each occasion it has had an aura that confounds. Your pics as if it is floating on the lake are so realistic yet due to its weight there is no chance of that!!! I also love the story that Cixi had it built from funds that had been set aside for (was it the Chinese Navy?) and she was derided for being responsible for their defeat by the Anglo/French & others in the Opium Wars. It was probably my first visit to the Summer Palace that resulted in me reading the book "Dragon Lady, The Life & legend of the Last Empress of China." A fabulous read.
2nd September 2020

Empress Dowager Cixi
Thank you for the additional information. I would like to revisit in winter. Walking on the frozen lake would be awesome. I shall have to look up the book and add it to my ever expanding reading list. I was also recommended 'Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China' by a friend.

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