Hill of Longevity and Hall of Happiness

Summer Palace

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March 27th 2009
After lunch, we drove to the west of Beijing, to visit the vast Summer Palace, which were the Imperial Gardens for the Qing (pronounced 'ching') Dynasty. The Summer Palace was in the western mountains, with a beautiful lake and cooler air to provide some relief to the Emperors during the hot summer months. The Summer Palace is home to the world’s longest corridor, at 728m. This covered walkwa ... read more

Asia » China » Beijing

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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