Visit To The Summer Palace
The first place I visited in BJ was the Summer Palace. A tourist map guided me through the whole trip. The area was too big and I had only a limited time that I couldn't see every spot. So I only chose a few to see and missed others. As a temporary imperial palace it had all the luxury typical of the imperial family embodied in the architectures. The golden colour and the image of dragon were not at all meanly used. The golden color could seldom be seen at other former residences of historical personages that I had visited. If something did appear in the golden color there must be a story behind it to prove the figure's eminence. But the image of dragon could not be seen anywere else. Here one may have a good look at it. Of course, in the imperial palace one may enjoy them more if one likes.
I also learned now what was "carved beams and painted rafters". The painting was beautiful, with bright color, though fading a bit with the passage of time, and the drawing delicate and detailed.

 

As it was located far from the city centre, it was quiet there. And with the trees and hills, the air was fresh. It was wholesome to take a walk there, with birds twittering in the trees once in a while. Though I had a vague impression that I was on sightseeing, the notion that I was right there in BJ, more than 1600km away from HZ, was no where near my conscience. I felt that I was touring somewhere in HZ, just like the trips I took alone during the summer vacation. I was taken aback several times during the whole trip in BJ at the realization that I was so far away from home. I was at once amazed, bewildered and couldn't believe the fact. But I was right where Cixi Empress Dowage spent her summer more than 100 years ago, on the hillside of the longevity hill, beside the Kunming Lake. But if you look at the sceneries there, with the verdure of the trees on the hill, and the willows swaying gently in the breeze, which again rippled the peaceful surface of the Kunming Lake, twisting the reflections of the trees and of the pavilions, the terraces, the pagodas and the open halls on the hill half hidden among the trees, which were further disturbed by the splash stirred up by the pleasure boats shuttling on the lake, whence came the faint chatting and laughters of the passengers aboard, together with the lotus leaves that danced merrily beside the arch stone bridge, could you not be mistaken as being in the beautiful sceneries of Jiangnan, admiring its lively atomosphere, and enjoying its peace in the meanwhile? If you don't believe me, here are pictures for your information. Can you tell, without knowing the name of the pavilion in the picure, where these pictures are taken?