Summer Palace & Temple of Heaven
December 11th, 2006 by stolisano
We were picked up early by our guide today. Mrs. St-Cyr and I had to bundle up, since it was very cold out there. We wore our ski jackets, scarves and gloves. When we left the hotel, the sun was out, but barely visible through the fog/smog(?)
Garbrielle from 5th grade had already warned us, that in Beijing, one could barely see any blue sky. She was right! Here is a picture that was taken directly into the sun. Hopefully you are able to tell how hazy the entire day was.
The Summer Palace, constructed from 1741-1764 served Qing Dynasty as an imperial retreat from the hot and muggy confines of the Forbidden City. It occupies an area of 726 acres, three quarters of which is water. It was so cold, that the lake is frozen.
The palace is most often associated with the Empress Dowager Cixi, who had the palace rebuilt twice after it was destroyed by foreign armies.
Long corridor:
This covered wooden walkway stretches nearly half a mile. Each pillar, crossbeam, and ceiling is painted with a different scene.
Marble Boat:
This extravagant structure, were Cixi took her tea, is made of wood painted white to make it look like marble.
The Temple of Heaven
Completed during the Ming dynasty, the Temple of Heaven is where the emperor would make sacrifices and pray to heaven and his ancestors at the winter solstice. As the Son of Heaven, the emperor could pray for good harvest on behalf of his people.
The Triple Gates: The emperor is allowed to enter the East gate, the officials may enter the West gate, while the center gate is reserved for the Gods.
The park is square (symbolizing Earth) in the South and rounded (symbolizing Heaven) in the North.
5 Responses to “Summer Palace & Temple of Heaven”
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Second grade has a bunch of things to ask. There were so many interesting facts.
Have you seen a lot of Christmas things in Beijing?
Did you see more than one panda bear?
What other animals were at the zoo?
Did you enjoy your ride on the rickshaw?
Did you like the green bean pie?
Does it snow in Beijing?
We miss you so much!!!
My class would like to know: If you had to choose one city in China to re-visit, which would it be, and why? We’re so glad that your trip has been an exciting one. Ms. Barnwell’s class
There are many Christmas things displayed in Beijing. Yesterday we went to a Supermarket and VERY loud Christmas music was playing while everyone was shopping. There are also lots of Christmas lights in the area around our hotel. Sales people in the stores all seem to wear Santa hats. From all the cities we visited, Hong Kong had the most Christmas displays.
We saw two Panda bears at the zoo. One of them was sleeping, curled up in a corner though. We did not get to see his face. Because the zoo excursion was not included in our tour and we “begged” the tour guide to take us, we only had time to visit the Panda exhibit.
Yes, it snows in Beijing. Since we have arrived on Saturday it has been very cold, but no snow yet for us.
Does the word Beijing have a meaning? What Christmas songs were playing?
Beijing literally means “Northern Capital”.
We heard all kinds of Christmas songs. Silent Night, We wish you a merry Christmas, etc.