The Palace Gate: entrance to the Summer Palace.

View of Longevity Hill from the Spring Pavilion.

My bud in front of the Wenchang Pavilion.

The gardens, walkways and waterways were beautiful.

A perfect location for the local girls to have their pictures taken.

I really liked these stone walkways (pardon my feet 🤭).

The Tower if Buddhist Incense at Longevity Hill.

Stone Boat: the original wooden boat was burnt in 1860; replaced w/ a marble copy.

View from our boat ride across the lake.

The sun was setting at just the right time for some beautiful pics. :)

Built in 1750: 150m long, 544 marble lions (each unique), 17 arches (important in CH numerology).

The sun just as we docked on the other side of the lake.

Liu Ding Liu Shia; Summer Palace

October 13 in China ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

Liu Ding Liu Shia is the combined name of this Deity Hall that sits just beyond the entrance to the Juyong Pass base.
After our Great Wall experience, we toured the Summer Palace: a resort of the Emoress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty. She had de facto control of the Chinese government from 1861 until her death in 1908. Quite an interesting history about her. The Summer Palace covers a vast area (2.9km/1.1 mi, 3/4 of which is water) and includes Longevity Hill, Running Lake and Seventeen Hole Bridge.
-- Fun fact: the lake was entirely man made, & the excavated soil was used to build Longevity Hill.
The Chinese don't waste anything. :)Read more