17 arch bridge and panorama
It is a huge park with lake, hill, buildings for living and temples. It was burn in the Boxer Revolt (1900) and rebuild by the Cixi (See-see) Empress with money detoured from the Navy. She built an unsinkable boat, a marble one! We started with the park (there was some chance of rain), crossed the bridge with many arches onto a little island (where they had an exhibition with photos of the last imperial family) and from there we took the ferryboat toward the buildings.
There were many groups, each one with their flag, the guide with a loud speaker and their caps. They were spread out as far as the sound would reach them. And they were ALL Chinese! They were so many that we felt the need to escape on some stairs heading up the hill toward a locked building, and next on a steep (70 degrees) incline close to the wall palace (that was cemented and had a hand-rail) until we got above it . Here we witnessed a police raid against the street vendors ended with seizing of the wares. Theoretically they shouldn't be there, but they are offering you panda hats, food, juices. And that's how we got the answer why the policemen wear an impeccable uniform and have red or other colored sneakers.
We visited the palace, renovated just for the Olympic Games. Way up there is a circular pagoda, and then you go down the stairs, or through the staired halls on the sides of the rectangle to the next building. It was impressive that on every beam was painted a different scene, besides the elements of color and design that unites them. Here is a tiger, there a Chinese man with two girls, and next to it a hunting scene and so on for hundreds of yards of hallway, with shutters (that can be open in the summer time and let the breeze move through).
Having such a nice time under the clouded sky, Mihai left for the train station to buy tickets for Xian, and the rest of us home.
Summer Palace
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