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We hired a driver for the day, Li Xiaosheng (Mr. Li) and he was great - he got us safely to the Summer Palace in a clean comfortable cab, driving really well.  It took 30 minutes driving time.

He dropped us off, and we told him where to meet us 4 hours later (si dian ban, 4:30), and went to get entrance tickets. We hired an English speaking tour guide for the day! She wanted about $20 for 2 hours of guiding, but like most things here that was negotiable, and we finally agree on 100 RMB, about $12 US. It was well worth it.  Details later on why she was worth it!! 

The Summer Palace served the Qing Dynasty as the Imperial Vacation home during the summer away from the hot Forbidden City in Beijing. It’s been there for hundreds of years but the placed was burned down twice at the end of the Qing dynasty, and the Empress Dowager Cixi had it rebuilt both times and left her fingerprints all over the new designs. As such the Summer Palace is very much a reflection of the end of the last Dynasty. It’s another of the World Heritage Sites (along with the Great Wall, Forbidden City, and the Ming Tombs)

The place is HUGE. There are so many beautiful buildings, gardens, and couryards, all layed out around a large artificial lake, Lake Kunming. There was a beautiful opera, 3-tiered with 3 different performances that would go on simultaneously and around the clock. The Empress Dowager Cixi loved the opera and she could go take rests away from the performances, however the performers had to keep performing. We were able to catch a short musical show performed on the main level. We watched it from Cixi’s vantage point, just like royalty!

She was an interesting lady-she began as a maid, then was promoted (if you will) to Concubine, and finally bore the only son to the Emperor and became the Empress.  When the emperor died, her son became Emperor and she became the Empress Dowager - mother of the Emperor. She glorified in her power. She changed her hairstyle every couple of hours, she had some incredible clothes and wild shoes. Her meals commonly had 128 dishes. She was really running the show even though her son was the Emperor.  Her son died and she had her nephew put in power.  When he rebelled, she had him locked up in one of the courtyards, the doors were all bricked in, and he was fed through small doors by the eunuch servants. When he died she put her grandson in charge-meanwhile she was running things and making bad decisions that hastened the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. 

She was SCARY looking also-we saw many pictures of her and her entourage from 1903. 

We got to see many artifacts, many of the dozens of buildings house a variety of treasures, including the first automobile in China, the first electric lights, dozens of gifts from visiting dignitaries, and hundreds of items used in the daily life of the Qing royalty. The grounds were incredible and there was a fantastic Marble Boat, it was originally made with the second floor out of wood painted to look like marble. Eventually Cixi had it made all marble. Of course it doesn’t float, and she used the money needed to upgrade their fleet to build the marble boat. The gardens were magnificent-Garden of Virtue and Harmony, The Garden of Harmonious Pleasures, etc.  The weather was beautiful and we had a lovely day.

Our guide Mary was a well-spring of information, she told us many fascinating stories, and found great ways around the property, avoiding much of the crowds. She even got Steve and Jensen into a closed off area for some extra photos, through a friend of hers. But best of all, she knew where the only 4-Star bathroom was in the whole place. A single secret western stall - no squatty potty here. That was worth the price alone!!

With only 4 hours, we barely were able to cover a quarter of the place. As much as we do here, it always seems we’re missing so much more.

Now, Carolyn is making spaghetti and meatsauce - gotta run - Zai Jian!