Beijing Adventures - Day 1: Summer Palace [Part 2]

     I'm back, and I'm trying to wrap up at least half of my travel adventures in Beijing before the first week of January ends.  Really, I'm trying my best here, although my procrastinating ways are taking over my life right now.  Heehee.

     Anyway, the first part of my Summer Palace stories ended at the Long Corridor, and today, I'll start off with the the Hall of Dispelling Clouds.  We didn't go inside; we just took pictures in front of the hall and of the imposing Gate outside (see the photos above).  The tower at the top is called the Tower of the Buddhist Incense, or something.

     So, our guide led us to where we could good photos of the Palace grounds and lake.  We saw where some of the boats were docked, and they look really impressive, sitting on top of the water, uniformly.  And, this is where took pictures, it's behind this structure:

     I know, I know.  It's hard to imagine without a more holistic view.  But you won't miss it.  From the Gate of the Hall of Dispelling Clouds, it's a few minutes up ahead.  When you find it, just go around the back. This is what it looks like from the other side:

     Afterwards, we reached a place where there are huge rocks standing.  People were taking pictures of the rocks.  As to its significance, I don't know.  The tour guide told us but I was too far away from her to listen.  I was busy wandering on my own.  But here's a photo of the rock.

   

      Then we went to several courtyards.  This is Yiyun Guan, apparently, this is for the emperor's wife.  It really looks forlorn; kinda sad, don't you think? 

     And this here is the Yulan Tang, or the Hall of Jade Ripples. This is where the emperor was kept by her mother, Empress Cixi, on house-arrest of some sorts.  According to the guide, the place was locked and blocked, to contain the emperor inside.  The guide added that because of that, the emperor was not able to see his favorite concubine, and that word has it that the concubine was pushed by Empress Cixi inside a well.  I blurted out, "Just like Sadako from the Ring!"  We asked her why the Empress would do that and she told us that apparently, the concubine counseled the Emperor to defy, and overthrow his mother, Empress Cixi, from power. And we were like, "Oh, now we understand the Empress."  Well, women are really scary.

   

     Why the Jade Ripples? Perhaps because this is what you see outside:

In particular, this:

      I think we went to the Hall of Longevity and Benevolence next.

       

There are two sculptures for burning incense, if I heard it right  from the guide, outside the hall.  One represents Empress Cixi and the other her son; a phoenix and a dragon.  The guide said the sculptures show that the power was held by the Empress and not her son, or something.  This is another structure found in the courtyard, a mix of lion, deer, dragon, etc.

This leads to the East Palace Gate.

And this is a map of the Summer Palace (click to enlarge):

Random photos: