Page 31 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Beijing

Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) ❮❮ 29

Temple of the
7 EMPRESS CIXI
Sea of Wisdom
North of the Fragrance Cixi is remembered as
of the Buddha Tower is a one of China’s most
tiled temple decorated powerful women.
with glazed Buddhist Having borne one
effigies, many of which emperor’s son as an
have sadly been imperial concubine,
vandalized (left). she became the power
behind the throne to
Longevity Hill
5 two more: her son and
her nephew. When she
At around the half-way point of the Long
Corridor, a series of buildings ascends the slopes of blocked state reforms
and lent support to the
Longevity Hill (below). The start of the sequence is xenophobic Boxers in
marked at the lakeside by a fine decorative gate. their rebellion, she
unwittingly paved the
way for the end of the
imperial era.
Seventeen-
8
Arch Bridge
South Lake Island is
linked to the eastern
shore by a bridge (below)
with a lion crowning each
of the 544 balusters along
its length, all supposedly
individual. An impressive-
looking bronze ox rests
on the eastern shore.
Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) Suzhou Street
6
This shopping
street was built for the
amusement of the
Qianlong emperor, his
1
concubines and eunuchs,
3 who would play at being
Kunming shoppers, shopkeepers,
Lake and pickpockets.
8
West
South Lake
Lake NEED TO KNOW Adm ¥60 all inclusive, ¥30 9
Island
Nanhu KU N M ING HU LU KUN MING HU DONG LU 6 miles (10 km) NW of park only; audio guides Crowning this island on
are available for ¥40 (plus
Lake central Beijing • 6288 ¥200 deposit) Kunming Lake is the
1144 • Subway: Bagou,
then bus 394; Bei Gong • There are several small Dragon King Temple
(Longwang Miao), which
Men • www.summer snack kiosks situated in is dedicated to the god of
palace-china.com the park grounds. rivers, seas, and rain.
Open Apr–Oct: 6:30am– • Avoid visiting on days
Marble Boat
6pm (park) daily, 8:30am – with poor visibility when 0
5pm (sights) daily; Nov– you risk missing the The wooden
Mar: 7am–5pm (park) superb views across the structure of the boat is
daily, 9am– 4pm (sights) lake. These views are one painted white to look like
daily; the last admission is of the highlights of a visit marble. Boat trips to
two hours before closing to the Summer Palace. South Lake Island depart
from a neighboring jetty.
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