View allAll Photos Tagged SummerPalace
Every once in a while, there is a moment of revelation when you realize your making progress in your endeavours. Capturing this intimate scene was one of those moments. Aimlessly wandering around the Summer Palace, I came around this hidden scene with the rocks in the foreground and the painted shrine door in the background. The whole scene was cast in dark shadows from a nearby tree with stray rwys of sunshine revealing details which in their sum paint the scene. It is clear to me that this scene will not appeal to most people, nevertheless it constitutes my favourite shot from my recent trip to China.
Just back from an amazing trip to China and Japan, so many pics, this is in the Summer Palace in Beijing, where i started the trip. Took a break from the internet for a while too, which was nice :) www.deirdrehayesphotography.com
The whole lake was frozen and many took this opportunity to walk across (1.5km long) from one end to the other. Without fail I when to join them too. It was quite an expereience and a once a year affair. It is not any other lake. Its the artificial Kunming lake at Summer Palace. The lake was dug out from hard ground to create a playground for the Emperor to relax during the Summer heat. Now for the common people. Besides the lake, there is an artificial hill mould by the earth from the lake, stands a Buddhist temple overlooking the entire lake. There is also the infamous marble boat. Beijing, China.
Dec. 1992
Many thanks to everyone who will pass by visiting my shots. Comments are appreciated. You are welcome. Sergio
Looted and burnt by the British and French in 1860 as part of the Opium Wars, but beautiful once again.
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The Summer Palace is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing, China. It serves as a popular tourist destination and recreational park. Mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, it covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometres (1.1 sq mi), three-quarters of which is water.
Longevity Hill is about 60 metres high and has many buildings positioned in sequence. The front hill is rich with splendid halls and pavilions, while the back hill, in sharp contrast, is quiet with natural beauty. The central Kunming Lake, covering 2.2 square kilometres, was entirely man-made and the excavated soil was used to build Longevity Hill.
In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List. It declared the Summer Palace "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value".
Situated in the Haidian District northwest of Beijing, Summer Palace is 9 miles (15 kilometers) from central Beijing. Being the largest and most well-preserved royal park in China, it greatly influences Chinese horticulture and landscape with its famous natural views and cultural interests, which also has long been recognized as 'The Museum of Royal Gardens'.
The construction started in 1750 as a luxurious royal garden for royal families to rest and entertain. It later became the main residence of royal members in the end of the Qing Dynasty. However, like most of the gardens of Beijing, it could not elude the rampages of the Anglo-French Allied Force and was destroyed by fire. According to historical documents, with original name as 'Qingyi Garden' (Garden of Clear Ripples), the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) was renamed after its first reconstruction in 1888. It was also recorded that Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled navy funds to reconstruct it as a resort in which to spend the rest of her life. In 1900, Yiheyuan suffered another hit by the Eight-Power Allied Force and was repaired in the next two years. In 1924, it was open to the public. It ranked amongst the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1998, as well as one of the first national AAAAA tourist spots in China.