Beijing is busy.
It’s crowded with tourists, students, workers, families. It’s the capital of China, one of the most populous countries on Earth, and Beijing follows as one of the most populous cities on Earth.
Coming from the Wild, Wild West of the United States, Beijing was an assault to my senses. The nonstop sounds, combined with a complicated language I didn’t understand, gave me a constant headache. So did the constant, suffocating smog combined with humidity. My eyes were sore from the many things to see (and the smog probably didn’t help that, either).
Then, in the middle of this giant concrete jungle, we found an oasis.
The Summer Palace is not a sight I ever thought to see in China (nor I had really heard of it…). But, of all the major landmarks in Beijing (and one of the many World Heritage Sites), I loved the Summer Palace the most.
The Summer Palace was started during the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) as a second palace for the emperor. Many emperors have used it since then, adding on, changing the name, and eventually using it as a summer resort, hence the current name. It’s full of traditional Chinese architecture, but unlike the Forbidden City, which is endless miles of pavement, the Summer Palace is on beautiful grounds, many acres of land, with a lake where you can rent a paddleboat and a little canal (complete with a “model village”). It is known as a gem of Chinese Imperial Gardens.
It felt most like an escape to me because, once you got past the entrance, you could actually escape (and pretty easily) the matching-hat tourist groups and families flocking to get the best pictures. It’s easy to climb up a slightly harder trail or slightly steeper steps to get away from it all in the trees. There, you’ll discover lovely pagodas and tiny buildings hidden amongst ancient trees, and pretty views of the lake (despite the smog, as you’ll see). We paid a little extra to go to the little village by the canal and have a beer, and it was quiet and perfect.
It was familiar, and comforting in the middle of culture shock. It was a reminder that I was not in just in any big city, but in China.
There, In the Summer Palace, I found China as I had imagined it would be.
a lovely view of the lake…and the smog.
my travel buddies, K and J.
Tsingtao, my first Chinese beer!
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