Palaces, We Got Palaces

Beijing

Friday was spent visiting various temples and palaces built during the Ming Dynasty
about the same time and obviously with the same architect and same set of plans.
If you think cathedral crawling in Western Europe gets old, these Chinese palaces/
temples can make your eyes cross. I downloaded pictures last night and they truly all
look alike. We've started to absorb some of the mythology and beliefs as interpreted
through the buildings. Lots of round shapes (heaven) within squares (earth).

I guess I don't have to tell you the scale. The Temple of Heaven is in Beijing and has
the vast parade grounds like the Forbidden City's but the Summer Palace outside of the
city is 600 acres and has the longest outdoor corridor, over 700 meters long and really
quite nice, in the world along the lake front. Usually the palace roofs (like Spanish tiles
except ceramic) are the Imperial Yellow that only was used on the emperor's palace
roofs, but the Summer Palace was his Camp David. The roofs are green. The palace
relocated there from April to October. He received important people and papers there,
but was not working. It was a place to get away from his enemies and chillax.

Emperorhood had its perks. Snap his fingers and it was done up to and including
building hills and lakes where there were none. He never walked but was carried
everywhere in a sedan chair. Hot and cold running concubines. But, paranoia also came
with the position. The possibility of an uprising was always in the air not to mention the
rogue assassin around every corner.

The temperature at the Summer Palace was quite pleasant with a lovely breeze off the
lake (manmade) and the mountains (natural). It's a favorite spot for locals and tourists
alike. The courtyards are much, much smaller but for some reason every tour guide felt
it necessary to break out their portable PA systems. Oh, the din. As I mentioned before,
the Chinese don't seem to have or use their "inside voices" so amplification was hardly
necessary. One wished for the church ladies that constantly shhhh cathedral visitors.
The ride across the lake in a dragon boat (passenger boat w/ big dragon-decorated
bow) was blissfully quiet. Plus we met some people who were with a different tour
company but were going to be on the same river cruise boat and an Irish couple who
had been to the Wall the day before and said it was worth the money and effort.

Peking Duck for dinner. Meh.

Some of the group opted to go to a performance of the Peking Opera. We did not so
opt.

Tomorrow, The Great Wall and then back to Beijing to the Birds Nest and Water Cube
built for the Olympics. An aside: I knew Shang Hai had wild and weird architecture but
there are some odd buildings here, too. And they all have nicknames: Short Pants, Big
Egg, etc.
General discussion amongst our group: no facebook or blogging spot access. Thanks to
Jay for posting my blogs. Alas, I cannot read any comments. But that could be a good
thing.

And to niece Aubrey who is a bit vertically challenged: in China you would be
statuesque!