The Summer Palace Last time I visited the Summer Palace I entered from the south via water. This time I entered from the north gate which is more elevated and hilly than the lakeside entrance. I walked down the hill until I reached the Tower of Buddhist Incense, an impressive building overlooking the lake and […]
Temple of Heaven I went to the Temple of Heaven on Monday. This group of structures was first constructed nearly 600 years ago and expanded and renovated subsequently. It is the place where the emperors went to pray for good harvests. These days it is a tourist attraction and a place for locals to relax. The […]
The Beijing Summer Palace The Summer Palace is located in northern Beijing and was first created many hundreds of years ago as the summer resort for the imperial family. It suffered destruction during two foreign invasions and was rebuilt each time. It is now open as a grand garden representing several styles and is home to […]
Dali Dali was an ancient capital in northern Yunnan. The dominant population is the Bai people. Outside of Dali they live in white painted villages with pictures painted on the exterior walls. This was taken from one of the buildings at Chongsheng Temple. It shows one of the nearby villages. Rice and corn are common […]
The “domestic” or chivalry isn’t dead and the shake down Yesterday morning I caught the bus on my way to a temple. The lunch time rush was starting so I got to stand just inside the front doors. I soon heard and saw a very heated discussion between an elderly man who was standing at the […]