Summer Palace

One of the places we visited in Beijing was the Summer Palace which is in the northwest part of Beijing. The origin of the Summer Palace dates back to 1153. We walked around the grounds and took pictures. Here are some of the pictures I took.

Suzhou River

A statue along the way up Longevity Hill

View along the way

Stairs on the way up Longevity Hill

Hall of the Sea of Wisdom

View from the top

No Romping

Walking along the water

Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake

Zoom view of Longevity Hill

Jade Belt Bridge. It has a high arch so that the emperor's dragon boat could fit under it

17-Arch Bridge

Lotus Flower

Looking across Kunming Lake at Jade Peak Pagoda on Jade Spring Hill

Nice to see a "Mind the..." sign

Walkin’ Thru the Park

After dealing with the crowds in the Forbidden City, it is nice to go for a walk in the park. We took a walk through Beihai Park. While there are lots of people visiting Beihai Park, the park is huge so there is room to breathe. The parks in China usually charge a fee. Beihai Park cost 20 Chinese Yuan per person. That is a little less than 3 dollars. Beihai Park is one of China’s oldest imperial gardens. It was originally built in the 11th Century. Here are some pictures.

Jade Flower Island

Lotus Flowers & The White Pagoda

Bridge to Jade Flower Island

View from the bridge

Walking up the hill to the White Pagoda

A kid in charge of the cannon below the White Pagoda

Walking in the shade by the lake

Still walking

The ceiling of the walkway

Beihai Lake

Island in the Sky

Since it is Thanksgiving Day, I figured I would do a post of my annual Thanksgiving hike on the day that it happened. I will get back to reminiscing about my China trip from August soon. For my Thanksgiving hike, I went to Oil Well Flats north of Cañon City. Oil Well Flats is a popular mountain biking area. With it being Thanksgiving Day, I figured there would not be crowded. I was right. I only saw a group of three on the trail. The weather was cool but comfortable. I hiked to the Island in the Sky section of Oil Well Flats. I had heard good things about it, and it did not disappoint. It had nice cliffs and great views. Without further ado, here are the pictures.

Fire Canyon

Climbing out of Fire Canyon on the Island in the Sky Trail

Snow side of the mountain

Interesting rock

Another interesting rock. (This is just one rock)

The cliffs of the Island of the Sky Trail

Looking towards Tanner Peak, Fremont Peak, & the Sangre de Cristo Mountains

Zoom view of Tanner Peak, Fremont Peak, & the Sangre de Cristo Mountains

Garden Park

Me

Me again

Looking south at Tanner Peak

Looking south at the Wet Mountains

Looking west towards the start or end of the Great Plains

Looking back at the cliffs of the Island in the Sky Trail

Forbidden City

For the third full day in the center of Beijing, we got up early and went back to the Forbidden City with the hope of getting inside this time. We got through security and waited at a gate to be let into the ticket plaza where we had gotten and were denied two days earlier. There are a limited number of tickets that are available on the day of the visit. Once the gate was opened, it was a mad dash to find tickets. Of course, I’m lost in what was happening. There was a language and culture barrier for me. The first place we went, we got on a list then waited until someone said that I cannot get a ticket here because I was a foreigner. So we wandered around lost and disappointed until we discovered another line where tickets could be sold to foreigners. We had to wait till the ticket office opened. When that gate opened, there was another mad dash to the ticket office despite the lines in which we were waiting. We got tickets, and we got into the line for the entrance.

The ticket entrance - Wumen Gate (Meridian Gate)

Looking back at the lines

After getting inside, we got a portable audio tour guide. I found that it was too hard to listen to the guide with all the distraction around me. The City opened up to some large plazas and courtyards. The architecture was beautiful. However, trying to look into some of the Halls was hard due to the crowds. We mainly stuck to the center of the Forbidden City. Looking back, I see we probably missed a lot by following the crowds. By lunch time, I was ready to leave. I had enough of the crowds. The Forbidden City was something to see once and here are the pictures.

Gate of Supreme Harmony

Gate of Supreme Harmony

Backside of Wumen Gate (Meridian Gate)

Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihe Hall)

View of the tall buildings of Beijing from the Forbidden City

Wandering around the Forbidden City

What time is it.

Dragon Turtle

Walking toward a crowd

Zoom view of a roof

Looking into one of the Halls

The crowds fighting to looking into one of the Halls

An open area before the next crowded area

Me listening to my audio tour guide

Inside one of the Halls

I liked the roof in this photo

Following the crowd

People taking a break in a courtyard

Me in the Imperial Garden

Flowers in the Imperial Garden

Imperial Garden

Looking up at the Hall of Imperial Peace from the Imperial Garden

The Exit through Shenwu Gate with a view Jingshan Park