In September of 2002, we took an escorted tour of China. It lasted 15 days and was very comprehensive. The tour included not only the highlights of the cities of Shanghai, Suzhou, Beijing, Xian, Guilin, and Hong Kong but the Shanghai acrobats, Tang dynasty theater, Peking Duck dinner, Guilin cultural shows, and a Li River cruise. We were very tired when we got back home, but we would not have missed it for anything. The tour was well planned. You could check out http://www.bestour.com if you are planning a visit to China. After a very busy morning of touring Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the hutongs of Beijing, our tour group of 12 members went to lunch at the Starlight Revolving restaurant. It is located on the 28th floor of the Beijing International Hotel. There, we were able to sit and discuss the events of the morning. They served an international buffet of delicious foods, and the service was excellent. Everybody went back many times to the buffet. It takes about 110 minutes to revolve completely, and the aerial view of Beijing is breath taking. The location of the restaurant was convenient for where we were going next.
After lunch, we got back on our bus to go to the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) which is a favorite place for locals to visit as well as tourist. The Palace has the largest surviving royal park. Construction began in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). It is the typical Chinese garden. Artists created the gardens so that visitors would be amazed and would see beautiful views in all areas of the approximately 726 acres of the Summer Palace. They used the finest materials in creating the 3,000 structures which include pavilions, bridges, towers, and hallways. The guide said it was divided into four parts which include the court area, front-hill area, front-lake area, and the rear-hill/back-lake area.
The court area is where the Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu held court meeting officials and conducting state affairs. Front-hill area is considered the most magnificent part of the palace and has the most buildings. Winding paths and unique landscape containing many trees are found in the rear-hill/back-lake area. The front lake area covers the larger part of the Summer Palace. It contains six bridges. The Jade-Belt bridge is considered the most beautiful. We enjoyed exploring the buildings and gardens. It was disappointing when we had to leave.
Temple of Heaven (Tiantan Park) is where emperors of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties worshiped the heaven and prayed for a rich harvest at the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvest. Emperors considered themselves the sons of the heaven. There is an inner temple and an outer temple surrounded by two high walls. The walls reflect the Chinese concept of the cosmology. The north section is semicircular (sky) while the south section is square (earth). The Circular Mound Altar was constructed in 1530. During the winter solstice, a sacrificial rite would be held. Nine represents infinity or heaven to the Chinese so the round tier platforms of the altar are built in multiples of nine according to our guide. Beautiful blue stones and white marble balusters were used to construct the temple. Several people in the tour group took the time to say a pray and burn incense at the temple. (Once when visiting the Chinese pavilion at Epicot in Orlando with our children, our son wanted to buy a figure of a Chinese temple because he liked its color and design.) Little did we know it was a replica of the Circular Mound Altar of the Temple of Heaven. It took a trip to China for me to make the connection.
The Bell and Drum towers were first built in 1272; however, they had to be rebuilt after two fires. In China aside from their use as musical instruments the bell and drum were used for telling time. Made of brick and stone the bell tower has two floors. On the second floor, the bell is hanging on a square wooden frame. This bell is the largest and heaviest in China. It is made of copper, and it can be heard from far away. South of the bell tower is the drum tower. It is also a two floor structure; the drum is on the second floor. You can climb both towers and can take part in hitting the bell and drum if you like. You can get a good view of the city from the second floor of the two towers. Every New Year's Eve the drum and bell are beaten 108 times. This is believed to send blessings to the Chinese. Many vendors selling handcrafted items and snacks are all around the bell and drum towers. We found some beautiful cloisonnes (ancient metal and enamel process) balls that we as Christmas tree decorations.
It is great to revisit these places in my mind and share them with you. Remember to take many videos while traveling.
Share with me at:
The MUSEUM at Zazzle
http://www.zazzle.com/the_museum*/
The MUSEUM at Qassia
http://themuseum.qassia.com/*
AdSense, jGibney, Photoart, The MUSEUM, The MUSEUM Zazzle, Copywriting, Ad, Money, Travel, Art,
zzzzz
|
|
|
|
Contributor's Note
This is the third of several articles relating our experiences and impressions of a 15-day escorted tour of China we took in September of 2002.
|
|
|
|
|
