Beijing 2024 - Summer Palace (颐和园) More Steps Up To The Temple

There is only one way, and that is up, and up and up. This day wasn't turning out as exciting as I thought it would be. I've always have the perception that Summer Palace is a place where the beautiful court ladies would come during summer for a leisure stroll in the park...... How on earth do those ladies climb up all these stairs!

View of some of the temples. This is the middle level. We were still going further up.

By now, we not only could see the whole bridge, but the whole island that it was connected to! 

Our goal, since we were already here, was to reach the very top of these freaking stairs! Surely for such a hard climb, there must be something really worth seeing at the top! Note to self, always travel when you are still mobile, and when you can still climb shit tonnes of steps! Imagine coming here at 60, or 70. Breathless. Knee pain. Heart giving out. Dizziness. No thank you! I'll enjoy my 40+ youth as much as I still can. 

Some official info for your reference while I rest my tired legs to stop and take a photo for you.

Still at mid level, some temples to admire.

I love how they protect the dragon with a wired cage. 

The lovely walk up. I don't know about others, but especially when going down the stairs, I need to hold on to something as I might get dizzy and lose my balance. But these asian ppl (although I am also asian), they can walk up and down, talking on the phone, eating, or just stopping there in the middle of the stairs for no reason and still think nothing about it. It's just a way of life for them. I love this view of the stairs and the temple walls. They remind of those temple in Tibet or Nepal.

Like this lady here on the phone. I really hate it when I come across one just standing there blocking my way while I am trying to go up or down. Cause I hate letting go of the hand rails and walking in the middle of the stairs, especially when coming down. But I must say, after travelling so much, I am still amazed at how much stairs I can walk up. Even without yoga session, my balance has improved significantly as compared to those days when I would just go vertigo froze.

Some of the insanely narrow corridors around the temple area. I think they are pretty neat.

We are almost there guys! Just a little bit more.

Beijing 2024 - Summer Palace (颐和园) Pagoda and Pond View

 

Wandering around the park, we came across a giant pagoda. So of course we have to head towards it. I didn't really do much research of the Summer Palace since it was the last actual tourist attraction we were visiting. Although it may seems like I do a lot of planning for my trips, I also provide a lot of buffer for surprises. I roughly know where I want to visit, but I may not do a full research of the place in details. I would research the top sights I want to see, but smaller ones I would leave it to chance.

So this pagoda here was by pure chance. It was lovely, but it wasn't the top sights here. Even the old jade boat was more famous than this.

As usual, there are more steps to climb, so here is a view of the Summer Palace lake view, with pagoda and bridge.

A more close up view of the other side where the bridge is. It looked more modern other there. Perhaps those a residential areas? Just like Chinese Garden in Singapore! Lol. 

From a far, we also spotted a lone pagoda standing alone on the mountain. What a lovely sight. This one reminded me of MaoKong in Taipei, Taiwan. 

Beijing 2024 - Summer Palace (颐和园) Jade Boat

After visiting the water town, we came across a wall and it seems the shortest way to get around it was climbing up it, cause walking around it was just as bad cause it was a super big park. Sigh, there goes my easy and relaxing day at the park.

Walking up the stairs and enjoying the views. 

From the top you could see some of the notable bridges from a far. We were going to have to walk there eventually if we want to see the place! I am always amazed at how far I can walk in China! It's a full body workout visiting China! Actually, the picture above kinda reminds me of Chinese Garden in Singapore too. We have miniature sized everything in Chinese Garden!

Lot's of lovely bridges at the other end of the wall!

Finally can slowly relax and enjoy the sceneries.

Boats and waterway seems to be so much a part of life in China.

Ah, finally we came to the jade boat. I remember this cause my Aunty always spoke of it, and I have old photos of when my Dad and her visit this place many years ago. Back then, the boat looked white. I was kinda surprised how dark it looked now. And it was so weird visiting the same place where once my Dad and Aunt, and even my Big Cousin used to visit. It felt like time travelling in a weird way. To be at the same place, in different era.

The jade boat was rather smaller than I imagined, and you can't really go on it, so it was just walking by it. We got bored of it really fast, and started exploring the shops around it. There were cute tea shops around, even though we didn't went in to any to drink tea. 

Yes, we should drink tea everyday! I almost do! For someone who drinks shit tonnes of tea, I am surprised that I don't actually have a proper tea pot to drink from. Can I still call myself a tea drinker like that?

Spotted this cute black kitty door stopper at the tea shop. Isn't it adorable?

Anyway, here's a wefie of us with the rather black looking jade boat. 

Beijing 2024 - Summer Palace (颐和园) Watertown

 

Next morning, after having completed all my Bucket List of China in this trip, everything was just going to be easy going from here forward! Or at least, that was what I though, lol. On this day, we again walk out along the small alley of the hutong to the main road and metro station. We were headed to the Summer Palace to spend the day there. Of course we still went and pick up a few pancakes along the way before we proceed to the gardens. Yes, Summer Palace is actually more like an open park.

Reaching there, it wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be. It kinda looked like BeiHai Park. I am not sure if this is considered a famous tourist spot, but it has always remained at the back of my mind cause I often hear it being mentioned by my Dad or my Aunt. So here I was to explore it. It was the furthest tourist spot we visited in Beijing from where we were staying.

We got a combination ticket, and the very first place we enter was this make believe water town. This was the first water town I visit, but since it was kinda fake, I don't really count it. I count ZhuJiaJiao as the first actual town I visited. Anyway, the reason I say this is make believe is because this town isn't real. It was build to entertain the royalties so that they can come here and imagine life in a water town since they weren't free to go anywhere they pleased. I think I can understand this concept better now that I've read Lady Tan and her Circle of Ladies for one of my bookclub meetup. 

But since this was my first encounter with a water town, real or fake, I was still very fascinated and drawn by the beautiful landscape and surrounding of the place. The emerald looking water somehow made the place looked so much more lovelier. To think that when it comes to water town, the first thought I once used to think of was Venice. Now, older and wiser, I felt like my education has really failed me. Venice is beautiful in it's own way, but China's water town is so much more! Somehow, I wish more people would visit China and see how beautiful Chinese culture is.

No matter were we turn, it was a lovely scene. And this was just a miniature sized fake town.

Lovely shophouses that aren't open, tea shops, and bridges.

Boats are available, and you could pay a fee to ride them around the water.

The red bridge before we have to walk back. It was basically a circle with different corners of the town to walk to, but in a circle you eventually ended up where you started. In a real water town, it is like a maze leading you to different area of the town.

We actually haven't had our breakfast. And since it was such a pretty place, we decided to have it here. This area was a ticketed area, so there were actually less people inside this early. A very nice spot for a quiet breakfast overlooking the water.

Lovely bridges of different design, with giant lotus growing beneath them

With his hat and his looks, the husband looked like someone out of a China poster campaign >0<

Pretty reflection photos of bridge.

So many bridges. Those walking at the top are free access via the park. Those walking below are paid ticketed customer. The water town is build beneath the main park, closer to the water. You need a ticket to access this area.

Here is a better view of it. You can still catch a view of the water town without a ticket, but you just can't go down and walk around it. The ticket isn't really expensive, so I would highly recommend you get one and just explore.

Souvenir Selfie.

And one wefie as well!

Beijing 2024 - Beijing Mutton Steamboat for Dinner (北京涮羊肉火锅)

 

After our cool and wet day exploring the Great Wall of China, we were finally back in our neighbourhood of QianMen. Since I got one more Bucket List item checked, we decided to reward ourselves with a nice Beijing Mutton hot pot dinner!

It just so happens that my husband like wandering around the neighbourhood at night looking for snacks and beer and he told me he found a local joint that was quite popular near the hutong where we were staying. I always prefer local authentic places instead of main street popular restaurant anyway, so we headed there. Above is what the store front looked like. This was taken after we ate there. 

The shop itself was pretty cool. Around the wall there were super nostalgic looking poster. It felt like one of those old coffeeshops in Penang. This shop sells Beijing Mutton Hotpot, one of my to-eat dish.

They also sell this Old Beijing Exploding Stomach, which remains one of my favourite dish of Beijing.

Dinner started off with a chill bottle of local beer. 

The iconic Beijing Hot Pot pot! The guy behind in the photo was the guy serving us though out, and he had the most heck care attitude ever. I thought he was hilarious. He wasn't rude or anything, but his facial expression was super bochap and totally awesome.

One thing I love about this place was, they don't charge you for sauces, unlike Haidilao where they charge as much as 4sgd for sauces, per person! Here, sesame paste sauce and cilantros are automatically given, along with so much spring onions! Everything I love in the photo above.

The meat starting to arrive. We got the mixed mutton platter.

We got some prawns, some soya strips which was my mistake. I thought it would be those Ring Ring Roll thing, but it ended up as those tape wormy thing, lol. I also ordered some fibre in the form of assorted mushroom, and was pleasantly surprised when a whole basket filled with mushroom was served! And it wasn't expensive either! Instantly I felt the warmth of this lovely local shop. 

The hubby added another plate of beef slices after we finished our mutton. 

After a lovely dinner, we walked home in the cool night back to our hutong hotel. I love surroundings like this were you could almost imagine that you are living here instead of just being a tourist. One of the most memorable meals in Beijing for me :)