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.