Summer Palace

2 July 2010 - It is a hot summer day in Beijing, so it seemed appropriate to visit the Summer Palace. My Lonely Planet Book described the Summer Palace as 'a stunning collection of beautifully landscaped pavillions, temples, gardens, corridors and bridges set around the tranquil Kunming Lake', and that is exactly what it is, except that the Lake is not so tranquil anymore. In the days of the emperor the royal court came here to escape the heat and humidity of Beijing's summer, but these days there seems no escape because the Summer Palace was as crowded, hot and humid as anywhere in the city. It must have been an idyllic spot though, which was off-limits for foreigners for much of the Qing dynasty. Times have changed, because the place is now mainly frequented by foreign and mainland tourists of certain age. Some of them talked as loud as if they were on the market.