Summer Palace Trip in Early Winter

Post Time: Dec 08 2011 By Sophie Huang

In a fine early winter day, I had a trip to Beijing Summer Palace – one of the most magnificent imperial palaces in China. Aiming to get touch with the atmosphere in the imperial garden, I just visited this Beijing attraction alone in the morning time.

Walking to the south from east bank of Kungming Lake, there was a bridge called Shiqikong Brindge (means seventeen archways in a bridge) which connected to the southern lake islet.

The islet in the south side of Kunming Lake was well-preserved when Summer Palace was built. The temple in this islet was named “the temple of the Dragon King”, being connected with the east bank via Shiqikong Bridge.

The Kunming Lake was decorated by Shiqikong Bridge, temple of Dragon King, and Xiti area. This structure applied the traditional Chinese gardening art. When viewing from afar, people can see the Xishan mountain and Yuquan mountain as the background. A poetic picture formed by lake, mountains, sky and ancient architectures was presented in front of our eyes.

Xiti area was constructed according to the model of Hangzhou West Lake. One of the highlights of this site is the bridges across the lake. Xiti, in Chinese means a bank in the west side, is a comparative narrow bank without practical function. But designer cut off the bank and built six bridges on the lake. This scene may with the same appreciation value of Suti Bank in Hangzhou West Lake. Among the six bridges, the most beautiful one is called Yudai Bridge, in Chinese means hade belt bridge.

The six bridges from south to north separately called: Liu Bridge (Willow Bridge), Lian Bridge, Jing Bridge (Mirror Bridge), Yudai Bridge (Jade Belt Bridge), Youfeng Bridge (Breeze Bridge), Jiehu Bridge

Jingming Pavilion located between Liu Bridge and Lian Bridge

This pavilion was built according to a scene describing in a famous masterpiece called A Trip to Yueyang Pavilion (Fan Zhongyan) It was been destroyed during the Qing Dynasty and rebuilt in 1992.

Liu Bridge or Willow Bridge was named from a poem wrote by Du Fu.

Jing Bridge or Mirror Bridge was named from a poem wrote by Li Bai

Scenery along Xiti Bank

The most beautiful bridge – Yudai Bridge Tower on the Yuquan Mountain

The morning in early winter was a little cold while people in morning exercise were not afraid of it. One my back way, the sun rose and shined Kunming Lake as a fairy land, the Shiqikong Bridge was shining as the rainbow one the lake.

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