Day 3(C), Beijing: Pearl Store, Summer Palace, Kung Fu Show

Summer Palace

After we ate a Chinese lunch and visited a pearl store, we were to visit the Summer Palace.

Summer Palace

First, Chinese Lunch

We ate a Chinese lunch near the Summer Palace in Beijing. This was our only buffet lunch. There was another Western tour group eating there as well. We didn’t see many of these groups.

First, Chinese Lunch

Chinese Lunch

My lunch plate. I am not someone who tries many new foods, but I still found much to eat at each of our Chinese meals. Here, Chinese pizza, salad, always rice, and some kind of meat, probably chicken. Either Chinese beer or fruit drinks were free with the meal and, of course, as much tea as you wanted. I chose a strawberry drink––delicious. I didn’t know I would like it so much.

Chinese Lunch

Pearl Store

Next door to our lunch place was an elegant pearl store, which we found out was government owned. I think all the better stores selling Chinese merchandise that we were taken to were government owned. This young girl gave us a lecture on pearls. She said that in this store only salt water (natural) pearls are sold, not pearls cultured in fresh water. She also said that you can tell the difference between real pearls and imitation pearls by rubbing a pearl against the surface of your front tooth––if it feels smooth, it is an imitation; if it feels slightly gritty, it is real. She said to do this with more than one pearl on a string as sometimes imitation and real pearls on mixed on the same string.

Pearl Store

Pearls inside this oyster. There were over 40 of them (she had taken some out to give to us). If you want bigger pearls, you let the oyster age more. You can tell its age by the number of rings on its shell.

Pearl Store

Pearls, pearls, and more pearls and in all different colors: pink, white, gray, etc. I wasn’t planning on buying pearls in China so I didn’t do any pre–research on pearls, which would be a good idea if you are planning on buying any. Some of our tour group went to the big pearl market in Beijing to buy pearls rather than buying them here.

Pearl Store

I thought these pearl figures were very cute. The tiger on the bottom left was priced at 12,800 yuan (about $1,920). However, even though this is a government store, you can still bargain for a lower price.

Pearl Store

Close–up of the adorable pearl boy and girl––no price given.

Pearl Store

More of the pearl animals.

Pearl Store

Close–up: on the left, 4820 yuan or about $723; on the right, 4620 yuan or about $693.

Pearl Store

We saw these cards with both a person’s Western name and Chinese name on them in many stores. Besides from Hester and Gertrude, I also saw ones for Tamara, Vivienne, Simone, and Rowena. Makes you wonder where they got their list of Western names from.

Pearl Store

But I did find cards for both Peg and Peggy. An insert in the card package tells me that my “name is written in traditional Chinese calligraphy which consist of 2 Chinese characters and meaning is as below: clamber and top, pronunced in Chinese as PAN JI.” Actually, Peggy is a nickname for Margaret, both names meaning “Pearl”. Maybe I should have bought some pearls!

Pearl Store

We also saw these beautiful screens in a number of stores. They must be extremely expensive––I didn’t price them.

Pearl Store

Close–up of the screen.

Pearl Store

Close–up of the screen.

Pearl Store

Close–up of the screen.

Pearl Store

Close–up of the screen.

Pearl Store

Walking to the Summer Palace

Walking toward the Summer Palace past a street vendor. I think he is roasting chesnuts.

Walking to the Summer Palace

Summer Palace

The Empress Dowager Cixi, also known as The Dragon Lady, is most associated with the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace served as an imperial retreat from the too hot summers at the Forbidden City during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). Emperor Qianlog (reigning 1736 to 1795) enlarged it, but Cixi, who was a concumbine of Emperor Xainfeng (reigning 1851 to 1851) and who bore his son, took over the reins of the empire from both her son and her nephew and became one of most powerful women ever in China. Cixi had the Summer Palace rebuilt twice: once after its destruction by the French and English in 1860 and again in 1902 after it was destroyed during the Boxer Rebellion.

Summer Palace

The East Palace Gate, the main entrance to the Summer Palace.

Summer Palace

Female, on the left, and male, on the right, lions guarding the entrance from evil spirits.

Summer Palace

The Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, the main ceremonial hall.

Summer Palace

The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium

Next to the Olympic Store––still much to buy here. The theme of the Beijing Olympics was “One World, One Dream.”

The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium

Summer Palace

In front of the hall, a mythical qilin, a cloven–hoofed animals with horns and scales, which is a symbol of Confucian virtue

Summer Palace

The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium

Olympic pins.

The Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium

Summer Palace

Hot dogs for sale here.

Summer Palace

The Garden of Virtue and Harmony, which served as a theatre.

Summer Palace

A pavilion and boats to rent (of course, when the lake is not frozen).

Summer Palace

We saw a number of these signs placed around the lake.

Summer Palace

And also some of these signs.

Summer Palace

And we also saw this: many Chinese stepping far off on the ice. This really surprised me. I would have assumed that in a tightly government–controlled society as China is that the Chinese would follow all the signs posted. If this was in the United States, a free society, one would be quite hesitant about not abiding by these signs. We would think first: the sign is there because there is thin ice out there, better not risk it. But if we did risk it, we would be afraid that a security guard at this public park would get on a bullhorn and totally embarrass us by telling us to get off the ice. If we didn’t follow his order, then maybe he would call the police. If we didn’t follow a policeman’s order to get off the ice, he would come out to arrest us for not following his order. A few of our tour did go down to step on the ice, but did not go to far out.

Summer Palace

Another hall with bird and deer statues in front of it.

Summer Palace

Detail of the hall.

Summer Palace

Sometimes you will see paintings between the posts.

Summer Palace

Where you might catch a boat in the warm months.

Summer Palace

A 17–arched bridge. You really have to try to imagine how beautiful the Summer Palace would look in the summer.

Summer Palace

Entrance to the Long Corridor.

Summer Palace

Close–up of the entrance.

Summer Palace

Walking in the Long Corridor, a 2,388–foot–long walkway. Its beams are decorated with over 14,000 scenic paintings. Truly magnificent.

Summer Palace

Close–up of the beams.

Summer Palace

Close–up of the beams.

Summer Palace

Close–up of the beams.

Summer Palace

Close–up of the painting on the beam of the last photo.

Summer Palace

Close–up of another painting on a beam.

Summer Palace

Ceiling of one of the small pavilions of the Long Corridor.

Summer Palace

Should be the entrance to Longevity Hill. We didn’t go there.

Summer Palace

The Tower of Fragrance of the Buddha on top of Longevity Hill.

Summer Palace

Closer–up of the Tower of Fragrance of the Buddha.

Summer Palace

The walkway outside the Long Corridor.

Summer Palace

Should be the Yunhuiyuyu Archway.

Summer Palace

An enterprising vendor. Many vendors here.

Summer Palace

Top of a pavilion in the Long Corridor.

Summer Palace

The Marble Boat, also called the Boat of Purity and Ease. It is made of wood but painted white to look like marble. Cixi spent money earmarked to improve the Imperial Navy to build the Marble Boat.

Summer Palace

Another view of the Marble Boat.

Summer Palace

Dragon boats that you can take for a ride around the lake––when the lake isn’t frozen.

Summer Palace

Another view of the dragon boats.

Summer Palace

And a close–up view.

Summer Palace

The archway to get to the Marble Boat and the dragon boats.

Summer Palace

On the other side of the archway.

Summer Palace

Not only for Western visitors. The Chinese drink a lot of coffee along with a lot of tea.

Summer Palace

A pagoda we walked under on our way out of the Summer Palace.

Summer Palace

Peking Duck Dinner

Next, dinner. Tonight, we were treated to a Peking duck dinner. Here is our Peking duck.

Peking Duck Dinner

Our waiter showed up how to put the Peking duck (in the bowl with the swan’s head) onto the flat pancake (in the straw bowl). Then, add sauces, and next, using chopsticks, roll it all into a tight cyclinder. Too hard: I rolled mine up like a burrito. I don’t think the Peking duck was all that tasty, but I usually don’t eat duck so my opinion should not count.

Peking Duck Dinner

Kung Fu Show

Let’s see: Today, we visited Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden Palace, had a Chinese lunch, went to a Pearl Store, walked around the Summer Palace, and had Peking duck for dinner. Time to go back to our hotel: no, not yet. There was an optional Kung Fu Show offered at $30. I went. It was in this building.

Kung Fu Show

This a real boy sitting in the lobby. He hits a gong. The story of the Kung Fu Show: “In an ancient temple we encounter a little boy. Through practicing Kungfu and Zen he becomes a master and finally reaches the sacred goal of enlightment.”

Kung Fu Show

Close–up of the boy. Many of the actors in the show were very young.

Kung Fu Show

Art work on the wall of the lobby of the show. This Kung Fu show in Beijing is considered the best Kung Fu show in China. We only paid $30 to see the show, but when the show played in Las Vegas, tickets were quite expensive.

Kung Fu Show

The curtain.

Kung Fu Show

We were allowed to take photos and videos of the show. I have put three Kung Fu videos on this website: Go Movies, Asia, China, “Kung Fu Show–1, 2, and 3, Beijing.” The show did have a Las Vegas feel to it.

Kung Fu Show

Another photo I took during the show.

Kung Fu Show

And another. Time to go back to our 5–star hotel and catch up on the day’s news on CNN, BBC, CNBC, or Asian News or you could watch HBO––all in English. Most of the rest of the channels were in Chinese (Chinese TV also has commercials). You’ll find the same selection in 4–star hotels, but not in most 3–star ones and downward. Also, the Chinese do not get this choice of channels––only Chinese television. It is illegal to own a satellite dish in China, so the Chinese do not get much unfiltered information about the rest of the world.