Beijing (part 4)

Day Six

The zoo can be reached by alighting at Xizhimen interchange station (西直门站) of Subway Line 2, 4 & 13, and walk for about 10 to 15-mins from the station to the Zoo main entrance. Alternatively, there are several public buses (Bus no. 104, 105, 106, 111 and 205) that depart from Xizhimen station (near Xizhimen railway station) to the main entrance by one or two bus-stops.

Beijing Zoological Gardens (北京动物园)

The Beijing Zoo was initially named as 'Leshan Gardens' (乐善园) in 1906 as an Imperial agricultural experimental farm for cultivating plants as well as raising animals that were bought from Germany or presented by foreign dignities to the Emperor. The farm was subsequently open to the public in 1908. Under the successive rule of the Northern War-lords, Japanese and Nationalist Government, the zoo became desolated. With the founding of People's Republic, the farm was reopened to the public in 1950 and formally designated to its present name 'Beijing Zoo' in 1955. Soon after, the zoo developed rapidly and now it houses more than 7,000 animals of over 600 different species.

The first building that caught my attention was this marble archway of the main entrance (left photo below). Interestingly it combined both Chinese and Western style element; for example the four Roman-style columns stood in front of the archway and a western-like emblem in the middle of the archway which was formed by Chinese lions and dragons. Right after the entrance is the Panda exhibition hall (大熊猫馆), that requires a separate entrance fee (right photo below). Besides pandas, other China's rare animals are also exhibited inside this area.



Giant Panda House (大熊猫馆)

The Giant Panda House is a exhibition complex comprises of outdoor and indoor exhibitions. The most famous Chinese animal known throughout the world is probably the Giant Pandas. There are 2 of these cute animals staying permanently in Beijing Zoo, namely 'Jiji' (吉吉) and 'Lili' (利利), which have their own exhibition hall (photos below).



In addition during the Beijing Olympics, 8 Giant Pandas from Wolong Breeding Centre were on special exhibition in a separate building built during the Asian Games in 1990. Fortunately during my visit, these pandas were still there. At an average age of 2 years old, these young pandas were very active and kept playing with each other (photos below).





Currently Giant Pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) (大熊猫) are found only in scattered areas of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Now less than 250 Giant Pandas are kept in captivity, while only 2,000 to 3,000 pandas are living in the wild. This animal is dangerously endangered; therefore do see them before they become extinct.

Another unique animal is the Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) (川金丝猴). A pair of these monkeys is found within the Panda House (photos below).


Souvenir-hunters definitely would not be disappointed by the huge varieties of panda-related products inside the Panda House (photos below). Most of these panda souvenirs are found solely in this Panda house and you won't be able to find them elsewhere even in other souvenir shops inside the zoo.

Endemic Animals of China

Due to my tight itinerary, I could only focus my visit mainly on animals that are endemic to China.

The Crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon) (朱鹮) was once thought to be extinct in China, but fortunately 7 ibises were found in 1981 by an expedition team in Shaanxi province. Since then, extensive protection and breeding programs were put in place and now its population increased from initial 7 to 500 wild ibises. Across the sea in Japan, the last 5 wild ibises were taken into captivity in 1981. Considered as one of the national birds in Japan, sadly Crested Ibises became extinct in Japan when its last bird died in Oct 2003. With strong diplomatic ties between the two countries, several crested ibises from China were presented to Japan as National gifts to help the Japanese to establish a strong population in hope to release these birds back into the wild. As it was breeding season for these birds when I was there, therefore the feathers of these crested ibises turned from pure white to grey (left photo below).

This peacock (in the right photo below) is often mistaken as the Common Indian Peacock we see in parks. The Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus) (绿孔雀) are found in Southern China and many parts of South-east Asia. One major difference in appearance is Green Peacock has metallic green plumage on its neck and breast compared to the bluish color of Indian Peacock.



The Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) (红腹锦鸡) found only in mountainous area of western China. Due to its many similarities with the legendary phoenix, China Ornithological Society proposed the Golden Pheasant (left photo below) to be China's National bird. However this proposal is still pending the final approval from the Chinese Government. Another beautiful bird is this Chinese Monal (Lophophorus lhuysii) (绿尾虹雉). This bird is the most brilliant of all pheasants and only the male has the metallic green, blue and copper plumage (right photo below).



Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) (小熊猫) is another charismatic animal commonly found in zoos (left photo below). Red Panda and Giant Panda are not related, this is one common misconception that most people make. In fact Red Panda is more closely related to Raccoon family rather to the Giant Panda which is closer to the Bear family. It is due to the environment that these two creatures evolved to have 'false thumbs' and become bamboo-eaters.

The Golden Takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) (秦岭羚牛) is an endangered goat-antelope (right photo below), native to the Qin Mountains in China's southern Shaanxi province. Golden takins have unique adaptations that help them stay warm and dry during the bitter cold of winter in the rugged Himalayan Mountains.


Snub-nosed Monkeys are endemic to China and no zoo outside China has ever kept these monkeys in captivity, except on loan exhibition. Two types of Snub-nosed monkeys are displayed to the public in Beijing Zoo, namely the Golden Snub-nosed (Rhinopithecus roxellana) (川金丝猴) and the Yunnan Snub-nosed (Rhinopithecus bieti) (滇金丝猴). The Golden Snub-nosed has a colorful yellow and red fur (left photo below) and currently a population of 8,000 to 15,000 still remain in the wild. Whereas the Yunnan Snub-nosed (right photo below) has a black and grayish shaggy coat and has an estimated population of less than 1,700 individuals in Yunnan province.

Outdated enclosure design

If there is sufficient time, do visit the 'Mountain of Big Cats' (狮虎山). As the temperature at day was about 29°C, most cats were found lying inside their indoor cage instead of outdoor exhibition, such as this Siberian Tiger (left photo below). Beijing zoo still has the old concept of exhibiting the animals in cages and dens; unlike Singapore Zoo where most animals are exhibited in an 'open' concept. For an instance, the big cats are kept in small cages and the building itself has little airflow where occasional stench from the animals could be detected (right photo below). This poor design of animal enclosure definitely makes it unpleasant to both the visitors and the animals.



One disturbing act witnessed by me was a visitor spat at a brown bear (left photo below) inside a den trying to get its attention. One main explanation for such uncivilized action is the insufficiencies of education to the visitors. Another factor that contributed to such behavior is the design of the den; where it puts the visitor in a superior position therefore providing them a chance to ill-treat the animals. Visitors also tend to throw junk foods such as sweets or half-eaten fruits into these dens. In addition, animal lovers would surely be disheartened to see monkeys dressed up in human clothes during photo-taking (right photo below). If this happens in Western countries, animal lovers would probably make a big fuss out of it as this is unnatural to the animals.



Hopefully the enclosure design in Beijing zoo can be improved in the future. To be fair, many old zoos in Europe and America still have this old concept of animal enclosures.

Opening hours of the zoo is early compared to other attractions; 0730 to 1800 hours (Apr to Oct period) or 0730 to 1700 hours (Nov to Mar period) and ticketing stop half-an hour before closing time. Admission to the zoo cost RMB 15 (during Apr to Oct) or RMB 10 (during Nov to Mar). Separate admission is required to Panda House at RMB 5 or to Penguin House at RMB 10.

There is also a combined ticket that included a boat ride from the zoo to Summer Palace at additional RMB 20; however the boat only departs hourly from the zoo. The boat ride operates on a canal which is believed to be the secret water passage used by Emperor Qianlong and Empress Dowager Cixi to reach Summer Palace.

Beijing Aquarium (北京海洋馆) is located inside the zoo complex and an addition admission of RMB 120 is required to enter. The size of this aquarium is definitely comparable to the best aquarium in Asia. There is even a Marine Theatre that holds daily shows with a capacity of seating 3,000 spectators. Due to my tight itinerary, I don't have the opportunity to visit this aquarium.

Paleozoological Museum of China (中国古动物馆)

Two museums, namely Paleozoological Museum of China (中国古动物馆) and Beijing Planetarium (北京天文馆) are located opposite Beijing Zoo within walking distances. Since I am a fan of dinosaurs since young, my choice naturally was to visit the Paleozoological museum.

The Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology is also located inside the Paleozoological Museum. Only a section of building is open to the public as museum while the rest are used for research purposes (left photo below). A T-Rex sculpture was spotted (right photo below) outside the museum entrance; making the museum more appealing to young children. The museum building consists of three floors, with the ground floor devoted primarily to fishes and amphibians, with reptiles and birds represented on the second floor, and mammals on the third floor.



There are displays of dinosaur fossils in the middle of the exhibition hall on the ground (left photo below) and second floor (right photo below).



Fossilized primitive fishes (left photo below) could be clearly distinguished even down to its fine bones in this fossil. Specimen of a Coelacanth (拉蒂迈鱼) is preserved in a tank (right photo below). Had been seeing pictures of this ancient fish but only in this museum that I could take a closer look at this living fossil.



At the second floor, visitors could also have a chance to feel and try lifting up a thigh bone of a Mamenchisaurus (马门溪龙) which weigh about 200-kg (400斤) (left photo below). Fossils from primitive turtles/tortoises are also on display at the second floor (right photo below). Although the collection of fossils is not as huge compared to the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, the specimens exhibited in this museum are good representations from evolution perspective.



This museum also has several specimens of precursors to birds, such as specimens of Confuciusornis (孔子鸟) and Microraptor (小盗龙) found during field expeditions in Liaoning Province (photos below). Fossils of these primitive birds (non-avian dinosaur) of Cretaceous period are rarely found outside China; therefore it is privilege to see the real specimens in this museum.



Fossils of primitive elephants (left photo below) and primitive rhinoceros (right photo below) are on display at the third floor.



There is a Primitive Man exhibition at the museum ground floor displaying the evolution of man. Probably this is the only place where visitor can see face to face with the Chinese ancestors from few million years ago. Lantian Man (蓝田猿人) (left photo below) lived about 530,000 to 1 million years ago and was much earlier than the famous Peking Man (北京猿人) (right photo below). Peking Man believed to live during the period of about 230,000 years ago and recent scientific studies suggest that modern Chinese are descendents of Peking Man.



Opening hours of this museum is 0900 to 1630 hours. Ticketing stop at 1600 hours and museum is closed on Monday. Admission cost RMB 20 per adult (photo below).

Haiwanju (海碗居)

Located in Ganjiakou Tower (甘家口大厦) in No. 17 Sanlihe Road (三里河路). Sanlihe road is just next to the Paleozoological Museum and it takes about 10 to 15-mins walk to reach this Ganjiakou Tower.

Haiwanju (海碗居) is located on the 5th floor of Ganjiakou Tower (left photo below) at a corner of a food-court. The restaurant is easily identified by its traditional wooden decoration (right photo below).



Furnishing inside the restaurant has this 'Old Beijing' style (left photo below) and even waiters are dressed in traditional clothing. It really gave me a delusion that I was back to the Old Beijing, especially with the constant playing of traditional opera as background music. Ordered a plate of roasted deer meat (鹿肉串) at RMB 11 as a starter (right photo below).



Subsequently I got a bowl of 'Cold Sesame Noodles' (凉麻酱面) at RMB 10 and a can of herbal tea at RMB 7. Including the chopsticks and wet towel at RMB 1, the total cost of this meal was only RMB 29. What caught my attention was the way noodles were served; individual ingredients were put separately into 7 small porcelain plates and waiter would then toss the ingredients into the serving bowl in lightning speed in front of the customers. Click on the following clip I've captured (video below).

After all the ingredients were tossed into the serving bowl (left photo below), I had to pour the sesame sauce into the bowl and mix evenly (right photo below). Taste was refreshing especially in a hot afternoon.



Service provided by the waiters was good; therefore I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who wishes to taste traditional Beijing food or feel what Old Beijing style is.

Summer Palace (颐和园)

Took a taxi to the main entrance of Summer Palace from Ganjiakou Tower which cost RMB 30.

The Summer Palace (颐和园) literally means 'Gardens of Nurtured Harmony'. The originally name of the Palace was Qingyi Yuan (清漪园) (Garden of Clear Ripples) and was first constructed in 1750 by Emperor Qianlong to celebrate his mother's 60th birthday. However it was razed to the ground by the Anglo-French Allied Forces in 1860. The Government of the Qing Dynasty started to rebuild it in 1886 with funds that had misappropriated from the Imperial Navy and other sources. Renamed two years later as Yihe Yuan (颐和园), it served as a summer resort for the Empress Dowager Cixi. Known also as the Summer Palace, it was ravaged again by the Allied Forces of the Eight Powers that invaded China in 1900. The damage was repaired in 1902. Since the founding of the People's Republic, the Summer Palace has undergone several major renovations.

The Summer Palace was listed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998.

The palace includes Longevity Hill (万寿山), Kunming Lake (昆明湖) and Seventeen Hole Bridge (十七孔桥). It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometres where three-quarters of which is water.

East Palace Gate (东宫门)

This gate used to be the formal gate to the Palace (left photo below) and now the main entrance. The plaque on the gate inscribed with the 3 Chinese characters 'Yihe Yuan' (颐和园) was written by Emperor Guangxu which denotes the name of this Summer Palace.

Hall of Benevolence and Longevity (仁寿殿)

This hall was first built in 1750 by Emperor Qianlong and was named as 'Hall of Diligent Government' (勤政殿). But it was burnt in 1860 by the Anglo-French Allied Forces. In 1886, Emperor Guangxu rebuilt the hall and renamed it to 'Hall of Benevolence and Longevity' (仁寿殿). This hall (right photo below) was where Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi handled the state affairs and receiving foreign diplomats during their stay in the Summer Palace. This was also where Emperor Guangxu met Kang Youwei, leader of reformers, in 1898 to discuss Hundred Days' Reform (戊戌变法).



The furnishing inside the Hall basically preserved the decoration during Emperor Guangxu's reign. One piece of furniture worth mentioning is the screen behind the throne (left photo below). This screen was made specially for Empress Dowager Cixi's birthday with 200 different styles of Chinese Character 'Shou' (寿) meaning 'Longevity' inscribed on it. Bronze sculptures of Dragons, Phoenixes, and Qilin (麒麟), decorated the courtyard in front of the 'Hall of Benevolence and Longevity'. Qilin is an imaginative creature formed by Dragon's head, antlers of a deer, skin and scales of a fish, hooves of an ox and tail of a lion (right photo below).

Garden of Virtue and Harmony (德和园)

This garden was built as a theater for the Empress Dowager Cixi. The make-up building (扮戏楼), is a two-storey hall lying north of the theater (left photo below). Actors used to apply their make-up in this building prior their performances. Now this building is used as an exhibition hall to display the various types of transportation used by Empress Dowager Cixi. The sedan chairs (right photo below) were commonly used within the palace complex.



The automobile (left photo below) was believed to be presented to Cixi by Yuan Shikai (袁世凱) and it is the first car that was imported into China. The rickshaw (right photo below) was made in Japan and Cixi had used it on several occasions.



The Grand Stage (大戏楼) began its construction in 1891 and lasted for five years (left photo below). The magnificent three-storey theater stage is the largest and best-preserved wooden stage in China. Props such as a spinning board, windlass and a high-pressure water machine, which makes it possible to enact scenes of gods coming down to earth, apparitions fleeing underground and water spewing forth. There was a musical performance during my visit (right photo below) and the music could even be heard clearly from the opposite building even though there was no speaker.



The 'Yiyue Hall' (颐乐殿) (left photo below) was located opposite the grand stage where Empress Dowager Cixi would sit on the throne (right photo below) to listen to the operas.

Heralding Spring Pavilion (知春亭)

This pavilion (left photo below) was built on the small island in front of the 'Hall of Jade Ripples' and beside Kunming Lake's east bank. It provides the best overall view of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, as well as wonderful views of the scenery from the Jade Spring Hills and the Western Hills.

Wenchang Tower (文昌閣)

Wenchang Tower is the biggest gate fort in the Summer Palace (right photo below). First built in 1750, the tower was burnt down by Anglo-French Allied Forces in 1860 and later rebuilt by Emperor Guangxu.

Wenchang Gallery (文昌院)

The Wenchang Gallery (left photo below) is the largest and most impressive gallery of its kind in any Chinese Classical gardens. The exhibits include objects of everyday life of Qing Dynasty Emperors and Empresses. What impressed me was the calligraphic works written by Empress Dowager Cixi (right photo below); where her seal '慈禧皇太后御笔之宝' was found on top of the characters 'Longevity' (壽) on the left scroll and 'Dragon' (龍) on the right scroll.

Hall of Jade Ripples (玉澜堂)

This was the living quarters for Emperor Guangxu while he was in Summer Palace. Emperor Guangxu used to read submissions on the throne and conduct court affairs in the main hall (left photo below). This hall was furnished with a throne and desk made of red sandalwood inlaid with eaglewood, glass screens decorated with landscape paintings, and fans made of emerald green feathers which all symbolized imperial power.

Yiyun Hall (宜芸馆)

'Yiyun' literally means collection of books and the hall was originally built in 1750 during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. However it was burnt down in 1860 by Anglo-French Allied Forces and rebuilt in 1886 to serve as a residence for the Empress. The interior of the throne room is equally luxurious (right photo below).

Long Corridor (长廊)

The 'Inviting the Moon Gate' (邀月门) (left photo below) marks the beginning of the World's longest corridor of 728-meters with 273 sections. There are 4 pavilions (right photo below) built intermittently along the corridor with beautiful paintings of traditional Chinese stories.



Interestingly the plaque is decorated with images of auspicious animal – bats (left photo below). Like many other buildings in the palace, the corridor was burnt in 1860 and rebuilt during the reign of Emperor Guangxu and repainted with various sceneries of Southern China (right photo below).

Longevity Hill (万寿山)

Emperor Qianlong commissioned work on the imperial gardens on this hill in 1749 and gave Longevity Hill its present-day name in 1752. The hill is about 60-meters high and houses many buildings positioned in sequence (left photo below). The front hill is rich with the splendid halls and pavilions arranged in a central axis. The first building along this axis is this intricate archway (right photo below).

Hall that Dispels the Clouds (排云殿)

The second building behind the archway is the 'Gate that Dispels the Clouds' (排云门) (left photo below) and followed by the 'Hall that Dispels the Clouds' (排云殿) (right photo below). A separate admission fee is required to enter the buildings behind this gate.



The 'Hall that Dispels the Clouds' (排云殿) (left photo below) was reconstructed in 1886 by Emperor Guangxu to celebrate the 70th birthday of Empress Dowager Cixi. Displays inside the hall include some birthday presents offered by Princes, Dukes and other high-ranking officials. The throne (right photo below) in the middle of the hall was where Cixi sat and received the offerings from the Qing court officials.

Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha (佛香阁)

This octahedral tower is a 3-storey wooden building with four-layered eaves at an impressive height of 36-meters. Below the tower is the 20-meters high stone foundation where it can be a challenge to climb up from the 'Hall that Dispels the Clouds'. The 'Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha' (left photo below) houses a statue of thousand-handed Guanshiyin Bodhisattva. This statue (right photo below), cast in bronze and gilded with gold, is 5-meters high and weighs five tonnes. It was made during the reign of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty.



View from the Tower was impressive on a clear day where Beijing's skyline could be seen together with Kunming Lake (昆明湖) (left photo below). Another site in the Summer Palace that could be spotted is the Seventeen-Arch Bridge (十七孔桥) (right photo below). The bridge was built in 1750 and spanning 150-meters over the eastern bank and South Lake Island. It has over 500 stone lions in different poses carved on the posts of the bridge's railings. At the background of the photo (above the skyline) is the China Central Television (CCTV) Tower.

The Bronze Ox (铜牛)

The Bronze Ox was cast in 1756 during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. Crouching on a carved stone base, this bronze ox has a lifelike bearing (left photo below). Inscribed on the back of this ox is an ode of 80 words entitled 'Inscriptions on the Golden Ox' written by Emperor Qianlong himself in a style known as seal characters. This ox is believed to be able to keep the floods down, therefore was positioned to face the lake (right photo below).

Calligraphy of Local Resident

While walking towards the exit, a local Beijing resident was seen practicing his calligraphy using huge brushes and water on the tiles of the walkway (left photo below). It is already difficult to write using both hands at the same time and what impressed me was the characters written were mirror images of each other (right photo below).

Opening hours of the park is 0630 to 1800 hours (Apr to Oct) or 0700 to 1700 hours (Nov to Mar). Opening time of the attraction buildings is 0830 to 1700 hours (Apr to Oct) or 0900 to 1600 hours (Nov to Mar). Adult admission to the park is RMB 30 (Apr to Oct) or RMB 20 (Nov to Mar). Separate admission to attraction buildings varies from RMB 5 to RMB 20. A combined ticket cost RMB 60 (Apr to Oct) or RMB 50 (Nov to Mar) would be a better choice if you intend to spend 2 to 3 hours in the Summer Palace (photo below).

Old Summer Palace (圆明园)

Time was near ticketing closure time (about 1600 hrs) when I stepped out of the Summer Palace, therefore decided to take a taxi to the Old Summer Palace. The ride cost RMB 25. To save time, I even requested the driver to alight me at the Eastern Entry which is nearer to the Xiyang Lou (西洋楼) area instead of the Southern Entry (Main Entrance).

History of Old Summer Palace

The Old Summer Palace was an imperial garden originally made up of 3 gardens, namely Garden of Perfect Brightness (圆明园), Garden of Eternal Spring (长春园) and Elegant Spring Garden (绮春园); together they covered an area of 3.5-square kilometers (5 times the size of Forbidden city). The construction began in 1707 during the reign of Emperor Kangxi and expanded greatly under Emperor Yongzheng and Qianlong. Hundreds of structures such as halls, pavilions, temples, gardens, lakes, etc used to stand on these grounds. Several famous landscapes of southern China were also reproduced in this Imperial Gardens, making it the 'Garden of all Gardens' (万园之园). Not to mention that thousands of priceless masterpieces of Chinese art and antiquities were displayed in the halls, making the Imperial Gardens one of the largest collections in the world.

However, the imperial garden was burnt down by the Anglo-French Allied Forces in Oct 1860 during the Second Opium War, causing a huge damage to the Chinese arts and culture, and leaving a heartbreaking chapter in Chinese history. Before the burning, the British and French looted many priceless treasures from the garden and now these stolen treasures are displayed in foreign museums or in private collections. The contemporary Frenchman, Hugo Victor (author of the famous novel Les Misérables) in Nov 1861 described the looting as "Two robbers breaking into a museum, devastating, looting and burning, leaving laughing hand-in-hand with their bags full of treasures; one of the robbers is called France and the other Britain".

Western Mansions (西洋楼)

Visitors who are unfamiliar with the former layout of the Old Summer Palace are often misled to believe that it consisted primarily of European-style palaces built mainly from stones because they are the only surviving buildings. In fact, these Western Mansions (西洋楼) only occupied a very small area (7 hectares) compared to the overall area where 95% of the Imperial Gardens were made up of Chinese-style buildings. The designers of these European-style structures were Jesuits Giuseppe Castiglione (郎世宁) and Michel Benoist (蔣友仁), both employed by Emperor Qianlong to satisfy his taste for exotic buildings and objects.

Yuanying Guan (远瀛观), Dashuifa waterworks (大水法) and throne of the Guanshuifa (观水法) formed an axis in the center of Xiyang Lou complex. Only a few pillars and columns of Yuanying Guan and Dashuifa waterworks (left photo below) survived from the fire and destruction. Some of the richly-carved masonry work could still be seen from these ruins. The Guanshuifa (right photo below), to the south of the grand fountains served as a throne for the emperor to observe the water displays.



Haiyan Hall (海晏堂), was the largest garden sight in the Xiyang Lou area (left photo below). Built in 1759, it consisted of a two-storey building with a large fountain in front and an I-shaped water reservoir behind it. Using the digital technology, the Haiyan Hall and the fountain was recreated (right photo below). Twelve bronze statues of human bodies and animal heads (of Chinese Zodiac animals) were arranged around the fountain. Each of these animals jetted water at a 2-hour interval and all jetted simultaneously at noon time. Thus, this fountain was also known as a water-clock. The animal heads were looted out of China during the burned down by Anglo-French Allied Forces in 1860. Recently in Feb 2009, two of the animal heads – the rabbit and rat has come into limelight again due to the dramatic auction event held in France.



The reservoir of Haiyantang (left photo below) was an I-shaped building, which used to be Water Tower of the fountains where water-lifting devices were installed at its both ends. The existing high convex terrace was the foundation of the reservoir.

The Fangwai Guan (方外观), was a 2-storey 3-room mansion built in 1759 (right photo below) and was decorated with European-style landscaping paintings. Historical records indicate that Fangwaiguan was later changed into a mosque for Imperial Concubine Rong or better known as 'Fragrant Concubine' (香妃) by Emperor Qianlong. There were two stone tablets inscribed with Muslim teachings.



The Huanghua Zhen (黄花阵) is a maze formed by 1.2-meters high embossed-brick walls covering a rectangular area of 89 by 59-meters, with a total length of 1,600-meters (left photo below). In its center sits a European-style circular pavilion (right photo below). Historical records indicated that on the eve of Mid-Autumn Festival, the Emperor would sit in the pavilion to watch concubines each carrying a lantern competing in a race. The wall and pavilion were restored back to its original shape in 1987 and 1989, respectively. Personally I had the fun of walking through the complicating maze and it took me about 5-mins just to reach the pavilion.

Special Exhibition

There is an exhibition hall located within the Xiyanglou area that described the history of the Old Summer Palace. Models of former Chinese-style buildings are on display (photos below) illustrating the past glory of the palace. Currently there are several plans to rebuild the Imperial Gardens, but these have been opposed by the Chinese government on the grounds that they will destroy an important relic and a ruined site to teach future generations about the consequences of being dominated by foreign powers.

Opening time of the Old Summer Palace is 0700 to 1900 hours (May to Aug) or 0700 to 1830 hrs (Apr, Sep to Oct) or 0700 to 1730 hrs (Jan to Mar & Nov to Dec). Admission cost was RMB 25 (photo below).

Haiding Book City (海定图书城)

Took taxi from the Old Summer Palace to Haiding Book City area, which cost RMB 14.

There are several major bookstores located in this Haiding area, for example the 'China Bookstore' (中国书店) (left photo below) and 'Zhongguancun Book Tower' (中关村图书大厦) (right photo below). These two bookstores are located opposite each other. Wide varieties of books can be found in these bookstores but do note that some of them close rather early at 1800 hours.



Had my dinner at Origus (好伦哥) restaurant (left photo below) located at the basement of Zhongguancun Book Tower. Ordered a set meal that comes with spaghetti, fish fingers and a coke at RMB 19, as well as a fruit salad ordered separately at RMB 16 (right photo below). Taste was average compared to other fast food restaurants.



Took a slow stroll (about 10 to 15-mins walk) along Suzhou Street to the nearest Subway station: Suzhoujie Station (苏州街站) of Subway Line 10 after gotten myself some books and DVDs from the bookstores.