Koen and me with our new friends Nicole and Adam

Unfortunately for our last day in Beijing, the weather wasn’t so great. It had cooled off quite a bit and we had rain all morning. That didn’t stop us, though! We still ventured out to the north of the city to the Summer Palace! When we were traveling from Moscow to Siberia, we made new friends who also happened to be ending their trip in Beijing. They had just arrived and were able to meet up our last day!

To quote Lonely Planet:

As mandatory a Běijīng sight as the Great Wall or the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace was the playground for emperors fleeing the suffocating summer torpor of the old imperial city. A marvel of design, the palace – with its huge lake and hilltop views – offers a pastoral escape into the landscapes of traditional Chinese painting. It merits an entire day’s exploration, although a (high-paced) morning or afternoon exploring the temples, gardens, pavilions, bridges and corridors may suffice.

Stone of the God of Longevity

The Make-up Building – we were able to go inside for the art exhibit: Paintings by Zhang Daqian and Pu Xinyu

The Theatre-Box Corridors

The Great Stage

Nicole and Adam

The Great Stage

The Long Corridor

First view of the Tower of Buddhist Incense

Nicole and me with the Tower of Buddhist Incense

Views from up top

Up close at the Tower of Buddhist Incense