Daily Life in China                  

Qing Summer Retreat:

The retreat is to get away from the heat of Beijing. The main part of the retreat the centeral complex of connected simple one story buildings. 

Guards napping on the Emperors throne.

There are many building of this style, long and thin and currently hold exibits.

There are many of this is style, all painted red.

Most are not painted and very simple like this one.  Most of them you cannot enter so just peak in from the main door so very crowded, poor lighting and not the place to be at peak tourist season.

This one was just getting finished so no exibit. Nice simple style, very clean.  It's like a classic summer retreat at a remote lakefront camp in Maine. 

Very simple summer throne.

One of the Emperors was noted for his calibraphy and his work is all over the grounds.

Royal Bedroom.

Early cannon.

Given the grounds and other buildings the chair and tables seem a bit western and out of place.

The park is vast and there are buildings scattered all over the park for various purposes, i.e. the Emperors pleasure.

This is all that's left of a hill top building destroyed many years ago and on the restoration list.  The hill has a fine view and judging by the size of the supports had fine building here at one time.  It's quite a ways up a large hill and has the best breeze in the park.

Looking back to the city of Hebei, Changde.  The park is walled in with something like a mini-great wall.  The view to the city is to the east. To the north and west the park is about 5 times the distance here so quite large.  One section is landscaped like a mini-grasslands where the Emperor could hunt and ride his horses and feel at home (Mongolia). 

One of the many outbuildings.  I could only get pictures of a few because of the hoards of people.  This pagota was closed to the public for restoration but open to people who snee around the back.