We departed in some trepidation for a day out at the Summer Palace, or Ye he yuan (literally Enjoy Peaceful Park). It gets very crowded on the best of days but a sunny Sunday in August is asking for trouble. A helpful notice outside indicated that it expected 35,000 people today and the first tight 200m or so was tortuous. But it broadened out into an esplanade with the beautiful Kunming Lake on one side and Longevity Hill on the other - both man-made. In fact the earth & rocks taken out to create the lake made the hill. It dates back to 1750, was ransacked twice by western forces in 1860 and 1900, rebuilt by the Empress Dowager Cixi and is now UNESCO-listed. The temples and halls etc were gorgeous, but what really made it for us was the long walk around the west side of the lake, along a broad willow-lined path and over exquisitely arched bridges. One to take visitors to...
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