Guests of the Empress Cixi

                   

We did not have lot of time in China and had to "watch quickly."For the Summer Palace we had only one day. Fast bus took us out of the city, where on the Longevity Hill, built with the soil of the great artificial lake rises the Summer Palace.



 

Yes, we went at Empress Cixi’s Summer Palace, but only outside.  Of course, there are a lot of things to explore in the gardens, but still, it reminds me of the expression-to lick the honey in a jar. There are other shrines of the history and art of this land and in many of them we've cruised with delighted eyes, but the Chinese have their reasons to keep visitors out of the Emperor's Chamber.
Empress Cixi was one of China's most powerful women, but  with her politics she paved the end of the imperial era. She dide  1908.

We saw from far away the beautiful central pagoda - Tower of Fragrance of the Buddha and veiled in the trees of a vast park, the roofs of neighboring Temple of Sea of Wisdom. Large blue and calm lake couth immediately our eyes.
 In the 19th century the beauty-empress Cixi– spent the entire State budget to rework this 290 hektares park. Smart woman, from the wars benefit no, and she left for posterity a wealth and not only that, but the legend of her undying youth.

 Local people explain it with the mineral composition of the Lake, which is created until now from the springs of the artificial Longevity Hill. Cixi drank only from this water and she bathes in it. She used to eat vegetables and fruits from gardens, watered from the lake. Most interesting — clams which are bred in the lake and up to now are useful not only for meat, but also with their pearls. Cixi used the big  for jewels and small, for powder and face cream for her unusually nice skin.

The Empress left for posterity one exotic, two story marble boat, which until now is moorage on the shore of the Lake. Some people don't tolerate swimming with ships and yachts and if they love to be surrounded by water,they

can order something more stable which is not swaying in the water. So she did, and the result pleases Cixi eyes and the generations to this day. Although it is surrounded by smaller always genuine, very colorful yachts of the same style,  but this white beauty  grabed visitor's attention for long.

 To all beauties of the Summer Palace must be added and the magnificent marble bridge, which leads to a small island. For the Chinese the number 8 is lucky (not coincidentally the beginning of Olympic Games is chosen date 08.8.08), so the order was this bridge has 8 sticks. At this length the only solution was to make twice the 8 sticks and halfway to contact another higher vaulting.

The explanation of the builders satisfied everyone, because very often it is not so important what you do, but how would it be presented. So shining bridge was admitted with satisfaction in the marble collection at the Summer Palace. It is no wonder that Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Paradise Temple and several very rich architectural complexes, built in China many centuries ago are under the wing of UNESCO.

               I passed the Promenade, long covered coredor, built from wood. The ceilings and the bims were decorated with 14,000 beautiful scenic paintings  that you can't tear your eyes from the colors of the everything

 

 

 All of this is open about the conditions of the harsh winters and hot summers. I don't know when it was restored, but shines of freshness at the moment. I don't believe any visitor to go without shooting 2-3 times around the picturesque promenade. During the hot summer days, rainy spring and the snow of winter, it was the only place for walks and social contact  for Cixi and her entourage.

Now a day, instead of walking out we do realize our contacts with people with newer generations of computers and phones, sitting pale, fat and immobile all day in front of them and watch what was in the other more benevolent times.

 Returning from the Palace, we’ve visited a representative enterprise for jewelry with pearls and other semi-precious stones. Naturally, despite the "representative" prices, the Chinese are good marketers on our way out each equip himself with some souvenir. Someone both a box of "the cream" of Empress Cixi. I dare not try it. I didn't want to start my live all over again ...In addition, I like to look through the glass of the jar the brilliance of the small, nicely arranged pearls in slender rows. The manual says that you have to push with your fingers the soft pearls and smear  the soft mash onto your face.

I have no words to describe the wealth of exhibits in the great halls of the company for the production of the most diverse pieces from porcelain, gade, mother perl, mahogany, gold ,silver and copper. Stunning! In shop windows, on the tables, on the floor, large and small, white, green, red and black — any. Cabbage and apples figurines are a priority, they have magical power. Follow the statuettes of dragons, lions, monkeys and the rest of the Animal Kingdom. Everything is carved perfectly complying with the color of the material.

   The choice is very difficult, because after the beauty comes the price and weight, for buyers overseas.

That day was extremely heavy, after the factory we drove the adjacent new area to see the modern constructions.

After the brief tour, hastily moved us into the subway system, where our guide was waiting for us to lead us to the skit. The truth we were not very sure what lurked behind the name "Chinese ballet" and with little concern preparing for it.

Waited us another pleasant surprise from bright horeography and scenography of contemporary ballet with very good dancers, great combined laser lighting effects and modern music. It's a small world, something similar, albeit much richer we saw in Seattle - Circus du Solei and  in New York- Lion the King.  Unfortunately the show wasn't very long, or so my build, when the curtain fell.

Anyone else would have given us our allocated money for taxi and go, but our attendant was in the lobby two hours chipping just to prove this five minute attention to lead us in worship of the lounge with the known Eastern delicacy and attention to the charges and wished us a good night. Well, what to say, to learn?

Of all the Chinese people the most happy are the people that Mao's so-called "spiritual pollution"...In recent times, many of those who have emigrated are coming back, because finally, in China there is a place for modern art. I read about a great American artist of the contemporary music of Chinese origin Kaizer Kuo, who returned from New York in Beijing and became a luminary.  He said that to live in the capital city is terrible, but he wouldn't want to be any other place on the planet, because here you get addicted to the speed of changes and excitement. Now here is the place for experiments in art, which develops with the booming economy.