16 July - Beijing, The Summer Palace and Tiananmen Square (China)

The Summer Palace is the largest and most well-preserved royal park in China and greatly influences Chinese horticulture and landscape with its famous natural views and cultural interests.

The construction started in 1750 as a luxurious royal garden for royal families to rest and entertain. It later became the main residence of royal members in the end of the Qing Dynasty (1911). However, like most of the gardens of Beijing, it could not elude the rampages of the Anglo-French Allied Force and was destroyed by fire. The Summer Palace was renamed after its first reconstruction in 1888. In 1924, it was open to the public.

The Summer Palace radiates fully the natural beauty and the grandeur of royal gardens. Composed mainly of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake it occupies an area of 742.8 acres. There are over 3,000 man-made ancient structures including pavilions, towers, bridges, corridors, etc. It can be divided into four parts: the Court Area, Front Hill Area, Rear Hill Area and Lake Area.

Not quite an emperor
                                                                                 

  Views of the Summer Palace

The entrance gate

One of the temple entrances

Freehand painting 'Emily Rose'

                                

The Tiananmen Square

In 1958 a major expansion of Tiananmen Square started, which was completed 1959. This followed the vision of Mao Zedong to make the square the largest and most spectacular in the world, and intended to hold over 500,000 people. In that process, a large number of residential buildings and other structures have been demolished.

The year after Mao's death in 1976, a Mausoleum was built near the site of the former Gate of China, on the main north-south axis of the square. In connection with this project, the square was further increased in size to become fully rectangular and being able to accommodate 600,000 persons.

The Tiananmen Gate to the Forbidden City was built in 1415 and destroyed about 1640. The Tiananmen square was designed and built in 1651 and has since been enlarged four times its original size.

Sunset flag lowering

Birds Eye View of the Square