This will be the last “Beijing” post and will focus on the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven. The Summer Palace was originally commissioned in 1749 but was damaged in two wars. It was rebuilt in 1886 at the direction of Empress Dowager Cixi. She is said to have been one of the most powerful women in Chinese history. She was widowed when she was 26 and her five-year old son was next in line to serve as emperor. …
Our tour group visited Tiananmen Square which means the Gate of Heavenly Peace. Besides being a major tourist attraction, many celebrations and military reviews are held here. This was also the site of the student and worker protests in 1989 which ended with many pro-democracy protesters being killed. The first picture under this paragraph is the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall. Our guide told us that Chairman Mao is revered by the Chinese people and indeed, many Chinese were waiting to…