Topic: It's Another BigMike's Japanese Vacation! [many pics!]

[zembalayan]

Excellent photos!

[BigMike [OP]]

Along the way we found this inclined chute with some door up above. Perhaps this was a defensive chute, or flood control, or water dump, or.....


Once we got up a bit we came to another huge rocky area. They really love these rocky landscapes apparently

[BigMike [OP]]

In the above picture Misato is smiling

She was smiling because she didn't know about what we had to do next!!

This place opened up and became so vertical that I have spliced images together to get a better sense of the magnitude of this summer palace!!



WOW!!

[BigMike [OP]]

I did actually count the number of steps, the exact number I've since chosen not to remember, but it was around 200. Two hundred doesn't seem like much I suppose, but it was more vertical than normal steps





Many buildings and more rocky cliffs off to the side



...and the view from the top!!



Looking down


WOW were we really just paddle boating so far over there not so long ago?!

[BigMike [OP]]

I'm sure by now you are getting an idea of the polluted air here. It's a real shame because this place is SUPER BEAUTIFUL and if the air was clear it would be beyond INCREDIBLY AMAZING for sure!!

Here are show afar shots my 8x camera was able to pick up

Some tower to the east end of the lake


Full zoom at the city skyline


Zoom back at the arched bridge and whatever is out on that island (we didn't have time to check it out)

[BigMike [OP]]

At the top there was a round temple type room with this humongous Thousand-Hand Buddha. The sign reads:

"Cast in 1574, this statue was originally named the "Statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva". The five-meter high bronze figure was gilded with a head of four tiers each with three faces - a total of twelve faces, and twenty-four arms. The statue sits on a lotus seat of nine layers of 999 petals. Cast with superb workmanship, the grand, solemn statue is of great historic and cultural value."



Please, "No Photographs" I enhanced the shadows & highlights in Photoshop for a better image



I remember the first time I saw a Buddah statue, which was just a few years ago in Japan, being Christian I was really set off emotionally by it. Not that I am judging what other ppl choose to do, but rather internally for myself & my feelings, believing that graven images are forbidden, and of all the stories I've read in the Bible of people making such images in the past, experiencing this first hand for the first time a few years ago was really tough for me.

Yet interestingly, this time I was able to walk around and stare at this sculpture with a clear mind and I was able to think about all the people who must have made the long journey and hike up so many stairs just to worship this image. It was a much different feeling for me this time around. I think that instead of being offended, I was able to think about the lives of other people and it was really something. Maybe I'm just rambling and not making any sense at all, but I must have spent 10 mins just walking around and looking at the time and effort that had gone into this statue, and the meaning that it must have for other people in the world, something I had no care of in experiences past.

[BigMike [OP]]

As mentioned, this temple was round. Here is what was going on out side.

If you haven't become dizzy from the amazing artwork yet...


Allllll the way around the building!





Amazing





So much artwork everywhere

[BigMike [OP]]

Here is a shot looking yet further up the hill where we were not able to go to (off limits?)



And standing as far back as I could, here is looking up at the round temple containing the Buddah guy.
We had seen this from the lake-level much earlier

[BigMike [OP]]

Time to head back down!!

One last shot of the majestic view


I hope we've got good knees LOL



Really cute lil guy



A shot to the side of the stairs



Got a lot more to go!

[BigMike [OP]]

And more! Here is looking back up





Misato having a grand time!



CrAzY!! This is not a trick photo! Stairs going down and up together combined with detailed artwork and paint -- it was incredible!

[BigMike [OP]]

.....and eventually we made it back to the Gate of Dispelling Clouds



A cool lion I couldn't take a pic of earlier (it was too crowded), finally got a nice pic of it on our way out



And we were finally back out at the lake!! Here is a shot looking back at it all



Then we needed to walk back down the super long corridor, through all the buildings, past the lake and all the way back to the entrance!

[BigMike [OP]]

On our way back out, passing through the long corridor was crowded as before...



Off to the side of the corridor, there was this moat. The excess build-up of algae proves the Summer Palace has a pretty serious phosphate problem!!



Back at all the buildings, the guided tours were at it in numbers



Really cool pebble rock designs carving the paths



There were little museums everywhere (we didn't have any time to check them out)



Neat alley ways

[BigMike [OP]]

The detail was so vast that they even had random flower bricks strewn about the walls



Here was another temple we really wanted to see, which I think was the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, but there were closing the door right as we got there.

There is SO MUCH TO SEE -- as with the Forbidden City -- you really need an entire day or at least two days to really take it all in.

Another thing to note, is that the paint here was much more faded than that of the more popular destinations in the palace. They must be constantly applying new coats to keep the place looking sharp. What an ordeal!



Finally got to check out another Chinese urinal.



That is good advice!

[BigMike [OP]]

The last view of these buildings we had been walking through for a while



Finally back into open spaces, a bit of a rest was much appreciated!



There was a team of motor boats at work clearing the lake of straggler paddle boats. It was pretty funny!! If only I had a jet ski out here, I could have made a killing!



Here is a north-east view towards that tower...



...and a north view back at the Hall of Dispelling Clouds. The air quality here is awful!

[BigMike [OP]]

The final drop-off of tourists boated over to the dock near the entrance. Also, check out the kite, we saw a lot of flying kites in China! I was jealous



They had a bunch of these solar powered bug zappers! Pretty cool stuff



And lastly, right before we left the palace, we found this sign. I guess it was too crowded on our way in; I don't know how I could have missed this one! LOL I think passing gas is the only forbidden act missing hahahaha



And that was our visit to the Summer Palace! WOW what an amazing and very beautiful place!! As I often do, thinking back 3 or 4 centuries ago, WOW with perfect crystal clear air MAN that must have been INCREDIBLE!!

[twistedtoy92]

WOW! That looks like an amazing place to visit! You and your wife must have had an incredible time! All the little details in the art work must have taken some true patience and a lot of time....

[fordh8r]

I think passing gas is the only forbidden act missing hahahaha

  Second row down, last to the right....or....third row down, first on left I believe covers that! They were just being nice about it in iconic fashion. 


Nice pics BTW! 

[BigMike [OP]]

[CrawlerChick]

I miss the crazy Engrish signs.

[Shamb]

So did you put it in low/low 1st to get up those stairs/walkways?   

[79coyotefrg]

what the??   

[BigMike [OP]]

So did you put it in low/low 1st to get up those stairs/walkways?   

I had a single 4.70 engaged but Misato was in triple Overkill Ultimate

[CrawlerChick]

I had a single 4.70 engaged but Misato was in triple Overkill Ultimate

Bwahahahahahah