Tran's Final Day in Beijing
8/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
My last day in China, what a bummer. But being the super tourists that we are, the Tran family made the most of it! We woke up with the dawn to make it out to the Summer Palace, the vacation home of the Emperors. The massive complex is composed mostly of gardens and trees and a huge lake in the center and I think it is my favorite place that I have been to in Beijing. The scenery is amazing, the atmosphere calming and reflective and the buildings noble and stately. We hiked to the top of what seemed like a mountain, climbing up and over stone steps about two feet apart through pathways that appeared out of the rock. There were ponds filled with the biggest lotus plants that I have ever seen and ancient trees growing so large and at unusual angles that they had to be propped up. We climbed the 283 steps to the Temple of Buddha's Incense to admire the spectacular view of the lake and surroundings below. We were fortunate to have the clearest day of weather, with actual blue skies and a cool breeze; it was perfect. I have decided that I could definitely spend my summers at the Summer Palace, surrounded by the serenity of the parks and century old structures. After checking out the concrete boat (it does float, but cannot sail anywhere), we left the Palace to stop by the Drum and Bell Towers.
Unfortunately, both of these Towers were temporarily closed, but in ancient times the Drum Tower was used to signal the time and the bells of the Bell Tower rang to tell the city dwellers that the city gates were closing for the night. They are beautiful structures, surrounded by a cute area full of shops and parks. We checked out a china museum and store, fascinated by the hand made, hand painted creations of the highest quality, and couldn't resist making a few purchases.
By that time, we were all ready to head back to the hotel for a little down time. As I packed my suitcases and got myself ready to head to the airport, I felt like this trip had gone by way too fast. I am so proud of my sister for reaching this pinnacle of athletic performance and so grateful for this opportunity to visit one of the most ancient and historic cities for such a prestigious event. As I leave China, I will be looking forward to another chance to return and experience this amazing city again. I wish all the best to the U.S. team-- I will definitely be waking up in the early mornings to watch the games live!
