The Summer Palace

Here's a Phoenix at the entrance to the Summer Palace. The name for this palace in Chinese translates to the "Gardens of Nurtured Harmony". Doesn't that sound more poetic?



This is a huge park with classical Chinese gardens and buildings, all surrounding a vast lake. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The emperors each made their own improvements to it through the ages.




What surprised us the most were the doting Chinese. Mia and Rhett were treated like superstars. Many of the Chinese visitors to the palace had come from small, faraway towns. Most had never seen a Caucasian person in real life. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, wanted a picture with the white kids. It was strange to have complete strangers come up to your kids and pick them up for a photo.



Rhett was so happy to make new friends.



As was Mia.



Here is the controversial "marble boat", which was built while the Empress Dowager Cixi was reigning. She diverted millions of dollars that were originally designated for the Chinese navy, into the reconstruction and enlargement of the Summer Palace (including this marble boat). It was said that the navy would have preferred real boats as opposed to this marble one.



This is one of the hundreds of Buddhas on the walls of the temple on top of Longevity Hill.



Rhett with Longevity Hill and Temple behind him.



Our favorite part was taking a paddle boat out on Kunming Lake.



Mia and Rhett were so pleased that they could paddle the boat by themselves.




Another great day in Beijing.