Where Empress Cixi celebrated her birthday

Guest Entry: Ms. Kristin Loomis, B.S.

Warren says we’re here to spend our time blogging, not to do science—so I’m going to write about our trip to the Summer Palace.  Despite a seriously ominous weather forecast and sky…we traveled the 2 metro stops to see the site where imperial royalty spent their summers -- a favorite place for Empress Cixi to spend her birthdays (btw, it seems like Empress Cixi's birthdays were a big deal-- so many placards say 'Empress Cixi spent her birthday here').  Summer palace is beautiful! It has a big lake where you can go boating and lovely gardens--lots of bonsai trees and rock statues, and other greenery—it’s a great escape from the city.

We hiked (saying bu yao –‘don’t want’—to hawkers along the way) to the top of Longevity Hill. Whenever I say something Chinese (which isn't too often-- Warren is much more proficient), people seem to give me a bemusedly amused stare. I'm not sure if my pronunciation is way off, or they just think it’s unusual for an American to reply in Chinese…but I’m enjoying the reactions to my broken phrases.  I had to get a popsicle once we were atop the hill. Popsicles are ubiquitous here, so refreshing, and only cost about 16 cents.  Let’s hope Warren never reveals how many of them I seem to be having a day... The cheapest and most common flavor tastes like frozen sugar water with a hint of bubblegum. Delicious. (Also available is red bean flavored, which is not my favorite). 

Along longevity hill are a few temples—Cloud-Dispelling Hall, the Temple of Buddhist Virtue, and the Sea of Wisdom Temple.  The Anglo-French forces looted and destroyed a lot of the buildings during the second Opium war and the Boxer rebellion, so most of the buildings were rebuilt when China was preparing for the Olympics. It’s kind of funny touring when everything seems so new and vibrant—but perhaps that makes it easier to imagine how things were in the 1800s.  Warren and I ambled around enjoying the scenery—happy that the day was kind of misty because we're sure it discouraged the crowds.

After a little bit of effort to find the closest metro stop…we headed back to campus for a late dinner.  We just made it in time to get some microwaved leftovers (meals are definitely taken a little bit earlier here than in the U.S.). I had some fungus (I think?) and tofu and Warren had some eggplant and peppers.








Think I’ve done enough blogging for now-- time to get back to science!