Thursday, 30 July

Today was a day without a planned program. We decided to visit the Jingshan Park. Close to our hotel and in the past a part of the Forbidden City.
After the breakfast we visit first the roof from the hotel to see the temple from the Jingshan Park. It was a five minutes walk to the main entrance from the park.
We were amazed about the beauty of this park. By the entrance already a lot of flowers and beautiful plants.
The park is dated from the late Mind- dynasty period. Here was the last Emperor hanging him self. After that was there no Emperor and government more. The people were lost and in the North of China was no food anymore. They started to live as cannibals. It was a disaster for the country. Local politics started with very high taxes what mades the people more lost. There was a lot robbery, it was a very bad time.

The reason that he was hanging himself was a attack from the army of Li Zicheng, big 400.000 soldiers. When the Emperor noticed that he had no chance against that army, was he going to the feet of the Jingshan Hill and hanged himself. That was in 1644.

The hill is an artificial hill, made from rocks from everywhere in China. On the top is a temple with a Buddha who is looking over the whole Forbidden City.
We were climbing to the top of the hill, a good start from the day. The weather was bad. Cloudy, fog and rain. We used our umbrella's regular.
The view was nice from the top, but the weather...... We made a nice walk through the park and we met a lot of people who were dancing or making old Chinese music.

We had lunch in our "canteen" a small restaurant near the Hotel. We took today, because it was raining, a bottle of wine, Chinese wine. (You must always find a good reason)

In the afternoon were we visiting Beihai Park. Again a beautiful Park with a lake en several small temples and a lot of recreation boats. We walked there around the lake. Also here several people were dancing. The nature in this Park was very beautiful, the main flower is the Lotus. In the lake are a lot flowers, we don't know the name, but it is family from the lotus, only very big. The leaves have a diametre de 50 cm and the flowers are also big.

We had a real Park day to day. Nice, but we walked a lot. Totaly about 18 km.

Tomorrow our last day here in Beijing. We have the plan to visit the Square Tian'anmen again.