Shichahai, Beijing
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Sun 13 May 2018 22:57
Shichahai,
Beijing
Shichahai
(meaning the lake of ten temples) dates back to the Jin Dynasty, nowadays it is
an important commercial district and is also a famous scenic spot in Beijing,
near the north-gate of the Beihai Park. The borders of the three lakes are lined
by tall trees, coffee shops, bars and little shops. In the summer the lakes are
covered with boats paddling tourists about, when they are frozen in the winter
many people come to ice-skate. In 1992 the municipal government of
Beijing declared the district an "Historical and Cultural Scenic District". We
began in the skinny streets lined with shops of every
kind from fans, toys, rugs, take-away, even an old post office. Then a bimble
across the Yinding Bridge which is at the junction of Qianhai and Houhai. The
bridge is listed as a cultural relic. Building of the bridge began in the Ming
Dynasty, Yinding means silver ingot. In 1984, the dilapidated bridge was
renovated to white marble, renovated again in 1990 to concrete and marble.
Oxford punting it was not, too many people and too much noise, but for China it
was a pleasant bimble. It was amusing to see the log-jam as boatmen tried to go
under the bridge all-at-once.......but it was sad to see the amount of Styrofoam
and other rubbish at the bottom of the shallow lakes....... We finished out on
the main road and headed back to our digs with very sore
feet.
ALL IN ALL A COLOURFUL, GREAT
PLACE TO BIMBLE
VERY BUSY, ORGANISED TOURIST
AREA |