Dancing with Stone Lions (which I keep mistaking for dragons)

I had my first exam on Friday and boy was it rough. So, needless to say I was in need of a break. As though the universe had heard my prayers, my break came in the form of an outing to the Summer Palace, and it was absolutely magical. I went with Alliance, so all of us in the group spent the day taking pictures in every corridor and under every tree.  
 
The Summer Palace sits alongside Kunming Lake and consists of a plethora of gardens, temples, halls, bridges, and  roofed corridors. For a Chinese tourist attraction, it was rather empty that day and  it felt as though we had the gardens to ourselves.  
Being obsessed with Chinese lion sculptures, I took pictures with every stone lion I saw. I ran up and down corridors taking pictures with every stone sculpture I could find. I also spent the day in dreamland, wondering what it would have been like to be there when the powerful Empress Dowager Cixi ruled the kingdom. ( I want to read this book). 

We took a boat ride across the lake to the Seventeen-Arch Bridge passing the main temple on Longevity hill. After arriving at the other side, we were welcomed by a tiny elderly woman belting out Chinese songs and playing an accordion. 

Longevity Hill

Walking past a row of willow trees, I gravitated towards the most beautiful pagoda I had ever seen (shown down below). At first sight it looked like any other  Chinese pagoda. At a closer look the normally bright red, green, blue, and gold colors were peeling and faded. Granted, I would also have looked that way too if I had been through the Opium War, the Boxer Rebellion and countless other wars and revolts; it's age made it seem all the more wise and alluring. 

 It's as if this pagoda was awaiting my arrival. Although fleeting, as I stood under it's traditional Chinese roof, I felt at peace and as though everything was going to be alright. It helped me appreciate the moment and realize that I have been moving non-stop since I arrived here without taking a breath. This moment made me pause for a fleeting second and appreciate where I was and how lucky I was to be there. 

For most of this trip I have been so intent on doing well that I have been buried in my books and worrying about everything from learning Chinese to where I am going in life. I have not had time to  stop and just appreciate being alive and being able to live my shenghuo in a new place and in a new culture. So thank you Summer Palace for demanding that to take a chill pill and  reminding me to just enjoy the adventure.

Ps: say hi to my new best friend. He was just chilling by one of the pagodas: