Summer Palace

Turns out, SYA China has a schedule with half-days on Wednesdays.  It was a beautiful day, and clear skies as you can see, the temperature was in the 70's with no humidity, so I headed to the Summer Palace, which is quite easy to reach by Subway.  Here at the North Entrance, you enter with a climb up Longevity Hill.

At the highest point, I believe The Hall of Buddhist Tenets

Can there be a more "Chinese" picture?  A pagoda in the far off distance!

Overlooking Kunming Lake.  And you can see Beijing has developed right up to the edge of the Summer Palace complex.

In the distance, South Lake Island

An entire boat made of marble.

The Qilin, a mythical creature that is a good omen because it signals the passing or arrival of a wise sage or leader.

The temple of Buddhist Virture

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National Library of China

Turns out, I live about a half hour bike ride away from the National Library of China

This building is the newly renovated North Building.  The Southern Building is currently under renovation

My friend Frank (who I met at the Beijing LGBT center) and I met here and are doing a language exchange.  He speaks English and I have to read Chinese.

Here's the main reading room.  It's all technologically advanced as you might imagine a modern library to be.

Umm, I wonder why the Japanese get their OWN reading room.  Is that an historic legacy?

Books published before 2011 are housed in the South Building are available through a book request system.

Next time I'll bring my passport and get my own National Library of China reader's card.  I won't be able to check out books, but I can request a book and get into the stacks.