Travel Haiku - The Summer Palace, Beijing Poem by john tiong chunghoo

Serene Summer Palace
the only thing missing
dowager's voice

Serene Summer Palace
step by step the girl tries
to walk like a dowager

Serene Summer Palace
amid the loud laughter
a girl walks like a dowager

TANKA
-
Summer Palace
war time, peace time
the same serene lake
nonchalant as Dowager on
matters of State

With its serene lakeside setting and tranquil atmosphere, the Summer Palace sits apart from Beijing's more crowded imperial sites. The infamous Empress Dowager Cixi ruled from this summer getaway between 1903 and 1908, and during this time, the palace was destroyed and rebuilt twice, first in the Second Opium War and then in the Boxer Rebellion. Although tours are offered, you won't need a guide to picnic on the southern shore of Kunming Lake, to appreciate the Empress's extravagant marble boat, or to snap a perfect photo of the elegant Seventeen Arch Bridge.