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| Beijing, China - Great Wall of China - Summer Palace - #1.) Classic photo of Chinese dragon boats reflecting on Lake Kunming, at the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace was built in 1153 AD, and reconstructed by the Empress Dowager Cixi in 1888. Dragon boats are long, narrow, highly decorative, Chinese racing boats. They are traditionally used in dragon boat races, which are held during the Dragon Boat Festival. This festival is held every year to honor the life of Qu Yuan, a patriotic Chinese poet from central China. He lived from 340 BC - 278 BC. #2.) Image of Great Wall climbers taken December 2005. Travelers from around the world come to different parts of the Great Wall to walk and in some cases climb the steep mountainous sections. The Chinese started building the Great Wall of China in the 5th century BC to protect the Chinese Empire's northern border from tribes invading from what is now Mongolia. The construction of the wall started during the Ming Dynasty, under the rule of the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. The Great Wall of China was completed during the 16th century. #3.) A digital photo of snow sweepers on the grounds of the Summer Palace in Beijing, China. The Summer Palace, or Yiheyuan, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It sits on Longevity Hill and rests next to Lake Kunming. #4. - #5.) A classic photo of Lake Kunming frozen in winter, December 2005. Kunming Lake is a 2.2 square mile man made lake. The excavated dirt was used to make the 60 meter high Longevity Hill. |