Cast your minds back to China again for installment no.2 from Beijing. This time, a little dose of traditional Qing dynasty Chinese architecture (who said style was just about fashion anyway?) in the shape of another of the capital's famous landmarks, The Summer Palace.
Commissioned in 1750 by Emperor Qianlong as a birthday gift for his mother, the Summer Palace is apparently the largest Imperial garden in the world, and it really is a beautiful place to while away a summers day. I was lucky enough to visit in the month of September, the period of tiāngāo qìshuǎng which literally translates as when 'the sky is high and the air is fresh'. In the images above you can see the main complex of the Palace of the Parting Clouds (Pai Yun Dian) and the faux marble Qing Yan Fǎng or Boat of Purity and Ease. You've probably noticed by now that the Chinese will never 'call a spade a spade', as my mother would say. Buildings and structures all follow the philosophies of Taoism which promotes the concepts of symmetry and harmony. Each structure is built and named with symbolic accordance, meaning you get a lot of, well, identical buildings. Not so much fun after your fifteenth temple complex...
These Chinese characters look like paint, right? Wrong. Walking around the outskirts of Kunming Lake, I stumbled upon a man writing these rows of characters simultaneously, giant calligraphy brushes on long sticks, one in each hand. Now that's talent.
One of my favorite spots within the complex, the Garden of Harmonious Interests
(Xie Qu Yuan, above) is evidently a place of peace and tranquility (go Taoism! It
appears to be working). Thanks to the amazing climate and clear blue
skies this time of year, China is a photographers dream. Look at how
perfectly the pavilions are reflected in the clear, untouched lotus pond. Below you can see some of the intricate detailing painted across the ceilings and arches of the Xing Qiao Bridge , as well as some of the small boats ferrying visitors across Kunming lake, bathed in late afternoon sunlight.
The Tower of Buddhist Incense, the tallest building atop of Longevity Hill (below) is probably one of the best viewpoint's i found in Beijing.
From it you can see the entire landscape of the Summer Palace and the
contrasting tower blocks and skyscrapers of modern Beijing beyond. Perfect!
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One of my favorite spots within the complex, the Garden of Harmonious Interests
(Xie Qu Yuan, above) is evidently a place of peace and tranquility (go Taoism! It
appears to be working). Thanks to the amazing climate and clear blue
skies this time of year, China is a photographers dream. Look at how
perfectly the pavilions are reflected in the clear, untouched lotus pond. Below you can see some of the intricate detailing painted across the ceilings and arches of the Xing Qiao Bridge , as well as some of the small boats ferrying visitors across Kunming lake, bathed in late afternoon sunlight. 
Whilst combing the shelves of an English language bookstore in Vientiane, Laos, a few weeks ago, my eyes were immediately drawn to the colourific, tribal-centric December issue of Australian Vogue. On its cover, the beautiful Isabel Lucas festooned with brightly beaded tribal inspired jewellery, her head overtyped with a somewhat unusually ethnic-patterned 'VOGUE'. Evidently, I snapped it up and being pleasantly surprised by the plethora of sunshine ready apparel and summery shades (reminding me that yes, back home you are all suffering through -2°C while, thankfully, the rest of the world is not), I have promised myself that from now on I shall endeavor to purchase an Australian Vogue through the bleak and dreary English winters. 
So the time has finally come to leave Nepal. Tomorrow I will be flying off to China! For the next two months I shall be making my way down and across the country starting, naturally, with the big red capital of Beijing. I will, obviously, be blogging my ethnically and culturally charged discoveries once again so make sure you stay tuned for the latest! For now, as a final goodbye from Nepal, I'd like to leave you with some of my finds from today's visit to Swayambhunath, a Buddhist temple complex that towers over the city of Kathmandu. See you on the other side! 
