Forbidden City - Summer Palace

Less than 10mi (16km) from Beijing's city centre is the Summer Palace, a vast imperial garden known as "Yiheyuan" in Chinese. A UNESCO-listed site, it is the most well-preserved imperial garden in the country.

The Summer Palace's origins trace back to the Jin Dynasty in 1153 when the emperor at the time relocated his capital to Beijing and built a palace in the Fragrant Hills, west of the Summer Palace. A century later, water was redirected from a spring to create a reservoir and ensure a consistent water supply to the palace. It would later become Kunming Lake, the central lake at the Summer Palace.

Fast-forward another two centuries to the Ming dynasty, when the Honghzhi Emperor built Yuanjin Temple in 1494 for his wet nurse in front of Jar Hill, later renamed Longevity Hill. The temple was eventually abandoned, and the surrounding hill grew lush with vegetation. Hongzhzi's successor cleared the hill, built himself a palace and established an imperial garden.

The Qing dynasty succeeded the Mings, and it was during this era that the Summer Palace really took shape. The Qianlong Emperor built many imperial gardens, and water consumption grew substantially. He decided to expand Kunming Lake and use the excavated soil to enlarge Longevity Hill, on which he built the Summer Palace (c. 1749) as a gift for his mother's 60th birthday.

The design of the Summer Palace was influenced by many architectural features from around the country and also by Chinese mythology, such as the three islands in Kunming Lake symbolising the legendary East Sea mountains and the Phoenix Pier representing Lake Tai, a large freshwater lake in the Yangtze Delta. However, as the Qing Empire declined, the palace was neglected and fell into disrepair. In 1860, at the end of the Anglo-Sino War, the palace was looted and subsequently burned down. It was reconstructed by Empress Dowager Cixi between 1884-95 as her retirement palace. Damaged again in 1900 and repaired, the Summer Palace opened to the public in 1914.

The expansive grounds are adorned with pavilions, halls and manicured gardens. The Seventeen-Arch Bridge is one of 30 bridges in the palace and, as the name suggests, features 17 arches. At 492ft (150m), it is the longest bridge on the grounds, connecting the eastern shore with one of the islands. Its beautiful upward-curved line gives it a sense of grandeur and aesthetic quality.
 

Another magnificent feature is the Long Gallery, a 2,300ft (728m) covered corridor running east to west, linking several attractions at the foot of Longevity Hill. It provided the Qing Dowagers a place to promenade regardless of weather conditions, with pleasant views of Kunming Lake and the gardens. Four octagonal pavilions with double eaves, representing the four seasons, mark the ends of the gallery (two on each side). The most remarkable elements of the corridor are the 14,000 paintings adorned on every beam, cross-member and ceiling, featuring flora, fauna, buildings, and landscapes, along with folk tales, Chinese literature and legendary figures.

There are so many beautiful features of the Summer Palace that it would take another letter to list them all. Instead, I will walk up to the Tower of Buddhist Incense to see the 16ft (5m) tall and 5-ton gilded statue of the 1000-handed Kwan-yin Buddha from the Ming era and take in the panoramic views of the lake and beyond.


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Forbidden City - Ming Dynasty Tombs

It's easy to become overwhelmed by the size of Beijing. First of all, it is a sprawling megacity with a population exceeding 20 million. Second, navigating it can be daunting for the uninitiated like me. But here I am, undeterred by the city's vastness and determined to discover its many wonders, none more stark than the juxtaposition of its modern skyscrapers towering over ancient sites.

Beijing is a very old city, more than 3000 years old, and it is widely believed to be one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The earliest record is from its pre-imperial era when the ancient states of Ji and Yan established the City of Ji as the region's capital during the Warring States period (475-221 BC). This marked the city's beginnings.

Throughout China's history, Beijing served as a capital during different periods. Kublai Khan's establishment of Dadu (one of its earlier names) as the capital during the Yuan dynasty (1270-1368) denoted the first time all of China was ruled from Beijing. Since 1279, except for two intervals, Beijing has continuously remained China's capital, with its longest uninterrupted period spanning from 1421 during the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1912.

Encompassing several centuries, Beijing has evolved into a cultural treasure trove featuring many museums, iconic landmarks, and traditional performing arts such as the Peking Opera and Chinese acrobatics. Of particular note is Beijing's distinction for being the first city in the world to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

Beijing's cultural landscape is so incredibly rich and varied that it boasts seven World Heritage Sites, of which I plan to visit four: the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven and the Ming Tombs.

To begin my journey, I ventured beyond the city's centre to the foothills of Tianshou Mountain. Here, nestled in a carefully chosen landscape, lies the Ming Tombs, a complex of traditional buildings that serve as the final resting place for 13 of the 16 Ming Dynasty emperors. The remaining three found their resting place elsewhere; one vanished without a trace.

Among the tombs, the first to stand was Changling (“Forever Tomb”). It was constructed in 1409 by Zhu Di, Yongle Emperor, the third emperor of the Ming dynasty. As the oldest and largest in the complex, Changling set the tone for the others that followed, each varying in size. Dingling Tomb is the only one excavated with its burial chamber open to visitors.

Zhu Di's choice for this location was strategic. He wanted a place to construct a grand mausoleum befitting an emperor's palace in the afterlife. He adhered to Feng Shui principles, setting the complex in a serene valley surrounded by mountains near a flowing river. It also harmonised with Taoist ideals of unity between nature and humankind. Subsequently, it became the designated imperial mausoleum complex, witnessing the construction of tombs for the twelve succeeding Ming emperors over the next 230 years.

The entrance to the complex is via the imposing Great Red Gate. Painted red, the gate has three grand arches. During the Ming era, the gates were sealed, and guards posted, restricting access to the general public. Even emperors followed certain protocols when entering these sacred grounds.

Once inside the "Sacred Way", a path lined with statues of animals and officials leads to Changling Tomb and the grounds beyond. Taking my time to stroll through here, I enjoy the quietness and solitude and wonder how many Ming emperors were directly involved in constructing the famous Great Wall of China, just north of the Ming Tombs.


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South Downs Way - Eastbourne

I left Alfriston and started the final stage of my journey. I walked for about a mile (1.6km) beside Cuckmere River to the quiet village of Litlington. Pretty cottages and cottage gardens lined the narrow streets. A little out of town up on Hindover Hill was the Litlington White Horse, a chalk horse figure cut into the hillside in 1924. Cared for by the National Trust and regularly maintained with volunteers’ help, the horse measures 93ft (28m) long and 65ft (20m) high. An earlier cut from the 19th century existed on the same site, believed to have been done to commemorate Queen Victoria. The cut was fully covered by the early 1900s due to a lack of maintenance.

Southbound, I veered away from the river onto the clifftop to enjoy the lovely views of Cuckmere Haven. But as I inched towards the clifftop edge, I was met with the most beautiful sight - the chalky sea cliffs that this region is resoundingly known for. Referred to as the Seven Sisters, these series of cliffs on the English Channel coast are sea-eroded sections of the South Downs hills, and the dips in between are remnants of dry valleys. Each crest and dip has been individually named by locals. An eighth cliff is being created as a result of sea erosion.

The English Channel is the busiest shipping channel in the world, with shipwrecks across the centuries in the thousands. However, the most intriguing project I discovered was by the Maritime Archaeology Trust. Since 2019, the Trust has been researching and documenting the shipwrecks from World War I. They have mapped over 1,000 sunken ships off the English Channel coast. Many of them are fragile and extensively deteriorated. The Trust’s aim is to turn attention to these lesser-known wrecks and tell their story before they disappear.

One such story is of the wrecks HMS Nubian and HMS Zulu. Nubian was struck by a torpedo, blowing off its front section, but the rear remained afloat. On the other hand, Zulu had its rear blown off by a mine. Both were towed to the Chatham dockyard, where the two ships were joined together to make an entirely new one. With the names also joined, the new ship was launched as HMS Zubian.

Following the coastline, I climbed to Beachy Head, where the lonely red and white striped lighthouse stood in the shallow water below. The builders and construction materials had to be lowered from the clifftop by cableway to build the lighthouse. Erected in 1902, today, it is a popular visitor location and a terrific subject for keen photographers.

Arriving in Eastbourne, the east end of the South Downs Way, I was pleased to complete my walk in this seaside resort town. The shoreline was a beautiful mix of Victorian hotels, townhouses, and military fort. A 19th century pier was lined with entertainment venues and tea rooms. The pristine beach was a little chilly but a wonderful place to conclude my trip.

Cheerio.



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South Downs Way - Alfriston

Having left Pyecombe, I turned right at the golf club and a short way down, facing north, I could make out one of the Clayton Windmills. Both from the 19th century, they are affectionately known as Jack and Jill. Relocated from Brighton, Jill is a working mill with a double-storey roundhouse, whereas Jack is a five-storey tower mill that was converted into a private residence.

I crossed into East Sussex county a mile (1.6km) before Ditchling Beacon. The Beacon is the highest point on the Way in Sussex and is owned by the National Trust. As is the Blackcap Nature Preserve, where I took a sharp right turn and walked through fields and woods to the A27 highway.

Crossing the highway on an overhead bridge, I soon passed beneath a railway via an arched tunnel that opened to a wide grassy valley. Before my 80th mile (129km), I happened upon a wooden fingerpost marking the Meridian Line, demarcating the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Not far from here is the village of Rodmell, where Monk’s House, a 16th century weatherboard cottage, is known to have been the home of renowned author Virginia Woolf.

Swinging right, I walked through Southease and over River Ouse, one of five rivers in the UK with the same name. The name Ouse is derived from the Celtic word for water, making the literal translation as River Water. The Ouse in Sussex, with all its tributaries, runs over 140mi (225km) long and flows into the English Channel.

The trail traversed Ouse Valley, dotted with farms, woodland, and colourful wildflowers spread across the landscape. North of Firle Beacon is Charleston House, where Vanessa Bell, Virginia Woolf’s sister, resided and worked as a painter. It was here, along with Monk’s House, that the Bloomsbury Group - made up of artists, writers, and intellectuals - gathered to share their progressive thoughts and ideas.

Heading southeast, I arrived in Alfriston village. Its main street had a delightful collection of buildings, with the three local pubs as the most interesting. The oldest building, circa 1358, used to be a butcher’s shop in the 19th century and was owned by Stanton Collins, a legit butcher by day and smuggler by night. His shop was a convoluted maze of 21 rooms, 48 doors, and six staircases to hide the contraband. Smuggling was rife during Stanton’s times, and it was in the shop he and his gang planned a daring raid of a Dutch ship stranded in Cuckmere Bay. Sometime in 1831, Stanton was caught for stealing and promptly shipped off as a convict to Australia. According to records, he served his sentence and returned to England. Eventually, he migrated to New York, USA, where he lived out his remaining days.

Another significant building is the Star Inn. It was built in the 14th century as a religious hostel to accommodate monks and pilgrims on their way to Chichester Cathedral. Two centuries later, it was converted into an inn. Leaning against a wall outside is a red lion figurehead thought to have washed ashore from a wrecked ship and brought to Alfriston by smugglers, which could have been Stanton’s gang.

The third pub, the George Inn, was first licensed in 1397. Its half-timbered façade dates back even further to the mid-1200s. The Inn is known for the network of smugglers’ tunnels leading from the cellars.

Alfriston may be small, but its long history calls for a little more exploration before I move on.



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South Downs Way - Pyecombe

Walking uphill from Amberley, I followed the Way up on the ridge to Kithurst Hill, marking the halfway point of my journey. The trail dropped just before I crossed the busy highway and back up the hill to Chanctonbury Ring. A prehistoric hill fort topped with beech trees, Chanctonbury is famous for legendary tales. According to myth, one must walk around the Ring seven times backward on a dark, moonless night to summon the Devil, who will trade a bowl of milk or soup for one’s soul or wish. Spooky stories have been told where “thudding hooves of invisible horses can sometimes be heard,” or a ghostly lady on a white horse can be seen if the Ring is walked around three times. The tales have found their way into modern times, with UFO sightings recorded at the Ring.

As I approached Steyning Bowl, I passed by a memorial to local farmers, Mollie and Walter Langmead, ‘laid to rest on their cherished Downs.’ A bit further was a triangular cluster of trees called the Bramber Beeches. They were planted to commemorate the Sussex branch of the Women’s Institute diamond jubilee in 1979. The Institute is a century-old women only organisation focused on bringing women together and providing educational opportunities. Held in high regard, several British monarchs were members, including Queen Elizabeth II, her mother, grandmother, and daughter (who is a current member).

From here, I walked through the sleepy village of Botolphs, crossed the Adur River, and climbed onto the Fulking escarpment with views of Fulking village. Next was the National Trust’s Devil’s Dyke. This steep v-shaped dry valley was a trendy destination during Victorian times. Various transport ventures used to take visitors to the foot of the hill, including a funicular, a cable car, and a single-track railway. Remnants of all three can still be seen today. Nowadays, the area is popular with hang gliders and paragliders.Just past the Dyke, I came upon Saddlescombe Farm, another property cared for by the National Trust. Farmed for more than 700 years, Saddlescombe was once in the ownership of the Knights Templar in the 13th century. The farm has several preserved buildings, a blacksmith’s forge, and a donkey wheel used to raise water from the well 50m below. The nearby woodland is home to a 1,000-year-old lime tree and a graffitied beech tree dated 1880, which today holds “the record as the single tallest native British tree in the UK.”

I finished this journey in Pyecombe, a village with two different settlements. The secondary settlement is called Pyecombe Street. The village split after the 1603 plague ravaged London and the surrounding countryside, forcing the villagers to move a quarter of a mile away.   

With little else to do, the Plough Inn, serving travellers and locals since the Victorian times, seemed like an excellent place to rest and have a great feed. 

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South Downs Way - Amberley

After the beautiful Queen Elizabeth Country Park, I was delighted to walk through more woodland. This time I wandered through Coulters Dean Nature Reserve, where pretty wood anemones, violets, and primrose line the trail’s edges in spring. Half a mile further and I entered the county of West Sussex. As the trail continued, narrowing once again, in the distance up on Tower Hill was the ruined folly of Uppark House. The house is more than 300 years old and has been remodelled many times over successive generations. As part of its fine interiors and collectible items, the most significant is a large 18th century doll’s house, one of few surviving from that era. Three storeys high, the interiors are intricate, containing silk-covered mahogany chairs, Flemish-style oil paintings, porcelains, and a fully decked-out kitchen. The dolls illustrating the upper class are dressed in fashionable clothes and made of wax, whereas the servants are made of wood and wear simple clothing. The house is in excellent condition, leading curators to believe it was bought as a curiosity and display item instead of for play. The National Trust’s Harting Down, a large area of ancient chalk downland, was south of the village. A little further was Beacon Hill, developed as an Iron Age fort around 500 BC. It was a fairly steep climb to the top, but the effort was worthwhile for the stunning 360 degree views. Two miles (3.2km) later, the trail skirted around a series of large Bronze Age burial mounds collectively called the Devil’s Jumps. Thought to be nearly 4,000 years old, they are very well preserved, measuring between 85-112ft (26-34m) in diameter and up to 16ft (4.5m) high. The name, though, is part of folklore. Apparently, the god Thor used to sit on a hill. One day the Devil, seeing the mounds, decided to jump from one to the next to alleviate his boredom. Thor wasn’t happy about it and threw a stone at the Devil, who subsequently fled. Tucked away in a corner amongst the trees was a small, well-tended memorial for a 25-year-old German pilot called Hauptmann Joseph Oestermann. He was shot down by a British pilot at the start of WWII while two airmen parachuted to safety. Ironically, the British pilot was shot down later in the day over the English Channel. He survived but sustained injuries to his legs. The walk over Bignor Hill follows an old Roman road. In the village of Bignor, north of the Way, is a prominent 3rd century Roman Villa full of exceptionally well-preserved and highly detailed mosaics. I passed through the northern end of the Slindon Estate, a National Trust property focused on conserving the 1,400 hectares in its care. One of its major restoration projects was reconnecting the disjointed woodland called Northwood. Much of the ancient timber was cut down and used during WWI, and the land was converted to farmland. Over the last decade, the Trust planted more than 13,000 trees to fill the gaps and help restore the wildlife corridors. It’s regarded as the biggest man-made forest to date. The trail led me down into the picturesque Arun Valley, where cowslips bloom in spring, carpeting the valley in a sea of yellow. Crossing the Arun River, I arrived in the small village of Amberley, where a 900-year-old castle was converted into a luxurious hotel - a splendid place to finish my day.

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South Downs Way - Winchester

Contained within the South Downs National Park is the 100mi (161km) bridleway known as the South Downs Way (the Way). Accessible to walkers, cyclists, and horse riders, the bridleway was first opened in 1972 and became the fifth national trail in the UK. Initially, it ran for about 80mi (128km) from Buriton to Beachy Head. Fifteen years later, it was extended, starting in Winchester, where the national park’s boundary began, to Eastbourne, stretching across Southern England.

The trail follows the chalk escarpment of the South Downs, with most of the route passing through the open countryside along the top of the ridges. It crosses the counties of Hampshire, West Sussex, and East Sussex. The Way can be tackled in either a westbound or eastbound direction. In a handful of places the bridleway splits for a short distance until it merges back with the footpath. It is waymarked with a white acorn symbol, the UK’s National Trails logo, and colour coordinated with arrows. When the path diverges, the yellow arrow designates the footpath and the blue arrow the bridleway.

Between the hills are expansive verdant valleys with major rivers running through them. The Way climbs up and down these valleys on changing terrain ranging from soft turf to flint paths. Woodland is more prevalent towards Winchester in the west, while wide open spaces and the stunning chalk cliffs on the coast are in the east towards Eastbourne.

I chose to undertake this journey eastbound, preferring to leave the coast and its brilliantly white cliffs for the end. Starting in Winchester, Hampshire, I found the starting point at the Winchester City Mill. With a history dating back 1,000 years, it was a working mill until the early 20th century, when it was converted into a youth hostel. In the early 21st century, the mill underwent extensive restoration turning it back into a working mill and a museum.

Winchester is famous for its magnificent Gothic cathedral, one of the largest of its kind. Built between the 11th and 16th centuries, it is the longest medieval cathedral in the world (558ft / 170m long) with the longest and widest nave. Intricate stained glass windows decorate the cathedral with the most exquisite mosaic design found on the Great West Window. Monarchs and bishops have been buried at Winchester for centuries, but the most well-knownburial is one of England’s greatest novelists, Jane Austin. Inside the church is a bust of William Walker, honouring him for saving the church from collapse. When the cathedral’s foundations sprung a leak, William, a deep sea diver, spent six years working underwater, placing concrete bags to stabilise them. For his service, William received the Royal Victoria Order.

Another significant building is the 13th century Great Hall, the only remains of Winchester Castle. The Hall was built by King Henry III, and on its wall hangs King Arthur’s Round Table. The massive tabletop is 18ft (5.5m) in diameter and weighs an enormous 2,600lbs (1,200kg). The current design is from the 16th century and was ordered by King Henry VIII. The table’s edge bears the names of King Arthur’s knights, including Sir Galahad, Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, and Sir Percival, to name a few. In the centre is a portrait of King Arthur.

Leaving historical buildings behind, I swung a right turn at The Bishop on the Bridge pub to walk along the banks of the River Itchen and past the Roman wall remains. Heading out of the city, I am on my way to the quaint village of Chilcomb and then toward Butser Hill.

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Novelist Looking for a Hooker

I ran into this man’s posts on Craigslist and you can note that both I and he live in California but he has posted this as if it were in New York.

Had it been posted on New York Craigslist I would never have seen it.

In any case, this fellow is looking for a woman who lives thousands of miles away who he can have sex with and then send home, or at least that’s what I gather.

If this man where making any real money he could afford to go out and date or hire an escort but no, he went to Craigslist and tried to get a woman for free.

31st October 2022

Novelist Searching for Artistic Inspiration (New York)

NOVELIST SEARCHING FOR ARTISTIC INSPIRATION
Consider this an experiment in art and love. I am a tall, male novelist and short story writer whose work has been published around the world since the 1980s and I am hoping to find a special woman who is interested in taking an adventurous journey with me as I begin my next novel. For my work to reach it's best artistic level, I need the close inspiration of a woman who is artistically motivated, in touch with her artistic and sexual needs, a woman who will not compromise with men who do not understand the emotional highs of making art and sharing it with the world. I am, I suppose, looking for a Muse in every aspect of my complicated life. If you have the time and inclination and are not afraid to begin this adventure with me, we can embark on this artistic, perhaps, emotional voyage, that may take us to surprising places. Life is too short to accept the unremarkable. I want my next artistic adventure to be nothing less than a blaze of color. Are open to coming along for this trip? I hope this will last a year, possibly longer, depending on how things work out. Additionally, I travel a lot to Europe for my writer's work and I would consider taking you along. I am very serious so please only respond if you are equally serious. I live in Los Angeles but we can talk on text, phone and then in person. Tell me, in a paragraph or so, why this might appeal to you and please be detailed and open. Send a photograph or Instagram. There is no payment but I will be happy to share what I know about writing and the writer's life. Please read this posting carefully before you respond

Letters From the White House

7th November 2024

My Dear Governor Newsom,

In light of the recent federal election I’m far more likely to bring up my feelings on the law with you than I was with a more reasonable man in the White House. California can no longer count on the federal government to stand beside us in times of need. We as a state should learn our lesson well in this hard reality.

One lesson I would like you to take from the White House is their communication. I have written the President and Vice President many a time and unlike with the Governor of my own state of California I have been answered. Whereas I have little belief that President Biden or Vice President Harris would know me or would have seen my letters what I got back from the White House was of value.

I would often get a letter back from the White house letting me know that they had gotten my correspondence and what the President had done in regards to my areas of concern. I never got a satisfying answer, but I learned more about what the old man was up to. It gave me a greater connection to the working of government.

There is no reason the state of California shouldn’t employ a few people up in the capital to write back to us and let us know that we were heard and what you have done adjacent to our concerns. Maybe you already do that but I’ve written and written and never got a letter back.

I know we are a big state and you are a busy man but it would still be good to know someone is reading my letters.

Best,


Richard Leland Neal