SUMMER PALACE, Hall Of The Sea Of Wisdom

At the top of the hill sits the marvelous Hall of the Sea of Wisdom, a two-storey Buddhist temple made of bricks, although at first sight it looks like wood. The magnificent external walls are decorated with yellow and green tiles, inlaid with an impressive 1008 glazed statues of Buddha.

The top part of the building, in contrast, is painted in purple and blue. Take a look at the arched marble doorways on both the facade and at the rear: some of them are fake!

The Hall was fortunate enough to survive the fire in 1860 because, as I mentioned earlier, it was one of only two buildings in the Summer Palace not built in wood. However, the statue of Buddha inside the building and the small statues on the outside did suffer serious damage, and later had to be restored.

Inside the Hall, you’re sure to be impressed by the superb paintings on the walls, depicting clouds and flowers, and the splendid statue of the Goddess of Mercy, seated on the lotus throne, with a jade bottle in one hand and willow leaves in the other. Take a moment to admire the beautiful statues of the two Buddhist deities in the niches at either side of the entrance.

Once you’ve visited this Hall, you can go back down the hill and visit other monuments, or just relax and enjoy the view....