Summer Palace abloom!

The bushes and trees were all bursting with color during our visit. I took so many photos of flowers that it was difficult to select only a few. Here's one of a flowering tree on the shores of Kunming Lake at the Summer Palace. Beijing was already starting to grow quite warm during our visit. One day it even reached 32* Celsius--WAY TOO HOT for our liking! It was really nice and comfortable here at the Summer Palace. I could instantly see why the emperors would drop everything and move out to the palace each summer--just for the nice cool breezes that blow in from the mountains!