The Marble Boat , also known as the Boat of Purity and Ease, is a lakeside pavilion on the grounds of the Summer Palace in Beijing, China. It was first built in 1750, but in 1860, the Allied Anglo-French Force burnt down the Chinese style wooden super-structure on the top part of the boat. Empress Dowager Ci'xi had the boat restored, adding a French style superstructure and two wheels, one on each side. The two storied superstructure was made of wood, but painted to look like marble, while the two wheels were made of marble. It is believed that the body of the boat was carved out of one whole block. #beijing #china #ci_xi #summer_palace
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