It was 90 degrees outside. While that may not seem too terrible, with the heat index it was 105. After spending the morning outside at the dragonboat races, I loaded my handy TripAdvisor app, checked out the best attractions nearby, and headed to Martyrs’ Shrine three kilometers away.
Daily Pictures: Changing of the Guards, Martyrs’ Shrine
Built in the style of Beijing’s Hall of Supreme Harmony, Martyrs’ Shrine is dedicated to the 390,000+ citizens who sacrificed their lives, particularly in the Sino-Japanese war and the Chinese civil war.
Two military soldiers guard the shrine’s entrance, while two others guard the main gate. These soldiers stand motionless for an hour at a time; sweat puddles on the ground beneath them. Every hour on the hour they hold the changing of the guards ceremony. While similar to Buckingham Palace, it almost seemed more rigid and tense – not to mention their lack of bearskin hats.
