About China
China located to the east of Asia, surrounded by the seas of the
Oriental China, the Bay of Korea, the Yellow Sea and the sea of the south of
China, between North Korea and Vietnam. China is the fourth biggest country
after Russia, Canada, and the USA.China's geography is highly diverse, with
hills, plains, and river deltas in the east and deserts, high plateaus, and
mountains in the west. History and politics aside, China is a land of
superlatives, encompassing the Yangtze River, the Silk Road, the bamboo forests
of the giant panda and misty peaks immortalised in traditional ink
paintings.Climate is equally varied, ranging from tropical in the south
(Hainan) to sub arctic in north eastern China (Manchuria). The geography of
China causes an unequal demographic distribution; 94 per cent of the population
is located in the part east of the country. Shandong the province, with its
soft coastal climate, has 91 million persons, but Tibet, with its harsh climate
of plateau of mountain, has only 2.6 millions.China has 33 UNESCO World
Heritage Sites. Chinese food ranks among the world's great cuisines. From
acrobatics to martial arts, calligraphy to Chinese opera, the vibrant,
distinctive culture of this great land is everywhere to be seen. Spectacular
Tibet(Xihang) has been open to tourists since 1980.China has one of the world's
oldest people and continuous civilizations, consisting of states and cultures
dating back more than six millennia. Historically China's cultural sphere has
been very influential in East Asia as a whole, with Chinese religion, customs,
and writing system being adapted, to varying degrees, by its neighbours Japan,
Korea, and Vietnam.China is the world’s third largest net importer of oil
behind the United States and Japan, an important factor in world oil markets.
With near 1.3 billions of people, the 20 percent of the Earth population, China
is the world’s most populous country and has in recent year’s undergone
economic growth at constantly high levels. It has had a dramatic impact on the
reduction of poverty, and is contributing significantly towards the attainment
of global MDG targets. At the same time, however, it has led to considerable
income and regional disparities, has resulted in a high degree of environmental
degradation, and has created vulnerable groups of the population.China is the
cultural treasure-house of East Asia with 5,000 years of tumultuous history
place. The Great Wall, X'ian's Terracotta Army, the Forbidden Palace and
Tiananmen Square, etc. they with history and legend. Flexibility and patience
are still required to travel around China but, in return, China rewards
visitors with memories to treasure for a lifetime.
Stone Forest
The Stone Forest (Shilin) is situated in the Lunan Yu Autonomous County,
126 kilometers southeast of Kunming Qujing Prefecture in Yunnan Province, with
an elevation ranging from 1,625 to 1,900 meters above sea level; it is known as
the "First Wonder of the World ". The Stone Forest is connected with
Kunming both by highway and railway, enjoying an easily accessible
transport.The stone forest is a special type of karst landform. Its towering
rock pillars in high concentration (between 5 and 30m) like a forest of stones,
hence the name. These rock pillars, high and strangely shaped, spread widely in
an area of over 26,000ha. Only 80ha of this area are open to visitors. The rock
pillars are well preserved.In addition, there are numerous karst caves fraught
with stalagmite, stalactite, stone pillar, stone corridor and five underground
rivers, lakes, ponds and waterfalls. Found also in the scenic zone are 65
reservoirs and ponds with a total storage capacity of 50 million cubic meters
and good water quality.The rocks have memorable names such as Ten Thousand Year
Mushroom (10m high), Mother and Son, Camel Riding on Elephant, Avalokitesvara
Rock, Buddha Stone, Rhinoceros looking at the moon and beautiful maiden
ascending from the water, etc.The Stone Forest is endowed with a pleasant
climate, and it is adorned with more than 400 kinds of flowers and is divided
into several scenic areas with names like Greater Stone Forest, Lesser Stone
forest, Outer Stone Forest, Underground Stone Forest, Stone Forest Lake, and Da
Dieshui Falls.Among the most wonderful attractions in this area are the
following eight scenic spots: Large & Small Stone Forests, Naigu Stone
Forests, Large & Small Zhiyun Caves, Qingfeng Cave, Long Lake, Moon Lake,
Fairy Lake and Feilong Falls. Also standing upright in the Stone Forest are
innumerable cliffs and majestic peaks. The Lunan Stone Forest is composed
mainly of peculiar rock pillars supplemented with karst caves, lakes,
waterfalls and other scenic attractions.Major Stone Forest, Minor Stone Forest,
and Naigu Stone Forest have stones in various formations like animals, plants,
and even human figures can be found here. Some are elegant, some are rugged,
and each with its own distinguishing characteristics. Subterranean Stone Forest
in Zhiyun Cave, an underground stone forest distributed among several caves
occupying a total area of about three square kilometers.Also you can find the
Long Lake, it is a Karsts lake that is three kilometers long and only 300
meters wide. The lake features underwater stalagmites and stalactites and a
small island in the center of the water.From afar, it really looks like a dense
forest but as you walk closer, you will find "trees" are all slender
stone pinnacles. The Yi and Sani ethnic group who live there are hardworking,
good singers and good dancers. Their folklore and culture are colorful and
multifarious, backed up by a long history.
Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of Heaven is
a complex of Taoist buildings; the Temple of Heaven is situated in the southern
part of Beijing about 6 Km away from the centre of the city. It is three times
the area of the Forbidden City and smaller than the Summer Palace with an area
of about 273 hectares.The Temple of Heaven is enclosed with a long wall. The
northern part within the wall is semicircular symbolizing the heavens and the
southern part is square symbolizing the earth. The northern part is higher than
the southern part. This design shows that the heaven is high and the earth is
low also the design reflected an ancient Chinese thought of “The heaven is
round and the earth is square”.The most wonderful buildings are The Circular Mound
Altar (Yuanqiutan), Imperial Vault of Heaven (Huangqiongyu) and Hall of Prayer
for Good Harvest (Qiniandian) from south to north.The Circular Altar has three
encrusted terraces with white marble. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest is a
big palace, 38 meters in height and 30 meters in diameter, stands on a round
foundation built with three levels of marble stones. Inside the Hall are 28
huge posts. The four posts along the inner circle represent the four seasons
spring, summer, autumn and winter; the 12 posts along the middle circle
represent the 12 months; and 12 posts along the outer circle represent 12
Shichen (One Shichen in the past equalled two hours and a whole day was divided
into 12 Shichens).The roof is covered with black, yellow and green colored
glaze representing the heavens, the earth and everything on earth. The Hall has
a altar named Altar for Grain Prayers which is made of three layers of white
marble and has a height of six meters. Another important building in Temple of
Heaven is Imperial Vault of Heaven. The structure of it is like that of Hall of
Prayer for Good Harvest, but smaller in size. The structure was made of bricks
and timber.The Vermilion Steps Bridge connects the Hall of Prayer for Good
Harvest and the Imperial Vault of Heaven. The south end of the Bridge is lower
than its north end. The emperors in the past believed that they could go to
heaven through this Bridge, which is why this bridge is also called Sacred Way.
A Yu Route and a Wang Route are on two sides of the Sacred Way. The former one
is only for the emperors to walk on and the later one is for the princes and
the high officials to pass.Three Echo Stones is outside of the gate of the
Imperial Vault of Heaven. Another interesting and famous place for you to visit
is called Echo Wall owning special feature. The wall encloses the Imperial
Vault of Heaven. Its perimeter is 193 meters.Besides carefully designed
buildings, there are also some other scenes that you can enjoy like Nine-Dragon
Cypress. It got its name from branches which look like nine dragons wind with
each other. It was said that the cypress was planted more than 500 years
ago.The Temple of Heaven is a very popular park for exercising, and
particularly for practicing taiji bailong ball, which is a paddleball variation
of Tai Chi. Developed by Chinese Olympic boxing coach Bai Rong, taiji bailong
ball is known as Rhythmball in North America.
West Lake
The West Lake is located in the historic center of
Hangzhou, in Zhejiang province of eastern China, undoubtedly the most renowned
feature of Hangzhou, noted for the scenic beauty that blends naturally with
many famous historical and cultural sites.The West Lake Scenic Area Covers an
area of 60 square kilometers, out of which the West Lake occupies 6 square
kilometers with 3.2 kilometers from north to south and 2.8 kilometers from west
to east. The lake has a circumference of 15 kilometers and the average depth of
the West Lake is 2.27 meters, and the capacity is about 14,290,000 cubic
meters. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with an area of around
6.5 square kilometers.The lake is divided by Gu Shan, Bai, Su and Yanggong
Causeways into five areas; these sections are known as Outer Lake (Wai Hu) the
largest of all, North Inner Lake (Beili Hu), West Inner Lake (Xili Hu), South
Lake (Xiaonan Hu), and Lake Yue (Yue Hu).There are also four islands: Gushan,
Xiao Yingzhou, Ruangongdun and Huxinting (Mid-Lake Pavilion). The islands Xiao
Yingzhou and its both smaller sisters Huxinting and Ruangongdun have also been
artificially created, in similar fashion to the two dams and the lake in
general, whereby Xiao Yingzhou (little paradise island) was planned to resemble
the form of a wheel, arousing the impression of a “lake within the lake”.On the
south end of the Xiao Yingzhou Island (Island of Little Oceans), you can see
three stone pagodas on the lake. Within the island are four small lakes. It is
here that people can view the famous Three Pools Mirroring the Moon in the
evenings when the candles are lit.Two famous dams divide the west lake into
three parts. The Su-dam which was erected by the Song-poet Su Dongpo and is
well-known for its six fabulously decorated bridges, which even were exactly
copied to decorate the Summer Palace of Beijing. The other dam, on the
northwest side of the West Lake, is named after Bai Juyi (also a poet) and
called Bai-dam (Bai-Di). It has been built some time earlier than the other
one, namely at times of the Tang-Dynasty.West Lake also provides a sanctuary
for many different types of bird which nest on the many islets on it so take a
pair of binoculars to get close up to the action.
Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and
earthen fortifications in China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th
century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese
Empire during the rule of successive dynasties.The steps that form the Great
Wall of China are very steep and tall in some areas. Tourists often become
exhausted climbing the wall and walk no more than a kilometre or two (around a
mile). In some areas the blocks were cemented with a mixture of glutinous rice
and egg white. In the extreme western desert locations, where good materials
are scarce, the wall was constructed from dirt rammed between rough wood tied
together with woven mats.The Wall is included in lists of the "Seven
Medieval Wonders of the World" but was of course not one of the classical
Seven Wonders of the World recognized by the ancient Greeks.It is the world's
longest human made structure, stretching over approximately 6,400 km from
Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly
delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, but stretches to over 6,700 km
in total. It is also the largest human made structure ever built in terms of
surface area and mass.Three sections are in Beijing municipality, which was
renovated and which is regularly visited by modern tourists. One of the most
striking sections of the Ming Great Wall is where it climbs extremely steep
slopes. It runs 11 kilometres long, ranges from 5 to 8 meters in height, and 6
meters across the bottom, narrowing up to 5 meters across the top. Wangjinglou
is one of Jinshanling's 67 watchtowers, 980 meters above sea level.South East
of Jinshanling, is the Mutianyu Great Wall which winds along lofty, cragged
mountains from the southeast to the northwest for approximately 2.25
kilometers. It is connected with Juyongguan Pass to the west and Gubeikou to
the east. Another notable section lies near the eastern extremity of the wall,
where the first pass of the Great Wall was built on the Shanhaiguan, the first
mountain the Great Wall climbs. Jia Shan is also here, as is the Jiumenkou,
which is the only portion of the wall that was built as a bridge.
Potala Palace
This ancient architectural complex is considered a
model of Tibetan architecture. Located on the Red Hill in Lhasa, Tibet, it is
3,700 meters above sea level and covers an area of over 360,000 square meters,
measuring 360 meters from east to west and 270 meters from south to north.The
present Potala Palace is 119 meters height with 13 floors. The building
measures 400 meters east- west and 350 meters north-south, with sloping walls
of stone of 3 m thick, and 5 m thick in the base, and with the copper covering
foundations, this in order that the building is to proof of earthquakes.It is
famous for its high historical value and kept numerous treasures in it. Divided
into White and Red Palaces, the complex was one of the world’s tallest
buildings before the era of modern skyscrapers. The White Palace, comprising
halls, temples and courtyards, serves as the living quarters of the Dalai
Lama.The Red Palace includes various chambers for worshipping Buddha and
chambers housing the eight stupa that contain the remains of fifth through
thirteenth Dalai Lama. All the stupas are covered with gold foil. The most
magnificent stupa belongs to the fifth Dalai Lama. The palace also collected a
large number of sculptures, murals, scripture and other valuable cultural
relics.The main central hall of the Red Palace is the Great West Hall which
consists of four great chapels that proclaim the glory and power of the builder
of the Potala, the Fifth Dalai Lama. The hall is noted for its fine murals
reminiscent of Persian miniatures, depicting events in the fifth Dalai Lama's
life.On the north side of the Red Palace is the holiest shrine of the Potala. A
large blue and gold inscription over the door was written by the 19th century
Tongzhi Emperor of China. It contains a small ancient jewel encrusted statue of
Avalokiteshvara and two of his attendants. On the floor below, a low, dark
passage leads into the Dharma Cave where Songsten Gampo is believed to have
studied Buddhism. In the holy cave are images of Songsten Gampo, his wives, his
chief minister and Sambhota, the scholar who developed Tibetan writing in the
company of his many divinities.The North Chapel centers on a crowned Sakyamuni
Buddha on the left and the Fifth Dalai Lama on the right seated on magnificent
gold thrones. Their equal height and shared aura implies equal status. On the
far left of the chapel is the gold stupa tomb of the Eleventh Dalai Lama who
died as a child. On the right of the chapel are Avalokiteshvara and his
historical incarnations including Songsten Gampo and the first four Dalai Lamas.
Yungang Grottoes
The Yungang Grottoes are an ancient Buddhist temple;
it is located in Datong city in the Chinese province of Shanxi, with their 252
caves and 51,000 statues; represent the outstanding achievement of Buddhist
cave art in China of the 5th and 6th centuries.The site is exactly located
about 16 km south-west of the city, in the valley of the Shi Li River at the
base of the Wuzhou Shan Mountains. The grottoes were mainly constructed in the
period between 460 and 525 during the Northern Wei Dynasty.The cave is an
extraordinary sample of art that combines forms of traditional Chinese art with
the foreign influence, especially the Greek and the Indian. The sculptures are
a real work of art that with its vigorous features and a rich variety that
range from the smallest of only 2 centimeters high to the tallest a Buda of 17
meters high.The Yungang Grottoes are divided into three zones: east, west and
central and numbered from east to west. Caves 1 and 2 contain carved pagodas.
Cave 3 is the largest in this group, although it contains only a seated Buddha
flanked by two Bodhisattvas.The best of Yungang's art is reflected everything
in the caves 5 and 6, where you can find carved in the walls wonderfully
Buddhist tales. The cave 5 also contains to colossal based Buda almost 17m high
place.Cave 6 contains a splendidly carved pagoda, and an entrance flanked by
fierce guardians. In the centre of the rear chamber stands a two-storey
pagoda-pillar about 15m high. On the lower part of the pagoda are four niches
with carved images, including one of the Maitreya Buddha(Future Buddha).
Gautama Buddha's life story from birth to his attainment are carved in the
east, south, and west walls of the cave and on two sides of the pagoda.Caves 7
and 8 are linked and contain carvings with Hindu influences. Shiva, with eight
arms and three heads, and seated on a bull, is on one side of the entrance to
cave 8. On the other side is the versatile Indra, perched on a peacock. Caves 9
and 10 are notable for their front pillars and figures bearing musical
instruments. These instruments appear again in cave 12, while cave 13 has a 15m
high Buddha statue, its right hand propped up by a figurine.These caves were
carved in about AD 460 and the Buddha in each one represents an emperor from
the Northern Wei dynasty. The Buddha in cave 18 represents Emperor Taiwu, who
was once a great patron of Buddhism, but later came to favor Taoism.Taiwu's
grandson Emperor Wencheng, who restored Buddhism to the dynasty, is represented
such as seated Buddha of 14m high in cave 20. The cave 21 and the others in
forward are small, and there can not be compared with the others that are in
better preserved. All together the site is composed of 252 caves with more than
51,000 Buddha statues and statuettes. The Five Caves created by Tan Yao, with
their strict unity of layout and design, constitute a classical masterpiece of
the first peak of Chinese Buddhist art.
Terra Cotta Warriors
The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most important archeological
excavations of the 20th century located lies 35 kilometers east of Xi'an, at
the base of Lishan Mountain. Life size figures of terracotta warriors and
horses arranged in battle formations are the star features at the museum.The
museum covers an area of 16,300 square meters, divided into three sections: No.
1 Pit, No. 2 Pit, and No. 3 Pit in that order. Altogether over 7000 soldiers,
130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, and even weapons have been
unearthed from these pits. Most of them have been restored to their previous
magnificence.There are four main categories of figures: chariot warriors,
infantrymen, cavalrymen, and horses. There are generals, middle ranking officers,
lower ranking officers, ordinary soldiers, and resistant warriors. The soldiers
are divided into infantry armed with swords and spears, archers, crossbow
archers, cavalry, chariot drivers and officers. Among the infantrymen there are
some with armor and others without. Chariots are respectively designed for
commanders, aide officers of a squad of three or four soldiers.Excavations
indicate that the cavalry functioned as an autonomous force in battle, with
chariots in performance a vital strategic role. A shopping center nearby also
provides visitors buy small replicas of the warriors, horses and chariots as
souvenirs for a couple of Yuan.In the Pit No. 1 includes: Large body of troops
from the left group marshaled in battle order. With 14,260 square meters, it is
the largest of the three pits. Five slopping entrances reach down to it from
the east and west. Ten partitioning walls separate the underground army into
different columns.The walls are reinforced by stout beams, which are covered by
reeds and earth. The floor is paved with black bricks. There are more than
6,000 terracotta warriors and horses into battle line formation. Three columns
in front of each battalion performing the role of being the vanguard, each unit
of 70 soldiers, making a total of 210 soldiers who fulfilled the role of being
the resistance or vanguard in the battleThe Pit No. 2 is 20 meters due east of
Pit No. 1. It is 6,000 square meters subdivided into L-Shaped foursquare
sections, where archeologists unearthed 1,000 warriors, 500 horses, and 89
wooden chariots. The horses are both for pulling chariots and for carrying
riders.The first module is the unit at the eastern end, within which displayed
a matrix of 334 warriors. The second module is the unit at the south end including
first to eighth passing holes and sixty-four battle vehicles, each of which has
three sergeant figurines. The third module is the central unit in the pit
including passing holes ninth to eleventh, nineteen war tanks and over 100
pieces of unarmed soldiers. The fourth module is the unit in northern half of
the pit, including passing holes twelfth through fourteenth, 6 chariots, and
124 horses and cavalry.For reach to the Pit No. 3 have to walk 25 meters north
from Pit No. 1. It was discovered within a month after the archeologists had
found Pit No. 2. It is a concave structure of 520 square meters. There are only
one car, 4 horses, and 68 pottery figurines in this pit. The formation of these
pottery figurines is different from the first and second pit, they were
displayed in the combat formation.There are animal bones and deer horns strewn
about, probably sacrifices offered on the eve of a battle. These are half size
scale models of real chariots, faithfully copied down to the last detail,
complete with horses and people. They are constructed with bronze and cast
bullion. There are 1720 gold and silver pieces, weighing 7 kilograms. The
chariot has been painted white by conservation workers.
Hanging Temple
Hanging Monastery or Temple is an architectural
wonder. It was built on a cliff near Mount Heng in the province of Shanxi. The
city is adjacent to Datong, 65 kilometers northwest. It is located at the foot
of Heng Shan (Heng Mountain), 50 meters above the ground.The monks who built
this temple had three basic reasons, the first build a house of worship to show
their determination. The second reason is to avoid the terrible flood, besides
the top of the mountain protects the temple of rain, snow and also decreases
the damage from long time sunshine, and the third is to promote unity among the
Chinese people through a combination of the three major religions:
Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.An architectural complex was built on the
base of the natural hollows and outcrops along the contour of the cliff. Over
40 halls, cabinets and pavilions within an area of 152.5 square meters are
connected each other by corridors, bridges, boardwalks. They are evenly
distributed and well balanced in height.Inside the monastery, the sculptures of
Sakyamuni, Confucius and Laotzu appear together, which is unusual. The halls
contain about 80 sculptures some are cast with bronze, some with iron, some
with clay and some are carved out of stone, some are made of copper and terracotta.
The features are vividly carved.The Hanging Monastery can easily be reached on
foot. Another increasingly popular activity (not for the claustrophobic) is to
head underground to view an operating Chinese coal mine first hand.
Seven Star Park
Located at the east bank of Li River, the park is 1.5
kilometers from the downtown area of Guilin. The park is named after from its
seven peaks resemble the pattern of the Big Dipper constellation. It is the
largest park, consists of some of the most spectacular sights in the city. Some
of the pincipal attractions of the park are the Seven Star Cave, Dragon Hiding
Cave, Flowers Bridge, etc.The park is endowed with elegant mountains, clear
water, miraculous stone forest, deep and serene valleys, plentiful animals and
plants and valued cultural relics.The Flower Bridge (Hua Qiao) is the main
entrance to the Park, an elegant arched structure dating from the Song Dynasty
that crosses the confluence of East River and Lingjian Stream that passes
through the park.Putuo Mountain, where Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is worshiped,
is the main body of the park. It abounds with caves and pavilions. At the
southwestern foot of the mountain lies the natural air condition Xuanfeng
Cave.At the top of the mountain are Putuo Stone Forest, Xuanwu Pavilion and
Zhaixing Pavilion. In addition, there are numerous valuable tablets on the
mountain. Light of China Square is between Putuo Mountain and Crescent
Mountain. It boasts of two craftworks, one is the stone that was used to carving
murals and the other is Shi Ji Bao Ding (the precious Ding of the century). The
mural, made up of more than 100 stone carvings, epitomizes 5000-year Chinese
civilization. Shi Ji Bao Ding (has a height of 4.6 meters)symbolizes that the
country flourishes and people live in peace.At halfway up the mountain, you
will see Putuo Jingshe. At the west of the mountain, you will see the renowned
Seven Stars Cave, which is also called Qixia Cave or Bixu Cave. With the
multifarious stalactites, stalagmites and stone pillars formed by the dissolved
limestone, the cave was called 'Residence of the Immortals'.The Cave has been a
tourist attraction since the Tang Dynasty. The temperature inside the Cave
always remains 20 degrees Celsius all year around. The Cave is divided into
three main parts. The upper part of the Cave is very high and steep. The middle
part is an 814-meter-long tunnel serving to be the touring area. The lower part
is an underground water channel where tourists can sit in a small boat and tour
around the Cave. In addition, the equipped lighting adds an enchanting touch to
the spectacular scene.As another attraction in the park, Camel Hill is situated
a little further away from the Putuo Hill and Cresent Hill. It is called Camel
Hill because this limestone outcrop looks really like a camel resting among the
trees, hence the name.This delightful park that encompasses hills and natural
waterways is a great attractions, favorite to the local people and tourists
alike. And thanks to the pleasant climate here, you can pay a visit to Seven
Stars Park at any time of year.
Yellow Crane Tower
This place is known like 'The First Scenery under
Heaven'; The Yellow Crane Tower is one of the most famous towers to the south
of the Rio Yangtze. It is situated on Snake Hill in Wuhan in the province of
Hubei.The tower is based on an original design realized during the Qing
Dynasty. The tower is of 51.4 meters of high and has five levels or floors. The
appearance of the tower is the same does not matter of that direction or side
is viewed. The roof is covered by 100,000 yellow glazed tiles. With yellow
upturned eaves, each floor seems to have been designed to resemble a yellow
crane spreading its wings to fly.On each floor has a theme, for example, the
theme of the first floor is about legend. On the wall, there is a nine meter
long and six-meter wide painted porcelain picture which depicts clouds, rivers
and cranes to represent a romantic mood in the heaven.The midmost Zaojing
stands over 10 meters high. On the front wall is a huge ceramic mural painting
of "White Cloud and Yellow Crane". The tower is filled with gorgeous
murals with many poems, beautiful furniture pieces and smaller scale models of
the tower complex and other famous sights in China like the Forbidden City.At
the two side of it are two mural paintings. One is "Sun Quan Built Town".
It describes the history of the successive birth of the Yellow Crane Tower and
Wuchang Town vividly. The other is "Zhou Yu Made a Feast". It
reflects the activity that the famous persons of the Three Kingdoms come to the
Yellow Crane Tower.On top of the tower, tourists can obtain a fabulous
panoramic view of the Yangtze River its bridge and the surrounding buildings in
Wuhan City. Outside the tower, there are bronze yellow cranes, memorial
gateways and pavilions. At night, the tower is intensely illuminated which
gives to the tower an extraordinary appearance that fascinates the
tourists.Around the main tower, there are many others buildings, such as, the
White Cloud Tower, the Shengxiang Pagoda, the Stele Gallery, the Temple Gate,
etc. The White Cloud Tower of 29.7 meters high stands behind the Yellow Crane
Tower. Together, the two towers form the nickname of Wuhan.The statues of two
cranes are standing above a Snake and a Turtle. There is a legend about the two
Cranes having descended from heaven and uniting the Snake and the Turtle which
then helped to control the floods along the Yangtze River which had killed so
many people. Snake Hill and Turtle hill are the two hills which the structures
of the Tower and the Bell of one thousand years good luck are built on. The
tourists buy small replies of bronze of these statues for the good luck.
Tiger Hill
Tiger Hill Pagoda or the Yunyan Pagoda is a Chinese
pagoda situated outside Changmen, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. The millennium
old Tiger Hill Pagoda, also known as the Leaning Tower, stands on top of the
Tiger Hill and is regarded as the symbol of Suzhou. Also it is called with its
other names including Huqiu Tower, the Leaning Tower of China or The Yunyan
Temple Tower.The Tiger hill Pagoda has seven floors rising to a height of 48
meters. This octagonal building was built with blue bricks. That stone brackets
provide decorative detail. There is no internal stairway to climb to the
different levels.The entire structure weighs some 6,000,000 kg, supported by
internal brick columns. The tower leans roughly 3.5 degrees due to the cracking
of two supporting columns.The Tiger Hill Pagoda is the principal recreation of
the popular Yuyan Temple, the night scene around it is beautiful because the
area is decorated with excellent illumination of vivid colors. This added a
great attraction in Suzhou night tour.
Yuyuan Garden
Yuyuan Garden is located in Anren Jie in the center of
Shanghai's Old City, not far from the Bund and adjacent to the Old Town God
Temple. It is a classical southern style Chinese garden.The garden covers an
important space and includes a few halls, and other buildings of interest;
cultural vestiges including century-old furniture, calligraphy, and paintings
of famous artists, clay sculptures and brick carvings, some inscriptions and
couplets.In the garden it is possible to find zigzag paths, wonderfully decorated,
on the walls dragoons of bricks that interlaces and they give the impression of
being alive, the only sight of its class.The Five-Dragon Wall subdivides one of
the most beautiful gardens of China into six separate viewpoints, the Grand
Rockery, Ten-Thousand-Flower Pavilion, Hall of Heralding Spring, Hall of Jade
Magnificence, Inner Garden, and Lotus Pool.The Inner Garden is a garden within
the Yuyuan Garden in which pavilions, towers, hills, ponds, etc., are
artificial. The Pavilion of Spring in the northeast section of the park is
famous for being the headquarters of the anti-imperialist "Little Sword
Society”, which in 1853 led an uprising against Qing rule and occupied Shanghai
for 17 months. Weapons, coins and other objects used by the society are now
housed in an exhibition hall.The Treasure in the Universe consists of ingenuous
and exquisite Jade Stone, Accumulated Water Veranda, Jade Hall, Dragon Winding
Bridge and other building. The exquisite and ingenuous Jade, located across
from Yuhua Hall, is one of the three well-known stones in the south of China
with the characteristics of wrinkle, thinness, slimness, filter and
transparency. The rock is 3.3 meters in height and has 72 holes. What is
interesting about this rock is that if you burn a joss stick just below the
rock, the smoke will magically float out from all of the holes. Similarly, when
you pour water into the rock from top, the water will flow out from each hole
creating a spectacular sight to see.The Urban Mountain Forest is located at the
west of the garden district; there are Shansui hall, Rain Swirling Tower, Grand
Artificial Hill, Hall of Elegance and other scenic sights. In the Hualin
Charming Valley are waterside pavilion, winding corridors, Yihang, Floral Tower
and other scenic sites.
Porcelain Tower of Nanjing
This amazing tower that radiated sunrays and functioned as a center of
pilgrimage stands tall among world wonders. It was constructed by the Chinese
Emperor Yung Le around 15th century. With 260 feet high octagonal in shape with
97 feet in diameter, the tower was the largest building in China at the time of
its construction. It was existed up to the middle of the 19th century.This
Buddhist Pagoda had two damages the first was a bolt of lightning that struck
in 180, but the manmade disaster in the shape of Taiping Revolution was
detrimental and marked its end. During the period 1840-1850 the rebels took
control of the area when smashed the stairs to stop others from using it as a
platform, then around 1856 the same destroyed the remaining parts of this
marvel in vengeance. For years the remnants of the structure were lying uncared
and recently Chinese Government has started to rebuild its rich ancestry.The
Porcelain Tower in its golden times was covered with superior quality white and
shining porcelain bricks interlaid with colored stones. The entire area
reflected sunrays in light during days and numerous lights were hung to illuminate
the pictures of flowers, animals, landscapes and Buddhist images during nights.
Possibly the spiral staircase had 140 steps that matched with the number of
lamps that illuminated the outer wall.When the tower was built, it was one of
the largest buildings in China rising up to a height of 260 ft; in addition its
octagonal shape has a base of about 97ft in diameter. Originally the plan was
added more storeys, in a sense only a few Chinese pagodas surpass its height,
such as Liaodi Pagoda of 11th century in Hebei or the non-existent 330 ft tall
of 7th century in Chang’an.Designed by the Chinese Emperor Yongle and first
discovered by the Western world when European travelers visited it. Since it
was listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the tower has seen as a
national treasure to both locals and other cultures around the world.A
sublimely elegant example of Buddhist Architecture by those who have seen it in
first person and during the early 19th century Le Compte a French mathematician
has rightly written “The best contrived and the structure of all the east”,
this remark contain all.
Lingering Garden
Lingering Garden is the best garden in Suzhou, it
covers an area of 23,310 square meters. It is recognized for its artistic way
of dealing with the spaces between various kinds of architectural form.The
whole garden possesses 42 rooms and halls , a 670-meter-long roofed walkway,
200 lattice-windows of different kinds, 44 parallel stone carvings, 373 steles,
and 17 such valuable old trees as gingko, southern wisteria, etc.The garden is
divided into four sections: artificial hills in the west, pastoral scenery in
the north, hall and pavilion structures in the east and hills and waters at the
center. A winding corridor of over 1,000 meters links them.The western part of
the garden is a fine example of beautiful earthen hills studded with yellow stones
and covered with maple trees. An artificial hill made of rocks from Taihu Lake
is the major component of Suzhou garden.In the central part of the garden
stands a man-made mountain and a shore of an artificial lake, also it is
possible to find and see a long scroll of traditional Chinese painting, this
work was realized by more than hundred calligraphers of the different dynasties
as Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing, which describe and tell the evolutionary
course of Chinese calligraphy of 1,000 year.In the southwest part of the garden
exist many attractive buildings such as the Hanbi Moutain Villa, the Pellucid
Tower, the Green Shade Pavilion, the Zigzag Stream Tower, the Hao Pu Pavilion,
and the Refreshing Breeze Pavilion by the lake.In the oriental part of the
garden exists formations of twisted Taihu limestone rock formations, bordered
by beautiful meandering paths decorated with mosaics of animals and birds. Also
it is possible to observe that in the western side of Yuan Liu's garden mimics
a woody glen.A small entry of the garden drives to several spaces of calmness
such as: The admirable Crane House, the Small Garden of Stone Forest, the
Return-to-Read Study in the east with the Celestial Hall of Five Peaks as the
chief structure are laid out in such a way that the indoor spaces have been
brought into perfect harmony with the outdoor spaces. With an evocation of
infinite, which were satisfactorily done to be labyrinthine.
Flaming Mountain
The Flaming Mountain is located in north Turphan Basin
of Xinjiang Province. The Flame Mountain starts from Langan Quicksand River of
Shanshan County and ends at the Peach Channel in the Turpan Basin.It lies 10 km
east of Turpan city, covering about 100 km from east to west with a width of 9
km. The average height is 500m, but the high peak (831 meter) rises above
Shengjinkou, a vital pass of the ancient city of Gaochang. The mountain is
combination of red sand and rocks that makes the mountain looks like a red
dragon sleeping on the area basin.If you look the mountain from a distance,
under the sunlight, the heat wave and the floating clouds will make you have
the illusion that the mountain is on fire as tongues of fire. Every summer when
the sun shines, the mountain could reach 80°C in temperature. A huge
thermometer at the centre of the Flaming Mountain Museum will show you how hot
it is. People from Xin Jiang Province said, "You can fry eggs in the sand
and bake the bread in the wilderness". In winter, when the snow falls, the
mountain will remain its appearance without any snow or ice on it.At the foot
of the mountain are several hidden valleys that contrast with the desert that
surrounding the mountain. The natural conditions of these valleys, which abound
with various plants and trees, are quite different. The most famous ones
include Grape Valley, Peach Valley, Wood Valley and Shengjinkou Valley.Many
clear spring water flows out of the ground are used to irrigate the entire
valley. People live in the area depend on those springs, they also use it to
farm lands and grow crops like grapes, peach, melon etc. This green valley is
rich with waters, villages and sweet tasting fruits, the valley are likes a
green precious stone lying in the gate of the red flaming hills, the views are
magnificent.In addition to this, there are other scenic spots inside the Flame
Mountain Tourist Zone including the Shengjinkou Canyon, Horse Fastening Stake,
Foot Resting Stone, the Group Sculpture of the Pilgrimage of Xuanzang. The
grotto and fresco of Tang Dynasty and Han Dynasty and other cultural sites and
so on.In the commercial area you can find crafts people with a wide range of
products that celebrate the cultural, folk, regional folk memory. Souvenir like
knives, hats, flowers, palm leaves, fans, thermometers, etc..
Red Hill
Red Hill, also known as Tiger Head Hill or Tiger Head
Peak, is considered a symbol of Urumqi, owing to its uniqueness; it is located
at the heart of the city and the mountain peak stands 1391 meters above sea
level.When the sunlight hits the hills of Hongshan, the rocks of the mountain
reflected a bright red color, so that people call it Hongshan ("Red
Mountain"). It is 1.5 kilometers long, one kilometer wide and 1 km wide
from east to west with an altitude of 910 meters above sea level. On the
opposite side less than 1 km away from the Red Hill is Yamalik Hill.There used
to be a number of historical sites on the hill. As early as the time of the
nomadic Oyrat Tribe, an "Ebo" was built at the top of the hill;
"Ebo" is the name for a kind of cairn used by the tribesmen to
worship and offer sacrifice to their gods.The park is a pleasant place to
visit. You can see it for the first time since the moment you enter this modern
city, Urumqi. The view from the mountaintop of the surrounding mountains and
breathtaking climb worth while.
Elephant Trunk Hill
Elephant Trunk Hill is located in the city center, on
the western bank of Li River Scenery. The Elephant Hill sits in the point where
Guilin Peach River joining to the Li River. Elephant Trunk Hill is regarded as
the symbol of Guilin. Originally named "Li Hill", "Yi Hill"
and "Chenshui Hill". The hill is 3.6 hundred million years old.The
name was chosen because the shape of the hill is just like an elephant drinking
from the Li River with its trunk. The clear and green water of Li River at the
foot make Elephant Trunk Hill one of the most famous hills in Guilin City. Of
course, all the great limestone formations in Guilin and down the Li River
resemble someone or something; you only need to have a good imagination.Shui
Yue Cave (Water Moon Cave) is between the trunk and the legs, which is a
semi-round cave penetrated by water. The inverted reflection of the cave in
water plus the part above forms a full moon, this phenomenon is unique. There
are over 70 inscriptions carved in the cave from the Tang and Song dynasties
were found on the walls in and around this cave, praising the beauty of hills
and waters nearby. Visitors can pass through the cave by boat.Another cave
regarded as the eyes of the elephant lies in the hillside. It provides tourists
an ideal location to enjoy the panoramic view of Guilin. The pagoda looks like
a precious vase on the back of an elephant seen from distance and many
beautiful legends about the pagoda with good wishes are said among people.There
is an island out in the Li River called Love Island. It is a beautiful little
island covered with bamboo groves and dedicated to lovers. It has many winding
paths, and many stone statues dedicated to love and it is a good place to relax
and spend some time with special someone.On calm days, this giant elephant is
reflected on the mirror-like surface of the river and in the evening, when
viewed under a moonlit sky, the hill creates a lasting and magical impression.
