The beautiful park in Guilin - Seven Star Park
Seven Star Park(Qi Xing Park), which locates on the eastern side of the Li River, is the largest comprehensive and most beautiful park in Guilin Guilin tourscovering an area of over 120 hectares. With elegant mountains, miraculous stone forest, deep and serene valleys, valued cultural relics, clear water and plentiful animals and plants, here becomes very popular since the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) Dynasties. It got its name from the seven peaks that are supposed to resemble the star pattern of the Big Dipper constellation.
The main sights contain Flower Bridge, Putuo Mountain, Seven Stars Cave (at the Putuo Hill), Camel Hill, Crescent Mountain, Guihai Stele Forest and Light of China Square.
Flower Bridge
Flower Bridge China travel service, which was built in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), is the oldest bridge in Guilin. It got the name because it is set off with blooming flowers and the streams in every spring and summer.
Putuo Mountain
Putuo Mountain, which is the main body of the park, is rich with caves, pavilions and valuable tablets; meanwhile, it is the place where Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is worshiped. Xuanfeng Cave lies at the southwestern foot of the mountain; Putuo Jingshe, a 2-storey pavilion, locates at the halfway up the mountain; Seven Stars Cave, which is located at the west belly of the mountain, is rich in various stalactites, stalagmites and stone pillars formed by the dissolved limestone. Turning right and go on climbing the mountain, you will see the Tomb of the Three Generals and the Tombs of 800 Heroes. Moreover, on the top of this mountain, there are Putuo Stone Forest, Xuanwu Pavilion and Zhaixing Pavilion.
Camel Hill
Camel Hill, which lies behind Putuo Mountain, is really like a squat camel, hence the name. Camel Hill is rich in Plum trees, for during the Ming Dynasty, a hermit has once been lived here and grew a large number of plum trees. The best traveling season to here is spring, when the full- blown plum blossom together with the rays of the sunrises or sunsets, which drapes the hill with a gorgeous glow. This is also one of the Ten Scenes of Guilin. Besides, there are bonsai gardens, a zoo and teahouses around this hill.
Crescent Mountain
Crescent Mountain, which is located to the south of putuo Mountain Shopping in China, gets the name for the crescent-shaped stone at its belly. You can see Banyue Pavilion, Crescent Rock and Guanghan Pavilion when walking along the stone steps. Guihai Stele Forest, which is located at the southwestern foot of this mountain, has over 220 tablets on the themes of politics, economy, culture and military affairs in forms of poems, posies, couplets and images. The characters in the tablets are inscribed in regular script, cursive script, seal characters and clerical script. Moreover, Guilhai Stele Forest contains Longyin Cave, Longyin Rock etc. this mountain is also reputed for its maigre food, such as the Nun Noodles, which has a history of over 100 years.
Light of China Square
Light of China Square, which is located between Putuo Mountain and Crescent Mountain, boasts two craftworks, one is the the mural which is made up of over 100 stone carvings epitomizing the 5,000 years China’s civilization. The other is the 4.6 meters high Shi Ji Bao Ding (the precious Ding of the century) which symbolizes the flourishing country and people live in peace.
Climate in Guilin is very pleasant in all season, so travel to Guilin and enjoy these scenic spots at any time of year will be nice.
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Travel Expereince to Zhaojue Temple, Chengdu
The Zhaojue Temple is situated in Qinglongchang in the north suburb of Chengdu, Sichuan Province China tour deals, close to Chengdu Zoo. It is one of the key Buddhist temples in China and an important place for Buddhist activities, and has been known as the “No. 1 Zen Buddhist Temple in Western Sichuan”.
?The
Zhaojue Temple, dating back to the 7th century, was first constructed
in the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty named it
Zhaojue. During the early Qing Dynasty, it underwent extensive
reconstruction under the supervision of Po Shan, a famous Buddhist monk,
with waterways and groves of trees being established around the temple.
In 1703, Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty granted a plaque to the
Zhaojue Temple with an inscription: “Strict and Dignified Dharma Realm”.
Facing south, the ancient temple is surrounded by fields, with green mountains in a distance. Old and tall pines, cypresses and bamboo grow luxuriantly in the temple, and the halls are tucked away in the woods. The main architectural structures along the central axis include the front gate, Octagonal Pavilion China best tours, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Hall of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the Mahavira Hall, and a depository for sacred Buddhist sutras.
Over the past 1,000 years or so, the Zhaojue Temple has occupied an important position in the Buddhist history of China, given birth to a number of eminent monks and made outstanding contributions to the cultural exchanges between China and other countries. Many Buddhist temples in Japan and Southeast Asia regard it as the ancestral place. Mr. Zhang Daqian, a famous painter of the modern era, once lived in the temple where he devoted himself to the study of painting art and created a great number of precious works of art.
Today Zhaojue Temple is not only famous as a Buddhist temple but also famous for its tranquility and peaceful environment. Its grounds are quieter and more spread out than at Chengdu’s other temples popular China travel package.
Travel Tips:
Address: No.333 Zhaoqing Road, Chenghua District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
Zhaojue Temple is about 5km away from Chengdu city centre. Loads of buses run to the nearby Zhaojue bus station from around town. Cycling there is possible.
Zhaojue Temple is located right next to the Chengdu Zoo, and not far from a center dedicated to research on Chengdu’s most famous residents, the Giant Pandas.
Inside the Zhaojue Temple, there is a nice vegetarian restaurant.
Located in Taoping Township of Lixian County in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, about 163 kilometers from Chengdu, the Taoping Qiang Village is regarded as the “Mysterious Oriental Castle”, and it is the best-preserved “living fossil” of Qiang architectural culture and art in the world.
Qiang minority is one of the oldest ethnic groups in China. Communities are generally comprised of 30-100 households, forming “fortress villages”. Their stone structures, bamboo rope bridges and water control technology are very unique. The Taoping Qiang Village is a typical example of the Qiang architectural art.
The Taoping Qiang Village was built in 111 BC, with a history of more than 2,000 years. It was constructed in line with the landform of the mountain, with the Zagunao River running in front of the village. The architectural complex is the integration of stone towers and dwellings. Among all the buildings, the watchtower (called Diaolou in Chinese) is the landmark of the Qiang village. There are three watchtowers in the village, among which the two nine-story watchtowers of about 30 meters are the tallest buildings and the core of the village. The edges of the watchtowers look sharp and straight as if they were cut with a knife; and the surface of the walls are smooth, solid and durable. Standing aloft there for thousands of years, the ancient watchtowers are alive with history, where bright yellow corn on the cobs hang from the roofs.
All the civilian residences of the Qiang people were built with stone and connected with each other by crisscrossed paths and roads, which make the village more cryptic. The Qiang houses usually have?2-3 or?4-5 stories, with a narrow wooden staircase. Livestock is kept on the first floor, and the living room, bedrooms and kitchen are on the second and the third. The fourth is used for storage and the fifth is a place of worship where white stones are arranged upon which sacrifices are offered.
Entering the village lanes, you may think that each house is separated. But when you stand on the house roof, you will find that all the houses are connected by the roofs. The whole village?is built just like a maze, presenting a layout of houses adjoining houses with access to one another. In the village, there are 8 entrances and exits radiating from the two highest watchtowers and the 8 entrances and exits are linked to 13 alleys leading to each household, forming a comprehensive communications network. Local people can come and go easily, but it is difficult for strangers to come in and out without the guidance of villagers.
Below the village China vacation deals is the old, complicated and highly effective underground water network. The ancestors of the Qiang people built underground ditches to divert water to every household; water is simply fetched by lifting the stone slab on top. This water network serves as a perfect fire-fighting facility as well as a safe underground passageway. When strolling in the village, you can hear the sound of underground flowing water.
The Taoping Qiang Village top China tours is a primitive Qiang village, featuring unusual Qiang customs and lifestyle.
The Qiang people abide by strict taboos with regards to birth and
death. Strangers are not allowed in the house for 3-7 days following the
birth of a baby, and a flail or bamboo basket for boys and girls
respectively is hung on the gatepost as a signal. To name the newly-born
baby is an important event for Qiang people, and normally a grand
baby’s naming ceremony will be held when the baby is one month old. When
visiting the Taoping Qiang Village, the Qiang Cuisine, Qiang Embroidery
and folk songs and dances will lead you to the history, folk customs
and culture of the Qiang ethnic group.
Travel Tips:
Qiang women are good at embroidery, and the art of Qiang-style
embroidery has been handed down for over 1,000 years. The embroidered
wallets, handbags and local costumes make ideal souvenirs and gifts.
Transport:
You can take bus from the Chengdu Chadianzi Passenger Station to Wenchuan County popular China tour package,
and there are buses to Lixian County, which will pass the Taoping Qiang
Village. Mini buses run regularly from the county town of Wenchuan to
Taoping.
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The Five-Pagoda Temple is situated about 200 meters to the northwest of Beijing Zoo last minute China travel deals. Its original name, the Temple of True Awakening (Zhenjuesi), was later changed to the Temple of Great Righteous Awakening (Dazhengjuesi). Today, however, it is popularly referred to as the Five-Pagoda Temple.
The structure of the five pagodas is known in Buddhist terminology as the "diamond throne pagoda" style, wherein five small pagodas stand on a large square foundation known as the "throne." This architectural form was introduced to China by an Indian monk in the early 15th century, and the Temple of True Awakening was constructed here in 1473. The entire temple complex, including numerous wooden buildings, was repaired and renovated in 1761, but in the late Qing Dynasty it was looted and burned to the ground, first by the Anglo-French Allied Armies in 1860, and again by the Eight-Power Allied Force in 1900. Today, the only extant relic is the monumental diamond throne pagoda best tours of China.
The
architectural style of the temple is no mere imitation of its Indian
prototype, but displays bold innovations: the height of the throne
foundation was raised, the height of the pagodas was reduced, and
typical Chinese glazed tiles were added.
The square throne foundation is 17 meters high. The five pagodas rise
from their rectangular bases on top of this foundation, one in each of
the four corners and the fifth in the center. The central pagoda is
slightly higher than the others, with 13 eaves, two more than those in
the corners. The entire structure is made of white marble. Today, after
more than 500 years of oxidation, the flecks of iron in the stone have
given the entire structure a pale orange cast.
The four walls of the foundation are carved with rows of Buddhas (the One Thousand Sagacious Buddhas) as well as bas-reliefs of Buddhist symbols, floral designs and Sanskrit letters. The five pagodas popular China travel package are also covered with similar carvings on a small scale.
A door at eh foot of the foundation on the southern side opens into an inner spiral stairway that leads to the top pf the foundation.
There are a total of six "diamond throne pagodas" in China. Two others are in Beijing in the Temple of the Azure Clouds (Biyunsi) and the Yellow Temple (Huangsi). One is in Huhehot in Inner Mongolia; another in Kunming, Yunnan Province, in the Miaozhan (Profundity) Temple; and one is in Zhengding, Hebei Province, in the Guanghui (Universal Beneficence) Temple.
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Lying oLying on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, Yuejianglou Tower China tour deals is located in the northwest of the city. Combined with more than 30 historic relics in the park, the region has been listed as one of the 4-AAAA National Tourist Attractions and is one of the four most well-known towers in China.
The Yuejianglou Tower, meaning “the
tower for viewing the river”, is on the summit of Shizishan Hill (Lion
Hill) that is 78 meters in height. In Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the
first Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang defeated his enemy, the King Cheng Youliang,
in this area. After establishing his Empire, the emperor ordered to
build a tower on the summit of the hill China best tours
to celebrate his victory and view the panoramic magnificent landscape
of the river. However, his scheme never came into reality due to
unidentified factors. In 2001, the local municipal government finally
fulfilled the project of Zhu Yuanzhang and the tower, with its
magnificent architectures, opened to the public.
The tower is an architectural complex and has seven stories with a
total height of 52 meters. It was designed and constructed based on the
current understanding for structures and styles that were popular in the
Ming Dynasty.
Climbing to its top storey, a stunning view of the broad Yangtze River Yangtze River tour with all splendid landscapes nearby will suddenly appear in the front of you.
Comments
For a bird view of Yangtze River and nearby landscapes, this is a place to go.
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Located on the Lianhua Ocean of Zhoushan Archipelagoto the east of Hangzhou GuIf, Mt. Putushan China vacation deals covers an area of only 12.5 square kilometers. This island and the surrounding group of islands are all submerged mountains that rise steeply from the sea. Mt. Putuoshan Sceinic Spot had 82 temples and other religious buildings all around it.
There are many wonderful scenic sites on the island, including "
Temples and Golden Sands", " Exotic Rocks", "Tide Sounds?and "Mirage"
which are callad Five Putuo Beautie, and" Lotus Pool's Night" , "Pantuo
Evening GIow", " Duanyin Sacred Site" etc top China tours. which are caIled Ten Famous' Sites. So it is known as " the Buddahist Kingdom amidst the Sea and Sky".
Mt. Putushan is one of China's four Buddhist Sacred Mountains popular China travel package
and has a long history in 916 A.D. It began toenshrine Guanyin, and in
1214, It was designated to perform Buddhist rites especially enshrining
Guanyin. The main scenic spots are three large temples named PujiFayu
and HuijiPurple Bamboo Forost Da Cheng Monastry Guanyins Footstep and
mount Luojia. There are Over 500 monks and nuns In the mountain.and
pilgrims over one million evey year. On Guanyins Three Festivals(19th of
February, June and September In Chinese lunar calendar), pilgrims
gather here like tide.
Besides the many temples, the island is also lush in vegetation and a profusion of forests, all flourishing in the warm and humid climate. Amidst such an environment, a stroll around the mountain or an immobile day at the beach are equally attractive.
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The Five-dragon pool is Now located at the Five-dragon Pool Park affordable China tours in the North of Luoyuan Bridge. It forms the Five-dragon Pool spring group together with the other 28 springs including Tianjing Spring, Seventy-three Spring, Ximizhi Spring, Dongmizhi Spring, Yueya Spring, Jing Spring, Congming Spring, and so on.
The Five-dragon Pool is the deepest spring among all in Jinan best tours of China.
It has very beautiful surrounding sceneries. In 1985, the government
built it as a park and laid out its structures again. With slowly
flowing water and elegant environment, it has become one of the greatest
views in the city.
Five Dragon Pool is one of several locations that contribute to Jinan's
fame for its natural springs. Often overlooked by visitors because it
is sandwiched between Da Ming Lake to the north and Baotu Spring Park to
the south, Five Dragon Pool is a very popular spot where locals often
come to relax. Citizens of Jinan come here to enjoy the scenery,
practice tai-chi, or to fill bottles with natural water from the springs
for later consumption.
Five Dragon Pool is located at the west end of Quancheng Lu and across the street from Baotu Spring Park. More specifically it is on the northwest corner of Puli Road and Baotuquan Bei Lu.
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Jingdezhen Ceramic History Museum affordable China travel packages is located in the Panlong Mountains, outside the city ofJingdezhen in Jiangxi Province. Panlong means 'curling dragons,' and the location of the museum is an ancient site for ceramic production in China that used the mountainsides for what are known as dragon kilns. The museum was built in 1980.
The earliest ceramics at Jingdezhen trace their history back more than 1,700 years, but the height of the fame and technology of Jingdezhen kilns came during the reigns of Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong in the Qing dynasty.
In addition to
continuing the traditions of earlier successful glazes and techniques,
many new forms of ceramic technology were invented here. Some are
celebrated overseas, although few foreigners know their source. All of
these are on display at the museum. The architecture of the Museum is in
Ming and Qing style: buildings include display halls top China tours, workshops, glazing areas, stores, residences, a library, administrative areas, and other structures.
The'Qing garden is one group of buildings within the museum area popular China tour package.
It lies in a secluded and quiet forested valley. It copies a famous
Qing-dynasty structure called the Yuhua Tang, with traditional
construction and carving. The decor is simple and elegant, and the
building contains some ancient stone horses as well as some of the
ceramics described below. What attracts most attention at this
Jingdezhen Ceramics History Museum are the exhibits of valuable ancient
ceramics and the demonstrations of handicrafts by which these ceramics
were originally made.
In the great hall of the Yuhua Tang some of these valuable ceramics are on display. They include recently excavated examples of Ming-dynasty pieces from the reigns of Yongle and Xuande. The glazes are lustrous and soft, the pieces are dated with reign marks and are masterpieces of the art at the time, with tremendous artistic as well as scientific research value.
In neighboring simple and unadorned handicrafts workshops, craftsmen use ancient implements to demonstrate traditional arts. Focusing single mindedly on making beautiful replicas, they demonstrate the entire process of creating ceramics. More than 150 older artisans, together with a younger generation that is carrying on the tradition, can be seen kneading clay, fashioning vessels, applying underglazes. The production process is basically the same as was recorded in Ming and Qing period histories. The workshops are themselves works of art, for they are replicas of the ancient ceramics craftsmen's actual architecture. The entire presentation represents the most complete set of handicrafts systems that has been come down to us from the Qing dynasty.
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The Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse is situated in the middle of the ornamental lake nearby the Nine Zigzag Bridge that brings you to the entrance to the Yuyuan Garden China vacation deals, one of the hottest tourist spots in Shanghai. This teahouse is the oldest teahouse in Shanghai as well as the symbol of Old Shanghai. It is also one of the most famous teahouses in China.
So many stories about Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse are being told by older generations. It is said that before 1950s, teahouses were everywhere on the streets, gathering people to spend their leisure time. However, such teahouses which represented a slow life style started to disappear, especially in the central business areas in the city. There is one exception, though, the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse.
The Mid-Lake Pavilion China best tours
was designed to be an integral part of Yuyuan Garden when it was
initially built during the Ming Dynasty. It has been serving as a
teahouse since 1855. Over 150 years passed, the aroma of tea is still
swirling around the peaceful two-storey pavilion. The all-wood
construction doesn’t include even one iron nail. The jointing parts are
fit together by bamboo wedges, which is quite astonishing.
The morning tea here is the most popular. Every early morning, regular
guests show up at Mid-Lake Pavilion and prefer taking seats by the
windows. Coming in small groups, they were strangers first, but they
became friends after years of spending the mornings together. The window
seats are so popular that the later-arrived have to sit and chat around
the Baxian table (an old-fashioned square table for eight people). You
will be amazed by the wide-ranging topics that are heated discussed
around the tables. Though a little bit noisy, the teahouse is a
beautiful morning view of the city.
When the seats on the first floor are all occupied, you can go upstairs. Same as the first floor, the second floor has the charming Chinese antique look, with rich old-fashioned air filling up the elegant spaces. Seats by the windows with a view of the lotus pool are placed next to round marble tables engraved with Chinese-style clouds and water. Opening the small window, you will get an entire view of Yuyuan Garden and the ancient pavilions partly hidden in old trees. Looking far, you will be impressed by the skyscrapers on the other side of Huangpu River Yangtze River tour. It is fantastic when the views of the old days and modern times both come into sight.
In the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse, you can have high-class tea and taste delicious snacks such as preserved plums and small glutinous rice dumplings, while enjoying the tea ceremony or listening to traditional Chinese music. The reputation of the teahouse attracts not only the local tea-lovers, but also special guests from all over the world. Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ has dropped in for tea when she visited Shanghai in 1986.
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Fuzhou Catholic Church, namely, Fuzhou San Josee Cathedral last minute China travel deals, is located in Lingzhishan Road, the east of Wenchang Bridge of Fuzhou City, has been built up in the 34th year of GuangXu in Qing Dynasty. (A.D.1908) and been completed in 1918. The whole church covers an area of 3850 square metre. The building covers 2109 square metre. This is a Cathedral of the Gothic order,a pointed arch and pinnacle edifice which is decorated by black brick, red stone and white granite with light white line in bright colours.
There are a Bell Tower and a Tower
on both sides of the church facade. The Bell Tower is up to 28.4 meters
with a gate and two small doors. There are high pointed-window,
large-scale white rose, copper cross and stone-inscription niche on the
gate. The solemn statues like Jesus, Virgin Mary, Joseph, and angel
statue have been set in the niche. There is a gate respectively at the
back of the church in the east and west. In front of the two gates,
there is a tower in the north and south respectively. The church is
elegant and grand. 58 heavy and strong red Corinth posts stand in the
inner of the church. The dome is 15.3 meters away from the floor, the
vault framework tendons scatter from the top just like the empty vault
covers the whole inner space China best tours
. On the central niche of the church, there are Joseph, Jesus, and
Virgin Mary statues. The church walls are decorated by 14,200 pieces of
colorful glassed windows.
The highest colorful window is 13.5 meters that embodied sufficiently
people hope to seek the bright life after 12 century. Fuzhou Catholic
Church manages the religion affairs of 6 counties including Le’an,
Yihuang, Chongren, Linchuan, Dongxiang and Jinxi popular China travel package.
Meanwhile, it has established Zhenhua primary school, Dehua primary
school, Zhenguang middle school, the old people’s hall and hospital and
other charity and education projects. San Josee Convent has been
established in Shangdundu Town of Linchuan at that time. During the
Anti-Japanese War period, the church suffered havoc due to the Japanese
battleplane booming.
In the Autumn1951, Priest Huang Ke’ai has been deported because he disobeyed the Chinese policy and decree. During “The Great Culture Revolution” period, all the altas and statues in the church had been smashed. The church had been taken as the storehouse or classroom by the factory or school. The building had been damaged.
In 1982, it returned Catholic Church according to the Party’s religion policy, In October 1985, the concerning departments of the state, the province and the city appropriated funds to repair the building that it has been completed in November 1987. On 8th December 1987, the local government held ceremonious ceremony for resuming the church and arranged the professional priest to carry out Mass and other religion activities every day. From 2003 to 2004, Priest Li Suguang has made great efforts to promote provincial Catholic Patriotic Union to support repairing and decorating the church again.
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Menglian Xuanfu Sishu affordable China tours commonly known as the Department of Menglian Chieftain House, four years before now designated LO (1406).
At that time, Dai sliced bread knife delivery to the Kyoto tribute to the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, LO Dili closure, "Meng commander lawsuit" title, and give Guanfu, Kam section.
Qing Emperor Kangxi 1959 (170), the supervisors sent knife-Gong Beijing, the Qing Dynasty was sealed "Menglian hereditary Division will ask," and the Indian delegation, Guanfu, such as family flag.
Is preserved Xuanfuci Department top 10 China tours, is five years Guangxu (1879) reconstruction.
Before the 1950 rule Menglian 800 years, a total of 28 Chieftain's
knife and live here. Housing Department, a total of three, covering 1.2
million square meters, is a magnificent old buildings, antique and
unique, the original main hall, the Chamber after the Chamber, car
floor, the doors appear, barn, a kitchen, Prison construction. The main
building of the Chamber, three-column Chongdanxieshanding stem buildings
popular China tour package,
23.2 meters long, 16.1 meters wide and 10.2 meters high, is the Yunnan
border ethnic regions 18 Chieftain Fuchu retain good a whole eaves,
carved-beam painting extremely attractive, both Dai-Zhulou
characteristics of the Han nationality have architectural styles,
Dai-building is the excellent fusion masterpiece, the performance of
ethnic minorities beautiful building exquisite artistry.
1965, the Yunnan Provincial People's Government for approval of the provincial key units to be protected.
In 1984, according to authorities, it set up a national Menglian County Museum of History
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Drum Song of Peking is a Chinese traditional art of Quyi (Chinese folk art forms affordable China travel packages) performance which is cored with singing and supplemented with story telling. It originated in Beijing and Tianjin regions and was spread far and wide in Hebei Province as well as some regions in North China and Northeastern China.
Drum Song of Peking took shape in the early
20th century. On the basis of "Drum song of wooden panel" prevalent in
Hebei Province, some famous artists of Gushu (Chinese ballad with drum
accompaniment) including Liu Baoquan, Hu Shi, Song Wu and Huo Mingliang
jointly absorbed aria of Peking Opera and local folk canzonet of Beijing
and then sang the songs in Beijing dialect. In the meanwhile, a set of
performing postures were formed with the accompaniment of Sanxian (a
three-stringed plucked instrument), Sihu (Four-stringed bowed lute) and
Pipa (a plucked string instrument with a fretted fingerboard). This Quyi
art - Drum Song of Peking was hereby originated popular China travel package.
Liu Baoquan was reputed as "The King of Drum Performance" by virtue of
his preeminent contribution to Drum Song of Peking and his great
artistic achievements.
In the form of singing, drum playing and story telling by one person ,
Drum Song of Peking is featured by combination of talking and singing.
Also, the performance is accompanied by big Sanxian (three-stringed
Chinese guitar), Sihu (Four-stringed bowed lute) and Pipa (a plucked
string instrument with a fretted fingerboard), with the singer playing
drum to control the cadence. The songs are mainly short works such as
the traditional ones - Changbanpo Slope￡?Zhao Yun's Interception in
River, To Borrow Arrows with Thatched Boats, and Sacrificing Qing Wen.
There are also some lyric scenery describing cantlets including Late 2nd
Earthly Branch and Early 3rd Earthly Branch and A Boat in Wind and Rain
top 10 China tour packages
After the founding of New China, Drum Song of Peking has undergone continuous development, with new changes taking place in aria and performance. In addition to the preserved traditional songs, many new songs are created by the aged artists and many excellent young performers are nurtured in order to carry on the traditional Quyi art.
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The Site of Pingying Regiment of Sanyuanli is in an ancient temple north of Sanyuanli Village in Guangzhou City of Guangdong Province China vacation deals.
After
the Opium War broke out in June 1840, the British invaders continuously
launched campaigns against Southeast China's coastal areas. In May
1841, the British army approached Guangzhou City top 10 China tours,
and seized hold of the emplacement in the north of the city. They often
came out to disturb the people, irritating the masses in Guangzhou. On
the morning of May 29, the British army plundered in Sanyuanli. The
entire village quickly gathered on the level ground in front of the
ancient temple. They resolved to fight against them. Afterwards, they
allied with the crowd in No. 103 Township, and fought together with them
under the banner of the Pingying Regiment. First, they allured the
enemy to Niulangang, where nearly 10,000 people hid. They took the
advantage of foothill and assaulted the enemy quickly. They annihilated
over 200 enemies. The surrounded enemy fled helter-skelter to the
emplacement when the reinforcing army arrived. The mass troop chased
after them, and besieged the emplacement. The British army was forced
back to the sea. The Battle of Resistance Against the British Army in
Sanyuanli was the first victory of spontaneous fight of the Chinese
people. It demonstrated the valor of the Chinese people in the fight
against the imperialism and feudalism, and ushered in the democratic
revolution.
After 1949, the government built the Site of Pingying Regiment in the
ancient temple of Sanyuanli into a base for the patriotic education. The
Sanyuan Temple, the source and headquarters for the battle, had been
rebuilt to a memorial where the historical data of the battle was
displayed.
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Jinan, the capital city of Shandong Province China travel deals on China's east coast, is the province's political, economic and cultural center with Taishan Mountain to the south and the Yellow River to the north. Jinan has jurisdiction over five districts (Lixia, Licheng, Huaiyin, Tianqiao and Shizhong), four counties (Changqing, Pingyin, Shanghe and Jiyang) and Zhangqiu City, and has a total area of 8,227 square kilometers and a population of 5.49 million, including 2.54 million urban people.
Due to its long history, Jinan has been
proclaimed by the State Council as a famous historical and cultural
city. As Jinan boasts a number of natural springs amid picturesque
scenery, it is well known as the "City of Springs" both at home and
abroad. The Top Four Springs are the Baotu Spring top 10 China tours,
the Black Tiger Spring, the Five Dragon Spring and the Pearl Spring.
The Daming Lake converged by the so many springs, together with the
surrounded One-Thousand-Buddha Mountain, the Lingyan Temple and the Five
Peak Mountain form unique scenery of Jinan.
Jinan has clearly demarcated seasons: dry spring, hot summer, cool
autumn and cold winter. Therefore, the best time to go to Jinan is from
May to November. However, the Baotu Spring with abundant water in spring
and the Daming Lake with snow in winter are both beautiful scenes popular China tour package.
There are many traditional festivals in Jinan throughout the year. The major ones are the Baotu Spring Lantern Gathering, the Rose Festival in Pingyin, the Lotus Festival of Daming Lake, and the Double Ninth Mountain Gathering of the One-Thousand-Buddha Mountain. The Shandong Cuisine, one of the four most famous cuisines of China, originated in Jinan. It wins its fame for its delicate fragrance, freshness and tenderness.
The special souvenirs of Jinan are the E-gelatin, the Black Pottery of Heishan, the sweet pancake in Licheng, and the embroidery, etc.
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Traditional Chinese Festival - Dragon Boat Festival
On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, it is the Dragon Boat Festival China travel deals. It is a traditional festival for Chinese people. On that day, people will eat Zong Zi, do dragon boat racing, and drink the Realgar wine. There are many legends regards its origin of the Dragon Boat Festival, and the most popular version is about Qu Yuan, a minister during the Warring States Period (475 - 221 B.C.)
Legend of the Dragon Boat Festival’s Origin:
Qu Yuan is an intelligent man served as a minister in Warring States Period. He was loved by the common people. He had different ideas from other officials on politics, so he earned more and more envy and anger of other officials. In the end, Qu Yuan was exiled for several years. On hearing that his country was defeated, he fell into despair and threw himself into the Miluo River.
As he was so loved by the people, on hearing this news, the local people took their boats trying to retrieve his corpse. They also threw Zong Zi into the river to feed fish so that they would not eat Qu Yuan’s body.
So, eating Zongzi and the dragon boat racing are two activities to commemorate the great man Qu Yuan.
The Traditions of the Dragon Boat Festival:
Starting from that time to this day, people commemorate Qu Yuan through Dragon Boat Races, eating zong zi, and several other activities, on the anniversary of his death: the fifth day of the fifth lunar month top 10 China tour packages.
Dragon Boat Racing
Dragon Boat races are the most exciting part of the festival, especially
in Southern part of China. Generally speaking, the dragon boats are
painted in bright colors, such as red, yellow, and green. It is normally
from 50 to 100 feet in length, and the boat’s head is shaped like an
open-mouthed dragon, and the boat’s end isshaped like a dragon’s scaly
tail. Depending on the boat’s length, 60 rowers can row the boat. A
drummer and a banner man will stand at the front of the boat. The
competition is so cut-throat. Every boat wants to be the number one. The
winner will get different prizes due to different places.
Eating Zong Zi
The most traditional food for the Dragon Boat Festival is Zong Zi popular China tour package, which is a glutinous rice ball, with different fillings, wrapped in bamboo leaves. The fillings can be egg, beans, dates, fruits, sweet potato, walnuts, mushrooms, meat, or a combination of them. The steamed Zong Zi is very delicious!
Drinking Xiong Huang Wine
As the Dragon Boat Festival is at the beginning of summer, when diseases are likely to strike, people also drink realgar wine to fend off bad things. Adults may drink Xiong Huang Wine, and children carry fragrant silk pouches, all of which can prevent evil.
If you have a chance to come to China in lunar May, don’t miss the festivity on this traditional festival – the Dragon Boat Festival.
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Travel Guide - Gangrenboqi Mountain
Gangrenboqi is located on the west of Tibet China travel deals, the most famous holy mountain in Tibet, which is reputed as the center of the world by Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Bon. It earned the reputation of the third highest point in the world because its average elevation is above 4,500 meters. Gangrenboqi Sacred Mountain (elevation of 6,656 meters) was labeled as the first sacred mountain by Tibetan ethnic group. Gangrenboqi Mountain peak is often surrounded by white cloud and is very difficult to get a glimpse of its true looks.
The peak is covered with snow all year round. The vision and mind power is shocking when you ascend the peak. The distribution of the four walls of the peak is in bright symmetry and the round crown resembling pyramid. To date, it is still an unconquered mountain. Gangrenboqi is perceived as the Sacred Mountain by most people.
At the same time, it was
perceived as the centre of the world by Hindu, Tibetan Buddhism, Tibet
primary religion Ben and Gumaona Buddhism. Gangrenboqi's meaning is
“Sacred Mountain” in Tibetan and 'Hindu Lord's Heaven" in Sanskrit. It
was also the origin of Ben Buddhism. On the way, there are surpassingly
beautiful peaks, magnificent Gangrenboqi Mountain immediately ahead and
religious pilgrims, enjoying breathtaking scenery and experiencing local
customs top China tours
and sacred culture. On the elevation of over 4,700 meters, it’s a great
risk and ordeal for hikers. Thus, you’d better prepare suitable warm
clothes and enough high-calorie food.
Tibet is regarded as the roof of the world, and full of charm and
mystery. His charm lies not only in the original natural and exotic
strange natural beauty, but also because of his enigmatic history and
the god like religious cultural.
To some extent, if you understand the religion of Tibet popular China tour package, means you have learned about the history of Tibet. Gangrenboqi is the main peak of the Gangdese Mountains Trans Tibet.
Every year, pilgrims from India, Nepal, Bhutan and Mainland of China are flooded there. Circling around the mountain is the most common way used by pilgrims from different places. Pilgrimage to the mountain is a long-cherished wish in the life of a Buddhist or Hindu or Indian Jains. But after all I still have the chance to see the Gangrenboqi, the ideal kingdom of heaven for the prayers.
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Jinan is the large province of coastal economy of the east of China and is the provincial capital of Shandong China travel deals. It also remains the political, economic and cultural centre of the whole province. The best time to visit Jinan is between August and July where weather is at its best with low precipitation and warm temperatures. Whilst visiting Jinan there are some must see sights and below are the 5 top recommended sights!
1) Four Gate Pagoda
The Four Gates Pagoda (Chinese: 四门塔) is a Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD) stone Chinese pagoda located in central Shandong Province, China. It is thought to be the oldest remaining pavilion-style stone pagoda in China. The oldest extant brick-built pagoda in China is the 40-metre-tall (130 ft) Songyue Pagoda of 523 AD.
The Four Gates Pagoda is located at the foot of Qinglong Mountain, near Liubu Village, in Licheng District, under the administration of Jinan City, about 33 kilometers southeast of the city of Jinan proper. The pagoda is located to the east of the site of the Shentong Temple (Chinese: 神通寺), which was one of the most important temples in northern China at the time the pagoda was built but is now in ruins.
2) Daming Lake
Daming Lake Park covers a total area of 860,000 square meters (about 212 acres) of which the lake itself comprises of 460,000 square meters (about 113 acres). The six islands in Daming Lake contain flowers, trees and other plants flourishing amongst the various pavilions top 10 China tours. The lake is a center of activity and one can find fish leaping near yachts and boats.
In
summer, lotuses bloom uninhibitedly filling half of the park with its
fragrant scent. At the same time, willows circle the lake on three sides
and swing with the breeze, a scene for which Daming Lake is famous. The
centerpiece of the lake is a great man-made hectometer fountain built
in 1985. The fountain has 103 injectors, and the main injector can spout
water as high as 100 meters.
3) Baotu Spring Park
Beautiful Baotu Spring Park is located in the centre of Jinan City, and it is here that you will find the Baotu Spring popular China tour package. The park itself was originally established in 1956 and more recently has been extended to 158 mu (about 26 acres). This highly valued facility represents the symbol of Jinan City and is regarded as one of the three major places of interest in Jinan. This park is highly regarded as a well known scenic spot which makes an ideal location for admirers of wonderful natural springs, culture and various constructions.
The Baotu Spring Park has memorials of Li Kuchan, a master in traditional Chinese Painting, Wang Xuetao and Li Qingzhao. The park also holds performances of Peking Opera all year round. With ten cultural features, including the spring, rocks, opera performances, lanterns, chrysanthemum, calligraphy, paintings and stone tablets, the Baotu Spring Park has become a world famous tour spot.
4) Thousand Buddha Mountain
Thousand Buddha Mountain (Qianfo Mountain) is located about 2.5 kilometers southeast of the city at 285 meters above sea level. It is one of the three most famous scenic spots in Ji'nan and occupies an area of 166 hectares. During the early years of the Sui Dynasty (581-618), Buddhism became popular with people in the area and Buddhist disciples built many temples and carved numerous Buddhist statues on the rocks of the mountain, hence the name.
The Thousand Buddha Mountain Park, many objects were built, such as garden peach blossom, cableway, the strange slide ways, Yingfang garden, the eighteen disciples of Buddhas, sleeping Buddhas, stone garden, golf courses, waterfall, theatre, the picture of stone of the Shun garden.
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Luoping is located on north east of Kunming Kunming travel guide, near to the border of Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi provinces.Every spring,the place has become the Heaven for travel photography enthusiasts.They come here to take the most beautiful picture of the blooming rapeseed flowers.
Rapeseed flowers are planted all over the China. And with the different locations, the flowers bloom at different times.Luoping rapeseed farms are one of the largest scale in China.
The best place to enjoy rapeseed flowers:
Golden Rooster Hills:
Golden Rooster Hills is one of the most popular spots to enjoy the rapeseed flowers in Luoping.It is near to Luoping and vistors can take bus to Golden Rooster Hills affordable China tours.The scenery here is more attractive for far away from the hills.The rapeseed flowers farms seems vastness and magnificence.
NiuJie:
NiuJie
is situated at north of Luoping town. There are terraces in this
area.Not only the rapeseed flowers planted here,but also other species
like wheat and vegetables.It’s a stunning picture that a variety of
color interwoven with flowers.
Even though the farms are small here, this beautiful work of art still
make people amazing for it’s like an artist exquisitely drawing circular
rings on the ground.
Jiulong Waterfalls:
Jiulong Waterfalls is less famous than its neighbor, Huangguoshu Waterfall,but it still is known as one of the biggest and most beautiful waterfalls in China.Vistors can enjoy the great rapeseed flowers scenery above Jiulong Waterfalls.
Transportation:
By Train:There are trains from Kunming to Luoping. The Guangzhou-Kunming train stops at Luoping top 10 China tour packages.
By bus: Vistors can take regular bus from Kunming Dongju bus station to Luoping.
Best time to Luoping:
Rapeseed flowers season is from February to March.So the spring is the best season to Luoping.
What to buy in Luoping?
There are many local products vistors can buy in Luoping ,such as canola flower honey, tobacco, ginger, Collybia albuminosa, bamboo shoots, Eucommia tea, vegetable oil, old factory wine and others.
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I had planed to go to Anchang Ancient Town during my China trip to Shaoxing, a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang, China. It is said that Anchang is a good place to dream
Anchang Ancient Town is located in the northwest of Shaoxing County. If start from the Shaoxing urban area, visitors can take the 118 bus at the Yuanmen Bridge, and get off at Anchang Hotel, and then walk to the ancient town, about 40 minutes. If go by car, please take a look at this route map.
As soon as walking into Anchang, you don’t see the bustling tourists buying tickets around the ticket center. Maybe you will be a little bit disappointed because you cannot a little bit of outlook of old town there.
On a broken ancient stone bridge, walked quickly down the stone bridge, through another simple bridge, then you can see the real Anchang China vacation deals.
It’s
no need to buy the ticket to enter the town. But if you have to buy a
through ticket to visit the Sui Kang Banks, the site of Bank of China,
and other scenic spots. The through ticket is RMB 35, sold at the ticket
booth next to the Chenghuang Hall.
I didn’t rush to the town. Instead, I took a Black-Awning boat at the
pier and into the town along the waterway. I was sitting in the boat,
sailing through a stone bridge, and feeling as if through sections of
history, straight back to the early time of the ancient town. The
Anchang stone bridges are strange, simple and elegant, very special.
Among the large and small seventeen stone bridges, the most famous are
the Fuhong Bridge, Zhenfeng Bridge, and Shuang Bridge. Every bridge has
its own history China guide, and all the bridges string together the history of Anchang.
Walking slowly along the more than 1700 meters streets, you will see some men are making the sausages, some women are washing cloth by the river, and some old ladies are managing housework in the house, preparing a lunch for their family.
There are arbors along the street, even if in the hot summer, you would not have been baked by the sun; in a rainy day, you can still leisurely walk through the street. The shops on both sides of street are selling the necessity in the daily life for local people, of course, including the souvenirs.
Sausages hanging on the river bank are the special local products of Anchang. There are sausages all around the year at Anchang, but the ones made in winter are the best. In addition to the sausages, pulled sugar is also one of the specialties of Anchang.
You need to slow down the pace of walking while walking through Anchang, if there is enough time, the best to stay for one night in the town. If stay at Anchang, then the best to bring your own sleeping bags, after all, Anchang has not been developed, and inn conditions at the town is not very good.
It’s a must to take a Black-Awning boat if visiting Anchang for popular China tour package. It cost RMB 20 for each boat, which can take four persons, but if only one person, maybe the price can be lower.
Wuzhen Water Town is located in Zhejiang province affordable China travel packages and is an old town with a long history. Before we set off to Wuzhen , we searched for all the information about the town on the web. Wuzhen water town is separated into two places the east wing and the west wing. Also on the web I found many cheap guest houses which usually have 3 to 8 rooms. So we booked Uncle Xia’s guest house which is located in the east wing online.
Next day we travelled by bus from Shanghai to Wuzhen Water Town which took about one hour and thirty minutes. When we arrived, it was about 4pm , Uncle Xia was already waiting for us at the station exit. Uncle Xia helped with bags and sent us to West wing. Both the East and West wing required tickets which is available on that day the important thing is after 8pm there is no need buy tickets to go to the East wing.
We bought the tickets then took a free ferry to Andufang. This free ferry is a wooden boat which can take 20 to 30 per way ,the boatman only use the bamboo pole to push the boat ,so there is no noise and pollution,you only can hear the voice of the paddles strokes, pleasant talk and laughter.
When we arrived at Andufang top China tours,
the first scenic spot is Cloth dyeing workshop (photos below) which
demonstrates how to make the color cloth in ancient times, so there are
kinds of colors cloth on the outside ,and in the house ,there are many
old tools which make the color cloth.
We arrived on the main street, there were so many shops such as
Matchstick shop, cafed, tea houses and boutiques. All the buildings were
old and the town is surrounded by the river, so when you’re walking on
the street ,you will feel peace of your mind and like back to that old
time , end of the street ,there is a famous river named Beijing -
Hangzhou Canal ,when we arrive here it was already dark ,so we couldn't
see it clearly, but it felt magnificent that big boats could sail
between Beijing and Hangzhou with much supplies.
Tired after walking about 3 hours, you can have a dinner or go to bar street, both of them are a good choice popular China tour package. There are many restaurants and you can taste Cantonese food,hangzhou food ,noodles ,and so on .if you don’t know which one is better ,you can look around where is long queues where you can go. According to this, we choose a Wonton restaurant named Lao ma hun dun ,and we are the last guests at here and so lucky ,because there Wonton have sold out .I can never resist the temptation of Wonton which is almost as big as egg .
Bar street is busy most bars have their own band and even foreign bands. If you like the quite life you can have a drink at the river. After dinner, we had a night view ,then back to Uncle Xia’s house ,and meet uncle Xia at the west wing gate ,the next day ,we have visit the east wing which is really old and small than west wing and it is not have night view , but you can getting a bargain at east wing and all the things is cheaper than West wing. If you want send a postcard to your friend ,you can write it in advance and post it at the West wing which is located at the west wing center,because this is my first time to go to there ,so i don’t know ,and I only can pass the postcard to uncle Xia before I leave wuzhen water town ,he can help me to post it.
TAGS: China tourism
Macau Attractions - Ruins of St. Paul's and Monte Fort
Millions of domestic and foreigners are attracted to Macau every year since it is a charming port city with natural landslides as well as magnificent historic sites. Today we will typically focus on the must-see historic sites in Macau and get a better experience of the China trip to Ruins of St. Paul’s and Monte Fort.
The Ruins of St. Paul’s
The
Ruins of St. Paul’s, a church constructed in about 17th century, is
widely recognized as the landmark of Macau and a historical tourism
site. Also known as Sam Ba Sing Tzik, it is not fat from the well-known
Mount Fortress and Macau Museum. Designed by an Italian Jesuit, Ruins of
St. Paul’s was firstly built in 1580 and then underwent 3 terrible
fires and several reconstructions, leaving its glory a history finally.
It is made of white stones and full of exotic feelings. According to the
record, Ruins of St. Paul’s was mainly consisted of 3 gorgeous halls,
ranking as the largest Catholic Church in East Asia in the past. The
latest reconstruction of Ruins of St. Paul’s China tour deals
was in 1995. Nowadays religious artwork exhibitions are usually held in
the Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt, which add an extra religion
mysterious to this historic site.
I guess most travelers have taken pictures with the Ruins of St.
Paul’s, but seldom of them understand the remaining part of it. Here we
are going to illustrate it. The remaining part of Ruins of St. Paul’s is
filled with not only classic baroque elements, but also special
oriental characteristics. Three of the tiers are most decorated with
Madonna stands in the middle of the third tier and Jesus on the forth.
Apart from these statues, there stand stone lions, which represent
traditional Chinese Culture China guide. Thus the Ruins of St. Paul’s a combined treasure features both Western and Eastern architecture act.
Monte Fort
After visiting the Ruins of St. Paul’s, we are heading for the Monte Fort nearby. Monte Fort is a time-honored fort in Macau, which is built in the east part of the church. Constructed in about 1616, the fort was used to protect the Ruins of St. Paul’s, because the pirates were really horrible. The fort can be divided into 3 main parts, the Barrack, the cisterns and the storehouse. If you walk around the fort, you can easily find the cannons on the four sides, which make the Monte Fort stronger. As time goes by, it was destroyed in a fire and remained as ancient attraction for modern visitors. Additionally, the Monte Fort prevails for sightseeing as the landslides are really attractive. Standing on the platform, visitors can appreciate the charming views of Macau popular China tour package and feel reluctant to leave.
Travel tips: 1. the Monte Fort is available from 6:00 to 19:00 during May and September; 7:00 to 18:00 during October and April. 2. If you have enough time, pay a visit to the Macau Museum is a perfect choice. It is opened from Tuesday to Sunday.
Located in China's northwestern border，Xinjiang Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture Silk Road tourswas
established in 1954, including Tacheng, Altay two areas, and 10
subordinate counties. It is the only Autonomous Prefecture of either
jurisdiction area, but also jurisdiction over cities and counties. West
close to the Kazakhstan, and there is a largest trading port (Horgos
Port) in China land. The whole Prefecture has a total area of 350,000
square kilometers, and is known as a wet island in Central Asia or the
Southern Yangtze beyond the Great Wall for the abundant rainfall.
Ili, a vast territory with abundant resources, has a unique advantage. Huocheng County China vacation deals
is located in the Tianshan Mountains of Ili River Valley, here the same
latitude zone with world-famous lavender origin - France, Provence, the
climate and soil conditions are very similar, is really one of the few
suitable for the cultivation of lavender areas. The 1960s, the lavender
was the first time to be successfully transplanted to the Ili River
Valley. Up to now, the Ili River Valley has already acreage of 30,000
acres, and produces lavender dried flowers, essential oils; sachet,
including essential oil production reached more than 95 percent of
national output, and can be regarded as the largest lavender cultivation
base in China.
June is the most beautiful season of Ili, and the lavender culture has become the symbol of Ili for into the world. The brilliant purple fascinated with your eyes, elegant floral spoiled your sense of smell.
tags：popular China tours, China guide
What to Do in Dali
Located northwest of the Yunnan Province, 300 kilometers away from Kunming Kunming travel guide, Dali City Dali is the prefectural capital of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture.In the center of the city is the Erhai Lake which is very famous for its natural beauty.The city is surrounded by mountains on its east, west, and south.In spite of the picturesque surroundings,the city has a very unique cultural heritage for gathering 25 ethnic minorities.
Dali attracts a large number of visitors for its stunning scenery.The sights of Cangshan Mountains, Erhai Lake, Butterfly Spring and other historic relics, Jizu Mountain, Shibao Mountain and Weibao Mountain is wonderful.For all of these, Dali Ancient City is consider as "Backpackers' Paradise" in China.It attracts many foreign visitors stay here,some even live here for months or years.
Located in the center of ancient city,Yangren street (foreigner's street China travel deals) is a place full of foreign visitors.You can find cafes, western style restaurants, and clothes shops here.If you want to buy some souvenirs, Foreigners' Street is also a good place to buy marble art pieces and craft objects with low price and high quality.There are many crafts like local ethnic clothing, dyed cloth and hats.The quoted price is always 4 or 8 times higher than it really is,so you’d better bargain with the seller.
Here are some of things to do in Dali:
Hiking and Biking
The countryside around Dali Ancient Town top 10 China tour packages is a wonderful place for hing and biking.You can take a cycling tour around Erhai Lake or hike up to the Cangshan Mountai.The scenery on your way is stunning.
Three Cups of Tea
If you are offered Three Cups of Tea by the Bai people,you are honored. Three Cups of Tea is a traditional tea ceremony of Bai people,it represents a blessing to the drinkers.The tea is consist of one bitter tea, one sweet tea and one aftertaste tea,and served one after another. This ceremony wish you success and happiness.
Batik of the Bai People
Batik is an old way to dying cloth,only the people in China's remote regions still conducted.You can learn the whole complicated procedure here.It is one of important and significant parts in the local Bai people's life.
tags：popular China travel package
Chinese New Year Good Luck Food!
Food has a very important role in Chinese New Year affordable China travel packages! Do not be fooled by the simple dishes served as each has its hidden meanings! So eating the right foods can bring you good luck for the year of the snake! Now let’s take a peek at the lucky food list…
At the top of the list are Tangerines and Oranges, which symbolize wealth and good luck. In Chinese the word for Tangerines sounds like gold, therefore you will find Tangerines in most households during this celebratory season. A tip when choosing tangerines is to choose ones with leaves as the leaves symbolize longevity.
Now for an ultimate kick start to the New Year you definitely need to eat some Nian Gao (New Year Cake). The omen behind this little sweet dish is that each year will be more prosperous than the previous. The traditional Nian Gao is made of sticky rice flour and brown sugar which is steamed. For those with a more savory taste there is the radish cake, taro cake and the water chestnut cake which are equally delicious top 10 China tours.
Although fish is eaten all year round in China, it is still a very important dish on Chinese New Year. The meaning behind the fish is that you will have a surplus each year, so you definitely want to be eating more fish if you want to be raking in the money for 2013!
In the north of China dumplings (Jiaozi China guide) are eaten throughout the year, but during the Chinese New Year these delicious little parcels represent fortune and wealth due to its appearance resembling that of golden ingots. If you’re lucky you might even find a golden coin in one of your dumplings!
For all you candy lovers out there you will no doubt be able to spy sweets in all households during this period. You might have discovered these sweets are put into a peculiar swiveling box and bingo you’ve guessed it there is another meaning behind this. The box is known as “Quan He” this means unity and togetherness for this celebratory period.
These are just a few of the foods mentioned and you should keep your eyes out for many more other treats during the Chinese New Year!
tags: China tourism
Gu Shan Street with old stories
No. 47 is located in Gushan Street China vacation deals is an old shop. Shopkeeper was a old man named Yang, this year has more than seventy, he was originally a supply and marketing cooperatives retired workers after retirement to keep his life is too dull, they rented a supply club dressing room opened this old shop.
He operated are daily necessities, but so special is that his goods are now on the market are able to seek visible things, and he that covers the edges of all the goods on the market: one hundred bird Ling, Kazakhstan clam oil, shoes, military shoes, sewing thread, buttons, various accessories, and the other copy hair oil, etc. Here's something very cheap, but everything, as my 70 after seeing these old objects, immediately brought me back to that wonderful childhood went. those familiar with the brand name, a variety of small parts, rubber shoes neatly arranged, placed in rows of the fifties and sixties of last century Founder wood glass case top China tours.
Without modern electronics store, afterwards or use abacus counter hair oil for another copy faster on small funnel hundred years old. Entire stay in the old shop like middle of last century, the unique exudes a long absence simple style.
Yang master there is a hobby that clippings, put your favorite news cut, paste into a collection of books, usually peruse the fun.
Today I went to Gu Shan shoot rhinoceros Ganqiao Belt Bridge popular China travel package, was wandering in the streets into his shop, of course, to attract an array of old objects go in, he told me in gossip Changshu, Jiangyin Daily photography enthusiasts and Wuxi Jiangnan Evening News filmed interviews have come to him. speak apart, the postman will sent a Jiangnan Evening published today, the old master said he did not set, it should be specially sent for him, and open Newspapers full-page introduction, old calm, dull, not really that joy I take this opportunity also took as a souvenir.
tags：China tourism
Explore the World's Largest Marble Canyon
Taroko National Park is located in the eastern Taiwan last minute China travel deals, a 20 km section of exquisite gorge between Hualien and Tiansiang. It is also the forth “national park” in Taiwan Island. TAROKO has the meaning of “Great Mountain” in the local minority language.
Canyons and cliffs are two features of the gorge, and the terrain of mountains and valleys here is amazing. From the Taroko to Tianxiang Liwu Stream Valley, the two sides are of marble rock, so here get the name of Marble Canyon, and it is also the world's largest marble gorge. Taroko Gorge and its surrounding area are well known for their abundant supply of marble, leading to its nickname, “The Marble Gorge”.
There are large areas of virgin forest in the Taroko National Park best tours of China, luxuriantly of verdant, the air is fresh and moist, and the ecological environment can be described as unique. Relying on great natural environment, where there is no lack of rare and rare exotic plants and animals, to be regarded as a natural treasure house. Most of the human resources of the Taroko are distributed along the eastern section of the Central Cross-Island Highway, such as the Eternal Spring Shrine, Taroko Gorge, Tunnel of Nine Turns, Tianxiang, as well as the works of nature Suhua Highway Qingshui Cliff and fresh Wawa Valley, are all well-known tourist spots.
Many visitors visit the gorge do not know how to tour this great natural treasure house, it may be able to refer to the following recommendations I summarize.
1 Do not miss the beautiful marble rock: Taroko is known as the world's largest marble gorge, on the cliffs of the canyon, a lot of rock texture and delicate, full of texture, very seductive, do not miss;
2 Stroll in the negative oxygen ions: the large area of Taroko forest creates a lot of negative oxygen ions, which good for the heart, lung and eyes, hiking in Taroko is the best way of leisure popular China travel package;
3 To see clear water rippling: the mountain of Taroko is steep and majestic. Here not only have a small pond, turbulent rivers, waterfalls, interpretation of the style of various water;
4 to feel the honest hardworking people in Taroko: Taroko Gorge is the place for Taroko tribe to live and multiply for generations, and now there are still a lot of the Taroko people living here, their weaving, living habits can be seen, and is different kind of experience;
5 Walking the thrills of cliff road: the gorge road can be described as cut in the cliffs, very spectacular, walking here can feel the thrills, and can understand it was difficult to build the road;
tags：travel China guide
Niubei Mountain is located in Ya’an city which is part of Sichuan province affordable China travel packages and neighbours Luding county, the mountain is a branch of Erlang mountain which seperates the Qingyi River and Dadu River. Niubei Mountain gains its name from the shape of the mountain top which resembles the back of the bull. Niubei Mountain is a relatively new tourist attraction that was introduced only in 2009. If you’re planning a China tour around the Sichuan region, you must make visiting the amazing Niubei Mountain top of your list.
One of the most spectacular scenery that can be captured at Niubei Mountain is the waterfall of clouds or otherwise known as the sea of clouds. The dream like view is truly magical as you feel like you have been transported to a wonderland. Since its introduction to the world of tourism in 2009, Niubei mountain’s popularity is growing quickly and attracts many photography lovers who want to capture the unique picturesque view.
Visiting During Different Seasons
Prime Season - The best time to visit Niubei Mountain top 10 China tour packages
is between April and May, the mountain is 3,600 meters above sea level
therefore weather is rather dry with less fog meaning it’s the prime
season to catch the best scenery. The temperature is estimated around to
be at -15 degrees at the coldest.
Rain Season - Visiting between June and November so happens to be the
rain reason at Niubei Mountain. Therefore, we suggest that for safety
reasons visiting during this season should be avoided as persistent rain
and fog makes your trip more dangerous and the scenery is not so great
due to the fog. During the rain season weather is slightly warmer but
still -12 degrees.
Frost Season – From December until March due to frost and snow visiting the mountain proves to be much more difficult but nevertheless this is also one of the prime seasons to capture the most beautiful views of the sea of clouds. Temperatures plummet to -20 degrees during this season! However, we strongly advise against visiting during the winter months as safety cannot be guaranteed due to the frost and snow covered mountain routes.
What To Bring & Wear
Essentials – To visit the mountains you should be prepared for the cold with the temperatures Therefore, we suggest that you check out the weather before your trip and buy yourself a sleeping bag suitable for the season that you’re visiting for popular China tours. Also professional outerwear is very important along with everyday essentials and medication.
Accommodation
Niubei Mountain is still a new tourist destination so there is not a very large choice when it comes to accommodation. However, if you plan on staying at Niubei Mountain there are a few inns that can provide the basic overnight basic requirements and costs an average 50RMB per person.
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Nuo is a mysterious and ancient primitive ritual, for the purpose of exorcism, epidemic prevention and thanksgiving god. As the ancient primitive religious culture, Nuo is the symbiotic culture phenomenon for all ancient peoples of the world, focusing on the witchcraft activities China tour deals.
Nuo opera (Pinyin: nuóxì), known as Nuo Dance, also the ghost-driver, is one of the Chinese local operas, popular in Sichuan, Guizhou, Anhui Guichi Qingyang, and western mountainous areas of Hubei. Nuo opera is a carrier of the ancient Nuo culture, has attracted more and more attention in recent years. Nuo opera is the drama transformed from exorcising activities, as well as the living fossil of drama.
There is a wide range of distribution of Nuo culture in Hunan, Jiangxi, Hebei, Chongqing Yangtze River tour, Sichuan, and Yunnan, etc. Nuo formed in the Tang and Song dynasties and rooted in folk, very obscure and mysterious.
Nuo opera has numerous of ceremony and appliances. The Nuo mask is an important characteristic to define the art of Nuo opera.
Take a look at some photos of utensils, masks and ritual of the Nuo opera.
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Zhouzhuang is an ancient water town in the South of China, it has nine hundreds history. The most famous attraction scenic spots China vacation deals are the former residence of Shen Wansan, rich ONKYO, Shuang bridge, Shen hall, Strange house and Zhouzhuang... The rich Onkyo is the three-dimensional bridge only which is composed of the building in Jiangnan. The double bridge is made of two bridge actually, and this bridge has unique structure. Shen Hall is the Qing Dynasty courtyard house, the overall structure of rigorous, local style is different; addition Chengxu Taoist, Quanfu Monastery and other religious places. Zhouzhuang entitled "China's first water village" reputation.
Entertainment - Roadway Tour
There
are too many boats at this place, the shuttle boat could increase our
curiosity about everything in front of us. In fact, this rush cruise in
Zhouzhuang is the most charming scenery. Usually, these ships are riding
a deep blue hood ( this is the black awning boat). These ships were
well organized, and the uniform distributes tourists by management
personnel. The boatman will wait patiently for the tourists on board,
and then happily shaking their flag, bring tourists towards the
beautiful scenery. The boat through the old lane. If you are lucky, you
could listen to the barge woman singing. On this boat you could enjoy
the picturesque scenery picture, such as small bridge, flowing water,
people and beautiful scenery along the shore of Lake garden China best tours.
Special dishes
Distant history and rich cultural accumulation created Zhouzhuang unique dishes, including the most famous "Manzo hoof", you must go to taste. Manzo hoof as an essential dish for wealthy native people to serve their guests, and this dish has spread through several centuries. It's becoming a native Main course of Lunar New Year and weddings meal also, because of this dish means reunion.
This place still has some other characteristics food such as Manzo cake, The Boy Cucumber, Shrimp, Three Kinds Of Circular and the local water is very special too, taste very sweet.
Shopping ( traditional crafts)
The people of Zhouzhuang popular China tour package have a pair of magic fingers and good sense also. During nine hundred years, they created a number of traditional crafts with high quality. "Zhouzhuang bamboo weaving" and "Zhuang furnace" are the representative works. Zhouzhuang teapot is very distinctive, in other places, the teapot is made of ceramic, but Zhouzhuang’s teapot is made of stone. The local people is very smart, they imagine some pretty then draw it on the wall of the teapot body.
Zhouzhuang has a Culture Street, this street is bustling always, the visitors are liking to visit this street, cause every corner of this street is full of local culture. If you feel tired, then you could have a cup of tea in the teahouse. You could watch some old ladies are making the embroidered shoes on the street, they are using their hand to describe their life, culture and nature on it, therefore the embroidered shoes have a distinct eastern aesthetic.
At night, visit an ancient stage for a cup of tea, listening to opera, feeling the charming, wonderful and moving night of Zhouzhuang.
tags：China tourism
Spring festival China guide
is one of the most important festivals in China meaning get-together
with family and friends and there will be a variety of activities here
and there and if you take a local family visiting, you will get the
chance to tastes various diets and snacks in China. If you have heard
this festival for times but have never been to experience it before,
just make your plan to take your tour there in the end of the January
when the Spring Festival begins.
Here I am strongly recommending your China tour to Shanghai, Beijing China vacation deals and Harbin because of the highlights of the history, scenery and climate there:
Shanghai
You can spend 10 days to enjoy your China spring festival there with the following itinerary: arrival upon Shanghai in your first day and take your visit to the Bund, Xintiandi, Nanjing Road, and the Huangpu River Cruise Yangtze River tour in second day and Jade Buddha Temple, Yu Yuan Garden, Shanghai Museum in third day and of course the Shanghai Oriental Pearl Tower in the morning of your fourth day before taking your flight to Beijing later that day; in your fifth day in China, you will continue your China tour with the Beijing sightseeing visiting of the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace; then Ming Tombs and Badaling Great Wall are the highlights of your sixth day itinerary; for the seventh day, you will firstly enjoy the Hutong tour in the morning and then turn to Harbin by plane to sightsee the St. Sofia Orthodox Church, The Central Street, Sun Island Snow Sculptures and The Ice and Snow World at your day 8 and take the extremely exciting ?skiing in Yabuli Ski Resort at the ninth day and finally depart from Harbin popular China tour package in the tenth day to finish your amazing China tour within this 10 days!
In the modern busy society, there are hermits in Zhongnan Mountain living away from the city. Some of them seek for high level practice, while some are going to experience another way of life different from ordinary people. They try to replicate a life like thousands of years ago, but find it difficult far away from the intrusion of modern society all the time.
Zhongnan Mountain is a section of the Qinling Mountains, west of Mei County, Baoji City, and east of Silk Road travel Xi'an Lantian County. Zhongnan Mountain is the famous holy land of religious since ancient times. It is both the source of Buddhism and the birthplace of Taoism, many senior monks live here.
The main peak of Zhongnan Mountain is located in Chang'an territory, with an elevation of 2604 meters. This picture shows the Cuihua Mountain, one part of Zhongnan Mountain; As well as an inhabited house (also a small temple) deep in the mountain. There are many hidden Taoist temple and huts hidden in the Zhongnan Mountain.
Most hermits living here are
monks and priests. Of course, some are just the ordinary people without
faith. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 5,000
hermits from all over China living in the Zhongnan Mountain China tour deals . This picture shows a hermit at the Zhongnan Mountain Dayu Shiliping.
In Buddhism and Taoism, the priests should go through a strict
procedure to practice in the mountain. It means the priests have to stay
by side of their masters for three to ten years, only then can go to
mountain. In this picture, a 70-year-old hermit who has practiced for
over 30 years walk on the cliffs of Mount Huashan as if walks on the
ground.
Generally, there are some main reasons for ordinary people want to be a hermit: first, those who have got fame and looked for spiritual sustenance and self-cultivation; second, those who suffer setbacks and difficulties in real life and escape to the mountain to get a temporary peace and quiet; third, those scholars who have seen through the world and pursuit the wild mountain life.
In the Dayu Wuli Temple, this hermit lives in a cave which is connected with a river. He sat meditate during the day and sleep at night.
Hermits seldom make the fired dish, mostly boiled dish. This hermit was making her food. But she went back Hangzhou after staying here for a month, because it was too cold for her.
On July 5, 2004, Taoists were practicing a traditional martial arts matrix at Xi'an Eight Immortals Temple Xian tour packages.
This Eight Immortals Temple was almost burned during the “Cultural
Revolution”. Although stood numerous vicissitudes, it still attracts
many hermit come here to practice for its great reputation.
In recent years, due to urban pollution, many people began to travel
and explore the original ecological tourism. And the Zhongnan Mountain
attracts a lot of tourists because of the hermit in the mountain.
See more at Xian trip and Xian sightseeing
The hustle and bustle of Guangzhou China travel deals
is a rush; so when visitors need a breather, the Temple of the Six
Banyan Trees is a popular respite. It's a large temple site with elegant
grounds, classic Chinese architecture and the occasional monk strolling
through. Originally dating back to the year 537, the temple was twice
destroyed by fires; its latest incarnation was erected way back in 1373.
Since then, the original banyan trees for which the temple was named disappeared long ago. But the temple has maintained its sense of weathered history, carrying the feel of authenticity lacking in the "historic" reconstructions that modern China seems to love so much. The 55-meter-tall Hua Pagoda is the landmark popular China tour package of the site: it's well-preserved and beautiful to gaze upon from the ground, though its innards are equally mesmerizing. Hundreds of Buddhas note the exact moment that visitors break a sweat on their way to the top, and the final surrounding view is particularly enchanting on a clear day.
The other temple highlights are the three golden
Buddhas in the Daxiong Baodian Hall. Forged in 1633, the six-meter-tall
depictions of Sakyamuni, Amitabha and Maitreya weigh 10 tons each,
easily the largest such Buddhas in the province. Other halls, the open
grounds and the lovely gardens can easily occupy a couple of leisurely
hours.
The
temple is renowned for its harmonious environs, but it takes on a
different flavor during the Chinese Lunar New Year. Thousands of
visitors flock to the temple top 10 China tours to burn their joss sticks and pray, and monks chant the hours away, striving to maintain their focus amongst the hubbub.
Six Banyan Trees Temple
Entrance Fee: 5 yuan, 10 yuan to climb Hua Pagoda.
Getting there: From Gongyuanqian subway station, walk five minutes from Exit B.
tags：travel to China
A Brief Introduction to Pianyan Ancient Town
Pianyan Ancient Town affordable China tours is located in the center of Jindaoxia Town of Beibei District and in the southwest of Huaying Mountain. It is high in the northeast and low in the southwest. The average elevation is about 520 meters with an acme of 942.9 meters. In Chinese, "pianyan" means a steep rock. The ancient town obtained its name because of the steep rock in its north.
Buildings in Pianyan Ancient Town
Pianyan Ancient Town is located at the junction of Linshui, Hechuan and
Jiangbei areas and has been quite prosperous since the Kingxi years of
Qing Dynasty. It has a history of more than 300 years, but the buildings
in the ancient town are still in good condition. The old streets were
paved along the Heishuitan River Yangtze River tour
with well-spaced wooden houses beside the roads and stone bridges and
clear water flowing. Wumiao Temple (a temple enshring and worshiping
Guan Yu-a senior general of Shu Kingdom during the three kingdoms
period), Yuwang Temple, Xilou (a stage platform), teahouses and so on
are distributed on both sides on the quaint streets. All the buildings
in the Pianyan Ancient Town were constructed on the base of stones with
the framework of wooden beams, thus the buildings are moisture-proof.
The wooden railings, davits and beams of the buildings are all engraved
with elegant but not too colorful patterns, simple and natural.
Mysterious Folk Custom of Pianyan Ancient Town
During the traditional Spring Festival, there is an old folk custom quite popular in the Pianyan Ancient Town. That is the custom of receiving deities. People in the Pianyan Ancient Town always begin to receive the deities in the midnight. Local people believe that after offering a sacrifice to the Kitchen God, all the deities will go back to the heavenly palace and will not pay attention to the matters of the mortal world until the eve of lunar New Year. So at the midnight of the eve of lunar New Year, people in Pianyan Ancient Town will receive the deities.
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Dongba Art is the primitive religious art special of affordable China travel packages the Naxi ethnics who live in the frontier area of southwest China and believe in Dongba religion. Dongba religion got its name from the fact that the priest of the religion is called "Dongba" by the people of the ethnic group. The religion has exerted very great influence on the material and spiritual lives of the Naxi people since ancient times. It has given birth to the time-honored Dongba culture, among which Dongba Art is the most glaring and beautiful part. The artistic forms include Dongba painting, Dongba literature, music and dance, so on and so forth. So it is a rich and colorful ethnic art treasure.
Dongba paintings can be divided into wood chip paintings, card
paintings, bamboo paintings and scripture paintings. They usually use
gods, ghosts, spirit, people, animals and plants as well as the myth and
legend of Dongba religion as the subjects. In the techniques and
forms of painting, for the influence of foreign religions, especially
Tibetan top 10 China tours
Buddhism, the primitive unsophisticated and natural character of
Dongba painting is added with luxuriant color. Pilgrimage Road is the
most representative work in the scroll paintings. Dongba literature
which is represented by Dongba scripture describes various myth and
artistic characters and the world that is full of romantic and
wonderful things. The scripture is of very high literature value.
Dongba music mainly refers to the arias when Dongba recites and sings
the scripture in ceremonies and the cadence that Dongba takes part in
the tutti of people in some ceremonies. The dance of Dongba on their
sacrifice ceremonies is called Dongba dance, which has kept the
characters of the primitive dances. There are various musical
instruments which can be used to accompany the Dongba musical dance,
usually including plate boll, copper gong, large drum, lute and so on.
To date, we can still detect the trace of pictograph in Dongba culture China guide. Compared with other ancient characters in the world, Dongba pictograph can still be recognized, interpreted and adopted by the living Dongba, as a result, it is called "living pictograph". A lot of puppets, dough idols, clay sculptures and various bamboo and wood plaited articles made for religious and sacrifice ceremonies. These things are characterized by unique molding and vividness; thus, they reflect the artistic essence of Dongba Art. They are the genius works of arts of China's ethnic minorities.
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In 1895, Sun Yat-sen entered Guangzhou affordable China tours with the intent of revolutionizing the Qing government which had been exposed as corrupt and incompetent. Although the uprising failed and Sun was sent into exile, his presence had been felt, and would continue to be felt well into the future.
The man known as "Father of the Nation" and "forerunner of democratic revolution" was so revered that after his demise, his local and overseas supporters raised funds to erect a hall in Guangzhou for him. Designed by Chinese "starchitect" Lu Yanzhi, the octagonal building opened its doors in 1931. Lu infused western supporting structures and detailing into a traditional Chinese mausoleum design.
The hall is focused around a central 71 meter
space that is covered by a wide dome. The massive space is impressively
supported entirely from its edges, awing many with its openness. A stage
is at one end, and performances top 10 China tour packages or concerts are occasionally held for audiences of over 4000 people.
There is a small exhibit of photos and a few relics, detailing moments
of Sun's life. Sun rejected his background in medicine for a life
dedicated to transforming China. His life philosophy was encapsulated in
what he called the Three Principles of the People: nationalism,
democracy, and the people's livelihood. Pictures of Mao Zedong and Zhou
Enlai accompany those of Sun, but all photo descriptions are in Chinese
only. Periodic free tours popular China travel package
are also given, but again, in Chinese only. Truthfully, if there is no
performance taking place, there isn't a lot to keep one occupied there.
For many people, the front garden is the highlight of the memorial hall experience, a pleasant and quiet respite, pleasantly decorated with flowers and carefully groomed trees. A stately statue of Sun himself stands before the hall, hand on cane, eyes focused on the future. Sun's life was undeniably fraught with conflict, struggle, and exile. But the Memorial Hall travel China guide stands in sharp contrast to that. If he were to visit, he would probably enjoy it.
Located 17 kilometers northwest of Yinchuan City in Ningxia Silk Road travel, the grand Helan Mountains have traditionally served as a natural barricade against desert winds and foreign invaders. Helan means steed in Mongolian. Stretched over 250 kilometers from north to south, Helan Mountains is the dividing line between Ningxia and Inner Mongolia. The whole mountains include 46 peaks and 30 mountain passes. The average elevation of Helan Mountains reach over 2,000 meters and Aobao Geda with the elevation of 3,556 is the highest peak. Aobao Geda also is the place where the ancient Mongolians offer the sacrifice to Heaven.
Helan Mountains, as a geological dividing line, play a positive role in developing Yinchuan Plain as beautiful as Yangtze River Yangtze River tour
and creating a harmonious living place for human. Helan Mountains also
curb the desert moving to the east of China. Helan Mountains is rich in
kinds of animals and plants and underground mineral resources. There are
many age-old and rare trees and more than 170 kinds of wildlife
including blue-eared pheasant, red deer, musk deer, lynx which are rare
and listed as the key protection species. The blue-eared pheasant is the
peculiar species in China which only lives in the area of Helan
Mountains.
The area of Helan Mountains has been habited by the various ethnic groups such as Xirong, Hun, Xianbei, Chile, Tujue, Huihu, Dangxiang and Mongolian since the ancient times. The ancient people who lived there also carved their lives and dreams on rocks. According to historical documents, rock paintings paintings were carved by the different nationalities. The creating time of these rock paintings can be roughly divided into two periods. The early ones were carved by nomad of Hun in the pre-Qin days (2100BC-221BC) and Han Dynasty (202BC-9BC). The paintings of later period were made by Dangxiang People. These rock paintings have various themes which include nomadic life, sacrifice to goes, animals and human images as well as knives, axes, stone chains, traps and carts. These artistic signs which reflect the life, customs and thoughts and feeling of ethnic group can be regarded as an encyclopedia of ancient nomadic nationalities of China.
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from: articlestars.com
This splendid fortification, with a green-tiled, twin-eaved roof rising up imperiously south of the Ancient Observatory affordable China travel packages,
dates back to the Ming dynasty. Clamber up the steps for views
alongside camera-wielding Chinese trainspotters eagerly awaiting rolling
stock grinding in and out of Běijīng Train Station. As you mount the
battlements, two forlorn stumps of flag abutments and a cannon or two
can be seen, but really worth hunting out are the signatures etched in
the walls by allied forces during the Boxer Rebellion. You can make out
the name of a certain P Foot; ‘USA’ is also scrawled on the brickwork.
The international composition of the eight-nation force that relieved
Běijīng in 1900 is noted in names such as André, Stickel and what
appears to be a name in Cyrillic. One brick records the date ‘Dec 16
1900’. Allied forces overwhelmed the redoubt after a lengthy engagement.
Note the drainage channels poking out of the wall along its length. You
can reach the watchtower from the west through the Railway Arch top 10 China tours, which was built for the first railway that ran around Běijīng.
The watchtower is punctured with 144 archers’ windows, and attached to
it is a 100m section of the original Inner City Wall, beyond which
stretches the restored Ming City Wall , extending all the way to
Chōngwénmén and north to Beijingzhan Dongjie. Inside the highly
impressive interior is some staggering carpentry: huge red pillars that
are topped with solid beams surge upwards. The 1st floor is the site of
the Red Gate Gallery , one of Běijīng’s long-established modern art
galleries; the 2nd-floor gallery has a fascinating photographic
exhibition on the old gates of Běijīng, while the 3rd-floor gallery
contains more paintings. Say you’re visiting the Red Gate Gallery and
the ￥10 entry fee to the watchtower will be waived
tags: popular China tours and China tourism
You may have seen these long, light-skinned, and hairy roots at your Japanese or Chinese markets and wondered about their relation to other kinds of tubers.
Naga-imo is a kind of mountain yam, the tuberous root of a climbing China tour deals vine. There are other mountain yams, such as icho-imo, yamamot-imo, tsukune-imo. Mountain
yams take on a gluey, almost mucilaginous consistency when they're grated.
But, grating the mountain yam immediately transforms it from a fairly common-looking root vegetable into a pile of sloppy white goo. This fact alone makes
naga-imo and other mountain yams distinct from tubers such as the potato or taro, not to mention the unique taste and texture.
Mildly sweet like jicama with a texture similar to taro, only less starchy, naga-imo is delicious pan-fried until the surface is browned and crisp and the
interior is soft and tender. This is the way I usually China best tours eat naga-imo: after browning some bacon in the cast iron, I use the bacon fat to cook thin slices of
naga-imo, and call it a day.
But sometimes I'm inclined to go a step further and take advantage of naga-imo's unique texture. Grated naga-imo is a common ingredient in Japanese dishes
that require a binder such as okonomiyaki, a kind of pancake layered with cabbage and often pork belly. I don't often go through the rigmarole of making
okonomiyaki by shredding cabbage, browning belly or bacon, sprinkling popular China tour package dashi flakes on top, and dousing the pancake with kewpie mayoinaise and okonomiyaki
sauce, yet the idea of using grated naga-imo as a base for a pancake batter is simple enough to do any weeknight.
To prepare the batter, grate the naga-imo with a microplane grater. You can use a bit of potato starch or rice flour if you want to refrain from dairy, but
mixing an egg with the grated naga-imo produces just the right consistency for dropping the batter by dollops into your pan. You can add anything you want:
chopped bits of bacon, browned garlic and scallions, or sauteed vegetables. If you happen to have fresh herbs around, like basil, mint, cilantro, all the
better.
The texture of the batter when it's cooked is something like the interior of a really tender latke, but with very little fuss. Serve with a bit of fine
quality soy sauce and sesame oil, and you've got a naturally gluten-free pancake dish.
Finally, a warning: like taro, the skin of naga-imo causes mild itching on the skin, so use a pair of gloves when handling the root. tags: travel to China
Nestling at the foot of the Minshan Mountain, and having the Minjiang River Yangtze River tour flowing past its gates,the Songpan County was built during Tang Dynasty (618-907), when Prince Wencheng was married to a Tibetan King. The county, which was extended to its largest area during the Ming Emperor Jiajing's reign nearly 500 years ago, is still a bridge between the long lasting friendship between the Han and Tibetan peoples.
The minute you approach the county, you will be fascinated by the grand gates. Decorated by well written names and various pictures, the grand gates, from four directions,were once the best place to put weapons in order to keep outsiders from invading the county. Now still the largest of their kind in existence in China, these gates have become the witness of history. Like the faded pictures carved on the stone wall,they are still telling the stories of past centuries even today.
Horse trek has become more and more popular in Songpan
Go to the downtown area, the rising three-star hotels and horse riding Tibetan people will give you mixed feelings of their place in history. You may feel confused by what you see: A county that is going through the inevitable urbanization process, or a quiet and peaceful primitive Tibetan village.
Recommended as the world's best place to ride a horse, Songpan County China vacation deals has become an increasingly popular tourist attraction, especially among backpackers.
The county now has two professional horse treks that offer both designated and customized horse trekking services. The horse trekking services, which offer each tourist a local tour guide, and a horse,will bring you a fresh experience of camping and cooking food.
Among the nearby sightseeing hotspots, Mounigou and Xuebaoding are our top recommendations for horse trekking.
A foreign backpacker takes photo during horse trek
Mounigou is 15 kilometers away from the Songpan County and consists of two big scenic spots: the Zhaga Waterfall and the Erdaohai Lake.
From the downtown area, it takes about half an hour by riding a horse to go to thetop of a nearby mountain. Looking at the Tibetan village inlayed among the mountains,it looks like a natural musical chapter top 10 China tours, the beauty of which is the benediction of God.
Going through a small river and riding along the road for two more hours, you will then see a vast primitive forest with waterfalls running and roaring.
Now you are getting close to the famous "little Jiuzhai Valley", and the Eerdaohai Lake.
Mouni Valley, the beautiful scenery that along the horse trek route
Coming into Erdaohai Lake, you will be astonished to see the tranquil and serene mountain lakes, the blooming flowers, and the steaming hot springs and chirping birds.
Slowly and quietly walking on this celestial land, you may also have the fortune to see how small squirrels are enjoying their days.
During summertime, you may like to have a swim or even bathe in the natural hot spring pools in Erdaohai Lake. The bubbles that pop up from the bottom of the pool will assure you that the water is always fresh and clean.
Xuebaoding, with a sea altitude of 5,588 meters, is the main peak of Minshan Maotain Chain, located in Songpan County. Because it is covered by snow all year round, it looks like a white giant - and this is how it got the name of Xuebaoding popular China tour package. As the highest peak in Songpan, it is also the ultimate goal for backpackers to view the wild natural landscape.
It took more than five hours on a bumpy, long-distance bus to get from Chongqing to Chishui, which was recently added to the World Natural Heritage List for its unique Danxia landforms. The ride is not easy especially for those prone to carsickness like we are, but the journey to this mysterious place was definitely worthwhile.
Situated in the northwestern part of southwest China's Guizhou Province China vacation deals, Chishui is known as one of the places the Red Army passed through four times on its historic march during the revolutionary years.
But the city's wealth of tourist attractions provides even more
reasons for those who long for a getaway from the hustle and bustle of
city life.
Since Chishui sits at the junction of Guizhou Plateau and Sichuan Basin, the huge drop in altitude brings a lot of rain as well as a mild climate. It is widely known as the "City of a Thousand Waterfalls," "Hometown of Nan Bamboo," and "Kingdom of Spinulose Ferns."
When I set foot in Chishui, the first I noticed was of the hot and humid climate. I could not see any hint of the approaching Mid-Autumn holiday because the weather was still too warm.
My second impression was that the lush greenery made the town appear like an emerald studded by the Chishui River. Wrapped by countless numbers of plants, it was full of energy and life.
Our exploration of Chishui started from Red Stone Wild Canyon top China tours, a tourist resort 16 kilometers south of the city, which is 95 percent covered by forest.
The temperature dropped dramatically when we approached the resort, which welcomed us with its serenity and tranquility. The narrow road was well-protected by bamboo and other plants on both sides. Sitting in the small truck made me feel like I was floating in a bamboo sea. For city dwellers like us, both the refreshing breeze blowing through the bamboo and the pleasant chirping of birds were a nice treat.
It was 4:30 p.m. when we arrived at the resort. Our guide said it had just poured a couple of hours ago; therefore, we were quite lucky it was not that hot. Tall spinulose ferns grew wildly here and there, and their leaves almost concealed the sky. Our guide told us that the ferns had existed since the age of the dinosaurs.
There were not many tourists at the time, so it was very quiet. All we could hear was the song of brook, the murmur of bamboo leaves blowing in the breeze, and the occasional tweets of cicadas. The bamboo formed a perfect archway over our heads, and the air smelled of plants.
As we climbed up to see the Danxia popular China tourscliff, I could not help wondering where the famous landform was because I was eager to see it with my own eyes to determine whether it really was a masterpiece of nature.
Eventually, after about an hour's climb, when my T-shirt was drenched in perspiration, I saw the spectacular Danxia cliff.
It was an arched stone cliff formed by a scarlet red honeycombed structure that looked like rosy clouds at sunset. A small waterfall flowed down the front of the cliff like a string of melodious notes or a dancing white ribbon. Seen from a distance, the cliff appeared like a Buddha in nirvana, lying peacefully and listening to the melody. Red stones of various shapes and sizes could be found at the foot of the cliff, exerting people's wildest imaginations. I remembered from my childhood that combining the colors red and green was thought to be ugly, but then I realized what a beautiful picture the green bamboo and the red stone together had created.
Suddenly, I also realized that the meaning of the city, Chishui, literally Red Water, was absolutely red.
tags: China tourism
1. Chinese Food is Not What You Expect
Most of the cuisine that we refer to as 'Chinese food' originated in San Francisco. Those ubiquitous items such as General Tso's Chicken that generally taste the same no matter where they are eaten rarely show up on real Chinese China vacation deals menus. Only a few familiar favorites were adopted from authentic Chinese Dishes.
2. Remember the Language Difference
Don't expect everyone whom you encounter to speak English well, why would they? Saying the same thing again only louder makes you look like a newbie traveler and won't help them to understand any better. The same goes for showing others a map or written words; can you read Chinese? While many people do speak English, particularly in cities, you'll deal with the language difference frequently when interacting with taxi drivers. Drivers will rarely turn down a fare, whether they understand where you are going or not, so ensure that the driver knows your destination before you get inside.
Transportation hubs will often have at least one ticket window for foreigners staffed by someone who speaks English.
3. Staring and Pointing
All foreign visitors to China China best tours, particularly blond or fair-skinned people, receive plenty of attention when in public. People will openly stare at you, expressionless, and sometimes even point you out to friends and family by jabbing a finger in your direction.
Pointing is often accompanied with the word laowai which means 'old outsider'. You will hear the term often, despite the government's best efforts to curb its usage.
4. Spitting and Mucus Clearing
Spitting in public and clearing the deepest sinus recesses of the head -- with sound effects -- are common throughout China -- even on public transportation and sometimes indoors! Choking pollution in big cities and excessive smoking are good reasons to send a lot of mucus flying.
5. Personal Space is a Luxury
Don't be offended if someone stands just a little too close when speaking to you, or people are calmly pressed against you in crowded public transportation popular China tours. With such an enormous population, the Chinese do not share the same concept of personal buffer space that Westerners monitor.
You will rarely receive an 'excuse me' when someone bumps into you or squeezes past while knocking you out of the way.
6. Fight for Your Position
Orderly queues, especially of more than a few people, are generally disregarded in China. As a foreigner, people will blatantly step in front of you, cut line, or push past you to the counter as if you aren't even there.
Again, remember that overpopulation plays a big part in this behavior and do your best to keep cool while holding your place in line. Don't be afraid to stick elbows out or to shuffle around defensively to keep people from stepping in front of you.
7. Learn to Say No
Along with receiving lots of attention, you will be approached frequently by touts, drivers, and people selling things on the street.
Many vendors won't take your first or second 'no' for an answer. The best way to politely turn down an offer is to say bu yao (pronounced: boo yow) which means 'I don't need/want it'.
8. Smile Like a Celebrity
Don't be shocked if Chinese groups or families ask to pose for a photo with you, particularly in public places such as parks and Tienanmen Square travel China guide. You may get so many offers that you'll start to feel like a celebrity! Some people may even snap photos without asking you first.
The photo requests are harmless and the group will often reciprocate by allowing you to take your own fun photos with them; enjoy the chance for some interaction.
The best way to travel from Hong Kong Hong Kong city guide to Shenzhen is actually by MTR subway. Connecting the two cities directly, below we’ll tell you how to travel from Hong Kong to Shenzhen by subway.
Where: From East Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station on Kowloon side you need to take the East Rail Line (the only line available) to Lo Wu, which is on the Hong Kong/Chinese border. Here, you will exit at the Hong Kong side, go through the border, and immediately on the other side find the Shenzhen metro service. The Chinese side is referred to as Luo Hu.
When: The first train leaves East Tsim Sha Tsui at 5:28am
and the last train at 11:05pm. From Lo Wu the first train leaves at
6:38am and last train at 12:30am. These times are subject to occasional
changes; however, the general hours are correct.
How Long: The journey to Lo Wu takes just under an hour, after which you can expect 30mins to 40mins of border formalities before entering Shenzhen.
Prices: A single ticket costs HK$36.50
Do I Need a Chinese Visa?: Yes and No. Confused? You will be. Shenzhen affordable China tours is a special economic zone and there are five-day visas available on the spot at the Lo Wu border crossing. These are only valid for the Shenzhen area.
These visas are only available to certain nationalities and this list seems to be in an almost constant flux. US nationals absolutely cannot obtain a Shenzhen special economic zone visa, and, at least at the time of writing, visas are also unavailable to UK citizens. Both these nationalities have been barred for some time. Most other EU nationalities can obtain a visa although suspensions occur often and it’s wise to check ahead.
On top of all this, you can no longer get a Chinese visa in Hong Kong and you’ll need to apply at the Chinese Embassy in your home country. Check the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong for up to date information.
Learn more via Hong Kong tour guide and Hong Kong scenic spots
Tibet is a mysterious place. Its unique geographic feature, its original scenery and local customs make it a holy place for both religious disciples and tourists. It should be a life-time destination for all travelers. While before going to Tibet, people can learn something about Tibet China vacation deals from movies. Below are five movies about Tibet in which you will find beautiful sceneries of this sacred land.
1. Red River Valley (1997)电影《红河谷》
Red River Valley is a 1997 film directed by Feng Xiaoning about the British incursion into Tibet, starring Paul Kersey and Ning Jing. The movie was very popular in mainland China. The shooting locations are Yamzho Lake and Gyangtse, now it has been developed as one day tour itinerary called “Red River Valley Tour.”
2、Kong Fansen (1996)《孔繁森》
Kong Fansen is an outstanding Chinese official who made major contributions to the reconstruction and development of Tibet and formed close ties with the Tibetan people. The film showed Kong Fansen’s dream and belief of being close to Tibetan people, loving them and working for them top 10 China tours. The film`s shooting location is mainly in Ngari Prefecture, which is a remote area in Tibet. Today it has become a paradise for self-driving traveler and explorer.
3. Song of Tibet? (2000)《益西卓玛》
Song of Tibet is a 2000 Chinese film directed by Xie Fei. The film features a young woman named Dawa, who leaves the metropolis of Beijing behind to see her grandfather in his dying hour. The movie shows us many scenes of Lhasa and Lhoka (Shannan) Prefecture, but what impresses most is Zhol Village, also known as “Snow City”, which is located on the lower boundary of the Potala Palace entrance.
4. The Knot (2006)《云水谣》
The Knot is a 2006 Chinese film directed by Yin Li. Starring mainland actors Chen Kun, Li Bingbing, and Taiwan actress Vivian Hsu, The Knot tells the story of a Taiwan leftist’s love life between the later 1940s and early 1960s. The shooting location is in Yangbajain, a town approximately 87 kilometers north-west of Lhasa. Now Yangbajain has become a popular tourist spot.
5. Ganglamedo (2006)《冈拉梅朵》
Ganglamedo is a 2006 musical movie from Tibet directed by Dai Wei. The movie is about one of the most popular Tibetan folk songs, Ganglamedo (Snow lotus), about love of two girls and two men. The main scene of the movie is the winter time Lake Namtso popular China tour package.
tags: China tourism
Around Ma Ti Si. A colorful ride to Guan Yin Dong
On my second day at Ma Ti Si I rode to another grotto, 13km away. The Tibetan guesthouse owners had told me there was a road to go to Guan Yin Dong Silk Road travel. What they didn’t tell me (or did I miss it?) was that the road was unpaved and VERY bumpy! It took me 90 minutes to cover the 13km. The scenery was splendid though! I took (too) many pictures and I imagined building a little summer mud house for the future…
Fields
were covered in blue-purple flowers (I don’t know what they’re called,
but I’ll find out) and I only ran into a couple of tractors and local
farmers on their motorbikes China tour deals. The only noise was that of cuckoo birds and bees: soooo relaxing!
The grotto was also very cool. Built up the red cliff was a small temple. I had to go through a tunnel carved in sandstone to access the main cell. I can’t imagine how many years it took to dig it. An 80-year old lady monk welcomed me and showed me the place. She was in such great shape for her age and so lively. We talked about all the big Buddha around China and she knew what she was talking about. She offered me some dry bread and watermelon. She said one American tourist and a Japanese couple had visited this grotto a few years ago. She also indicated me to go a bit further up the road to see another beautiful grotto up a cliff.
I was sad to leave Ma Ti Si. I could have easily spent a week there. The view was one of the best I had seen in a long time. The people were great and welcoming; the mountain offered all kinds of activities and peaceful spots to enjoy. And I got a room for 40 yuan only… Great Life!
However, time had come for me to get going. I wanted to reach Zhangye city, some 90km north.
More: China guide and popular China tours
While the task may seem nigh-impossible—due to the exodus of similarly-minded Chinese travelling en mass to any of China's many top tourist attractions—finding a quiet place to visit during a Chinese national holiday is possible. Seriously. We don't understand why you're laughing.
Finding a less crowded destination to visit is easier than you may think, and most of them can still provide enough accommodations and attractions to make your visit worthwhile. Sure, no place in China is completely without crowds, but the trick is find places that are either left behind during the mad holiday rush, or are really far away.
The first and most obvious thing you'll want to do if you're not keen on being packed-in with 100,000 of your closest Chinese friends is to avoid the really popular destinations. Cross off Hainan, the Terra Cotta Warriors, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall off of your list. This is one of those times when the nebulous searching for a "real" Chinese cultural experience gets a little bit too real. Second piece of advice? Forget trains and stick to planes. You might have to shell out a bit more, but at least you won't start your vacation with a massive headache.
Now that you're set, here are five quieter places to travel to during national holidays in China.
1) Hohhot
This one is best if you hail from an artic homeland and you don't
mind freezing temperatures (highs in the -1 degree range and lows in
the -15 degree range on average during winter time). The upside is
that many people don't want to handle the weather, so that makes
February a low month for tourism in Hohhot. But, hey, who said you
wouldn't have to sacrifice for a (relatively) peaceful Chinese New
Years? Hohhot does have several unique cultural aspects to make
bearing the cold worthwhile.
You'll get to see some of China's most interesting minorities throughout the city affordable China travel packages. Though Han Chinese still make up a majority of the city, the ethnic Mongolian influence is extensive, as well as smaller populations of Hui Muslims and Koreans. Mongolian Buddhism is still present in the city and even during the winter months you will be able to find your way out to the famous Mongolian grasslands without huge tour buses full of tourists trampling all over your Genghis Khan fantasy.?
Due to the smaller crowds you'll also be able to score some significant discounts on plane tickets to the city. Regarding how to get there, Hohhot is connected directly to most major cities in China including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. From those major cities you will be looking at about 1000-2000 RMB.
2) Shanghai
Okay, before you start gnashing your teeth, hear this one out. At
any other time of the year Shanghai is a bustling metropolis filled to
the brim with people from all corners of China, and the rest of the
world. That fact is exactly why Shanghai is so quiet during the
holidays—everyone goes home or travelling. Millions of migrants who come
to Shanghai (72-hour Chinese visa
free) for work take the holiday opportunity to go back and visit with
their loved ones in their hometowns. That leaves only the native
Shanghainese and foreigners who are too scared to brave the tourist
crowds. Granted, that's still a large number of people, but you'd be
hard pressed to find Shanghai any more deserted than it gets during
national holidays.
Also, unlike Beijing, Shanghai does not have as many culturally significant landmarks for people to swarm over. Of course, there will still be people on the Bund and on East Nanjing road, but in the smaller, less glitzy corners of Shanghai, you can take a break from the hyperactive pace that normally defines Shanghai.
And if nothing else, Shanghai is easy to get in to. Flights from all over the world go into Shanghai's Pudong International Airport. Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport deals with a great majority of domestic flights. Due to the high number of flights running into the city you'll be able to find tickets from as low as 500 RMB depending on where you're starting from.
3) Taipei
Taipei's difficulty of access to mainlanders is its saving grace.
While the city, like Shanghai, still has plenty of people, it can seem
downright roomy to anybody who has spent the holidays on the
mainland. It also helps that there is a mass retreat to the
countryside surrounding the city during the holidays, so a fair number
of Taiwanese are also gone, giving you a chance to see the quieter
side of the city. Granted the train and bus stations may still be
swarming with people trying to leave the city, but you should have an
easier time if you're trying to get into Taipei.
Also, contrary to the mainland, a number of places in the city will continue to stay open despite the festivities. Finding accommodations at a hotel is comparatively easier, but it would still be wise to book your rooms in advance. Fortunately, like Shanghai, Taipei is very easy to get to since it is a major international hub. There will be no shortage of flights to the island and there will be plenty of hotels and accommodations that will still be open to cater to visitors. Keep in mind that the flight will set you back 2000-3000 RMB due to the fact that it's technically an international flight from the mainland.
4) Kashgar
Way out in the farthest reaches of western Xinjiang lies one of the
most unique and culturally interesting cities in China. Few people in
China venture out this far west, but those who do are greatly
rewarded. Though inhabitants of Kashgar (main destination for Silk Road tours)
still celebrate Chinese holidays such as the New Year, due to the
majority of Kashgar's inhabitants being Muslim Uyghur they tend to put
a greater focus on traditional Islamic holidays. Kashgar also has
several interesting day trips away from the city, like Shipton's Arch
and the Karakorum Highway.?
The one downside to Kashgar is that you will have to go way out there to reach it. Your best bet to make it there would be to take a flight to Urumqi and take another flight down to Kashgar to avoid the horrifically overcrowded trains. Depending on where you live, the whole trip by flight could take you upwards of six or seven hours, including the transfer in Urumqi. And this trip will be even more expensive than to Taipei, with flights from eastern cities in the 3500-4000 RMB range for round trip tickets.??
5) Beihai
Nestled in the warm southern Guangxi Province, Beihai benefits from
two things. First, it's located near the two significantly more
tourist-friendly cities of Guilin and Yangshuo; and second, it is
comparatively undiscovered (though this is quickly changing). Beihai is
also significantly cheaper than nearby Hainan Island, and you'll still
be able to enjoy many beautiful beaches that are yet untrampled by
the soles of thousands of ocean-loving Chinese tourists.
Beihai is also relatively easy to get to. If you're in the southern part of China consider yourself lucky because there are flights leaving from Guangzhou daily. If you don't live in the southern part of China, you'll need to fly to Guangzhou or Guilin and make the appropriate connections from there. Even if you are coming from Beijing, the tickets to Guilin are still only in the 1000-1750 RMB range, plus the added travel costs of getting to Beihai.
Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi in a foreign tourist`s eyes
Although Wide Alley should be wider than the Narrow Alley as the name indicated, personally I didn’t find much difference after my affordable China tours. They are both very narrow lanes full of restaurants, coffee shops etc.
?Chengdu Kuan Xiang Zi - Wide Alley
The Narrow Alley is slightly narrower.
?? Chengdu Zhai Xiang Zi - Narrow Alley
Shanghai Xintiandi completely tore down the old Shikumen houses, but Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi in Chengdu (the city of 72-hour Chinese visa free) is more about restoring the old architecture in West China. The main structure is made from wood and bricks. I found this really old house which has not been refurbished in Kuan Xiang Zi.
??? Unrefurbished old house in Kuan Xiang Zi (Wide Alley) Chengdu
Refurbishment in progress. The main wooden structure in place
And this is an example of newly refurbished houses.
Newly refurbished house in Kuan Xiang Zi Chengdu (Wide Alley)
Like Shanghai (must-see for top 10 China tours) Xintiandi, Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi is a leisure center for people to relax having some quality time with friends in the mixed old and modern atmosphere. So inside those nicely restored old houses, there are restaurants, pubs, tea houses, coffee shops and stores etc.
A beer house in Zhai Xiang Zi (Narrow Alley)
And of course always there is Starbucks!
?? Starbucks in Zhai Xiang Zi (Narrow Alley)
And Panda House which is an icon for Sichuan.
Panda House in Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi Chengdu
I found this interesting vintage and souvenir shop.
?? An antique shop in Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi
Full of colorful stuffs. It would be interesting to have this red door in the house. Look at Chairman Mao banner at the top says Wish Chairman Mao a long life forever.
?? An vintage and souvenir shop in Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi
I am not a fan of antiques especially those dated back thousands of years ago because I don’t really feel to be connected to those stuffs. But I found some interesting stuffs there. I believe everything on the shelf (the clock, radio, boxes) used to be every Chinese family’s essentials in 1980s when I was a little girl.
?? Vintage Shop in Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi
And the full collection of Chairman Mao badges which everybody must wear during China Cultural Revolution.
?? Chairman Mao Badges in Vintage Shop at Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi
Can you guess what they were doing?
?? Ear Cleaning in Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi Chengdu
It is said that Chengdu people are really good at enjoying life. Even cleaning ear such a small thing, they know how to maximise the pleasure. The doctor look like man is a ear cleaning master who does not only help clean the ear but also know how to make the process most enjoyable. Anyway I didn’t have the gut to try. But the man in blue shirt surely enjoyed it. Look at the happy face!
Look at the menu before. I have to say it is not expensive especially compared with Shanghai Xintiandi popular China tours. Set dinner 158RMB for 2-3 people. 38RMB for a Hairy Crab. Afternoon tea: 28RMB per person including green tea, almond, sunflower seeds and fruits.
?? Menu at Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi
Want to work in Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi? No problem. They are recuiting.? Customer Manager: 3000-10000RMB per month. Bartender: 2000-5000RMB per month.
?? Job Ad in Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi
And finally I found this guy there.
??? Caricaturist in Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi
The introductin below told he is a Caricaturist from Texas. I think he is doing well in Chengdu.
??? Caricaturist introduction in Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi
Strategy on Taking a Tour to Beijing
Beijing, being the capital of China, has become more and more popular among tourists from home and abroad which has attracted numerous travelers coming here for a visit. It is a beautiful city characterized by various attractions including historical sites and natural scenic spots with the captivating scenery and charm. Traveling there, you can not only enjoy the amazing scenery but also taste the delicious food there including the Peking roasted duck. If you have never been there before, and if you have only a short China holiday within or about 5 days, you are highly recommended take a visit to the famous city – Beijing, I am sure you will be warmly welcomed by the local people there.
For Beijing tour, your hotel choices there will include Beijing Dongfang Hotel, Days Inn Forbidden City Beijing and Traveler Inn Hua Qiao Beijing for the three stars hotels; Sunworld Hotel Beijing, Beijing Wu Huan Hotel and Holiday Inn Central Plaza Beijing for the four stars hotels; Sunworld Dynasty Hotel Beijing, Beijing Hotel and Prime Hotel Beijing for the five stars hotels. Your nightlife in Beijing during your tour there will be colorful and wonderful with the entertainment activities such as enjoying the show of Peking Opera, Beijing Teahouse, Peking Acrobatics Show and Beijing Kung Fu Show. And your tour in Beijing will satisfy you with the sightseeing of Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City (must-see for China vacation deals), Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, Hutong tour, Temple of Heaven, Sacred Way, Ding Tombs, Beijing Zoo and so on.
For the delicious food popular in Beijing, the Beijing Roast Duck in Bianyifang Roast Duck Restaurant and?Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant, and the Official Dishes of Family Tan along with the Mutton Hot Pot will be the highlights for you during your popular China tours there. Do remember the best time to visit Beijing is summer time and earlier in Autumn.
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To see fantastic view around Yarlung Zangbo River
Tibetans refer to the Yarlung Zangbo River Yangtze River tour, the longest river in the region and also with the highest altitude in the world, as the "Cradle of Tibet" or the "Mother River". The words Yarlung Zhangbo mean "snow water from high mountains" in the Tibetan language. The river, which has its source on the Gyaimanezong Glacier in Zongba County in the northern foothills of the Himalayas, flows like a silver thread from west to east across the southern section of the Tibet Plateau. When being blocked directly by the Himalayas in Mainling, it is forced to run northward. After it flows into India, its name is changed to the Brahumaputra River, which later meets with the Ganges River before joining the Indian Ocean from the Bay of Bengal. ?
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Meandering some 2,057 kilometers within the borders of China, the Yarlung Zangbo River is the sixth largest river in China, with a drainage area of 240,480 square kilometers and an average affordable China tours altitude of over 4,000 meters.???
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The Yarlung Zangbo River has enormous hydroelectric resources, with an annual potential of up to 110 million kilowatts, ranking the second among all the rivers in China. China has already popular China tour package built several hydropower stations along the tributaries of the Yarlung Zangbo River.
The Birth of Papermaking in China
China was the first country in the world to invent paper. The earliest paper made from hemp fibers appeared during the 2nd century.
Even before the end of the ancient times, China had already mastered the technology of raising silkworms and filature. During the Qin (221-206 BC) and Han (206BC -220AD) dynasties, the handicraft industry of making floss (rough silk) from inferior cocoon was extremely popularized. The basic operational point of this kind of method (named Piao Xu) included repeated thrashes and stamp crushing (involving a mill for crushing). Afterwards this technology was used in papermaking. In addition, during ancient times, Chinese people commonly used limewater or plant ash water to degum the raw silk (in other words, separate raw silk Silk Road tours from the gum component), which inspired the technology of degumming vegetable fiber in the future papermaking industry. The development of papermaking is based on these technologies.
So far, according to archaeological discoveries, the invention of papermaking did not occur in the late stage of the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-24AD) to the initial stage of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). The earliest example of Western Han Dynasty ancient paper, discovered excavated at Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in 1933, was made no later than 49BC.
In May 1957, on the outskirts of Xi'an (learn mroe via Xian travel guide) of North China's Shannxi Province , some paper made of hemp and a small amount of ramie (a kind of fiber) was unearthed from a tomb that archaeologists estimated was built no later than 118BC. The largest piece of the yellowish paper was about 10 cm long.
In 1986, at Tianshui of Northwest China's Gansu Province , people excavated some relics of paper map in Western Han Emperor Wen's time (179BC-141BC), indicating that paper was used for writing and drawing even at that time. In addition, the quality of the paper showed that in the early year of the Western Han Dynasty, papermaking technology was mature.
In history, there are very few literature materials about the China travel deals Han Dynasty's papermaking technology; therefore it is very difficult for people today to understand the detailed technical process.
Anyhow, the papermaking technology was the combination of many processes that inevitably gave it a process of development and evolution. It was the consummate work of many ancient Chinese people.
Tags: China tourism
One Shanghai Stop: Zhujiajiao Ancient Town
Zhujiajiao Ancient Town is found within the suburbs of Shanghai City and this is a very interesting place to visit for last minute China travel deals . It is popularly called as Water Town because of the numerous water passageways which run in between homes and infrastructures.
The main reason why this town is surrounded by water is because it sits right in between lakes and mountains.
The history of Zhujiajiao Ancient Town is over 1,700 years. Today, it is also known as the “Pearl Stream”. Among the four ancient towns within Shanghai, it is Zhujiajiao Ancient Town which is most preserved. Despite the modernizations which were adapted by the town, it has still successfully kept its traditional beauty which is seen with the antique bridges, age-old willow trees and houses with traditional architecture.
Places to Visit
The Kezhi Yuan or Kezhi Gardens China best tours is one of the most popular attractions in Zhujiajiao Ancient Town. There are three different parts in this destination which is the main hall, the artificial hill area and the garden. The main reason why this is a popular landmark in Zhujiajiao Ancient Town is because it is the tallest structure with its five-storey building. Right on the roof is a beautiful pavilion.
The Qing Dynasty Post Office is more than just a depository of mail. This is very popular for the well-preserved architecture which dates back to ancient Qing Dynasty. This place also has an exhibit of old post cards and letters.
The temples in this location are also interesting to see because of the rich ancient Chinese culture that they resonate and the captivating traditional architecture. The Yunjin Monastery popular China tours is a Buddhist monastery that is found at the northern part of the Caohe Street. On the other hand, there is also the Taoist temple, The Town God Temple or Chenghuangmiao. Its construction is dedicated to the goddess of mercy, Guanyin.
The trip to Zhujiajiao Ancient Town is not complete without checking out the ancient bridges. There are more than 30 bridges in this town. The most popular one is the Fangsheng Bridge which spreads up to 70-meter distance.
More others about China: Beijing attractions, Shanghai shopping, Hong Kong city guide and so on
Roam around Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is the largest open urban square in the world, covering an area of 44 hectares. It is surrounded by some of Beijing's most important buildings, including the Forbidden City (must-see for your China vacation deals), the National Museum of China and the Great Hall of the People; and is located between two huge ancient gates, Tiananmen and Qianmen. First built in 1651, it was enlarged and paved over in 1958, giving it its current appearance. Completed in the same year, the Monument to the People's Heroes is a 38m high stone obelisk on the south side of the square, which commemorates the people who lost their lives in the revolutions leading up to the foundation of the People's Republic of China. The only other building to break the square's huge flat space is Chairman Mao's Mausoleum, located in the centre. This building houses the embalmed body of Mao Zedong, which can be viewed by the public through a specially designed crystal coffin. Thousands of people come to pay their respects to the chairman each week, and it is a very popular destination for vistors from all over the world. The square is now used for major events, gatherings and parades, as well as daily flag raising and lowering ceremonies, which take place at dawn and dusk. If you are awake early enough, the dawn flag raising is particularly moving and patriotic, particularly on days when the big band is present to provide live music.
The History of Tiananmen Gate
Located on the northern egde of Tiananmen square (don't miss for your China best tours), the Tiananmen Gate (Gate of Heavenly Peace) served as the main entrance of the Forbidden City (residence of the emperor) during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The gate that stands today is a striking piece of traditional architecture, but is not the first to have been built there. At the beginning of the Ming dynasty (1420s) a wooden gate was built on the present site, and covered in the yellow-glazed tiles which denoted imperial buildings. Destroyed and rebuilt a number of times throughout the Ming and into the Qing dynasty, it was made in its current form in 1651. Despite undergoing extensive renovation and reconstruction in the 1960s, the gate we see today has remained largely unchanged in style and decoration for 400 years. It is a typical example of early Qing gate architecture, with five arched gateways below a palace-like tower. The whole structure is over 33m high and is built of white marble and huge bricks, each weighing approximately 24 kilograms. The roof is tiled with the same regulation yellow-glazed tiles found on the roof of every imperial building, and ties it in with the architecture of the imperial residence it protects. There are also a number of traditional decorations like stone lions (said to protect from evil spirits) and imperial columns (hubiao) with carved dragon and phoenix motifs; as well as the more modern additions of a portrait of Mao Zedong and banners reading "Long live the People's Republic of China" and "Long live the peoples of the world".
Occasions
Tiananmen was the site of a number of major traditional imperial ceremonies, including processions by which the emperor entered and exited the city. These were major undertaking involving thousands of people and many conventions had to be observed. Officials and soldiers lined the road, and the emperor, clad in his dragon robes, was carried in his grand sedan chair. Civil and military officials marched in front and behind with imperial banners flags and weapons, and presented a truly awe-inspiring spectacle.
In ancient times the imperial examinations were also a cause for great celebration, and took place three times each year. An 'imperial dragon canopy' was erected in Tiananmen Square, where successful scholars were invited to a great feast, and the best candidates awarded imperial honors in front of the emperor himself.
Trials also took place in the square, but were much more distressing events. The accused were lined up in front of the magistrate, and those who received the death penalty executed immediately.
Tiananmen was also used to broadcast imperial edicts and notifications of state celebrations, such as the enthronement of a new emperor or an imperial marriage. These were proclaimed from a special platform, and even the abdication of Emperor Puyi, the last emperor of China, was announced in this way.
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To see various kinds of animals in Beijing Zoo
Beijing Zoo is located in Xizhimen Street of Xicheng District in Beijing (famous travel city for your affordable China tours). It covers an area of about 90 hectares. It was built in 1906, which is the premier public zoo in China, and the largest one as well. More than 900 different kinds of animal live here, and totally of them is about 20,000. The zoo receives more than 6 million visitors each year, including locals and tourists. Throughout 90 years history, Beijing Zoo becomes hugely influential zoo in Asia even in the whole world by high technology and various kinds of animals.
Beijing Zoo has 16 animal exhibition halls, including Giant Panda, Amphibian and Reptile House, Giraffe, Elephant, Gorilla, Aviary, Nocturnal Animal, Rhinoceros & hippo hall, Golden Monkey, Beijing Aquarium, Antelope & Takin zone, Lion and Tiger zone, Crane Island, Pheasant Garden, and Waterfowl, etc. Beijing Zoo often holds variety of theme activities and volunteer activities. It is not only the Paradise for animals , but also the best place to relax and get close to nature in this big city for your top China tours.
Giant Panda Hall the Giant Panda Hall can be divided into two parts, Asian Game Panda Hall and Olympic Game Panda Hall. The Asia Game Panda Hall was built in 1989, covers an area of about 10,000 square meters, the whole building was built according by Chinese Classical architecture style. It is bamboo shaped, has 11 arch rings like the bamboo joint around each other. 1989 is the year for the eleventh Asian Game held in Beijing, this unique design to show the best wishes for the Asian Game. Giant Panda is the national treasure in China, the number of them is extremely rare. Therefore they belongs to the national fist class protected animals. According to the latest statistics in 2006, the existing wild Pandas in China is only about 1596.
When you enter it, through the thick glass, you can find some of them walking slowly around the hall, some of them are sleeping. If you want to take a picture, it probably back toward you or cover its eyes with their paws seems to blame you to broke their sweat dreams. As a national treasure, Giant Panda has been send to many countries as friendship messengers.
Waterfowl lake No matter when you come, you can always see a prosperous scene. Some of them you can recognized easily, but some unusual ones maybe you do not know. More than 30 kinds of water birds are living here, the ones you generally can meet are more than 10 kinds, such as Swans, Mallards, Red Sheldrake, Mandarin Duck, etc. These waterfowl can be divided into two categories, wading birds and swimming birds. The swimming birds have the webbed feet which can help them to swim. Duck, swans and pelicans are belong to this class. Another is called waders, these bird has three common feature, which are long legged, long necked and long beak. They are not good at swimming, usually standing in the Shallow water with their long legs and picking little fishes in the water . White-Napped Crane and Night Heron are belong to waders.
Amphibian and Reptile House Amphibian and Reptile House was founded in 1979, the building area is 4712 square meters. After three times transformation, now it has more than 130 kinds of animals. It is the exhibition hall with most species of amphibians and reptiles in China. It has 6 parts, such as crocodiles, terrapins, frogs, salamanders, lizards, python and snake zone. Here, you can find some animals you never seen, e.g. Thailand crocodile. The adult Thailand crocodile is about three or four meters long, their mouth can swallow a kid definitely. If you observe carefully, you can find several pairs of eyes moved in the dark, a lots of baby Thailand crocodile hidden beneath the calm water, are you scared? There is another disguise king in the house, the green haired terrapin. Different with other terrapin, it fully covered the green algae. If you look down at the water from top, it seems like a bundle of algae grows in the water. With this good disguise, they can avoid predators traces easily, even us have almost been deceived by them.
Beijing Aquarium (an option for your popular China tours) is located in the north shore of the Beijing Zoo. The main building is divided into two layers, the total construction area is about 4,2000 square meters. It is the largest inland aquarium with highest level of modernization in the world. Its appearance is exactly like a big conch. It has six display parts, including the Rain forest Wonders, Touch Pool, submarine travel, sharks, Whale Bay and Ocean theatre.
The Rain forest Wonders is the unique venue with Amazon rain forest characteristics. In this venue you can find over 100 kinds of freshwater fish in rain forest and inland river. One strange thing is a pile of bones in one display tank. These bones related to the gray fish. Those gray fish looks lovely, but actually it is very dangerous. They are Piranhas from Amazon. Its length can reach 15 to 20 cm, with sharp teeth and developed jaw with prickles. The animals which drop into its water field can left nothing but bones in just a few minutes. There is no exception, even people.
Submarine Travel has 32 display tanks to show the most typical, ornamental marine fishes all over the world. You can have a wonderful undersea world traveling without leave Beijing. The one called Bibcock Fish, which is kind of fish doctor in the sea, it can eat the parasites from other fish, and disease their pain. Because these fishes live in different area, so the temperature and salinity of seawater in the display tanks should be different. All the tanks used the artificial seawater, the usage amount of artificial seawater is the largest in the world.
Ocean theater is the largest one in the world, which can accommodate 3000 spectators. It consists of 10 animal stars. Every day you can see wonderful performance. Look, the sea lion on the show, under trainer’s guide, its movement is so cute! It can throw the wasted bottle into the bin, look like it has more environmental awareness than us. Every time the dolphin come on the stage always make people excited, dolphins are the most smart one in the whole marine animal family. According to experts, its intellectual as same as the 3to 4 years old kids. And it very willing to get close to people. Come to see its water ballet show, i am sure you won't disappointed.
Many local families would like to take their kids to visit the Beijing Zoo in spare time. So why not follow them, you can show your kids the lovely animals and their habits. I am sure it will be the unforgettable experience to you and your kids.
Tags: travel to China
What to do when visiting Shenzhen
1. Other attractions around Shenzhen and Fuyong
Besides visiting Shenzhen and Fuyong, there are several other attractions/cities around the area which you can include in your China trip. They are as follows:
- Macau (famous for casinos and Portugese architecture)
- Zhuhai (coastal town near to Shenzhen)
- Guangzhou (capital city of Guangdong province, China)
- Hong Kong (more via guide of Hong Kong tour) and Kowloon
2. Where expats love to shop
If you're an expat and into shopping, then Lowu Commercial City is your place. There's 1500 shops over here that sells everything under the sky. From really fake Anya Hindmarch "I am not a plastic bag" bags to embroidered satin shoes. Other than merchandise, they have hundreds of little shops that offer cheap beauty treatments and restaurants that offer unbelievably affordable banquet food.
Just the perfect lure for bored expat wives like myself.
If truth be told, there are many unadventurous expats do not venture beyond the hallowed grounds of this shopping centre.
Where: Lowu Commercial City
3. Folks Cultural Village
Another fun theme park where you can see about 24 village authentically build village houses and 56 minority groups of China in just one location.
The Cultural Village is located just next to Splendid China (famous travel destination for China tour deals ) and so it is easy to go to both places.
You can visit each of the village house and meet locals in different costumes and find out more of their culture and customs. It reminds me of the Polynesian Village in Hawaii and the Sarawak Cultural Village in Damai, Kuching of Malaysia.
Besides the outdoor show, there is also nightly show which is worth your time.
4. Exploring A Soviet Aircraft Carrier in ShenZhen
If you're a regular military buff and interested in the (former) mighty Soviet War machine, then go to this military themed park off the coast of Shen Zhen. There's a huge aircraft carrier over there that has been sold off as scrap during the period of economic uncertainty in Russia. Now, it's been given a new coat of paint and passed off a floating amusement park that comes complete with a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 fighter, armed helicopters, dud missiles and staff dressed up in mock-military uniforms.
Where: Minsk World (Min-Si-Ker) military theme park in Sha tou jiao. It's about a 15min ride from Luohu to Shatoujiao in a cab (80-100RMB)
How much : Admission price is 120 RMB.
For whom: Boys who love posing inside planes and helicopters/ Men who haven't outgrown their boyish fascination for mighty war machines.
5. Lotus Hill Park
This 166-hectare public park, fully forested, is an ideal place for family fun in the heart of the city. The focal point of the park is a viewing square at the top of the Lotus Hill, which got its name from its shape (like a lotus). The square commands decent vistas of Shenzhen and highlights a statue of late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who inspired the creation of the city. Below the hill are a lawn for kite flying and a lake for fishing.
We had a walk on the park and took some pictures of it. It's a very cool and relaxing place to visit.
More: China guide.
In and around Kunming, Lijiang and Shuhe
Im a nomad/tourist/student in the Kunming/Lijiang area for the past 8 months! I'll see what I can help a bit here!
here's a recap of what you typed earlier:
Day 1 : arrive Kunming at 3pm to begin Kunming travel. Walk around Kunming town.
Day 2 : morning flight to Diqing (Shangri La). Arrive at 9am. Walk around and spend 1 night.
Day 3 : after lunch, afternoon overland (?) transfer to Lijiang. (Anything to see enroute?) Walk around Lijiang town.
Day 4 : Snow Mountain/Black Dragon Pool
Day 5 : cycling around outlying villages
Day 6 : morning flight back from Lijiang to Kunming.
I think your Day 1 is a bit constrained, but with your time, you can hang around downtown, enjoy some modest spring city weather. There is a temple called "yuantongsi" temple an old buddhist temple closes at 5-6ish. But since your day is limited here and Day 6, there's not much to see but enjoy the flowers. DO NOT GO TO BIRD AND FLOWER STREET. it has no birds. Shilin Stone Forest is one of the attractions of outer Kunming, pricey but a one-time 70% day go is all that's needed. inner Kunming has flowers... esp Cuihu Green Lake.
Shangri-La (must-see for top 10 China tours) is gorgeous.
Lijiang is amazing! I will help you modify a bit on the Lijiang side...
Jade Dragon Yulong Snow Mountain and Blue Moon Lake (Lanyuehu) are near each other, should be good and sunny in April, save that for 70% to a whole day. Ride a yak too! (FYI don't waste money enroute to Jade Dragon on O2 bottles(80rmb) or a big winter jacket rental (40rmb) on ground kiosks if you don't need it. On site, on top of the mountain and a kiosk just before ascent, there sells it for much cheaper (60rmb, 30rmb respectively)
Lijiang Dayan old town, elephant mountain and black dragon pool are closer to each other than the Snow Mountain, so that would save you some time and physical energy. There's a neat Naxi museum near the black dragon pool, among other sites to visit and crawl. You may also like to visit Shuhe Old Town, Shuhe Ancient Town is much quieter than Lijiang old town, so you can hear the peaceful horseclops and river flowing adrift, with a daily dance in the theatre at 730pm (only if it's a good night). BIG but playful dogs happily stroll these streets. (Can you tell which one I like better :P) Located west of the highly anticipated and gorgeous ACCOR GROUP Pullman Resort and Spa [(answers your original #3 question!) (They're open April 1st, so check for their opening promotion ~ i think it's 3 nights, 1 free..)]
Day 5 is further exploration, or you can spend approx 50~80RMB (from Lijiang) to go up to Tiger Leaping Gorge, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to visit from many many foreigners, friends and myself! Go early, or spend the night there too. (It is approximately enroute from Shangri-La to Lijiang, so plan accordingly, if interested.)
Contact me if you'd like. I try to help people here and everywhere.
Cheers on your trip! Make a Story out of Everyday. Share life.
Andrew Ames AKA Darwin
Canadian.
Location: Lijiang
More: China tour deals and travel China guide
A Busy Day Trip in Beijing
This morning I got very good news from my lab back in San Diego. A project I’ve been working on for six months just produced the results for which we were hoping. I actually had to fight back tears when I read the news from one of my colleagues. . .our research team has put in so many long hours (12. . .sometimes 15 hours days, month after month after month), working on weekends, missing meals and precious, precious sleep. But it was all worth it in Beijing (always contained in affordable China travel packages). What a great way to start out the day!
The work here is also going really well. We were able solve some big problems today. I feel very confident that this endeavor is going to be productive and successful. Plus there is the added benefit that the people I am working with are so kind and friendly. The girls, Sun and Hong guo (Amy) are planning a trip for us to the Great Wall (must-see for top 10 China tours). This will be Danbo’s first trip to the Great Wall as well. I don’t know if we are taking a guided tour or just exploring it ourselves or both. I’ll do some research and include some of the more interesting facts with the pictures and my blog entry for the day we visit it.
Not much else happened today. . .lots of lab work and different reports to prepare. I did go to a little shop near work to buy some gloves. . .the wind has picked up a bit in the past couple of days and the temperature is around 40oC. . .I don’t know what it is with the wind chill factored in. . .let’s just say it’s cold enough that my finger nails are often blue. I bought the gloves, a bottle of water and a bottle of diet coke for $1.00!!!!
On the way out of the shop there was a little local street dog. . .it was the weirdest looking thing ever. I could not tell at first if it was a dog or an extremely large cat (it looked a lot like the Cheshire Cat in the recent movie Alice in Wonderland). I’ve never seen a creature like it before (I wish I’d snapped a picture. . .seriously. . .this animal was so unique in appearance). In many of the countries I’ve travelled to I’ve seen ‘stray’ dogs. They are mostly local dogs that the restaurants and people in the neighborhood feed but they don’t belong to a specific person. Of course. . .big softie that I am. . .I always want to ‘rescue’ them and bring them home with me. I’m sure my cats would be very unamused.
Okay. . .I’m signing off for today. Take care everyone!
More: popular China travel package and China guide.
1,000-year-old wooden 'lounge bridges' preserved in Fujian
Still standing and still in every-day use - the arched wooden bridges built in China nearly 1,000 years ago demonstrate the true skill of the master craftsmen who first constructed them.
These stunning structures show how not every part of China has been altered by its remarkable rate of development.
The bridges, suspended between two banks of lush greenery and built from the wood of the trees surrounding them, are still a fully functional part of life in the Fuijan and Zhejiang provinces along China's south east coast.
Of the 100 woven arched timber 'lounge bridges' in China, 19 of them are in the Shouning County of the Fujian province alone - including the Luanfeng and Yangmeizhou bridges in the village of Xiadang.
The Qiancheng bridge meanwhile, in the Tangkou village, in Fuzhou, also in the Fujian province (best travel destination for top 10 China tours) is even older, having been built during the Southern Song Dynasty which lasted from 1127 to 1279.
Again the bridge, which is an impressive 62.7 metres long and 4.9 metres wide, has been rebuilt several times, but remains an iconic image of ancient Chinese construction methods.
Both of the bridges have been listed as one of the state's key cultural relics, while the UNESCO website has said the traditional methods for building the bridges on China's south east coast, has declined in recent years because of the country's rapid urbanisation. So the bridge also make a contribution to China tourism .
The building of the bridges relies on a skilled craftsmanship, with a woodworking master directing the carpentry of a team of woodworkers.
This craftsmanship has been passed on down the years from one generation to another by masters teaching apprentices or relatives within a clan following strict procedures.
The clans then play a vital role in the building, maintenance and protection of the bridges.
The historical bridges also play an important role within the cultural life of the areas they have been built in, providing meeting places for residents to exchange information, worship and entertain.
The bridges, included on UNESCO's National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, are built entirely by hand using the skill of 'beam-weaving' and creating mortise and tenon joints.
The woodworking masters design the bridges with a range of arches depending on the surroundings, while the passageways can be of various styles, depending on the use of the bridge.
To create arch support, 'beam weaving' is used which sees three rows of wood formed into an arch-supporting system while in the upper layer five shorter rows of wood are jointed and intertwined with upper-arch supports.
Wood that then connects the whole bridge is placed at the joints between the ends so the bridge becomes a solid whole.
Traditional tools such as Lu Ban rulers, sawhorses, axes and chisels were used in the construction of the bridges.
Learn mroe via China travel deals and travel China guide.
Strategy on Traveling to Fujian Province
If you have no idea about where to travel at your November time, you can keep reading this article to get more information about the November tour in China as we are going to talk about the tour in Guangzhou and Xiamen with about 8 days. Yes, Guangzhou and Xiamen, these are two popular destinations which have attracted numerous travelers from home and abroad to have a visit there because of its beautiful scenery and charm. Here we are going to talk more about how to make tour to China to pay your visit to Guangzhou and Xiamen. Follow me here!
You will firstly arrive in Guangzhou (wonderful place to spend your China vacation deals) in your first day and just have a good rest upon your arrival there, and then you will have a visit to Dr. Sun Yat-sens Memorial Hall,?Temple of Family Chen,?and Temple of the?Six Banyan Trees and?Shamian Street in your second day and of course enjoy yourself in Chimelong tourism resort?nearby Guangzhou city along with?Xiangjiang Safari Park in your third day; and your fourth day you will take your flight to Xiamen to keep your tour in China continue with the sightseeing of Gulang Islet leisurely along the seaside road including Sunshine Rock, Shuzhuang Garden and Piano Musuem in your 5th day and South Putuo Temple, Xiamen University and Hulishan Fort at day 6 before you take your flight to Wuyishan later that day; then Mt. Wuyishan Scenic Area including Nine-bend Stream raft will be your itinerary of your seventh day; and you will depart from Wuyishan in the 8th day to finish your 8-days best tours of China.
How do you feel about this plan to tour in Guangzhou and Xiamen? If you want to experience it, you can make full preparation from now, I am sure you will have an enjoyable travel to China!
Hong Kong Outdoor Activities
1. WALKS THE PEAK
Walking the Peak is an option for your Hong Kong travel guide.
MTR Central stn exit A, walk to Exchange Square bus terminus and take a bus no 15 to the Peak. Acroos The Peak Tower then walk along Lugard Road to the start. About a 15-minutes walk from the Peak Station, arrive at Lugard Road Lookout where you’ll enjoy stunning views of the city and harbour below. Best view can be enjoyed from the Lions Pavilion.
Continue along Lugard Road until you reach the junction of Hatton Road and Harlech Road. You have 2 choices: Harlech Road takes you back to The Peak Galleria where you can catch a bus or Peak tram back to Central OR Hatton Road takes you on a longer walk down the hillside.
If you go along Hatton Road, you’ll arrive at the historic Pinewood Battery which commands a panoramic view of the western approach to Victoria Harbour. On fine days, you’ll be able to see all the way to Tsing Ma Bridge, Disneyland, Lamma Island and other outlying islands.
Continue down Hatton Road and follow the sign for Kotewall Road then reach University Drive then take bus no 13 to Central OR go along Conduit Road for about 30 minutes to Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and walk down to Central.
2. Sedan Chair Race
The annual Sedan Chair Race is the main fundraising event of the Matilda Sedan Chair Race Charities Fund. It consists of teams carrying a sedan chair racing around the Peak on a choice of one of two routes (3.2km for course A and 2.1km for course B), starting from The Matilda International Hospital.
Each team consists of eight people and a passenger, with money for the Fund raised through entrance fees and sponsorship of the team. There are numerous prizes to be won...for fit teams as well as fun awards for creative teams such as the best dressed, the most entertaining and the team that best captures the spirit of the event.
The event is usually held in Mid-November, it starts from Matilda International Hospital and ends there as well. So if you visit Hong Kong at that time, don't miss the event for your Hong Kong tour.
3. Golf at Hong Kong Airport
There are Several Golf Courses in Hong Kong and dozens just across the border around Shenzhen.
For a short round (9 holes) there is a new course at the airport. Most holes are par 3 but there are plenty of bunkers and water features to make it challenging.
You need to be an airport user/frequent flier to use it. Suggest you sign up with the airline you fly in with.
You are able to hire shoes and clubs and the weekday rate is HK$320 for 9 holes.
There are restrictions at weekends, breakfast and evenings regarding its use (you need to have a handicap of 18 or less) but midweek is fine.
You get use to the sight of planes and the smell of aviation fuel after a while.
Once you have finished you can enjoy a drink and a meal in the Thai restaurant overlookig the course.
4. Go hiking in Hong Kong.
Most people will probaply not associate Honbg Kong (where you can see some famous Hong Kong attractions) with hiking as it's usually shown as a city that only has highrise buildings, but you do have suprisingly many good trails there and they are well maintained and well signposted.
You can be out hiking in fairly wild nature within half an hour from the city center and i think this is a nice thing to do once you have sucked up the city scene for a couple of days.
Some of the hiking trails are paved and some are not, but they are usually all fairly well signposted as Hong kong has a lot of people who enjoy going hiking.
I have personally been hiking on Hong kong island aswell as Lantau during my visits to Hong Kong (part of packages of China tour deals ) but it's possible to do in many other parts of Hong Kong.
First-Timers’ Guide to China
China may be modernizing at a head-spinning pace, but the slick skyscrapers, Lambor-ghini showrooms and Maglev trains are just eye-catching but wafer-thin gift-wrapping. Let’s face it: the world’s oldest continuous civilization is bound to pull an artifact or two out of its hat. Travel selectively around China and you can quickly tap into a rich seam of antiquity: ponder the legends and myths of the Forbidden City, rediscovery your sense of wonder on the Great Wall or attempt to fathom the timeless expressions of the silent Terracotta Army. Submit to the unique charms of Pingyao – China’s best-preserved walled town – or trace the history of Silk Road. Meander among the historical villages which are best-preserved in many places. As a first-timers, you should pay attention to the following for your China holidays.
Best Time to Visit China
As referring to the climate or weather, the best time to visit China generally falls in spring and autumn. They are high season for China tourism. The climate of China is extremely diverse. It changes from tropical in the south and subarctic in the north. In the north, it is hot and dry in summer and cold in winter while it is hot but humid in summer and mild in the south. But it is warm in spring and cool in autumn so these two seasons become the high season for China travel. You can also visit China in low season when it is not crowded and admission fee is lower than that of high season. You can save money!
Visit gold triangle cities – Beijing, Xian and Shanghai
These three cities are the most visited and must-see cities for tourists to visit China. Beijing, China’s capital, is one of true ancient citadels. It is also a confident and modern city that seems assured of its destiny to rule over Chian till the end of time. It is Beijing’s epic grandeur that is awe-inspiring and there is still much more substance here than in China’s other dynastic cities like Nanjing or Kaifeng. You only need a bit of patient exploration to tap into its historical narrative.
Xian is the capital of 13 dynasties in ancient China and starting point for Silk Road tour. Xian’s fabled past is a double-edged sword. As a starting point of Silk Road and melting pot of cultures and religions, as well as home to emperors, poet, monks, merchants and warriors, visitors can feel let down by roaring, modern-day version. But in some places like Muslim Quarter, you can get a glimpse of the city’s past. The city walls remain intact and vendors of all kinds still crowd he narrow lanes of warrenlike Muslim Quarter. Terracotta Army, of course, should not be missed for tourists.
Shanghai is the place to feel the modern China. As one of China’s most massive and vibrant cities, Shanghai is a heading places that the rest cities can only fantasize about. It is a city of action, not idea. You can stroll along the Bund to enjoy the style of ancient European building or have a rest in Xintiandi where you can not only taste of local Chinese food but also the tasteful western cuisines.
Other Attractions
If you are interested in historical sites, you can choose some ancient towns like Pingyao, Hongcun and Xidi, Wuyuan, Huangyao, etc. If you are fond of natural beauty, Guilin and Shangri-la should be indispensable. Tibet is another recommended tourist destination.
Eat, eat and then eat some more
China has many wonderful features but arguably its excellent attraction is its food. As ancient country with long and rich culinary culture, cuisine varies tremendously from region to region – even breakfast time can be an assault on the sense – so try as much of it as you can. By the way, don’t listen to anyone who tell you to avoid to try the street food. Tasting the street food is often the best culinary experience.
Don't miss the above for your top 10 China tours
- See more at: http://www.chinatour.com/blog/top-recommended-hotels-in-beijing-xian-shanghai.htm
What should you pay attention to for shopping when travel to Shanghai
1. shopping streets...
In my opinion there are two main shopping streets in Shanghai (the must-see city along Yangtze River where you can have Yangtze River tour). There is Huai Hai road, where one can find almost anything from books, nice lace bra's, shoes to suits etc. This street seemed to me have a lots of brand shops and the prices were quite high compared to other streets.
The other "main" shopping road is most probably Nanjing Lu, which leaves from the Bund and is kilometres long. There you can find shopping malls after shopping malls and also Mc Donalds in every 100 metres (almost!).
Between Nanjing Lu and Huai Hai road is Shanxi road south, there you can find smaller shops selling mostly clothes and shoes. But if you are not in the area, do not bother, but it is worth a promenade if you're around.
But like in every city, it will be cheaper if you wander away from the mainstreets and look for shops in different areas. The road names I just gave are just few shopping streets in Shanghai but perhaps the most popular ones?
2. ARCHIVED: Xiang Yang Lu Flea Market
LATEST: This flea market has CLOSED PERMANENTLY as part of China's effort to stem out copyright infringements. It's now HISTORY.
This is a very popular flea market that is open both day and night. Popular with locals and tourists who come here for your affordable China travel packages. This is the place to be to hunt for fake goods (especially fake Mont Blanc pens) and pirated CDs, VCDs and DVDs. If you like fake couture, this is one place to be. It is open air though many stalls have canopies to shield shoppers from sun and rain and the flea market is like a maze with its labyrinth of stalls among many alley ways. There are also food stalls interspaced between stalls selling all kind of goods from arts and crafts, souvenirs, antiques etc etc.
What to pay: BARGAIN IS THE ORDER OF THE DAY.
Indication: You can get about 20 fake Mont Blanc pens for about US$7.
3. freshwater pearls
there are plenty small shops selling pearls near Yuyuan garden (must-see attraction in Shanghai for your affordable China travel packages), they all look practically the same..but i would advise you to find that shop and ask for Jin Yu Qin, because our small but greedy for pearls group bought really a lot of all kind of necklaces, earrings, bracelets..sure you could get good discount, just ask her if she remembers a man with his 5 wifes...sure she will remember..:)
What to buy: China is known for its good prices on pearls. Prices range, depending on size, length of necklace, and quality. Negotiations are a must
What to pay: prices starts from 200 usd for a long necklace, but you can easily get it for half this price...and many small nice gifts for free
4. Dong Jia Du Fabric Market: fake Chanel, silk and more silk
it's fabric market, biggest in Shanghai. you can find there traditional chinese costumes, dresses (but you need to gave good eyes to catch really nice good quality stuff among fake designers clothes), all kind of silk, if you are planning to make home decoration..this place is a must ! silk is of incredible beauty, even if you dont need it...you will certainly bye some thinking..it will surely have some usage later...
and the best thing, if you allow local taylors take your measures...they will make for you in 48 hours the dress you want, you can choose silk itself also design...and SUPER BONUS they will deliver it at your hotel, no problem. i asked for a nice red colored dress, and the only problem i had to face...it was cold when i had to take some clothes off...to let take my measures.
What to pay: really nice chinese traditional dress only for 25 USD
Tags: top 10 China tours
Off the beaten path for your fantastic experience in Shanghai 10/25
1. Duolun Culture Street
Duolun Road in Hongkou district of Shanghai (where you leave China after affordable China travel packages), north of Suzhou Creek, was home to many of Shanghai's most famous left-wing writers and intellectuals in the 1920s and 1930s. During this time, the road was just outside the formal boundary of the International Settlement, and between 1932 and 1945, under the de facto Japanese military occupation. Consequently, many left-wing writers who lived here felt fairly safe from persecution by the Guomindang government at that time. The road has now been pedestrianised, and most of the historical buildings along it preserved. Some of the more interesting one are: a French-style mansion at no. 145 where the League of Leftist Writers was founded in 1930; the former residence of HH Kung (Finance Minister during the Guomindang government) at no. 250; and the Old Film Cafe at no. 123.
Duolun Road is off Sichuan Bei Lu (Sichuan North Road) in Hongkou. The nearest metro is Dong Baoxing Lu on Line 3.
2. Longhua Temple and Pagoda
Longhua Temple (an option for your best tours of China in Shanghai) has a long history and has survived the many turmoils of Shanghai in the past hundreds of years. Its construction, including its wooden pagoda, can be traced back to 997 AD, during the Northern Song dynasty, though earlier versions of the temple may have existed. The temple complex was enlarged in the subsequent Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. It was severely damaged during the Japanese bombing of Shanghai in 1937, and again in 1966 when thousands of Red Guards stormed the temple to destroy its treasures, including Ming dynasty Buddha statues and sacred Buddhist scriptures (all gone). The temple and its pagoda were saved from total destruction due to the intervention of local residents. Today's Longhua temple must be a shadow of its former self, but remains the largest working temple complex in Shanghai. There are several halls dedicated to various deities, separated by tranquil courtyards. Its 7-storey pagoda has striking orange walls and a metal spire at the top. Longhua Temple is located near Longcao Road metro station in southwest Shanghai.
3. Shanghai Science and Technology Museum
The Shanghai Science and Technology Museum located in Pudong is a huge, modern, and exciting museum for people of all ages. This museum has 12 exhibition halls and 4 theatres (including the IMAX theatres). It was one of the best science museums I have ever visited. There are lots and lots of hands-on activities to do, including very fun and meaningful physics experiments. The "World of Robots" exhibition was very cool; you get to communicate with and control robots. There is also an impressive man-made tropical rainforest inside the museum where you will get to learn about bio-diversity, ecology, and genetics. There are lots of live demonstrations and presentations inside the museum like a robot show and an earthquake simulation, so be sure you don't miss them. I strongly recommend this museum. As of summer 2006, admission tickets are 60 yuan per person. The museum is easily reached using Subway Line 2, Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Station.
4. Talk to Chinese people in People's Park
On Sundays a group of Chinese people meet in a corner of People's Park (walk through by the fern flowers and trees at the city end) to talk English. We came across them by accident, just walking through. About twenty of them, all meeting up to talk Enlish to each other - and to any native English speaker who happens to walk by.
It was really nice, everybody very excited, practising their English and enjoying themselves hugely. They had an organiser (who they call the Teacher) who was himself a tourist attraction - big and bouncy, with limitless energy. So if you walk through that corner of the park and a big bouncy man rushes up and asks you to talk with his English students, don't be too afraid - it is genuine, and enjoyable.
5. Fuzhou Lu - Books and Stationary
Between the Nanjingdong Lu pedestrian shopping street and Yuyuan Gardens (must-see for popular China tours), running parallel to Nanjingdong Lu, is Fuzhou Lu. This is side street famous for its bookstores and stationary/office supplies shops. In the pre-Republic era, this place is also famous for brothels. Brothels are gone now, but the bookstores are still around.
Stroll down this street and visit all the specialty stores. Take the side alleys to discover out of the way street vendors. This road connects the southern side of Bund to the east and southern side of People's Park/Square to the west. It is not a large street with a nice mixture of feelings of west and east. It's a nice break from the too westernized parts of Shanghai and from the too touristy Oriental parts of Shanghai.
More: travel China guide
Trace the Marco Polo footprints in Hangzhou
1. Bamboo Water Rafting
We had to wear to plastic things to cover our legs coz it was a wet affair during the bamboo water rafting. Loads of fun.
You can do water fights with a 'bamboo gun' with other rafters too!
There was only 2 parts of the ride that we had the thrill of going fast downwards, but other than that is was a peaceful leisurely ride.
Make sure you wear a hat and sunglasses. I forgot mine on that day and regretted it later coz the ride was a good half hour.
You can buy some hats at the bamboo rafting area, which were not expensive, they range from RMB 10 - RMB 20 only, and the hats are rather nice in design.
2. Walking West Lake
Supposedly China has many lakes called "West Lake" but this is the real one. It's featured on the 1 Yuan note, for what that's worth. The biggest draw of the lake is its scenic beauty, which, as is often the case in China is more visible in one direction than another- if you look one way, a pagoda rises from the smoky hills. If you look the other, the standard Han Chinese concrete city awaits your gaze. Just keep looking south. If you visit Hangzhou, don't miss West Lake for your China tour deals.
To get all the way around the lake could take a long, long time. Fortunately, throughout history, certain leaders had the foresight to build causeways that cross the lake. The Bai Causeway is the shorter of the two, in the northeast corner. It was built by Bai Juyi, one of Hangzhou's governors who rebuilt a dam after the first dam broke, basically returning the lake to its average depth of 5 or 6 feet. This causeway is accessed on one side via Gushan, a hill/island in the lake with museums and restaurants.
The longer causeway, about 2.6 km, is called the Su Causeway. It was built by another governor oh Hangzhou (famous travel city for your top China tours) named Su Shi (or Su Dongpo) and is lined with willows, magnolias and other trees. From the Su Causeway, you can access Huagang Park, a beautiful and quiet place with trees, flowers and ponds. One end of the Su Causeway begins at the northwest end of the lake and goes more or less due south.
If you're staying on the west side of the lake, you can walk back from the south entrance to the Su Causeway. Just turn left at the major intersection.
There's no east-west causeway.
3. Growing tea
Tea growing in China is on a scale similar to the great chateaus we saw in St Emillion France. When we visit the ancient tea plantations of Dragon Well Tea we learn that the tea bushes can live for 98 years. A new tea-plant must grow for five years before its leaves can be picked and, at 30 years of age, it will be too old to be productive.
Picking starts from the end of March and lasts through October, altogether as many as 30 times from the same plants every week or so. The fresh new leaves are picked.
4. Yellow Dragon Cave
This is a beautiful relaxing park .We took a short walk from the parking area through stands of bamboo and came upon a pond with a dragon's head molded on a cliff. Spring water comes out of the dragonhead and flows into a bluish green pond below. It is quite beautiful and as we gazed into the water we half expected to see a real dragon emerge at any moment!
According to the legend, the founder of this beautiful area was a buddist monk Huikai who left Jiangxi Province and came to Xixiashan . This area was founded so that the devotees to Buddha could come here to listen to him to expound the scriptures of Buddhism.
More: China travel guide and popular China tour package
