Flight to China

Yonghe Lamasery

Yonghe Lamasery Introduction:

At the northeast corner of Beijing City, the traveler will find an elegant and ancient temple known as the Yonghe Lamasery, which is the largest and most perfectly preserved lamasery in present China. The total area of the compound calculated from the southernmost memorial archway to the lamasery’s northernmost point is 66,400 square meters.

The principal building in the rearmost courtyard and tallest building in the lamasery is the three-story Hall of Infinite Happiness (Wangfuge), also called the Hall of Great Buddha (Dafolou). Flanking it on both sides are two two-story pavilions-the Eternal Health Pavilion (Yongkangge) and the Perpetual Tranquility Pavilion (Yanningge), both connected to the central hall by overhead bridges. A huge statue of the Tathagata Buddha (Rulaifo) stands in the center of the hall. Made from the trunk of a single sandalwood tree, the standing statue is 26 meters in height (eight meters below the ground floor and 18 meters above) and eight meters in diameter. It is said that when this statue was first installed it was fitted with a yellow monk’s robe made of more than 1,800 meters of satin.

The lamaseries house a treasury of Buddhist art. To mention a few of the most interesting items: examples of the calligraphy of Qing emperors written on scrolls and inscribed on stelae, bronze lions and incense burners, sculptured images of gods, demons and Buddhas and Tibetan-style murals.

Address:

No. 12 Yonghegong Street, Dongcheng District

Opening Hours:

9:00 to 17:00

Admission Fee:

RMB 25

Posted in Beijing Sights | No Comments »

Beihai Park

Introduction:

Beihai Park, located in central Beijing, is one of the oldest and most authentically perserved imperial gardens in China. It has a history of 1000 years.

Beihai has existed throughout the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. Most of the buildings now were constructed during Emperor Qianlong’s reign in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 A.D.).

Beihai has been open to the public since 1925. The park occupies an area of 69 hectares including a 39-hectare lake. In the garden, pavilions and towers nestle amid the beautiful scenery of lakes and hills, grass and trees. Carrying on the traditions of garden landscaping of ancient China, Beihai Park is a gem of garden art.

Address:

No. 1 Wenjin Street, Xicheng District

Opening Hours:

6:00 to 22:00

Admission Fee:

RMB 10

Posted in Beijing Sights | No Comments »

The Summer Palace

The Summer Palace landscape, dominated mainly by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, covers an area of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is under water. Its 70,000 square meters of building space features a variety of palaces, gardens and other ancient-style architectural structures. Well known for its large and priceless collection of cultural relics, it was among the first group of historical and cultural heritage sites in China to be placed under special state protection.

The Summer Palace, originally named Qingyi Yuan or the Garden of Clear Ripples, was first constructed in 1750. It was razed to the ground by the Anglo-French Allied Forces in 1860. The Government of the Qing Dynasty started to rebuild it in 1886 with funds that it had misappropriated from the Imperial Navy and other sources. Renamed two years later as Yihe Yuan or the Garden of Health and Harmony, it was supposed to serve as a summer resort for the Empress Dowager Cixi. Known also as the Summer Palace, it was ravaged by the Allied Forces of the Eight Powers that invaded China in 1900.

Ticket Price

Opening Time

Busy season: from April 1 to October 31;
Gate：6：30-18：00
Parks Inside the Summer Palace：8：30——17：00
the following scenic spots inside the Summer Palace：8：30——17：00
Close:  20：00

Slack season: from November 1 to March 31;
Gate： 7：00-17：00，
Parks Inside the Summer Palace：9：00——16：00
the following scenic spots inside the Summer Palace：9：00——16：00
Close:  19：00

Traffic LineBuses via the East Gate of the Summer Palace (Dong-gong-men Stop):
Bus 330、331、332、346、394、712、718、726、732、737、801、808、817、826、

Buses via the North Gate of the Summer Palace (Bei-gong-men Stop):
Bus 303、330、331、346、375、384、393、634、716、718、737、801、808、817、834、Express 5

Buses via the South Gate of the Summer Palace ( Xin-jian-gong-men Stop):
Bus 374、437、481、952、704、992

Buses via the West Gate of the Summer Palace ( Xin-jian-gong-men Stop):
Bus 469

Posted in Beijing Sights | 1 Comment »

Mt. Yuelu

Mt. Yuelu is located on the west bank of Xiangjiang River and lies in the west of Changsha City. It’s a highly reputable scenic area in Hunan Province, an area that enables you to have a much clearer understanding of Changsha City once you have paid a visit to Mt. Yuelu.

Mt. Yuelu is noted for its picturesque scenery. The towering trees that provide dense shade emerge through heavily planted foliage around the mountains and provide an instant sense of refreshment and vitality to the environment. The full-blown azaleas in spring, the tranquility and coolness in summer, the flamboyant maple leaves in autumn and the silver-colored trees covered with snow and frost in winter make it a delightful spot all year round.

Besides the natural scenery, Yuelu Mountain abounds with cultural landscape as well. Many literati, ideologists, and hierarchy once visited here and left their tracks. The coexistence of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism is the most unique culture in this mountain. The representative buildings are the Yuelu Academy, the Lushan Temple, the Sarira Tower, the Yunlu Palace, and the Aiwan Pavilion. Additionally, Mt. Yuelu is an excellent education base for patriotism. So many revolutionists, patriots and great people with high ideals like Huang Xing, Cai E and Jiang Yiwu, who were dedicated to the democratic revolution of the old type, were buried here. And the monuments, graves and cemeteries built for those martyrs make a solemn and stirring scene on the mountain.

With Lushan being the core, Mt. Yuelu is made up of other scenic areas like Juzizhoutou, Tianma, Taohualing and Shijialing and two separate sights (the Old Site of The New Citizen’s Academic Association and Tuchengtou Site). The most renowned attractions on Mt. Yuelu are the Yuelu Academy, the Lushan Temple and the Aiwan Pavilion, etc.

The Yuelu Academy is situated at the east foot of the mountain and was built in 976 during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). It used to be one of the ‘Four Academies’ at that time. Later it was changed into a college for higher learning and in 1926, it was named Hunan University. The history of the academy is considered to be the epitome of the development of Chinese higher education. Halfway up the mountain you will discover the Lushan temple, which was built in the Jin Dynasty (265-420) and is the earliest Buddhism temple in Hunan Province. The Aiwan Pavilion was built during the reign of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It was first called the Hongye Pavilion and then was renamed the Aiwan Pavilion because of a poem written by a famous poet in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). After several expansions and renovations, it appears as we see it today. It is also a place of revolutionary significance. When Mao Tse Tung (Mao Zedong), the first chairman of PRC, was studying in a normal school, he used to come to the pavilion with several friends and they often discussed current affairs. The pavilion name was inscribed by Chairman Mao in 1952 when it was rebuilt. The Aiwan Pavilion is one of ‘Four Famous Pavilions’ in China.

The permanent charm of Mt. Yuelu remains for all to witness, as no matter what the season it appears to exude natural beauty whilst still remaining a highly valued cultural site. It’s certainly a highlight of Changsha City.

Posted in Hunan Sights | No Comments »

Forbidden City

Lying at the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City(The Palace Museum), called Gu Gong in Chinese, was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Now known as the Palace Museum, it is to the north of Tiananmen Square. Rectangular in shape, it is the world’s largest palace complex and covers 74 hectares. Surrounded by a six meter deep moat and a ten meter high wall are 9,999 buildings. The wall has a gate on each side. Opposite the Tiananmen Gate, to the north is the Gate of Devine Might (Shenwumen), which faces Jingshan Park. The distance between these two gates is 960 meters, while the distance between the gates in the east and west walls is 750 meters. There are unique and delicately structured towers on each of the four corners of the curtain wall. These afford views over both the palace and the city outside. The Forbidden City is divided into two parts. The southern section, or the Outer Court was where the emperor exercised his supreme power over the nation. The northern section, or the Inner Court was where he lived with his royal family. Until 1924 when the last emperor of China was driven from the Inner Court, fourteen emperors of the Ming dynasty and ten emperors of the Qing dynasty had reigned here. Having been the imperial palace for some five centuries, it houses numerous rare treasures and curiosities. Listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987, the Palace Museum is now one of the most popular tourist attractions world-wide.

Construction of the palace complex began in 1407, the 5th year of the Yongle reign of the third emperor of the Ming dynasty. It was completed fourteen years later in 1420. It was said that a million workers including one hundred thousand artisans were driven into the long-term hard labor. Stone needed was quarried from Fangshan, a suburb of Beijing. It was said a well was dug every fifty meters along the road in order to pour water onto the road in winter to slide huge stones on ice into the city. Huge amounts of timber and other materials were freighted from faraway provinces. Ancient Chinese people displayed their very considerable skills in building the Forbidden City. Take the grand red city wall for example. It has an 8.6 meters wide base reducing to 6.66 meters wide at the top. The angular shape of the wall totally frustrates attempts to climb it. The bricks were made from white lime and glutinous rice while the cement is made from glutinous rice and egg whites. These incredible materials make the wall extraordinarily strong.

Since yellow is the symbol of the royal family, it is the dominant color in the Forbidden City. Roofs are built with yellow glazed tiles; decorations in the palace are painted yellow; even the bricks on the ground are made yellow by a special process. However, there is one exception. Wenyuange, the royal library, has a black roof. The reason is that it was believed black represented water then and could extinguish fire.

Nowadays, the Forbidden City, or the Palace Museum is open to tourists from home and abroad. Splendid painted decoration on these royal architectural wonders, the grand and deluxe halls, with their surprisingly magnificent treasures will certainly satisfy ‘modern civilians’.

In addition, the following services can also be enjoyed here.

Audio Guide Device
Available in several languages including Chinese, Cantonese, English, French, Japanese, German, Korean, Russian, Thai, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic and Italian. It can be rented from the tour guide service at the Meridian Gate (Wumen) and the Gate of Divine Might (Shenwu Men). The cost for renting any version of the device is CNY 40 (Chinese and Cantonese are both CNY 10), along with a deposit of CNY 100.

Tour Guide Service
Chinese, English and Japanese-speaking tour guides are available.

Commodity Service
Tourist souvenirs, books, food and drink as well as a post office are all available.

Broadcast
It is to the southwest of Jingyun Gate.

Bag Check Service
Bags can be deposited free of charge at the Meridian Gate (Wumen) and Gate of Divine Might (Shenwu Men) from 8:30 to 18:00. If desired, bags can be carried between the two gates after going through a security check.

Wheelchairs & Strollers
Available from the tour guide service at the Meridian Gate (Wumen) and Gate of Divine Might (Shenwu Men), free of charge.

Tourist Service Center
Located at the Arrow Pavilion (Jianting).

Posted in Beijing Sights | No Comments »

Jinshanling Great Wall

Jinshanling Great Wall: 140 kilometers at the north-east end of Beijing City, there is a section of The Great Wall, called Jinshanling Great Wall. It is 90 kilometers to the Mountain Resort of Chengde. A tablet with the Chinese inscription of “Jinshanling Great Wall” was set in this section.

On the right is the full view of the Jinshanling Great Wall. Its east end connects to the Simatai Great Wall. Jinshangling Great Wall got its name because it was built on the bigger and the smaller Jinshan Mountains.

The Jinshanling Great Wall was initially built from 1368 to 1389 in the Ming Dynasty, and in 1567 or 1570 rebuilding of the Wall was mainly directed by General Qi Jiguang. Poems and tablet writings can be found on the Jinshanling Great Wall left from the time Qi Jiguang directed building of this section of The Great Wall.

The total length of this section is about eleven kilometers (6.8 miles), and the scenic spot of the Jinshanling Great Wall has an area of 32 square kilometers. The Wall is about seven to eight meters high and five to six meters wide, which is made of brick and stone. The Jinshanling Great Wall has an elevation of 700 meters. Watching Beijing Tower is on the highest position, from which you can see Beijing. The Jinshanling Great Wall is second only to the Badaling Great Wall in its completeness.

There are more than 100 enemy towers along the whole Jinshanling Great Wall. Built stably and elegantly, different towers have different structures and appearances. Please see the right picture - it is one of the enemy towers. Rows of 3-meter-high Barrier Walls were built leading to the enemy towers to protect the towers. Some of the towers are storerooms as well. They were used to store food, hay and weapons.

Two of so many enemy towers are bigger Jinshan and smaller Jinshan. There is a legend about them. It was said that the two towers were built by 3000 soldiers from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces led northward by Qi Jiguang. In order to remind themselves of their hometowns, the names of bigger and smaller Jinshan Islands in Zhenjiang City, which is in Jiangsu Province, were used to name the two enemy towers.

As there are relatively few tourists at Jinshanling Great Wall, it is a good place to explore on foot.

In early mornings of spring and summer you can see a remarkable view - “Cloud Sea” below you from the Wall.

The Jinshanling Great Wall has never been repaired. You are safer when you visit this section of The Great Wall than other parts. It is safer as the service in this section of Great Wall includes that one tour guide is responsible for one tourist, for his/her safety actually. When needed, the tour guides will go hand in hand to protect the tourists.

An 800-meter long cable was built to entertain the tourists. Also a 3-kilometer section of the Wall was rebuilt and is bathed after dark in colored light, making a splendid “Night Great Wall”.

Admission Fee: CNY 30
Opening Hours: 08:00 to 16:50
Recommended Time for a Visit: Two hours

Posted in Beijing Sights | 1 Comment »

SiMaTai Great Wall

The Simatai section of The Great Wall, not far from the Gubeikou section, is located at Gubeikou Town in the northeast of Miyun County, Beijing, 120 kilometers from the city center. Its construction started in the early Hongwu years (1368-1398) of the Ming Dynasty. Like most sections of the Ming Dyna.

The Simatai Great Wall is 5.4 km long with all together 35 watchtowers. As the east section of the Gubeikou defense line, this magnificent section features great strategic significance. Built hundreds of years ago, the Simatai Great Wall still retains all its original appearance. It not only incorporates a variety of styles of other parts of the 10, 000-li-long wall, but also displays some unique characteristics. This section of The Great Wall is often described with the following five words: perilous, dense, diverse, ingenuous, and peculiar.

In the valley, the Simatai Great Wall is separated into two parts by the Simatai Reservoir, over which a chain bridge runs through east to west. Like two huge golden dragons, the two parts of The Great Wall wind down from the east and west mountains into the reservoir, forming a wonderful reflection of the magnificent Great Wall in the clear blue water.

The Simatai Great Wall, with densely-dispersed watchtowers snaking along the mountain ridges, looks spectacular. On the hills with gentle slopes in the west, twenty watchtowers are well preserved. However, the west part of Simatai, where fifteen watchtowers densely cover the mountain peaks almost one thousand meters high, appears to be more breathtaking.

The watchtowers on the Simatai Great Wall exhibit a refined design and various structures, among which the most celebrated are the Wangjinglou(Watching Beijing Tower), where one can enjoy lights of Beijing at night in the distance, and Xiannulou(Angel’s Tower), which is characterized by its exquisite structure,with no reference concerning its name origin.
Along the Simatai Great Wall one can also find a section laid with bricks carrying inscriptions, such as “Made by Qiangzi Camp”,”Made by the left camp of Shandong in the 6th year of the Wanli reign” and “Made by the infantry camp of suppressing enemy troops in the 6th year of the Wanli reign”. These messages not only record their origin, but also the period of time they were written.

With its fantastic scenery and precipitous topography, the Simatai Great Wall is a remarkable place for sightseeing, hiking and exploration. It has been acknowledged by the UNESCO as one of the World Cultural Heritages. 

How to Get There: There are two routes: You can take the coach at Beijing Bus Station in Dong Zhi Men to Miyun County where you change to a minibus that goes direct to the sightseeing spot. Alternatively, there is a No. 12 tourist Bus from either the Xuan Wen Men or Dong Si Shi Tiao stops. An economy class ticket costs 60 RMB and the luxury class costs 70 RMB. Departure times are from 06.00 hours to 08.00 hours.

Admission Fee: CNY 45
Opening Hours: 07:30 to 17:20
Recommended Time for a Visit: Two hours

Tourist Bus Route:
Take No. 1 at Front Gate
Take No. 2 at Beijing Railway Station
Take No. 3 at East Bridge
Take No. 4 at Beijing Zoo or Xizhimen Gate
Take No. 5 at Front Gate or West Street
years (1368-1398) of the Ming Dynasty. Like most sections of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall often visited today, this section was also built under the supervision of General Qi Jiguang.

Posted in Beijing Sights | 1 Comment »

The Great Wall

The well-preserved sections of The Great Wall in Beijing are China’s most famous tourist site. These sections are mainly the remains from the Ming Dynasty, an era of tremendous construction. The wall runs across the northern part of Beijing for over six hundred kilometers with various passes and towers. The mainly sections include Badaling, Simatai, Jinshanling, Mutianyu, Gubeikou, Huanghuacheng and Jiankou.

You really have to see this fantastic, amazing and breath-taking scenery once in your life. But remember to ask yourself what kind of scenery you want to see before you pack, because the scenery varies depending on which section you visit.

Badaling is the section where most tourists go. The wall is famous for its completeness, imposing structures and the famous Juyonguan Pass. Most pictures publicized on guide books, brochures and magazines are taken in this section. But you may find yourself being pushed forward by crowds on top of wall in holidays or peak seasons. The Mutianyu section in Huairou County, seventy kilometers northeast of Beijing is a good alternative.

Not yet resorted to the level of Badaling and Mutianyu, the wall in Jinshanling, Simatai and Gubeikou is a bit smaller and narrower than that in Badaling. Upon hiking on these sections, you can find much more of the genuine bricks, and fortifications left behind from ancient times. Here you can get a real glimpse at the ancient history of China. Group tours arranged by travel agencies often have Badaling, Mutainyu, Simatai and sometimes Jinshanling on their itinerary.

In recent years, The Great Wall in Huanghuacheng and Jiankou (Arrow Nock), about twenty-nine kilometers northwest of Huairou city has become an ideal choice for hiking lovers and adventurers. The section has steep precipices on either side, a reservoir and charming wide flowers. It is a section of The Great Wall off the beaten track. Be sure to pack necessary clothes, sports foot wares, drinking water and a flash light. This section is for adventurers.

No matter which section you visit, this magnificent engineering achievement tells you the history of China.

Posted in Beijing Sights | 2 Comments »

Zhangjiajie Overview

Location

Situated in north latitude 2852′ - 2948′ and east longitude 10940′ - 11120′, in the northwest part of Hunan province.

Brief Introduction

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, set up in 1982, is the first authorized national forest park in China. The area covers 480 thousand square meters (185 square miles). This park, together with Suoxiyu Natural Resource Reserve, Tianzishan Natural Resource Reserve and Yaozizhai makes up the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, also known as Zhangjiajie Scenic Spot. It is located 32 kilometers (19 miles) from urban Zhangjiajie and 28 kilometers (17 miles) from Wulingyuan Scenic Area.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park has been described differently, such as, majestic, eccentric, tranquil, delicate and wild. The park features grotesque peaks, lucid brooks, abundant fauna and floras and hospitable climate. There are six main scenic spots and over 90 smaller ones in the park to date.

Climate

It belongs to the sub-tropical climate of Central Asia. Splendid mountains and luxuriant trees help form a favorable climate: warm in winter and cool in summer. The average temperature is 13C (55F), the highest 17C (62F ) while the lowest is 10C (50F) on average in winter. The charm of the park varies with the alternation of seasons; therefore, it attracts visitors all year round. Besides its pleasant climate, the environment and air quality also provide visitors a chance to breathe healthy air which is believed to be rich in negative oxygen. It is also believed that hypertension patient may have their blood pressure lowered if they stay in the park for a period of time. This is due to the fact that dust particles in the park are 88% lower and the air 10% mistier than outside.

Foliage

About 98% of the area is covered with vegetation. There are 720 species of the 102 families, including all the five most important floras, namely, the rose family, pulse family, grass family, composite family and orchid family. Some of these trees are rare and regarded as national treasure. For example, the Dove tree, known as living fossil, can be traced back as early as the Fourth Ice Age. The great variety of plants in the park takes up 82% of all the flora families in Hunan Province.

Animals

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park also boasts a variety of animals. Exuberant forests offer them ideal habitats to live in and procreate their own species. There are more than 149 kinds of chordate animals inhabitants in this park. Among them, 28 kinds are under national protection, amongst which, are the Golden Pheasant, Rhesus Monkey, Giant Salamander and Musk Deer. Visitors will be able to hear birds singing and see monkeys playing in the tree.

Main scenic spots

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is endowed with many scenic spots, such as the Yellow Stone Stronghold (Huangshizhai), Yaozizhai, Yuanjiajie and the Golden Whip Stream.

Yellow Stone Stronghold (Huangshizhai)

Yellow Stone Stronghold (Huangshizhai), Yaozizhai is located west of the park. It is named after a story whereby Huang Shi saved Zhang Liang from misfortune when the latter isolated himself from society in this forest.

Occupying an area of 41 acres and 1,200 meters (0.8 miles) above sea level, this stronghold is the largest observing spot of the forest park. One cannot claim to have visited Zhangjiajie without visiting Yellow Stone Stronghold. The main scenic spots include Tranquil Trail in Fir Woods, Imperial Edict and the Precious Box, Needle Peak, the Southern Gate to Heaven, Five-Finger Peak and so on.

Golden Whip Stream

Sceneries along the Golden Whip Stream are most enchanting in the park. Named after the Golden Whip Rock that it flows by, this stream, 5.7 kilometers long (3.5 miles), joins the Lute stream in the west and Suoxi Stream in the east. A 300-meter (984 feet) walk from the gate of the park will lead you to the entrance of the Golden Whip Stream. Flanked by ridges and peaks, the crystal clear water makes it possible to observe every action of the fish in the water. Wild flowers are in abundance here.

On the way, girls from Tujia will present visitors traditional folk songs when requested. The main scenic spots here include: the Welcoming Guests Rock, Golden Whip Rock, Reunion Rock and the Purple Grass Pond.

Yuanjiajie

The northern part of the park is the essential tourist route. Yuanjiajie is a natural platform that faces giant rocks rising from deep valleys and surrounded by higher mountains. Unique in their shapes and covered with pine trees, these rocks resemble a vivid Chinese painting.

Main scenic spots include: Back Garden, breath taking Mihun Stage and the First Bridge under the Sun.

Zhangjiajie Forest Park: CNY 245
Huanglong Cave: CNY 80
Baofeng Lake: CNY 74

Posted in Hunan Sights | No Comments »

The Bund

     The Bund, also called the Zhongshan Road, is a famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. It starts from the Baidu Bridge, which is at the connecting point of the Huangpu River and the Suzhou Creek, to the East Jinling Road and winds a 1500 meters (less than one mile) length. Walking along The Bund, which is at the west shore of the Huangpu River, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower can be seen on the opposite side and also the Jin Mao Tower.Being one of the Top Ten Shanghai Attractions, The Bund is a really beautiful and special place which is worth visiting. The newly-built Flood Control Bank takes the function of preventing the oversize flood; the square with the statue of Marshal Chen Yi is an open air podium which gives new views of the Shanghai Plaza Culture; the Cenotaph which stands on the man-made island is a monument of people’s heroes; the riverside greenbelt, the Electronic Waterfall Bell, and the Great Mural Carving are all representatives of The Bund.

     As you walk through Shanghai, it may feel as though you are entering a fair of world architecture or an art gallery of human civilization. In fact, Shanghai is unique among world cities in its variety of architectural styles. This variety reflects the wisdom and efforts of architects, engineers, and workers–both foreign and domestic–and is a precious legacy to the world.

     Take a walk along The Bund (Zhongshan Road), once the most famous street in Asia. It is a tree-lined promenade along the Huangpu River. The major firms of the Far East had their headquarters in the buildings facing the river. First among them is the former Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, which after 1949 was used as the city Communist Party Headquarters. It is now the home of the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank. One of the conditions for the bank to move to this building was that they restore it to its original grandeur, which apparently was quite grand. (Note that in 1992 the waterfront was raised for anti-flooding purposes and to provide more room for visitors to take photographs of each other!)

Posted in Shanghai-Sights | No Comments »