The History of the Great Wall

The Great Wall has a history of over 2,000 years. It is one of the most famous ancient construction wonders in the world. It starts from east to west in the  northern part of China, just like a giant dragon crossing high mountain and valleys, deserts and grassland. For a long time in Chinese history, the Great Wall served as a military gigantic defensive project and kept out the invading troops of the northern nomadic tribes.

The Great Wall was first built in the 7 century BC. At that time, China was not unified, so there were several small states in China. The first section of wall that appeared in China was built by State Qi and State Chu. They built a high wall to surround their own territories. The high wall built by the two states was also known as the Qi wall and the Chu wall.

During the Warring States Period (475-221BC), there were seven powerful states (namely Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei and Qin). Following the example of State Qi and State Chu, the other five states all built sections of high walls around their own territories for self-protection. Of the seven states, Qin, Zhao and Yan were located in the north. They built high walls at the strategic points of the northern boundaries and fortresses along their northern frontiers as defensive projects. Actually these high walls were the primitive prototype of the present Great Wall and laid the foundation for it. In Chinese history, large-scale construction of the Great Wall was carried out in three dynasties, which are Qin, Han and Ming Dynasties.

Qin Great Wall
The high wall was first called as the Great Wall during the Qin dynasty. In 221 BC, State Qin defeated the other six kingdoms and unified China. After that Qin Emperor gave himself the title Qin Shihuang, meanning ” the First Emperor of the Qin dynasty”. After Qin Shihuang unified China, He decided to link up the separate sections of  high walls into the Great Wall, especially the high walls in the northern part of China built by Qin, Zhao, and Yan in order to ward off harassment by the Huns (an ancient nationality in northern China). The construction took 10 years to finish, and wak linked up into the Great Wal. When it was completeted, the total length of the Great Wall was over 7,000 kilometers long. It started from Lintao, Gansu Province in the west and ended in Liaodong,Liaoning Province in the east.

Han Great Wall

Large-scale construction of the Great Wall was carried out in the Han dynasty(206 BC-220AD). First, the Han Emperor built an Outer Great Wall,about 500 kilometers to the north of Qin Great Wall, and then they extended the Great Wall towards the west for another 5,000 kilometers long to the Lop Nur Lake in today’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The Han Great Wall was 10,000 kilometers in a total length, It started from the Liaodong Peninsula in the east, and ended at the foot of the Tianshan Mountain in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Ming Great Wall

The construction on the Great Wall was carried out last in the Ming Dynasty, In 1368, Ming General Xu Da conquered Beijing. The Yuan Emperor escaped to the northern desert, But later, the remaining forces of the Yuan Dynasty made counterattacks on Beijing frequently, So after Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming dynasty in 1368, he started the reconstruction of the Great Wall immediately and stationed troops along the Wall. During the Ming dynasty, 18 large-scale construction of the Great Wall were carried out. After that, the total length of the Ming Great Wall was more than 7,000 kilometers. It start from Yalu River in Liaoning Province in the east, to Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu Province in the west.

 

Today the most famous tourist section of Great wall is Badaling Great Wall. It is located 75 kilometers northwest of Beijing. THe name Bada means “convenient transportation to all directions”.

The Great Wall at Badaling is 7.8 meters high, 6.5 meters wide at its base, and 5.8 meters on the top, wide enough for five horses or ten soldiers walking abreast on the wall. The highest point at Badaling is about 1,000 meters above sea level.

The unique feature of Badaling Great Wall is : one side built with battlements and the parapet is on the other side. The side with the battlement is about 2meters high, and the parapet is one meter high. A square sized hole below the battlements was used for shooting arrows and also for keeping a watch over the enemy.

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Author: AmoyTrip.com--The History of the Great Wall
Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com

Dingling Tomb

Dingling is the tomb of Ming emperor Zhu Yijun, and his two empresses were buried together with him in Dingling. Zhu Yijun was the 13th emperor of the Ming Dynasty whose reign title is Wanli. He was born in 1563, and died in 1620 at the age of 58. He was chosen as the Crown Prince at age of 6, and at the age of 10 he came to the throne. He ruled China for 48 years, from 1573 to 1620.

Dingling was built in 1584 when emperor Zhu Yijun was only 22 years old. The construction took 6 years and was completed in 1590. In 1644, Dingling was ransacked and damaged  by Li zicheng’s uprising army, as well as the early Qing troops. During the Qing dynasty Emperor Qianlong restored the tomb. But in 1914 the tomb was burnt down again. That’s why today we can only see the marble terrace of the Gate of Eminent Favor and the Hall of Eminent Favor.

Emperor Zhu Yijun died in 1620, and then he was buried together with his tow wives, Empress Xiao Duan and Empress Xiao Jing. The first wife, Xiao Duan, had no son and she died in 1620, only a few months before the emperor’s death, Before the burial ceremony was done, Emperor Zhu Yijun died. The second wife, Xiao Jing, was originally a palace maid for Emperor Zhu Yijun’s mother. After she gave birth to a son for the empeor in 1582, she was promoted as an imperial concubine. She died in 1612, eight years earlier than the emperor. But beijing an imperial concubine at that time, she was buried in a nearby tomb for imperial concubines. In 1620, Emperor Zhu Yijun died, and then her son came to the throne. But unfortunately, her son died only 29 days after his enthronement. So her grandson succeeded the throne and became the 15th Emperor of the Ming dynasty. He grant to his grandmother the title of Empress Dowager and ordered to move her conffin from the imperial conc ubine’s tomb into the same tomb with his deceased grandfather Zhu Yijun in Dingling.

Dingling is the only tomb that was excavated among the thirteen tombs of the Ming dynasty so far. The excavation work of Dingling started in May 1956, and was completed in 1958. In 1956, an archaeological team came to Dingling for the excavation work. Some decayed bricks at the southwest side of the surrounding wall outside the Soul Tower offered a very important clue for the tomb’s excavation work. From there they found the traces of words on the wall, “the gate of leading tunnel” showing that there had been an archway. According to this very important clue, the archeological workers began to dig the first exploration trench from this point. Two month later, a brick-wall tunnel appeared which ran zigzag to the back of the mound. This tunnel was considered as the secon d tunnel. Later, at the end of the second tunnel, a stone tablet was un covered as the second tunnel. Later at the end of the second tnnel, a stone tablet was uncovered with an inscription on it ” from this stone 160 feet further and 35 feet deep to the Diamond Wall”. Then they dug up the third tunnel and finally found the Diamond Hall, the entrance to the Underground Palace.

The Under ground palace is 27 meters deep with 5 chambers inside. The five chambers are: the ante chamber, the central chamber, the rear chamber and two annex chambers.

Diamod Wall

The diamond wall actually is the sealing wall to the Underground tomb. It means that the wall is very hard and solid, and it is as hard as a diamond to keep it from decaying.

Front Chamber

In front of the chamber, there is a white marble door. The door slab is made of a whole piece of white marble, 3.3 meters high, 1.7 meters wide, and 4 tons in weight. In order to make the heavy door easy to open and close, people made the door slab 40 centimeters thick at the hinges, but tapers off toward the middle, which is only 20 centimeters in thickness. What they did was based on a mechanical principle to reduce the pressure on the pivots. It was in this way that such a heavy door could be opened easily. A bronze crossbeam, 10 tons in weight, was installed on the gate, just to ensure that the two heavy doors would stand there steadily.

Self-Acting Stone

The “Self-Acting Stone” is a stone slab leaning against the marble door from inside. In front of the marble door there is a square hole for putting the lower end of the stone slab, while the upper end of the stone slab was leaning against the back of the door, so the marble door could not be opened from the outside. There is a line of words written on the stone slab in the front chamber, which reads: The self-acting stones of seven gates in the Underground palace are not tested yet.” That’s why we cal the stone slab “self-acting stone”.

Middle Chamber

There are three marble thrones placed in the middle chamber for emperor Wanli and his two empresses. The two marble thrones in the front were for the two wives and the rear one was for the emperor. We identify the thrones according to the carving. The two thrones carved with phoenix design on the back of the throne, and a phoenix head carved on the arms of the throne were for the two empresses. The rear one with the carving of dragon design on the back, and the dragonhead on the arms was for the emperor. A set of five glazed pottery altarpieces is placed in each marble throne. The blue-and-white porcelain jar is called the Ever Lasting Lamp. Before people left the undergound tomb, they lit up the Ever Lasting Lamp, but the light went out naturally after the oxygen ran out.

Rear Chamber

In the rear chamber people can see a coffin-platform located in the center with three coffins placed on it. The coffin in the middle is the coffin of Emperor Wanli. The other two coffins on each side are for his two wives. There are also 26 wooden boxes, containing the precious funeral objects placed on the coffin-platform. Surround each coffin, there are some large pieces of uncut jade stone, because the ancient people believed that jade could preserve the body and prevent it from decaying. In the center of the coffin-platform there is a square hole, which is called Gold-Well. Originally the Gold-Wall should be filled with yellow clay just to show the sacred connection between the coffin and the earth. This kind of burial is called Gold Well and Jade Burial which was considered the highest burial in ancient China. The coffins and boxes we see today are all reproductions, the original ones have already decayed.

The Left and Right Annex Chamber

The two annex chambers are the same in size and in pattern. Each chamber has coffin-platform with a Gold-Well in the middle but with no coffin in it. Why the two annex chambers are empty is like this:

Firstly, Emperor Zhu Yijun and his two wives were buried at the same time, so the newly enthroned emperor would have to bear the heavy burden of the funeral ceremonies for the three important persons, and then the burial was done hurriedly.

Secondly, it was almost the end of the Ming dynasty. The national situation was unstable and shaky. So the emperor didn’t want to stay away from the imperial palace for long, then the burial was done in a hurry.

Thirdly, it was the rainy season because the emperor died in July. It was very hard for people to prevent the raining water from going down into the underground tomb, so people just opened the front passage. They found that there were two doorways to the annex chamber from the middle chamber, so they wanted to put the two empersses’ coffins through the doorways in the center chamber, . But unfortunately, the doorways to the annex chambers were too narrow to pass for the coffins, and then they had to leave the three coffins and the 26 wooden boxes in the rear chamber. That is the reason why the three coffins are all in the rear chamber, leaving the annex chambers empty.

 

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Author: AmoyTrip.com--Dingling Tomb
Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com

Sofitel Wanda Beijing

Address:93C Wanda Plaza, Jianguo Road (Jianguo Lu) Beijing
Attractions Nearby:SOHO New Town
Location:Beijing International Airport – 26 km;International Exhibition Center – 2.5 km;Beijing Railway Station – 5 km;Beijing West Railway Station – 13 km;Tian’anmen Square – 7 km

Hotel Brief:

With a central location in the Beijing central business district, Sofitel Wanda Beijing offers easy access to the Exhibition Center, subway and major attractions such as Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. The deluxe Sofitel Wanda Beijing boasts fast access to the Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Railway Station and features 417 luxury rooms with 43 suites, 4 restaurants, 10 conference rooms, a Grand Ballroom, Health Club and indulgent LeSpa offering the ultimate in 5 star luxury.
417 guestrooms (43 deluxe suites) in a Sino-French setting, coupled with the luxury of the Sofitel MyBed make your stay exceedingly comfortable. Rooms feature a separate rain shower/bath and are equipped with the latest high-tech amenities, such as 37′ LCD TV and high-speed broadband Internet that cutomers could enjoy for free.VIC – An open kitchen concept with Western and Asian food on offer, an extensive wine cellar and fresh coffee bar, also offers a champagne brunch on Sundays.

 

 

 

 

 

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Author: AmoyTrip.com--Sofitel Wanda Beijing
Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com

The Sacred Road

The Sacred Road is 7.3 kilometers long from the Memorial Stone Archway to the gate of Changling, Along the Sacred Road, there are Marble Archway, Great Palace Gate, Tablet Tower, Stone Statues and Dragon and Phoenix Gate.

Marble Archway

The Marble Archway was built in 1540. It was used for eulogizing the meritorious and virtuous deeds of the feudal rulers in the old days. This was a starting point on the Sacred Road. Marble Archway is a symbol of the tomb area.

Great Red Gate

In the old days,  the Great Red Gate was the main entrance to the tomb area. The gate has three passsageways: the central one was for the deceased emperor’s coffin only; the living emperor used the left side gate; the ministers ad the imperial family members used the right one when they came here to pay homage to their ancestors. There used to be a 40-kilometer long wall on both sides of this gate surrounding the imperial cemetery but most of the surrounding walls have collapsed, only the remains can still be seen here and there.

On both sides of the gate there are two tablets, known as “dismount stele”. The inscriptions carved on the stone tablets means:” Official and others should dismount from their horseback.” In the old days, nobody was allowed to enter in on horseback. Even the emperor and his court officials had to get off from their horses or palanquins at this spot, just to show their respect to their ancestors.

Tablet Tower

The Tablet was erected in 1435. There is a big stone tortoise with a huge stone tablet on its back stands in the middle of the Tablet Tower. Inscriptions are carved on four sides of the stone tablet. On the front side, the words ” Tablet of Divine Merits and Sagely Virtue of Changling of the Great Ming” were carved as the topic of the tablet. And then an inscription of about 3,000 Chinese characters was carved on the front side written by Emperor Renzong, the fourth emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It recorded the life-story of his father, Emperor Yongle: expedition to Nanjing, moving the capital from Nanjing to Beijing, and his battles with the Mongols in the desert north of the Great Wall.

ON the backside of the talbet, the iscription of “30-line Lament over the Ming Tombs” was written by Qing Emperor Qianlong. It tells his visits to the Ming Tombs and the condiiton of some tombs in detail. On the eastern side of the tablet  the expenses spent in repairing the Ming Tombs by Emperor Qianlong were listed, while on the western side the inscription was written by Qing Emperor Jiaqing, It tells why the Ming Dynasty was overthrown.

Stone Statues

There are altogether 36 stone statues along the Sacred Road. Twenty-four of them are stone animals while 12 are human figures. There are 6 kinds of animals, 3 kinds of human figures, and each group has 4.The stone animals are: lions, Xiezhi( a mythological animal), camels, elephants, Qilin unicorns and horses. All these stone animals are in pairs, one pair are standing while the other pair are kneeling down. The 12 stone human figures are: four civil officials, four military officers and four meritorious oficials.

Lingxing Gate

Lingxing Gate is located at the end of the road of the stone statues. This gate is also named the Heavenly Gate because people believed that by going through this gate the dead would be able to ascend to heaven or his/her soul would be raised up to paradise.

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Author: AmoyTrip.com--The Sacred Road
Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com

The Ritz-Carlton Beijing Financial Street

Address:1 East Jinchengfang Road(Jinchengfang Dong Jie),Finacial Street Beijing
Attractions Nearby:Finantial Street, Xidan Commercial Street, Miaoying Temple, Beijing Concert Hall
Location:Beijing Capital International Airport-45 km;Beijing Railway Station-7 km; Tiananmen Square-5 km

Hotel Brief:

Find yourself at the center of one of the world’s most vibrant financial districts. The Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Financial Street hotel is an ideal choice for both business and leisure travelers with an array of luxurious amenities to make your visit more enjoyable. The sparkling, modern glass and chrome exterior never fails to impress, while the interior of our downtown Beijing hotel exudes elegance and warm hospitality.

Located at the intersection of Taipingqiao and Jinchengfangdong, this luxurious hotel in downtown Beijing features:

.253 well-appointed guest rooms and suites
.Three exceptional restaurants serving Chinese, Italian and all-day dining favorites
.The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Fitness & Salon offering a variety of beauty treatments and rejuvenating therapies
.An expansive health club with fitness center, heated indoor lap pool with Jacuzzi beds, steam and sauna rooms
.A hair and nail salon
.A multitude of meeting space
.Convenient access to world-class shopping, cultural opportunities and entertainment

 

 

 

 

 

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Author: AmoyTrip.com--The Ritz-Carlton Beijing Financial Street
Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com

Beijing SIC Tour-Beijing Hutong, Lama Temple and Beijing Zoo

Highlight:Beijing Hutong, Lama Temple and Beijing Zoo
Shopping Sites:Porcelain factory and Carpet Workshop
Price:USD56 per person
Operate: Daily

This morning, be picked up from your hotel at Beijing city center(not beyond 3 inner ring of Beijing) by coach, and then be transferred to visit Beijing Old Hutong which is the traditional alleyways and courtyard homes which once coverred all Beijing. Later, you will visit Lama Temple.Also known as the “Palace of Peace and Harmony Lama Temple”, it is a one of the largeest and most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world.The building an dthe artworks of the temple combine Han Chinese and Tibetan stysles. After that, go on to visit Beijing Zoo and enjoy the lovely Giant Panda before been drop off at your hotel. End of your one day Beijing SIC (Seat-In-Coach) Tour.

Service Including:

-English speaking guide

-Coach for sightseeing and transfer

-Entrance tickets

-Simple Chinese lunch

Service Excluding:

-Accommodation

-Personal expense

-Tips for guide and driver

Note: shopping is not compulsory when you visit the shopping sites.

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Author: AmoyTrip.com--Beijing SIC Tour-Beijing Hutong, Lama Temple and Beijing Zoo
Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com

The History of the Ming Tombs

There are 13 emperors of the Ming dynasty buried in this area, so it is called the Ming Tombs, which occupies 80 square kilometers in area. It is located in Changping District, about 50 kilometers to the northwest of Beijing.

The first emperor of the Ming dynasty is emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. In 1368, when he established the Ming dynasty, he had Nanjing as his capital, And then he built his tomb Xiaoling in Nanjing. After he died he was buried in Nanjing.

When the third emperor Zhu Di came to the throne, he decided to move the capital from Nanjing to Beijing. Because he had been a frontier commander in Beijing for many years, he knew that Beijing had a very important strategic position in the whole country and a peaceful northern frontier was very important to the Ming Court too. Moving the capital to Beijing could more effectively resist the remnant Mongolian forces and to strengthen his control over the whole country. Apart from that Emperor Yingzong missed his former headquarters in Beijing as well. Because of all this, Emperor Zhu Di decided to move the capital from Nanjing to Beijing.

Unfortunately, in 1407 Empress Xu died. In order to show his determination on moving the capital from Nanjing to Beijing, Emperor Zhu Di decided to build the imperial tomb in Beijing instead of in Nanjing.

The construction of Changling was started in 1409, and it took 18 years to complete. The whole construction of Changling was completed in 1427, But the underground tomb was completed in 1413, so Empress Xu was moved from Nanjing and buried in the Ming Tombs area first.

Emperor Zhu Di died in 1424. After him, twelve other Ming emperors also had their tombs built in this area so there are altogether thirteen tombs in this area.

In 2003, the Ming Thirteen Tombs were listed as a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO.

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Author: AmoyTrip.com--The History of the Ming Tombs
Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com

Top 10 China Attractions for foreigners

This top 10 attractions is must-see for most of the foreigners when they are the first time or second time to visit China according to my experience.  Here I emphasize for foreingers, cause some of the attractions here are not quite attractive for Chinese people, like Panda in Chengdu. Foreigners have to visit these attractions because they know them or at least hear them before they go to China.

Forbidden City

No.1 Forbidden City in Beijing
Forbidden city,also call the Palace Museum or Gugong, is home to the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynastiers. You can not only see the great tradtional palace architectue in the world,but also  enjoy thousand of the national treasure collected from all over China.It is worth spending whole days wondering in Forbidden city.
Forbiden City Offical Website: http://www.dpm.org.cn/shtml/2/@/8797.html

 

Great Wall

No.2 Great Wall in Beijing
He who does not reach the Great Wall is not a true man. As the longest man-made architechure, it is exaggerated said that the great wall is the only object can been seen from  moon. There are many sections of Great Wall in Beijing. the most famous three sections are Badaling Great Wall, Mutianyu Great Wall and Jinshanling Great Wall.As jinshanling Great Wall is cliffy, people who like hiking love it very much.
Badaling Offical Website: http://www.badaling.gov.cn/language/en.asp
Mutianyu Offical Website: http://www.mutianyugreatwall.com/mty_3/index_en.asp
Jinshanling Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinshanling

 

Terracotta Warriors

No.3 Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an
Terracotta Warriors has been considered as the 8th World wonder since the moment it was discovered by a local peasant in 1974. These Terracotta Warriors is the mortuary objects of emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China from 210B.C to 259 B.C. People are astonished by the lifelike figures made thousands of years ago. The Mausoleum of  First Qin Emperor is still un-excavated. It is said that the underground of the tomb is full of mercury which makes the mausoleum more mysterious.
Terracotta Warriors Official Website: http://www.bmy.com.cn/template/gzb/index_en.aspx

 

Potala Palace

NO.4 Potala Palace in Lhasa
This magnificent building is once the seat of Tibet government and the winter palace of Dalai lamas. The layout of the Potala palace includes the white palace,used for the living quarters of the Dalai Lama, and the red palace,used for religious functions. THe most stunning chapels of the red palace house the jewel-bedecked chorten tombs of previous Dalai Lama.
Potala Palace Wikipedia :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potala_Palace

 

Yu Garden

NO.5 Yu Garden in Shanghai
Yu Garden was once a private Garden own by an officer in Qing Dynasty. He built this garden for his father to spend his later years life. Now Yu Garden is the few traditional Chinese garden that is well preserved in the modern city center of Shanghai. It is a good place to let you escape from the fast-paced life.
Yu Garden Mart http://www.yuyuantm.com.cn/yuyuan/En/Index/

 

Li River Cruise

NO.6 Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo
Cruising along Li river from Guilin to Yangshuo  and appreciate the spectacular limestone karst landscape is on e of the unique experience that you must do in China.  Perhaps,it is the most scenic cruise on the earth.

 

 

 

Giant Panda

No.7 Giant Panda in Chengdu
Giant Panda, the national treasure of China,  only reside in Sichuan Province. Lovely as it is, Panda is also a successful diplomat so that it let panda well known by foreigners. They are interested in learning how giant panda live in their hometown.
Chengdu Reseach base of Giant Panda Breeding website:http://www.panda.org.cn/

 

Jiuzhaigou Valley

No.8 Jiuzhai valley in Chengdu
More than just spectacular scenery, Jiuzhai Valley National Park is home to nine Tibetan villages, over 220 bird species as well as a number of endangered plant and animal species. It is best known for its fabled blue and green lakes, spectacular waterfalls, narrow conic karst land forms and its unique wildlife.
Jiuzhai valley website:http://www.jiuzhai.com/language/english/index.html

 

Yangtze River Cruise

No.9 Yangtze River cruise
Yangtze River is the longest river across China.It is  not only just famous for the stunning landscape along the riverside, but also the largest dam in the world– Three Gorges Dam,though the dam is remain controversial. The normal route of Yangtze River cruise is from Chongqing to Yichang and vice versa.

 

 

Huangshan Mountain

No.10 Huangshan Mountain in Anhui
Also called Yellow Mountain,it is well known for the odd-shape stones, Grotesque rock, Sea of Clouds and hot springs. Huangshan Mountain ,also call Yellow Mountain is considered the first beautiful mountain in China. It is the first mountains that list as world heritage.
Huangshan Mountain Website:http://www.tourmart.cn/english/default.htm

 

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Author: AmoyTrip.com--Top 10 China Attractions for foreigners
Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com

Pazhou Hotel Guangzhou

Address:No. 37,Xingang East Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, China
Attractions Nearby: Pazhou International Exhibition Center
Location:3minutes from Pazhou Complex; 45 minutes from Baiyun airport

Hotel Brief:

Pazhou Hotel is located near Pazhou complex.It takes you only 3 minutes to the Pazhou complex and 45 minutes to Baiyun International airport.The Subway line 8 station is also near hand.

The structural area of Pazhou Hotel is 12000 square meter, the height is 36.6m. The ten-floor all-around business hotel is built under four-star standard, which including accommodation, F&B, conference and business center.Trees and flowers surrounding the hotel building make you relaxed and happy when walking around. The harmony between human and nature would refresh you all the time.

The lobby which is commodious, grandiose and exquisite has a bauhinia stone carving painting. And it blesses the hotel lucky and flourishes. The western-style lounge locates at private loft and offers western dish and different kind of coffee. The innovative red wine bar can also deliver warmth and sweet, what could make you feel carefree and honor.The underground parking lot is safe and advanced. 108 parking spaces provide good, convenient and safe parking service.

 

 

 

 

 

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Author: AmoyTrip.com--Pazhou Hotel Guangzhou
Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com

Changling Tomb

Changling is the tomb of the 3rd Ming Emperor Zhu Di. It is the largest tomb in the Ming Tomb area, and the best-preserved one among the thirteen tombs.

Emperor Zhu Di is the 3rd emperor of the Ming Dynasty and his reign title is Yongle. He came to the throne in 1402, and died in 1424. When he came to the throne he was 43 years old already. He ruled China for a total of 22 years and died at the age of 65. During his reign, the most outstanding achievements made by him were: Yongle’s Encyclopedia and sending Zheng He to trade with the West.

Since Empress Xu died in 1407, the construction of Changling started in 1409. It took 18 years to build his tomb and it was completed in 1427. But it took only 4 years to get the underground tomb completed by 1413, so Empress Xu was buried here first.

The Hall of Eminent Favor

The Hall of Eminent Favor was the place where the sacrificial ceremonies for the emperor’s ancestors were held. In the old days, there used to be a memorial tablet with the deceased emperor’s name carved on it, placed in a shrine. Now in the center of the hall, there is a bronze statue of Emperor Zhu Di placed inside the hall. The Hall of Eminent Favor is a famous Nanmu building in China. Nanmu is a special kind of wood coming from the mountains in the southern part of China. Each Nanmu pillar is made of a single tree trunk. The huge Nanmu wood pillars inside the hall are 12.58 meters high and the 4 pillars in the center are 14.3 meters high each and 1.17 meters in diameter. Actually, all the pillars, the beams, brackets and window frames are made of precious Nanmu wood but with nothing painted on them, just to maintain their natural color.

Today, this hall is an exhibition hall of the historical relics unearthed from Dingling.

Soul Tower

The Soul Tower is always built in front of the earth mound. It served as a mark of each tomb .The big stone tablet erected inside the tower, inscribed with the words “Tomb of Emperor Wen, Chengzu of Great Ming”.

There are five stone altarpieces placed in front of the Soul Tower. The five stone altarpieces consist of an incense burner in the middle, a pair of candlesticks and a pair of flower vases on both sides.

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Author: AmoyTrip.com--Changling Tomb
Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com

Learning Mandarin 1

Frequently used words and sentences

Shanghai SIC Tour-Suzhou Garden and Zhouzhuang Water Village Tour

Highlights: Lingering Garden, Grand Canal, Old City Gate, Silk Factory, Zhouzhuang Water Village
Price: USD105 per person
Operate: Daily

This morning, you will be picked from your Shanghai hotel, and then take 1 hour’s coach to reach Suzhou which is renowned for the Chinese traditional gardens. Your first stop is Lingering Garden which is one of the four most famous Gardens in Suzhou and it is also listed as a world heritage. After that, take a boat on the Grand Canal.Connectting Beijing and Hangzhou, this Grand Canal once was the longest man-made river in China and it still play an important role now.
After lunch, you will visit the Panmen Gate which is the few ancient city gate left in Suzhou city. Later, pay a visit to Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory. Here you will learn how the silk is made from the cocoon one by one. Your last stop is the famous water village-Zhouzhuang.Zhouzhuang is a classial water town in south of China. the buildings with black tiles and white wall stand along the riversides, boats are running slow along the river.It is good place to escape from the hectic metroplitan city. After that, be droppe off at your hotel, end of your one day Suzhou and Zhouzhuang SIC tour.

Service Including:
-Coach for transfer and sightseeing
-English speaking guide
-Entrance tickets as specifed
-Simple Chinese lunch

Service Excluding
-Hotels
-Personal expense
-Tips for guide and driver

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Author: AmoyTrip.com--Shanghai SIC Tour-Suzhou Garden and Zhouzhuang Water Village Tour
Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com

Main Buildings in the Temple of Heaven

Since the ancient people believed that ” Heaven was round and the earth was square”, so the main buildings in the Temple of Heaven are circular shaped, but surround by a square wall or round wall. The surrounding wall of the Temple of Heaven is semicircular to the north and square shaped to the south. All these represent the ancient believe that Heaven was round and the Earth was square.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests(祈年殿）

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests was fisrt built in 1420. At that time it was a rectangular shaped building, named as the Hall of Great Sacrifice. In 1530, after Emperor Jiajing built the Temple of Earth in Beijing, only Heaven was worshiped here. Later in 1539, the Hall of Great Sacrifice was rebuilt into a circular hall with triple eaves, and then it was renamed the Hall of Great Enjoyment. The three-layered eaves were in three different colors that had three different meanings. The top layer was in blue color, symbolizing Heaven; the middle layer was in yellow, representing the emperor, and the bottom layer was in green signifying the common people.

In 1751, Qing Emperor Qianlong rebuilt this hall again. He changed all the three layers of the roof into the same color–dark blue, just to symbolize the color of the sky. After that, the hall was given the present name–the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. But unfortunately, this hall was burnt down again by lightning, so in 1896, it was rebuilt according to the original design.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is 32 meters high. It is completely made of wood even without using of a single nail. This is a dovetail structure joined together by a number of wooden bars, laths, brackets, mortise and tenon joints and rafters.

This building is supported by 28 massive wooden pillars. The 28 wooden pillars symblize 28 constellations in the sky. The 4 pillars i the center are the thickest, 18.5 meters high and 1.2 meters in diameter, known as the ” Dragon-Well Pillars.” The space between each of the four pillars symbolize the four seasons of the year.

Twelve pillars encircling the 4 Dragon-Well Pillars make the second ring, known as the Golden Pillars. Each space between the 12 pillars represents 12 month of the year. Surrounding Golden Pillars are 12 Eave-pillars. The 12 spaces between these pillars symbolize the 12 divisions of day and night (two-hours was treated as one period in traditional Chinese way of calculating time. So in Chinese we called it ‘the 12 two-hour periods’ in the old Chinese way).

The big round marble stone in the center of the floor is known as the Dragon and Phoenix Stone, because the natural grain and ink pattern looks very much like a dragon and a phoenix. During the worshipping ceremony, the emperor would stand on this stone and kneel down to pray for a good harvest.The tablet of the God of Heaven was placed to the north of the Dragon and Phoenix Stone and the tablets of the emperor’s ancestors were placed on each side.

Outside the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, there are two annex halls on both sides. There were the places for keeping the tablets of the Gods of the sun, the moon, the stars and the tablets of the Gods of wind, clouds, rain, thunder and lightning. Now they are two exhibition rooms.

The Circular Mound Altar(圜丘坛）

The Circular Mound Altar was built in 1530 in the Ming Dynasty. Every year on the Winter solstice the emperor would come here to offer a solemn sacrifice to worship Heaven. Sometimes the emperor came here to pray for rain on summer solstice when there was a drought year.

The Circular Mound Altar is 5 meters high, enclosed by double walls. The inner wall is round while the outer wall is square. This layout symbolize that Heaven was round and the Earth was square i ancient believing.

The Circular Mound Altar is a three-tiered marble altar. The topmost layer is 30 meters in diameter, the middle layer is 50 meters, and the bottom layer is 70 meters with four entrances in four directions. There are nine steps on each terrace leading down.

There are altogether 3,402 pieces of stone slabs paved on the Altar, all related with the number nine of multiples of nine. On the topmost terrace in the center, there is a piece of round stone slab known as Heavenly Heart Stone, which is surrounded by nine rings of fan-shaped stone slabs. The first ring consists of 9 blocks of stone slabs; the second ring has 18 pieces of stone slabs, while the third ring has 27, then there are multiples of the number nine until the 9th ring. The second terrace shows another 9 circles. It starts from the 10th ring to the 18th ring. The bottom terrace begins from the 19th ring to the 27th ring. Totally, there are 378 nines with 3,402 pieces of stone slabs that paved on three terraces. Further more, there are totally 360 balusters carved on the Altar, which stand for the 360 degrees of circumference of Heaven.

The Heavenly Heart Stone is the central point of the Circular Mound Altar. If you stand on the Heavenly Heart Stone and speak in a normal voice, you can hear your voice much louder to yourself than to others standing by. That is because the surface of the Altar is very smooth, so the sound waves spread in different directions and are sent back immediately by the marble balustrades to focus at the center.

The Echo Wall(回音壁）

The wall surrounding the Imperial Vault of Heaven is the famous Echo Wall. It is 3.7 meters high and 90 centimeters thick. If one person speaks in his normal voice at any point close to the wall, another person will be able to hear the voice clearly at other end because the wall can send the sound traveling along the wall. The reason is: the wall is round, it has eaves on the top, it is very thick and it is hard and smooth on the surface, and all the bricks are hermetically laid.

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Author: AmoyTrip.com--Main Buildings in the Temple of Heaven
Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com

The History of the Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven was built in 1420 in the Ming Dynasty. It has a total area of 273 hectares. The Temple of Heaven is not only the largest group of temple buildings in China, but also the largest heaven-worshiping architecture in the world.

When the Temple of was first built in 1420, it was called Temple of Heaven and Earth. At that time, both heaven and earth were worshiped here. But in 1530, Emperor Jiajing built the Temple of Earth in the northern part of Beijing, and then Heaven and Earth were worshiped separately. Ever since then it was renamed the Temple of Heaven.

The emperor came here on the 15th day(6th,8th,10th) of the first lunar month to pray for a good harvest. On winter solstice each year, the emperor would come here to hold a sacrificial ceremony to worship the God of Heaven. But whenever there was a drought in that year, the emperor would come here on Summer Solstice to hold a ceremony praying to Heave for rain.

However this kind of worshiping ceremony ended in 1915, In1918, the Temple of Heaven was opened to the public and turned into a park. Now this is area is called Tiantan Park.

In 1961, Chinese Government listed the Temple of Heaven as one of the important historical monuments under special preservation, and in 1998 it was listed as a world cultural.

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Author: AmoyTrip.com--The History of the Temple of Heaven
Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com

Ferry from Xiamen to Taiwan (Keelung or Taichung)

If you would like to visit Tainwan from mainland China. Except for taking flight, there is a cheaper and comfortable way that you can reach Taiwan from Mainland China.
The COSCO STAR cruise is running between Xiamen and Taiwan regularly every Thursday and Tuesday.Usually, the schedule is as below:

Read more at Book ferry from Xiamen to Taiwan









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Main Buildings and Structures in Summer Palace

The East Palace Gate: The East Palace Gate is the main entrance and also the front entrance to the Summer Palace.

Taihu Rock: This huge rock was transported from Taihu Lake in Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province of the southern part of China, so it is named Taihu Lake.  There are  another four rocks placed in each corner of this courtyard representing the four seasons of the year. These five rocks in the courtyard symbolize the beautiful scenery of five peaks in Lushan Mountain, a symbol of longevity.

Bronze Qilin: The Bronze Qilin is placed in the center of the courtyard. It has the head of a dragon, the antlers of a deer, the hooves of an ox, the tail of a lion ad the body of a fish with scales all over it. It was placed here because the emperor believed that it could detect any disloyal subjects.

The Hall of Benevolence and Longevity: The hall’s name came from Confucius doctrine, meaning those who are benevolent can enjoy a long life. This hall was the place where Emperor Guangxu held audience and handled state affairs with Empress Dowager Cixi when they lived in the Summer Palace. Inside the hall, the emperor’s throne is in the middle of the hall. There are two big fans, made of peacock feathers placed on both sides of the throne. A big plaque hung above the throne with four Chinese characters”寿协仁符“， meaning the emperor who shows benevolence in running the government can live a long life. Incense burners and crane-shaped candlesticks are made of cloisonne, placed in front of the throne. The elephant-shaped incense burner placed on both sides of the throne symbolizes universal peace. A big screen with glass mirror is placed behind the throne. There are 226 Chinese characters of the word  ‘Longevity” inlaid on glass mirror. Two scroll-painting hung on each side of the wall known as “100 bats holding the character Longevity”. Each scroll-painting painted with a big Chinese character”寿” with 100 bats in the background. The character”寿” is Empress Dowager Cixi’s handwriting while the “bat” symbolizes happiness.

The Garden of Virtuous Harmony

Acturally here is a big theater, so it is also called the Great Theater Building or the Big Stage. It was built in 1895 just in time for the 60th birthday celebration of Empress Dowager Cixi. The big stage is a three-story structure, 21 meters high and 17 meters in diameter. In the ceiling and on the floor there were some trapdoors for the performers to fly down from the upper part and to appear from the lower part, symbolizing the “celestial beijings” to fly down from the sky and the “devils” to appear form the earth. There was also a well and five ponds built under the stage for realistic water scenes and for acoustic sound effects. Today, the Big Stage is open to the public with seven exhibition rooms.

The Hall of Jade Ripples

This beautiful courtyard was built in 1750, and was the place where Emperor Qianlong used to stay and spend his leisure hours with his ministers  and friends. Later Emperor Guangxu stayed here when he was in the Summer Palace. But after the failure of the Reform Movement in 1898, Emperor Guangxu was under house arrest here. In the courtyard the two annex chambers were sealed by brick walls reached to the ceiling, lengthwise across the chamber, to prevent Emperor Guangxu from escaping.

The Hall of Happiness and Longevity

Here was the residence for Empress Dowager Cixi. After it was rebuilt in 1889, she lived here from April to October every year for the rest of her lifetime. THere are four chambers inside. The outer-chamber in the east was the breakfast room and tearoom for Empress Dowager Cixi; the inner-chamber in the east was her dressing room. The west inner-room was her bedroom and the west outer-room was the room for her to read and sign the documents. In the center of the hall, there is a large, long table, at which Empress Dowager Cixi had her meals everyday. 128 dishes would be served during each meal, so a great deal of money was spent on her meals. There are two big porcelain plates placed on each side of the long table for holding fruit, but the fruit was not for eating just for smelling the fragrance. There are two beautiful embroideries placed on either side of this hall. One is ” a peacock displaying its full plumage” the other on is “ a hundred birds paying ho mage to the phoneix”. The chandeliers hanging up in the middle of the ceiling were installed in 1903, presented by the Germans.

Family Bankruptcy Rock

A huge rock played in the middle of this courtyard is know as  Family Bankruptcy Rock”. The story is like this: A Ming dynasty official named Mi Wangzhog, a true lover of collecting grotesque shaped rocks, discovered this rock on Fangshan Mountain, 70 kilometers southwest of Beijing. He wanted to transport it to his own garden “Shaoyuan”, the present site of Beijing University. But after spending all his money, he still could not succeed in doing this. Since he fell into financial difficulties, he had to leave the rock on the roadside somewhere near Liangxiang County, 30 kilometers southwest of Beijing; hence it was nicknamed ” Family Bankruptcy Rock”. Later, this big rock was discovered by Emperor Qianlong, he ordered to transport it to the Garden of Clear Ripples ad laid in front of the Hall of Happiness and longevity as a screen wall.

Long Corridor

The Long Corridor is 728 meters long with 27 sections. It was first built in 1750 by Emperor Qianlong for his mother to enjoy the rainy scenes on Kunming Lake as well as to shade her from the sunshine in summer. There are totally over 14,000 paintings and pictures along the Long Corridor, More than 8,000 large paintings are painted on the Long Corridor. These colorful paintings consists of four kinds: landscapes and scenic spots; beautiful flowers and birds; Chinese architecture; human figures and classical stories. The Long Corridor has been restored and repainted for several times. In 1900, the Long Corridor was listed in the ” Guinness World Records” as the longest painted corridor in the world, and in 1998, it was listed as a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO.

The Hall of Dispelling Clouds: This was the place where Empress Dowager Cixi used to celebrate her birthday on the 10th day of the tenth lunar month each year. During the birthday celebration, all the important civil and military officials would pay their respects to her.

The Tower of Buddhist Incense:

This is the symbol of Summer Palace. It was first built in 1758 for Emperor Qianlong’s mother to come and worship Gods here. When Empress Dowager stayed in the Summer Palace, she used to come and worship Gods on the 1st ad 15th day of each month.

The temple of the Sea of Wisdom:

This was built in 1750. The name of this temple came from Buddhist scriptures. It means ” the wisdom of Buddha is as vast as the sea”, so the temple is named ” the temple of Sea of wisdom”. It was entirely built with bricks, stone and glazed tiles, so it is also known as ” Beamless Hall”. On the outer wall of the temple, there are 1,008 exquisite Buddha statues. But most of the Buddha statues were damaged by the Anglo-French Allied Forces and the Allied Forces of Eight Powers in 1860 and 1900 respectively.

The Hall of Listening to Orioles

This was a stage built by Emperor Qianlong for his mother to enjoy Peking opera and other performances. But later the stage was used b Empress Dowager Cixi. After the Garden of Virtuous Harmony was built, here became a residence for the imperial concubines. After the failure of the Reform Movement in 1898, Zhenfei was put under house arrest. Now, it is a fancy restaurant for  tourists.

Marble Boat

The Marble Boat is 36 meters long and was first built in 1755 by Emperor Qianlong. The Marble Boat stood for the stability of the Qing Dynasty and symbolized that the Qing Dynasty would be as solid as rock and never be overturned.Originally, the upper part fo the boat was built with a Chinese-style wooden superstructure and painted to look like marble. But in 1860, the wooden superstructure was burnt down by the Anglo-French Allied Forces. In 1893, when Empress Dowager Cixi rebuilt the Marble Boat, she ordered to have two marble water wheels added outside the Marble Boat, and a European-style wooden superstructure was built on the top of the boat, which was painted to look like marble. There is a big mirror on each floor of the Marble Boat. During the rainy days the emperor or the Empress Dowager would sit in front of the mirror, sipping tea and enjoying the ripples in the lake reflected from the mirror. They felt as if they were floating on the lake.

The 17-Arch Bridge and Bronze OX

The 17-Arch Bridge was built in 1750 and it is the largest bridge in the Summer Palace. It is 150 meters long, 8 meters wide and 544 stone lions carved on the top of the balusters. And there is a Bronze Ox placed on the East Dyke. In ancient China, the ox was used  as a symbol of flood control. When the construction ok Kunming Lake was finished, Emperor Qianlong placed a bronze ox at the East Dyke to symbolize water control. There are 80 Chinese Characters cast on the back of the Bronze Ox, known as “80 Characters Inscription on Gilded Bronze Ox” written by Emperor Qianlong, just to explain its presence.

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Author: AmoyTrip.com--Main Buildings and Structures in Summer Palace
Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com

The History of the Summer Palace

The Summer Palace occupies a total area of over 290 hectares, located on the northwest outskirts of Beijing. It is formed mainly of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake. This beautiful garden served as an imperial garden in the old days. It has been turned from an imperial garden into a public park since 1928. Today the Summer Palace is very famous in the world, attracting millions of tourists every year.

The Summer Palace was first built in 1153 during the Jin Dynasty. At that time the hill was called Golden Hill and the lake was called Golden Water Pond. During the Yuan Dynasty(1206-1368), the hill’s name was changed into Jar Hill, because it was said that an old man had dug up a jar from the hill. And then the lake was changed to Jar Hill Pond.In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) it was named West Lake. In 1494 Yuanjing Temple was built on the Jar Hill. and later Ming Emperor Zhengde named this area the Wonderful Imperial Garden.During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) the famous ” Three Hills and Five Gardens” were built in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing. The Summer Palace was called the Garden of Clear Ripples at that time, which was one of the Five Gardens.

In 1750, Emperor Qianlong rebuilt the Garden of Clear Ripples for the purpose of his mother’s 60th birthday celebration. He changed the Hill’s name from Jar Hill into Longevity Hill in order to celebrate his mother’s 60th birthday. He also renamed the lake as Kunming Lake because he wanted to follow the example of Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) who had trained his navy centuries before in Kunming Pool in Chang’an, the captial city at that time (somewhere near Xi’an today).

In1860, when the Anglo-French Allied Forces invaded Beijing, the “Three Hills and Five Gardens” were burnt down to ashes. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi spent the navy fund to rebuild the Garden of Clear Ripples. After that she renamed it the Summer Palace. In 1900, when the Allied Forces of Eight Powers invaded Beijing, the Summer Palace was destroyed for the second time.

In 1902, Empress Dowager Cixi spent fabulous sum of money to rebuild the Summer Palace again. In 1903, the reconstruction was completed. After that, Empress Dowager Cixi came to live in the Summer Palace from April to October every year for the rest of her life, So the Summer Palace today is more or less the same as the Summer Palace rebuilt in 1903. After the 1911 Revolution, the Summer Palace still belonged to the Qing imperial family. On July 1st, 1928, the Summer Palace was officially opened to the public.

Today, the Summer Palace has taken on a completely new look. In 1998, the Summer Palace was listed as a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO.

--------------------------- Author: AmoyTrip.com--The History of the Summer Palace Free Inquiry: ryan@amoytrip.com

5 Days Xi'an and Luoyang Tour from Shanghai

Highlights: City Wall, Terracotta Warroirs, Shaolin Temple, White Horse Temple, Longmen Grottoes

Day 1:Shanghai--Xian (No Meal)

This morning, you will take flight from Shanghai to Xi'an.Upon you arrival at Xi'an airport,our guide will greet you and transfer you to visit city wall to appreciate the oldest and best preserved one in China. After that you will visit Great Mosque, one of the most important mosques in China.After that, you will be transferred back to your hotel for a good rest.

Hotel:TiTan Times  Hotel Xi'an 5 star or similar

Day 2 Xian (B/L)

After breakfast, you will visit the Terracotta Warriors and Emperor Qin's Tomb. The discovery of the 2200-year-old Terracotta Warriors in 1974 once shocked the world.After lunch, you will visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda which is four kms south of Xi'an and many regard it as a symbol of the city. After that, be transferred back to your hotel for a good rest.

Hotel:TiTan Times  Hotel Xi'an 5 star or similar

Day 3 Xian to Luoyang (B/L)

In the morning, you will be transferred to Xi'an north railway station to take high-speed train to ancient city-Luoyang. So far, this train is the fastest train in China. The journey takes about 2 hours. Our guide in Luoyang will pick you up in the train station and then you will go to Shaolin Temple. During the visit, you will watch Shaolin Kungfu Show. After that, you will be transferred back to the hotel in Luoyang.

Hotel:Hua Yang Plaza Hotel Luoyang 5 star or similar

Day 4 Luoyang to Xian(B/L)

After breakfast, you will visit White Horse Pagoda. As China's first Buddhist temple, the White Horse Temple has been regarded as the "cradle of China's Buddhism." The temple boasts great antique architecture which has remained intact for over 1,900 years. After lunch, you will pay a visit to Longmen Grottoes, one of the three most important Buddhism grottoes in China. The grottoes, which overwhelmingly depict Buddhist subjects, are densely dotted along the two mountains: Xiangshan (to the east) and Longmenshan (to the west). There are over 2100 niches,  more than 100,000 statues, some 40 pagodas and 3600 tablets and steles in the caves of Guyang, Binyang and Lianhua.The Late of the afternoon, you will be transferred to the train station and take the fast train back to Xian. Be transferred to your hotel for a good rest.

Hotel:TiTan Times  Hotel Xi'an 5 star or similar

Day 5 Depart Xian (B/L)

After breakfast, you will visit the Shanxi History Museum, which is one of the first huge state museums with modern facilities in China with over 300,000 items.After lunch, we will drive you to the airport. End of this fabulous tour.

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Orignal From: 5 Days Xi'an and Luoyang Tour from Shanghai

Main Buildings along two sides of Forbidden City

1.The West Route

The West Route consists of six western palaces and located on the west side of the three rear palaces. This area was the residential area for the imperial concubines during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The Hall of Mental Cultivation

In the Ming Dynasty, here was one of the residences for the imperial concubines. But during the Qing dynasty because Emperor Yongzheng moved his residential area from the Palace of Heavenly Purity to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the rest of the Qing emperors all resided here, and then here became the place where the emperors conducted state affairs and held their private audiences. As time went by, this palace had become the most important building besides the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City.

The central hall was the audience charmber for the emperor to read documents, to give audience to high-ranking officials and to receive important ministers. The western chamber has a special name, the "Room of Three Rare Treasures". In 1746, Qing Emperor Qianlong kept three precious outstanding calligraphies in this chamber. They were written by three famous calligraphers of the Jin Dynasty(265-420 AD), Wang Xizhi, Wang Xianzhi and Wang Xun. Emperor Qianlong gave the name "Room of Three Rare Treasures." The Eastern Chamber was the place where the well-known "Holding Court Behind the Curtain" was staged by Empress Dowager Cixi.

The Hall of Manifesting Obedience

The courtyard behid the Hall of Mental Cultivation is called the Hall of Manifesting Obedience (Ti shun tang). During the Qing dynasty, just because the third Qing Emperor Yongzheng moved his living quarters from the Palace of Heavenly Purity to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the empress moved here. And then it became the residence of the empress.

The Palace of Gathering Elegance

Empress Dowager Cixi once lived here when she was an impreial concubine. Fortunately she gave birth to a son, and later her son came to the throne and became the emperor. Ever since then her status was enhanced.

2.The East Route

The East Route was the residential area for the imperial concubines during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Today the eastern palaces are used as exhibition halls for the traditional Chinese arts, the Clock and Watch Exhibition Hall and the Exhibition of Treasures.

In the Clock and Watch Exhibition Hall, people can see many rare Chinese and western-style clocks and watches which were selected from the imperial collection. These clocks and watches are made either in China or in other countries such as Britain, France, Switzerland and the United States.

There are a lot of priceless treasures from the imperial family on display in the Exhibition of Treasures. Mainly they are:

Gold Pagoda: This gold pagoda was used for keeping the remains of fallen hair of Emperor Qianlong's mother.

Jade Carving of Dayu Harnessing Floods: This is the largest piece of jade carved in the Forbidden City. It's more than two meters high and five tons in weight.

Ivory Mat: The ivory mat was made in Qing dynasty. It is woven with tiny pieces of ivory filaments, showing the high artistic level of Chinese handicrafts.

The Imperial Seals: The imperial seals were used by the emperor in the old days. They are made of gold, jade or sandalwood.

The Gold Celestial Globe: This gold celestial globe was made in Qing Dynasty. More than 3,000 pearls are inlaid o the surface, representing the stars in heaven.

Zhenfei Well: This well is very famous in the Forbidden City because the imperial concubine Zhenfei was drowned in this well. Zhenfei was a concubine loved by Qing Emperor Guangxu. When the Eight Allied Forces invaded Beijing in 1900, Empress Dowager Cixi ordered the imperial eunuchs to push her into this well and to drown her. So the well is called "Zhenfei Well".

 

 

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Orignal From: Main Buildings along two sides of Forbidden City

One Day Zhuhai Tour

This morning at 8am, you will be picked from your Hotel at zhuhai city center and be transferred to visit Jintai Temple. The Jintai Temple is located at the south foot of the Huangyang Mountain where "the general took off his armor". The sceneries are graceful here, overlooking the Yamen seaport and lying at the back of the highest peak of the Huangyang Mountain.

After lunch, you will visit Meixi Royal Stone Archways.Meixi Royal Stone Archways consists of three elegant stone archways standing at the Meixi village, Qianshan Town. This ancient complex was built under the order of Qing Emperor Guangxu to honor Chen Fang, the first chief consul of the Honolulu of the Qing Government. It serves as a key historic sites under the state's special protection.later,you will visit Agricultural Scientific Academy which is an impressive agricultural garden featuring a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. It covers an area of 1.33 square kilometers (about 330 acres).

Continue to visit New Yuan Ming Palace.This palace, which was built and opened to the public in 1997, reproduces 18 scenic spots of Old Summer Palace in the same size. Your last attraction is the Statue of Fisher Girl which is the symbol of Zhuhai.

After the tour, our guide will transfer you to Wanzi or Meiqin Island for dinner. After dinner, you will be transferred back to your hotel for a good rest, end of the tour.

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Orignal From: One Day Zhuhai Tour

Top 10 China Travel exhibitions in 2012

1.Guangzhou International Travel Fair

Date: 01-MAR-12 to 03-MAR-12

Held every year at Guangzhou Jinhan Exhibition Centre, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, the Guangzhou International Travel Fair(GITF 2012) is one of the most entrusted travel fairs of Asia Pacific region. Emerging out as an imperial exposition, the fair is expected to welcome more than 1,00,000 visitors from all over the world. Organized by Hannover Fairs Shanghai Limited, the GITF 2012 invites wholesalers, retailers, ship operators, travel agencies of both India and abroad.

Venue: Guangzhou Jinhan Exhibition Centre, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

2.Hotelex Shanghai

Date: 09-APR-12 to 12-APR-12

Hotelex Shanghai 2012 (The 21 Shanghai International Hospitality Equipment & Supply Expo) concluded successfully on 09 April at Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC). As one of the most important exhibitions in hospitality industry, this year's show set new records on the exhibiting scale, the number of exhibitors, the overseas exhibiting space, the number of visitors and the on-site events, etc. This year's show reached 60,000 sqm by having more than 3,029 booth lots. 751 exhibitors from 19 countries or regions came to participate, which is equivalent to 10% growth compared with the previous year. Half of the brands were big international brands. Italy and Spain staged in the form of national pavilions, all showing the overseas enterprises which are interested in the Chinese market.

Venue: Shanghai New International Expo Centre(SNIEC), Shanghai, China

3.Beijing International Swimming Pool SPA Bath Show

Date: 17-APR-12 to 19-APR-12

Beijing International Swimming Pool SPA Bath Show is focused on the business side of spa and creating an environment that foster learning and a feeling of community for the well being of industry. Beijing International Swimming Pool SPA Bath Show will be held at China International Exhibition Centre from to May 17 to 19 April 2012.

Venue: China International Exhibition Center, Beijing, China

4.Incentive Travel & Conventions Meetings

Date: 17-APR-12 to 19-APR-12

Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings (IT&CM China) is a spin-off from IT&CM Asia, the region's premier meetings and incentive travel show. For 15 years, IT&CM Asia has played a vital role in promoting the Asia-Pacific region as a MICE destination, as well as a source for MICE visitors.

Venue: ShanghaiMart, Shanghai, China

5.China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market

Date: 18-APR-12 to 20-APR-12

China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market (COTTM) is the only dedicated business-to-business outbound travel event in China. The show creates an annual platform where global and local industry professionals meet, discuss and contract the upcoming seasons.

Venue: China World Trade Center(CWTC), Beijing, China

6.Bakery Shanghai

Date: 10-MAY-12 to 12-MAY-12

Bakery Shanghai is an International exhibition on Bakery, Confectionery Machinery, Equipments, Supplies, Ingredients. This is one of the biggest and unique trade fair in China for related industry. The event will attract thousand of visitors from China and abroad.

Venue: Shanghai New International Expo Centre(SNIEC), Shanghai, China

7.Asia Luxury Travel Market

Date: 04-JUN-12 to 07-JUN-12

Providing the most luxurious and exclusive luxury travel event for the travel & tourism industry, the Asia Luxury Travel Market ALTM is slated to be a topnotch event. More than 300 premium exhibitors will have secured a place for themselves in the event and will showcase a dazzling array of luxurious transportation modes, most sought out travel destinations in the world, sumptuous accommodation of the finest order and mind blowing travel experiences.Based on the successful formula of it's sister event ILTM, Asia Luxury Travel Market ALTM will be attended by high-end luxury travel buyers of Asia Pacific and will provide its luxury travel providers a golden opportunity to reach out to the VIP Buyers.

Venue: Shanghai International Convention Center(SICEC), Shanghai, China

8.TopWine China

Date: 04-JUN-12 to 06-JUN-12

TopWine China is an event with a truly international flavor that seeks to explore and enhance the expanding wine market of China. This event provides a gateway to the global wine industry to penetrate the Chinese market and help it to gain a wider exposure.

TopWine China is designed in a unique fashion that enables the industry to get in touch with the global commercial entities and the biggest market players and thus assist the Chinese wine sector to develop and assume greater dimensions business wise. Allowing the participants to hold interactive discussions and to develop lasting business connections, this event is definitely the one to look out for.

Venue: China National Convention Center(CNCC), Beijing, China

9.Gourmet World Shanghai

Date: 12-JUN-12 to 14-JUN-12

Gourmet World Shanghai, is a Fine Food Trade Show which will take place at Pudong Expo between the 12-14 June, 2012, Shanghai Pudong Expo. You will find in this Exhibition, the Best from Europe, suppliers of high-quality catering related products as well as the latest market innovations and upcoming trends. More than a simple trade show, here you will enjoy pure European flavor.

Venue: Shanghai Pudong Expo, Shanghai, China

10.China Incentive Business Travel & Meeting Exhibition

Date: 12-SEP-12 to 14-SEP-12

China Incentive Business Travel & Meeting Exhibition (CIBTM) will provide the perfect platform from which to influence the local and international meetings and incentives industry. Uniting an elite class of buyers with quality suppliers from China and around the world, attendance at CIBTM promises the ultimate business solution.

Venue: China National Convention Center(CNCC), Beijing, China

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Orignal From: Top 10 China Travel exhibitions in 2012

Main Buildings along the central axis of Forbidden City

Along the central axis of the Forbidden City there are: the Meridian Gate, the Gate of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Middle Harmony, the Hall of Preserving Harmony, the big stone ramp carved with cloud dragon designs, the Gate of Heavenly Purity, the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Palace of Union and Peace, the Palace of Earthly Traquility, the Imperial Garden and Shenwu Gate.

Meredian Gate

In the Ming and Qing dynasties, Meridian Gate was the place where the ceremony of announcing the new lunar year calendar and the ceremony of "Accepting Captives of War" took place.

Court Beating also took place in front of the Meridian Gate. "Court Beating" is a kind of punishment to punish those offending officials by beating them on their buttocks with sticks. But this kind of punishment was abolished in the Qing Dynasty.

The Meridian Gate has five passageways. The central one was for the emperor only. Apart from that, the empress could only use the central passageway once in her whole life. That was on the imperial wedding day when she got married. And the first top three outstanding scholars were also allowed to go through the central gate in the Forbidden City after the imperial palace examination. The east gate was for the high-ranking civil and military offcials to go through and the west gate was for the royal families. The low-ranking officials used the two smaller oes on both sides at the corner.

In addition, when having the Palace Examination, all the candidates went in the Forbidden City from these two side-gates according to their odd numbers and even numbers.

The Gate of Supreme Harmony

There are two bronze lions in front of the Gate of Supreme Harmony, The bronze lions served as guardians in the old days because people believed that it could ward off the evil spirits. One is male and the other is female, a symbol of luxury and imperial power.

The Big Bronze Vats

The big bronze vats in the Forbidden City were used for storing water in case of fire. There are altogether 308 big water vats in the Forbidden City.

There were 18 big gilded bronze vats in Qing Dynasty. But in 1900, when the Allied Forces of the Eight Powers invaded Beijing, they scraped off the gold from the surface with their bayonets. So even today we can still see the scratches clearly marked on the surface.

Bronze Incense Burners

There are altogether eighteen bronze incense burners on the marble terrace representing the eighteen provinces in the Qing Dynasty.

Sundial

The Sundial is on the east of the top terrace. It has a history of over 2,000 years and could be used when there was sunlight. There is a bronze indicator(a metal pin) through the center of the sundial, so the sundial tells the time by seeing the shadow of the metal pin on the sundial. The sundial has an inclination angle of 50 degrees with the graduation of twelve divisions of day and night on the surface. People figure out the time by looking at the shadow of the bronze pin on the upper side of the sundial in summer, and the reverse side in winter.

Grain Measure

The grain measure is on the west of the rerrace. it was used as the national standard measure in agriculture in the past.

Dragon-headed Tortoises and Bronze Cranes

The bronze dragon-headed tortoises and bronze cranes placed on each side of the terrace were incense burners in the Ming and Qing dynasties. They are hollow inside with a cover on their backs. When the sandalwood incense burning inside, the smoke would come out from the mouth. They are both symbols of longevity.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony

This is the "Throne Hall" in the Forbidden City and it was the most important building in the whole Imperial Palace. The Hall of Supreme Harmony was the place where the emperor had grand ceremonies as well as the important festival celebrations.

The grand ceremonies were: the emperor's enthronement ceremony, the emperor's wedding ceremony, dispatching generals on an expedition to battles as well as receving the successful candidates after the palace examination by the emperor, etc.

The important festival celebrations were on three big occasions, such as the emperor's birthday, the Winter Solstice and the Chinese Lunar New Year.

During the Ming and early Qing Dynasties, the Palace Examination was held here, but later it was moved to the Hall of Preserving Harmony.

Inside the Hall

There is a gilded throne carved with nine dragons placed in the middle of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Behind the throne, there is a gilded screen with beautiful carvings.

A pair of elephant-shaped incense burners was placed o both sides of the throne, symbolizing universal peace, a pair of bronze cranes around the throne and four incense burners made of cloisinne in front the dais.

The caisson ceiling in the middle was carved with a magnificent sculpture of a curling dragon.

The Hall of Middle Harmony / The Hall of Complete Harmony

This hall was the place for the emperor to take a short rest before he went to the Hall of Supreme Harmony for grand ceremonies; to receive and read the sacrificial address before the emperor went to the altars and temples; to examine the seeds for spring sowing and the ploughs before the emperor went to the Altar of Agriculture to offer sacrifice as well as to revise the imperial genealogy in this hall.

The throne in the middle was for the emperor, The incense burners are in front of the throne. There were two braziers on both sides of the throne for burning the best charcoal for heat in winter.

The Hall of Preserving Harmony

In the Ming Dynasty--Before going to the Hall of Supreme Harmony for a grand ceremony the emperor would change into full ceremonial dress in this hall. The emperor also had banquets to entertain the civil and military official in this hall.

In the Qing Dynasty--On Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve the emperor would give a banquet to entertain the princes and envoys of the Mongolian nobles and other nationalities in this hall. When the princesses got married, the emperor would have a banquet in this hall.

The palace exam was held here in the Hall of Supreme Harmony during the Ming and early Qing dynasties. But after 1789, during Qing emperor Qianlong's reign the palace exam was held in this hall.

The Chinese imperial examination system started in 587, in the Sui Dynasty and ended in 1905 in the Qing Dynasty.

Stone Ramp Carved with Cloud and Dragon Designs

This is the largest piece of stone carving in the Forbidden City. It is 16.57 meters long, 3.07 meters wide, 1.7 meters thick, and more than 200 tons in weight.

This huge stone ramp came from Fangshan District, about 70 kilometers southwest of Beijing. In ancient time, people transported this huge stone over ice. In winter, people dug wells along the way, and brought up water from the wells, the poured the water on the ground to make an ice road, In summer they used rolling logs instead. It was in this way that people transported the huge stone to the Forbidden City.

The Gate of Heavenly Purity

It was here that the Qing emperors gave the imperial audience to the government officials at the gate.

The Palace of Heavenly Purity

During the Ming and early Qing Dynasties, it was the residence for the emperors to live and handle the daily affairs. But after the third Qing emperor Yongzheng, this building was used as an audience chamber because he moved his living quarters to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

This hall was also served as the mourning hall for holding the mourning service fo the deceased emperors. After a emperor died, his coffin would be placed here for a period of mourning.

The big plaque was inscribed with four Chinese Characters"正大光明", meaning Justice and Honesty.Inside the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the emperor's throne is placed in the middle with the cloisnne incense burners in the front, and candle sticks on both sides.

The Palace of Union and Peace

The Palace of Union and Peace was the place where the empress held the important ceremonies and her birthday celebration, During the ceremony the empress would receive greeting in this hall.

During the Qing Dynasty, one day before the sacrificial ceremony on the altar for the silworm, the empress would have the ceremony for examining the tools for picking mulberry here.

In this hall people can see twenty -five imperial seal boxes placed on both sides of the throne. They were put here by Qing Emperor Qianlong. because twenty-five was regarded as a heavenly number. If we add the odd numbers of one, three, five, seven, and nine together, the total number is twenty-five. A Water Clock is placed on the east side of the hall and a large Western Chiming Clock is placed on the west side of this building.

The Palace of Earthly Tranquility

During the Ming and early Qing Dynasties, here was used as the empresses' residence, But after the third Qing Emperor Yongzheng moved his living quarters to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the empress moved her living quarters to the Hall of Manifesting Obedience(Tishuntang). Later, the western chamber was changed into a place for offering sacrificial ceremonies for the Shaman God, because the Qing emperors paid a great attention to worshiping the Shanan God. The eastern chamber then became the wedding chamber for the emperor and empress.

The Imperial Garden

The main building in the Imperial Garden is the Hall of Imperial Peace. Inside the hall the gilded bronze statue of the King of Xuan Wu used to be enshrined People believed that Xuan Wu was the God fo Water who could prevent the palace buildings from catching fire.

There are four pavilions located on each direction in the garden representing the four seasons of the year. These four pavilions are named Qianqiu, Wanchun, Fubi and Chengrui pavilions respectively.

In the Imperial Garden people can see the beautiful pathway paved with tiny cobblestones in various designs.

Near the north gate in the Imperial Garden is the Piled Elegance Hill. On the top of the rockery is " Imperial  View Pavilion", In the old days, every year on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, the emperor would climb up to the Imperial View Pavilion to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival with his empress and concubines, as well as to enjoy the scenic beauty both in and outside the imperial palace.

Shenwu Gate

Shenwu Gate served as the north gate of the Forbidden City. Originally it was called Xuanwu Gate, the reason why it was changed to Shenwu Gate is that the Qing Emperor Kangxi's name was Xuanye. The emperor's name and the gate's name got the same Character "Xuan". It was a taboo for mentioning the emperor's name in the old days, so the gate was renamed Shenwu Gate.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, bells ad drums were installed on the tower of the gate for the bells were beaten in the morning and the drums were struck in the evening to mark time.

This gate actually was the back gate of the Forbidden City. During the Ming and Qing dynasties when empress and imperial concubines attended the silkworm ceremony they went through this gate. When the selected palace maids entered the Forbidden City they would go through this gate too

 

 

 

 

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Orignal From: Main Buildings along the central axis of Forbidden City