Tour to China

Leader of Garden--- Yuanming Yuan in Bei jing

2007-04-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

Being the cream of Chinese imperial gardens, Yuanmingyuan was world renowned as "Leader of Gardens". Its construction began in the 48th year of Emperor Kangxi's Reign (1709). It comprised three gardens centered on Fuhai (Lake of Fortune): Changchungyuan (Garden of Everlasting Spring) lying in the east, Yuanmingyuan (Garden of Perfection and Brightness) in the west, and Wangchungyuan (Garden of Ten-thousand Springs) in the south. Yuanmingyuan was a resort used by the feudal rulers for rest and pleasure as well as for holding audiences and attending to state affairs. Its unique architectures and accompanying scenery embodied the finest styles found in scenic spots and places of interests both in China and abroad. Most of the buildings were in the best traditional Chinese palace architectural styles, while occidental styles of arts in palace construction were also absorbed to produce a harmonious combination. One of the examples was the group of the "Western Buildings" in Changchungyuan, of which the main body was modeled on Barolk style but topped with traditional Chinese glazed-tile roofs. As a creation, the perfect combination of Chinese and western architectures added fresh contents to Chinese garden construction. One-third of the ground of Yuanmingyuan was taken up by over 200 small hills in the scenic area where precipitous cliffs, secluded valleys, steep rock walls and stone caves zigzagged their way about. Half of it was covered by waters of the vast lake and the serpentine streams and ponds. In Yuanmingyuan there were towers, terraces, pavilions, halls, corridors, pagodas, bridges etc. of different sizes, with a total construction area of 150,000 square meters, corresponding to that of the Imperial Palace. The multifarious architectures standing encircled by hills and rivulets and amidstbeautiful flowers and exquisite waters, presented a picturesque view. Of the total 160 scenic attractions in Yuanmingyuan, many were imitations of scenic mountains and rivers and famous gardens in China. Unfortunately, this header of Gardens was reduced to ruins by the fire the invading Anglo-French Joint Forces set to it in 1860, which lasted three days and nights. The remaining columns of the Western Buildings and other ruins serve as a reminder of the barbarity as well as the fierce resistance then.

More Pictures are coming soon!

Summer Palace in Bei jing (Wall Papers)

2007-04-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

Summer Palace is also called Yihe Yuan in Chinese. It is an imperial garden known far and wide for its architectural grandeur and stunning natural beauty. Construction of the Summer Palace started in 1750.The northern part of the Summer Palace is the 60-meter-tall Longevity Hill. Its southern part is a wide expanse of water called Kunming Lake. The whole garden covers 290 hectares, with the lake taking up four-fifths of its total area.
Now it is spring, and it's the most beautiful time for Summer Palace! The flowers,green grasses, trees, birds and the lake shows a charming pictures to all the visitors.
The followings are some pictures of Summer palace.

Click on them to view large pictures

Summer Palace in Bei jing

2007-04-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

The Summer Palace, also called yihe yuan,located ten kilometers to the northwest of Beijing,used to be a summer residence of Qing Dynasty emperors and is now a public park. It is an imperial garden known far and wide for its architectural grandeur and stunning natural beauty. Construction of the Summer Palace started in 1750.The northern part of the Summer Palace is the 60-meter-tall Longevity Hill. Its southern part is a wide expanse of water called Kunming Lake. The whole garden covers 290 hectares, with the lake taking up four-fifths of its total area.
A cluster of grand buildings adorn the middle section of the Longevity Hill. On the slope from the lakeside to the hilltop stand: a decorated archway called Jade-Like Firmament in Bright Colors, Cloud-Dispelling Hall, Hall of Virtuous Brilliance, Pavilion of Buddhist Incense and Temple of the Sea of Wisdom. Standing on the top of the hill, a visitor commands a spectacular view of buildings of different shapes and sizes down below, their golden roofs glittering under the sun; the placid, huge Kunming Lake dotted with rowing boats; a 17-arch bridge that connects an island with the lake's southern bank; the long, winding west bank of the lake joined by six bridges; and the distant West Hills.
Along the northern bank of Kunming Lake runs the Long Corridor with a total length of 728 meters and 273 sections. It is like a necklace for Longevity Hill. Strolling in the corridor, a visitor sees an endless lineup of corridor stands stretching into the distance or curving away elegantly at soft angles as well as Kunming Lake sparkling under the sun. The crossbeams of the Long Corridor are decorated with more than 8,000 color paintings with Chinese landscape and historical stories as their themes.
The 17-arch bridge on the southern bank of Kunming Lake is more than 150 meters long. Carved stone lions, of different sizes and postures, sit on top of the bridge's stone columns. An octagonal pavilion stands at one end of the bridge and near the pavilion lies a bronze ox with its head raised toward the lake. On the back of the ox is engraved a line from Emperor Qianlong stating that the ox is used to control flooding of the lake.
A Ming-style street winds along a stretch of water on the back side of Longevity Hill. The Suzhou Street, 300 meters long, is lined with more than 60 shops and decorated with archways and gateways. The shops, of different shapes and sizes, are built with bluish gray tiles and bricks. The marketplace lends a folksy flavor to the imperial garden.

Imperial Palace (Purple Forbidden City)

2007-04-02T20:08:00.000-07:00

Located in the center of Beijing, the Imperial Palace, also known as the Purple Forbidden City, was the royal palace for the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is the largest, the most intact and well-protected palace complex in China and in the world as well.
During the past 500 years since its completion in 1420, it had been used by the two feudal dynasties of Ming and Qing with 24 emperors to rule over the country from here. The revolution of 1911 led by Dr Sun Yat-sen put an end to the feudal rule of the Qing in China.
The Forbidden City was opened to visitors in 1925. After 1949, the Imperial Palace has undergone renovations part by part, thereby presenting a completely new feature. Covering an area of 720,000 square meters (about 250 acres) it has a floor space totaling around 155,000 square meters with more than 890 palace buildings containing over 9,000 rooms of various sizes. Housed in the palace museum are many historical and cultural relics as well as precious works of art. It is the largest museum of culture and art in China.

The Great Wall of China(wallpapers)

2007-04-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

Great Wall is one the wonders in the world, and it has been a sign of the war between old China with other coutries in history. The blocky wall saw the success and failure, the cheers and tear of blood. Standing on the old wall, maybe you can feel the history.
Now this Great Wall is viewing the fast development of China, and wecloming all the friends from all around the world.
An old Chinese saying--A man who has not been to Great Wall is not a real man.
If you come to China, come to Beijing, Great Wall is a sight you must visit.^_^
Come to Great Wall, Feel the History, and View the New Beijing.
Here are some pictures of Great Wall!
you can click on them to view the large pictures.

The Great Wall of China

2007-04-02T12:52:00.000-07:00

The Great Wall, symbolizing China's ancient civilization, is one of the world's most renowned projects. It is a distance of 75 kilometres northwest of Beijing. Its highest point at Badaling is some 800 metres above sea level.
Construction of the Wall first began during the period of the Warring States (476 - 221 BC). Formerly, walls were built at strategic points by different kingdoms to protect their northern territories. In 221 BC after the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty unified China, he decided to have the walls linked up and extended.
Historical records show that about 1 million people, one-fifth of China's population at the time, were involved in the project which took more than ten years. When it was finished we call it "Wan Li Chang Cheng" which means "Ten Thousand-Li-Long Wall". Now, nature has taken over most of the Great Wall.
The Great Wall which we are going to visit was rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty in the 16th century. It extends from Shanhaiguan Pass, a seaport along the coast of Bohai Bay, to Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu Province. Its total length is more than 6,700 kilometres.

There were many places of strategic importance along the Wall. Fortresses were constructed at strategic points. Beacon towers were built on both sides of the Wall at commanding points. Whenever the enemy was sighted, bonfires were lit on the towers to signal warning messages. Before the Ming Dynasty, the Wall was built mainly of earth and rock. Under the Ming, it was rebuilt in most places with bricks and stones. For instanc e, the section at Badaling near Beijing was faced with slabsof rock and large bricks and filled with earth and stones. It is 6 to 7 metres high.
At regular intervals along the southern side of the Wall, there are gates with stone steps leading to the top of the Wall. The top surface of the wall is paved with three or four layers of large bricks. It is 4 to 5 metres wide, enough for five horsemen to ride abreast. Along the Wall, there are parapets and battlements built of bricks and turrets and watchtowers at regular intervals.

The Wall traverses mountains and gullies. It was extremely difficult to build along steep slopes under harsh conditions. Some of the slabs of rock were as long as two metres and weighed as much as one ton. All the rocks, bricks and lime had to be carried up the mountains at the cost of backbreaking labour. The earth and bricks were passed up from hand to hand or carried in baskets by donkeys and goats. The large slabs were moved up slopes by means of rolling rods and hoisting bars. According to rough calculation, the amount of bricks and rock used to build the Wall would have been enough to build a wall five metres high and one metre thick around the world.
The Badaling section is the best preserved part of the Wall. Several renovations have taken place since 1949. It is listed by the Chinese Government as one of the historical monuments to be preserved.
The Great Wall runs 629 kilometres in the Beijing area. More than 100 kilometres are well preserved and two other sections at Badaling and Mutianyu have already been renovated for tourists both at home and abroad.
The Great Wall is the great creation of ancient Chinese people. It was listed by the United Nation's Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as one of the World heritages in 1987.

JuyongguanPass and the Cloud Terrace

JuyongguanPass is an important strategic gateway leading to Inner Mongolia. The slopes on both sides of this narrow pass are carpeted by a dense growth of foliage. It used to be one of the eight famous scenic spots in Beijing. The 15-kilometre-long ravine, flanked by mountains, was the northern entrance to Beijing in ancient times. The cavalrymen of Genghis
Khan swept through it in the 13th century. The Yuan Emperors had to travel through the ravine every year to their summer resort in Inner Mongolia, staying overnight here at Juyongguan Pass. Entering the Pass, you will see an ancient platform known as Cloud Terrace, built in 1345, and made of marble. It was called the Crossing-Street Dagoba, since its arch spanned the main street of the pass.
There were formerly three dagobas on the top of the terrace. Unfortunately they collapsed along with the nearby imperial residence and other religious buildings during an early 15th century earthquake. Later on, a new temple was built on the site, but it was also destroyed in the early years of the Qing Dynasty. Now only the terrace remains. The half-octagonal-arch gateway is unique and the Cloud Terrace is renowned for its marvelous artistry.

The exquisite relief on the facades and side walls of the gateway is most impressive. On both sides of the facades are symmetrically carved crossed pestles of the Buddha's warrior attendants. Above the gateway are images of elephants, lions, serpents and other fabulous beasts.
Engraved on the walls under the arch are daturascrolls, images of Buddha and the four celestial guardians. Their vivid expressions are presented with exquisite workmanship. One shows a furious warrior with a snake wound round his arm. Such grandiose relief works, with several stones pieced together, are rarely seen in ancient Chinese carving. They are undoubtedly brilliant representation of the 13th century sculpture.
These four majestic guardians were said to have magic power against evil Emperors. When Ming Emperor Zhengde was passing through the gateway in his sedan-chair on a pleasure-seeking tour, the horses heading the royal procession were scared by the awe-inspiring images on the Wall and refused to move. At last, one of the court officials had to cover up the terrifying images with a smoke screen. In this way the terror-struck Emperor and his entourage escaped. On the walls of the gateway, there are carvings of Buddhist sutra in Sanskrit, Tibetan, Uygur, Mongolian and Han scripts. They are valuable to the study of Buddhism and ancient languages

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2007-04-02T12:45:00.003-07:00

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All Green Forest in China

2007-03-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures taken in the forest! Looks very great!!

Awesome 3D Wallpapers

2007-03-31T10:04:00.000-07:00

ya, The followings are some awesome 3D Wallpaper. they are very amazing if you view the large pictures. Really great!

Great Chrysanthemum Pictures

2007-03-31T10:01:00.000-07:00

here are some Chrysanthemum Pictures, you know, in China, there are many kinds of Chrysanthemum.

Great Flower Wallpapers

2007-03-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Flowers Wallpapers!
Click to view large picutres!

Green Forest Wallpapers

2007-03-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

Great pictures of Forest, they are all wallpapers!

China Scenery Wallpapers(1)

2007-03-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

The following are some Scenery Wallpers from China.
These pictures are taken from many cities and sights. All has a high definition.
You can view the large picture by clicking on it.

Welcome to my blog "Tour to China"

2007-03-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

hi,I am from China. Nice to meet all friends from all around the world.
Have you ever been to China?
China is a country with a l ong history.
China is a country with so many beautiful sceneries.
I wanna introduce some beautiful sight in this blog.You will find many beautiful pictures and introductoins about travelling to China
welcome to China if you have time.