China Folk Culture Villages

China is a big and united family made up of 56 ethnic groups. Geographically speaking, they are distributed in different parts of China with the resulting difficulty of experiencing each ethnic group's architecture, their festivals and tasting their snacks during one of your visits. But the China Folk Cultural Village, lying at the Overseas Chinese Town, Shenzhen, will help solve this problem. It is the first spot in China where you can learn of the folk cultures of China. The more than 200,000 square meters (about 494 acres) has 24 peculiar cottages which are constructed at a ratio of 1:1 and are very welcoming to all visitors.

In the village, you will see the distinctive architecture of ethnic groups and join their brilliant festivals. Buying some handicrafts or tasting local snacks is another way to experience the China Folk Culture Village.

Distinctive Architecture

The stone village of the Buyi ethnic group, distributed mainly in the Sichuan and Guizhou Provinces, is a wonderful stone world. The simple furniture such as tables, stoves and basins are made of stone as it the stone-paved path. When you come to the Mosuo people's yard, you will find that the prototype of modern flats originated from the Mosuo people's living structures. They piled the solid wooden stocks crossways into a square or rectangular house which was quakeproof. What really interests tourists is that this group is today the world's only matriarchal community in existence. The Dai ethnic group inhabits Yunnan Province where there is an abundance of bamboo. Because of this, all the girders, tiles and roofs in their homes are made entirely of bamboo. Yes, you may call it 'a bamboo garden'. Actually, this kind of building is a two-storied attic in the air. Dozens of wooden stocks support the whole attic and the floor is tiled with flakes of bamboo. Here is the Mongol ethnic group which is generally known as 'a group on horse back' because of their nomadic living habits. Mongols live in the yurts which are not only cool in summer and warm in winter but easy to set up or dismantle. No matter which group you are visiting, young boys and girls will warmly welcome your arrival.

Brilliant Festivals

If you come at right time, you will be able to experience some unique festivals of the minorities. In the Water-Splashing Festival, water is splashed on each other. In addition, the dragon-boat contest each spring, maintains the most important event in Dai people's lunar calendar. They hope to get rid of evil and misfortune from the last year and anticipate blessings in the coming year. Come prepared to get thoroughly soaked. In contrast, The Torch Festival is the most traditional event of the Yi ethnic group and held in the sixth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Tourists will see the Yi people in bright garments carrying torches as they walk around their houses and farmlands. Usually, chickens or ducks will be sacrificed to pay homage to ancestors. Maybe you will be invited to take part in the performance when the villagers happily sing and dance around their bonfires. The breathtaking and memorable Knife Bar Festival of the Lisu ethnic group is celebrated in the second month of the Chinese lunar calendar. This two part festival starts on the first day by demonstrating the 'jumping into the fire sea'. Several barefooted men jump in and out of a blazing fire. The performance on the second day is as adventurous as that on the first day. It is called 'climbing the mountain studded with knives' because courageous men will climb a ladder formed by two wooden poles with 32 sharp long knives inserted crosswise on their inner surfaces. When barefooted heroes reach the top of ladder, they light the firecrackers to declare their success. This traditional festival commemorates Wang Ji, a hero who valiantly helped the Lisu people to resist foreign invaders during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Sacred Heart Church

Sacred Heart Church in Guangzhou is a French Roman Catholic institution and as it was originally built by the French architect Guillemin, all the stained glass that is used in the windows of the church was shipped over to Guangzhou all the way from France itself.

Sacred Heart Church is also known as the "House of Stone" by the Chinese because it is constructed entirely out of granite. The official Chinese name of the church is "Shi Shi Jiaotang." Construction on the church began in the year 1863 and it was finally finished in 1888 during the reign of Emperor Guangxu. The church is an imitation of a European Gothic cathedral and its spires tower to a height of 58m.

As you walk around the church, you will first notice it is almost impossible to enter. The main front entrance is enclosed behind a large wide expanse of iron bars that are locked up, except perhaps on Sundays. Rounding the exterior, you will notice that the stained glass windows have irregular broken pieces that have not been repaired or restored in any way (It is a marvelous decay, with metaphorical reverberations of meaning).

Apart from the granite carapace and kaleidoscopic stained glass, Sacred Heart Church also contains other interesting features such as a huge clock and four large suspended bronze bells which were cast in France and shipped over to Guangzhou, just like the stained glass.

The Bund

The Bund that become Shanghai’s unceasing legend, also called the Zhongshan Road, is the waterfront area of Pu Xi (West City) that faces the newer part of Shanghai - Pu Dong (East City). Walking along the Bund at night is a fascinating site, as the entire PuDong skyline (across the river) is illuminated, including the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the 2nd tallest building in the world - Jin Mao Tower. And directly across Zhongshan Road, you will see many different types of structures from Old Shanghai, including: Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism and Renaissance.

But, avoid the Esplanade of Shanghai Bund when you are visiting during China's Golden Week Holiday (1/5 to 7/5 & 1/10 to 7/10). Or else, you will not enjoy the view & only can see the crowds. Unless you are standing at a vantage point high up. I would recommend a boat cruise, where you can get an unobstructed view of both old & new Shanghai along the coastline. Get ready yourself extra pack of batteries / memory card to avoid any disappointments. Go straight up to the upper deck of boat & pick a nice seat at the side of the boat. If you do not have a tripod, simply rest your camera on the boat railing and you will be able to capture satisfactory night scenes of Shanghai. Beware not to drop your camera into the water!

There is a tunnel built beneath the Huangpu River and it connects to the opposite Pudong. The tunnel is 647m long and the journey takes approx. 10min. The experience is like sitting in a time machine capsule or space travel. Colorful lights will be projected on the wall of tunnel as the full transparent carriage you are in moving forward, narrating to you the brief history of Shanghai.

Fragnant Hill

Situated 28 kilometers northwest of downtown Beijing, this park had long been a favorite summer retreat of the emperors. In the 12th century it was a royal hunting park. Its focal point is the Incense Burner Peak (Xianglufeng) ?557 meters above sea level. On top is a huge rock that resembles an incense burner.

In Jin Dynasty (which as over-800 years ago), emperors began to build temples and halls here. By Qing Dynasty, 28 sights were completed and they were included in Jingyi Garden.

In 1860 and 1900, the Garden was twice destroyed by imperialist aggressors, and the temples and halls were burned down. After the founding of New China, they were gradually renovated. In the deep of autumn every year, large leaves on over-90000 smoke trees all present a bright red color over the mountain.

Red Leaves on smoke trees in Fragrant Hill have all along been well-known. In autumn , the Hill is covered by red leaves and look gorgeous. The scenery area is formed mainly by mountainous fields and natural forests. Over 200,000 tress of over-100 varieties are in the 160 hectare area which is also the site where various kinds of birds dwell. Fragrant Hill is also famous for its snow scenery in winter.

There is also a cable car ride (approx 18 minutes one way). The view was cool, although smog usually covers most of it. On the top you can eat/drink/buy souvenirs. Chinese people usually climb these hills instead of taking the cable so it’s all up to you.

The Ming Tombs

At a distance of 50 km northwest of Beijing stands an arc-shaped cluster of hills fronted by a small plain. Here is where 13 emperors of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) were buried, and the area is known as the Ming Tombs.

Construction of the tombs started in 1409 and ended with the fall of the Ming Dynasty in 1644. In over 200 years tombs were built over an area of 40 square kilometers, which is surrounded by walls totaling 40 kilometers. Each tomb is located at the foot of a separate hill and is linked with the other tombs by a road called the Sacred Way. The stone archway at the southern end of the Sacred Way, built in 1540, is 14 meters high and 19 meters wide, and is decorated with designs of clouds, waves and divine animals.

Some parts in this area are :

1. Sacred Way - The Sacred Way inside the gate of the Ming Tomb is lined with 18 pairs of stone human figures and animals. These include four each of three types of officials: civil, military and meritorious officials, symbolizing those who assist the emperor in the administration of the state, plus four each of six types of animals: lion, griffin, camel, elephant, unicorn and horse. Many of the guided tours will not take you there, or if they do there is an extra charge. It is well worth the extra bucks to see it though.
2. Stone Archway - The stone archway at the southern end of the Sacred Way, built in 1540, is 14 meters high and 19 meters wide, and is decorated with designs of clouds, waves and divine animals. Well-proportioned and finely carved, the archway is one of the best preserved specimens of its kink in the Ming Dynasty. It is also the largest ancient stone archway in China.
3. Stele Pavilion - The Stele Pavilion, not far from the Great Palace Gate, is actually a pavilion with a double-eave roof. On the back of the stele is carved poetry written by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty when he visited the Ming Tombs.
4. Yongling Tomb - Yongling, built in 1536, is the tomb for Emperor Shizong, Zhu Houcong (1507-1566). He stayed in power for 45 years.
5. Dingling Tomb - The Dingling Tomb is the tomb of Emperor Wanli (reigned 1573-1619), the 13th emperor of the Ming Dynasty, whose personal name was Zhu Yijun, and of his two empresses, Xiao Duan and Xiao Jing. The tomb was completed in six years (1584-1590), it occupies a total area of 1,195 square meters at the foot of Dayu Mountain southwest of the Changling Tomb.
6. Maoling Tomb - Emperor Xianzong, Zhu Jianshen, and his three empresses are entombed within Maoling. Zhu Jianshen (1447-1487) was the first son of Emperor Yingzong. He stayed in power for 22 years.
7. Changling Tomb - Changling is the tomb of emperor Yongle (reigned 1403-1424), the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty whose personal name was Zhu Di, and of his empress. Built in 1413, the mausoleum extends over an area of 100,000 square meters. The soul tower, which tells people whose tomb it is, rests on a circular wall called the "city of treasures" which surrounds the burial mound. The "city of treasures" at Changling has a length of more than a kilometer.
8. Underground Palace - The underground palace at Dingling Tomb consists of an antechamber, a central chamber and a rear chamber plus the left and right annexes. One of the pictures shows the central chamber where the sacrificial utensils are on display. Two marble doors are made of single slabs and carved with life-size human figures, flowers and birds. More than 3,000 articles have been unearthed from the tumulus, the most precious being the golden crowns of the emperor and his queen.

Summer Palace

Curiously, Tihetuan, the Chinese name for the place known in English as The Summer Palace, does not actually mean “Summer Palace”. It roughly translates as the garden of peace with “peace” being used in the context of ‘no rebellion”.

The Summer Palace was first named the Garden of Clear Ripples, which was burnt down by the allied forces of Great Britain and France in 1860. Reconstruction started 25 years later and was completed in 1895, and the name was changed to Yiheyuan (Garden of Good Health and Harmony). The design gives prominence to the Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake. The total area is 290 hectares, and the buildings are measured in over 3,000 bays.

Some buildings in the Summer Palace are :

1. Foxiang (Buddha Fragrance) Pavilion - It stands on a 21-meter-high stone terrace on the sheer front side of the Longevity Hill. It overlooks Kunming Lake in front and Zhihuihai Buddha Hall in the back. Other buildings stretch on either side of it in a neat symmetrical pattern. The tower was burnt down by British and French soldiers in 1860 and a new one was built on the site later.
2. Marble Boat - also known as Qingyanfang, it was made with huge stone blocks in 1755. The 36-meter-long immovable boat has two tiers. It was placed in the lake to symbolize the steadfast rule of the Qing Dynasty.
3. Grand Opera Tower – The imperial theater in the Dehe Garden is the largest of its kind in China today. It is 21 meters high and has three floors. An opening is in the ceiling of the first floor, in which a winch could lower performers and props down onto the first floor. Performers could appear on the three floors at the same time.
4. Leshou (Happy Longevity) Hall – The large courtyard was the living quarters of Empress Dowager Ci Xi. The red pillars and gray gabled roof display a unique style of architecture.
5. Long Corridor – The 728-meter-long corridor runs from a moon gate in the east to Shizhang Pavilion in the west. All the 273 sections are decorated with more than 8.000 paintings of landscapes, flowers and human figures. It is the longest and most famous corridor in the world.
6. Bronze Bull - Built of marble and white stone, the Jade Belt Bridge has a high arch and is one of the six bridges on the West Shore on Kunming Lake.

Tian'anmen Square

Large enough to hold 1 million people, the 440,000-square-meter Tian'anmen Square in the center of Beijing is the world's largest city square, where sunrises and sunsets are observed solemnly with national flag hoisting and lowering ceremonies. Tian'anmen Gate on the northern edge of the square sued to be the front gate of the Ming and Qing Imperial Palace. The rostrum atop the gate, where national leaders review mass rallies or gala celebrations on important occasions, is open to tourists. The Monument to the People's Heroes stands in the center of the square. Behind Zhengyang Gate to the south sprawls Mao Zedong Memorial Hall; to the east is the complex which houses the Museum of Chinese Revolution and the Museum of Chinese History. The Great hall of the People stands on the western side. It was from here that Mao proclaimed establishing of Chinese People’s Republic in 1949. The gate consists of five doors. In the past, only the emperor could user the central door. Today it’s enough to pay for the ticket and you may without any fear use the main door. Remember that the ticket for Tiananmen Gate does not entitle you to enter Forbidden City. The night scene of Tian'anmen Square is definitely a MUST for any visitor to Beijing.

Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven or Tiantan was built along a north-south, celestial, axis lie the building where the Ming and Qing emperors came four times a year to offer sacrifices to the Gods and to Pray. The great complex of the Temple of Heaven is in 273 hectares of stunning forest, and this alone makes it an unusual place (line upon line of Chinese cypress, Chinese juniper and scholar trees). Some of the them are more than 600 years old so you must see then. If you can look the temple from the air, you would see that the temple are all round, and the bases of them are all square. This is due to the Chinese belief that heaven was round and the earth was square.

Some parts in Temple of Heaven are :

1. Echo Wall - The circular wall surrounding the Imperial Vault of Heaven is 193.2 meters long, 3.7 meters high and 0.9 meter thick. If one speaks against the wall at one end, another can hear his voice at the other end of it (there tend to be a lot of visitors all trying it out at the same time, so be patient).
2. A Bird's View - The main buildings on a central axis (from top to bottom): Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Circular Mound Altar.
3. Heart of Heavenly Stone - The stone placed in the center of the top tier of the Circular Mound Altar. Around it there are nine circles, each with nine stones, altogether 3,402 pieces. They are of identical size and appearance and put closely together. They have remained intact during the past several hundred years. When people stand on the Heart of Heavenly Stone and shout echoes will be heard.
   
4. Circular Mount Altar - Also known as Heaven Mound Altar, it is five meters high and of three tiers. Around each tier there are white marble balusters. During the Ming and Qing dynasties in early winter the emperor would come to this mound to pay homage to heaven and pray for peace and a good harvest.
   
5. Hall of Abstinence - The hall on a white marble foundation is of bricks without any pillar or beam. Bronze statues, a stone pavilion and a stone pavilion with a sundial are in front of the hall.
   
6. Left Parlor of the Main Hall of Abstinence - Displayed in this room are a set of jade chimes, musical bells and sacrificial objects used by the emperor for the ceremony.
   
7. Sweet Spring Well - The water from the well in the compound of the Divine Kitchen tastes sweet. It was used to make soup for the sacrificial ritual. Taoists in the Ming Dynasty said the well was connected with heaven. Emperor Zhu Houzong believed it and named the well "Heavenly Well".
   
8. Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest - Also known as Qigu Hall, it was the spot where the emperor of the Ming and Qing dynasties prayed for good harvest in spring. The umbrella-like structure of three tiers stands on a six-meter-high white marble circular terrace and is 32 meters high and 24.2 meters around at the base.
   
9. Double-Circle Longevity Pavilion - The pavilion was originally built in 1741 by Emperor Qian Long to celebrate his Mother's 50th birthday in the Imperial Palace. In 1977 it was relocated in a cypress grove on the western side of the hall of prayer for Good Harvest. It is a master piece of wooden structures from ancient times.

The Great Wall

Welcome back again with Visit ToDay. Today we are going to talk about the Great Wall. Great Wall is one of the 7 wonders of the world. Your visit to China would not be complete without seeing this symbol of China's isolation. Was built from 5th Century BC to 221 BC, these walls were made mostly by stamping earth and gravel between board frames. The Great Wall winds its way from east seaside to west desert of China, with a length exceeding 5.000 KM. To visit all of the walls is almost impossible, but you can visit some famous parts.

The following Great Wall is located near beijing.

1. Ba Da Ling Great Wall. This part, which means "giving access to every direction", is very splendid and is the best-preserved section of the Great Wall.
2. Si Mai Tai Great Wall. This part is famous for its craggedness, old people is not suitable for climbing this section. For more information about this section you can visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simatai.
3. Jin Shan Ling Great Wall. This part is never rebuilt, it remain as it was 400 years ago. Most foreigner like this part.
4. Mu Tian Yu Great Wall. The mountain on this part have a high forest cover rate (around 90%), therefore it is beautiful. If you come in Summer, I suggest you to visit this part because of the forest. For more information about this section you can visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutianyu.
5. Ju Yong Guan Great Wall.

Forbidden City

If you are planning to go to Beijing, you must go to Forbidden City. Forbidden City or Palace Museum is was built on Ming Dinasty (1406 - 1420). It was called the Forbidden City because it was home to Chinese Emperors and only their servants and Chinese Royalty were allowed during that time. It was also declared by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1987. The enourmous size (around 72000 m2) of the palace grounds and main halls will make you understand why China always translates as "Middle Kingdom".

I recommend you to enter from the north gate instead of the south because the route leads you into Tiananmen Square. The only advantage of entering from Tiananmen Square is if you wish to rent the taped tour narrated by Roger Moore (one of the James Bond actors). The taped tour also offered in many languages). Starting from the north also gives you the beautiful view from atop Jingshan Park, which is best visited in the morning when the old folks are doing their thai chi. Aside from the general entrance fee, be prepared to pay for extra tickets allowing you to see special exhibits and to enter the Tiananmen rostrum.It Simply Amazing. A must see !

For more historical information you can visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_city