Thousand Islets Lake (Qian Dao Lake)

Did you ever want to escape from the bustling metropolis? Come to Thousand Islets Lake and experience something special.

With 81% of the area covered in forests, Thousand Islets Lake (Qian Dao Lake) is a pure lake with clean, fresh air. It is a young lake formed in 1959 as a result of the construction of New Anjiang Hydroelectric Power Station. It is a beautiful lake with 1078 islets showing different views in different seasons. It is a rich lake abounding with fish and surrounded by trees, tea, mulberry (the food of the silkworm) and other fruit trees. Qian Dao Lake is also a delightful lake with many activities including enjoying the natural scenery and local culture, observing wild animals and taking part in many exciting activities.

Thousand Islets Lake (Qian Dao Lake) lies in Chun'an County, about 150 km (93 miles) west of Hangzhou City and is 140 km (87 miles) southeast of Mt. Huangshan. It is a resplendent pearl in the classical golden route of Hangzhou-Thousand Islets Lake-Mt. Huangshan and has become popular all over the world.

Qian Dao Lake is noted for its verdurous mountains, crystal clear water, exotic caves and strange stones. Nongfu (farmer) Spring Water, a famous mineral water brand, comes from Qiandao Lake. The scenic area can be divided into six sections on the basis of geographical location. They are: Southeast Lake District (the first to be developed), Central Lake District (combining several spots that should not be missed), Southwest Lake District, Northeast Lake District, Northwest Lake District and Fuxi Stone Forest (the first stone forest in East China), each possessing their own unique and striking landscapes.

In Southeast Lake District can be found Tianchi (heaven pool), a quarry site dating from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), Xianshan (admiration mountain) Island, Guihua (sweet osmanthus) Island and Mishan (honey mountain) Island (The story of 'One boy is a boy, two boys half a boy, three boys no boy' originated here). In Central Lake District, there are Qiandao Lake Fishing Village, Meifeng (plum peak) Island, Wulong (five dragons) Scenic Area and the Animal Interest Section. On Meifeng Island, you can command views from a great height, experience grass-skiing, and boat down the water. Wulong Scenic Area is made up of Lock Island, Bird Island, Zhenqu (true delight) Garden and Qishi (strange stone) Island connected by several bridges. Lock Island is a world of locks, including happiness lock, wisdom lock, health lock and carp lock. The first Lock Museum in China was built here housing Safety Lock, the biggest lock in Guinness World Records. In the Animal Interest Section, peacocks, snakes, monkeys and ostriches can be seen. You can enjoy yourself by watching the animals performing, feeding them, playing with them and taking photos of them.

The best time to visit Qiandao Lake is in autumn and winter, when there is less rainfall. Fine weather, cool and fresh air and clear water are really enjoyable. Do sample the distinctively cooked seafood and some local food here. Take home souvenirs like inkstones, hemp embroideries and products made of pearls.

Thousand Islets Lake is currently the largest forest park in China. It has been awarded many titles and received favorable comments from tourists both at home and abroad. So, why not come and see for yourself!

Song Mountain

Song Mountain lies in Dengfeng city, in the heart of Henan Province and about 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of its capital, Zhengzhou. Song Mountain, which is also known as Zhong Yue (middle mountain), is known as one of the Five Mountains of China. The others in this group are Tai mountain in Shandong Province, Hua Mountain in Shaanxi Province, Mount Heng in Shanxi Province and Mount Heng in Hunan Province.

Song Mountain has fine natural scenery. Its 72 mountains, grouped around the peaks of Mount Shaoshi and Mount Taishi, extend for about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from east to west. Besides these mountains, there are many valleys, caves, pools and waterfalls, each of which provides the visitor with a unique and wonderful experience. The landscape is so unique that it has been given the title of 'International Geological Park' by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The history of Song Mountain is as rich and interesting as its landscape. Its proximity to Luoyang, the ancient capital city of nine different dynasties, made it an essential place for emperors to offer sacrifices to their ancestors and the gods and to confer the crown to their heirs. This has left many sites of historic and cultural interest in this area. The beauty of the area's scenery also led to many scholars, eminent monks and famous Taoists chose this area as an important place to give lectures, explain Buddhist sutras and develop the teachings of different religions. Practitioners of the three faiths of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism absorbed ideas from each other, which led to their three belief systems growing closer together.

Song Mountain is the birthplace of China Zen Buddhism, and is the home of many wondrous temples, including Shaolin Temple, the largest pagoda forest in China, Ta Lin (meaning pagoda forest) and the most ancient pagoda in China, Songyue Temple pagoda. A visitor can also visit the oldest cypress, as well as the earliest star observation platform in China.

What makes Song Mountain different from the rest of the Five Mountains is its profound and extensive cultural history. For this reason, a visit to Song Mountain will be greatly rewarding for scholars of religion, physical culture, astronomy, archaeology, geology, art, and architecture, as well as for travelers with a passion for beauty and history.

Yin Xu

In 1899, in Xiao Tun Village of Anyang City, Henan Province, villagers found many tortoise shells and bones carved with letters and symbols, which unveiled to the world Yin Xu, an ancient city with a long history and splendid culture. Since then this place has become of great interest to worldwide archeologists, because those inscriptions have proved to be the earliest written characters of human beings, the Oracles.

About 3,300 years ago, one emperor of the Shang Dynasty (16th - 11th century BC) moved his capital city to Yin, which is today's Anyang city, and since then Yin has been the capital city for more than 250 years. Today Yin Xu has proved to be the earliest remains of an ancient capital city in written record.

Covering a grand area of 24 square kilometers (more than 9 square miles), Yin Xu had a palaces district, civil residences district, tombs district and workshops district, divided into two parts by the Heng river in the city. This rational layout clearly shows people a powerful country and a well-equipped ancient city.

The large-scale excavation in Yin Xu has been continued since the last century. Besides the 150, 000 pieces of oracles, abundant bronze ware has been excavated, and among them, Simuwu Ding, a 4-legged bronze cooking vessel is the biggest and heaviest bronze ware ever found worldwide. Apart from oracles and bronze ware, people have also excavated much pottery ware and jade. The excavation is still in progress and great discoveries come forth from time to time. Like a famous archeologist has said, in Yin Xu there are more treasures to be found.

Because of its great value in not only the historical relics of Chinese culture but also the human civilization of the whole world, Yin Xu topped the 100 Greatest Archeological Discoveries of China in the last century and it was listed in the World Cultural and Natural Heritage List of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Yin Xu is revealing its beauty to the world.