Archive February 1, 2020

St. Sophia Cathedral, the Largest Eastern Orthodox Church in China

St. Sophia Cathedral in Harbin is the largest orthodox church in the far east. It stands 53.3 meters (175 feet) tall and covers 721 square meters (0.18 acres). In November 1996, it was listed as a state key cultural relic protection unit. Six months later, the city government restored it and renamed it Harbin art museum. It is a respected landmark for the harpin people and the tourism industry.

St. Sophia Cathedral has a complicated history. Shortly after the boxer rebellion (1899-1901), the russians built the timber church in March 1907. Then, four years later, the russians rebuilt it with masonry and wood. On September 23, 1923, Russia began its second reconstruction and laid the foundation stone. On November 25, 1932, the masterpiece, which took nine years to complete, was hailed as an immortal work of art.

The Byzantine church is so beautiful that it is said to look like the hands of god. In fact, St. Sophia Cathedral means “the wisdom of god.” The church has the footprint of a Latin cross, which has retained its original shape during reconstruction. St. Sophia Cathedral has four floors, with a door on each side.

Until the 1960s, the Byzantine St. Sophia Cathedral had seven bells of various sizes and colors hanging from the bell tower at the entrance. During religious festivals, well-trained bell ringers would play musical marches and ring the bells with ropes tied to their hands and feet. The bell rang through the sky.

By the 1990s, St. Sophia Cathedral had experienced considerable decline. The St. Sophia Cathedral is no longer in use and is surrounded by residential apartments and office buildings. The magnificent Russian frescoes that adorn the vaulted walls of St. Sophia Cathedral have been destroyed beyond recognition. In 1997, local governments began to address decades of deterioration. But as the original Russian murals disappeared completely, they were replaced by new murals depicting the architectural history of the Harbin community. Crosses that had been removed in six places were replaced. Now, murals, chandeliers, domes and clock towers have been restored to their original glory.

Ruins of St. Paul’s & Monte Fort in Macau

The Ruins of St. Paul’s stands adjacent to the famous Mount Fortress and Macau Museum. The front façade and the grand stone stairs are the only remains of the greatest church.

St Paul’s was first built in 1580, then burned down in 1595 and 1601. However, reconstruction began shortly after the church was burned down in 1602. Built in 1637, it became the largest Catholic church in east Asia. Unfortunately, a violent typhoon hit macau in 1835 and the church caught fire for the third time, making its glory a thing of the past. According to historical records, st. Paul’s church was built of white stone with a large arched roof. It has three ornate halls.

St Paul’s cathedral is made of granite, and its baroque facade is richly decorated, but it has a classical Oriental character. From the bottom up, the structure has five floors. The first layer consists of 10 ion columns and 3 entrances. The middle entrance is engraved with the virgin Mary. The two entrances on either side are decorated with bas-reliefs with the motif “his”. On the second floor are ten Corinthian columns with three Windows. A Catholic saint is enshrined in a tent between four pillars. These two layers as a whole are said to represent the social and missionary activities of Jesus.

The remaining three layers are the most decorated. The Madonna stands in the middle of the third tier, and Jesus stands in the middle of the fourth tier. The walls are covered with reliefs of various motifs, such as demons, angels, symbols of suffering, Portuguese sailboats, etc. The triangular combination of the three upper layers reflects the holy trinity (father, son and holy spirit) and the virgin Mary. A cross stands at the top of the wall.

It is worth mentioning that the stone lions on both sides of the third and fourth floors of the ruins of st. Paul’s cathedral have distinct Chinese characteristics. There are also reliefs with chrysanthemums and cherries, and Chinese inscriptions. The existing facade has long been considered a perfect blend of eastern and western cultures.

The ruins of st Paul’s cathedral were restored between 1990 and 1995. The sacred art museum and basement were also built at that time. There is an exhibition of religious art, including paintings, sculptures and statues.

Norbulingka, the Treasure Park in Tibet

Norbulingka, which means “treasure park” in Tibetan, is located on the western outskirts of Lhasa on the Banks of the jiuqu river, about 1 km (0.6 miles) southwest of the potala palace. The garden covers 360,000 square meters (about 430,000 square yards) and has 374 rooms. It is the largest man-made garden in Tibet autonomous region.

Construction began in the 1740s. It was once a wild land full of wild animals, overgrown with weeds, and overgrown with weeds. It was the favorite and frequent haunt of the seventh dalai lama, for which the qing government built a palace. A few years later, the port was built on the orders of the seventh dalai lama. Later, it was used as the old Summer Palace for successive lamas, where they solved political problems and held festivals. After a series of extensions and renovations, the exterior has been improved with pavilions, gardens and woods. Now it has become a park open to the public.

Norbulingka consists of several palace complexes, such as Potrang of gesang, Potrang of zoki, jinlinka and Takten Migyur Potrang. Each palace complex is divided into three sections — the palace section, the front section of the palace and the front section of the forest.

The potala palace, named after the seventh dalai lama, is a three-story palace with a hall, bedroom, reading room and sanctuary dedicated to the Buddha. In norbulingka, he was considered the most attractive when the eighth dalai lama came to power. The hall built during the han and Tibetan dynasties is where the dalai lama enjoyed Tibetan opera. In 1922, a wealthy donor built the golden Linka and Chensel Potrang for the 13th dalai lama. At the same time, many flowers, grass and trees were planted. In 1954, the 14th dalai lama built the potala palace, also known as the new Summer Palace, which means “eternal palace” in Tibetan. The building combines the characteristics of the temple and the villa, which is more spectacular than other palaces. The exquisite murals in the palace are worth mentioning and visiting. The frescoes in the north hall show the gentle, calm sakyamuni and his eight contemplative disciples. However, the murals in the south temple vividly tell the story of Tibet’s development in the form of comic strips.

Ice Lantern Garden Party, the Earliest and Biggest Artistic Exhibition of the Ice Lantern

The Harbin ice lantern garden fair is the world’s oldest and largest open-air ice lantern art exhibition, with an exhibition area of 6.5 hectares (about 16 acres) and an ice volume of about 2,000 cubic meters (about 71,000 cubic feet). It is listed by the national tourism administration as one of the country’s 35 “great beauty spots”. The festival began in 1963 and has been held every winter since then at zhaolin park, where some 1,500 traditional ice lanterns are displayed. It is considered the beautiful name card of Harbin.

The ice lantern garden is an outstanding achievement of the local people in exploiting and utilizing the local ice and snow resources. Craftsmen in that city used the ice of the songhua river to create various forms of ice sculptures. All the works of art present a grand verve and charm.

Inspired by ancient Chinese ice lanterns, artisans at the ice lantern fair have created works of art that transcend nature. Legend has it that once upon a time, when winter nights came, a few people would leisurely dress up or fish on the songnen plain, which is located in the northeastern provinces including Harbin. They used old ice lanterns for lighting. At that time, the technique was simple. The water from the songhua river was put into a wooden bucket and frozen into icicles. Then a hole was made in the center of the icicle and an oil lamp was put in. Hence the ice lanterns. It helped a lot of people live at that time. Later, when the Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival came, people liked to decorate these ice lanterns to celebrate the festivals.

Now, it has evolved into a local traditional festival. The Harbin ice and snow festival is held every year on January 5. Throughout the festival and the ice lantern garden party, visitors can participate in international sports such as: sitting on an ice boat, hitting a top on the frozen river, attending weddings on ice, skating on ice and watching winter swimming competitions. When night falls, you will attend the Harbin ice and snow festival party. You can see wonderful performances there, and you can also take part in them. That would be great!

Today, ice lanterns are a source of local pride. The art of making ice lanterns has matured. This is a unique ice and snow art exhibition integrating horticulture, architecture, sculpture, drama, Chinese painting, Chinese literature, Chinese music and other disciplines. At the same time, using modern optical, mechanical, acoustic and other science and technology, to show us the colorful, beautifully carved ice lanterns. Ice art works include ice architecture, ice sculptures, ice waterfalls, ice flower beds, ice slides, ice Chinese calligraphy, ice scenes, ice advertisements and, of course, ice lanterns. Various works of art are randomly scattered around the ice lantern garden party, creating a perfect world of ice and snow.

Dragon Tower, Harbin Longta, Heilongjiang Radio and Television Tower

The dragon tower, the second tallest steel tower in the world and the tallest in Asia, features tourism, catering, entertainment, advertising and wireless communications in addition to radio and television signals. Since its opening in 2000, it has become one of the top ten scenic spots in Harbin and one of the most worthwhile tourist attractions in heilongjiang province.

The long tower is composed of the tower body, the middle part of the tower body, the upper part of the tower body and the antenna on the top of the tower. From the first floor to the fourth floor, it has a spherical top. The section of the tower body is octahedral and the longitudinal part is parabolic. Elevators at 2.5 meters per second can reach all floors of the tower. The tower is 181 meters (594 feet) tall and 206 meters (676 feet) tall, with a steel ball and a flying saucer-shaped structure on top. The antennas are arranged between 220.5 m (723 ft) and 336 m (1102 ft). Dragon tower design is unique, tourism resources are very rich.

The 181-meter (594-foot) observation deck boasts the world’s longest clear glass skywalk, with a perimeter of more than 60 meters, giving visitors a great view of the area beneath the tower. The carrying capacity of this glass is 1000 kg per square metre. Covering 1,256 square meters (1,502 square yards) and seating 350 people at a time, the 186-meter (610-foot) high revolving restaurant in the sky is the world’s tallest restaurant in the sky. While enjoying the buffet, you can see the charming night view of the city from all angles.

The 190 meter (623 ft) outdoor viewing platform allows visitors to overlook the cityscape. Adventurous visitors can also try the game of the brave, where challengers wear seat belts and walk on the edge of the circular platform outside the guardrail. The butterfly gallery also displays more than 2000 famous and precious butterfly specimens at home and abroad. The 206-meter (676-foot) high blessing pavilion is the tallest, with more than 100 characters in calligraphy. Visitors can enjoy the magnificent cityscape while drinking tea in the teahouse.

The exhibition hall of dwellings in northeast China shows the structure of houses and the appliances of the past, such as kangs (beds), window paper and kerosene lamps, allowing visitors to experience the local customs. Hanging out on China’s tallest swing outside the dragon tower, 210 meters (689 feet) high, is an exciting adventure.

Central Street, Zhongyang Dajie, Eastern Moscow

Known as the “Oriental Moscow”, Harbin has been regarded as a unique foreign city. The most exotic place in Harbin is zhongyang dajie, or zhongyang dajie in Chinese. As a newcomer to the city and not sure where to go, be sure to start your journey on center street. This promenade of European architecture is the pride of every local in the city. It offers a fascinating destination, rich in history, and attracts both domestic and international tourists.

Construction of the street began in 1898. It was called China street in its early days and acquired its current name in the late 1920s. Originally, the street was paved with trolleys carrying railroad supplies. In May 1924, center street was paved with square stones, designed by a Russian engineer. Since then, it has been home to many foreign shops, hotels and bars. In this fashionable street, you can find Russian leather, English wool, French perfume, German medicine and so on. In 1997, the Harbin city government designated the street as a pedestrian street, adding more charm to the charming location.

Today, central street is 1,450 meters (1,586 yards) long, reflecting a variety of European architecture. There are 71 works in all, some of which are replicas of European architectural styles. The flood monument is also a sign of center street. Mod-er Hotel(formerly Modern Hotel) and Daoliqiulin Shop were built in 1906 and 1919, respectively, as examples of art nouveau architecture. Fuer store (women’s and children’s store) was formerly Concorde bank in 1917. The building reflects the classical architecture of the Renaissance. There are many other strange and attractive buildings. They are well preserved and play an important role in People’s Daily life.

This central street is the intersection of modern and historical civilizations in Harbin. It is a perfect example of the city and has witnessed the most brilliant cultural development in Europe for 300 years.

As one of the longest pedestrian streets in Asia, it presents a fascinating landscape to tourists with its profound cultural heritage whenever they come here. It is a comprehensive leisure place combining tourist pleasure and shopping excitement, attracting thousands of tourists every year.

Black Tiger Spring, Heihu Spring in Jinan

Black tiger spring, also known as black tiger spring, is located in jinan city, shandong province south moat bank, the east side of the spring square, opposite the square. One of the four hot spring groups in jinan, and the treasure earth spring, pearl spring, wulongtan. The black tiger spring formation is composed of 10 springs including agate spring, pipa spring, bean sprout spring and spray spring. The gurgling spring flows into the moat, and the water in turn replenishes it. Surrounded by rockeries, cloisters, pavilions, trees and flowers, it is also a beautiful natural resort, with attractions open to the public for free all day.

The spring came from a naturally formed cave with a large stone covered with moss. From the outside, it looks dark and dark. In addition, the water gushed from the spring, hit the stone, plus the sound of the wind blowing inside, you can hear the tiger roar, hence the name “black tiger spring”.

Black tiger spring consists of two parts: the head and the pool. The head is located in a natural cave about 3 meters (9.8 feet) deep, 2 meters (6.6 feet) high and 1.7 meters (5.6 feet) wide. Bluestone piles up at the entrance. A blind hole connects the fountain head to the spring pool. After flowing from its source, the water flows through the mountain pass and into the pool through three stone tiger heads, creating waves that can reach more than a meter (3 feet) in length. The spring has a maximum spray capacity of 410,000 cubic meters (1.4 million cubic feet) per day, second only to the baotu spring.

During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), the black tiger temple was located above a cave surrounding quantou, although the courtyard now sits in its place. The tea pavilion and terrace also provide a viewing platform for visitors to enjoy the scenery.

From the north side of the pool, you can see a lock where the water flows out and down the rocks, creating a curtain of water. It’s like a waterfall. Pleasant scenery will refresh your mind and body. Sometimes, locals gather around the pond to scoop up the spring, which is also a unique sight.

Baotu Spring Park, One of the Three Major Places of Interest in Jinan

The beautiful baotou hot spring park is located in the center of jinan, where you can find baotou hot spring. In the past, baotuquan was only 4 mu (about two-thirds of an acre). The park itself was founded in 1956 and has recently expanded to 158 acres (about 26 acres). It is the symbol of jinan city and one of the three tourist attractions in jinan. Baotou hot spring park is a famous tourist attraction and an ideal place to enjoy natural springs, culture and various buildings.

Located in the center of baotuquan park, baotuquan is the best hot spring among the 72 springs in jinan. Since ancient times, many famous poems and essays have been associated with its unique beauty. According to experts, this spring has a history of 3,543 years, dating back to the shang dynasty (16-11 BC). Ji ‘nan special geographical structure created a unique soil – covered spring. The pool is rectangular, about 30 meters from east to west and about 18 meters from north to south. Water pours out of underground limestone caves day and night, sometimes reaching a peak of 240,000 cubic meters a day. When water spurts out of three outlets, the spring makes a thunderous noise and spouts water. Sometimes the water column is as high as 26.49 meters (about 86.9 feet), making it a true spectacle.

The temperature in spring remains at 18 degrees Celsius (64.4 degrees Fahrenheit) throughout the year. In the cold winter, the water mist rises and floats in the pool like clouds. The antique pavilions, colorful pictures and carvings are reflected in the clear water, creating a landscape that is almost a paradise.

Pure water, mellow taste, is the ideal choice for drinking and brewing tea. Tea tasting is the most popular leisure activity here. There is a saying that if you don’t drink the spring water, your trip to jinan will be a damp squib. To the east of spring is the famous wangheting teahouse, where you can recreate the emperors of the past sitting there sipping tea, enjoying the beautiful scenery and enjoying the fun of spring.

What’s more, the traditional and very popular Lantern Festival and chrysanthemum performance are also held in baotou spring park every year, which greatly highlights the cultural significance and importance of this beautiful and impressive attraction. There is no doubt that visitors will be impressed by this unforgettable place.

A-Ma Temple, One of the Three Famous Buddha Halls in Macau

Located in the southeast of the Macao peninsula, A-Ma Temple is the oldest temple in Macao. About four hundred years ago, the Portuguese landed on a headland near a temple. They asked the local people for the name of the land, but the locals misunderstood it, thinking the Portuguese were asking for the name of the temple. So they said “Ma Ge.” Later, the Portuguese translated the name “Macao” to refer to the land. A-Ma Temple is one of the three main buddhist temples in Macao.

Built in 1488 during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), the temple commemorates mazu, the goddess of the sea who protects fishermen. The goddess, Lin mo, is said to have been born in putian, fujian province, and is more intelligent than other children her age. She could predict good or bad luck, and after her death, she often helped merchants and fishermen avoid disaster, turning danger into safety. Many folk stories about the great goddess are now being told in the coastal areas.

A-Ma Temple is a place that offers quiet and spectacular views. It contains six main parts, all of which make up a series of Chinese classical architectural treasures, which are guarded by stone lions. Enter the hall of the red man, through the gate, after a winding path, to the hall of the red man. There is a statue of mazu, believed to be the oldest in the complex. Next, the guanyin hall will be presented to visitors. It was built mainly of brick and stone, in a simple style. Compared with other temples, the orthodox forest is tastefully designed in both scale and architecture.

China Panda, Giant Panda, Cute Panda, Panda Facts

Panda belongs to the family of bears. Pandas live in the bamboo forest of China, but loss of natural habitat and poaching pushed pandas to the brink of extinction. These beautiful animals are critically endangered with just 1000 pandas left in the wild.

Any animative movements of the giant panda will draw wide attention and generate happiness. They are cute and cuddly with cool eye patches and dopey gestures. There are many reasons why people love them and the most important one is that they are rare and endangered.

Endangered Panda

Giant pandas have become an endangered species in the world and many people wonder why. These creatures seem so benign, innocuous, and harmless that a great deal of curiosity arises as to how and why their numbers diminish. As is the case with scores upon scores of endangered and extinct animals, certain unexpected changes contributed to a decline in population.

Pandas, as is the case with other animals, must live in a very specific environment in order to survive. These creatures, which are cousins to the raccoon and not bears as commonly thought, must live in a forested area. The forest offers them the right climate and food source in which to survive. The intrusion of humans into their environment has had a devastating effect. Namely, humans have cut down the forests in which these creatures live. Specifically, the bamboo plants the panda relies upon for food are cut down.

During the early years of human intrusion, pandas could move to another section of the forest where a food supply exists. Over time, as more and more forests are cut down, there is far less food for the remaining population of pandas. The result here is that the pandas end up starving to death.

Many pandas were also slaughtered over the years by hunters who once killed them just for sport. However, such a practice is no longer commonplace today.

Habitat

Throughout history, most regions of China were home to giant pandas, including Zhoukoudian in Beijing, the site of the prehistoric Peking Man; Guangxi, Guangdong and Yunnan provinces; and nearby regions in Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

In China, most giant pandas live in the mountains of Qinling, Minshan, Qionglai, Daxiangling and Xiaoxiangling. Their habitation area covers about 2.3 million hectares. Among them, 80 percent live in Sichuan province. The rest reside in Shaanxi and Gansu province.

Generally speaking, wild pandas live on mountains at an altitude above 2,500 meters.

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is located in Chengdu, provincial capital of Sichuan. It is the world’s most famous agency for giant panda migration research and protection. It is also the world’s best place to watch giant pandas.

Food

More than 20 kinds of alpine bamboo (especially young fleshy stems and buds, bamboo shoots). An adult panda eats about 40kg (88 pounds) fresh bamboo shoot a day, 14kg (about 31 pounds) bamboo stalks, or 20kg (about 44 pounds) bamboo leaves. It has a greater appetite in summer than winter. In the wild, they may eat other plants and occasionally dead or small animals. Their ancestors were true carnivores. About one million years ago, they began to eat bamboo.

Breeders usually provide giant pandas with corn bread and fruit for nutrition supplementation. Pandas favor kiwifruit, aquatic plants, weeds, shrubs and trees.

Growing Process

A giant panda’s pregnancy lasts from 83 to 200 days. The body of a newborn giant panda is pink and spans 10 centimeters, which makes its tail seem particularly long. An average newborn giant panda weighs between 51 grams and 225 grams, less than one-thousandth of its mother’s weight.

Four to five days after its birth, a giant panda’s ears and eye sockets begin to gradually grow darker. After 30 to 38 days, it begins to have the characteristic appearance of other giant pandas. A mother panda has four nipples for babies to drink nutrient-rich milk. Panda breast milk also contains various substances that help newborns resist disease.

Baby pandas begin to walk at around 90 to 120 days old. Wild juvenile giant pandas leave their mother and live independently when they are 1.5 to 2 years old.

A wild juvenile giant panda usually leaves its mother and lives independently at 1.5 to 2 years old. A human-fed giant panda is weaned about five months to 1.5 years after birth, or sometimes at the age of two. A female giant panda sexually matures when it is about 5 years old, a male matures at around 7 years old.

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