Search results for Product

City of Canals: Suzhou’s Tranquil Waterways and Classical Gardens

In the southeastern corner of Jiangsu province, a city of timeless elegance awaits discovery. Suzhou, often referred to as the “Venice of the East,” is a mesmerizing tapestry of tranquil waterways, classical gardens, and rich cultural heritage. As you navigate its picturesque canals and explore its exquisite gardens, Suzhou unveils a world of serenity and artistic beauty.

The essence of Suzhou lies in its intricate network of canals, crisscrossing the city like liquid ribbons connecting its heart. A boat ride along the ancient Grand Canal offers a unique perspective, allowing you to witness daily life unfolding along the water’s edge and pass under stone bridges that have stood for centuries.

At the heart of Suzhou’s allure are its classical gardens, meticulously designed havens that transport visitors to a realm of harmony and balance. The Humble Administrator’s Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, exemplifies Suzhou’s garden artistry. This expansive retreat features meandering pathways, delicate pavilions, and placid ponds, creating a haven of tranquility in the midst of urban life.

The Lingering Garden, another jewel in Suzhou’s crown, is a masterpiece of spatial design and aesthetic refinement. Its name, derived from a famous Tang dynasty poem, captures the essence of the garden’s intention—to provide a space for contemplation and the appreciation of nature’s beauty.

While Suzhou’s classical gardens are undoubtedly the city’s crown jewels, its ancient streets, such as Pingjiang Road, offer a glimpse into the daily life of yesteryear. Cobblestone lanes, traditional tea houses, and charming boutiques line the streets, creating an atmosphere that feels suspended in time.

The city’s silk industry has also played a pivotal role in shaping Suzhou’s identity. Delve into the history of silk production at the Suzhou Silk Museum, where exhibits showcase the intricate process of cultivating silkworms and creating luxurious silk fabrics. Visitors can witness skilled artisans at work, creating delicate silk products that have been synonymous with Suzhou for centuries.

As the sun sets over Suzhou’s canals and gardens, the city transforms into a magical realm of lights. Traditional lanterns illuminate the narrow lanes, and the reflections on the water create a romantic ambiance. This nocturnal beauty is best experienced during the Suzhou Water Town Lantern Festival, a celebration that bathes the city in the soft glow of countless lanterns.

Suzhou, with its tranquil waterways and classical gardens, invites travelers to step into a world where time seems to slow down. Whether you’re a lover of history, architecture, or simply seeking a peaceful escape, Suzhou offers a sensory journey through China’s cultural legacy.

Zhongyuan Festival

This festival originates from the early “the Mid-July” harvest autumn to worship ancestors, the birth of “the Mid-July” can be traced back to the ancient ancestor worship and harvest festival. In ancient times, people often placed their blessings on the gods for the harvest of farming. Worship ancestors in spring, summer, autumn and winter, but the “taste of autumn” in early autumn is very important. Autumn is the harvest season, and people hold sacrificial ceremonies to the spirits of their ancestors, offering the season’s good products to the gods first, and then tasting the fruits of these labors and praying for a good harvest in the coming year.

Traditional Fermented Bean Curd

Fermented bean curd, is a traditional Chinese folk delicacy, which also exists in Southeast Asia. Bean curd is usually divided into three categories: green, red and white.

White bean curd is represented by Guilin bean curd. Guilin bean curd has a long history and is well known, as far back as the Song Dynasty. It is one of the three treasures of Guilin. Guilin fermented bean curd has a set of processes from grinding, filtering to shaping, pressing dry, mildew, and material selection is also very careful. The fermented bean curd is small, fine and soft in texture, orange transparent on the surface, delicious and fragrant, rich in nutrition, improve appetite, help digestion, is commonly used food, but also cooking seasoning. In May 1937, in the National handicraft products Exhibition held in Shanghai, Guilin curd was highly praised, and thus sold well at home and abroad. In 1983, it was rated as the national high quality food.

The raw material of fermented bean curd is the “white blank” of dried bean curd. White billets were inoculated with the right kind of mold, cultured under the right conditions, and soon white hairs grew on them — and the mold multiplied. These white hairs may look scary, but there’s no need to worry about them, because they don’t do any harm. All they do is break down the proteins in the white body and produce amino acids and some B vitamins. To the long hair of the white billet rubbing hair treatment, and finally salt, become curd.

Mangkang county, located in Tibet autonomous region, the thousand-year salt wells existing more than 3000 pieces, and retain the relatively complete ancient salt production in our country.

The ancient salt wells can be found on both sides of the Lancang River. There are a lot of salt wells, the turbulent Lancang River through the middle, and the cliff with wooden piles is the salt fields, but they look abandoned for a long time. These are the ancient ruins of salt wells, under the action of external force, such as soaking in the water, and many ancient salts brine well wood pillar by varying degrees of damage, and in the lancang river rose water every year, they have been washed out of the dangerous river, because the ancient salt brine well is under a steep slope, there exist the possibility of a landslide, saved thousands of years is not easy.

To save the ruins, the local government set up the protection of cultural relics protection working group with professionals, also let us feel the wisdom of the ancient working people. After all, in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, far from the sea, it’s not easy to have such a large salt well.

Binhai Aircraft Carrier Theme Park in Tianjin

Binhai Aircraft Carrier Theme Park is a large-scale military theme park with a Kiev aircraft carrier from Soviet Russia as the main attraction. There are also performances reappearing the battles on the aircraft carrier. Around the aircraft carrier, a street with Russian-style architecture has been built. Here Russian food, drink, handicrafts and street shows are offered.   Kiev aircraft carrier, built in 1970, commissioned in 1975 and retired in 1994, is a 17-floor aircraft carrier built by the former Soviet Union, 8 floors above the deck and 9 under. Kiev Aircraft carrier was once the national card of the former Soviet Union as well as the world’s most eye-catching “Big Mac on the Sea”. Now, this theme park is a great place for common people to gain some knowledge about war and weapons. Kiev aircraft carrier has a total length of 273.1 meters (298.7 yards), a width of 52.8 meters (57.7 yards), a height of 61 meters (67 yards), a standard displacement of 32,000 tons, a full load displacement of 40,500 tons, an endurance of 13,000 nautical miles and a top speed of 32 knots. Kiev Aircraft carrier can carry 1,400 officers and soldiers and 33 aircrafts. It is numbered 075.

Russian cultural and creative style street is a kind of street built by Tianjin Binhai aircraft carrier. The comprehensive theme block with Russian culture as the core, whether it is elaborately Russian architecture, authentic Russian goods, or carefully created Russian customs, has condensed the original essence of Russian culture. The shops here have their own characteristics, covering the fields of Russian food, leisure and entertainment, culture and art. At that time, tourists will have the opportunity to taste the charming and colorful Russia in an all-round way.

Using the intangible assets and social effects of Kiev aircraft carrier, relying on the sea area advantages of Bohai Bay, the economic advantages of Binhai New Area and the huge tourism population advantages of Beijing Tianjin area, a super large leisure and entertainment scenic spot with aircraft carrier as the core and military culture and marine ecology as the skeleton will be built, and Tianjin tourism products with international standards will be built.

Using the intangible assets and social effects of Kiev aircraft carrier, relying on the sea area advantages of Bohai Bay, the economic advantages of Binhai New Area and the huge tourism population advantages of Beijing Tianjin area, a super large leisure and entertainment scenic spot with aircraft carrier as the core and military culture and marine ecology as the skeleton will be built, and Tianjin tourism products with international standards will be built.

Zhangbi Ancient Fortress, the Miniature Castle in Shanxi

Zhangbi Ancient Fortress is a rare ancient castle in China, which integrates military, production, astrology and religious activities. It is located in Jiexiu city, Shanxi province, around 140 kilometers southwest of Taiyuan and 40 kilometers southwest of Pingyao Ancient Town. With an area of only 120,000 square meters, Zhangbi Ancient Fortress is also called a miniature castle. The entire fortress was constructed based on Chinese astrology.

Zhangbi Ancient Fortress, 1,020 meters (3,346 feet) above sea level, is surrounded by gullies on three sides, and a mountain on the fourth side. It has 10-meter (33 feet) tall walls on the outside, making it easy to defend but hard to attack. In addition, the ancient fortress is full of underground tunnels, like cobwebs, extending in all directions and cleverly connected to the buildings above ground. The tunnels, about 2 meters (2 yards) high and 1.5 meters (1.6 yards) wide, have been explored for about 1,500 meters (1,640 yards). There are still 8,500 meters (9,300 yards) to be explored, for a total length of about 10,000 meters (11,000 yards). There are mangers, granaries and slaughter houses as well as dozens of covert entrances hidden above ground or under the foundations of folk dwellings. Villagers could easily reach the tunnels quickly for protection when enemies invaded. The tunnels could accommodate 30,000 people and you can visit the tunnels and experience the wisdom of the ancients here.

Many religious relics of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism have been found in this area. They are mainly distributed around the northern and southern gates of Zhangbi Ancient Fortress. Kong Wang Memorial Temple is a memorial temple used to worship Kong Wang, the first of the Han people to achieve enlightenment through Buddhism.

In Kong Wang Memorial Temple, there is a statue of Kong Wang Buddha and many murals which tell how Kong Wang became a Buddha. In addition, there are two rare colored glaze steles in front of the temple. Zhen Wu Temple is a Taoist temple mainly used to worship Zhen Wu, a deity of the north who watches over water and soldiers. There is also the Songzi Avalokitesvara Palace where people pray for the good fortune of their children, the Kuixing Building where people offer prayers for good grades in school, the Guanyu Temple where people pray for security and the Caishen Temple where people pray for wealth.

Dongjiao Coconut Plantation, Kingdom of Coconuts

Think of the charming coastal province of hainan, and you’ll see lush coconut groves, turquoise waters and silvery beaches. Dongjiao coconut plantation is known as “coconut kingdom”, “gold coast”, “Marine forest park” and other reputation, is an ideal choice for tourism and vacation. Imagine bathing in a tropical ocean with sweet coconut water trickling down your chin.

Dongjiao coconut plantation is located on the seashore of dongjiao town, wenchang city, hainan province, and is famous for its wide coconut plantation. As the saying goes, wenchang coconut production is half of hainan, the most famous is the dongjiao coconut forest. The plantation is a veritable forest, with more than half a million coconut trees, including red, green, well-bred, short, tall and other varieties. Among them are some short betel nuts, which resemble coconuts so much that hainan people call them “lover trees”. Coconuts are heroes and betel nuts are beauties. These trees not only provide a beautiful background and delicious fruit, but they also act as a shield against frequent typhoons here.

Walking on the tree-lined path among the trees, the special scenic spots give people a sense of enjoyment. The famous “seaside scenery” stamp is set against the coconut river, giving people a sense of quiet nature. At coconut park, you’ll be inundated with a sea of coconuts of different shapes and sizes, including the unique “king of the three branches,” named after the tree’s large boughs. The eastern suburbs are also home to a thriving fishing industry. To ensure safety at sea, facilities have been set up, including an ancient lighthouse to guide passing ships. Also of note is the temple of the shuiwei saint niang, a temple that prays to the believed goddess shuiwei to protect fishermen.

5 Great Lakes in China, Taihu Lake, Poyang Lake, West Lake, Chaohu Lake, Dongting Lake

China is a multi-lake country, with lakes all over the country, forming part of the country’s beautiful scenery.

Taihu Lake

Located on the south of Yangtze Delta plain, Taihu Lake is also on the border of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. It is be renowned at home and abroad for the pretty landscape of lakes and mountains as well as magnificent human landscape. Therefore, a large number of tourists are attracted by its fame like swarm.

Tai Lake is fed by Shao Creek and Jing Creek, and then divided into more than 70 rivers flowing into Yangtze River, among which Huangpu River in Shanghai is the main watercourse for draining.The whole water system of Tai Lake includes more than 180 big or small lakes and forms a spider-web through all watercourses. The main stream of Tai Lake water system is Jiangnan Canal which is a part of the famous canal, Jinghang Grand Canal.

For thousands of years, Taihu Lake remains a lot of deserved highlights for traveling. In Suzhou, there are the classical gardens, Yonghui Temple, Tongyi Garden, Xuanyang Cave, Biyun Cave, Yuwang Temple, Baima Temple, Luohan Temple, Suzhou Taihu Lake Wetland Park and Taihu Lake National Resort.

Poyang Lake

Located in the north of Jiangxi Province, at the southern bank of the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River, Poyang Lake is regarded the largest fresh water lake in China. It is an overflow lake with a characteristic of taking in and sending out water in the light of seasonal variations. Poyang Lake shows a unique picture that it is a lake when inflowing water is adequate

Poyang Lake is abundant in biological resources. There are more than 90 kinds of fishes. 10 kinds of fishes are of greater industrial value,such as carp, crucian carp, chub, bighead carp, herring, grass carp, Elopichthys bambusa and white fish. Besides,there are 102 species of aquatic plant and 280 species of birds.

Every November, thousands of birds fly in from Siberia, Mongolia, Japan, North Korea, and the northeastern and northwestern regions of China. Poyang Lake is considered by many to be the largest bird sanctuary in the world. Poyang Lake Bird Protection Area is a sanctuary for many rare species of birds. These migratory birds spend the long winter in Poyang Lake together with the native widgeons, egrets, and mandarin ducks, leaving gradually as the weather starts to warm in March.

West Lake

Hangzhou West Lake is a manmade freshwater lake which is separated into five sections by three causeways. It occupies 60 square kilometers in which locates over 60 state cultural relics. The West Lake was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.

The best of West Lake’s scenery is the 10 Classic Poetically Name Scenic Areas. Each of the 10 scenic areas are named using four Chinese characters and the names were first established in the Song Dynasty and continued into the Qing Dynasty.

Measuring 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) in length, 2.8 kilometers (1.7 miles) in width, and 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) in average depth, the lake spreads itself in an area totaling 6.5 square kilometers (2.5 square miles). Embraced by mountains on three sides, the West Lake knits itself into the North Inner Lake, the Yuehu Lake, the West Inner Lake, the South Lake and the West Outer Lake by the fabric of the Bai Causeway, the Su Causeway and the Yang Causeway. Between the North Inner Lake and the West Outer Lake lies the largest natural island called the Solitary Hill. In addition, three man-made islands stand in the West Outer Lake: the Lesser Paradise Island, the Mid-lake Pavilion, and the Ruangong Islet; and two famous pagodas by the lake: the Leifeng Pagoda to the south and the Baochu Pagoda to the north.

Chaohu Lake

Covering a circumference of 400 kilometers, the Chaohu Lake is located in the middle of Anhui Province.It is famous for its bird-nest-like profile.,hence the name Chaohu Lake (Nest Lake). Chaohu Lake belongs to the Yangtze River water system. The water of Chaohu Lake flows out from Chao County to Yangtze River via Yuxi River.

Cover an area of 820 square kilometers,it is the fifth largest fresh-water lake in China . It is reputed as the Oriental Geneva for its location in the Golden Triangle of Anhui. It is the perfect rice production area for its good water system.

The Chaohu Lake is famous for its landscape. The two main islands are the Gushan Island and the Laoshan Island.They are like two jewels which embedded into the middle of the lake.

When touring on the island, it feels like stepping into a fairyland. There are three hot springs surround the lake, namely Bantang Spring, Fragrant Spring, and Tangchi Spring. Bantang, Tang Pool and Fragrant Spring are the three most celebrated hot springs around the lake. Bathing in the hot springs is good for your health. It can cure several kinds of diseases, for example, skin disease.

Dongting Lake

Dongting Lake is located in the northern part of Hunan Province and the south of Jingjiang River. It covers a land area of 2,820 square kilometers and is the second largest freshwater lake in China. The name of Hunan and Hubei Provinces are derived from their location to this lake. Dongting Lake has been a famous hot tourism attraction in Hunan Province by its magnificent view, clear water, surrounded picturesque scenery and historic sites.

The beautiful scenery of Dongting Lake has attracted many people visiting there. This lake is in a vast size and in the far side the lake and the sky merges as one color. It is surrounded by green mountains in three sides and opens a huge mouth in the north. Under the glow of the sunshine, a breeze comes across; you see green waves shine near to the far side. You can enjoy different unique views at the four seasons. Within the Dongting Lake Scenic Area, there are many attractive and famous scenic spots such as the grand Yueyang Tower, the charming Junshan Island, Chenglingji, Du Fu’s Tomb, Qu Yuan Temple and so on.

Chinese Furniture, the Development History of Chinese Furniture

Chinese furniture is one of those rare categories of art that appeal across generations and cultures. The furniture also follows the footsteps of times to develop and innovate continuously. It is an important foundation for the establishment of work and living space. By now, there are various categories with different material and applications.

During Xia , Shang and Western Zhou Dynasties

Xia and Shang dynasties was the original period of ancient furniture of China, with primitive and crude modelling and emblazonry. During this period, there were bronze furniture (such as Bronze chopping block), stone furniture(such as stone chopping block) and lacquer furniture (such as lacquer wood tabletop).

Features:

The lacquer wood was decorated with clamshell, which created a blueprint for mother-of-pearl inlay furniture.

Because there was a strong concept of ghosts and gods in people’s ideology at that time, the decoration patterns of Shang furniture tended to have a sense of solemnity, majesty and ferocity.

In the bronze ware, the decorative pot door (the four foot in plate shape, two symmetrical features between the front and back feet) has been in the history of Chinese furniture for thousands of years.

During Spring and Autumn Period

During the spring and autumn period, furniture of Chu style was the typical representative and the main source of lacquer wood furniture system in China. There are various categories of Chu furniture: all kinds of chopping block, exquisite lacquer case and table, distinctive small seat screen, the oldest bed.

Features:

Painted wooden bed is the earliest bedding in our country.

Chu small seat screen marks the beginning of Chinese furniture having pure ornamental value.

The carving technique is widely used in the decoration of furniture, such as means of engraved and embossed. It was the precedent of the furniture carving.

Pingji(a kind of arm rest) in the “H” shape marked the development of industrial art from the heavy bronze to the light lacquer.

The process of bronze casting developed greatly, and the method of “lost wax” appeared.

During Qin and Han Dynasties

During the Han dynasty, Chinese feudal society entering its first golden age, the furniture technology of Han developed greatly. The outstanding decoration of Han lacquer wood furniture made it shining and exquisite. Besides, there are all kinds of jade furniture, bamboo furniture and ceramic furniture. And a complete set of furniture on the ground appeared, which could be regarded as the representative period of short furniture in China.

 

Features:

In the Han dynasty, there was a new type of small seat, which was the originator of all the seats.

Ji (the originator of table): There are more varieties, such as activity Ji, multilayer Ji, curled ear Ji, and even the embryonic form of table.

Couch screen: It is a new type of combination of screen and couch, which marked the birth of newly-developing furniture of Han dynasty.

Hutch and ark: It is a new furniture that appeared in Han dynasty, different from traditional box, which was used for storing expensive articles.

Dressing table: The earliest mirror image appeared in the mural of Han dynasty. A rectangular plate was set on the circular pedestal, and the round plate was on its top.

During Three Kingdoms and Jin Dynasties

Two types of furniture series appeared: tall and type. This period was an important transitional period in the history of ancient Chinese furniture between Han dynasties and Sui and Tang dynasties. Bed of Hu minority was introduced from ethnic minority areas and merged with furniture of central plain, which made furniture higher in some parts. Furniture such as chairs, bench come out and furniture with sitting and lying style was also gradually higher. But overall, short furniture is still dominant.

Features:

The furniture developed from short type to tall type.

It promoted the combination of the tall furniture and the original short one of central plains. For example, the bed was in gradually heighten, with bed top and mosquito net, suitable to sit at bedside.

Pingji(凭几): It is a kind of furniture used for people to lean on. The special Pingji for protecting waist with three legs appeared.

Chair & Stool: The earliest chair & stool image appeared on murals.

During Sui and Tang Dynasties

The Tang dynasty was the heyday of China’s feudal society. Furniture making entered a new historical stage on the basis of inheriting the past and attracting foreign culture and art. It pursued the fresh and free style in the production process and decorative arts. Thus the furniture style in the Tang dynasty got rid of the unadorned features of those in the Shang, Zhou, Han and Six Dynastyies, and replaced them with gorgeous and dignified style.

Features:

Tall and short furniture coexisted at the same time.

The kind of table gradually increased and was widely used in all aspects of life.

Rocking Chair evolved from Hu bed and gradually appeared in the secular society.

Drum-shaped Stool: Bodhisattva seat appeared in the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties, which was more exquisite and popular in the Tang dynasty, with more forms.

During the Five Dynasties

On the basis of inheriting the furniture style of the Tang dynasty, the furniture style of the Five dynasties developed continuously. With the coexistence of tall and short furnitures, it was a special transition period that popularized to tall furniture. The functional difference of furniture was increasingly obvious. The gorgeous and dignified style of Tang furniture was changed and it tended to be simple.

Features:

The tall furniture style such as table, chair, stool matured gradually.

Screen changed from small screen to large.

Furnishings changed from an infinitive pattern into a fairly stable furnishing pattern.

During Song Dynasty

During Song dynasty, tall furniture had popularized to common family, such as tall bed, tall end table, towel rack, etc. At the same time, a lot of new products appeared such armchair, drawer, etc. Furniture of the Song dynasty was concise and neat, graceful and elegant, featuring with the simple style and no overelaborated adornment. While it also lacked grandeur.

Features:

Table and Chair: It laid a foundation for further development of frame furniture in Ming and Qing dynasties. Armchair named after official rank appeared.

Screen: Every family must have screen, so people more emphasized its position. Aesthetic meaning was greater than practical value.

During Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan dynasty was a feudal regime established by the Mongolian nationality in China. As the Mongolian nationality advocated force and pursued luxury, it was reflected in the furniture modeling, which was massive in shape, heavy and magnificent in decoration. The size of bed was big and the seat was in the shape of equinus.

Features:

Bed became large due to the body size of Mongolian.

The table basically inherited the shape of that in the Song dynasties, but high table became more and desk drawer appeared.

During Ming Dynasty

Ming dynasty was the glorious period on the development of Chinese classic furniture. Chinese ancient furniture experienced the development of thousands of years and reach an unprecedented level in Ming dynasty. The hardwood furniture was highly praised and appreciated. It paid much attention to choose material that needed to be hard wood with high intensity, fine color and lustre, decorated with wax to show its natural texture and color. From now on, Chinese traditional furniture entered an unprecedented new era represented with “hardwood furniture”.

The characteristic on modelling furniture was to pay attention to beauty of lines especially. Carving techniques were mainly relief, openwork carving, circular engravure, etc. The way of carving was exquisite with fluent line, vivid and lively. The place of carving was the backboard of furniture, tooth board, enclosure, etc., only doing carving in small area.

Features:

Bed: More kinds of bed appeared, including couch, canopy bed, arhat bed, etc.

Chair: It began to use hardwood manufacturing, with fine quality and wide varieties, such as official hat chair.

Screen: The screens are more elaborate. The styles are six, eight and twelve screens, in particular, the famous “Slanted apron(披水牙子)”.

During Qing Dynasty

The furniture craft of Qing dynasty was exquisite and reached the peak of feudalism. In the process of inheriting the traditional furniture making technology, it also absorbed the foreign culture and formed the distinct style of the times. As a result of economic prosperity, it formed the styles of different area such as Guangdong style, Suzhou style , Beijing style , etc. Due to Qing dynasty was closer to our modern society, some of the object was left and it has great influence to us.

Features:

Back-rest chair: It had great development on the basis of that in Ming dynasty.

rectangular spirals was the most representative decorative patterns.

Qing style armchair had greater development than Ming style armchair. One kind was throne, which was the supreme symbol of imperial power.