Highlights

Highlights
Cool Hill

The Cool Hill is also called Qing Liang Shan Mountain, which used to be the center for CPC news, while central CPC committee was in Yan'an, the CPC newspaper committee, Xinhua News agent, Liberation Daily, Yan’an Xin Hua broadcast, Central Press, Central Publishing Department and so on were all located here, therefore, the Cool Hill was the birth place of Chinese News and Publishing, the cradle of news warriors, who believes that a pen and a gun are both sharp weapons. They created news agencies, broadcasted and published newspapers in the dark and wet caves, spreading Marxism, Mao's thoughts and propagating policies, approaches of CPC. Under the direct led of CPC, they sent Chinese Revolutionary voice to all around China and the world. Their contribution to the Chinese revolution is indelible. Yan'an News Memorial Hall located in the south wing of the Cool Hill, As the unique Journalism thematic memorial hall, it is divided into 5 unites , with about 180 historic relics, 400 pictures, and documents, this period of history revives.
During the War of Resistance, the Xinhua News Agency, the Xinhua Broadcasting Station, and Jiefang Ribao (Liberation Daily) all had their offices here. There is a stone cave on this hill called Ten-Thousand Buddha Cave (Wanfodong) which was carved out during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. It contains more than ten thousand Buddhist sculptures. The Moon Well (Yue'erjing), the Piba Bridge, and many other scenic spots with fancy names on the hill are all connected with beautiful legends.
Location: Nothern Bank of Yanhe Rider, Yan'an
Entrance Fee: RMB 31
Opening Hours: 7:30-19:30
Trasportation: Take Bus No.1,4,5,6,11 or 19.
Yulin Town

Yulin Town, in the far northern section of Shaanxi Province, lies at the boundary between a Yellow Soil Plateau and the Mao Wu Su Desert (Maowusu shamo). The town is renowned as a garrison and patrol post that worked the northern fringes of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) empire. Although a tiny town and not especially old, Yulin still retains much of its charm through being little renovated.
The town boasts a large number of sights for its size and the most notable include the fortress and beacon tower at the Zhengbei Terrace (Zhengbei tai), the Incense Burner Temple (Xianglu si), the remainder of the ancient Great Wall (Changcheng) and an old Bell Tower (Zhong lou). The nicest section of town is the Old Quarter, which still retains its Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1644-1911 AD) Dynasty look, hidden behind encircling walls and old, stone gates. This area is great to walk around, with pebble paved alleys, grey-tiled quadrangular courtyards (Siheyuan) and delicate copper rings upon wooden gates and windows. In places you will come across the original city walls.
Baota Hill

Baota Hill is also called Jialing Hill. It stands to the southeast of the urban Yan’an where the Yanhe River and the Nanchuan River meet. The pagoda at the top of the hill is the symbol of Yan'an City which was first built in Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).It underwent renovation in Song Dynasty. The pagoda has nine stories and is 44 meters high (144 ft). Standing at the top of the hill, you will have a bird view of the ancient city of Yan'an. This is sure to be one of the highlights of your visit.
The most famous attraction here is the iron bell which was made in 1628 during Ming Dynasty. It is 1.5 meters high and about one meter in diameter. The tower is of great historical importance in relation to the Chinese revolutionary movement: when the Chinese Communist Party had its headquarters in Yan'an, the bell was used to toll the hour of the day and sound alarms.
On the hill, there is a huge new bell named Ping’ an Bell (Safety Bell) and a new huge drum named Taiping Drum (Peace Drum). It is said that luck and happiness will be bestowed on you by Tolling the bell or beating the drum. There is also a Stele Forest upon the slopes of the hill. They are inscribed with a variety of ancient Chinese calligraphy.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Baota Hill was designated by the State Council as one of the first key cultural relics under national protection. Baota Hill is now a public park. It has many pine, cypress and Chinese scholar trees.
Location: Jialing Road, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: RMB 41 for high season, RMB 31 for low season.
Opening Hours: 06:00-20:00
Transportation: Take bus No.1 or No.3 at Railway Station.
Revolutionary Memorial Hall

The Memorial Hall, not far from the Yangjialing Headquarters, is probably one of the best of its kind in China. It was founded in July 1950 in Yan'an City of Shaanxi Province, and it is one of the earliest revolutionary memorial halls in China. It was built in July 1950 and was previously called the Yan'an Revolutionary Museum. It was open to the public in February 1951.
The memorial hall boasts a comprehensive collection of historical literature, graphs and photos dating from the establishment of the "United Front against Japanese Invasion" to the opening of the Seventh General Conference of the Chinese Communist Party.
The main hall houses a huge collection of artifacts from the 1930-50s, including genuine footballs, sewing machines, Marxist books by Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky translated into Chinese and hundreds of communist weapons. Especially noteworthy is a white horse (it has been made into a specimen) that is said to have carried Mao Zedong.
The exhibition halls occupy 3,200 square meters, displaying 1,300 revolutionary cultural relics, more than 200 photos, as well as auxiliary exhibits like graphs, paintings, sculptures and models. All the exhibits introduce the founding of Northern Shaanxi Revolutionary Bases and the 13 years of revolutionary activities of the Communist Party of China. The memorial hall has launched the Exhibition of Yan'an Revolutionary Cultural Relics and the Exhibition of Yan'an Spirit, and has staged road shows in other places.
Location: Zaoyuan Road, East Bank of Yanhe River, Baota District, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: Free
Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00
Transportation: Take Bus No.1 or 3.
Yangjialing Revolution Headquarters

After an epic Long March the pitiful remainder of a once strong, though hounded, Red Army arrived to set up base in a little town called Yan'an. The leadership clique at that time, including such revolutionary martyrs as the all powerful Mao Zedong, the wise patriarch Zhou Enlai and the military strategist Zhu De, arrived weary to start again from where they had left off in the Jiangxi Soviet. The base area was first commanded from the Yangjialing Revolution Headquarters (Yangjialing geming jiuzhi), about 3km north from the town, although the HQ was moved about a number of times between October 1938-March 1947 by the wary troops. This first site, however, is of particular note for the holding of both the first Central Committee (CC) meetings and the seventh National Plenum that was to officially instate Mao as the Chairman of the revolutionary struggle.
Like much of the town, the headquarters nowadays remains very much undisturbed by the tourist hordes that used to pour through here on communist pilgrimage. Of interest are the Meeting Hall where the CC met, and more particularly, the mound behind that contains the Former Dwelling Holes of the leading military cadres. These 'rooms' can still be seen, where Mao and the rest were to sleep, write and plot. They are elegant enough affairs with white plaster over straw, mud or brick walls, and wooden lattice entrances faced with paper, typical of the traditional local architecture. Further up the hill are also a series of caves where the communist offices were located (including the secretariat and the propaganda departments.
Yangjialing Village

Yangjialing which is about three kilometers northwest of Yan'an was the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party. Many strategic guidelines and decisions had been made here by the top leaders of Communist Party since the beginning of Anti-Japanese War. During this time, large-scale Production Campaign was carried out among people and army with vigor and vitality. Rectification Campaign started and the Seventh National Congress of CPC and Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art were held .The Seventh National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party held from April 23 to June 11, 1945, opened the new page of the modern Chinese revolutionary history.
Many constructions were destroyed in 1947 while Hu zongnan (KMT military Leader) occupied Yan’an, luckily most of them have been rebuilt after 1949, and many evergreen trees were planted around later. Today we can still visit: Central Hall, Central General Office, Central Organization Department, Central United Front Work department, the old resident place of Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu de and where Mao Zedong and Anna Louis Strong talked.
At the entrance is an auditorium with brick and wood structure. The building behind was the office of the Central Committee's General. Mao Zedong and other high-level leaders of the revolution lived on a small hill in the north. There also is an exhibition hall; the objects displayed here show the revolutionary activities of the communist leaders and the people in Yan'an. Therefore, Yangjialing Village is a very important politic center in Chinese history. It has great significant meaning for most Chinese.
Location: Shengdi Road, Baota District, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: RMB 11
Transportation: Take Bus No.1, 3, 7,8,12 or 13.
Date Garden

Date Garden is 8 kilometers northwest of Yan'an. The garden used to be the manor of a landlord.It served as office of CPC Central Committee Secretariat during the war period of anti-Japanese and liberation after the Army entered Yan'an City. It is a special garden filled with revolutionary history. Secretariat directed the war against the Japanese invaders here, the Rectification Movement in 1942, and the production movement in 1941 and 1942 held here to supply the food and clothing to the people and army during the war in order to struggle with military attacks against the Japanese and economic blockade by the Kuomintang.
Many leaders such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Zhu De once lived here. What's more, Mao Zedong wrote many of his revolutionary works. The Date Garden, with flourish trees and flowers, is a nice place to visit. There are lots of relics among which most reflect or present the Chinese revolution and the tough time of war. The garden has been destroyed by Kuomintang when the communist party left, and it was rebuilt by the local government. Date garden has become the one of the most bases of Chinese revolutionary education.
Location: Zaoyunag Road, Yan'an
Entrance Fee: RMB 20
Transportation: Take Bus No.8 or 13.
Cool Hill

The Cool Hill is also called Qing Liang Shan Mountain, which used to be the center for CPC news, while central CPC committee was in Yan'an, the CPC newspaper committee, Xinhua News agent, Liberation Daily, Yan’an Xin Hua broadcast, Central Press, Central Publishing Department and so on were all located here, therefore, the Cool Hill was the birth place of Chinese News and Publishing, the cradle of news warriors, who believes that a pen and a gun are both sharp weapons. They created news agencies, broadcasted and published newspapers in the dark and wet caves, spreading Marxism, Mao's thoughts and propagating policies, approaches of CPC. Under the direct led of CPC, they sent Chinese Revolutionary voice to all around China and the world. Their contribution to the Chinese revolution is indelible. Yan'an News Memorial Hall located in the south wing of the Cool Hill, As the unique Journalism thematic memorial hall, it is divided into 5 unites , with about 180 historic relics, 400 pictures, and documents, this period of history revives.
During the War of Resistance, the Xinhua News Agency, the Xinhua Broadcasting Station, and Jiefang Ribao (Liberation Daily) all had their offices here. There is a stone cave on this hill called Ten-Thousand Buddha Cave (Wanfodong) which was carved out during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. It contains more than ten thousand Buddhist sculptures. The Moon Well (Yue'erjing), the Piba Bridge, and many other scenic spots with fancy names on the hill are all connected with beautiful legends.
Location: Nothern Bank of Yanhe Rider, Yan'an
Entrance Fee: RMB 31
Opening Hours: 7:30-19:30
Trasportation: Take Bus No.1,4,5,6,11 or 19.
Yulin Town

Yulin Town, in the far northern section of Shaanxi Province, lies at the boundary between a Yellow Soil Plateau and the Mao Wu Su Desert (Maowusu shamo). The town is renowned as a garrison and patrol post that worked the northern fringes of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) empire. Although a tiny town and not especially old, Yulin still retains much of its charm through being little renovated.
The town boasts a large number of sights for its size and the most notable include the fortress and beacon tower at the Zhengbei Terrace (Zhengbei tai), the Incense Burner Temple (Xianglu si), the remainder of the ancient Great Wall (Changcheng) and an old Bell Tower (Zhong lou). The nicest section of town is the Old Quarter, which still retains its Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1644-1911 AD) Dynasty look, hidden behind encircling walls and old, stone gates. This area is great to walk around, with pebble paved alleys, grey-tiled quadrangular courtyards (Siheyuan) and delicate copper rings upon wooden gates and windows. In places you will come across the original city walls.
Baota Hill

Baota Hill is also called Jialing Hill. It stands to the southeast of the urban Yan’an where the Yanhe River and the Nanchuan River meet. The pagoda at the top of the hill is the symbol of Yan'an City which was first built in Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).It underwent renovation in Song Dynasty. The pagoda has nine stories and is 44 meters high (144 ft). Standing at the top of the hill, you will have a bird view of the ancient city of Yan'an. This is sure to be one of the highlights of your visit.
The most famous attraction here is the iron bell which was made in 1628 during Ming Dynasty. It is 1.5 meters high and about one meter in diameter. The tower is of great historical importance in relation to the Chinese revolutionary movement: when the Chinese Communist Party had its headquarters in Yan'an, the bell was used to toll the hour of the day and sound alarms.
On the hill, there is a huge new bell named Ping’ an Bell (Safety Bell) and a new huge drum named Taiping Drum (Peace Drum). It is said that luck and happiness will be bestowed on you by Tolling the bell or beating the drum. There is also a Stele Forest upon the slopes of the hill. They are inscribed with a variety of ancient Chinese calligraphy.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Baota Hill was designated by the State Council as one of the first key cultural relics under national protection. Baota Hill is now a public park. It has many pine, cypress and Chinese scholar trees.
Location: Jialing Road, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: RMB 41 for high season, RMB 31 for low season.
Opening Hours: 06:00-20:00
Transportation: Take bus No.1 or No.3 at Railway Station.
Revolutionary Memorial Hall

The Memorial Hall, not far from the Yangjialing Headquarters, is probably one of the best of its kind in China. It was founded in July 1950 in Yan'an City of Shaanxi Province, and it is one of the earliest revolutionary memorial halls in China. It was built in July 1950 and was previously called the Yan'an Revolutionary Museum. It was open to the public in February 1951.
The memorial hall boasts a comprehensive collection of historical literature, graphs and photos dating from the establishment of the "United Front against Japanese Invasion" to the opening of the Seventh General Conference of the Chinese Communist Party.
The main hall houses a huge collection of artifacts from the 1930-50s, including genuine footballs, sewing machines, Marxist books by Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky translated into Chinese and hundreds of communist weapons. Especially noteworthy is a white horse (it has been made into a specimen) that is said to have carried Mao Zedong.
The exhibition halls occupy 3,200 square meters, displaying 1,300 revolutionary cultural relics, more than 200 photos, as well as auxiliary exhibits like graphs, paintings, sculptures and models. All the exhibits introduce the founding of Northern Shaanxi Revolutionary Bases and the 13 years of revolutionary activities of the Communist Party of China. The memorial hall has launched the Exhibition of Yan'an Revolutionary Cultural Relics and the Exhibition of Yan'an Spirit, and has staged road shows in other places.
Location: Zaoyuan Road, East Bank of Yanhe River, Baota District, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: Free
Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00
Transportation: Take Bus No.1 or 3.
Yangjialing Revolution Headquarters

After an epic Long March the pitiful remainder of a once strong, though hounded, Red Army arrived to set up base in a little town called Yan'an. The leadership clique at that time, including such revolutionary martyrs as the all powerful Mao Zedong, the wise patriarch Zhou Enlai and the military strategist Zhu De, arrived weary to start again from where they had left off in the Jiangxi Soviet. The base area was first commanded from the Yangjialing Revolution Headquarters (Yangjialing geming jiuzhi), about 3km north from the town, although the HQ was moved about a number of times between October 1938-March 1947 by the wary troops. This first site, however, is of particular note for the holding of both the first Central Committee (CC) meetings and the seventh National Plenum that was to officially instate Mao as the Chairman of the revolutionary struggle.
Like much of the town, the headquarters nowadays remains very much undisturbed by the tourist hordes that used to pour through here on communist pilgrimage. Of interest are the Meeting Hall where the CC met, and more particularly, the mound behind that contains the Former Dwelling Holes of the leading military cadres. These 'rooms' can still be seen, where Mao and the rest were to sleep, write and plot. They are elegant enough affairs with white plaster over straw, mud or brick walls, and wooden lattice entrances faced with paper, typical of the traditional local architecture. Further up the hill are also a series of caves where the communist offices were located (including the secretariat and the propaganda departments.
Yangjialing Village

Yangjialing which is about three kilometers northwest of Yan'an was the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party. Many strategic guidelines and decisions had been made here by the top leaders of Communist Party since the beginning of Anti-Japanese War. During this time, large-scale Production Campaign was carried out among people and army with vigor and vitality. Rectification Campaign started and the Seventh National Congress of CPC and Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art were held .The Seventh National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party held from April 23 to June 11, 1945, opened the new page of the modern Chinese revolutionary history.
Many constructions were destroyed in 1947 while Hu zongnan (KMT military Leader) occupied Yan’an, luckily most of them have been rebuilt after 1949, and many evergreen trees were planted around later. Today we can still visit: Central Hall, Central General Office, Central Organization Department, Central United Front Work department, the old resident place of Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu de and where Mao Zedong and Anna Louis Strong talked.
At the entrance is an auditorium with brick and wood structure. The building behind was the office of the Central Committee's General. Mao Zedong and other high-level leaders of the revolution lived on a small hill in the north. There also is an exhibition hall; the objects displayed here show the revolutionary activities of the communist leaders and the people in Yan'an. Therefore, Yangjialing Village is a very important politic center in Chinese history. It has great significant meaning for most Chinese.
Location: Shengdi Road, Baota District, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: RMB 11
Transportation: Take Bus No.1, 3, 7,8,12 or 13.
Date Garden

Date Garden is 8 kilometers northwest of Yan'an. The garden used to be the manor of a landlord.It served as office of CPC Central Committee Secretariat during the war period of anti-Japanese and liberation after the Army entered Yan'an City. It is a special garden filled with revolutionary history. Secretariat directed the war against the Japanese invaders here, the Rectification Movement in 1942, and the production movement in 1941 and 1942 held here to supply the food and clothing to the people and army during the war in order to struggle with military attacks against the Japanese and economic blockade by the Kuomintang.
Many leaders such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Zhu De once lived here. What's more, Mao Zedong wrote many of his revolutionary works. The Date Garden, with flourish trees and flowers, is a nice place to visit. There are lots of relics among which most reflect or present the Chinese revolution and the tough time of war. The garden has been destroyed by Kuomintang when the communist party left, and it was rebuilt by the local government. Date garden has become the one of the most bases of Chinese revolutionary education.
Location: Zaoyunag Road, Yan'an
Entrance Fee: RMB 20
Transportation: Take Bus No.8 or 13.
Cool Hill

The Cool Hill is also called Qing Liang Shan Mountain, which used to be the center for CPC news, while central CPC committee was in Yan'an, the CPC newspaper committee, Xinhua News agent, Liberation Daily, Yan’an Xin Hua broadcast, Central Press, Central Publishing Department and so on were all located here, therefore, the Cool Hill was the birth place of Chinese News and Publishing, the cradle of news warriors, who believes that a pen and a gun are both sharp weapons. They created news agencies, broadcasted and published newspapers in the dark and wet caves, spreading Marxism, Mao's thoughts and propagating policies, approaches of CPC. Under the direct led of CPC, they sent Chinese Revolutionary voice to all around China and the world. Their contribution to the Chinese revolution is indelible. Yan'an News Memorial Hall located in the south wing of the Cool Hill, As the unique Journalism thematic memorial hall, it is divided into 5 unites , with about 180 historic relics, 400 pictures, and documents, this period of history revives.
During the War of Resistance, the Xinhua News Agency, the Xinhua Broadcasting Station, and Jiefang Ribao (Liberation Daily) all had their offices here. There is a stone cave on this hill called Ten-Thousand Buddha Cave (Wanfodong) which was carved out during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. It contains more than ten thousand Buddhist sculptures. The Moon Well (Yue'erjing), the Piba Bridge, and many other scenic spots with fancy names on the hill are all connected with beautiful legends.
Location: Nothern Bank of Yanhe Rider, Yan'an
Entrance Fee: RMB 31
Opening Hours: 7:30-19:30
Trasportation: Take Bus No.1,4,5,6,11 or 19.
Yulin Town

Yulin Town, in the far northern section of Shaanxi Province, lies at the boundary between a Yellow Soil Plateau and the Mao Wu Su Desert (Maowusu shamo). The town is renowned as a garrison and patrol post that worked the northern fringes of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) empire. Although a tiny town and not especially old, Yulin still retains much of its charm through being little renovated.
The town boasts a large number of sights for its size and the most notable include the fortress and beacon tower at the Zhengbei Terrace (Zhengbei tai), the Incense Burner Temple (Xianglu si), the remainder of the ancient Great Wall (Changcheng) and an old Bell Tower (Zhong lou). The nicest section of town is the Old Quarter, which still retains its Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1644-1911 AD) Dynasty look, hidden behind encircling walls and old, stone gates. This area is great to walk around, with pebble paved alleys, grey-tiled quadrangular courtyards (Siheyuan) and delicate copper rings upon wooden gates and windows. In places you will come across the original city walls.

Highlights
Glacier No.1

120 kilometers away from south of city, the No.1 Glacier belongs to sightseeing site. It lies in Kalawuquntage Mountain near the Shengli Slope that is the middle section of the Tianshan Mountains, The altitude here is 4,800 meters, distributed gigantic modern glacier. There are fantastic and ploy post glacier landforms, Its three sides encircled hills like a vast bucket, so people called it glacier bucket, The snow doesn't thaw all the year round in the mountains which around the number one glacier.
The snow become thicker due to yearly accumulated. And at last it slide down, fell into the hollow of the glacier bucket, and become translucent pale-blue glacier. The west branch moves 27 meters downwards every year, and the east 11 meters downward. When the fronted, namely glacial tongue moves below the snow line, it melts. The melted snow water of the No.1 Glacier becomes the main original of Urumqi River.
Ghost Town

The City of Demons is another name for the "Wuerhe Wind City" (Wuerhe Fengcheng), which refers to one of the Yadan landforms. Bushes like camel thorns are grown in sand hills spreading everywhere because of lack of water. In the open ground, the table -like mountains originally formed by burnt ochre stones and gray green rocks which have been fallen into pieces after thousands of years' wind and water erosion look like ancient castles and palaces with Gothic, Chinese and Egyptian styles.
So this area is called "the window of the world". There are many lively shaped models such as the towering stone mushrooms, stone bamboo shoots, stone pavilions, stone columns, wide streets, narrow lanes and caves cutting down to the rocks, lively shape of birds, animals, fishes and human bodies. In summer and autumn, 7 to 8 degrees of great storms usually blow along the valley, raising the sands, whistling like ghosts and wolves. So that's the derivation of another name of the Wuerhe Wind City---the City of Monsters.
Location: Wuerhe Area, 100 kilometers away to the northeast of Karamay
Entrance Fee: RMB 30
Transportation: Take long-distance bus at Karamay to Wuerhe. Then take shuttle bus to Ghost Town after arriving at Wuerhe.
Heavenly Lake

Heavenly Lake is 110 km from Urumqi. Located at the half way of the Begeda Peak of Tianshan Mountain, it has an elevation of 1,980 meters and an area of 4.9 square km. The lake is 3,400 meters long, with the widest section being 1,500 meters and the deepest 105 meters. It was named "Yaochi" in the old days.
The Heavenly Lake is a moraine by nature. Splendid peaks and glaciers were developed some 200,000 years ago. As a result of prolonged scouring and wearing off of the glaciers, a gigantic pit was formed. Later, the climate turned warmer, glaciers receded and a large amount of gravel accumulated, resulting in huge terminal moraines. In the end, the Heavenly Lake took shape.
The water is very clear and the banks are covered with tall trees. Surrounded by mountains, the jade-green lake is an ideal place for excursions and rest for most of the year. It provides an excellent skating ground in winter.In summer, the beautiful lake is an ideal cool resort. Boaters on the lake see the ever-changing silvery mountains soaring into the blue sky, their slopes highlighted with verdant pasture and flamboyant wild flowers. Fishing at dusk has its own special charm. A day in this fairyland promises restoration.
Heavenly Lake, a relic of the Quaternary Period Glacier and its surrounding geological relics, offers science lovers exploring opportunities.
As if the natural beauty of Heavenly Lake were not enough, legend adds a mysterious touch. It is said that the West Queen (Xi Wang Mu) entertained King Mu of the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100B.C.-771B.C.) at the Lake. The West Queen fell in love with the king and asked him in her poem, 'The white clouds drift while the mountains reach the blue sky. Passing thousands of mountains, crossing ten thousands of rivers, you come to us from a faraway place. If you are still strong and fine, would you like to come back to us again?' The king answered in his poem, 'After I go back to central China and lead the people to a prosperous life, I will come to you again.'We do not know why the king never returned. Only the placid lake and the silent mountains witnessed the lovesickness of the West Queen.
Southern Pastures

In the suburb of the city of Urumqi there lies the Southern Pastures, a beautiful pasture that the pastoral Kazakh inhabit and graze in summer.
Covering an area of 119 square kilometers (about 45 square miles), Southern Pastures, the natural large and famous summer resort, is 75 kilometers (about 46 miles) away from the city, and located in the Southern Mountain, an area at the northern foot of Karawuquntag Mountain.
It takes about one hour by bus from Urumqi to get to West White Poplar Gully, which is one of most typical sights. On the way, you can see the bright snowcapped Karawuquntag Mountain, the wandering valleys, and hear the gurgle of springs, smell the lush spruce
trees. In the thicket of the lush spruce trees, just let your eyes delight in the traditional villas and the scattered Kazakstan yurts as they paint the grassland and pastures.
Standing in the pastures, you can see the forest of emerald green spruce on a chain of undulating grass hills dotted with combined flocks and herds. As you immerse yourself in this beautiful site, the singing of the Kazakh may envelop you and inspire you to sing with them. You can visit one of the traditional yurts locating in the spruce forest where you will be welcomed by a generous host with fragrant milk tea, mare's milk, cheese and roasted lamb. If you are lucky enough, you will be able to observe the amazing horseracing and traditional Kazakh dancing.
Additional beautiful spots in Southern Pastures from west to east are respectively Chrysanthemum Tai (a table-board of alluvial fan), East White Poplar Gully, Zhaobi Mountain, Miao'er Gully and Da'xi Gully. With the embellishment by these other sights, Southern Pastures is even more beautiful and fascinating.
Red Hill

Red Hill, 1.5 kilometers long and one kilometer wide and 910 meters above sea level, is situated on the east side of the Urumqi River and at the very center of the city, running from east to west. The hill top looks like a mighty lion in its quiet sleep and the ridge like a wriggling dragon. The hill's rocks are reddish-brown, hence the name "Red Hill".
At the top of the hill stands a nine-story, solid, gray brick pagoda, which is 8 meters high, facing the top of Yamalike Hill. It is so-called "Zhenlong pagoda" that means "Pagoda to Suppress Dragons". According to historical documents, Red Hill overflowed in 1785 and the year after and later formed Urumqi River. It is said that it was done by a vicious dragon and the Red Hill and Yamalike Hill would join together to block it up, otherwise, Urumqi area would turn into a vast expanse of water. In the year 1788, the fifty-third year of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, Shang an, the governor of Urumqi, had a pagoda built at the top of each hill in order to suppress the evil dragon. After two hundred years of weathering, the pagoda still remains basically intact. There used to be a number of historical sites on the hill. As early as the time of the nomadic Oyrat Tribe, an "Ebo" was built at the top of the hill; "Ebo" is the name of a kind of cairn used by the tribesmen to worship and offer sacrifice to their gods.
During the Qing Dynasty, the Temple of the Jade Emperor was built at the top of the hill as well as the Temple of the Great Buddha; and the Palace of the Dipper and the Temple of Ksitigabha were built at the foot of the hill. These splendid temples attracted a great number of visitors and made the hill a holy place where worshippers chanted the Buddhist sutra and conducted religious services. Unfortunately almost all these magnificent buildings were burnt down in wars among warlords and nothing was left except a shaky temple gate and the pagoda standing at the top of the precipitous Red Hill. Today, local people regard Red Hill as the symbol of the city. As a result of the construction in the past thirty years or more, the barren Red Hill is now covered with emerald green trees and embellished with tourist facilities such as stone-stepped paths and an asphalt road winding to its top.
Today, Red Hill has been developed into the beautiful Red Hill Park. Modern entertainment facilities and ethnic performances bring a fresh and lively atmosphere to the park. On the peak of Red Hill, you will have the whole city of Urumqi before your eyes!
The Museum of Xinjiang Uygar Autonomous Region

Covering an exhibiting area of 7800 sqm, the museum of Uygur and Russian styles, is constructed in 1953. A green-tiled dome tops 18m above the main hall and enormous mural relieves decorate the walls, domes, and entrance. The exhibiting article of this museum center lies in two sources that are archaeological treasures from the Silk Road and the local cultural relics.
The first section displays over 50,000 cultural relics excavated on the ancient Silk Road, which including the silk, pottery and porcelain, terra-cotta figures, weapons, scriptures and so on.
The second section show some mummies discovered in the vast desert. Among over 10 mummies, one named 'sleeping beauty' is the most famous one. Buried underground for about 3,800 years, it keeps unbroken, ranking as the earliest and best preserved mummified body in China. Besides, various articles of ethnic groups are also showed in the museum, which include clothing, household utensils, handicrafts, hunting accoutrements and musical instruments as well as the Uygur house and different styles of yurts, giving a vivid introduction of the customs and cultures of different ethnic groups.
Location: No.132 Xibei Road, Urumqi
Entrance Fee: Free
Opening Hours: Summer9:30-19:00, Winter10:30-18:00, Holidays10:00-18:00.
Transportation: Take Bus No.7 at Hongshan Department Store.
Kanas Lake

1374 meters high above sea level, Kanas Lake (Kanasi Hu), which means "beautiful, rich and mysterious" in Mongolian, can be found in the deep forests and mountains of Altai, covering an area of 44.78 square kilometers which is 10 times bigger than Tianchi on Bogda Mountain. This is typical ice erosion & Moraine Lake shaped like a new moon, or rather, a long hyacinth bean. The reflections of the surrounding snowcapped, tree-covered mountains can be seen inverted on the lake water. During autumn especially, there is a picturesque landscape of forests in a riot of colors with gold, red, blue and green all reflected in the clear lake water here.
There are also some fun legends about Kanas Lake. It is said that huge lake monsters live in the lake's depths. In recent years, others claim to have seen 4 meter long blood red fish in the lake. The "Emei Spectacle", lights in the clouds after a morning rain, adds an air of mystery to the lake too.
The practices of the Tuwa and local Mongolian ethic minority, and Altai Mountain rock-paintings have been attracting explorers and travelers to this area for decades.
Location: Kanas Lake is 140km from Burqin County and 246km from Altay City.
Entrance Fee: RMB 230
Transportation: There are flights to Altay City and tourist coaches to Burqin County from Urumqi. You can enter the nature reserve by car or on horseback with local guides.
Yarrwo

Located in the east rely upon Yanr cliff, and west is close to Urumqi River, the Yarrwo is about 6 square kilometers in perimeter, it is a seasoning scenic zone in south suburb of cantonal. In summer, miscellaneous wild roses, rosebush and bushes bloom red, yellow, blue, white and purple, the flowers make this place a green and bright-colored world. In deep winter, icebound and snow touch down white flower that covered whole tree and shaped a different scenery.
It is said that there was a hero who named "Yanr" in ancient times who dived into Urumqi River and killed the devil and stopped a flood from overspreading, The spirit later become ten millions little swallows, and make here become "swallow fairyland". The ancient nomad called the place "Urabo", namely means "red shooting range". It is report that a tribe of ancient nomad often demonstrates and competes in military stills and target practice in open field here, the winner drape red silk band to show off portliness.
Glacier No.1

120 kilometers away from south of city, the No.1 Glacier belongs to sightseeing site. It lies in Kalawuquntage Mountain near the Shengli Slope that is the middle section of the Tianshan Mountains, The altitude here is 4,800 meters, distributed gigantic modern glacier. There are fantastic and ploy post glacier landforms, Its three sides encircled hills like a vast bucket, so people called it glacier bucket, The snow doesn't thaw all the year round in the mountains which around the number one glacier.
The snow become thicker due to yearly accumulated. And at last it slide down, fell into the hollow of the glacier bucket, and become translucent pale-blue glacier. The west branch moves 27 meters downwards every year, and the east 11 meters downward. When the fronted, namely glacial tongue moves below the snow line, it melts. The melted snow water of the No.1 Glacier becomes the main original of Urumqi River.
Ghost Town

The City of Demons is another name for the "Wuerhe Wind City" (Wuerhe Fengcheng), which refers to one of the Yadan landforms. Bushes like camel thorns are grown in sand hills spreading everywhere because of lack of water. In the open ground, the table -like mountains originally formed by burnt ochre stones and gray green rocks which have been fallen into pieces after thousands of years' wind and water erosion look like ancient castles and palaces with Gothic, Chinese and Egyptian styles.
So this area is called "the window of the world". There are many lively shaped models such as the towering stone mushrooms, stone bamboo shoots, stone pavilions, stone columns, wide streets, narrow lanes and caves cutting down to the rocks, lively shape of birds, animals, fishes and human bodies. In summer and autumn, 7 to 8 degrees of great storms usually blow along the valley, raising the sands, whistling like ghosts and wolves. So that's the derivation of another name of the Wuerhe Wind City---the City of Monsters.
Location: Wuerhe Area, 100 kilometers away to the northeast of Karamay
Entrance Fee: RMB 30
Transportation: Take long-distance bus at Karamay to Wuerhe. Then take shuttle bus to Ghost Town after arriving at Wuerhe.
Heavenly Lake

Heavenly Lake is 110 km from Urumqi. Located at the half way of the Begeda Peak of Tianshan Mountain, it has an elevation of 1,980 meters and an area of 4.9 square km. The lake is 3,400 meters long, with the widest section being 1,500 meters and the deepest 105 meters. It was named "Yaochi" in the old days.
The Heavenly Lake is a moraine by nature. Splendid peaks and glaciers were developed some 200,000 years ago. As a result of prolonged scouring and wearing off of the glaciers, a gigantic pit was formed. Later, the climate turned warmer, glaciers receded and a large amount of gravel accumulated, resulting in huge terminal moraines. In the end, the Heavenly Lake took shape.
The water is very clear and the banks are covered with tall trees. Surrounded by mountains, the jade-green lake is an ideal place for excursions and rest for most of the year. It provides an excellent skating ground in winter.In summer, the beautiful lake is an ideal cool resort. Boaters on the lake see the ever-changing silvery mountains soaring into the blue sky, their slopes highlighted with verdant pasture and flamboyant wild flowers. Fishing at dusk has its own special charm. A day in this fairyland promises restoration.
Heavenly Lake, a relic of the Quaternary Period Glacier and its surrounding geological relics, offers science lovers exploring opportunities.
As if the natural beauty of Heavenly Lake were not enough, legend adds a mysterious touch. It is said that the West Queen (Xi Wang Mu) entertained King Mu of the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100B.C.-771B.C.) at the Lake. The West Queen fell in love with the king and asked him in her poem, 'The white clouds drift while the mountains reach the blue sky. Passing thousands of mountains, crossing ten thousands of rivers, you come to us from a faraway place. If you are still strong and fine, would you like to come back to us again?' The king answered in his poem, 'After I go back to central China and lead the people to a prosperous life, I will come to you again.'We do not know why the king never returned. Only the placid lake and the silent mountains witnessed the lovesickness of the West Queen.
Southern Pastures

In the suburb of the city of Urumqi there lies the Southern Pastures, a beautiful pasture that the pastoral Kazakh inhabit and graze in summer.
Covering an area of 119 square kilometers (about 45 square miles), Southern Pastures, the natural large and famous summer resort, is 75 kilometers (about 46 miles) away from the city, and located in the Southern Mountain, an area at the northern foot of Karawuquntag Mountain.
It takes about one hour by bus from Urumqi to get to West White Poplar Gully, which is one of most typical sights. On the way, you can see the bright snowcapped Karawuquntag Mountain, the wandering valleys, and hear the gurgle of springs, smell the lush spruce
trees. In the thicket of the lush spruce trees, just let your eyes delight in the traditional villas and the scattered Kazakstan yurts as they paint the grassland and pastures.
Standing in the pastures, you can see the forest of emerald green spruce on a chain of undulating grass hills dotted with combined flocks and herds. As you immerse yourself in this beautiful site, the singing of the Kazakh may envelop you and inspire you to sing with them. You can visit one of the traditional yurts locating in the spruce forest where you will be welcomed by a generous host with fragrant milk tea, mare's milk, cheese and roasted lamb. If you are lucky enough, you will be able to observe the amazing horseracing and traditional Kazakh dancing.
Additional beautiful spots in Southern Pastures from west to east are respectively Chrysanthemum Tai (a table-board of alluvial fan), East White Poplar Gully, Zhaobi Mountain, Miao'er Gully and Da'xi Gully. With the embellishment by these other sights, Southern Pastures is even more beautiful and fascinating.
Red Hill

Red Hill, 1.5 kilometers long and one kilometer wide and 910 meters above sea level, is situated on the east side of the Urumqi River and at the very center of the city, running from east to west. The hill top looks like a mighty lion in its quiet sleep and the ridge like a wriggling dragon. The hill's rocks are reddish-brown, hence the name "Red Hill".
At the top of the hill stands a nine-story, solid, gray brick pagoda, which is 8 meters high, facing the top of Yamalike Hill. It is so-called "Zhenlong pagoda" that means "Pagoda to Suppress Dragons". According to historical documents, Red Hill overflowed in 1785 and the year after and later formed Urumqi River. It is said that it was done by a vicious dragon and the Red Hill and Yamalike Hill would join together to block it up, otherwise, Urumqi area would turn into a vast expanse of water. In the year 1788, the fifty-third year of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, Shang an, the governor of Urumqi, had a pagoda built at the top of each hill in order to suppress the evil dragon. After two hundred years of weathering, the pagoda still remains basically intact. There used to be a number of historical sites on the hill. As early as the time of the nomadic Oyrat Tribe, an "Ebo" was built at the top of the hill; "Ebo" is the name of a kind of cairn used by the tribesmen to worship and offer sacrifice to their gods.
During the Qing Dynasty, the Temple of the Jade Emperor was built at the top of the hill as well as the Temple of the Great Buddha; and the Palace of the Dipper and the Temple of Ksitigabha were built at the foot of the hill. These splendid temples attracted a great number of visitors and made the hill a holy place where worshippers chanted the Buddhist sutra and conducted religious services. Unfortunately almost all these magnificent buildings were burnt down in wars among warlords and nothing was left except a shaky temple gate and the pagoda standing at the top of the precipitous Red Hill. Today, local people regard Red Hill as the symbol of the city. As a result of the construction in the past thirty years or more, the barren Red Hill is now covered with emerald green trees and embellished with tourist facilities such as stone-stepped paths and an asphalt road winding to its top.
Today, Red Hill has been developed into the beautiful Red Hill Park. Modern entertainment facilities and ethnic performances bring a fresh and lively atmosphere to the park. On the peak of Red Hill, you will have the whole city of Urumqi before your eyes!
The Museum of Xinjiang Uygar Autonomous Region

Covering an exhibiting area of 7800 sqm, the museum of Uygur and Russian styles, is constructed in 1953. A green-tiled dome tops 18m above the main hall and enormous mural relieves decorate the walls, domes, and entrance. The exhibiting article of this museum center lies in two sources that are archaeological treasures from the Silk Road and the local cultural relics.
The first section displays over 50,000 cultural relics excavated on the ancient Silk Road, which including the silk, pottery and porcelain, terra-cotta figures, weapons, scriptures and so on.
The second section show some mummies discovered in the vast desert. Among over 10 mummies, one named 'sleeping beauty' is the most famous one. Buried underground for about 3,800 years, it keeps unbroken, ranking as the earliest and best preserved mummified body in China. Besides, various articles of ethnic groups are also showed in the museum, which include clothing, household utensils, handicrafts, hunting accoutrements and musical instruments as well as the Uygur house and different styles of yurts, giving a vivid introduction of the customs and cultures of different ethnic groups.
Location: No.132 Xibei Road, Urumqi
Entrance Fee: Free
Opening Hours: Summer9:30-19:00, Winter10:30-18:00, Holidays10:00-18:00.
Transportation: Take Bus No.7 at Hongshan Department Store.
Kanas Lake

1374 meters high above sea level, Kanas Lake (Kanasi Hu), which means "beautiful, rich and mysterious" in Mongolian, can be found in the deep forests and mountains of Altai, covering an area of 44.78 square kilometers which is 10 times bigger than Tianchi on Bogda Mountain. This is typical ice erosion & Moraine Lake shaped like a new moon, or rather, a long hyacinth bean. The reflections of the surrounding snowcapped, tree-covered mountains can be seen inverted on the lake water. During autumn especially, there is a picturesque landscape of forests in a riot of colors with gold, red, blue and green all reflected in the clear lake water here.
There are also some fun legends about Kanas Lake. It is said that huge lake monsters live in the lake's depths. In recent years, others claim to have seen 4 meter long blood red fish in the lake. The "Emei Spectacle", lights in the clouds after a morning rain, adds an air of mystery to the lake too.
The practices of the Tuwa and local Mongolian ethic minority, and Altai Mountain rock-paintings have been attracting explorers and travelers to this area for decades.
Location: Kanas Lake is 140km from Burqin County and 246km from Altay City.
Entrance Fee: RMB 230
Transportation: There are flights to Altay City and tourist coaches to Burqin County from Urumqi. You can enter the nature reserve by car or on horseback with local guides.
Yarrwo

Located in the east rely upon Yanr cliff, and west is close to Urumqi River, the Yarrwo is about 6 square kilometers in perimeter, it is a seasoning scenic zone in south suburb of cantonal. In summer, miscellaneous wild roses, rosebush and bushes bloom red, yellow, blue, white and purple, the flowers make this place a green and bright-colored world. In deep winter, icebound and snow touch down white flower that covered whole tree and shaped a different scenery.
It is said that there was a hero who named "Yanr" in ancient times who dived into Urumqi River and killed the devil and stopped a flood from overspreading, The spirit later become ten millions little swallows, and make here become "swallow fairyland". The ancient nomad called the place "Urabo", namely means "red shooting range". It is report that a tribe of ancient nomad often demonstrates and competes in military stills and target practice in open field here, the winner drape red silk band to show off portliness.
Glacier No.1

120 kilometers away from south of city, the No.1 Glacier belongs to sightseeing site. It lies in Kalawuquntage Mountain near the Shengli Slope that is the middle section of the Tianshan Mountains, The altitude here is 4,800 meters, distributed gigantic modern glacier. There are fantastic and ploy post glacier landforms, Its three sides encircled hills like a vast bucket, so people called it glacier bucket, The snow doesn't thaw all the year round in the mountains which around the number one glacier.
The snow become thicker due to yearly accumulated. And at last it slide down, fell into the hollow of the glacier bucket, and become translucent pale-blue glacier. The west branch moves 27 meters downwards every year, and the east 11 meters downward. When the fronted, namely glacial tongue moves below the snow line, it melts. The melted snow water of the No.1 Glacier becomes the main original of Urumqi River.
Ghost Town

The City of Demons is another name for the "Wuerhe Wind City" (Wuerhe Fengcheng), which refers to one of the Yadan landforms. Bushes like camel thorns are grown in sand hills spreading everywhere because of lack of water. In the open ground, the table -like mountains originally formed by burnt ochre stones and gray green rocks which have been fallen into pieces after thousands of years' wind and water erosion look like ancient castles and palaces with Gothic, Chinese and Egyptian styles.
So this area is called "the window of the world". There are many lively shaped models such as the towering stone mushrooms, stone bamboo shoots, stone pavilions, stone columns, wide streets, narrow lanes and caves cutting down to the rocks, lively shape of birds, animals, fishes and human bodies. In summer and autumn, 7 to 8 degrees of great storms usually blow along the valley, raising the sands, whistling like ghosts and wolves. So that's the derivation of another name of the Wuerhe Wind City---the City of Monsters.
Location: Wuerhe Area, 100 kilometers away to the northeast of Karamay
Entrance Fee: RMB 30
Transportation: Take long-distance bus at Karamay to Wuerhe. Then take shuttle bus to Ghost Town after arriving at Wuerhe.

Highlights
Karez Irrigation System

Karez irrigation systems are the crystallization of ancient people's diligence and intelligence. Without the Karez, there would be no Turpan culture.
The history of the karez, which have mainly been used in the Hami and Turpan areas of Xinjiang, where it is hot and dry, dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.). It is considered one of the three great projects of ancient China, along with the Great Wall and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
The karez system consists of four parts: a hole as deep as 50 to 60 meters, an underground canal, an aboveground canal and a small reservoir. It has many advantages, such as little evaporation from season to season and little percolation and can provide a stable water supply that does not consume energy or cause pollution.
Wandering underground over 5,000 kilometers, the system has also been called "the underground Great Wall."
Karez systems also functions as the natural air conditioner for the locals because they can sit in one while chatting or doing some chores. When exhausted during the scorching weather, sitting in a Karez, picking some grapes as they hang over the vertical wells and savoring their taste, you will be thoroughly refreshed.
Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs

The Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs are the Living Archives of Gaochang.This Tang-dynasty burial ground known as the "Underground Museum" attracts stream of archaeologists both at home and abroad. It provides some very valuable and fascinating artifacts such as tomb figures of wood, wall paint, ceramics, and documents and silk which were as well-preserved and as colorful as new ones by the hot and dry atmosphere. Astana means "capital" in Uygur and Karakhoja is the name of a legendary hero of the ancient Uygur Kingdom who expelled the evils by killing a vicious dragon.
The tombs are located 42 km (26miles) southeast of Turpan city and 6 km (3.7miles) from the Ancient City of Gaochang. The tombs range 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) from north to south and 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from east to west. The tombs were the public cemetery of the ancient Gaochang residents, both aristocrats and commoners. However, curiously, among the excavated 456 tombs the tomb of King Gaochang has been found nowhere in the tombs. According to the documentation buried with them, the era must have been between 273 and 778. The outsides of the tombs are shaped like small low hills, sloping down towards to the grave rooms. The tomb design appears from the sky to be like a "Jia" shape of Chinese character. Three tombs among them are open to visitors.
Ancient City of Gaochang

The ancient city Gaochang, with a cover of 2,000,000 square meters, is located in 46 kilometers (29 miles) southeast of Turpan near the 'Flaming Mountains', Xinjing Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Built in the first century B.C. and originally called Gaochangbi, it used to be a garrison town and later became a key point along the ancient Silk Road. In ancient times, it had been one of the political, economic and culture centers in the Western Regions, and it was a hub of exchange of economy and culture between ancient China and the West. The famous Buddhist monk Xuan Zang taught in the city for several months during his epic 18 year journey to India.
Though the ruins have not been as well preserved as the ones in the Ancient City of Jiaohe, it still provides interesting insight into this unique civilization. The city is split into 3 parts, the inner and outer cities and a palace complex. Nine city gates were built at cardinal points; three in the south and two in each other three directions respectively. Visitors are usually suggested to enter the best preserved one in the west to the core. Inside visitors can see remnants of "Khan Castle", a 15 meter (49ft) structure, temples, manuscripts ,Buddhist paintings and so on.
Two temple remains, one in the southwestern and the other in the northwestern parts of the outer city are worth a visit. The first one, 130 meters (427 feet) long from east to west, 85 meters (279 feet) wide from south to north covers 10,000 square meters. It consists of an arched gate, a courtyard, a lecture hall, a library of sutras, a main hall and the monks' dormitory. It is said that Xuan Zang the renowned Buddhist monk of the Tang period had lectures here in the year of 628 on his way to India. The second is smaller but the murals remains are impressive.
Ancient City of Jiaohe

The largest, oldest and best-preserved earthen city in the world, Jiaohe is 1,650 meters (5,413 feet) by 300 meters (984 feet) at its widest; with an area of 220,000 square meters (2,368,168 square feet). It was the capital of the former Cheshi State. An Indian proverb says, 'Intelligence is bound to exist where two rivers meet'. Jiaohe, meaning in Chinese where two rivers meet, is such a place. According to historical records it was home to 700 households, 6500 residents plus 865 soldiers.
Jiaohe distinguishes itself from other ancient cities owing to three features. First, it had only two city gates, the South and East Gates. The main South Gate vanished long ago, leaving a huge breach. The East Gate cut by the cliff was virtually non-existent. Second, the city faces cliffs on three sides, so there are no city walls commonly seen in other ancient cities. Third, all the buildings were dug from earth and wood was rarely used.
The central avenue, 350-meters (1148.3-feet) long, runs north from South Gate, separating the city into three parts; namely, residences for common people, temples, and residences for aristocrats. To the west of the avenue, low buildings with sparse small temples were residences for commoners, while the high ones in the east were for aristocrats and troops. At the end of the avenue stands a large well-preserved Buddhist temple, Jiaohe Temple, with an area of 5,000 square meters (53,824 square feet).
The relics we see today featured Tang Dynasty (618-907) architectural style. Houses were dug downward from the earth, and as no house gates faced the streets, military defense was apparently priority.
At the end of the 8 Century, the city was tossed into the reigns of the Turpan, Hui, and Mongols. Residents fled from the destroyed city continuously until in the beginning of the 14 Century, the city was abandoned, as was its glory and prosperity of over 2000 years. Miraculously, owing to the arid climate and remote location, the ancient city of Jiaohe remains intact, leaving us a rare exemplar of an earthen castle.
Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves

The Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves, 48 kilometers northeast of the Turpan urban area, are located in the Flaming Mountains' MuTou valley. As Buddhism was the first religion from abroad introduced to this area, Xinjiang witnessed the earliest development of Buddhist cave art in China. Soon after the religion's establishment in the region, Turpan became the Buddhist center on the Silk Road owing to its geographic location. Among the Buddhist caves found in Turpan, Bizalkik Thousand Buddha Caves are considered most valuable.
They were called the ningrong grottoes in the Tang Dynasty. There are 77 numbered grottoes, about 40 of which still have murals in them. The group of grottoes in Bizaklik, with a total of 1,200 square meters of murals, has the most grottoes, most diversified architectural styles and the richest mural content in the Turpan area. The oldest grottoes were hewn in the period of qushi gaochang. From the Tang Dynasty in the thirteenth century, it was an important Buddhist gathering place. Its most prosperous period was under the reign of the xizhou huigu government, which built the royal temple of the king of huigu on this site. Most of the existing grottoes were extended or reconstructed during the huigu period.
Bizaklik Caves was the royal temple of Huihu (the predecessor of today's Uygur) State and the existing caves were enlarged or renovated during that time. The murals take us back to the ancient Huihu State, where we can see the King and Queen and people from all walks of life. The inscriptions, written in ancient Uygur, Chinese and other languages, provide authentic reference for valuable historic research.
The most exceptionally rare mural topics in Bizaklik Caves are found in Caves No.16 and 17. Cave No.16 depicts a musician playing Xiao Hu Lei-- a lute-like instrument originating from southern China's Yunnan province. This strengthens the belief that cultural exchange between northern and southern China was unprecedented during Tang Dynasty.
In addition to the murals and inscriptions, a piece of gold foil wrapping paper found at the caves is also intriguing. A stamp on it revealed the address of the shop on the south side of Tiahelou Street, Hangzhou, Zhejiang of Song Dynasty. It also advised clients to examine their goods carefully before purchase to avoid being cheated. As an apparent piece of advertisement, the foil shows that Gaochang Huihu kept close economic ties with Song Dynasty as the trade extended as far as to the East China Sea.
Emin Minaret

Emin Minaret, 3km (2 miles) east of central Turpan is the largest extant old tower in Xinjiang; it is the only Islamic tower among the hundred famous towers in China. Construction of this religious tower and mosque complex began in 1777 at the request of the then ruler of Turpan Emin Khoja. He was an outstanding patriot who defended the unification of China throughout his life. He had eight sons but the eldest son died of illness at a young age. Influenced by Emin, all his remaining sons made contributions during the war against Jungar rebellions. It was Suleman, Emin's second son, who built this minaret with his own money. This is the reason why the minaret is also named Su Gong Ta. Upon Emin's death, Suleman inherited his father's rank and became the second Turpan ruler.
Emin Minaret is made of sun-dried bricks and is decorated with delicate geometric and floral patterns. The adjoining mosque has a latticed ceiling and a domed sacred space, all supported by wooden pillars. From the top of the mosque there is a good view of the surrounding vineyards and mountains.
At the entrance to the minaret, two steles were set up. On one is a Chinese inscription that explains that the purpose of building the minaret was to show gratitude to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and to commemorate exploits of Emin Khoja while the Uygur inscription on the other stele gave thanks to Allah.
The historical background of Emin Minaret is underlined by the architectural significance. The 44-meter (144 feet) high minaret has no stories. From the base with a diameter of 10 meters (32.8 feet), the minaret tapers to an Islamic dome. In the center of the minaret is a brick-piled pillar with 72 steps around it spiraling to the top. There are 14 openings for ventilation and lighting, which are located in different directions and at various heights. On the top, there is an attic of 10 square meters (107 square feet) with large windows on the four sides through which the marvelous landscape could be admired. Unfortunately, tourists today cannot climb to the top due to the protection given to the minaret.
However, the unique exterior of the minaret will make up for this lack. The huge column made of grey bricks and earth would be dull if not for its decorative patterns. Smart Uygur architects used bricks to form 15 different patterns such as waves, flowers or rhombuses. What's more, the architects even took the surroundings into consideration. Set against the azure sky, silvery Tianshan Mountain and the scarlet Flaming Mountain , Emin Minaret displays a pristine but dignified air. Only when you look up at the minaret will you find how crystal blue and high the sky of Turpan is!
The Flaming Mountains



Grape Valley

On the western face of the Flaming Mountains, east of Turpan is the Grape Valley. It is a world of unique with vineyards and fruit trees. The Grape Valley of the Flaming Mountains, fifteen kilometers from the city center, is also a world of unique beauty, presenting a striking contrast with the hot, dry and barren outside. "...Grapes in Turpan grow up; Anarhan's heart is ecstatic..." This folk song of the last century is well known in China. Turpan, a place truly flowing with milk and honey in the Turki language, is famous for its fruits. Among them, grape is the most famous.
Every August the sweet air will herald the vintage. The best place to enjoy the grapes is Grape Valley. In the valley you will find a park as well as patios and outdoor tables where you can eat the grapes and other fruit or enjoy a delicious meal complemented by the locally produced wine. Every single grape is crystal and watery-some are as green as emerald; some as red as agate, some as small as pearls while others are like olives. Among dozens of kinds of grapes, Wuhebai (white seedless) grape is reputed as a green pearl with the sugar content as much as 22%.
Karez Irrigation System

Karez irrigation systems are the crystallization of ancient people's diligence and intelligence. Without the Karez, there would be no Turpan culture.
The history of the karez, which have mainly been used in the Hami and Turpan areas of Xinjiang, where it is hot and dry, dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.). It is considered one of the three great projects of ancient China, along with the Great Wall and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
The karez system consists of four parts: a hole as deep as 50 to 60 meters, an underground canal, an aboveground canal and a small reservoir. It has many advantages, such as little evaporation from season to season and little percolation and can provide a stable water supply that does not consume energy or cause pollution.
Wandering underground over 5,000 kilometers, the system has also been called "the underground Great Wall."
Karez systems also functions as the natural air conditioner for the locals because they can sit in one while chatting or doing some chores. When exhausted during the scorching weather, sitting in a Karez, picking some grapes as they hang over the vertical wells and savoring their taste, you will be thoroughly refreshed.
Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs

The Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs are the Living Archives of Gaochang.This Tang-dynasty burial ground known as the "Underground Museum" attracts stream of archaeologists both at home and abroad. It provides some very valuable and fascinating artifacts such as tomb figures of wood, wall paint, ceramics, and documents and silk which were as well-preserved and as colorful as new ones by the hot and dry atmosphere. Astana means "capital" in Uygur and Karakhoja is the name of a legendary hero of the ancient Uygur Kingdom who expelled the evils by killing a vicious dragon.
The tombs are located 42 km (26miles) southeast of Turpan city and 6 km (3.7miles) from the Ancient City of Gaochang. The tombs range 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) from north to south and 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from east to west. The tombs were the public cemetery of the ancient Gaochang residents, both aristocrats and commoners. However, curiously, among the excavated 456 tombs the tomb of King Gaochang has been found nowhere in the tombs. According to the documentation buried with them, the era must have been between 273 and 778. The outsides of the tombs are shaped like small low hills, sloping down towards to the grave rooms. The tomb design appears from the sky to be like a "Jia" shape of Chinese character. Three tombs among them are open to visitors.
Ancient City of Gaochang

The ancient city Gaochang, with a cover of 2,000,000 square meters, is located in 46 kilometers (29 miles) southeast of Turpan near the 'Flaming Mountains', Xinjing Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Built in the first century B.C. and originally called Gaochangbi, it used to be a garrison town and later became a key point along the ancient Silk Road. In ancient times, it had been one of the political, economic and culture centers in the Western Regions, and it was a hub of exchange of economy and culture between ancient China and the West. The famous Buddhist monk Xuan Zang taught in the city for several months during his epic 18 year journey to India.
Though the ruins have not been as well preserved as the ones in the Ancient City of Jiaohe, it still provides interesting insight into this unique civilization. The city is split into 3 parts, the inner and outer cities and a palace complex. Nine city gates were built at cardinal points; three in the south and two in each other three directions respectively. Visitors are usually suggested to enter the best preserved one in the west to the core. Inside visitors can see remnants of "Khan Castle", a 15 meter (49ft) structure, temples, manuscripts ,Buddhist paintings and so on.
Two temple remains, one in the southwestern and the other in the northwestern parts of the outer city are worth a visit. The first one, 130 meters (427 feet) long from east to west, 85 meters (279 feet) wide from south to north covers 10,000 square meters. It consists of an arched gate, a courtyard, a lecture hall, a library of sutras, a main hall and the monks' dormitory. It is said that Xuan Zang the renowned Buddhist monk of the Tang period had lectures here in the year of 628 on his way to India. The second is smaller but the murals remains are impressive.
Ancient City of Jiaohe

The largest, oldest and best-preserved earthen city in the world, Jiaohe is 1,650 meters (5,413 feet) by 300 meters (984 feet) at its widest; with an area of 220,000 square meters (2,368,168 square feet). It was the capital of the former Cheshi State. An Indian proverb says, 'Intelligence is bound to exist where two rivers meet'. Jiaohe, meaning in Chinese where two rivers meet, is such a place. According to historical records it was home to 700 households, 6500 residents plus 865 soldiers.
Jiaohe distinguishes itself from other ancient cities owing to three features. First, it had only two city gates, the South and East Gates. The main South Gate vanished long ago, leaving a huge breach. The East Gate cut by the cliff was virtually non-existent. Second, the city faces cliffs on three sides, so there are no city walls commonly seen in other ancient cities. Third, all the buildings were dug from earth and wood was rarely used.
The central avenue, 350-meters (1148.3-feet) long, runs north from South Gate, separating the city into three parts; namely, residences for common people, temples, and residences for aristocrats. To the west of the avenue, low buildings with sparse small temples were residences for commoners, while the high ones in the east were for aristocrats and troops. At the end of the avenue stands a large well-preserved Buddhist temple, Jiaohe Temple, with an area of 5,000 square meters (53,824 square feet).
The relics we see today featured Tang Dynasty (618-907) architectural style. Houses were dug downward from the earth, and as no house gates faced the streets, military defense was apparently priority.
At the end of the 8 Century, the city was tossed into the reigns of the Turpan, Hui, and Mongols. Residents fled from the destroyed city continuously until in the beginning of the 14 Century, the city was abandoned, as was its glory and prosperity of over 2000 years. Miraculously, owing to the arid climate and remote location, the ancient city of Jiaohe remains intact, leaving us a rare exemplar of an earthen castle.
Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves

The Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves, 48 kilometers northeast of the Turpan urban area, are located in the Flaming Mountains' MuTou valley. As Buddhism was the first religion from abroad introduced to this area, Xinjiang witnessed the earliest development of Buddhist cave art in China. Soon after the religion's establishment in the region, Turpan became the Buddhist center on the Silk Road owing to its geographic location. Among the Buddhist caves found in Turpan, Bizalkik Thousand Buddha Caves are considered most valuable.
They were called the ningrong grottoes in the Tang Dynasty. There are 77 numbered grottoes, about 40 of which still have murals in them. The group of grottoes in Bizaklik, with a total of 1,200 square meters of murals, has the most grottoes, most diversified architectural styles and the richest mural content in the Turpan area. The oldest grottoes were hewn in the period of qushi gaochang. From the Tang Dynasty in the thirteenth century, it was an important Buddhist gathering place. Its most prosperous period was under the reign of the xizhou huigu government, which built the royal temple of the king of huigu on this site. Most of the existing grottoes were extended or reconstructed during the huigu period.
Bizaklik Caves was the royal temple of Huihu (the predecessor of today's Uygur) State and the existing caves were enlarged or renovated during that time. The murals take us back to the ancient Huihu State, where we can see the King and Queen and people from all walks of life. The inscriptions, written in ancient Uygur, Chinese and other languages, provide authentic reference for valuable historic research.
The most exceptionally rare mural topics in Bizaklik Caves are found in Caves No.16 and 17. Cave No.16 depicts a musician playing Xiao Hu Lei-- a lute-like instrument originating from southern China's Yunnan province. This strengthens the belief that cultural exchange between northern and southern China was unprecedented during Tang Dynasty.
In addition to the murals and inscriptions, a piece of gold foil wrapping paper found at the caves is also intriguing. A stamp on it revealed the address of the shop on the south side of Tiahelou Street, Hangzhou, Zhejiang of Song Dynasty. It also advised clients to examine their goods carefully before purchase to avoid being cheated. As an apparent piece of advertisement, the foil shows that Gaochang Huihu kept close economic ties with Song Dynasty as the trade extended as far as to the East China Sea.
Emin Minaret

Emin Minaret, 3km (2 miles) east of central Turpan is the largest extant old tower in Xinjiang; it is the only Islamic tower among the hundred famous towers in China. Construction of this religious tower and mosque complex began in 1777 at the request of the then ruler of Turpan Emin Khoja. He was an outstanding patriot who defended the unification of China throughout his life. He had eight sons but the eldest son died of illness at a young age. Influenced by Emin, all his remaining sons made contributions during the war against Jungar rebellions. It was Suleman, Emin's second son, who built this minaret with his own money. This is the reason why the minaret is also named Su Gong Ta. Upon Emin's death, Suleman inherited his father's rank and became the second Turpan ruler.
Emin Minaret is made of sun-dried bricks and is decorated with delicate geometric and floral patterns. The adjoining mosque has a latticed ceiling and a domed sacred space, all supported by wooden pillars. From the top of the mosque there is a good view of the surrounding vineyards and mountains.
At the entrance to the minaret, two steles were set up. On one is a Chinese inscription that explains that the purpose of building the minaret was to show gratitude to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and to commemorate exploits of Emin Khoja while the Uygur inscription on the other stele gave thanks to Allah.
The historical background of Emin Minaret is underlined by the architectural significance. The 44-meter (144 feet) high minaret has no stories. From the base with a diameter of 10 meters (32.8 feet), the minaret tapers to an Islamic dome. In the center of the minaret is a brick-piled pillar with 72 steps around it spiraling to the top. There are 14 openings for ventilation and lighting, which are located in different directions and at various heights. On the top, there is an attic of 10 square meters (107 square feet) with large windows on the four sides through which the marvelous landscape could be admired. Unfortunately, tourists today cannot climb to the top due to the protection given to the minaret.
However, the unique exterior of the minaret will make up for this lack. The huge column made of grey bricks and earth would be dull if not for its decorative patterns. Smart Uygur architects used bricks to form 15 different patterns such as waves, flowers or rhombuses. What's more, the architects even took the surroundings into consideration. Set against the azure sky, silvery Tianshan Mountain and the scarlet Flaming Mountain , Emin Minaret displays a pristine but dignified air. Only when you look up at the minaret will you find how crystal blue and high the sky of Turpan is!
The Flaming Mountains



Grape Valley

On the western face of the Flaming Mountains, east of Turpan is the Grape Valley. It is a world of unique with vineyards and fruit trees. The Grape Valley of the Flaming Mountains, fifteen kilometers from the city center, is also a world of unique beauty, presenting a striking contrast with the hot, dry and barren outside. "...Grapes in Turpan grow up; Anarhan's heart is ecstatic..." This folk song of the last century is well known in China. Turpan, a place truly flowing with milk and honey in the Turki language, is famous for its fruits. Among them, grape is the most famous.
Every August the sweet air will herald the vintage. The best place to enjoy the grapes is Grape Valley. In the valley you will find a park as well as patios and outdoor tables where you can eat the grapes and other fruit or enjoy a delicious meal complemented by the locally produced wine. Every single grape is crystal and watery-some are as green as emerald; some as red as agate, some as small as pearls while others are like olives. Among dozens of kinds of grapes, Wuhebai (white seedless) grape is reputed as a green pearl with the sugar content as much as 22%.
Karez Irrigation System

Karez irrigation systems are the crystallization of ancient people's diligence and intelligence. Without the Karez, there would be no Turpan culture.
The history of the karez, which have mainly been used in the Hami and Turpan areas of Xinjiang, where it is hot and dry, dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.). It is considered one of the three great projects of ancient China, along with the Great Wall and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
The karez system consists of four parts: a hole as deep as 50 to 60 meters, an underground canal, an aboveground canal and a small reservoir. It has many advantages, such as little evaporation from season to season and little percolation and can provide a stable water supply that does not consume energy or cause pollution.
Wandering underground over 5,000 kilometers, the system has also been called "the underground Great Wall."
Karez systems also functions as the natural air conditioner for the locals because they can sit in one while chatting or doing some chores. When exhausted during the scorching weather, sitting in a Karez, picking some grapes as they hang over the vertical wells and savoring their taste, you will be thoroughly refreshed.
Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs

The Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs are the Living Archives of Gaochang.This Tang-dynasty burial ground known as the "Underground Museum" attracts stream of archaeologists both at home and abroad. It provides some very valuable and fascinating artifacts such as tomb figures of wood, wall paint, ceramics, and documents and silk which were as well-preserved and as colorful as new ones by the hot and dry atmosphere. Astana means "capital" in Uygur and Karakhoja is the name of a legendary hero of the ancient Uygur Kingdom who expelled the evils by killing a vicious dragon.
The tombs are located 42 km (26miles) southeast of Turpan city and 6 km (3.7miles) from the Ancient City of Gaochang. The tombs range 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) from north to south and 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from east to west. The tombs were the public cemetery of the ancient Gaochang residents, both aristocrats and commoners. However, curiously, among the excavated 456 tombs the tomb of King Gaochang has been found nowhere in the tombs. According to the documentation buried with them, the era must have been between 273 and 778. The outsides of the tombs are shaped like small low hills, sloping down towards to the grave rooms. The tomb design appears from the sky to be like a "Jia" shape of Chinese character. Three tombs among them are open to visitors.

Highlights
Yonghegong Lamasery

Yonghegong Lamasery is a well-known lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism, which is located at the northeast part of Beijing. It was originally built in 1694 as the residence of Emperor Yongzheng of Qing (1644-1911 A.D.) before his ascent of the throne. And after his death, it was renamed Yonghegong. His successor Emperor Qianlong then rebuilt Yonghegong into an imperial palace with its turquoise tiles replaced by yellow tiles (yellow was the imperial color in the Qing Dynasty). In 1744, it became a lamasery. From then on, large numbers of monks from Mongolia and Tibet and national center of lama administration live in there.
As an imperial palace, the layout of the temple differentiated from other temples. The main gate faces to the south. There are five main halls and annex connected by courtyards on its 480-meter-long north-south axis, including a glaze-tiled arch, Gate of Peace (Zhaotaimen), Buddha's Warrior Hall (Tianwangdian), which was formerly the entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace, Hall of Harmony and Peace (Yonghegong), Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian), Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) and Pavilion of Eternal Happiness (Wanfuge).
When you are walking through the grand glaze-tile arch patterned with decorative dragons and flowers in the first court, you will reach a three-arch gate - the Gate of Peace. In ancient times, the central passageway was for emperors. On each side of the second court next to the Gate of Peace stand the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. Two pavilions stand symmetrically on opposite to the north. If you want to know more about the temple's history, you can have a look at the inscriptions of Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan engraved on steles.
The Buddha's Warrior Hall, also known as the Hall of Heavenly Kings, is the former entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace. The hall Maitreya (Happy Buddha) was always used to greet visitors, which has a smiling face with a sandalwood pagoda on each side. Many small Buddhist images, symbolizing longevity, stand on the pagoda. Therefore, the pagoda is the Longevity Pagoda. There are four fearsome-looking Heavenly Kings or Celestial Guardians on both sides of Maitreya's shrine.
On the way to the Hall of Harmony and Peace stands a marble-based bronze incense-burner. With decorations of two dragons playing with a pearl on its six opens, it is 4.2 meters in height. Afterwards there is the Mount Sumeru, a bronze sculpture of Ming (1368-1644A.D.), representing the center of the world. On the top of it there lies a legendary paradise where Sakyamuni and men of moral integrity live after death; in the middle the dwellings of humans and below devils abide in hell.
The Hall of Harmony and Peace is formerly a place for the emperor Yongzheng to hold meetings. It was also called Mahavira Hall or Daxiongbaodian in Buddhism. Mahavira here is an honorable title of Sakyamuni in Chinese. Sakyamuni is on the altar, with Buddha of the Present in the middle with Buddha of the Past Yeja and the Buddha of the Future Maitreya on each side. On each side of the hall stand Statues of 18 Arhats. It is said that 18 Arhats were the disciples of Samkyamuni to diffuse Buddhism. The painting that you can find on the western wall is a Bodhisattva.
The Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian) and the Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) are right behind the Hall of the Harmony and Peace, where enshrines a bronze image of Tsong Kapa -- founder of the Yellow Hat Sect. With 5 gold-plating pagodas, the golden-roofed Falundian was the place where lamas assemble to have religious activities. There is a 6-meter-high gilded bronze statue of Tsong Kapa on a lotus seat in the center of the hall.
Now there are nearly 70 lamas living in this temple. If you go there, you will find that regular religious activities are still practiced. More lamas can be seen coming here in the festival for lamas or Lamaism.
Old Beijing Hutongs

The numerous old hutongs are the distinguished features of Beijing. They symbolize the traditional community with small lanes, alleys and Siheyuan (quadrangle). The life of local people in these old hutongs makes this ancient capital look more charming. Wandering along these small lanes, you can see many quadrangles, called Siheyuan in Chinese, which are the residential quarters of natives. No one knows the exact number of these hutongs there are in Beijing.

Great Wall

It is without doubt that the Great Wall is the greatest of civil engineering project of defense in ancient China. With its gigantic scale and difficulties in its construction, it is regarded as one of the great wonders in the history of mankind. The Great Wall is really the glory of the Chinese nation, which symbolizes the ancient culture and the long-standing history of China. Stretching over the mountain ranges, it proudly shows its magnificence to us. So to speak, the Great Wall has witnessed the rises and falls of innumerable dynasties and changes on the earth. At present, though the Great Wall is no longer served as a work of military defense against harassment and invasion. It still plays an important role in linking the Chinese people with the people of the rest of the world. It is one of the great bridges that build up friendship between different peoples.
The Great Wall is starting from the Old Dragon Head of the Shanhai Pass at the seaside in the east to a distance of 10,000 li (1 kilometer= 2 lis) in the west. Snaking along the north of China, it crosses three provinces, two municipalities and two autonomous regions. It is about 6,300 kilometers long, an equivalent of about 3,915 miles.
The present-day Great Wall originated from the early ancient Chinese history. During the time of Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), in the purpose of defending themselves and against the infringement from the neighboring states, all the principal states had the walls built in the bordering areas of the territories. For example, the three states of Qin, Zhao and Yan had high walls and fortresses built along their northern frontiers to ward off the harassment by the Huns (an ancient nomadic tribe in China) from the north. In 221 B.C., the whole China was unified by the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty to defeat the six other ducal states. The emperor gave order to link up all the walls built by the former ducal states along the northern frontiers to prevent disturbing and attacking by the Huns. And these walls form the world famous “10,000-li Great Wall”. From generation to generation, the succeeding dynasties kept on the work of maintenance and repairs or having parts reconstructed time and again. Among them, the greatest project on scale in the old days of China was carried out in the Han and Ming dynasties.
Throughout history, the Great Wall is served as the traditional defensive project. It is mainly composed by passes, walls, watchtowers and beacon towers. Builders were forced to rely upon local materials for the wall inched across the Chinese wilderness. For example, some wall was built with tamped-earth, some with stone, some with tamped mixture of reed, red willow, and sands, and some with bricks outside and stuffed earth and sands inside. The walls we see today are mainly Ming walls, primary made of stone and bricks. The key parts of the military construction are Watchtowers. They are very close to each other, among which brick towers could be two or three storeys. There is a small room on the top of the tower, surrounded by battlements. The watchtower was also used to station soldiers or store food and weapons. Thousands of passes stretch along the Great Wall. Some are between the mountains, some between the mountains and rivers, and some between the mountains and sea. During the wars, passes are the strongholds by acting as the gateways of transportation. Beacon towers are used for communicating, which can deliver the emergent military messages in a very short time.
Just like the symbol of China—dragon, the Great Wall snakes from east to west on the Oriental. Nowadays, five sections of the Great Wall are opened to public in Beijing, including Badaling section, Juyong Pass section, Mutianyu section, Jinshanling section and Simatai section.
Badaling Section
Badaling section is the outstanding part of the Great Wall. Lying in the Yanqing District, sixty kilometers northwest of Beijing, it gives vital protection for the Juyong Pass, which is one of the key passes of the Great Wall. According to its strategic importance of commanding, Badaling section is known as "giving access to every direction", which gains it the name Badaling.
Badaling was built in an early time in the ancient Chinese history. During Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period, defensive wall was constructed along the Yanshan Range to resist the marauding of the nomadic tribes. Since then the following dynasties continued to fortify the Badaling section. The wall we see today was constructed in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.) along the ridges of mountains. The construction lasted about a hundred years long from 1505, the 18th year of Emperor Hongzhi, to the reign of Emperor Wanli.
The huge Badaling wall was strongly and firmly built. It was based on the foundation of granite slabs, surrounded by a facing of kiln-fired bricks, and covered with bricks on the top. All stuffed with pulverized lime, the slots could enable the wall to be smooth. The height of the wall is 8.5 meters. It is 6.5 meters wide at the bottom and 5.7 meters wide on the top, making it possible for 5 horses or 10 people march abreast on the top. Watchtowers are 0.5 or 1 kilometer apart from each other, which were full of vigor and grandeur, and orderly spotted the wall. The battlements and embrasures of the watchtower were in good condition in wartime. The wall winds its way along the ridge of the Jundu Mountain, rising abruptly to the peaks of each side of the Badaling. You will be amazed by its seemingly endlessness. It stretches far away into the remoteness. The wall of Badaling is 3, 741 meters long.
Among all the parts of the whole Great Wall, Badaling was the earliest section to be open to the tourists. Badaling has received 130 million tourists home and abroad. Among them, there are 370 foreign leaders and very important persons who have come to climb Badaling successively.
Mutianyu Section
Mutianyu section is 75 kilometers northeast of Beijing. Lies in Huairou District, it links Juyong Pass in the west with Gubeikou Pass in the east. Mutianyu section is called as the Majestic Pass on Precipitous Mountains, commanding its strategic importance.
Because of its relatively gentle terrain, watchtowers of Mutianyu section were built in large numbers to strengthen its defensive functions. The closest watchtowers are less than 50 meters apart from each other. Both arms of the Mutianyu section stretch upwards along the ridges of continuous mountains. On the foundation of the Ming Dynasty wall The Mutianyu section was mainly built on precipitous mountains and 5-7 meters high. It is featured with a thick cluster of watchtowers atop, strategic passed, majestic vigor and unique structure. In this section, the gate tower is the most unique building.
Simatai Section
Simatai Section lies in the Miyun County, 120 kilometers away from Beijing. It started from Wangjing Tower in the east and connected with Jinshanling section in the west. Without hordes of other tourists, it is a largely unrestored and more authentic section of the Great Wall.
Simatai section was constructed during the early years of Ming Emperor Hongwu. It is said that there was a renovation applying from 1569 to 1573. It was mainly built along the ridge of the mountains because of its location in the mountainous area. Featuring in uniqueness, ruggedness and trimness, it perfectly coordinates with the undulating terrain, which makes it more majestic and magnificent. Simatai reservoir is situated at the foot of the central part of the Simatai section, which is 600-700 meters long with the storage capacity of 50,000 cubic meters.
Simatai section is considered to be the most wonderful part of the Great Wall. Taking good advantage of the fluctuating terrain, the walls and watchtowers constitute the most essential part of the wall. It is famous for its precipitous cliffs, magnificent towers, suspension walls and rugged stairways. If you are looking from distance, you may find that the Great Wall is just like a flying dragon in the cloud. However, when you stand nearby, the wall stretches its arms along the ridges of mountains. All these make it the most amazing part of the Great Wall.
Jinshanling Section
The Jinshanling Great Wall was initially built from 1368 to 1389 in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and in 1567 and 1570 rebuilding of the Wall was mainly directed by General Qi Jiguang (1528-1588). Poems and tablet writings can be found on the Jinshanling Great Wall left from the time when Qi Jiguang directed the rebuilding of this section of the Great Wall. Continue to read more on the Great Wall history. Jinshanling is connected to the Simatai Great Wall in the east and the Panlongshan Great Wall in the west. Jinshanling has probably the highest frequency of towers per kilometer of any place along the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. It also has one of the greatest varieties of architectural and defensive styles of both wall and towers.
The total length of this section is about 11 kilometers (6.8 miles). The Wall is about 7 meters high and 5 meters wide, and is made of brick and stone. The Jinshanling Great Wall has an elevation of 700 meters. There are more than 100 watch towers along the Jinshanling Great Wall. ‘Watching Beijing Tower’ is on the highest point, from which you can see Beijing. The Jinshanling Great Wall is second only to the Badaling Great Wall in its completeness.
Tian’anmen Square

Tian’anmen(Gate of Heavenly Peace), situated at the center of Beijing meaning in English, symbolizes the People's Republic of China. Built in 1417, it was formally called Chengtianmen (Gate of Heavenly Succession). At that time, it was the front gate of the Imperial City. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, the uprising farmers led by Li Zicheng entered the city, but later when the Qing army marched upon Beijing, the Chengtianmen was destroyed under the crossfire. In 1651, it was rebuilt and named "Tian'anmen".
The Tian'anmen Rostrum, as a place to hold ceremonies of great importance, such as promulgating an imperial edict conferring the title of a queen, or announcing a newly enthroned emperor, was made known to the public all over the country. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was popular to hold the Imperial Exam system for choosing high-ranking officials by way of a palace examination, which supervised by the emperor himself. If the examinees ranked the first three, they would be entitled. What’s more, they would have the honor to be granted an audience by the emperor two days after the examination. On that day they would be called in to see the emperor in turn in the Tian'anmen Rostrum.
There is a square running 880 meters from south to north and 500 meters from east to west in front of the Tian'anmen Rostrum. It is the Tian'anmen Square – the very center of Beijing. Tian'anmen Square is the largest city square in the world with an area of 44 hectares.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Tian'anmen Square was a piece of land in front of the Imperial Palace, an open space jetting out towards the south from the Tian'anmen Gate. It had a meaning of embodying the outstanding importance of the Tian'anmen Gate and the Imperial City. In the early days of the Ming Dynasty, a gate of brick and stone was built, which is right on the site of the present Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong, called Damingmen (Gate of the Great Ming). In the Qing Dynasty it was renamed as Daqingmen (Gate of Great Qing) and after 1911 Zhonghuamen (Gate of China). Later on, another two gates of brick and stone structure were built on each site of the avenue in front the gate. Surrounded by a newly built red wall, the area within the three gates formed a small square of only 11 hectares-- Tian'anmen Square.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, common people were forbidden to enter the Tian'anmen Square. And for the officials, when they entered the gate, they had to get off horses and proceed on foot into the palace. The government offices were lined outside the wall on the east and west. According to the traditional system, the civil service organizations were set in the eastern part of the square, and the military organizations in the west.
Old buildings in the Tian'anmen Square were put down after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. In 1957, the square expanded with an area of 44 hectares, which may hold 1 million people at a time. With Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall right behind, the Monument to the People's Heroes towered in the center of the square. To the east of the Square, there is the National Museum of China and to the west the Great Hall of People (National People's Congress building).
The Monument to the People's Heroes is the largest monument in China's history which was built in 1952. On this monument, you can see the words--"The People's Heroes are Immortal", which were written by Chairman Mao. The development of Chinese modern history and those who contributed their lives to the democratic progress are shown by the eight unusually large relief sculptures. The monument is enclosed by two rows of white marble railings. It seems very simple and beautiful.
At the south side of the Square is the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong. This Hall is consisted by three halls, among which our dear Chairman Mao's body lies in a crystal coffin in the halls surrounded by fresh bouquets of various famous flowers and grasses.
The Great Hall of the People is in the west of the Square. Constructed in 1959, this building is the site of the China National People's Congress meetings, which also provides an impressive site for other political and diplomatic activities. With twelve marble posts, the Hall includes three parts--the Central Hall, the Great Auditorium and a Banqueting Hall. The ceiling of the Central Hall is decorated with crystal lamps and the floor paved with marble. The Great Auditorium behind the Central Hall can hold 10,000 people, while the huge Banqueting Hall can seat 5,000.
At the east side of the Square stands the China National Museum, which is another important place for you to visit. Built in 2003, it is a mergence of China History Museum and China Revolutionary Museum. This National Museum is on the opposite of the Great Hall of the People. In the China Revolutionary Museum, there are a lot of material objects, pictures, books and models, presenting the development of modern China. A large number of cultural relics are exhibited in the China History Museum, illustrating the long history and glorious culture of China from 1,700,000 years ago to 1925 when the last emperor left the throne.
Forbidden City

The Palace Museum, the imperial palace in the Ming and Qing dynasties, is the largest and best-preserved palace complex in the world today. It is also called the Purple Forbidden City in Chinese. Its name, on one side, derives from ancient Chinese astronomers' belief that God's abode or the Purple Palace. The pivot of the celestial world, is situated in the Pole Star (the middle of the Ziwei Star), at the center of the heaven. Therefore, the son of God of Heaven--the emperor, should live in the Purple City. On the other side, without special orders of the emperor eunuchs and guards, ordinary citizens were not allowed entering the Forbidden City, except for palace maids. For this reason, palaces in the Ming and Qing dynasties are called both the Forbidden City and the Purple City. The Construction of the magnificent palace started in 1406, and ended in 1420. It took 14 years to complete the project. One year after completion, Emperor Yongle moved his capital from Nanjing to Beijing. Since then, 24 emperors have lived at the Forbidden City, 14 during the Ming Dynasty and 10 during the Qing Dynasty.
The Forbidden City covers an area of over 720,000 square meters, 750 meters wide and 960 meters long. And it has four great gates. The fabulous city, which is surrounded by a 52-meter-wide moat, has four delicate and lovely turrets overlooking both the inside and outside.
The Forbidden City has more than 8,700 wooden rooms, most of which have yellow-glazed tiles. It is a color that only emperors were allowed to use on their roof. From the northern Drum Tower and the Bell Tower to the Southern Gate of Everlasting Stability (Yongdingmen), these colorfully painted and embellished rooms are divided symmetrically into northern and southern halves. If you walk into the city, you will see the layers of halls and palaces spreading out on either side of a central axis. As the designations of the wise architectures, the splendid buildings represent the unique features of the traditional Chinese architecture and embody the incredible creativity of the ancient Chinese people. Reconstructed after being destroyed by several fires, this pearl of Chinese cultural heritage still retains its original arrangements of the Ming dynasty. Nowadays, most of the existing buildings open to visitors were reconstructed during the early Qing Dynasty.
In many ways the Forbidden City reveals ancient Confucian ideas, as it is generally designed to the principles of the Front court, Rear Market, Ancestral Sacrifice on the left and Altar on the right. Hence, the court was located in the southern or front section of the Forbidden City, where officials discussed political affairs. A large trading market was situated in the rear part of the city, providing daily necessities for the court. On the left side was the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where the emperor offered sacrifices to his ancestors. Nowadays, it is the Working People's Cultural Palace. On the right side was the Altar to the god of Land and Grain, where the emperor displayed his reverence to the god. This is now Zhongshan Park.
There are two courts in the Forbidden City: the Inner Court and the Outer Court. They are separated across the middle between the south and north ends. The Outer court is mainly composed by the Meridian Gate and the Three Front Halls, flanked by the Hall of Literary Glory (Wenhuadian) and the Hall of Martial Spirit (Wuyingdian), which witnessed various ceremonies and political activities during the Ming and Qing dynasties. While the inner court is mainly consisted by the Three Back Halls, Imperial Garden, Hall of Mental Cultivation and Palace of Abstinence, which are flanked by the Six East Halls and the Six West Halls. This was the place where the emperor was confronted with political affairs and was the residential area for the emperor and his empresses and concubines.
Compared with other contemporary palaces, the Forbidden City stressed more on balance and independence, and embodied more cultural perspectives of the specific ethnic group. Just as what was written in the book of History of Chinese Science by Joseph Needham, each part of the Forbidden City is in well balance and independence, which is just on the contrary to other palaces in the Renaissance Age. For the city, the Palace of Versailles is just acting as an object. The palace is an organic part of the whole city, combining deep deference to nature with lofty significance. As a tin far-reaching and complicated Chinese architecture, Great overall arrangements have reached the highest level, far above any other culture.
After the subversion of the Qing Dynasty by the Revolution of 1911, the last emperor Pu Yi was exiled to palaces at the rear of the Forbidden City. In 1914, the Three Great Halls in the Imperial Palace was opened as exhibition hall of antiquities. Ten years later, Feng Yuxiang staged a coup in Beijing and expelled the last emperor from the palace. Oct. 10, 1925 established The Palace Museum. And in 1961, the Forbidden City was listed as a place to be given special protection by the State Council. UNESCO listed it as World Cultural Heritage site in 1987.
The Forbidden City, as one of the world-famous royal palaces, has played an important role in the world architectural history. Many tourists both from home and abroad have been attracted by the almost 1 million rare treasures and cultural relics on exhibition there.
Summer Palace

Covering an area of 290 hectares in total, the Summer Palace spreads out some 15 kilometers away from the city center in the north western suburbs of Beijing. Three fourths of the palace is covered by a pool of water and the rest the land and hills.
The Summer Palace is the summer resort of the Qing royal family. Now it is the most intact, the best-preserved and the largest of its kind of the classical gardens in the country. Since the garden began to be built in 1153, it had undergone many a time reconstruction and renovation in the Yuan and Ming dynasties. In the period of Emperor Qianlong’s reign of the Qing Dynasty, it was still reconstructed in a large-scale. And this time was renamed the "Garden of Crystal Ripples". When it was completed in 1860, it suffered a severe destruction, led by the Anglo-French Allied Army, which brought it down to ashes. In 1886, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled the funds allocated for the building of the navy to rebuild it and renamed it the "Summer Palace". However, in 1900, it underwent destruction again by the Eight Powers Allied Forces. Later, the1903 saw its second-time rebuild.
On the 12th of October 1911, Empress Dowager Longyu was finally forced to promulgate the abdication of the royal power. However, according to the agreement between the Qing royal family and the republic government, the Summer Palace would still be kept in the hands of the Qing royal family, while yet to be opened to outside as private property by selling admission tickets. 1924 when Puyi was ousted, the Summer Palace was taken over by the republic government and changed to be a public park.
The Qing royal family stayed in the Forbidden City in spring, autumn and winter. And when it came to summer, they went to their summer resort –Summer Palace. Hence, the Summer Palace shares the same functional quarters as that in the Forbidden City. Among these quarters, the office quarter, the living quarter and the entertainment quarter formed the magnificent scenery in Summer Palace.
Through the East Palace Gate, there is the Hall of the Benevolence and Longevity. The emperor used to handle state affairs and listen to reports by ministers and receive foreign envoys in there. It was called the Hallo of Diligent Administration by Emperor Qianlong during his reign. In 1860, it was burnt down by the Anglo-French Army. Reconstructed In 1890, it was then renamed the "Hall of the Benevolence and Longevity". During the reigns of Emperors Tongzhi and Guangxu, Empress Dowager Cixi got the real power to rule the country, and she started to handle state affairs behind the screen.
The Hall of Jade Ripples and the Hall of Happiness and Longevity are the three parts of the living quarter. Guangxu used to live in the Hall of Jade Ripples Emperor in the Summer Palace. After his failure of the Reform Movement of 1898, Emperor Guangxu was put into house arrest here. Thus, it is also regarded as an exquisitely decorated jail.
Consisting of four rooms, the Hall of Happiness and Longevity used to be the residence for Empress Dowager Cixi. The Empress moves to the Summer Palace and stays there in the hall every year on the first day of the fourth month in the lunar calendar. And she won't return until the tenth of the tenth lunar month when she had celebrated her birthday there. In the Summer Palace, there are over 1,000 people dancing attendance on the Dowager. Among them, there are 48 in the Hall of Happiness and Longevity, of whom 20 are maids-in-waiting, 20 eunuchs of importance and another 8 are the "ladies-in-waiting" by her side, normally waiting in the room behind the precious throne to attend on her.
The Long Corridor, the starting point of entertainment quarter, is at the end of the courtyard of the Hall of Happiness and Longevity. It is 728 meters long with more than 14,000 traditional Chinese paintings on the beams and rafters. The four pavilions along the corridor represent the four seasons a year. The Marble Boat can be found at the end of the Long Corridor. The original Chinese style of it was burnt down by the Anglo-French Army in 1860. In 1893, it was rebuilt into one of a western style, imitating a steam ship with two water-wheelers. In 1903 Empress Dowager Cixi built another storey of wooden structure with the decoration of colored pieces of glass. The construction of this immovable boat was to symbolize the stable and consolidated rule of the Qing regime just like a large piece of rock. It would stand still forever in the vast ocean and would, under no circumstances whatsoever be wavered or toppled.
Occupying three fourths of the total area of the Summer Palace, Kunming Lake plays important role in the adjustment of the temperature in the garden. Taking a walk in the Long Corridor and a dragon boat on the lake, you will have a wonderful feeling that you were the emperor and empress in ancient China.
Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven stands in the southern part of Beijing. It was used to be the house ceremonies of emperors of worshipping heaven and praying for harvest in the Ming and Qing dynasties. This altar temple remains to be the largest existing ancient sacrificial structures across the world, more important than other three major temples, i.e. Altar to the Earth, Altar to the Sun and Altar to the Moon.
The Temple of Heaven was built in 1407 and the construction of the project took 14 years. Covering an area of 273 hectares, with two surrounding rings walls, it is four times bigger than the Forbidden City. The wall, stretching from north to south, is as long as 1,657 meters and that from east to west 1,703 meters. The outer wall is 6,553 meters in circumference while the inner wall measures 4,152 meters in perimeter.
To pray for good harvests and fine rain, emperors did regular worshipping and offered sacrifices to heaven. And the Temple of Heaven was used to the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties went and worshipped the heaven twice (and sometimes three times) a year. In the past, the tradition went that sacrifices were offered to heaven and earth in one place only. But in 1530 when the Temple of Earth was built in the north of the city, the Temple of Heaven was ever since used specially for offering sacrifices to heaven alone.
The Temple of Heaven is consisted by three sections, named the Circular Mound Altar, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, attached with some affiliated buildings like Dressing Platform, Long Corridor and Echo Wall.
The Circular Mound Altar was first constructed in 1530. In ancient China, to some extend, the altar was a place that even more important than the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The emperor would come to offer sacrifices to heaven on the altar every year on the day of the Winter Solstice. For this reason, the altar was rebuilt into a circular one in 1749. Built in the open air without shelter, the sacrificial ceremony was being held right under heaven. Therefore, it was called "Luji", or the "open air offering of sacrifices".
The Imperial Vault of Heaven was first built in 1530 as a main building in the south of the Temple of Heaven. At first, it was called "Taishendian" or the Hall for Pacifying Gods, but later changed into the present name. In 1752, the building was rebuilt into one of a single eave, which used to have double eaves. Standing 19.5 meters high and of 15.6 meters in diameter, the circular hall used to be an octagonal one in the past. The tablet of the Jade Emperor, the four stone platforms on both sides used to be for the tablets of the emperor’s ancestors of eight generations in succession, is consecrated on the central stone-platform in the Hall of Imperial Vault of Heaven.
Being of 32.72 meters in diameter, built on a three-tired platform, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests towers 38 meters' high with its eaves fanning out on three tiers, of which the upper one has a gold-plated knob on it. You will be amazed to see that such a heavy building was supported only by 28 wooden pillars with no single piece of reinforced concrete at all. The whole building was built by mortise and tenon joints without using a single nail. With each pillar in height of 19.2 meters, the four pillars in the center of the hall are called "Longjingzhu"--the Dragon Well Pillar. Only by joining hands together by two and half persons, can it be embraced. These four pillars indicate the four seasons of a year. You may find it more interesting that all pillars have their special meanings: the outside 12 pillars suggest 12 months in a year and another 12 pillars in the round wall symbolize the 12 two-hour periods of a day. And when you put the two 12 pillars together, the number you get is 24, which represents the 24 solar terms of a year. And when you add the four in the center of the hall to 24, you will get 28, which represents the 28 lunar mansions in the heaven above.
Since its first construction in 1420, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests has gone through several times of changes. At that moment, the hall was called "Dasidian"--the Hall of Grand Sacrifices, which was rectangular in shape. But in 1529, it was reconstructed into a round one with a roof of three tiers. And this time it was named "Daxiangdian"--the Hall of Grand Treatment to Heaven. Three different colors were painted in these roofs of three tiers. From the upper tier to the lower one, the colors are respectively blue, yellow and green. In 1752, these three colors were all changed into glazed tiles of dark blue. However, they were destroyed by lightning in 1889. And later in 1890, it was restored according to the original. In 2006, the whole building was renovated with all its paintings according to the same style as they done last time. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests has become the symbol of Beijing.
At present, the Temple of Heaven is very popular with tourist home and abroad. It is also an entertainment center for local people. If you go to the temple early in the morning, you will find many local people practicing Taiji, playing cards and Chinese chess and singing folk songs there.
Ming Tombs

Covering an area of 40 square kilometers with 13 Ming emperors buried, the Ming Tombs is situated at the southern foot of the Tianshou Mountain in Changping District in the north western suburban areas of Beijing. The construction of the imperial tombs had been going on ceaselessly from the year 1409 when Emperor Zhu Di started building his tomb to the fall of the Ming Dynasty in 1644, lasting a period over 200 years.
As many people know, there are 16 emperors in the Ming Dynasty. Among the 16 Ming emperors, 13 of them were buried in this tomb area, except for Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty who was buried in the Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing, Zhu Yunwen, who disappeared and Zhu Qiyu, who was buried at Jinshan Hill in the western suburbs of Beijing, all other. Therefore, this area was called the 13 Ming Tombs.
It was originally built only for Emperor Zhu Di and his empress, named Changling, which is the most magnificent tomb. The succeeding twelve emperors had their tombs built around Changling. At present, the two tombs opened to the public are Changling and Dingling.
Changling is the first Ming tomb built in this area. Hence, the axle line of Changling naturally became the axle line of the whole Ming Tombs. Along with the various tombs, the Stone Tablet House come together overall as a structurally and visually unified architectural accomplishment. Though these tombs were built in different periods, they were strategically planed and built in different stages. Each tomb has its own distinct adornments. However, the entire tomb area has a unified layout and style.
Zhu Di was the third emperor in the Ming Dynasty, who was buried together with his empress in Changling. During his 22-year of reign, he was, relatively speaking, an emperor who had made quite some achievements. For example, he determined to move the capital from Nanjing to Beijing in 1421. To some extend, the move itself was an expression of far-sightedness, for it was very important to strengthen the national defense and guard frontier areas. During the period from 1405 to 1424, Zheng He, also called Eunuch Sanbao, was sent by the emperor to fulfill a diplomatic mission which was on an ever larger and broader scale in Chinese history. He went six times on board across the sea to over 30 countries in Asia and Africa.
Completed in 1416, as the place for worshipping tablets of the emperor and empress and offering sacrifices to ancestors, the Hall of Eminent Favor is situated within the second compound of Changling. The Hall of Eminent Favor in Changling is the best-preserved among the ones of the 13 tombs, which duplicated the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City. It is a very precious relic of ancient China's wooden structures.
Dingling is the tomb for Emperor Zhu Yijun, named the tomb of Stability. It is said that he was buried together with his two empresses—Xiaoduan and Xiaojing. Ascending the throne at the age of 10, Zhu Yijun was died at 58 with a reign span of 48 years. Therefore he became the emperor with the longest time in power for in the Ming Dynasty. The construction of the Dingling tomb started in 1584. It took 6 years to bring the project to finish in 1590, covering an area of 180,000 square meters and costing 8 million taels of silver.
The Dingling began to be excavated in May 1956, which brought to light the mystery of the underground palaces of the Ming Tombs. Constructed with hard stone-slabs, with a total floor space of 1,195 square meters, the underground palace is composed by five beamless vaults, called the front, the middle, the rear and the two annexes on the right and the left. Carved out of white marble and the rear hall with the bier holding three coffins for the emperor and his two queens, three thrones were laid out in the middle vault. There are over 3,000 pieces of archeological findings unearthed from the tomb.
Yonghegong Lamasery

Yonghegong Lamasery is a well-known lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism, which is located at the northeast part of Beijing. It was originally built in 1694 as the residence of Emperor Yongzheng of Qing (1644-1911 A.D.) before his ascent of the throne. And after his death, it was renamed Yonghegong. His successor Emperor Qianlong then rebuilt Yonghegong into an imperial palace with its turquoise tiles replaced by yellow tiles (yellow was the imperial color in the Qing Dynasty). In 1744, it became a lamasery. From then on, large numbers of monks from Mongolia and Tibet and national center of lama administration live in there.
As an imperial palace, the layout of the temple differentiated from other temples. The main gate faces to the south. There are five main halls and annex connected by courtyards on its 480-meter-long north-south axis, including a glaze-tiled arch, Gate of Peace (Zhaotaimen), Buddha's Warrior Hall (Tianwangdian), which was formerly the entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace, Hall of Harmony and Peace (Yonghegong), Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian), Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) and Pavilion of Eternal Happiness (Wanfuge).
When you are walking through the grand glaze-tile arch patterned with decorative dragons and flowers in the first court, you will reach a three-arch gate - the Gate of Peace. In ancient times, the central passageway was for emperors. On each side of the second court next to the Gate of Peace stand the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. Two pavilions stand symmetrically on opposite to the north. If you want to know more about the temple's history, you can have a look at the inscriptions of Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan engraved on steles.
The Buddha's Warrior Hall, also known as the Hall of Heavenly Kings, is the former entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace. The hall Maitreya (Happy Buddha) was always used to greet visitors, which has a smiling face with a sandalwood pagoda on each side. Many small Buddhist images, symbolizing longevity, stand on the pagoda. Therefore, the pagoda is the Longevity Pagoda. There are four fearsome-looking Heavenly Kings or Celestial Guardians on both sides of Maitreya's shrine.
On the way to the Hall of Harmony and Peace stands a marble-based bronze incense-burner. With decorations of two dragons playing with a pearl on its six opens, it is 4.2 meters in height. Afterwards there is the Mount Sumeru, a bronze sculpture of Ming (1368-1644A.D.), representing the center of the world. On the top of it there lies a legendary paradise where Sakyamuni and men of moral integrity live after death; in the middle the dwellings of humans and below devils abide in hell.
The Hall of Harmony and Peace is formerly a place for the emperor Yongzheng to hold meetings. It was also called Mahavira Hall or Daxiongbaodian in Buddhism. Mahavira here is an honorable title of Sakyamuni in Chinese. Sakyamuni is on the altar, with Buddha of the Present in the middle with Buddha of the Past Yeja and the Buddha of the Future Maitreya on each side. On each side of the hall stand Statues of 18 Arhats. It is said that 18 Arhats were the disciples of Samkyamuni to diffuse Buddhism. The painting that you can find on the western wall is a Bodhisattva.
The Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian) and the Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) are right behind the Hall of the Harmony and Peace, where enshrines a bronze image of Tsong Kapa -- founder of the Yellow Hat Sect. With 5 gold-plating pagodas, the golden-roofed Falundian was the place where lamas assemble to have religious activities. There is a 6-meter-high gilded bronze statue of Tsong Kapa on a lotus seat in the center of the hall.
Now there are nearly 70 lamas living in this temple. If you go there, you will find that regular religious activities are still practiced. More lamas can be seen coming here in the festival for lamas or Lamaism.
Old Beijing Hutongs

The numerous old hutongs are the distinguished features of Beijing. They symbolize the traditional community with small lanes, alleys and Siheyuan (quadrangle). The life of local people in these old hutongs makes this ancient capital look more charming. Wandering along these small lanes, you can see many quadrangles, called Siheyuan in Chinese, which are the residential quarters of natives. No one knows the exact number of these hutongs there are in Beijing.

Great Wall

It is without doubt that the Great Wall is the greatest of civil engineering project of defense in ancient China. With its gigantic scale and difficulties in its construction, it is regarded as one of the great wonders in the history of mankind. The Great Wall is really the glory of the Chinese nation, which symbolizes the ancient culture and the long-standing history of China. Stretching over the mountain ranges, it proudly shows its magnificence to us. So to speak, the Great Wall has witnessed the rises and falls of innumerable dynasties and changes on the earth. At present, though the Great Wall is no longer served as a work of military defense against harassment and invasion. It still plays an important role in linking the Chinese people with the people of the rest of the world. It is one of the great bridges that build up friendship between different peoples.
The Great Wall is starting from the Old Dragon Head of the Shanhai Pass at the seaside in the east to a distance of 10,000 li (1 kilometer= 2 lis) in the west. Snaking along the north of China, it crosses three provinces, two municipalities and two autonomous regions. It is about 6,300 kilometers long, an equivalent of about 3,915 miles.
The present-day Great Wall originated from the early ancient Chinese history. During the time of Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), in the purpose of defending themselves and against the infringement from the neighboring states, all the principal states had the walls built in the bordering areas of the territories. For example, the three states of Qin, Zhao and Yan had high walls and fortresses built along their northern frontiers to ward off the harassment by the Huns (an ancient nomadic tribe in China) from the north. In 221 B.C., the whole China was unified by the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty to defeat the six other ducal states. The emperor gave order to link up all the walls built by the former ducal states along the northern frontiers to prevent disturbing and attacking by the Huns. And these walls form the world famous “10,000-li Great Wall”. From generation to generation, the succeeding dynasties kept on the work of maintenance and repairs or having parts reconstructed time and again. Among them, the greatest project on scale in the old days of China was carried out in the Han and Ming dynasties.
Throughout history, the Great Wall is served as the traditional defensive project. It is mainly composed by passes, walls, watchtowers and beacon towers. Builders were forced to rely upon local materials for the wall inched across the Chinese wilderness. For example, some wall was built with tamped-earth, some with stone, some with tamped mixture of reed, red willow, and sands, and some with bricks outside and stuffed earth and sands inside. The walls we see today are mainly Ming walls, primary made of stone and bricks. The key parts of the military construction are Watchtowers. They are very close to each other, among which brick towers could be two or three storeys. There is a small room on the top of the tower, surrounded by battlements. The watchtower was also used to station soldiers or store food and weapons. Thousands of passes stretch along the Great Wall. Some are between the mountains, some between the mountains and rivers, and some between the mountains and sea. During the wars, passes are the strongholds by acting as the gateways of transportation. Beacon towers are used for communicating, which can deliver the emergent military messages in a very short time.
Just like the symbol of China—dragon, the Great Wall snakes from east to west on the Oriental. Nowadays, five sections of the Great Wall are opened to public in Beijing, including Badaling section, Juyong Pass section, Mutianyu section, Jinshanling section and Simatai section.
Badaling Section
Badaling section is the outstanding part of the Great Wall. Lying in the Yanqing District, sixty kilometers northwest of Beijing, it gives vital protection for the Juyong Pass, which is one of the key passes of the Great Wall. According to its strategic importance of commanding, Badaling section is known as "giving access to every direction", which gains it the name Badaling.
Badaling was built in an early time in the ancient Chinese history. During Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period, defensive wall was constructed along the Yanshan Range to resist the marauding of the nomadic tribes. Since then the following dynasties continued to fortify the Badaling section. The wall we see today was constructed in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.) along the ridges of mountains. The construction lasted about a hundred years long from 1505, the 18th year of Emperor Hongzhi, to the reign of Emperor Wanli.
The huge Badaling wall was strongly and firmly built. It was based on the foundation of granite slabs, surrounded by a facing of kiln-fired bricks, and covered with bricks on the top. All stuffed with pulverized lime, the slots could enable the wall to be smooth. The height of the wall is 8.5 meters. It is 6.5 meters wide at the bottom and 5.7 meters wide on the top, making it possible for 5 horses or 10 people march abreast on the top. Watchtowers are 0.5 or 1 kilometer apart from each other, which were full of vigor and grandeur, and orderly spotted the wall. The battlements and embrasures of the watchtower were in good condition in wartime. The wall winds its way along the ridge of the Jundu Mountain, rising abruptly to the peaks of each side of the Badaling. You will be amazed by its seemingly endlessness. It stretches far away into the remoteness. The wall of Badaling is 3, 741 meters long.
Among all the parts of the whole Great Wall, Badaling was the earliest section to be open to the tourists. Badaling has received 130 million tourists home and abroad. Among them, there are 370 foreign leaders and very important persons who have come to climb Badaling successively.
Mutianyu Section
Mutianyu section is 75 kilometers northeast of Beijing. Lies in Huairou District, it links Juyong Pass in the west with Gubeikou Pass in the east. Mutianyu section is called as the Majestic Pass on Precipitous Mountains, commanding its strategic importance.
Because of its relatively gentle terrain, watchtowers of Mutianyu section were built in large numbers to strengthen its defensive functions. The closest watchtowers are less than 50 meters apart from each other. Both arms of the Mutianyu section stretch upwards along the ridges of continuous mountains. On the foundation of the Ming Dynasty wall The Mutianyu section was mainly built on precipitous mountains and 5-7 meters high. It is featured with a thick cluster of watchtowers atop, strategic passed, majestic vigor and unique structure. In this section, the gate tower is the most unique building.
Simatai Section
Simatai Section lies in the Miyun County, 120 kilometers away from Beijing. It started from Wangjing Tower in the east and connected with Jinshanling section in the west. Without hordes of other tourists, it is a largely unrestored and more authentic section of the Great Wall.
Simatai section was constructed during the early years of Ming Emperor Hongwu. It is said that there was a renovation applying from 1569 to 1573. It was mainly built along the ridge of the mountains because of its location in the mountainous area. Featuring in uniqueness, ruggedness and trimness, it perfectly coordinates with the undulating terrain, which makes it more majestic and magnificent. Simatai reservoir is situated at the foot of the central part of the Simatai section, which is 600-700 meters long with the storage capacity of 50,000 cubic meters.
Simatai section is considered to be the most wonderful part of the Great Wall. Taking good advantage of the fluctuating terrain, the walls and watchtowers constitute the most essential part of the wall. It is famous for its precipitous cliffs, magnificent towers, suspension walls and rugged stairways. If you are looking from distance, you may find that the Great Wall is just like a flying dragon in the cloud. However, when you stand nearby, the wall stretches its arms along the ridges of mountains. All these make it the most amazing part of the Great Wall.
Jinshanling Section
The Jinshanling Great Wall was initially built from 1368 to 1389 in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and in 1567 and 1570 rebuilding of the Wall was mainly directed by General Qi Jiguang (1528-1588). Poems and tablet writings can be found on the Jinshanling Great Wall left from the time when Qi Jiguang directed the rebuilding of this section of the Great Wall. Continue to read more on the Great Wall history. Jinshanling is connected to the Simatai Great Wall in the east and the Panlongshan Great Wall in the west. Jinshanling has probably the highest frequency of towers per kilometer of any place along the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. It also has one of the greatest varieties of architectural and defensive styles of both wall and towers.
The total length of this section is about 11 kilometers (6.8 miles). The Wall is about 7 meters high and 5 meters wide, and is made of brick and stone. The Jinshanling Great Wall has an elevation of 700 meters. There are more than 100 watch towers along the Jinshanling Great Wall. ‘Watching Beijing Tower’ is on the highest point, from which you can see Beijing. The Jinshanling Great Wall is second only to the Badaling Great Wall in its completeness.
Tian’anmen Square

Tian’anmen(Gate of Heavenly Peace), situated at the center of Beijing meaning in English, symbolizes the People's Republic of China. Built in 1417, it was formally called Chengtianmen (Gate of Heavenly Succession). At that time, it was the front gate of the Imperial City. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, the uprising farmers led by Li Zicheng entered the city, but later when the Qing army marched upon Beijing, the Chengtianmen was destroyed under the crossfire. In 1651, it was rebuilt and named "Tian'anmen".
The Tian'anmen Rostrum, as a place to hold ceremonies of great importance, such as promulgating an imperial edict conferring the title of a queen, or announcing a newly enthroned emperor, was made known to the public all over the country. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was popular to hold the Imperial Exam system for choosing high-ranking officials by way of a palace examination, which supervised by the emperor himself. If the examinees ranked the first three, they would be entitled. What’s more, they would have the honor to be granted an audience by the emperor two days after the examination. On that day they would be called in to see the emperor in turn in the Tian'anmen Rostrum.
There is a square running 880 meters from south to north and 500 meters from east to west in front of the Tian'anmen Rostrum. It is the Tian'anmen Square – the very center of Beijing. Tian'anmen Square is the largest city square in the world with an area of 44 hectares.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Tian'anmen Square was a piece of land in front of the Imperial Palace, an open space jetting out towards the south from the Tian'anmen Gate. It had a meaning of embodying the outstanding importance of the Tian'anmen Gate and the Imperial City. In the early days of the Ming Dynasty, a gate of brick and stone was built, which is right on the site of the present Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong, called Damingmen (Gate of the Great Ming). In the Qing Dynasty it was renamed as Daqingmen (Gate of Great Qing) and after 1911 Zhonghuamen (Gate of China). Later on, another two gates of brick and stone structure were built on each site of the avenue in front the gate. Surrounded by a newly built red wall, the area within the three gates formed a small square of only 11 hectares-- Tian'anmen Square.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, common people were forbidden to enter the Tian'anmen Square. And for the officials, when they entered the gate, they had to get off horses and proceed on foot into the palace. The government offices were lined outside the wall on the east and west. According to the traditional system, the civil service organizations were set in the eastern part of the square, and the military organizations in the west.
Old buildings in the Tian'anmen Square were put down after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. In 1957, the square expanded with an area of 44 hectares, which may hold 1 million people at a time. With Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall right behind, the Monument to the People's Heroes towered in the center of the square. To the east of the Square, there is the National Museum of China and to the west the Great Hall of People (National People's Congress building).
The Monument to the People's Heroes is the largest monument in China's history which was built in 1952. On this monument, you can see the words--"The People's Heroes are Immortal", which were written by Chairman Mao. The development of Chinese modern history and those who contributed their lives to the democratic progress are shown by the eight unusually large relief sculptures. The monument is enclosed by two rows of white marble railings. It seems very simple and beautiful.
At the south side of the Square is the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong. This Hall is consisted by three halls, among which our dear Chairman Mao's body lies in a crystal coffin in the halls surrounded by fresh bouquets of various famous flowers and grasses.
The Great Hall of the People is in the west of the Square. Constructed in 1959, this building is the site of the China National People's Congress meetings, which also provides an impressive site for other political and diplomatic activities. With twelve marble posts, the Hall includes three parts--the Central Hall, the Great Auditorium and a Banqueting Hall. The ceiling of the Central Hall is decorated with crystal lamps and the floor paved with marble. The Great Auditorium behind the Central Hall can hold 10,000 people, while the huge Banqueting Hall can seat 5,000.
At the east side of the Square stands the China National Museum, which is another important place for you to visit. Built in 2003, it is a mergence of China History Museum and China Revolutionary Museum. This National Museum is on the opposite of the Great Hall of the People. In the China Revolutionary Museum, there are a lot of material objects, pictures, books and models, presenting the development of modern China. A large number of cultural relics are exhibited in the China History Museum, illustrating the long history and glorious culture of China from 1,700,000 years ago to 1925 when the last emperor left the throne.
Forbidden City

The Palace Museum, the imperial palace in the Ming and Qing dynasties, is the largest and best-preserved palace complex in the world today. It is also called the Purple Forbidden City in Chinese. Its name, on one side, derives from ancient Chinese astronomers' belief that God's abode or the Purple Palace. The pivot of the celestial world, is situated in the Pole Star (the middle of the Ziwei Star), at the center of the heaven. Therefore, the son of God of Heaven--the emperor, should live in the Purple City. On the other side, without special orders of the emperor eunuchs and guards, ordinary citizens were not allowed entering the Forbidden City, except for palace maids. For this reason, palaces in the Ming and Qing dynasties are called both the Forbidden City and the Purple City. The Construction of the magnificent palace started in 1406, and ended in 1420. It took 14 years to complete the project. One year after completion, Emperor Yongle moved his capital from Nanjing to Beijing. Since then, 24 emperors have lived at the Forbidden City, 14 during the Ming Dynasty and 10 during the Qing Dynasty.
The Forbidden City covers an area of over 720,000 square meters, 750 meters wide and 960 meters long. And it has four great gates. The fabulous city, which is surrounded by a 52-meter-wide moat, has four delicate and lovely turrets overlooking both the inside and outside.
The Forbidden City has more than 8,700 wooden rooms, most of which have yellow-glazed tiles. It is a color that only emperors were allowed to use on their roof. From the northern Drum Tower and the Bell Tower to the Southern Gate of Everlasting Stability (Yongdingmen), these colorfully painted and embellished rooms are divided symmetrically into northern and southern halves. If you walk into the city, you will see the layers of halls and palaces spreading out on either side of a central axis. As the designations of the wise architectures, the splendid buildings represent the unique features of the traditional Chinese architecture and embody the incredible creativity of the ancient Chinese people. Reconstructed after being destroyed by several fires, this pearl of Chinese cultural heritage still retains its original arrangements of the Ming dynasty. Nowadays, most of the existing buildings open to visitors were reconstructed during the early Qing Dynasty.
In many ways the Forbidden City reveals ancient Confucian ideas, as it is generally designed to the principles of the Front court, Rear Market, Ancestral Sacrifice on the left and Altar on the right. Hence, the court was located in the southern or front section of the Forbidden City, where officials discussed political affairs. A large trading market was situated in the rear part of the city, providing daily necessities for the court. On the left side was the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where the emperor offered sacrifices to his ancestors. Nowadays, it is the Working People's Cultural Palace. On the right side was the Altar to the god of Land and Grain, where the emperor displayed his reverence to the god. This is now Zhongshan Park.
There are two courts in the Forbidden City: the Inner Court and the Outer Court. They are separated across the middle between the south and north ends. The Outer court is mainly composed by the Meridian Gate and the Three Front Halls, flanked by the Hall of Literary Glory (Wenhuadian) and the Hall of Martial Spirit (Wuyingdian), which witnessed various ceremonies and political activities during the Ming and Qing dynasties. While the inner court is mainly consisted by the Three Back Halls, Imperial Garden, Hall of Mental Cultivation and Palace of Abstinence, which are flanked by the Six East Halls and the Six West Halls. This was the place where the emperor was confronted with political affairs and was the residential area for the emperor and his empresses and concubines.
Compared with other contemporary palaces, the Forbidden City stressed more on balance and independence, and embodied more cultural perspectives of the specific ethnic group. Just as what was written in the book of History of Chinese Science by Joseph Needham, each part of the Forbidden City is in well balance and independence, which is just on the contrary to other palaces in the Renaissance Age. For the city, the Palace of Versailles is just acting as an object. The palace is an organic part of the whole city, combining deep deference to nature with lofty significance. As a tin far-reaching and complicated Chinese architecture, Great overall arrangements have reached the highest level, far above any other culture.
After the subversion of the Qing Dynasty by the Revolution of 1911, the last emperor Pu Yi was exiled to palaces at the rear of the Forbidden City. In 1914, the Three Great Halls in the Imperial Palace was opened as exhibition hall of antiquities. Ten years later, Feng Yuxiang staged a coup in Beijing and expelled the last emperor from the palace. Oct. 10, 1925 established The Palace Museum. And in 1961, the Forbidden City was listed as a place to be given special protection by the State Council. UNESCO listed it as World Cultural Heritage site in 1987.
The Forbidden City, as one of the world-famous royal palaces, has played an important role in the world architectural history. Many tourists both from home and abroad have been attracted by the almost 1 million rare treasures and cultural relics on exhibition there.
Summer Palace

Covering an area of 290 hectares in total, the Summer Palace spreads out some 15 kilometers away from the city center in the north western suburbs of Beijing. Three fourths of the palace is covered by a pool of water and the rest the land and hills.
The Summer Palace is the summer resort of the Qing royal family. Now it is the most intact, the best-preserved and the largest of its kind of the classical gardens in the country. Since the garden began to be built in 1153, it had undergone many a time reconstruction and renovation in the Yuan and Ming dynasties. In the period of Emperor Qianlong’s reign of the Qing Dynasty, it was still reconstructed in a large-scale. And this time was renamed the "Garden of Crystal Ripples". When it was completed in 1860, it suffered a severe destruction, led by the Anglo-French Allied Army, which brought it down to ashes. In 1886, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled the funds allocated for the building of the navy to rebuild it and renamed it the "Summer Palace". However, in 1900, it underwent destruction again by the Eight Powers Allied Forces. Later, the1903 saw its second-time rebuild.
On the 12th of October 1911, Empress Dowager Longyu was finally forced to promulgate the abdication of the royal power. However, according to the agreement between the Qing royal family and the republic government, the Summer Palace would still be kept in the hands of the Qing royal family, while yet to be opened to outside as private property by selling admission tickets. 1924 when Puyi was ousted, the Summer Palace was taken over by the republic government and changed to be a public park.
The Qing royal family stayed in the Forbidden City in spring, autumn and winter. And when it came to summer, they went to their summer resort –Summer Palace. Hence, the Summer Palace shares the same functional quarters as that in the Forbidden City. Among these quarters, the office quarter, the living quarter and the entertainment quarter formed the magnificent scenery in Summer Palace.
Through the East Palace Gate, there is the Hall of the Benevolence and Longevity. The emperor used to handle state affairs and listen to reports by ministers and receive foreign envoys in there. It was called the Hallo of Diligent Administration by Emperor Qianlong during his reign. In 1860, it was burnt down by the Anglo-French Army. Reconstructed In 1890, it was then renamed the "Hall of the Benevolence and Longevity". During the reigns of Emperors Tongzhi and Guangxu, Empress Dowager Cixi got the real power to rule the country, and she started to handle state affairs behind the screen.
The Hall of Jade Ripples and the Hall of Happiness and Longevity are the three parts of the living quarter. Guangxu used to live in the Hall of Jade Ripples Emperor in the Summer Palace. After his failure of the Reform Movement of 1898, Emperor Guangxu was put into house arrest here. Thus, it is also regarded as an exquisitely decorated jail.
Consisting of four rooms, the Hall of Happiness and Longevity used to be the residence for Empress Dowager Cixi. The Empress moves to the Summer Palace and stays there in the hall every year on the first day of the fourth month in the lunar calendar. And she won't return until the tenth of the tenth lunar month when she had celebrated her birthday there. In the Summer Palace, there are over 1,000 people dancing attendance on the Dowager. Among them, there are 48 in the Hall of Happiness and Longevity, of whom 20 are maids-in-waiting, 20 eunuchs of importance and another 8 are the "ladies-in-waiting" by her side, normally waiting in the room behind the precious throne to attend on her.
The Long Corridor, the starting point of entertainment quarter, is at the end of the courtyard of the Hall of Happiness and Longevity. It is 728 meters long with more than 14,000 traditional Chinese paintings on the beams and rafters. The four pavilions along the corridor represent the four seasons a year. The Marble Boat can be found at the end of the Long Corridor. The original Chinese style of it was burnt down by the Anglo-French Army in 1860. In 1893, it was rebuilt into one of a western style, imitating a steam ship with two water-wheelers. In 1903 Empress Dowager Cixi built another storey of wooden structure with the decoration of colored pieces of glass. The construction of this immovable boat was to symbolize the stable and consolidated rule of the Qing regime just like a large piece of rock. It would stand still forever in the vast ocean and would, under no circumstances whatsoever be wavered or toppled.
Occupying three fourths of the total area of the Summer Palace, Kunming Lake plays important role in the adjustment of the temperature in the garden. Taking a walk in the Long Corridor and a dragon boat on the lake, you will have a wonderful feeling that you were the emperor and empress in ancient China.
Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven stands in the southern part of Beijing. It was used to be the house ceremonies of emperors of worshipping heaven and praying for harvest in the Ming and Qing dynasties. This altar temple remains to be the largest existing ancient sacrificial structures across the world, more important than other three major temples, i.e. Altar to the Earth, Altar to the Sun and Altar to the Moon.
The Temple of Heaven was built in 1407 and the construction of the project took 14 years. Covering an area of 273 hectares, with two surrounding rings walls, it is four times bigger than the Forbidden City. The wall, stretching from north to south, is as long as 1,657 meters and that from east to west 1,703 meters. The outer wall is 6,553 meters in circumference while the inner wall measures 4,152 meters in perimeter.
To pray for good harvests and fine rain, emperors did regular worshipping and offered sacrifices to heaven. And the Temple of Heaven was used to the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties went and worshipped the heaven twice (and sometimes three times) a year. In the past, the tradition went that sacrifices were offered to heaven and earth in one place only. But in 1530 when the Temple of Earth was built in the north of the city, the Temple of Heaven was ever since used specially for offering sacrifices to heaven alone.
The Temple of Heaven is consisted by three sections, named the Circular Mound Altar, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, attached with some affiliated buildings like Dressing Platform, Long Corridor and Echo Wall.
The Circular Mound Altar was first constructed in 1530. In ancient China, to some extend, the altar was a place that even more important than the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The emperor would come to offer sacrifices to heaven on the altar every year on the day of the Winter Solstice. For this reason, the altar was rebuilt into a circular one in 1749. Built in the open air without shelter, the sacrificial ceremony was being held right under heaven. Therefore, it was called "Luji", or the "open air offering of sacrifices".
The Imperial Vault of Heaven was first built in 1530 as a main building in the south of the Temple of Heaven. At first, it was called "Taishendian" or the Hall for Pacifying Gods, but later changed into the present name. In 1752, the building was rebuilt into one of a single eave, which used to have double eaves. Standing 19.5 meters high and of 15.6 meters in diameter, the circular hall used to be an octagonal one in the past. The tablet of the Jade Emperor, the four stone platforms on both sides used to be for the tablets of the emperor’s ancestors of eight generations in succession, is consecrated on the central stone-platform in the Hall of Imperial Vault of Heaven.
Being of 32.72 meters in diameter, built on a three-tired platform, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests towers 38 meters' high with its eaves fanning out on three tiers, of which the upper one has a gold-plated knob on it. You will be amazed to see that such a heavy building was supported only by 28 wooden pillars with no single piece of reinforced concrete at all. The whole building was built by mortise and tenon joints without using a single nail. With each pillar in height of 19.2 meters, the four pillars in the center of the hall are called "Longjingzhu"--the Dragon Well Pillar. Only by joining hands together by two and half persons, can it be embraced. These four pillars indicate the four seasons of a year. You may find it more interesting that all pillars have their special meanings: the outside 12 pillars suggest 12 months in a year and another 12 pillars in the round wall symbolize the 12 two-hour periods of a day. And when you put the two 12 pillars together, the number you get is 24, which represents the 24 solar terms of a year. And when you add the four in the center of the hall to 24, you will get 28, which represents the 28 lunar mansions in the heaven above.
Since its first construction in 1420, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests has gone through several times of changes. At that moment, the hall was called "Dasidian"--the Hall of Grand Sacrifices, which was rectangular in shape. But in 1529, it was reconstructed into a round one with a roof of three tiers. And this time it was named "Daxiangdian"--the Hall of Grand Treatment to Heaven. Three different colors were painted in these roofs of three tiers. From the upper tier to the lower one, the colors are respectively blue, yellow and green. In 1752, these three colors were all changed into glazed tiles of dark blue. However, they were destroyed by lightning in 1889. And later in 1890, it was restored according to the original. In 2006, the whole building was renovated with all its paintings according to the same style as they done last time. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests has become the symbol of Beijing.
At present, the Temple of Heaven is very popular with tourist home and abroad. It is also an entertainment center for local people. If you go to the temple early in the morning, you will find many local people practicing Taiji, playing cards and Chinese chess and singing folk songs there.
Ming Tombs

Covering an area of 40 square kilometers with 13 Ming emperors buried, the Ming Tombs is situated at the southern foot of the Tianshou Mountain in Changping District in the north western suburban areas of Beijing. The construction of the imperial tombs had been going on ceaselessly from the year 1409 when Emperor Zhu Di started building his tomb to the fall of the Ming Dynasty in 1644, lasting a period over 200 years.
As many people know, there are 16 emperors in the Ming Dynasty. Among the 16 Ming emperors, 13 of them were buried in this tomb area, except for Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty who was buried in the Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing, Zhu Yunwen, who disappeared and Zhu Qiyu, who was buried at Jinshan Hill in the western suburbs of Beijing, all other. Therefore, this area was called the 13 Ming Tombs.
It was originally built only for Emperor Zhu Di and his empress, named Changling, which is the most magnificent tomb. The succeeding twelve emperors had their tombs built around Changling. At present, the two tombs opened to the public are Changling and Dingling.
Changling is the first Ming tomb built in this area. Hence, the axle line of Changling naturally became the axle line of the whole Ming Tombs. Along with the various tombs, the Stone Tablet House come together overall as a structurally and visually unified architectural accomplishment. Though these tombs were built in different periods, they were strategically planed and built in different stages. Each tomb has its own distinct adornments. However, the entire tomb area has a unified layout and style.
Zhu Di was the third emperor in the Ming Dynasty, who was buried together with his empress in Changling. During his 22-year of reign, he was, relatively speaking, an emperor who had made quite some achievements. For example, he determined to move the capital from Nanjing to Beijing in 1421. To some extend, the move itself was an expression of far-sightedness, for it was very important to strengthen the national defense and guard frontier areas. During the period from 1405 to 1424, Zheng He, also called Eunuch Sanbao, was sent by the emperor to fulfill a diplomatic mission which was on an ever larger and broader scale in Chinese history. He went six times on board across the sea to over 30 countries in Asia and Africa.
Completed in 1416, as the place for worshipping tablets of the emperor and empress and offering sacrifices to ancestors, the Hall of Eminent Favor is situated within the second compound of Changling. The Hall of Eminent Favor in Changling is the best-preserved among the ones of the 13 tombs, which duplicated the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City. It is a very precious relic of ancient China's wooden structures.
Dingling is the tomb for Emperor Zhu Yijun, named the tomb of Stability. It is said that he was buried together with his two empresses—Xiaoduan and Xiaojing. Ascending the throne at the age of 10, Zhu Yijun was died at 58 with a reign span of 48 years. Therefore he became the emperor with the longest time in power for in the Ming Dynasty. The construction of the Dingling tomb started in 1584. It took 6 years to bring the project to finish in 1590, covering an area of 180,000 square meters and costing 8 million taels of silver.
The Dingling began to be excavated in May 1956, which brought to light the mystery of the underground palaces of the Ming Tombs. Constructed with hard stone-slabs, with a total floor space of 1,195 square meters, the underground palace is composed by five beamless vaults, called the front, the middle, the rear and the two annexes on the right and the left. Carved out of white marble and the rear hall with the bier holding three coffins for the emperor and his two queens, three thrones were laid out in the middle vault. There are over 3,000 pieces of archeological findings unearthed from the tomb.
Yonghegong Lamasery

Yonghegong Lamasery is a well-known lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism, which is located at the northeast part of Beijing. It was originally built in 1694 as the residence of Emperor Yongzheng of Qing (1644-1911 A.D.) before his ascent of the throne. And after his death, it was renamed Yonghegong. His successor Emperor Qianlong then rebuilt Yonghegong into an imperial palace with its turquoise tiles replaced by yellow tiles (yellow was the imperial color in the Qing Dynasty). In 1744, it became a lamasery. From then on, large numbers of monks from Mongolia and Tibet and national center of lama administration live in there.
As an imperial palace, the layout of the temple differentiated from other temples. The main gate faces to the south. There are five main halls and annex connected by courtyards on its 480-meter-long north-south axis, including a glaze-tiled arch, Gate of Peace (Zhaotaimen), Buddha's Warrior Hall (Tianwangdian), which was formerly the entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace, Hall of Harmony and Peace (Yonghegong), Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian), Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) and Pavilion of Eternal Happiness (Wanfuge).
When you are walking through the grand glaze-tile arch patterned with decorative dragons and flowers in the first court, you will reach a three-arch gate - the Gate of Peace. In ancient times, the central passageway was for emperors. On each side of the second court next to the Gate of Peace stand the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. Two pavilions stand symmetrically on opposite to the north. If you want to know more about the temple's history, you can have a look at the inscriptions of Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan engraved on steles.
The Buddha's Warrior Hall, also known as the Hall of Heavenly Kings, is the former entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace. The hall Maitreya (Happy Buddha) was always used to greet visitors, which has a smiling face with a sandalwood pagoda on each side. Many small Buddhist images, symbolizing longevity, stand on the pagoda. Therefore, the pagoda is the Longevity Pagoda. There are four fearsome-looking Heavenly Kings or Celestial Guardians on both sides of Maitreya's shrine.
On the way to the Hall of Harmony and Peace stands a marble-based bronze incense-burner. With decorations of two dragons playing with a pearl on its six opens, it is 4.2 meters in height. Afterwards there is the Mount Sumeru, a bronze sculpture of Ming (1368-1644A.D.), representing the center of the world. On the top of it there lies a legendary paradise where Sakyamuni and men of moral integrity live after death; in the middle the dwellings of humans and below devils abide in hell.
The Hall of Harmony and Peace is formerly a place for the emperor Yongzheng to hold meetings. It was also called Mahavira Hall or Daxiongbaodian in Buddhism. Mahavira here is an honorable title of Sakyamuni in Chinese. Sakyamuni is on the altar, with Buddha of the Present in the middle with Buddha of the Past Yeja and the Buddha of the Future Maitreya on each side. On each side of the hall stand Statues of 18 Arhats. It is said that 18 Arhats were the disciples of Samkyamuni to diffuse Buddhism. The painting that you can find on the western wall is a Bodhisattva.
The Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian) and the Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) are right behind the Hall of the Harmony and Peace, where enshrines a bronze image of Tsong Kapa -- founder of the Yellow Hat Sect. With 5 gold-plating pagodas, the golden-roofed Falundian was the place where lamas assemble to have religious activities. There is a 6-meter-high gilded bronze statue of Tsong Kapa on a lotus seat in the center of the hall.
Now there are nearly 70 lamas living in this temple. If you go there, you will find that regular religious activities are still practiced. More lamas can be seen coming here in the festival for lamas or Lamaism.
Old Beijing Hutongs

The numerous old hutongs are the distinguished features of Beijing. They symbolize the traditional community with small lanes, alleys and Siheyuan (quadrangle). The life of local people in these old hutongs makes this ancient capital look more charming. Wandering along these small lanes, you can see many quadrangles, called Siheyuan in Chinese, which are the residential quarters of natives. No one knows the exact number of these hutongs there are in Beijing.


Highlights
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower

Standing at a towering height of 468 meters (1,536 feet), the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is not only the tallest TV tower in Asia but also the third tallest in the world. It ranks behind the 553.3-meter-high CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, and the 540-meter-high Ostankino Tower in Moscow, Russia. Located in the heart of Pudong’s Lujiazui district, the tower has become a symbol of Shanghai, drawing both locals and tourists alike. Its unique design, featuring 15 spheres of varying sizes at different heights, creates a striking and futuristic appearance.
The tower's design is said to be inspired by a famous Chinese poetic line, "large and small pearls dropping onto a jade plate," evoking an image of pearls scattered across a jade surface. From its observation deck, visitors are treated to panoramic views of the bustling city, the Huangpu River, and beyond. The revolving restaurant and the expansive sightseeing platform can accommodate up to 1,600 people, offering an unparalleled experience in the sky.
Construction of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower began in 1992, with an initial investment of 50 million Yuan from the government. An additional 150 million Yuan and 10 million US Dollars were raised through bank loans from 44 banks. The tower was completed and opened to the public in 1994. It is affectionately known in China as "Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl," a reference to its striking design, with two massive spheres at the base and a large pearl-like structure at the top.
In 1995, the tower began broadcasting, hosting nine television channels and 10 FM radio stations. Over the years, it has become a major hub for media and telecommunications, in addition to being a top tourist destination.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower offers a wide range of amenities for visitors. At a height of 263 meters, the observation deck provides breathtaking views of Shanghai’s skyline. You can also visit the futuristic "Space City" exhibition hall and the Shanghai Municipal History Museum, located in the tower's base. This museum showcases the history of the city, including its transformation from a small fishing village to one of the world’s leading metropolises.
The large lower sphere of the tower features various attractions, including the "Science Fantasy City" and the "Recreational Palace." On a clear day, visitors can enjoy a view stretching all the way to the Yangtze River from the sightseeing hall. In addition to the observation areas, the tower houses a hotel with 25 elegant rooms in the smaller spheres, offering a relaxing place for visitors to stay.
At the very top of the tower is a large pearl-shaped structure, home to a rotating restaurant, shops, and additional viewing platforms. This iconic structure provides guests with a unique dining experience while enjoying Shanghai’s spectacular skyline.
Over the past decade, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower has welcomed more than 25 million visitors, including 295 overseas heads of state and dignitaries. This immense popularity has made it one of the most profitable TV towers globally. In fact, its annual revenue has exceeded that of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
According to the World Brand Lab, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower ranked 96th among the 500 most valuable Chinese brands, with a brand value of 5.148 billion Yuan (approximately 6.2 billion USD). It has consistently been one of the top 20 most influential Chinese brands on the global stage in recent years.
The tower’s combination of cutting-edge technology, breathtaking views, and cultural significance has made it a must-visit attraction in Shanghai and a proud symbol of China's modern achievements.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower stands as a monumental achievement in both architecture and engineering, symbolizing Shanghai's vibrant future while honoring its rich history. Whether you’re marveling at the panoramic views, exploring the interactive exhibits, or dining in the sky, the tower promises an unforgettable experience for all who visit.
Children’s Palace


The Bund

No. 12, The Bund, is also known as No. 12 Zhongshan East Road. It was once the location of the famous Hui Feng Bank. Built in 1923, this square-shaped building has five vaults and features a distinctive circular roof in the style of ancient Greece, with a half-spherical dome on top. The building is made of steel and is elaborately decorated, including a specially designed reception hall. The British builders of the structure were immensely proud of this creation, with some even calling it “the most exquisite building from the Suez Canal in the east to the Persian Gulf in the west.”
Walking along Zhongshan East Road, you can feel the grandeur and solemnity of the area, as if the Bund is a showcase of architectural excellence. Some say that the Bund is, in fact, "an architectural exhibition." If the architectural district of the Bund were a gallery, the rest of the area would be a showroom. In the early mornings, the Bund becomes a place for locals to exercise and enjoy the fresh air. By day, the historic buildings stand in harmony with the scenic beauty of the Huangpu River and the futuristic skyline of Pudong, making it a favorite spot for tourists. At night, the city lights bathe the Bund in a vibrant glow, enhancing its beauty. The old buildings along the riverbank stand in contrast to the modern skyline, which includes iconic structures such as the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Jin Mao Tower, creating a stunning view that never fails to leave visitors in awe.
On the eastern side, the Bund borders the Huangpu River, while on the west, 52 buildings line the street, each with its own architectural style—Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Renaissance, Classical, and a fusion of Eastern and Western elements. Although these buildings were constructed at different times and in varying styles, their overall design is remarkably harmonious, with each structure complementing the others.
The Bund, named after the desolate beach that once lay outside the old city of Shanghai, has become one of the city's most iconic landmarks. If you haven’t visited the Bund, then you haven’t truly seen Shanghai. The Bund symbolizes the city itself; it is a microcosm of Shanghai's history and growth.
The Huangpu River

The Huangpu River is a landmark waterway in Shanghai, stretching approximately 113 kilometers (about 70 miles) in length with a width ranging from 300 to 770 meters (about 984 to 2526 feet). Its drainage basin covers an area of 24,000 square kilometers (approx. 5,930,530 acres).
The river originates from Dianshan Lake in Zhujiajiao Town, Qingpu District, which receives water from the upper reaches of the Taihu Lake basin. From there, the river flows downstream to Wusongkou, where it meets the Yangtze River before flowing into the East China Sea. Over the course of thousands of years, the river has carved its path, with the upper reaches running east to west, and the middle and lower reaches turning north to south, effectively dividing the city of Shanghai into Puxi (West of the Huangpu River) and Pudong (East of the Huangpu River). On either side of the river, Shanghai’s most iconic landmarks have risen: the historic Bund on the west bank and the modern financial district of Lujiazui on the east.
During a visit to the river, tourists can admire the Yangpu Bridge, the Nanpu Bridge, and the Oriental Pearl Tower, which stands in the heart of the city. The two bridges, resembling two giant dragons stretching across the Huangpu River, frame the Oriental Pearl Tower in the center, creating a stunning visual metaphor of "two dragons playing with a pearl."
On the west bank of the Huangpu River, visitors are greeted by a collection of grand, foreign-style buildings, known for their diverse architectural influences from around the world. On the east bank, in stark contrast, towering modern skyscrapers rise into the sky, symbolizing Shanghai’s rapid development into a global financial hub.
Wusongkou, located at the mouth of the river, marks the point where the Huangpu River converges with the Yangtze River and the East China Sea. During high tide, one can witness the famous "Three-Water Convergence" phenomenon, where the Huangpu River’s bluish-gray waters, the muddy yellow waters of the Yangtze, and the green waters of the East China Sea mix together, creating a striking display of yellow, green, and blue hues.
The Huangpu River serves multiple functions: it is vital for shipping, water supply, drainage, irrigation, and tourism. As one of the world’s most renowned rivers, it is both a product of nature’s transformative power and a testament to humanity’s successful practice of harnessing the river’s natural flow to serve the needs of a growing city.
Yu Garden


The garden was originally established as a private estate by Pan Yunduan, a distinguished official from Sichuan, to provide his retired father, Pan En, with a serene and tranquil retreat. After over two decades of meticulous planning and construction, Yu Garden was completed in 1577. The name "Yu" symbolizes peace and tranquility, reflecting the garden's purpose of offering solace and serenity to Pan En during his retirement years. By the late Ming Dynasty, Yu Garden had gained recognition as one of the most exquisite gardens in Southeast China.
Yu Garden exemplifies the classical Jiangnan garden style, characterized by its intricate and refined design that seamlessly integrates natural and architectural elements. The garden boasts meandering pathways, exquisite pavilions, stunning rockeries, tranquil koi ponds, and ancient trees all thoughtfully arranged to create a serene and contemplative atmosphere. Additionally, it houses an impressive collection of cultural treasures including Ming and Qing dynasty furniture, renowned calligraphy and paintings, elaborate brick carvings as well as traditional stone sculptures.
The Yulinglong Stone, one of the renowned rocks in Jiangnan, and Dianchuntang, which served as the headquarters during the Taiping Rebellion in 1853, are among the prominent features of this garden. Additionally, visitors can explore the adjacent City God Temple and vibrant shopping streets, further enhancing its appeal as a popular tourist destination.
Yu Garden opened to the public in 1961 and was designated a national key cultural heritage site in 1982. Today, it remains a must-visit attraction for those seeking to experience the beauty and tranquility of traditional Chinese garden design.
The Jade Buddha Temple

Known for its vibrant spiritual atmosphere, the Jade Buddha Temple is one of the most visited and beloved temples in Shanghai. While Longhua Temple is known for fulfilling wishes related to career success, and Jing'an Temple is sought for blessings of peace, the Jade Buddha Temple is famous for helping people with wishes for wealth and love. A visit to the Jade Buddha Temple wouldn’t be complete without experiencing its treasures—the Jade Buddha and the Sitting Buddha, which have been prized by visitors since their arrival from Southeast Asia over a century ago.
At the heart of the temple is the magnificent Jade Buddha, a serene and life-sized statue carved from a single block of jade. Alongside it, visitors can find five other Buddha statues, each radiating peace and grace. The Jade Buddha Temple has undergone multiple restorations and expansions over the years, including the relocation of the Grand Buddha Hall and the construction of the Bell and Drum Towers. These additions have enriched the temple’s cultural and artistic legacy.
Occupying an area of approximately 11.6 acres, the Jade Buddha Temple features a layout based on traditional Chinese temple architecture. The temple’s main axis is home to three grand halls, with additional structures on both the east and west sides. The temple not only holds a special place in the hearts of Shanghai’s Buddhist community but is also a popular destination for tourists and pilgrims alike. It is recognized as one of the top ten tourist attractions in Shanghai and is listed as a key Buddhist site and a protected city monument.
In 1918, the temple was rebuilt on its present site under the guidance of Master Kecheng from the Linji school. The new structure, designed to emulate the architectural style of Song Dynasty temples, was completed after ten years of dedicated work. The complex includes a Buddha hall, pagodas, kitchens, and other traditional temple buildings, with over 200 rooms in total.
The original Jade Buddha Temple was established in 1900, near the Wusong River Bay Railway Station, under the leadership of Master Ben Zhao, a disciple of Huigen. However, the temple was destroyed during the upheaval of the 1911 Revolution, leaving only the precious Jade Buddha untouched. For a time, the statue was housed in a villa on Shendan Road (now Weian Road), before the decision was made to rebuild the temple at its current location.
Founded in 1882 by Master Huigen, the temple originally housed five jade Buddhas brought from Myanmar by the master himself. Of these, two were enshrined in Shanghai, and it is these statues that have made the temple famous.
Nestled at 170 Anyuan Road in the Putuo District of Shanghai, the Jade Buddha Temple is one of the city’s most revered spiritual landmarks. As its name suggests, the temple is home to the sacred Jade Buddha, a symbol of serenity and wisdom. Belonging to the Linji school of Chan Buddhism, the temple is not only a place of worship but also a center for meditation and spiritual practice.
Shanghai Museum

The Shanghai Museum is a preeminent institution in China, celebrated for its vast collection of over 120,000 invaluable cultural artifacts. Its extensive and exceptional assortment, particularly in the areas of bronze ware, ceramics, calligraphy, and painting has garnered international recognition.

Founded in 1952, the museum initially operated at 325 Nanjing West Road. In 1959, it relocated to a more spacious venue at 16 Henan South Road, where it continued its progressive growth and development. In 1992, the Shanghai government made the strategic decision to construct a new museum in the heart of the city, situated in the prime location of People's Square. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new museum building took place in 1993 and it was officially inaugurated on October 12, 1996.
The new building of the Shanghai Museum spans a total area of 39,200 square meters and stands at a height of 29.5 meters. The distinctive combination of a round dome and square base, symbolizing the concept of "Heaven is round and Earth is square," creates an aesthetically captivating effect. The design seamlessly integrates traditional cultural elements with modern architecture, establishing it as a truly unique and iconic structure among global museums.
The museum accommodates 11 permanent galleries and three exhibition halls. The architectural layout encompasses six functional areas, including exhibition spaces, storage facilities, academic and research zones, management offices, and supporting amenities. Within the premises are 12 thematic exhibition rooms showcasing a wide array of treasures such as bronze artifacts, ceramics, calligraphy masterpieces, and paintings. Additionally, the exhibits encompass coins, jade pieces, sculptures, seals as well as crafts from various ethnic minorities.
The museum's total exhibition space is 12,000 square meters, distributed across four floors. The first floor features the Ancient Chinese Bronze Gallery, Ancient Chinese Sculpture Gallery, and Exhibition Hall. The second floor showcases the Ancient Chinese Ceramics Gallery and the temporary Ceramics Gallery. The third floor is dedicated to the Calligraphy Gallery, Painting Gallery, and Seals Gallery. The fourth floor exhibits the Ancient Chinese Jade Gallery, Coin Gallery, Ming and Qing Furniture Gallery, and the Ethnic Minority Craft Gallery.
Shanghai Jinmao Tower

Standing proudly at 88 Century Avenue in the heart of Shanghai’s Lujiazui Financial District, the Shanghai Jin Mao Tower is a true marvel of modern engineering and design. Located in the bustling center of the city, the tower offers breathtaking views to the east over the Pudong New Area, to the west over downtown Shanghai and the Huangpu River, and to the south toward the vibrant commercial hub of Zhang Yang Road. To the north, it overlooks the expansive 100,000-square-meter central green space.
The Jin Mao Tower occupies 24,000 square meters of land, with a total building area of 290,000 square meters. The towering 88-story main structure rises to a height of 420.5 meters, with approximately 200,000 square meters of space. Its sleek, modern design features a stunning tapering shape, symbolizing both architectural elegance and strength. The tower’s six-story podium covers 32,000 square meters, while the three underground levels span 57,000 square meters. The building’s striking exterior is enveloped in an aluminum alloy lattice, giving it a contemporary yet timeless appeal.
Inside, the Jin Mao Tower is as spectacular as its exterior. The first two floors house the grand lobby, while floors 3 to 50 feature expansive, column-free office spaces with a ceiling height of 4 meters and a net height of 2.7 meters. The upper floors—51 to 52—house essential mechanical and electrical systems, while the 53rd to 87th floors are home to a luxurious hotel. The 88th floor boasts an observation deck, offering panoramic views of the city and beyond.
Designed by the renowned Chicago-based architectural firm SOM, with Adrian Smith as the lead designer, the Jin Mao Tower combines cutting-edge global architectural trends with traditional Chinese design elements. The building is an engineering masterpiece, with a vertical deviation of only 2 centimeters and the ability to withstand winds of up to level 12 and earthquakes of magnitude 7.
The tower’s exterior is characterized by large glass panels that reflect ever-changing hues—shifting from silver to shades of blue and green. Between the two layers of glass, a low-temperature conductor ensures the interior remains insulated from the outdoor elements.
Inside, the grand lobby features a striking archway design and walls clad in Mediterranean-style perforated marble for both aesthetic and soundproofing purposes. The polished marble floors gleam without being overly shiny, while the main hallway leading to the banquet hall is an artistic corridor showcasing Chinese calligraphy and copper reliefs that depict the evolution of Chinese script, from ancient oracle bone inscriptions to modern-day characters.
At the top of the Jin Mao Tower, the 88th floor offers the “Cloud Walk”—a 60-meter-long, 1.2-meter-wide transparent skywalk, the highest of its kind in the world. This glass walkway allows visitors to experience Shanghai from a breathtaking 340.1 meters above ground level, walking in the clouds and enjoying an unparalleled view of the city below.
Since its completion, the Jin Mao Tower has garnered numerous accolades, including the Illinois World Architecture Award in 1998 and the Shanghai Classic Architecture Gold Award in 1999. It also achieved LEED-EB certification in 2013 and was named one of the "Top Ten New Landmarks in Shanghai" in 2020.
A true symbol of Shanghai's dynamic growth, the Jin Mao Tower remains a must-see destination for those who wish to experience the cutting-edge of modern architecture while soaking in the rich cultural and historical essence of one of the world’s most exciting cities.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower

Standing at a towering height of 468 meters (1,536 feet), the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is not only the tallest TV tower in Asia but also the third tallest in the world. It ranks behind the 553.3-meter-high CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, and the 540-meter-high Ostankino Tower in Moscow, Russia. Located in the heart of Pudong’s Lujiazui district, the tower has become a symbol of Shanghai, drawing both locals and tourists alike. Its unique design, featuring 15 spheres of varying sizes at different heights, creates a striking and futuristic appearance.
The tower's design is said to be inspired by a famous Chinese poetic line, "large and small pearls dropping onto a jade plate," evoking an image of pearls scattered across a jade surface. From its observation deck, visitors are treated to panoramic views of the bustling city, the Huangpu River, and beyond. The revolving restaurant and the expansive sightseeing platform can accommodate up to 1,600 people, offering an unparalleled experience in the sky.
Construction of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower began in 1992, with an initial investment of 50 million Yuan from the government. An additional 150 million Yuan and 10 million US Dollars were raised through bank loans from 44 banks. The tower was completed and opened to the public in 1994. It is affectionately known in China as "Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl," a reference to its striking design, with two massive spheres at the base and a large pearl-like structure at the top.
In 1995, the tower began broadcasting, hosting nine television channels and 10 FM radio stations. Over the years, it has become a major hub for media and telecommunications, in addition to being a top tourist destination.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower offers a wide range of amenities for visitors. At a height of 263 meters, the observation deck provides breathtaking views of Shanghai’s skyline. You can also visit the futuristic "Space City" exhibition hall and the Shanghai Municipal History Museum, located in the tower's base. This museum showcases the history of the city, including its transformation from a small fishing village to one of the world’s leading metropolises.
The large lower sphere of the tower features various attractions, including the "Science Fantasy City" and the "Recreational Palace." On a clear day, visitors can enjoy a view stretching all the way to the Yangtze River from the sightseeing hall. In addition to the observation areas, the tower houses a hotel with 25 elegant rooms in the smaller spheres, offering a relaxing place for visitors to stay.
At the very top of the tower is a large pearl-shaped structure, home to a rotating restaurant, shops, and additional viewing platforms. This iconic structure provides guests with a unique dining experience while enjoying Shanghai’s spectacular skyline.
Over the past decade, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower has welcomed more than 25 million visitors, including 295 overseas heads of state and dignitaries. This immense popularity has made it one of the most profitable TV towers globally. In fact, its annual revenue has exceeded that of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
According to the World Brand Lab, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower ranked 96th among the 500 most valuable Chinese brands, with a brand value of 5.148 billion Yuan (approximately 6.2 billion USD). It has consistently been one of the top 20 most influential Chinese brands on the global stage in recent years.
The tower’s combination of cutting-edge technology, breathtaking views, and cultural significance has made it a must-visit attraction in Shanghai and a proud symbol of China's modern achievements.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower stands as a monumental achievement in both architecture and engineering, symbolizing Shanghai's vibrant future while honoring its rich history. Whether you’re marveling at the panoramic views, exploring the interactive exhibits, or dining in the sky, the tower promises an unforgettable experience for all who visit.
Children’s Palace


The Bund

No. 12, The Bund, is also known as No. 12 Zhongshan East Road. It was once the location of the famous Hui Feng Bank. Built in 1923, this square-shaped building has five vaults and features a distinctive circular roof in the style of ancient Greece, with a half-spherical dome on top. The building is made of steel and is elaborately decorated, including a specially designed reception hall. The British builders of the structure were immensely proud of this creation, with some even calling it “the most exquisite building from the Suez Canal in the east to the Persian Gulf in the west.”
Walking along Zhongshan East Road, you can feel the grandeur and solemnity of the area, as if the Bund is a showcase of architectural excellence. Some say that the Bund is, in fact, "an architectural exhibition." If the architectural district of the Bund were a gallery, the rest of the area would be a showroom. In the early mornings, the Bund becomes a place for locals to exercise and enjoy the fresh air. By day, the historic buildings stand in harmony with the scenic beauty of the Huangpu River and the futuristic skyline of Pudong, making it a favorite spot for tourists. At night, the city lights bathe the Bund in a vibrant glow, enhancing its beauty. The old buildings along the riverbank stand in contrast to the modern skyline, which includes iconic structures such as the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Jin Mao Tower, creating a stunning view that never fails to leave visitors in awe.
On the eastern side, the Bund borders the Huangpu River, while on the west, 52 buildings line the street, each with its own architectural style—Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Renaissance, Classical, and a fusion of Eastern and Western elements. Although these buildings were constructed at different times and in varying styles, their overall design is remarkably harmonious, with each structure complementing the others.
The Bund, named after the desolate beach that once lay outside the old city of Shanghai, has become one of the city's most iconic landmarks. If you haven’t visited the Bund, then you haven’t truly seen Shanghai. The Bund symbolizes the city itself; it is a microcosm of Shanghai's history and growth.
The Huangpu River

The Huangpu River is a landmark waterway in Shanghai, stretching approximately 113 kilometers (about 70 miles) in length with a width ranging from 300 to 770 meters (about 984 to 2526 feet). Its drainage basin covers an area of 24,000 square kilometers (approx. 5,930,530 acres).
The river originates from Dianshan Lake in Zhujiajiao Town, Qingpu District, which receives water from the upper reaches of the Taihu Lake basin. From there, the river flows downstream to Wusongkou, where it meets the Yangtze River before flowing into the East China Sea. Over the course of thousands of years, the river has carved its path, with the upper reaches running east to west, and the middle and lower reaches turning north to south, effectively dividing the city of Shanghai into Puxi (West of the Huangpu River) and Pudong (East of the Huangpu River). On either side of the river, Shanghai’s most iconic landmarks have risen: the historic Bund on the west bank and the modern financial district of Lujiazui on the east.
During a visit to the river, tourists can admire the Yangpu Bridge, the Nanpu Bridge, and the Oriental Pearl Tower, which stands in the heart of the city. The two bridges, resembling two giant dragons stretching across the Huangpu River, frame the Oriental Pearl Tower in the center, creating a stunning visual metaphor of "two dragons playing with a pearl."
On the west bank of the Huangpu River, visitors are greeted by a collection of grand, foreign-style buildings, known for their diverse architectural influences from around the world. On the east bank, in stark contrast, towering modern skyscrapers rise into the sky, symbolizing Shanghai’s rapid development into a global financial hub.
Wusongkou, located at the mouth of the river, marks the point where the Huangpu River converges with the Yangtze River and the East China Sea. During high tide, one can witness the famous "Three-Water Convergence" phenomenon, where the Huangpu River’s bluish-gray waters, the muddy yellow waters of the Yangtze, and the green waters of the East China Sea mix together, creating a striking display of yellow, green, and blue hues.
The Huangpu River serves multiple functions: it is vital for shipping, water supply, drainage, irrigation, and tourism. As one of the world’s most renowned rivers, it is both a product of nature’s transformative power and a testament to humanity’s successful practice of harnessing the river’s natural flow to serve the needs of a growing city.
Yu Garden


The garden was originally established as a private estate by Pan Yunduan, a distinguished official from Sichuan, to provide his retired father, Pan En, with a serene and tranquil retreat. After over two decades of meticulous planning and construction, Yu Garden was completed in 1577. The name "Yu" symbolizes peace and tranquility, reflecting the garden's purpose of offering solace and serenity to Pan En during his retirement years. By the late Ming Dynasty, Yu Garden had gained recognition as one of the most exquisite gardens in Southeast China.
Yu Garden exemplifies the classical Jiangnan garden style, characterized by its intricate and refined design that seamlessly integrates natural and architectural elements. The garden boasts meandering pathways, exquisite pavilions, stunning rockeries, tranquil koi ponds, and ancient trees all thoughtfully arranged to create a serene and contemplative atmosphere. Additionally, it houses an impressive collection of cultural treasures including Ming and Qing dynasty furniture, renowned calligraphy and paintings, elaborate brick carvings as well as traditional stone sculptures.
The Yulinglong Stone, one of the renowned rocks in Jiangnan, and Dianchuntang, which served as the headquarters during the Taiping Rebellion in 1853, are among the prominent features of this garden. Additionally, visitors can explore the adjacent City God Temple and vibrant shopping streets, further enhancing its appeal as a popular tourist destination.
Yu Garden opened to the public in 1961 and was designated a national key cultural heritage site in 1982. Today, it remains a must-visit attraction for those seeking to experience the beauty and tranquility of traditional Chinese garden design.
The Jade Buddha Temple

Known for its vibrant spiritual atmosphere, the Jade Buddha Temple is one of the most visited and beloved temples in Shanghai. While Longhua Temple is known for fulfilling wishes related to career success, and Jing'an Temple is sought for blessings of peace, the Jade Buddha Temple is famous for helping people with wishes for wealth and love. A visit to the Jade Buddha Temple wouldn’t be complete without experiencing its treasures—the Jade Buddha and the Sitting Buddha, which have been prized by visitors since their arrival from Southeast Asia over a century ago.
At the heart of the temple is the magnificent Jade Buddha, a serene and life-sized statue carved from a single block of jade. Alongside it, visitors can find five other Buddha statues, each radiating peace and grace. The Jade Buddha Temple has undergone multiple restorations and expansions over the years, including the relocation of the Grand Buddha Hall and the construction of the Bell and Drum Towers. These additions have enriched the temple’s cultural and artistic legacy.
Occupying an area of approximately 11.6 acres, the Jade Buddha Temple features a layout based on traditional Chinese temple architecture. The temple’s main axis is home to three grand halls, with additional structures on both the east and west sides. The temple not only holds a special place in the hearts of Shanghai’s Buddhist community but is also a popular destination for tourists and pilgrims alike. It is recognized as one of the top ten tourist attractions in Shanghai and is listed as a key Buddhist site and a protected city monument.
In 1918, the temple was rebuilt on its present site under the guidance of Master Kecheng from the Linji school. The new structure, designed to emulate the architectural style of Song Dynasty temples, was completed after ten years of dedicated work. The complex includes a Buddha hall, pagodas, kitchens, and other traditional temple buildings, with over 200 rooms in total.
The original Jade Buddha Temple was established in 1900, near the Wusong River Bay Railway Station, under the leadership of Master Ben Zhao, a disciple of Huigen. However, the temple was destroyed during the upheaval of the 1911 Revolution, leaving only the precious Jade Buddha untouched. For a time, the statue was housed in a villa on Shendan Road (now Weian Road), before the decision was made to rebuild the temple at its current location.
Founded in 1882 by Master Huigen, the temple originally housed five jade Buddhas brought from Myanmar by the master himself. Of these, two were enshrined in Shanghai, and it is these statues that have made the temple famous.
Nestled at 170 Anyuan Road in the Putuo District of Shanghai, the Jade Buddha Temple is one of the city’s most revered spiritual landmarks. As its name suggests, the temple is home to the sacred Jade Buddha, a symbol of serenity and wisdom. Belonging to the Linji school of Chan Buddhism, the temple is not only a place of worship but also a center for meditation and spiritual practice.
Shanghai Museum

The Shanghai Museum is a preeminent institution in China, celebrated for its vast collection of over 120,000 invaluable cultural artifacts. Its extensive and exceptional assortment, particularly in the areas of bronze ware, ceramics, calligraphy, and painting has garnered international recognition.

Founded in 1952, the museum initially operated at 325 Nanjing West Road. In 1959, it relocated to a more spacious venue at 16 Henan South Road, where it continued its progressive growth and development. In 1992, the Shanghai government made the strategic decision to construct a new museum in the heart of the city, situated in the prime location of People's Square. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new museum building took place in 1993 and it was officially inaugurated on October 12, 1996.
The new building of the Shanghai Museum spans a total area of 39,200 square meters and stands at a height of 29.5 meters. The distinctive combination of a round dome and square base, symbolizing the concept of "Heaven is round and Earth is square," creates an aesthetically captivating effect. The design seamlessly integrates traditional cultural elements with modern architecture, establishing it as a truly unique and iconic structure among global museums.
The museum accommodates 11 permanent galleries and three exhibition halls. The architectural layout encompasses six functional areas, including exhibition spaces, storage facilities, academic and research zones, management offices, and supporting amenities. Within the premises are 12 thematic exhibition rooms showcasing a wide array of treasures such as bronze artifacts, ceramics, calligraphy masterpieces, and paintings. Additionally, the exhibits encompass coins, jade pieces, sculptures, seals as well as crafts from various ethnic minorities.
The museum's total exhibition space is 12,000 square meters, distributed across four floors. The first floor features the Ancient Chinese Bronze Gallery, Ancient Chinese Sculpture Gallery, and Exhibition Hall. The second floor showcases the Ancient Chinese Ceramics Gallery and the temporary Ceramics Gallery. The third floor is dedicated to the Calligraphy Gallery, Painting Gallery, and Seals Gallery. The fourth floor exhibits the Ancient Chinese Jade Gallery, Coin Gallery, Ming and Qing Furniture Gallery, and the Ethnic Minority Craft Gallery.
Shanghai Jinmao Tower

Standing proudly at 88 Century Avenue in the heart of Shanghai’s Lujiazui Financial District, the Shanghai Jin Mao Tower is a true marvel of modern engineering and design. Located in the bustling center of the city, the tower offers breathtaking views to the east over the Pudong New Area, to the west over downtown Shanghai and the Huangpu River, and to the south toward the vibrant commercial hub of Zhang Yang Road. To the north, it overlooks the expansive 100,000-square-meter central green space.
The Jin Mao Tower occupies 24,000 square meters of land, with a total building area of 290,000 square meters. The towering 88-story main structure rises to a height of 420.5 meters, with approximately 200,000 square meters of space. Its sleek, modern design features a stunning tapering shape, symbolizing both architectural elegance and strength. The tower’s six-story podium covers 32,000 square meters, while the three underground levels span 57,000 square meters. The building’s striking exterior is enveloped in an aluminum alloy lattice, giving it a contemporary yet timeless appeal.
Inside, the Jin Mao Tower is as spectacular as its exterior. The first two floors house the grand lobby, while floors 3 to 50 feature expansive, column-free office spaces with a ceiling height of 4 meters and a net height of 2.7 meters. The upper floors—51 to 52—house essential mechanical and electrical systems, while the 53rd to 87th floors are home to a luxurious hotel. The 88th floor boasts an observation deck, offering panoramic views of the city and beyond.
Designed by the renowned Chicago-based architectural firm SOM, with Adrian Smith as the lead designer, the Jin Mao Tower combines cutting-edge global architectural trends with traditional Chinese design elements. The building is an engineering masterpiece, with a vertical deviation of only 2 centimeters and the ability to withstand winds of up to level 12 and earthquakes of magnitude 7.
The tower’s exterior is characterized by large glass panels that reflect ever-changing hues—shifting from silver to shades of blue and green. Between the two layers of glass, a low-temperature conductor ensures the interior remains insulated from the outdoor elements.
Inside, the grand lobby features a striking archway design and walls clad in Mediterranean-style perforated marble for both aesthetic and soundproofing purposes. The polished marble floors gleam without being overly shiny, while the main hallway leading to the banquet hall is an artistic corridor showcasing Chinese calligraphy and copper reliefs that depict the evolution of Chinese script, from ancient oracle bone inscriptions to modern-day characters.
At the top of the Jin Mao Tower, the 88th floor offers the “Cloud Walk”—a 60-meter-long, 1.2-meter-wide transparent skywalk, the highest of its kind in the world. This glass walkway allows visitors to experience Shanghai from a breathtaking 340.1 meters above ground level, walking in the clouds and enjoying an unparalleled view of the city below.
Since its completion, the Jin Mao Tower has garnered numerous accolades, including the Illinois World Architecture Award in 1998 and the Shanghai Classic Architecture Gold Award in 1999. It also achieved LEED-EB certification in 2013 and was named one of the "Top Ten New Landmarks in Shanghai" in 2020.
A true symbol of Shanghai's dynamic growth, the Jin Mao Tower remains a must-see destination for those who wish to experience the cutting-edge of modern architecture while soaking in the rich cultural and historical essence of one of the world’s most exciting cities.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower

Standing at a towering height of 468 meters (1,536 feet), the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is not only the tallest TV tower in Asia but also the third tallest in the world. It ranks behind the 553.3-meter-high CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, and the 540-meter-high Ostankino Tower in Moscow, Russia. Located in the heart of Pudong’s Lujiazui district, the tower has become a symbol of Shanghai, drawing both locals and tourists alike. Its unique design, featuring 15 spheres of varying sizes at different heights, creates a striking and futuristic appearance.
The tower's design is said to be inspired by a famous Chinese poetic line, "large and small pearls dropping onto a jade plate," evoking an image of pearls scattered across a jade surface. From its observation deck, visitors are treated to panoramic views of the bustling city, the Huangpu River, and beyond. The revolving restaurant and the expansive sightseeing platform can accommodate up to 1,600 people, offering an unparalleled experience in the sky.
Construction of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower began in 1992, with an initial investment of 50 million Yuan from the government. An additional 150 million Yuan and 10 million US Dollars were raised through bank loans from 44 banks. The tower was completed and opened to the public in 1994. It is affectionately known in China as "Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl," a reference to its striking design, with two massive spheres at the base and a large pearl-like structure at the top.
In 1995, the tower began broadcasting, hosting nine television channels and 10 FM radio stations. Over the years, it has become a major hub for media and telecommunications, in addition to being a top tourist destination.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower offers a wide range of amenities for visitors. At a height of 263 meters, the observation deck provides breathtaking views of Shanghai’s skyline. You can also visit the futuristic "Space City" exhibition hall and the Shanghai Municipal History Museum, located in the tower's base. This museum showcases the history of the city, including its transformation from a small fishing village to one of the world’s leading metropolises.
The large lower sphere of the tower features various attractions, including the "Science Fantasy City" and the "Recreational Palace." On a clear day, visitors can enjoy a view stretching all the way to the Yangtze River from the sightseeing hall. In addition to the observation areas, the tower houses a hotel with 25 elegant rooms in the smaller spheres, offering a relaxing place for visitors to stay.
At the very top of the tower is a large pearl-shaped structure, home to a rotating restaurant, shops, and additional viewing platforms. This iconic structure provides guests with a unique dining experience while enjoying Shanghai’s spectacular skyline.
Over the past decade, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower has welcomed more than 25 million visitors, including 295 overseas heads of state and dignitaries. This immense popularity has made it one of the most profitable TV towers globally. In fact, its annual revenue has exceeded that of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
According to the World Brand Lab, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower ranked 96th among the 500 most valuable Chinese brands, with a brand value of 5.148 billion Yuan (approximately 6.2 billion USD). It has consistently been one of the top 20 most influential Chinese brands on the global stage in recent years.
The tower’s combination of cutting-edge technology, breathtaking views, and cultural significance has made it a must-visit attraction in Shanghai and a proud symbol of China's modern achievements.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower stands as a monumental achievement in both architecture and engineering, symbolizing Shanghai's vibrant future while honoring its rich history. Whether you’re marveling at the panoramic views, exploring the interactive exhibits, or dining in the sky, the tower promises an unforgettable experience for all who visit.
Children’s Palace



Highlights
Mt. Jiuhua

Jiuhua Mount together with Wutai Mount in Shanxi Province, Putuo Mount in Zhejiang Province and E-mei Mountain in Sichuan Province is member of the mountains that are known for the Buddhist culture. Deep inside the steaming mountains, 78 old temples are lying peacefully beneath towering trees with smokes curling up above the roofs.
Jiuhua Mountain consists of nine peaks, of which make a circle just like a lotus. Precious animals like giant salamander and rarely seen plants like Zamioculcas zamiifolia are one of the treasures here. Clear streams originating from Jiuhua Mountain are running down to different directions, forming a pleasant scene around. The curtain-like waterfalls are flying down from the cliffs, providing another kind of splendid landscape for you.
Throughout the ages, such celebrities as poets, painters and calligraphers have been attracted by the marvelous sceneries. Libai (701-762), a famous poet in Tang Dynasty, once came to visit the mountain. The verse slipped out when he was intoxicated with the scene of lotus blooms-like peaks of Mt. Jiuhua, 'From the azure skies above descends a jade-like flow, and nine fascinating lotuses rise out of the hills below'. Later, poet Liu Yuxi (772-784) in Tang Dynasty, litterateur Wang Anshi (1021-1086) in North Song Dynasty and many other scholars, politicians and monks also made the journey to the mountain.
The picturesque natural landscapes together with the wonderful human landscapes won a name as the Most Wonderful Mountain in Southeastern China for Jiuhua Mountain. Sunrise, sunset, seas of clouds, soft rime and Buddha’s Light are too beautiful to forget.
Opening Hours: the whole day
Ticket Price:
95 CNY for the kids
190 CNY for the adults
Location: Chizhou City, Anhui Province
Transportation: Public Bus No. 7 will bring you here
Tunxi Ancient Street

For people who love Chinese paintings, the famous painting, Riverside Scene on the Pure Brightness Festival, must be a way to learn about the Chinese art, because it describes the most prosperous scene of the ancient China. While, Tunxi ancient town is praised as the real scene of that painting. From which, can you tell how wonderful this ancient town is?
It is the best-preserved commercial street with the styles of Song, Ming and Qing Dynasty. The architectures around the old town are not too large but exquisite in designs. The white walls and blue Chinese-style tiles of the orderly located buildings are giving out a strong breath of elegance and antique. The Hui-style gates with delicate wooden carving on can be one of the symbols.
Built in Song dynasty, about 700 years ago, Tunxi Ancient Street, became a distribution center for goods and materials to Huizhou during Ming and Qing dynasties. With shops, it looks densely and compactly. The shops, workshops and residences form an organic whole, keeping the characteristic and operation layout of ancient store. They are simple and elegant, magnificent and clean. The lane along the old town is paved with red flagstones. With clear grain after a rain, it is as clean as a picture. Whether you are wandering along the old bridge, visiting the fish beside the river, finding shoots of bamboo on the slope, or standing under a tree and listening to the birds whistle, it is easy to rest and attain mental tranquility by getting back to the nature.
With the mountain in the north and the clear stream in the south, this ancient town possesses an advantaged location, making itself a wonderful place throughout the ages. It should be a good choice to come here for the exploration of the Chinese Ancient culture and customs.
Opening Hours: the whole day
Ticket Price: free
Location: Tunxi Zone, Huangshan City, Anhui Province
Transportation: Bus No. 1 and 12 from Huangshan City will bring you here
Mountain Huangshan Scenic Spot

Four wonders of Mt. Huangshan

Four seasons in Mt. Huangshan

Scenic Areas of Yellow Mountain

The Scenic Spots Areas of Yellow Mountain are the reason why the Huangshan City is so popular with the visitors near and far. Yellow Mountain is praised as the most fantastic mountain in China for the Four Wonders it embraces, namely the odd-shaped pines, spectacular rocks, pleasant hot springs and varied seas of clouds.
In the past centuries, numerous celebrities have visitor and left behind their masterpieces made for praising those beautiful sceneries around.
Hot Spring Scenic Area
It is a thousand years old hot spring with an average temperature of 40℃ that has been enjoying a high reputation near and far, and never run dry during the most severe droughts nor over-flown in rainy season. It is hailed as scared spring for its therapeutic effects for metabolic disorder, cardiovascular disease, malfunctions of digestive and nervous systems.
With marvelous sceneries around, the hot spring scenic area will come to live when the tourism season falls. The most amazing one is the waterfalls rushing down from the 50 meters high cliff, which, because of being split into two branches, looks from a distance like a Chinese character “人”.
Jade Screen Scenic Area
The sceneries around the Jade Screen Pavilion include the three picturesque Islands, the steep Aerial-ladder-like Stone Stairs and the mysterious Big Turtle Cave. On the peak of the mountains, bizarre pines and lifelike Buddha statues make this area more attractive.
With the height of 1,864 meters, the Lotus Mountain, the peak of the Mountain Huang, has appealed to numerous celebrities, like Chairman Mao, General Zhu De and General Liu Bocheng.
Beihai Scenic Area (North Sea Scenic Area)
Splendid mountains make up this special scenic spot, where will provide you different angles for those fantastic landscapes around Mountain Huang. Among those steaming mountains, the odd-shaped pines, spectacular rocks and varied seas of clouds will catch your eyes, therefore here is praised as the window of the Mountain Huang.
There is a platform at the top of Lion Mountain named Qingliangtai where is the best place for you to enjoy the sunrise and the seas of the clouds.
White Cloud Scenic Area (Baiyun Scenic Area)
A fantastic landscape of odd-shaped pines, bizarre rocks, roaring waterfalls and chirping steams is really a sumptuous feast of eyes.
The West Sea, long known as the Mystery Valley for the many clusters of peaks and the fathomless depth of the valley has been opened up as the White Cloud Stream Scenic Area. As the highest falls in the Yellow Mountains, Qianxun waterfall has a drop of 140 meters, and is ice-free all the year round. The falls thunder can be heard at Swan Rock near the brook and one can also have a near look on the Immortal Walking on Stilts.
Songgu Scenic Area (Pine Valley Scenic Area)
After the completion of the mission of climbing up the stone stairs over 6,500 steps leading to the peak of the Furong Mountain, beautiful landscapes made up by steaming forests, flying waterfalls, chirping steams, peaceful ponds, mysterious temple and exotic plants are waiting for you.
Here peaks are green and water is clear around the year. Beautiful scenic attractions include Old Dragon Pool (Laolong Tan), Green Dragon Pool (Qinglong Tan), Black Dragon Pool (Wulong Tan), White Dragon Pool (Bailong Tan) and Emerald Pond.
Yungu Scenic Area (Cloud Valley Scenic Area)
Situated between Arhat Peak and Incense Burner Peak, the 890 meters high Cloud Valley Temple is half way between the North Sea and the Hot Spring along the mountain as well as the departure station of the cable car route to the North Sea. This area does not lose out to other scenic areas for beauty. The major sights of this area are the Cloud Valley Villa, oddly shaped rocks, old trees and the Nine-Dragon Waterfall and the Baizhang Spring.
Descending the mountain path to the left of the Cloud Valley Temple and going through the bamboo grove, tourists can watch the Nine Dragon Falls four kilometers away. The Nine-Dragon Waterfall plunges all of 300 meters from the cliff top between the Incense Burner Peak and the Arhat Peak. The waterfall has nine leaps, each leap forms a waterfall and each fall feeds a pool.
Opening Hours: the whole day
Ticket Price:
230 CNY from March 1 to November 31
150 CNY from December 1 to February 28
Half fare for the student, soldiers, teachers, retired and the people over 60 years
Location: Nanshan City, Anhui Province
Transportation: Tour bus available every 15 minutes from Tourism Transportation Center in Tangkou Town, Huangshan City will bring you here (13 CNY)
Guide to the Cableways

Looking down from the cableway, you will see some different and amazing landscapes.
Cloud Valley Cableway (Cableway 1)
Cloud Valley Cableway with a length of 2,666 meters has been put into operation since the year 2007. It is supported by the world’s most sophisticated to ensure the safety and comfortableness. With a high difference of 775 meters, this cableway can provide you a different but splendid view of many landscapes with a bird’s view. A speed of 6 meters each second makes it takes only 8 minutes to get to the peak.
Opening Hours:
At weekend: 6:30 -- 16:30
Monday to Friday: 7:00 -- 16:30
Ticket Price:
80 CNY
Free for the kids below 1.2 m
Half Fare for the kids between 1.2 and 1.4
Taiping Cableway (Cableway 2)
Spanning 3,709 meters, Taiping cableway is the longest cableway in Asia. With a high difference of 1,014.5 meter, it can provide you an amazing bird’s view of such fantastic sceneries as Songgu Temple, Jade Pond and Moya Inscription, which seems like a 3D picture.
Opening Hours:
At weekend: 6:30 -- 16:30
Monday to Friday: 7:00 -- 16:30
Ticket Price:
65 CNY
80 CNY on Chinese public holidays
Free for the kids below 1.1 meter tall
Half fare for the kids between 1.1 and 1.3 m
Jade Screen Cableway (Cableway 3)
Spanning 2,176 meters, Jade Screen cableway with a high difference of 1,014.5 meters can take you go through the seas of clouds, provide you an amazing bird’s view of such fantastic sceneries as white-ribbon-like streams and take you to the wonderful and magical landscapes.
Opening Hours:
At weekend: 6:30 -- 16:30
Monday to Friday: 7:00 -- 16:30
Ticket Price:
65 CNY
80 CNY on Chinese public holidays
Free for the kids below 1.1 meter tall
Half fare for the kids between 1.1 and 1.3 m
Wildlife in Yellow Mountain

Deep inside this flourishing and peaceful mountain, wildlife of various kinds have been leading a harmonious life, making the mountain full of vigor. Owing to the mild climate, wildlife here enjoys a pleasant living environment.
Plants
Huang Mountain is a mini eco-system with wild plants and animals of various kinds living a harmonious life here. According to the Directories of Plants in Huangshan, Huangshan scenic spots have about 1446 species of protophyte in 155 orders, 193 species of hemerophyte in 51 orders. The protophyte include 187 species of bryophyte in 114 genera and 127 species of pteridophyte in 57 genera. These rare and ancient plants are of great viewing value and of scientific research significance. They can serve as important materials and experiment sites for probing into origins and history.
Various plants of different colors will address the Huang Mountain in different covers, making here a wonderful resort all year round.
Animals
The flourishing forests and the pleasant weather are the ideal environment for the precious wild animals of more than 300 species. Among them, there are 176 kinds of birds in 17 orders and 40 families, 48 kinds of reptiles, 21 kinds of amphibious animals, 24 kinds of fishes and 54 kinds of beasts. You will feel like walking into a paradise of animals here.
When the dawn comes, Mountain Huang will come to live with chirping birds’ seeking for foods, lovely monkeys jumping around, deer dancing, shy animals doing the hide-and-seek and other animals taking the morning walk.
Mt. Jiuhua

Jiuhua Mount together with Wutai Mount in Shanxi Province, Putuo Mount in Zhejiang Province and E-mei Mountain in Sichuan Province is member of the mountains that are known for the Buddhist culture. Deep inside the steaming mountains, 78 old temples are lying peacefully beneath towering trees with smokes curling up above the roofs.
Jiuhua Mountain consists of nine peaks, of which make a circle just like a lotus. Precious animals like giant salamander and rarely seen plants like Zamioculcas zamiifolia are one of the treasures here. Clear streams originating from Jiuhua Mountain are running down to different directions, forming a pleasant scene around. The curtain-like waterfalls are flying down from the cliffs, providing another kind of splendid landscape for you.
Throughout the ages, such celebrities as poets, painters and calligraphers have been attracted by the marvelous sceneries. Libai (701-762), a famous poet in Tang Dynasty, once came to visit the mountain. The verse slipped out when he was intoxicated with the scene of lotus blooms-like peaks of Mt. Jiuhua, 'From the azure skies above descends a jade-like flow, and nine fascinating lotuses rise out of the hills below'. Later, poet Liu Yuxi (772-784) in Tang Dynasty, litterateur Wang Anshi (1021-1086) in North Song Dynasty and many other scholars, politicians and monks also made the journey to the mountain.
The picturesque natural landscapes together with the wonderful human landscapes won a name as the Most Wonderful Mountain in Southeastern China for Jiuhua Mountain. Sunrise, sunset, seas of clouds, soft rime and Buddha’s Light are too beautiful to forget.
Opening Hours: the whole day
Ticket Price:
95 CNY for the kids
190 CNY for the adults
Location: Chizhou City, Anhui Province
Transportation: Public Bus No. 7 will bring you here
Tunxi Ancient Street

For people who love Chinese paintings, the famous painting, Riverside Scene on the Pure Brightness Festival, must be a way to learn about the Chinese art, because it describes the most prosperous scene of the ancient China. While, Tunxi ancient town is praised as the real scene of that painting. From which, can you tell how wonderful this ancient town is?
It is the best-preserved commercial street with the styles of Song, Ming and Qing Dynasty. The architectures around the old town are not too large but exquisite in designs. The white walls and blue Chinese-style tiles of the orderly located buildings are giving out a strong breath of elegance and antique. The Hui-style gates with delicate wooden carving on can be one of the symbols.
Built in Song dynasty, about 700 years ago, Tunxi Ancient Street, became a distribution center for goods and materials to Huizhou during Ming and Qing dynasties. With shops, it looks densely and compactly. The shops, workshops and residences form an organic whole, keeping the characteristic and operation layout of ancient store. They are simple and elegant, magnificent and clean. The lane along the old town is paved with red flagstones. With clear grain after a rain, it is as clean as a picture. Whether you are wandering along the old bridge, visiting the fish beside the river, finding shoots of bamboo on the slope, or standing under a tree and listening to the birds whistle, it is easy to rest and attain mental tranquility by getting back to the nature.
With the mountain in the north and the clear stream in the south, this ancient town possesses an advantaged location, making itself a wonderful place throughout the ages. It should be a good choice to come here for the exploration of the Chinese Ancient culture and customs.
Opening Hours: the whole day
Ticket Price: free
Location: Tunxi Zone, Huangshan City, Anhui Province
Transportation: Bus No. 1 and 12 from Huangshan City will bring you here
Mountain Huangshan Scenic Spot

Four wonders of Mt. Huangshan

Four seasons in Mt. Huangshan

Scenic Areas of Yellow Mountain

The Scenic Spots Areas of Yellow Mountain are the reason why the Huangshan City is so popular with the visitors near and far. Yellow Mountain is praised as the most fantastic mountain in China for the Four Wonders it embraces, namely the odd-shaped pines, spectacular rocks, pleasant hot springs and varied seas of clouds.
In the past centuries, numerous celebrities have visitor and left behind their masterpieces made for praising those beautiful sceneries around.
Hot Spring Scenic Area
It is a thousand years old hot spring with an average temperature of 40℃ that has been enjoying a high reputation near and far, and never run dry during the most severe droughts nor over-flown in rainy season. It is hailed as scared spring for its therapeutic effects for metabolic disorder, cardiovascular disease, malfunctions of digestive and nervous systems.
With marvelous sceneries around, the hot spring scenic area will come to live when the tourism season falls. The most amazing one is the waterfalls rushing down from the 50 meters high cliff, which, because of being split into two branches, looks from a distance like a Chinese character “人”.
Jade Screen Scenic Area
The sceneries around the Jade Screen Pavilion include the three picturesque Islands, the steep Aerial-ladder-like Stone Stairs and the mysterious Big Turtle Cave. On the peak of the mountains, bizarre pines and lifelike Buddha statues make this area more attractive.
With the height of 1,864 meters, the Lotus Mountain, the peak of the Mountain Huang, has appealed to numerous celebrities, like Chairman Mao, General Zhu De and General Liu Bocheng.
Beihai Scenic Area (North Sea Scenic Area)
Splendid mountains make up this special scenic spot, where will provide you different angles for those fantastic landscapes around Mountain Huang. Among those steaming mountains, the odd-shaped pines, spectacular rocks and varied seas of clouds will catch your eyes, therefore here is praised as the window of the Mountain Huang.
There is a platform at the top of Lion Mountain named Qingliangtai where is the best place for you to enjoy the sunrise and the seas of the clouds.
White Cloud Scenic Area (Baiyun Scenic Area)
A fantastic landscape of odd-shaped pines, bizarre rocks, roaring waterfalls and chirping steams is really a sumptuous feast of eyes.
The West Sea, long known as the Mystery Valley for the many clusters of peaks and the fathomless depth of the valley has been opened up as the White Cloud Stream Scenic Area. As the highest falls in the Yellow Mountains, Qianxun waterfall has a drop of 140 meters, and is ice-free all the year round. The falls thunder can be heard at Swan Rock near the brook and one can also have a near look on the Immortal Walking on Stilts.
Songgu Scenic Area (Pine Valley Scenic Area)
After the completion of the mission of climbing up the stone stairs over 6,500 steps leading to the peak of the Furong Mountain, beautiful landscapes made up by steaming forests, flying waterfalls, chirping steams, peaceful ponds, mysterious temple and exotic plants are waiting for you.
Here peaks are green and water is clear around the year. Beautiful scenic attractions include Old Dragon Pool (Laolong Tan), Green Dragon Pool (Qinglong Tan), Black Dragon Pool (Wulong Tan), White Dragon Pool (Bailong Tan) and Emerald Pond.
Yungu Scenic Area (Cloud Valley Scenic Area)
Situated between Arhat Peak and Incense Burner Peak, the 890 meters high Cloud Valley Temple is half way between the North Sea and the Hot Spring along the mountain as well as the departure station of the cable car route to the North Sea. This area does not lose out to other scenic areas for beauty. The major sights of this area are the Cloud Valley Villa, oddly shaped rocks, old trees and the Nine-Dragon Waterfall and the Baizhang Spring.
Descending the mountain path to the left of the Cloud Valley Temple and going through the bamboo grove, tourists can watch the Nine Dragon Falls four kilometers away. The Nine-Dragon Waterfall plunges all of 300 meters from the cliff top between the Incense Burner Peak and the Arhat Peak. The waterfall has nine leaps, each leap forms a waterfall and each fall feeds a pool.
Opening Hours: the whole day
Ticket Price:
230 CNY from March 1 to November 31
150 CNY from December 1 to February 28
Half fare for the student, soldiers, teachers, retired and the people over 60 years
Location: Nanshan City, Anhui Province
Transportation: Tour bus available every 15 minutes from Tourism Transportation Center in Tangkou Town, Huangshan City will bring you here (13 CNY)
Guide to the Cableways

Looking down from the cableway, you will see some different and amazing landscapes.
Cloud Valley Cableway (Cableway 1)
Cloud Valley Cableway with a length of 2,666 meters has been put into operation since the year 2007. It is supported by the world’s most sophisticated to ensure the safety and comfortableness. With a high difference of 775 meters, this cableway can provide you a different but splendid view of many landscapes with a bird’s view. A speed of 6 meters each second makes it takes only 8 minutes to get to the peak.
Opening Hours:
At weekend: 6:30 -- 16:30
Monday to Friday: 7:00 -- 16:30
Ticket Price:
80 CNY
Free for the kids below 1.2 m
Half Fare for the kids between 1.2 and 1.4
Taiping Cableway (Cableway 2)
Spanning 3,709 meters, Taiping cableway is the longest cableway in Asia. With a high difference of 1,014.5 meter, it can provide you an amazing bird’s view of such fantastic sceneries as Songgu Temple, Jade Pond and Moya Inscription, which seems like a 3D picture.
Opening Hours:
At weekend: 6:30 -- 16:30
Monday to Friday: 7:00 -- 16:30
Ticket Price:
65 CNY
80 CNY on Chinese public holidays
Free for the kids below 1.1 meter tall
Half fare for the kids between 1.1 and 1.3 m
Jade Screen Cableway (Cableway 3)
Spanning 2,176 meters, Jade Screen cableway with a high difference of 1,014.5 meters can take you go through the seas of clouds, provide you an amazing bird’s view of such fantastic sceneries as white-ribbon-like streams and take you to the wonderful and magical landscapes.
Opening Hours:
At weekend: 6:30 -- 16:30
Monday to Friday: 7:00 -- 16:30
Ticket Price:
65 CNY
80 CNY on Chinese public holidays
Free for the kids below 1.1 meter tall
Half fare for the kids between 1.1 and 1.3 m
Wildlife in Yellow Mountain

Deep inside this flourishing and peaceful mountain, wildlife of various kinds have been leading a harmonious life, making the mountain full of vigor. Owing to the mild climate, wildlife here enjoys a pleasant living environment.
Plants
Huang Mountain is a mini eco-system with wild plants and animals of various kinds living a harmonious life here. According to the Directories of Plants in Huangshan, Huangshan scenic spots have about 1446 species of protophyte in 155 orders, 193 species of hemerophyte in 51 orders. The protophyte include 187 species of bryophyte in 114 genera and 127 species of pteridophyte in 57 genera. These rare and ancient plants are of great viewing value and of scientific research significance. They can serve as important materials and experiment sites for probing into origins and history.
Various plants of different colors will address the Huang Mountain in different covers, making here a wonderful resort all year round.
Animals
The flourishing forests and the pleasant weather are the ideal environment for the precious wild animals of more than 300 species. Among them, there are 176 kinds of birds in 17 orders and 40 families, 48 kinds of reptiles, 21 kinds of amphibious animals, 24 kinds of fishes and 54 kinds of beasts. You will feel like walking into a paradise of animals here.
When the dawn comes, Mountain Huang will come to live with chirping birds’ seeking for foods, lovely monkeys jumping around, deer dancing, shy animals doing the hide-and-seek and other animals taking the morning walk.
Mt. Jiuhua

Jiuhua Mount together with Wutai Mount in Shanxi Province, Putuo Mount in Zhejiang Province and E-mei Mountain in Sichuan Province is member of the mountains that are known for the Buddhist culture. Deep inside the steaming mountains, 78 old temples are lying peacefully beneath towering trees with smokes curling up above the roofs.
Jiuhua Mountain consists of nine peaks, of which make a circle just like a lotus. Precious animals like giant salamander and rarely seen plants like Zamioculcas zamiifolia are one of the treasures here. Clear streams originating from Jiuhua Mountain are running down to different directions, forming a pleasant scene around. The curtain-like waterfalls are flying down from the cliffs, providing another kind of splendid landscape for you.
Throughout the ages, such celebrities as poets, painters and calligraphers have been attracted by the marvelous sceneries. Libai (701-762), a famous poet in Tang Dynasty, once came to visit the mountain. The verse slipped out when he was intoxicated with the scene of lotus blooms-like peaks of Mt. Jiuhua, 'From the azure skies above descends a jade-like flow, and nine fascinating lotuses rise out of the hills below'. Later, poet Liu Yuxi (772-784) in Tang Dynasty, litterateur Wang Anshi (1021-1086) in North Song Dynasty and many other scholars, politicians and monks also made the journey to the mountain.
The picturesque natural landscapes together with the wonderful human landscapes won a name as the Most Wonderful Mountain in Southeastern China for Jiuhua Mountain. Sunrise, sunset, seas of clouds, soft rime and Buddha’s Light are too beautiful to forget.
Opening Hours: the whole day
Ticket Price:
95 CNY for the kids
190 CNY for the adults
Location: Chizhou City, Anhui Province
Transportation: Public Bus No. 7 will bring you here
Tunxi Ancient Street

For people who love Chinese paintings, the famous painting, Riverside Scene on the Pure Brightness Festival, must be a way to learn about the Chinese art, because it describes the most prosperous scene of the ancient China. While, Tunxi ancient town is praised as the real scene of that painting. From which, can you tell how wonderful this ancient town is?
It is the best-preserved commercial street with the styles of Song, Ming and Qing Dynasty. The architectures around the old town are not too large but exquisite in designs. The white walls and blue Chinese-style tiles of the orderly located buildings are giving out a strong breath of elegance and antique. The Hui-style gates with delicate wooden carving on can be one of the symbols.
Built in Song dynasty, about 700 years ago, Tunxi Ancient Street, became a distribution center for goods and materials to Huizhou during Ming and Qing dynasties. With shops, it looks densely and compactly. The shops, workshops and residences form an organic whole, keeping the characteristic and operation layout of ancient store. They are simple and elegant, magnificent and clean. The lane along the old town is paved with red flagstones. With clear grain after a rain, it is as clean as a picture. Whether you are wandering along the old bridge, visiting the fish beside the river, finding shoots of bamboo on the slope, or standing under a tree and listening to the birds whistle, it is easy to rest and attain mental tranquility by getting back to the nature.
With the mountain in the north and the clear stream in the south, this ancient town possesses an advantaged location, making itself a wonderful place throughout the ages. It should be a good choice to come here for the exploration of the Chinese Ancient culture and customs.
Opening Hours: the whole day
Ticket Price: free
Location: Tunxi Zone, Huangshan City, Anhui Province
Transportation: Bus No. 1 and 12 from Huangshan City will bring you here

Highlights
The Tiger Hill

Tiger Hill was not the Tiger Hill before the King of the Wu Kingdom buried his father here. It is said that three days after the burial, a tiger appeared before the tomb, so people named it the present name --Tiger Hill. This 36-meter-high hill with 1000,000 m2 of area is one of the most popular resorts in Suzhou, where is praised as the must-visit-place in Suzhou by Su Dongpo, an eminent poet in North Song Dynasty (960-1127).
The architectures are the main cultural relics in Tiger Hill, which goes pretty well with the circumstance around. Most of the architectures here, including tower, palace, bridge, pavilion and tomb, were built in the ancient time, some are in Five Dynasties (907-979), some are in Song Dynasty (960-1234) and Yuan Dynasty (1206-1370), the other are in Ming Dynasty (1364-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). The architecture designs are of great significance in the development of Chinese architecture.
The most attractive scene is the 48-meter-tall Yunyan Tower, which is hailed as the Oriental Leaning Tower of Pisa, while the most mysterious one is the Sword Pool (Jian Chi), where is said hides a secret behind the tomb of the King of Wu State.
Tiger Hill is lively place where many festivals and celebrations are hold. The Flower Festival in spring, the local temple fair in autumn and the Tourism Festival of Suzhou are included. Thus it is a good place to go for you expedition of Chinese culture and customs.
Opening Hours:
7:30--17:30 (from March 1 to November 15)
7:30--17:00 (from November 16 to February 29)
Ticket Price:
40 CNY from October 31 to April 15
60 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: At the end of Tiger Hill Road, Suzhou
Transportation: Toru Bus No. 1 and 2, and Bus No. 32, 146, 816 and 949 will bring you here.
Zhouzhuang



Canglang Pavilion (Blue Wave Pavilion)

As the oldest garden among the existing classical gardens of Suzhou, Canglang Pavilion together with 'Lion Grove', 'Humble Administrator's Garden' and 'Garden for Lingering In.', is praised as the four most famous gardens in Suzhou. It was used as the private garden of a Prince of the Five Dynasties (907-960), thus the designs are of royal flavor.
This 11,000 m2 garden is full of breath of simplicity and serenity, with the rockery and pools as decorations. Over 108 patterns of carvings are applied into the decoration of the walls of the meandering corridor, which are all exquisite and elegant as that of in the traditional gardens.
The inscriptions go harmonious with the typical decorations of the entire garden, such as the poetic couplet carved on both sides of the gate. The key style of the decoration of this garden traces back to the Song Dynasty (960-1234), which together with the green bamboo will make your trip full of sceneries and literary flavor.
Note:
1.The landscape here have different highlights in different seasons and the best time for traveling here is February and October.
2. Take the medicine for preventing the mosquitoes in case of being bite by the mosquitoes, especially in summer.
Opening Hours: 7:30 -- 17: 30
Ticket Price:
15 CNY from October 31 to April 15
20 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Half fare for the people over 60 but less than 70
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: No. 3, Canglang Pavillion Street, Sanyuan Lane, Suzhou
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 2,4 and 5 and Bus No. 1, 5, 27, 30, 39, 101, 102, 103, 218, 261, 308 and 309 will bring you here.
Lingering Garden (Liuyuan)

Lingering Garden together with 'Lion Grove', 'Humble Administrator's Garden' and Canglang Pavilion, is praised as the four most famous gardens in Suzhou, for their artistic ways of dealing with the spaces between various kinds of architectural form. The garden is divided into four parts, namely the middle, eastern, northern and western, each of which has command of particular sceneries.
The middle part is featured by the water landscapes, which is the essence of the garden. The eastern part consists of idiomatical corridors and yards with picturesque rockery. The northern is full of the countryside flavor with the potted landscapes as decoration. The western is the top of the whole garden, from where you can overlook the entire view of the Lingering Garden.
There are three unique must-visit landscapes in Lingering Garden-- the Cloud Capped Peak, the Nanmu Palace and the Fish Fossil. Cloud Capped Peak is the one and only bizarre stone derived from Taihu Lake in the Song Dynasty (960-1234). Most of the building materials of Nanmu Palace is Nanmu, which is a precious and rare plant. The Fish Fossil, with a thickness of 15 mm and diameter of 1 meter, is a natural fossil transit from Yunnan to Suzhou, on which there is a natural picture of landscape painting.
Opening Hours: 7:30 -- 17:00
Ticket Price:
30 CNY from October 31 to April 15
40 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Location: No. 302, Liuyuan Road, Jinchang District, Suzhou
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 1, 3 and 5, Bus No. 6, 7, 22, 33, 44, 70, 85, 88, 91, 101 and 103 will bring you here.
Humble Administrator's Garden(Zhuozhengyuan)

Humble Administrator's Garden, the largest garden in Suzhou covering 52000 m2, is 500 years old. It is known for the typical and luxurious designs. Located in the Oriental Venice, Humble Administrator's Garden is featured by the water landscape that occupies three fifths of the entire garden, which is a reflection of special customs and culture in the south area of Yangtze River. Humble Administrator's Garden is representative of Chinese classical gardens in the Ming Dynasty, which is focused on a central pond with pavilions, terraces, chambers, and towers located nearby.
In this magnificent garden, the typical artificial landscapes, the rockery islands, the bamboo castles, the pine hills and meandering streams are so attractive and characterized that it is praised as the Model of the Garden. Elaborately conceived, the designer of the garden used the architecture technique know as 'borrowed view from afar' in the layout of this part, aiming to enlarge eyeshot within a limited space. Seen westward, a pagoda would be seen sitting in western garden, which actually is situated 1 km away from the garden.
Humble Administrator's Garden, the dwelling house of the famous poet Lu Guimeng in Tang Dynasty (618-907), is divided into four parts: the eastern, middle, western parts and the part for dwelling, in which arts of architecture, calligraphy, carving, painting and bonsai are the main decorations.
Note: The best time for traveling here is spring, summer and autumn, but not the Chinese holidays.
Opening Hours: 8:15--17:30
Ticket Price:
50 CNY from October 31 to April 15
70 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: No. 178, Dongbei Street, Pingjiang District, Suzhou
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 1, 2 and 5, and Bus No. 50, 55, 178, 202, 262, 309, 529, 331, 518 and 923 will bring you here.
Lion Grove Garden (Shizilin)

Built in 1342 during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) by Monk Tianru and a group of Zen Buddhist disciples as a memorial of their master-Monk Zhongfeng, Lion Grove Garden has witnessed 650 years’ changes. As one of the four famous Chinese gardens (together with Lingering Garden, Humble Administrator's Garden and Canglang Pavilion), Lion Grove Garden covers 11,000 m2.
Hailed as the Kingdom of the Rockery, Lion Grove Garden is full of lifelike rockeries that are of colorful shapes and complex postures. Plenty of rockeries are actually from North Song Dynasty (960-1127), which has been turned into various delicate patterns under the design of the skillful artisans. In the last reconstruction, some western styles and Chinese folk artistries are introduced into this Buddhist garden to make more charming and natural.
In this maze-like garden, Chinese traditional culture and literary works are one of the features. On the walls of the corridors, the calligraphies of the four eminent calligraphers in Song Dynasty (960-1234) are carved, and around the garden scriptures of the Buddhist classics can be seen, which provides you a chance of learning the Chinese cultures while enjoy the landscapes.
The water and rockeries form a beautiful contrast that is the key tone of the garden, which is the original model of some royal gardens. Rockeries together with water, bamboo grove, pavilions, meandering corridors and green plant formed a refreshing and nature-like resort where you can spend your expedition.
Opening Hours: 8:00--17:00
Ticket Price:
20 CNY from October 31 to April 15
30 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: No. 23, Yuanlin Road, Jiangping District, Suzhou
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 1, 2 and 5, and Bus No. 2, 3, 40, 55, 313, 301, 529 and 923 will bring you here.
Garden of the Master of the Nets

Built in the Song Dynasty (960-1234), Garden of Master of the Nets is as old as 800 years and is as big as one sixth of the Humble Administrators’ Garden, covering 8800 m2. Small as it is, the landscapes it owns are so impressive that many Chinese celebrities have lived in or near the garden. The master of the Chinese Traditional Paintings, Zhang Daqian, has ever lived in and created many masterpieces.
It is a symbol of the classical gardens of small and medium size, which has the exquisite designs and sophisticated layout. Once entering into the garden, you will impressed by the harmonious decorations and architectures inside, which will create an illusion that the garden is much greater than it is.
Despite of the small size, it possesses lots of highlights, among which the Dian Chun-yi, a cabin made of bamboo that covers less than 600 m2, is the impressive one. Dian Chun-yi has been imitated for more than once in the design of splendid garden all over the world, such as the Yiyuan Garden in Canada in 1986, the Yunxiuyuan Garden in Singapore in 1992 and the Jixingyuan Garden in America in 1998 etc. Therefore, it is safe to say that it is the garden with the delicate designs.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 22:00
Ticket Price:
15 CNY from October 31 to April 15
30 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Location: No. 11, North Yinxing Bridge, Canglang District, Suzhou
Transportation: Bus No. 204, 511, 47, 501, 202 and 931 will bring you here.
Hanshan Temple (Cold Mountain Temple)

Hanshan Temple, built in Liang Dynasty (502-557) and reconstructed in Tang Dynasty (618-907), derived the name from the abbot, who named Hanshan. Having come through 1400 years’ changes, Hanshan Temple has appealed to a growing number of people for its features and historic significance.
The architectures inside are of great value in art and of unusual features, among which the Hualan Lou is worthy of a visit. The Hualan Lou is supported by only two backbones, which just like the handle of the flower basket. It is a reflection of the Chinese traditional architecture style and sophisticated skills. Surprisingly, the screwing up stairs is holds with only one single column with exquisite carvings on.
Seen from the Maple Bridge, Hanshan Temple impresses people with the yellow walls, green glazed roof and the towering old pines. On entering the temple, the delicate scriptures and magnificent architectures will catch your eyes. What’s more, the meanderings will lead you to the Buddhist halls, where you can admire the Buddhist classics and true-to-life sculptures.
The most popular activity held here is the Bell-hitting Ceremony on the December 31-- the eve of the New Year, on when people from near and far come here to experience the 108 hits on the bell and do the count down. The bell is a gift from Japan, which was made together with the one in the Guanshan Temple in Japan in the year 1906.
Note: The best time for traveling here is from April to October.
Opening Hours: 7:30 -- 17:00
Ticket Price:
20 CNY for the entrance
Free for the children below 1.2 meters
380 CNY for the Bell-hitting Ceremony on the eve of the New Year
Location: Maple Bridge Town, Suzhou (5 km away from the Suzhou City)
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 3 and Bus 6, 9, 17, 21, 31, 301 and 313 will bring you to Maple Bridge.
The Tiger Hill

Tiger Hill was not the Tiger Hill before the King of the Wu Kingdom buried his father here. It is said that three days after the burial, a tiger appeared before the tomb, so people named it the present name --Tiger Hill. This 36-meter-high hill with 1000,000 m2 of area is one of the most popular resorts in Suzhou, where is praised as the must-visit-place in Suzhou by Su Dongpo, an eminent poet in North Song Dynasty (960-1127).
The architectures are the main cultural relics in Tiger Hill, which goes pretty well with the circumstance around. Most of the architectures here, including tower, palace, bridge, pavilion and tomb, were built in the ancient time, some are in Five Dynasties (907-979), some are in Song Dynasty (960-1234) and Yuan Dynasty (1206-1370), the other are in Ming Dynasty (1364-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). The architecture designs are of great significance in the development of Chinese architecture.
The most attractive scene is the 48-meter-tall Yunyan Tower, which is hailed as the Oriental Leaning Tower of Pisa, while the most mysterious one is the Sword Pool (Jian Chi), where is said hides a secret behind the tomb of the King of Wu State.
Tiger Hill is lively place where many festivals and celebrations are hold. The Flower Festival in spring, the local temple fair in autumn and the Tourism Festival of Suzhou are included. Thus it is a good place to go for you expedition of Chinese culture and customs.
Opening Hours:
7:30--17:30 (from March 1 to November 15)
7:30--17:00 (from November 16 to February 29)
Ticket Price:
40 CNY from October 31 to April 15
60 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: At the end of Tiger Hill Road, Suzhou
Transportation: Toru Bus No. 1 and 2, and Bus No. 32, 146, 816 and 949 will bring you here.
Zhouzhuang



Canglang Pavilion (Blue Wave Pavilion)

As the oldest garden among the existing classical gardens of Suzhou, Canglang Pavilion together with 'Lion Grove', 'Humble Administrator's Garden' and 'Garden for Lingering In.', is praised as the four most famous gardens in Suzhou. It was used as the private garden of a Prince of the Five Dynasties (907-960), thus the designs are of royal flavor.
This 11,000 m2 garden is full of breath of simplicity and serenity, with the rockery and pools as decorations. Over 108 patterns of carvings are applied into the decoration of the walls of the meandering corridor, which are all exquisite and elegant as that of in the traditional gardens.
The inscriptions go harmonious with the typical decorations of the entire garden, such as the poetic couplet carved on both sides of the gate. The key style of the decoration of this garden traces back to the Song Dynasty (960-1234), which together with the green bamboo will make your trip full of sceneries and literary flavor.
Note:
1.The landscape here have different highlights in different seasons and the best time for traveling here is February and October.
2. Take the medicine for preventing the mosquitoes in case of being bite by the mosquitoes, especially in summer.
Opening Hours: 7:30 -- 17: 30
Ticket Price:
15 CNY from October 31 to April 15
20 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Half fare for the people over 60 but less than 70
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: No. 3, Canglang Pavillion Street, Sanyuan Lane, Suzhou
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 2,4 and 5 and Bus No. 1, 5, 27, 30, 39, 101, 102, 103, 218, 261, 308 and 309 will bring you here.
Lingering Garden (Liuyuan)

Lingering Garden together with 'Lion Grove', 'Humble Administrator's Garden' and Canglang Pavilion, is praised as the four most famous gardens in Suzhou, for their artistic ways of dealing with the spaces between various kinds of architectural form. The garden is divided into four parts, namely the middle, eastern, northern and western, each of which has command of particular sceneries.
The middle part is featured by the water landscapes, which is the essence of the garden. The eastern part consists of idiomatical corridors and yards with picturesque rockery. The northern is full of the countryside flavor with the potted landscapes as decoration. The western is the top of the whole garden, from where you can overlook the entire view of the Lingering Garden.
There are three unique must-visit landscapes in Lingering Garden-- the Cloud Capped Peak, the Nanmu Palace and the Fish Fossil. Cloud Capped Peak is the one and only bizarre stone derived from Taihu Lake in the Song Dynasty (960-1234). Most of the building materials of Nanmu Palace is Nanmu, which is a precious and rare plant. The Fish Fossil, with a thickness of 15 mm and diameter of 1 meter, is a natural fossil transit from Yunnan to Suzhou, on which there is a natural picture of landscape painting.
Opening Hours: 7:30 -- 17:00
Ticket Price:
30 CNY from October 31 to April 15
40 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Location: No. 302, Liuyuan Road, Jinchang District, Suzhou
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 1, 3 and 5, Bus No. 6, 7, 22, 33, 44, 70, 85, 88, 91, 101 and 103 will bring you here.
Humble Administrator's Garden(Zhuozhengyuan)

Humble Administrator's Garden, the largest garden in Suzhou covering 52000 m2, is 500 years old. It is known for the typical and luxurious designs. Located in the Oriental Venice, Humble Administrator's Garden is featured by the water landscape that occupies three fifths of the entire garden, which is a reflection of special customs and culture in the south area of Yangtze River. Humble Administrator's Garden is representative of Chinese classical gardens in the Ming Dynasty, which is focused on a central pond with pavilions, terraces, chambers, and towers located nearby.
In this magnificent garden, the typical artificial landscapes, the rockery islands, the bamboo castles, the pine hills and meandering streams are so attractive and characterized that it is praised as the Model of the Garden. Elaborately conceived, the designer of the garden used the architecture technique know as 'borrowed view from afar' in the layout of this part, aiming to enlarge eyeshot within a limited space. Seen westward, a pagoda would be seen sitting in western garden, which actually is situated 1 km away from the garden.
Humble Administrator's Garden, the dwelling house of the famous poet Lu Guimeng in Tang Dynasty (618-907), is divided into four parts: the eastern, middle, western parts and the part for dwelling, in which arts of architecture, calligraphy, carving, painting and bonsai are the main decorations.
Note: The best time for traveling here is spring, summer and autumn, but not the Chinese holidays.
Opening Hours: 8:15--17:30
Ticket Price:
50 CNY from October 31 to April 15
70 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: No. 178, Dongbei Street, Pingjiang District, Suzhou
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 1, 2 and 5, and Bus No. 50, 55, 178, 202, 262, 309, 529, 331, 518 and 923 will bring you here.
Lion Grove Garden (Shizilin)

Built in 1342 during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) by Monk Tianru and a group of Zen Buddhist disciples as a memorial of their master-Monk Zhongfeng, Lion Grove Garden has witnessed 650 years’ changes. As one of the four famous Chinese gardens (together with Lingering Garden, Humble Administrator's Garden and Canglang Pavilion), Lion Grove Garden covers 11,000 m2.
Hailed as the Kingdom of the Rockery, Lion Grove Garden is full of lifelike rockeries that are of colorful shapes and complex postures. Plenty of rockeries are actually from North Song Dynasty (960-1127), which has been turned into various delicate patterns under the design of the skillful artisans. In the last reconstruction, some western styles and Chinese folk artistries are introduced into this Buddhist garden to make more charming and natural.
In this maze-like garden, Chinese traditional culture and literary works are one of the features. On the walls of the corridors, the calligraphies of the four eminent calligraphers in Song Dynasty (960-1234) are carved, and around the garden scriptures of the Buddhist classics can be seen, which provides you a chance of learning the Chinese cultures while enjoy the landscapes.
The water and rockeries form a beautiful contrast that is the key tone of the garden, which is the original model of some royal gardens. Rockeries together with water, bamboo grove, pavilions, meandering corridors and green plant formed a refreshing and nature-like resort where you can spend your expedition.
Opening Hours: 8:00--17:00
Ticket Price:
20 CNY from October 31 to April 15
30 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: No. 23, Yuanlin Road, Jiangping District, Suzhou
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 1, 2 and 5, and Bus No. 2, 3, 40, 55, 313, 301, 529 and 923 will bring you here.
Garden of the Master of the Nets

Built in the Song Dynasty (960-1234), Garden of Master of the Nets is as old as 800 years and is as big as one sixth of the Humble Administrators’ Garden, covering 8800 m2. Small as it is, the landscapes it owns are so impressive that many Chinese celebrities have lived in or near the garden. The master of the Chinese Traditional Paintings, Zhang Daqian, has ever lived in and created many masterpieces.
It is a symbol of the classical gardens of small and medium size, which has the exquisite designs and sophisticated layout. Once entering into the garden, you will impressed by the harmonious decorations and architectures inside, which will create an illusion that the garden is much greater than it is.
Despite of the small size, it possesses lots of highlights, among which the Dian Chun-yi, a cabin made of bamboo that covers less than 600 m2, is the impressive one. Dian Chun-yi has been imitated for more than once in the design of splendid garden all over the world, such as the Yiyuan Garden in Canada in 1986, the Yunxiuyuan Garden in Singapore in 1992 and the Jixingyuan Garden in America in 1998 etc. Therefore, it is safe to say that it is the garden with the delicate designs.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 22:00
Ticket Price:
15 CNY from October 31 to April 15
30 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Location: No. 11, North Yinxing Bridge, Canglang District, Suzhou
Transportation: Bus No. 204, 511, 47, 501, 202 and 931 will bring you here.
Hanshan Temple (Cold Mountain Temple)

Hanshan Temple, built in Liang Dynasty (502-557) and reconstructed in Tang Dynasty (618-907), derived the name from the abbot, who named Hanshan. Having come through 1400 years’ changes, Hanshan Temple has appealed to a growing number of people for its features and historic significance.
The architectures inside are of great value in art and of unusual features, among which the Hualan Lou is worthy of a visit. The Hualan Lou is supported by only two backbones, which just like the handle of the flower basket. It is a reflection of the Chinese traditional architecture style and sophisticated skills. Surprisingly, the screwing up stairs is holds with only one single column with exquisite carvings on.
Seen from the Maple Bridge, Hanshan Temple impresses people with the yellow walls, green glazed roof and the towering old pines. On entering the temple, the delicate scriptures and magnificent architectures will catch your eyes. What’s more, the meanderings will lead you to the Buddhist halls, where you can admire the Buddhist classics and true-to-life sculptures.
The most popular activity held here is the Bell-hitting Ceremony on the December 31-- the eve of the New Year, on when people from near and far come here to experience the 108 hits on the bell and do the count down. The bell is a gift from Japan, which was made together with the one in the Guanshan Temple in Japan in the year 1906.
Note: The best time for traveling here is from April to October.
Opening Hours: 7:30 -- 17:00
Ticket Price:
20 CNY for the entrance
Free for the children below 1.2 meters
380 CNY for the Bell-hitting Ceremony on the eve of the New Year
Location: Maple Bridge Town, Suzhou (5 km away from the Suzhou City)
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 3 and Bus 6, 9, 17, 21, 31, 301 and 313 will bring you to Maple Bridge.
The Tiger Hill

Tiger Hill was not the Tiger Hill before the King of the Wu Kingdom buried his father here. It is said that three days after the burial, a tiger appeared before the tomb, so people named it the present name --Tiger Hill. This 36-meter-high hill with 1000,000 m2 of area is one of the most popular resorts in Suzhou, where is praised as the must-visit-place in Suzhou by Su Dongpo, an eminent poet in North Song Dynasty (960-1127).
The architectures are the main cultural relics in Tiger Hill, which goes pretty well with the circumstance around. Most of the architectures here, including tower, palace, bridge, pavilion and tomb, were built in the ancient time, some are in Five Dynasties (907-979), some are in Song Dynasty (960-1234) and Yuan Dynasty (1206-1370), the other are in Ming Dynasty (1364-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). The architecture designs are of great significance in the development of Chinese architecture.
The most attractive scene is the 48-meter-tall Yunyan Tower, which is hailed as the Oriental Leaning Tower of Pisa, while the most mysterious one is the Sword Pool (Jian Chi), where is said hides a secret behind the tomb of the King of Wu State.
Tiger Hill is lively place where many festivals and celebrations are hold. The Flower Festival in spring, the local temple fair in autumn and the Tourism Festival of Suzhou are included. Thus it is a good place to go for you expedition of Chinese culture and customs.
Opening Hours:
7:30--17:30 (from March 1 to November 15)
7:30--17:00 (from November 16 to February 29)
Ticket Price:
40 CNY from October 31 to April 15
60 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: At the end of Tiger Hill Road, Suzhou
Transportation: Toru Bus No. 1 and 2, and Bus No. 32, 146, 816 and 949 will bring you here.
Zhouzhuang




Highlights
Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill

It has long history. In the Northern Song Dynasty, a distinguished artist, Zhang Zeduan, did a painting entitled "Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill". Nanpin Hill lies along the south bank of the West Lake, less than 100 meters high, but extends as long as over 1000 meters. It features the odd-shaped rocks and the green woods. Nanpin Hill offers different views due to the different weather.
In 972 A.D. a famous temple, named as "Xingjiao Temple" was built on the Nanpin Hill. After that, a few more small temples were built around it. Therefore, Nanpin Hill was locally called as "Buddhism Kingdom Hill". Formed of limestone, the Nanping Hill contains lots of caves and cavities. The shape of the hill is just like a painted screen. Therefore, when the bell was rung in the evening, its sonorous sound echoed through the caves and cavities, even reached as far as the other shore of the West Lake. And then the Ge Hill locating there sent back a big echo over the lake.
Viewing Fish in the Flowering Harbor

This spot is located at the southern end of the Su Causeway. A clean stream leads from Huajia Hill to the West Lake through here, so it named as 'Flowery Harbor'. Viewing Fish at Flowery Harbor, now has been made into a 22 hectares park with many varieties of trees and flowers, featuring a peony garden which blooms in April and a goldfish pond which is the famous site for viewing fish.
West Lake

The Spring Dawn Round the Su Causeway

The Spring Dawn Round the Su Causeway locates West Lake District Nanshan Road, tops the list of the ten best known sights in Hangzhou. The causeway was built during the Northern Song Dynasty by Su Dongpo, a great scholar in ancient time. Stretching around 2.8 kilometers long, it is spanned by six bridges and heavily sheltered by green vegetation. When spring comes, the whole causeway is blanketed by peach blossoms and weeping willows, creating an especially charming scene.
Breeze-ruffled Lotus at Quyuan Garden

In Southern Song Dynasty, Quyuan Courtyard was an official vinery which located on the bank of the West Lake beside the Hongcun Bridge on the Linyin Road where many lotuses were planted. In summer breezes, the air was scented with delicate fragrance of lotus intermingled with the tasteful bouquet of wine. However, the courtyard was very much neglected and the nearby lake silted up. Started from 1983, an extension project has been under way to develop it to a huge park. Currently, the park includes five sections: Yue Lake, Bamboo Garden, Lotus Garden, Winding Garden and Lakeside Forest. Therefore it is very popular attractions for the tourists.
Orioles Singing in Ripples of Willows

The park is a wonderful leisure place with the green willow leaves and orioles warbling, locates on the Nianshan Road of West Lake District. In the spring, the vernal breezes stroke the willows, their branches sway gently, bending over to kiss the rippling water. Walk in the garden, the orioles singing, the willows dancing, it is very wonderful. Now the park is combined by three gardens: Orioles Singing Garden, Friendship Garden and Collected Scenery Garden.
The eastern south of the Garden is served as a traditional public entertainment site. An open stage is built there. In the Summer and Autumn, the garden is served as an "evening garden". The lanterns exhibition, the traditional folk performance and cinema attract a lot of visitors every night.
Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow

Leifeng Pagoda, on the Evening Glow Hill situated on the south shore of the West Lake, was erected in celebration of the son his favorite concubine, Huang Fei, gave birth to. The 7 storied pagoda was a storied – pavilion –type structure, built of brick and wood. When the sun was setting, the pagoda bathed in the evening glow looked radiantly beautiful. It was therefore named as "Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow". In Ming Dynasty, the pagoda was fired by the Japanese bandits and collapsed at last on September, 25 1924 by the custom of local people to take a brick from its lower stories as a talisman or souvenir.
Malting Snow at Broken Bridge

It snows almost every winter in Hangzhou, when the sun comes out after snowfall, the snow on the sunny side of the bridge melts first, while the snow on the shady side still lingers. Looked at a distance or from a nearby hill, the bridge appears to be broken. It is a favorite stopover for you. Especially on fine winter days after a snow, you may stand on the bridge to feast your eyes on the snow scene far and near. Distant hills, clad in white, grow more enchanting.
Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill

It has long history. In the Northern Song Dynasty, a distinguished artist, Zhang Zeduan, did a painting entitled "Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill". Nanpin Hill lies along the south bank of the West Lake, less than 100 meters high, but extends as long as over 1000 meters. It features the odd-shaped rocks and the green woods. Nanpin Hill offers different views due to the different weather.
In 972 A.D. a famous temple, named as "Xingjiao Temple" was built on the Nanpin Hill. After that, a few more small temples were built around it. Therefore, Nanpin Hill was locally called as "Buddhism Kingdom Hill". Formed of limestone, the Nanping Hill contains lots of caves and cavities. The shape of the hill is just like a painted screen. Therefore, when the bell was rung in the evening, its sonorous sound echoed through the caves and cavities, even reached as far as the other shore of the West Lake. And then the Ge Hill locating there sent back a big echo over the lake.
Viewing Fish in the Flowering Harbor

This spot is located at the southern end of the Su Causeway. A clean stream leads from Huajia Hill to the West Lake through here, so it named as 'Flowery Harbor'. Viewing Fish at Flowery Harbor, now has been made into a 22 hectares park with many varieties of trees and flowers, featuring a peony garden which blooms in April and a goldfish pond which is the famous site for viewing fish.
West Lake

The Spring Dawn Round the Su Causeway

The Spring Dawn Round the Su Causeway locates West Lake District Nanshan Road, tops the list of the ten best known sights in Hangzhou. The causeway was built during the Northern Song Dynasty by Su Dongpo, a great scholar in ancient time. Stretching around 2.8 kilometers long, it is spanned by six bridges and heavily sheltered by green vegetation. When spring comes, the whole causeway is blanketed by peach blossoms and weeping willows, creating an especially charming scene.
Breeze-ruffled Lotus at Quyuan Garden

In Southern Song Dynasty, Quyuan Courtyard was an official vinery which located on the bank of the West Lake beside the Hongcun Bridge on the Linyin Road where many lotuses were planted. In summer breezes, the air was scented with delicate fragrance of lotus intermingled with the tasteful bouquet of wine. However, the courtyard was very much neglected and the nearby lake silted up. Started from 1983, an extension project has been under way to develop it to a huge park. Currently, the park includes five sections: Yue Lake, Bamboo Garden, Lotus Garden, Winding Garden and Lakeside Forest. Therefore it is very popular attractions for the tourists.
Orioles Singing in Ripples of Willows

The park is a wonderful leisure place with the green willow leaves and orioles warbling, locates on the Nianshan Road of West Lake District. In the spring, the vernal breezes stroke the willows, their branches sway gently, bending over to kiss the rippling water. Walk in the garden, the orioles singing, the willows dancing, it is very wonderful. Now the park is combined by three gardens: Orioles Singing Garden, Friendship Garden and Collected Scenery Garden.
The eastern south of the Garden is served as a traditional public entertainment site. An open stage is built there. In the Summer and Autumn, the garden is served as an "evening garden". The lanterns exhibition, the traditional folk performance and cinema attract a lot of visitors every night.
Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow

Leifeng Pagoda, on the Evening Glow Hill situated on the south shore of the West Lake, was erected in celebration of the son his favorite concubine, Huang Fei, gave birth to. The 7 storied pagoda was a storied – pavilion –type structure, built of brick and wood. When the sun was setting, the pagoda bathed in the evening glow looked radiantly beautiful. It was therefore named as "Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow". In Ming Dynasty, the pagoda was fired by the Japanese bandits and collapsed at last on September, 25 1924 by the custom of local people to take a brick from its lower stories as a talisman or souvenir.
Malting Snow at Broken Bridge

It snows almost every winter in Hangzhou, when the sun comes out after snowfall, the snow on the sunny side of the bridge melts first, while the snow on the shady side still lingers. Looked at a distance or from a nearby hill, the bridge appears to be broken. It is a favorite stopover for you. Especially on fine winter days after a snow, you may stand on the bridge to feast your eyes on the snow scene far and near. Distant hills, clad in white, grow more enchanting.
Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill

It has long history. In the Northern Song Dynasty, a distinguished artist, Zhang Zeduan, did a painting entitled "Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill". Nanpin Hill lies along the south bank of the West Lake, less than 100 meters high, but extends as long as over 1000 meters. It features the odd-shaped rocks and the green woods. Nanpin Hill offers different views due to the different weather.
In 972 A.D. a famous temple, named as "Xingjiao Temple" was built on the Nanpin Hill. After that, a few more small temples were built around it. Therefore, Nanpin Hill was locally called as "Buddhism Kingdom Hill". Formed of limestone, the Nanping Hill contains lots of caves and cavities. The shape of the hill is just like a painted screen. Therefore, when the bell was rung in the evening, its sonorous sound echoed through the caves and cavities, even reached as far as the other shore of the West Lake. And then the Ge Hill locating there sent back a big echo over the lake.
Viewing Fish in the Flowering Harbor

This spot is located at the southern end of the Su Causeway. A clean stream leads from Huajia Hill to the West Lake through here, so it named as 'Flowery Harbor'. Viewing Fish at Flowery Harbor, now has been made into a 22 hectares park with many varieties of trees and flowers, featuring a peony garden which blooms in April and a goldfish pond which is the famous site for viewing fish.

Highlights
Solitary Beauty Peak and Jingjiang Princes City

Solitary Beauty Peak, also known as Purple Hill, is located in the Jingjiang Princes City with reputation of “Southern Heaven Pillar”. At the foot of Solitary Beauty Peak, there is a Longevity Palace first built in Tang Dynasty, while a Solitary Beauty Pavilion is standing at the top. You can have a bird’s view of beautiful Guilin when you climb up 396 stone steps to the top. Dushu Rock, Taiping Rock and Crescent-shape Pond are at the foot of Solitary Beauty Peak while many ancient inscriptions are on the eastern side of the peak, for example “East or west, Guilin scenery is the best”. Other famous attractions include Snow Cave and Zhongshan Monument.
Jingjiang Prices City, praised as a “city in a city”, was built in Ming Dynasty with a history of more than 630 years. During the 257 years from its completion to the collapse of Ming Dynasty, 14 seigniors had lived here. Jingjiang Princes City became the Examination Compound in the Qing Dynasty. Covering an area of 19.78 hectares, Jingjiang Princes City composes of Chengyun Gate, Chengyun Palace, Palace Harem and Imperial Garden with other 40 rooms, pavilions and chambers. Listed as “the key cultural relics of national level”, Jingjiang Princes City is an irreplaceable scenic spot in Guilin.
If you want to enjoy picturesque mountains and crystal clear waters, Solitary Beauty Peak, famous royal treasure hill is your best choice. If you want to read the history of Guilin, Jingjiang Princes City will meet your need.
Tips:
1. Opening Hours: 9:30am—5:30pm
2. How to Get Here: No.1, 10, 11, 14, 100 Buses.
Folded Brocade Hill

Folded Brocade Hill, with an elevation of 73m, locates to the northeast of Guilin, facing beautiful Li River. As a beautiful and well-known hill, Folded Brocade Hill consists of Mingyue Peak, Crane Peak, Siwang Hill and Yuyue Hill, covering an area of 2km². Many amazing attractions such as Folded Brocade Pavilion, Yuyue Pavilion, Wind Cave and Wangjiang Pavilion etc. are on the hill. Besides, inscriptions on precipices carved by celebrities of all the precious dynasties are the essence of all relics.
Folded Brocade Pavilion, with a height of 5m, length of 7.5m and width of 8.5m, is architecture with single story, 4 angles, flat rooftop, red pillars and green tiles. With Yuyue Hill to the east, Siwang Hill to the west and Bright Moon Peak to the north, Folded Brocade Pavilion is harmonious with the surroundings. Stone benches standing from east to west, the northern side is the best place to appreciate the fantastic “folded brocade” and is an ideal place for rest. To the west of the pavilion, an inscription by Yu Qing of Ming Dynasty is also worth of visiting.
Wangjiang Pavilion is halfway up the hill and built during the reign of Emperor Zhengde (1506-1521) of the Ming Dynasty. Rebuilt in the years of 1954 and 1990, Wangjiang Pavilion is a pavilion with ancient style, 6m in height and dihedral angles. On the wall, a cliff inscription was carved as “a place for seeking adventures”.
Li River


Elephant Trunk Hill


Wave Subduing Hill


Reed Flute Cave


Seven Star Park


Yangshuo


Solitary Beauty Peak and Jingjiang Princes City

Solitary Beauty Peak, also known as Purple Hill, is located in the Jingjiang Princes City with reputation of “Southern Heaven Pillar”. At the foot of Solitary Beauty Peak, there is a Longevity Palace first built in Tang Dynasty, while a Solitary Beauty Pavilion is standing at the top. You can have a bird’s view of beautiful Guilin when you climb up 396 stone steps to the top. Dushu Rock, Taiping Rock and Crescent-shape Pond are at the foot of Solitary Beauty Peak while many ancient inscriptions are on the eastern side of the peak, for example “East or west, Guilin scenery is the best”. Other famous attractions include Snow Cave and Zhongshan Monument.
Jingjiang Prices City, praised as a “city in a city”, was built in Ming Dynasty with a history of more than 630 years. During the 257 years from its completion to the collapse of Ming Dynasty, 14 seigniors had lived here. Jingjiang Princes City became the Examination Compound in the Qing Dynasty. Covering an area of 19.78 hectares, Jingjiang Princes City composes of Chengyun Gate, Chengyun Palace, Palace Harem and Imperial Garden with other 40 rooms, pavilions and chambers. Listed as “the key cultural relics of national level”, Jingjiang Princes City is an irreplaceable scenic spot in Guilin.
If you want to enjoy picturesque mountains and crystal clear waters, Solitary Beauty Peak, famous royal treasure hill is your best choice. If you want to read the history of Guilin, Jingjiang Princes City will meet your need.
Tips:
1. Opening Hours: 9:30am—5:30pm
2. How to Get Here: No.1, 10, 11, 14, 100 Buses.
Folded Brocade Hill

Folded Brocade Hill, with an elevation of 73m, locates to the northeast of Guilin, facing beautiful Li River. As a beautiful and well-known hill, Folded Brocade Hill consists of Mingyue Peak, Crane Peak, Siwang Hill and Yuyue Hill, covering an area of 2km². Many amazing attractions such as Folded Brocade Pavilion, Yuyue Pavilion, Wind Cave and Wangjiang Pavilion etc. are on the hill. Besides, inscriptions on precipices carved by celebrities of all the precious dynasties are the essence of all relics.
Folded Brocade Pavilion, with a height of 5m, length of 7.5m and width of 8.5m, is architecture with single story, 4 angles, flat rooftop, red pillars and green tiles. With Yuyue Hill to the east, Siwang Hill to the west and Bright Moon Peak to the north, Folded Brocade Pavilion is harmonious with the surroundings. Stone benches standing from east to west, the northern side is the best place to appreciate the fantastic “folded brocade” and is an ideal place for rest. To the west of the pavilion, an inscription by Yu Qing of Ming Dynasty is also worth of visiting.
Wangjiang Pavilion is halfway up the hill and built during the reign of Emperor Zhengde (1506-1521) of the Ming Dynasty. Rebuilt in the years of 1954 and 1990, Wangjiang Pavilion is a pavilion with ancient style, 6m in height and dihedral angles. On the wall, a cliff inscription was carved as “a place for seeking adventures”.
Li River


Elephant Trunk Hill


Wave Subduing Hill


Reed Flute Cave


Seven Star Park


Yangshuo


Solitary Beauty Peak and Jingjiang Princes City

Solitary Beauty Peak, also known as Purple Hill, is located in the Jingjiang Princes City with reputation of “Southern Heaven Pillar”. At the foot of Solitary Beauty Peak, there is a Longevity Palace first built in Tang Dynasty, while a Solitary Beauty Pavilion is standing at the top. You can have a bird’s view of beautiful Guilin when you climb up 396 stone steps to the top. Dushu Rock, Taiping Rock and Crescent-shape Pond are at the foot of Solitary Beauty Peak while many ancient inscriptions are on the eastern side of the peak, for example “East or west, Guilin scenery is the best”. Other famous attractions include Snow Cave and Zhongshan Monument.
Jingjiang Prices City, praised as a “city in a city”, was built in Ming Dynasty with a history of more than 630 years. During the 257 years from its completion to the collapse of Ming Dynasty, 14 seigniors had lived here. Jingjiang Princes City became the Examination Compound in the Qing Dynasty. Covering an area of 19.78 hectares, Jingjiang Princes City composes of Chengyun Gate, Chengyun Palace, Palace Harem and Imperial Garden with other 40 rooms, pavilions and chambers. Listed as “the key cultural relics of national level”, Jingjiang Princes City is an irreplaceable scenic spot in Guilin.
If you want to enjoy picturesque mountains and crystal clear waters, Solitary Beauty Peak, famous royal treasure hill is your best choice. If you want to read the history of Guilin, Jingjiang Princes City will meet your need.
Tips:
1. Opening Hours: 9:30am—5:30pm
2. How to Get Here: No.1, 10, 11, 14, 100 Buses.
Folded Brocade Hill

Folded Brocade Hill, with an elevation of 73m, locates to the northeast of Guilin, facing beautiful Li River. As a beautiful and well-known hill, Folded Brocade Hill consists of Mingyue Peak, Crane Peak, Siwang Hill and Yuyue Hill, covering an area of 2km². Many amazing attractions such as Folded Brocade Pavilion, Yuyue Pavilion, Wind Cave and Wangjiang Pavilion etc. are on the hill. Besides, inscriptions on precipices carved by celebrities of all the precious dynasties are the essence of all relics.
Folded Brocade Pavilion, with a height of 5m, length of 7.5m and width of 8.5m, is architecture with single story, 4 angles, flat rooftop, red pillars and green tiles. With Yuyue Hill to the east, Siwang Hill to the west and Bright Moon Peak to the north, Folded Brocade Pavilion is harmonious with the surroundings. Stone benches standing from east to west, the northern side is the best place to appreciate the fantastic “folded brocade” and is an ideal place for rest. To the west of the pavilion, an inscription by Yu Qing of Ming Dynasty is also worth of visiting.
Wangjiang Pavilion is halfway up the hill and built during the reign of Emperor Zhengde (1506-1521) of the Ming Dynasty. Rebuilt in the years of 1954 and 1990, Wangjiang Pavilion is a pavilion with ancient style, 6m in height and dihedral angles. On the wall, a cliff inscription was carved as “a place for seeking adventures”.

Highlights
Museum of Stone Steles Forest

Here is the largest museum with the most exhibitions of the stone tablets passed down from the ancient China. Since the completion of the construction in North Song Dynasty the year of 1087, this greatest treasure store has appealed to a great number of visitors for having a close look at the marvelous forest of stone tablets.
With 900 years of history, this treasure house holds a large collection of the earliest stone steles of different periods, from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. All together, there are 3,000 steles and the museum is divided into seven exhibitions halls, which mainly display the works of calligraphy, painting and historical records. All of these record some achievements in the development of the Chinese culture and reflect the historical facts of the cultural exchanges between China and other countries.
It is a good place to admire all the authentic work of calligraphy of the celebrities who were well known in the Chinese history, to read the Chinese grand classics inscribed on the stone, and to learning about the world’s history from the most convinced proofs of the history.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 18:00
Ticket Price: 45 CNY
22 CNY for the student, the soldier, the disabled and the aged over 70
Location: No. 15, Sanxue Street, Xian City
Transportation: Bus No. 14, 402, 512, 223, 208 and 704 and tour bus No. 5 will bring you here.
Great Mosque

The Great Mosque is a typical architecture of the Islamism, which was designed with the antique style of Ming Dynasty (1364-1644). As one of the four famous Islamic Mosques in China, it covers a large area of 12,000 m2, half of which is with architectures standing on. In this magnificent mosque, architectures of various designs will be a feast of your eyes.
Towers, pavilions, platforms and halls are well distributed around the mosque, all of which together with the exquisite stone carvings, the precious inscriptions and other rarely seen decorations in which are the essence part of the mosque. It is the reason why a great number of visitors have been attracted here and reluctant to leave.
The first courtyard contains an elaborate wooden arch nine meters high covered with glazed tiles that dates back to the 17th century. In the center of the second courtyard, a stone arch stands with two steles on both sides. On one stele is the script of a famous calligrapher named Mi Fu of the Song Dynasty; the other is from Dong Qichang, a calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty. Their calligraphy because of such elegant yet powerful characters is considered to be a great treasure in the art of handwriting.
At the entrance to the third courtyard is a hall that contains many steles from ancient times. As visitors enter this courtyard, they will see the Xingxin Tower, a place where Muslims come to attend prayer services. A “Phoenix" placed in the fourth courtyard, the principal pavilion of this great mosque complex, contains the Prayer Hall, the surrounding walls of which are covered with colored designs. This Hall can easily hold 1,000 people at a time and according to traditional custom, prayer services are held five times everyday respectively at dawn, noon, afternoon, dusk and night.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 19:00
Ticket Price: 12 CNY
Location: Huajue Lane, Lianhu Zone, Xian City
Transportation: Taxi and chartered bus will bring you here.
Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum

Be discovered as the World’s Eighth Wonder, the Terra-cotta Warriors built in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) is known for its large and splendid scale and the sophisticated art technology. It is the Terra-cotta Warriors that make the Xian City a popular resort where has appealed to an amazingly great number of visitors from home and overseas which is up to 40 millions in total.
Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the first Emperor of all China, had work begun on his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his after life. A group of peasants uncovered some pottery figures fragments while digging for a well nearby the royal tomb in 1974. It caught the attention of archeologists immediately. They came to Xi'an in droves to study and to extend the digs. They had established beyond doubt that these artifacts were associated with the Qin Dynasty.
The museum covers an area of 16,300 square meters, divided into three sections: No. 1 Pit, No. 2 Pit and No. 3 Pit respectively. They were tagged in the order of their discoveries.
No. 1 Pit is the largest, first opened to the public on China's National Day, 1979. There are columns of soldiers at the front; followed by war chariots at the back. It is 230 meters from east to west, 62 meters from south to north, and five meters deep. The pit houses 6,000 life-size painted terracotta warriors and horses. The warriors, arranged in battle formation, wear helmets and armor and carry weapons. They are dignified, and each has a different manner and facial expression.
No. 2 Pit, found in 1976, is 20 meters northeast of No. 1 Pit. It contained over a thousand warriors and 90 chariots of wood. It was unveiled to the public in 1994.
Archeologists came upon No. 3 Pit also in 1976, 25 meters northwest of No. 1 Pit. It looked like to be the command center of the armed forces. It went on display in 1989, with 68 warriors, a war chariot and 4 horses.
All together over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. Most of them have been restored to their former grandeur. The Terracotta Warriors and Horses is a sensational archeological find of all times. It was listed by UNESCO in 1987 as one of the world cultural heritages.
It is one of the most marvelous feats and the most valuable historic relics of China. When take a closer view of the Terra-cotta Warriors, you will be surprised by the lifelike expressions and customs they are in as well as the life-size-big warriors. Let alone the various gestures and different looks, the hairstyles of them will make you amazed. Owing to the exquisite handicrafts, all the warriors can be told apart from one position to another, officer or soldier, infantry or cavalry.
Opening Hours: 9:00 -- 18:00
Ticket Price:
110 CNY from March 1 to November 30
70 CNY in January, February and December
35 CNY for the disabled, the kids below 1.2 m, the aged over 70 years, the students and the soldiers
Location: Qinling Road, Lintong Zone, Xian City
Transportation: Tour bus and public bus 306 and 307 will bring you here.
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

Together with the pyramids in Egypt, the Mausoleum of First Emperor of Qin shares the reputation of the world’s largest imperial tomb. The differences between them are the former is built above ground, while the latter under ground. It is a more splendid but luxurious mausoleum than any other mausoleum before, which takes a time as long as 38 years to complete. On entering in it, you will be shocked by the amazingly magnificent vision and the unprecedented huge scale.
Lies peacefully in the cuddle of the steaming mountains and roaring Weishui River, this giant imperial tomb embraces a great number of valuable art works. To be exact, the mausoleum, with a double-wall as defense, covers 56.25 square kilometers, which is 78 times large as the Imperial Palace in Beijing. When take a closer view of the Terra-cotta Warriors, you will be surprised by the lifelike expressions and customs they are in as well as the life-size-big warriors. Let alone the various gestures and different looks, the hairstyles of them will make you amazed. Owing to the exquisite handicrafts, all the warriors can be told apart from one position to another, officer or soldier, infantry or cavalry.
While the Terracotta Warriors forms only part of the tomb. Greater things are yet to come.
Thanks to Ssu-ma Ch'ien, a great historian in early Han dynasty, archeologists can learn from his works about the great insight on the mausoleum’s construction, such as the coffin was cast in bronze and the underground Palace was gem-studded replica of imperial housing above ground. Moreover, booby traps with automatic-shooting arrows were installed to deter would-be tomb robbers. Heaven and earth were represented in the central chamber of the tomb. Ceiling shaped into sun, moon and stars by inlaying pearls and gems symbolizes the sky and the ground was an accumulation point of rivers, lakes and seas, like Yellow River and Yangtze River, which stands for the earth.
The discovery of the marvelous terracotta warriors has indeed thrown the whole world into shock, but what is worth to be studied is the materials unexcavated. Qin bricks and tiles, engraved with decorative patterns, are strew everywhere around the tomb. There are many satellite tombs built as accompanying decorations of Qin Shihuang. Ministers, princesses and princes, the famous and the not were inhumed there. The burial pits for horses, rare birds and pottery figures were regarded as the sacrificial objects to the Emperor. Hence, the remains from these tombs and pits are beneficial for archaeologists to make further research.
Finally, let see who is living inside this splendid mausoleum. Qin Shi Huangdi (259-210 BC), the first emperor of China, ascended the throne at the age of 13, when the construction of his tomb began. On completion of his many conquests, he ordered 720,000 conscript laborers to hurry up on building his royal tomb. It was finished just-in-time in 210 BC for his use.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 17:30
Ticket Price:
40 CNY from March 16 to November 14
20 CNY from November 15 to March 15
Location: Lintong County, Xian City
Transportation: Tour bus and public bus 306 and 307 will bring you here.
Huaqing Hot Springs

For centuries, the Huaqing Hot Spring (huaqingchi) has been enjoying the reputation as the most wonderful spring for it has appealed to the emperors of the ancient China with its amazing pureness and miraculous healing promotion effect on the rheumatism and arthritis. The Huaqing Hot Spring is known as the Orient Sacred Spring, which means it is as famous as the Thermae of Caracalla in Ancient Rome and the Bath Spring in Britian.
During the Western Zhou, Li Palace was originally established a resort here. Later the First Emperor Qin built a stone pool and gave the name "Lishan Hot Springs," and it was extended by the Han Wudi, Martial Emperor. However, the strongest associations are with the Tang Dynasty, and most of the present buildings have a Tang style.
Later in the ancient China, Emperor Taizong built the Hot Springs Palace and Emperor Xuanzong added a walled palace in 747 A.D. Unfortunately it was damaged during the An Lushan Rebellion in the middle Tang period. The present site was rebuilt on the site of the Qing Dynasty structure
There are picturesque sceneries around the spring. Behind the west gate, Nine-Dragon Pool, the Lotus Flower Pool and the Frost Drifting Hall of the Tang architectural style are waiting for you. Emperor Xuanzong used to spend winter in the company of Yang Guifei (Lady Yang) - his favorite concubine in the Hall of Fluttering Frost. The hall gains its name due to the slightly milky mist and vapor over the pool year around. In winter, the snowflakes soon thaw immediately in front of the Hall because of the lukewarm vapor rising out of the hot spring.
Here is a combination of a miraculous hot spring, the beautiful landscapes and the marvelous historic relics, where will feast your eyes in your leisure time.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 16:00
Ticket Price:
40 CNY from March 1 to November 31
70 CNY from December 1 to February 28
Half fare for the student, the soldier, the disabled and the aged over 70
Location: No. 38 Huaqing Road, Lintong Zone, Xian City, Shanxi Province
Transportation: Bus No. 306, 914 and 915 and tour bus No. 5 will bring you here.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Dayan Pagoda was built in the year of 652 with a purpose of storing the precious Buddhist scriptures, figures of Buddha and Buddhist relics brought from India by a celebrated monk Xuan Zhang, which later became the symbolic architecture of Xian, the ancient capital of China. For centuries, the 64.5-meter-tall pagoda has appealed to a great number of visitors, among which a large part is the celebrities who left behind their inscriptions that make the pagoda more charming and holy.
During the early days, the pagoda boasted a brick structure of 5 storeys and about 60 meters (197 feet) high. Between AD 701 and AD 704, at the end of the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, 2 more storeys were added to the original pagoda. Damage by the war reduced it to seven storeys, to what it is today. With a height of 64 meters (210 miles), the pagoda occupies a base 25 meters by 25 meters (82 feet) square. The Big Goose Pagoda is brick-tower architecture, simple but sturdy. Walls and doors are carved with vivid and exquisite figures of Buddha, reflecting the profundity in the paintings f the Tang Dynasty.
Why people name it Dayan Pagoda? In the ancient time, monks in China were permitted to have the meat of the wild geese, deer and calf. One day, when a monk in the Da Ci'en Temple saw a flock of geese flew in the sky, he was so eager for the geese that he talked to the other monk: “We have not had geese today, why does not the Buddha grant us some?” Then suddenly a goose dropped on the ground front of them died. The monks were all surprised and thought that was a holy hint given by the Buddha, which required them to stop eating the geese. A pagoda was built here and wins its present name.
Opening Hours: 9:00 -- 17:00
Ticket Price:
50 CNY for the entrance of the Da Ci'en Temple
30 CNY for the students to enter into the Temple
30 CNY for ascending to the top of Dayan Pagoda
Free for the disabled, the soldiers and the aged over 70 years
Location: South Yanta Road, Xian City
Transportation: Bus No. 5, 21, 23, 27, 30, 41, 224, 320, 401, 500, 501, 527, 601, 606, 609 and 715 will bring you here.
City Wall of Xi’an

This is a huge impregnable wall, which has experienced 600 years of history, now lying peacefully like a giant in the city center of Xian. With a tallness of 12 meters and thickness of 15 meters, this giant looks as strong as iron. You may come into the ancient town surrounded by a 11.9-kilometer-long wall from the distinct gates.
When Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), occupied the city of Huizhou, he took advice to fortify the city and unify the other states by turning the wall built initially during the old Tang dynasty (618 -907) into the present Xi'an City Wall.
Surprisingly, every 120 meters, there is a rampart extending out from the main wall, therefore totally 98 ramparts are set on the wall, which were built to defend against the enemy climbing up the wall. Besides, the distance between every two ramparts is just within the range of an arrow shot from either side, so that they could shoot the enemy, who wanted to attack the city, from the side. On the outer side of the city wall, there are 5948 crenellations, namely battlements. The soldiers can outlook and shoot at the enemy. On the inner side, parapets were built to protect the soldiers from falling off.
In the ancient China, the side who was able to occupy the city of the other won the battle. However, there was no efficient way to enter into the city that protected by the impregnable wall. Therefore, from the defensive side the feasible way is to keep the gate. This is why complicated gate structures were built within the wall. In Xian, there are four gates set along the giant wall, which respectively named as Changle (meaning eternal joy) in the east, Anding (harmony peace) in the west, Yongning (eternal peace) in the south and Anyuan (forever harmony) in the north. The south gate, Yongning, is the most beautifully decorated one.
Among all the greatest ancient city walls in China, it was the most well-preserved and intact one, from which you can learn a lot about how the wars were going in the ancient China and how and for what the cities were built.
Opening Hours: 9:00 -- 20:00
Ticket Price:
40 CNY
20 CNY for the kids between 1.1m and 1.4 m and the students
Location: in the city center of Xian
Transportation: 5, 18, 215, 603 and 611 will bring you here directly.
Shaanxi Provincial History Museum

Having been as the capital of 13 dynasties for centuries, Xian is full of the breath of history. Therefore, there are numerous precious historic relics spreading around this mysterious historic site, which accounts for the reason why the Shaanxi History Museum is thought highly as the Treasure House of China.
The museum was designed as the magnificent and elegant as the architectures in Tang Dynasty (618-907). It is also a combination of the ancient style and the modern flavor, where there are more than 3,700,000 historic items displayed, among which there are 3900 rarely seen Bronze Ware from Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), 400 precious Mural from Tang Dynasty, 5000 invaluable potteries from prehistory period and many other amazingly marvelous historic relics.
The main complex is a mixture of ancient palaces and courtyard buildings, harmonious and graceful in hue, in simple and elegant style. The exhibits on the ground and first floors are arranged in roughly three parts: Basic Exhibition Hall, the Theme Exhibition Hall and East Exhibition Hall. As well as the chronological dynastic exhibits including the Han, Wei, Jin, North and South, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the pre-historical and bronze period exhibits, together with terra cotta figures and murals from tombs of the Tang Dynasty, are highly recommended.
Here you can have a close look at the amazingly cultural relics and remains from the dynasties of the Zhou, the Qin, the Han and the Tang, which is divided into the Preface Hall, the Shaanxi local history exhibition hall, and the central hall, where is the home to the temporary exhibitions from home and abroad. Can you image how great it is when surrounded by thousands of amazing items from such a far age?
Opening Hours: 8:30 -- 18:00 (except Monday)
Ticket Price: free
Location: East Xiaozhai Road, Yanta Zone, Xian City
Transportation: Bus No. 5, 19, 24, 26, 27, 30, 34, 401, 521, 527 and 610 and tour bus No. 701 and 710 will bring you here
Museum of Stone Steles Forest

Here is the largest museum with the most exhibitions of the stone tablets passed down from the ancient China. Since the completion of the construction in North Song Dynasty the year of 1087, this greatest treasure store has appealed to a great number of visitors for having a close look at the marvelous forest of stone tablets.
With 900 years of history, this treasure house holds a large collection of the earliest stone steles of different periods, from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. All together, there are 3,000 steles and the museum is divided into seven exhibitions halls, which mainly display the works of calligraphy, painting and historical records. All of these record some achievements in the development of the Chinese culture and reflect the historical facts of the cultural exchanges between China and other countries.
It is a good place to admire all the authentic work of calligraphy of the celebrities who were well known in the Chinese history, to read the Chinese grand classics inscribed on the stone, and to learning about the world’s history from the most convinced proofs of the history.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 18:00
Ticket Price: 45 CNY
22 CNY for the student, the soldier, the disabled and the aged over 70
Location: No. 15, Sanxue Street, Xian City
Transportation: Bus No. 14, 402, 512, 223, 208 and 704 and tour bus No. 5 will bring you here.
Great Mosque

The Great Mosque is a typical architecture of the Islamism, which was designed with the antique style of Ming Dynasty (1364-1644). As one of the four famous Islamic Mosques in China, it covers a large area of 12,000 m2, half of which is with architectures standing on. In this magnificent mosque, architectures of various designs will be a feast of your eyes.
Towers, pavilions, platforms and halls are well distributed around the mosque, all of which together with the exquisite stone carvings, the precious inscriptions and other rarely seen decorations in which are the essence part of the mosque. It is the reason why a great number of visitors have been attracted here and reluctant to leave.
The first courtyard contains an elaborate wooden arch nine meters high covered with glazed tiles that dates back to the 17th century. In the center of the second courtyard, a stone arch stands with two steles on both sides. On one stele is the script of a famous calligrapher named Mi Fu of the Song Dynasty; the other is from Dong Qichang, a calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty. Their calligraphy because of such elegant yet powerful characters is considered to be a great treasure in the art of handwriting.
At the entrance to the third courtyard is a hall that contains many steles from ancient times. As visitors enter this courtyard, they will see the Xingxin Tower, a place where Muslims come to attend prayer services. A “Phoenix" placed in the fourth courtyard, the principal pavilion of this great mosque complex, contains the Prayer Hall, the surrounding walls of which are covered with colored designs. This Hall can easily hold 1,000 people at a time and according to traditional custom, prayer services are held five times everyday respectively at dawn, noon, afternoon, dusk and night.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 19:00
Ticket Price: 12 CNY
Location: Huajue Lane, Lianhu Zone, Xian City
Transportation: Taxi and chartered bus will bring you here.
Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum

Be discovered as the World’s Eighth Wonder, the Terra-cotta Warriors built in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) is known for its large and splendid scale and the sophisticated art technology. It is the Terra-cotta Warriors that make the Xian City a popular resort where has appealed to an amazingly great number of visitors from home and overseas which is up to 40 millions in total.
Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the first Emperor of all China, had work begun on his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his after life. A group of peasants uncovered some pottery figures fragments while digging for a well nearby the royal tomb in 1974. It caught the attention of archeologists immediately. They came to Xi'an in droves to study and to extend the digs. They had established beyond doubt that these artifacts were associated with the Qin Dynasty.
The museum covers an area of 16,300 square meters, divided into three sections: No. 1 Pit, No. 2 Pit and No. 3 Pit respectively. They were tagged in the order of their discoveries.
No. 1 Pit is the largest, first opened to the public on China's National Day, 1979. There are columns of soldiers at the front; followed by war chariots at the back. It is 230 meters from east to west, 62 meters from south to north, and five meters deep. The pit houses 6,000 life-size painted terracotta warriors and horses. The warriors, arranged in battle formation, wear helmets and armor and carry weapons. They are dignified, and each has a different manner and facial expression.
No. 2 Pit, found in 1976, is 20 meters northeast of No. 1 Pit. It contained over a thousand warriors and 90 chariots of wood. It was unveiled to the public in 1994.
Archeologists came upon No. 3 Pit also in 1976, 25 meters northwest of No. 1 Pit. It looked like to be the command center of the armed forces. It went on display in 1989, with 68 warriors, a war chariot and 4 horses.
All together over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. Most of them have been restored to their former grandeur. The Terracotta Warriors and Horses is a sensational archeological find of all times. It was listed by UNESCO in 1987 as one of the world cultural heritages.
It is one of the most marvelous feats and the most valuable historic relics of China. When take a closer view of the Terra-cotta Warriors, you will be surprised by the lifelike expressions and customs they are in as well as the life-size-big warriors. Let alone the various gestures and different looks, the hairstyles of them will make you amazed. Owing to the exquisite handicrafts, all the warriors can be told apart from one position to another, officer or soldier, infantry or cavalry.
Opening Hours: 9:00 -- 18:00
Ticket Price:
110 CNY from March 1 to November 30
70 CNY in January, February and December
35 CNY for the disabled, the kids below 1.2 m, the aged over 70 years, the students and the soldiers
Location: Qinling Road, Lintong Zone, Xian City
Transportation: Tour bus and public bus 306 and 307 will bring you here.
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

Together with the pyramids in Egypt, the Mausoleum of First Emperor of Qin shares the reputation of the world’s largest imperial tomb. The differences between them are the former is built above ground, while the latter under ground. It is a more splendid but luxurious mausoleum than any other mausoleum before, which takes a time as long as 38 years to complete. On entering in it, you will be shocked by the amazingly magnificent vision and the unprecedented huge scale.
Lies peacefully in the cuddle of the steaming mountains and roaring Weishui River, this giant imperial tomb embraces a great number of valuable art works. To be exact, the mausoleum, with a double-wall as defense, covers 56.25 square kilometers, which is 78 times large as the Imperial Palace in Beijing. When take a closer view of the Terra-cotta Warriors, you will be surprised by the lifelike expressions and customs they are in as well as the life-size-big warriors. Let alone the various gestures and different looks, the hairstyles of them will make you amazed. Owing to the exquisite handicrafts, all the warriors can be told apart from one position to another, officer or soldier, infantry or cavalry.
While the Terracotta Warriors forms only part of the tomb. Greater things are yet to come.
Thanks to Ssu-ma Ch'ien, a great historian in early Han dynasty, archeologists can learn from his works about the great insight on the mausoleum’s construction, such as the coffin was cast in bronze and the underground Palace was gem-studded replica of imperial housing above ground. Moreover, booby traps with automatic-shooting arrows were installed to deter would-be tomb robbers. Heaven and earth were represented in the central chamber of the tomb. Ceiling shaped into sun, moon and stars by inlaying pearls and gems symbolizes the sky and the ground was an accumulation point of rivers, lakes and seas, like Yellow River and Yangtze River, which stands for the earth.
The discovery of the marvelous terracotta warriors has indeed thrown the whole world into shock, but what is worth to be studied is the materials unexcavated. Qin bricks and tiles, engraved with decorative patterns, are strew everywhere around the tomb. There are many satellite tombs built as accompanying decorations of Qin Shihuang. Ministers, princesses and princes, the famous and the not were inhumed there. The burial pits for horses, rare birds and pottery figures were regarded as the sacrificial objects to the Emperor. Hence, the remains from these tombs and pits are beneficial for archaeologists to make further research.
Finally, let see who is living inside this splendid mausoleum. Qin Shi Huangdi (259-210 BC), the first emperor of China, ascended the throne at the age of 13, when the construction of his tomb began. On completion of his many conquests, he ordered 720,000 conscript laborers to hurry up on building his royal tomb. It was finished just-in-time in 210 BC for his use.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 17:30
Ticket Price:
40 CNY from March 16 to November 14
20 CNY from November 15 to March 15
Location: Lintong County, Xian City
Transportation: Tour bus and public bus 306 and 307 will bring you here.
Huaqing Hot Springs

For centuries, the Huaqing Hot Spring (huaqingchi) has been enjoying the reputation as the most wonderful spring for it has appealed to the emperors of the ancient China with its amazing pureness and miraculous healing promotion effect on the rheumatism and arthritis. The Huaqing Hot Spring is known as the Orient Sacred Spring, which means it is as famous as the Thermae of Caracalla in Ancient Rome and the Bath Spring in Britian.
During the Western Zhou, Li Palace was originally established a resort here. Later the First Emperor Qin built a stone pool and gave the name "Lishan Hot Springs," and it was extended by the Han Wudi, Martial Emperor. However, the strongest associations are with the Tang Dynasty, and most of the present buildings have a Tang style.
Later in the ancient China, Emperor Taizong built the Hot Springs Palace and Emperor Xuanzong added a walled palace in 747 A.D. Unfortunately it was damaged during the An Lushan Rebellion in the middle Tang period. The present site was rebuilt on the site of the Qing Dynasty structure
There are picturesque sceneries around the spring. Behind the west gate, Nine-Dragon Pool, the Lotus Flower Pool and the Frost Drifting Hall of the Tang architectural style are waiting for you. Emperor Xuanzong used to spend winter in the company of Yang Guifei (Lady Yang) - his favorite concubine in the Hall of Fluttering Frost. The hall gains its name due to the slightly milky mist and vapor over the pool year around. In winter, the snowflakes soon thaw immediately in front of the Hall because of the lukewarm vapor rising out of the hot spring.
Here is a combination of a miraculous hot spring, the beautiful landscapes and the marvelous historic relics, where will feast your eyes in your leisure time.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 16:00
Ticket Price:
40 CNY from March 1 to November 31
70 CNY from December 1 to February 28
Half fare for the student, the soldier, the disabled and the aged over 70
Location: No. 38 Huaqing Road, Lintong Zone, Xian City, Shanxi Province
Transportation: Bus No. 306, 914 and 915 and tour bus No. 5 will bring you here.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Dayan Pagoda was built in the year of 652 with a purpose of storing the precious Buddhist scriptures, figures of Buddha and Buddhist relics brought from India by a celebrated monk Xuan Zhang, which later became the symbolic architecture of Xian, the ancient capital of China. For centuries, the 64.5-meter-tall pagoda has appealed to a great number of visitors, among which a large part is the celebrities who left behind their inscriptions that make the pagoda more charming and holy.
During the early days, the pagoda boasted a brick structure of 5 storeys and about 60 meters (197 feet) high. Between AD 701 and AD 704, at the end of the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, 2 more storeys were added to the original pagoda. Damage by the war reduced it to seven storeys, to what it is today. With a height of 64 meters (210 miles), the pagoda occupies a base 25 meters by 25 meters (82 feet) square. The Big Goose Pagoda is brick-tower architecture, simple but sturdy. Walls and doors are carved with vivid and exquisite figures of Buddha, reflecting the profundity in the paintings f the Tang Dynasty.
Why people name it Dayan Pagoda? In the ancient time, monks in China were permitted to have the meat of the wild geese, deer and calf. One day, when a monk in the Da Ci'en Temple saw a flock of geese flew in the sky, he was so eager for the geese that he talked to the other monk: “We have not had geese today, why does not the Buddha grant us some?” Then suddenly a goose dropped on the ground front of them died. The monks were all surprised and thought that was a holy hint given by the Buddha, which required them to stop eating the geese. A pagoda was built here and wins its present name.
Opening Hours: 9:00 -- 17:00
Ticket Price:
50 CNY for the entrance of the Da Ci'en Temple
30 CNY for the students to enter into the Temple
30 CNY for ascending to the top of Dayan Pagoda
Free for the disabled, the soldiers and the aged over 70 years
Location: South Yanta Road, Xian City
Transportation: Bus No. 5, 21, 23, 27, 30, 41, 224, 320, 401, 500, 501, 527, 601, 606, 609 and 715 will bring you here.
City Wall of Xi’an

This is a huge impregnable wall, which has experienced 600 years of history, now lying peacefully like a giant in the city center of Xian. With a tallness of 12 meters and thickness of 15 meters, this giant looks as strong as iron. You may come into the ancient town surrounded by a 11.9-kilometer-long wall from the distinct gates.
When Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), occupied the city of Huizhou, he took advice to fortify the city and unify the other states by turning the wall built initially during the old Tang dynasty (618 -907) into the present Xi'an City Wall.
Surprisingly, every 120 meters, there is a rampart extending out from the main wall, therefore totally 98 ramparts are set on the wall, which were built to defend against the enemy climbing up the wall. Besides, the distance between every two ramparts is just within the range of an arrow shot from either side, so that they could shoot the enemy, who wanted to attack the city, from the side. On the outer side of the city wall, there are 5948 crenellations, namely battlements. The soldiers can outlook and shoot at the enemy. On the inner side, parapets were built to protect the soldiers from falling off.
In the ancient China, the side who was able to occupy the city of the other won the battle. However, there was no efficient way to enter into the city that protected by the impregnable wall. Therefore, from the defensive side the feasible way is to keep the gate. This is why complicated gate structures were built within the wall. In Xian, there are four gates set along the giant wall, which respectively named as Changle (meaning eternal joy) in the east, Anding (harmony peace) in the west, Yongning (eternal peace) in the south and Anyuan (forever harmony) in the north. The south gate, Yongning, is the most beautifully decorated one.
Among all the greatest ancient city walls in China, it was the most well-preserved and intact one, from which you can learn a lot about how the wars were going in the ancient China and how and for what the cities were built.
Opening Hours: 9:00 -- 20:00
Ticket Price:
40 CNY
20 CNY for the kids between 1.1m and 1.4 m and the students
Location: in the city center of Xian
Transportation: 5, 18, 215, 603 and 611 will bring you here directly.
Shaanxi Provincial History Museum

Having been as the capital of 13 dynasties for centuries, Xian is full of the breath of history. Therefore, there are numerous precious historic relics spreading around this mysterious historic site, which accounts for the reason why the Shaanxi History Museum is thought highly as the Treasure House of China.
The museum was designed as the magnificent and elegant as the architectures in Tang Dynasty (618-907). It is also a combination of the ancient style and the modern flavor, where there are more than 3,700,000 historic items displayed, among which there are 3900 rarely seen Bronze Ware from Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), 400 precious Mural from Tang Dynasty, 5000 invaluable potteries from prehistory period and many other amazingly marvelous historic relics.
The main complex is a mixture of ancient palaces and courtyard buildings, harmonious and graceful in hue, in simple and elegant style. The exhibits on the ground and first floors are arranged in roughly three parts: Basic Exhibition Hall, the Theme Exhibition Hall and East Exhibition Hall. As well as the chronological dynastic exhibits including the Han, Wei, Jin, North and South, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the pre-historical and bronze period exhibits, together with terra cotta figures and murals from tombs of the Tang Dynasty, are highly recommended.
Here you can have a close look at the amazingly cultural relics and remains from the dynasties of the Zhou, the Qin, the Han and the Tang, which is divided into the Preface Hall, the Shaanxi local history exhibition hall, and the central hall, where is the home to the temporary exhibitions from home and abroad. Can you image how great it is when surrounded by thousands of amazing items from such a far age?
Opening Hours: 8:30 -- 18:00 (except Monday)
Ticket Price: free
Location: East Xiaozhai Road, Yanta Zone, Xian City
Transportation: Bus No. 5, 19, 24, 26, 27, 30, 34, 401, 521, 527 and 610 and tour bus No. 701 and 710 will bring you here
Museum of Stone Steles Forest

Here is the largest museum with the most exhibitions of the stone tablets passed down from the ancient China. Since the completion of the construction in North Song Dynasty the year of 1087, this greatest treasure store has appealed to a great number of visitors for having a close look at the marvelous forest of stone tablets.
With 900 years of history, this treasure house holds a large collection of the earliest stone steles of different periods, from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. All together, there are 3,000 steles and the museum is divided into seven exhibitions halls, which mainly display the works of calligraphy, painting and historical records. All of these record some achievements in the development of the Chinese culture and reflect the historical facts of the cultural exchanges between China and other countries.
It is a good place to admire all the authentic work of calligraphy of the celebrities who were well known in the Chinese history, to read the Chinese grand classics inscribed on the stone, and to learning about the world’s history from the most convinced proofs of the history.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 18:00
Ticket Price: 45 CNY
22 CNY for the student, the soldier, the disabled and the aged over 70
Location: No. 15, Sanxue Street, Xian City
Transportation: Bus No. 14, 402, 512, 223, 208 and 704 and tour bus No. 5 will bring you here.
Great Mosque

The Great Mosque is a typical architecture of the Islamism, which was designed with the antique style of Ming Dynasty (1364-1644). As one of the four famous Islamic Mosques in China, it covers a large area of 12,000 m2, half of which is with architectures standing on. In this magnificent mosque, architectures of various designs will be a feast of your eyes.
Towers, pavilions, platforms and halls are well distributed around the mosque, all of which together with the exquisite stone carvings, the precious inscriptions and other rarely seen decorations in which are the essence part of the mosque. It is the reason why a great number of visitors have been attracted here and reluctant to leave.
The first courtyard contains an elaborate wooden arch nine meters high covered with glazed tiles that dates back to the 17th century. In the center of the second courtyard, a stone arch stands with two steles on both sides. On one stele is the script of a famous calligrapher named Mi Fu of the Song Dynasty; the other is from Dong Qichang, a calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty. Their calligraphy because of such elegant yet powerful characters is considered to be a great treasure in the art of handwriting.
At the entrance to the third courtyard is a hall that contains many steles from ancient times. As visitors enter this courtyard, they will see the Xingxin Tower, a place where Muslims come to attend prayer services. A “Phoenix" placed in the fourth courtyard, the principal pavilion of this great mosque complex, contains the Prayer Hall, the surrounding walls of which are covered with colored designs. This Hall can easily hold 1,000 people at a time and according to traditional custom, prayer services are held five times everyday respectively at dawn, noon, afternoon, dusk and night.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 19:00
Ticket Price: 12 CNY
Location: Huajue Lane, Lianhu Zone, Xian City
Transportation: Taxi and chartered bus will bring you here.

Highlights
Cool Hill

The Cool Hill is also called Qing Liang Shan Mountain, which used to be the center for CPC news, while central CPC committee was in Yan'an, the CPC newspaper committee, Xinhua News agent, Liberation Daily, Yan’an Xin Hua broadcast, Central Press, Central Publishing Department and so on were all located here, therefore, the Cool Hill was the birth place of Chinese News and Publishing, the cradle of news warriors, who believes that a pen and a gun are both sharp weapons. They created news agencies, broadcasted and published newspapers in the dark and wet caves, spreading Marxism, Mao's thoughts and propagating policies, approaches of CPC. Under the direct led of CPC, they sent Chinese Revolutionary voice to all around China and the world. Their contribution to the Chinese revolution is indelible. Yan'an News Memorial Hall located in the south wing of the Cool Hill, As the unique Journalism thematic memorial hall, it is divided into 5 unites , with about 180 historic relics, 400 pictures, and documents, this period of history revives.
During the War of Resistance, the Xinhua News Agency, the Xinhua Broadcasting Station, and Jiefang Ribao (Liberation Daily) all had their offices here. There is a stone cave on this hill called Ten-Thousand Buddha Cave (Wanfodong) which was carved out during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. It contains more than ten thousand Buddhist sculptures. The Moon Well (Yue'erjing), the Piba Bridge, and many other scenic spots with fancy names on the hill are all connected with beautiful legends.
Location: Nothern Bank of Yanhe Rider, Yan'an
Entrance Fee: RMB 31
Opening Hours: 7:30-19:30
Trasportation: Take Bus No.1,4,5,6,11 or 19.
Yulin Town

Yulin Town, in the far northern section of Shaanxi Province, lies at the boundary between a Yellow Soil Plateau and the Mao Wu Su Desert (Maowusu shamo). The town is renowned as a garrison and patrol post that worked the northern fringes of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) empire. Although a tiny town and not especially old, Yulin still retains much of its charm through being little renovated.
The town boasts a large number of sights for its size and the most notable include the fortress and beacon tower at the Zhengbei Terrace (Zhengbei tai), the Incense Burner Temple (Xianglu si), the remainder of the ancient Great Wall (Changcheng) and an old Bell Tower (Zhong lou). The nicest section of town is the Old Quarter, which still retains its Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1644-1911 AD) Dynasty look, hidden behind encircling walls and old, stone gates. This area is great to walk around, with pebble paved alleys, grey-tiled quadrangular courtyards (Siheyuan) and delicate copper rings upon wooden gates and windows. In places you will come across the original city walls.
Baota Hill

Baota Hill is also called Jialing Hill. It stands to the southeast of the urban Yan’an where the Yanhe River and the Nanchuan River meet. The pagoda at the top of the hill is the symbol of Yan'an City which was first built in Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).It underwent renovation in Song Dynasty. The pagoda has nine stories and is 44 meters high (144 ft). Standing at the top of the hill, you will have a bird view of the ancient city of Yan'an. This is sure to be one of the highlights of your visit.
The most famous attraction here is the iron bell which was made in 1628 during Ming Dynasty. It is 1.5 meters high and about one meter in diameter. The tower is of great historical importance in relation to the Chinese revolutionary movement: when the Chinese Communist Party had its headquarters in Yan'an, the bell was used to toll the hour of the day and sound alarms.
On the hill, there is a huge new bell named Ping’ an Bell (Safety Bell) and a new huge drum named Taiping Drum (Peace Drum). It is said that luck and happiness will be bestowed on you by Tolling the bell or beating the drum. There is also a Stele Forest upon the slopes of the hill. They are inscribed with a variety of ancient Chinese calligraphy.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Baota Hill was designated by the State Council as one of the first key cultural relics under national protection. Baota Hill is now a public park. It has many pine, cypress and Chinese scholar trees.
Location: Jialing Road, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: RMB 41 for high season, RMB 31 for low season.
Opening Hours: 06:00-20:00
Transportation: Take bus No.1 or No.3 at Railway Station.
Revolutionary Memorial Hall

The Memorial Hall, not far from the Yangjialing Headquarters, is probably one of the best of its kind in China. It was founded in July 1950 in Yan'an City of Shaanxi Province, and it is one of the earliest revolutionary memorial halls in China. It was built in July 1950 and was previously called the Yan'an Revolutionary Museum. It was open to the public in February 1951.
The memorial hall boasts a comprehensive collection of historical literature, graphs and photos dating from the establishment of the "United Front against Japanese Invasion" to the opening of the Seventh General Conference of the Chinese Communist Party.
The main hall houses a huge collection of artifacts from the 1930-50s, including genuine footballs, sewing machines, Marxist books by Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky translated into Chinese and hundreds of communist weapons. Especially noteworthy is a white horse (it has been made into a specimen) that is said to have carried Mao Zedong.
The exhibition halls occupy 3,200 square meters, displaying 1,300 revolutionary cultural relics, more than 200 photos, as well as auxiliary exhibits like graphs, paintings, sculptures and models. All the exhibits introduce the founding of Northern Shaanxi Revolutionary Bases and the 13 years of revolutionary activities of the Communist Party of China. The memorial hall has launched the Exhibition of Yan'an Revolutionary Cultural Relics and the Exhibition of Yan'an Spirit, and has staged road shows in other places.
Location: Zaoyuan Road, East Bank of Yanhe River, Baota District, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: Free
Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00
Transportation: Take Bus No.1 or 3.
Yangjialing Revolution Headquarters

After an epic Long March the pitiful remainder of a once strong, though hounded, Red Army arrived to set up base in a little town called Yan'an. The leadership clique at that time, including such revolutionary martyrs as the all powerful Mao Zedong, the wise patriarch Zhou Enlai and the military strategist Zhu De, arrived weary to start again from where they had left off in the Jiangxi Soviet. The base area was first commanded from the Yangjialing Revolution Headquarters (Yangjialing geming jiuzhi), about 3km north from the town, although the HQ was moved about a number of times between October 1938-March 1947 by the wary troops. This first site, however, is of particular note for the holding of both the first Central Committee (CC) meetings and the seventh National Plenum that was to officially instate Mao as the Chairman of the revolutionary struggle.
Like much of the town, the headquarters nowadays remains very much undisturbed by the tourist hordes that used to pour through here on communist pilgrimage. Of interest are the Meeting Hall where the CC met, and more particularly, the mound behind that contains the Former Dwelling Holes of the leading military cadres. These 'rooms' can still be seen, where Mao and the rest were to sleep, write and plot. They are elegant enough affairs with white plaster over straw, mud or brick walls, and wooden lattice entrances faced with paper, typical of the traditional local architecture. Further up the hill are also a series of caves where the communist offices were located (including the secretariat and the propaganda departments.
Yangjialing Village

Yangjialing which is about three kilometers northwest of Yan'an was the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party. Many strategic guidelines and decisions had been made here by the top leaders of Communist Party since the beginning of Anti-Japanese War. During this time, large-scale Production Campaign was carried out among people and army with vigor and vitality. Rectification Campaign started and the Seventh National Congress of CPC and Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art were held .The Seventh National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party held from April 23 to June 11, 1945, opened the new page of the modern Chinese revolutionary history.
Many constructions were destroyed in 1947 while Hu zongnan (KMT military Leader) occupied Yan’an, luckily most of them have been rebuilt after 1949, and many evergreen trees were planted around later. Today we can still visit: Central Hall, Central General Office, Central Organization Department, Central United Front Work department, the old resident place of Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu de and where Mao Zedong and Anna Louis Strong talked.
At the entrance is an auditorium with brick and wood structure. The building behind was the office of the Central Committee's General. Mao Zedong and other high-level leaders of the revolution lived on a small hill in the north. There also is an exhibition hall; the objects displayed here show the revolutionary activities of the communist leaders and the people in Yan'an. Therefore, Yangjialing Village is a very important politic center in Chinese history. It has great significant meaning for most Chinese.
Location: Shengdi Road, Baota District, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: RMB 11
Transportation: Take Bus No.1, 3, 7,8,12 or 13.
Date Garden

Date Garden is 8 kilometers northwest of Yan'an. The garden used to be the manor of a landlord.It served as office of CPC Central Committee Secretariat during the war period of anti-Japanese and liberation after the Army entered Yan'an City. It is a special garden filled with revolutionary history. Secretariat directed the war against the Japanese invaders here, the Rectification Movement in 1942, and the production movement in 1941 and 1942 held here to supply the food and clothing to the people and army during the war in order to struggle with military attacks against the Japanese and economic blockade by the Kuomintang.
Many leaders such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Zhu De once lived here. What's more, Mao Zedong wrote many of his revolutionary works. The Date Garden, with flourish trees and flowers, is a nice place to visit. There are lots of relics among which most reflect or present the Chinese revolution and the tough time of war. The garden has been destroyed by Kuomintang when the communist party left, and it was rebuilt by the local government. Date garden has become the one of the most bases of Chinese revolutionary education.
Location: Zaoyunag Road, Yan'an
Entrance Fee: RMB 20
Transportation: Take Bus No.8 or 13.
Cool Hill

The Cool Hill is also called Qing Liang Shan Mountain, which used to be the center for CPC news, while central CPC committee was in Yan'an, the CPC newspaper committee, Xinhua News agent, Liberation Daily, Yan’an Xin Hua broadcast, Central Press, Central Publishing Department and so on were all located here, therefore, the Cool Hill was the birth place of Chinese News and Publishing, the cradle of news warriors, who believes that a pen and a gun are both sharp weapons. They created news agencies, broadcasted and published newspapers in the dark and wet caves, spreading Marxism, Mao's thoughts and propagating policies, approaches of CPC. Under the direct led of CPC, they sent Chinese Revolutionary voice to all around China and the world. Their contribution to the Chinese revolution is indelible. Yan'an News Memorial Hall located in the south wing of the Cool Hill, As the unique Journalism thematic memorial hall, it is divided into 5 unites , with about 180 historic relics, 400 pictures, and documents, this period of history revives.
During the War of Resistance, the Xinhua News Agency, the Xinhua Broadcasting Station, and Jiefang Ribao (Liberation Daily) all had their offices here. There is a stone cave on this hill called Ten-Thousand Buddha Cave (Wanfodong) which was carved out during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. It contains more than ten thousand Buddhist sculptures. The Moon Well (Yue'erjing), the Piba Bridge, and many other scenic spots with fancy names on the hill are all connected with beautiful legends.
Location: Nothern Bank of Yanhe Rider, Yan'an
Entrance Fee: RMB 31
Opening Hours: 7:30-19:30
Trasportation: Take Bus No.1,4,5,6,11 or 19.
Yulin Town

Yulin Town, in the far northern section of Shaanxi Province, lies at the boundary between a Yellow Soil Plateau and the Mao Wu Su Desert (Maowusu shamo). The town is renowned as a garrison and patrol post that worked the northern fringes of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) empire. Although a tiny town and not especially old, Yulin still retains much of its charm through being little renovated.
The town boasts a large number of sights for its size and the most notable include the fortress and beacon tower at the Zhengbei Terrace (Zhengbei tai), the Incense Burner Temple (Xianglu si), the remainder of the ancient Great Wall (Changcheng) and an old Bell Tower (Zhong lou). The nicest section of town is the Old Quarter, which still retains its Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1644-1911 AD) Dynasty look, hidden behind encircling walls and old, stone gates. This area is great to walk around, with pebble paved alleys, grey-tiled quadrangular courtyards (Siheyuan) and delicate copper rings upon wooden gates and windows. In places you will come across the original city walls.
Baota Hill

Baota Hill is also called Jialing Hill. It stands to the southeast of the urban Yan’an where the Yanhe River and the Nanchuan River meet. The pagoda at the top of the hill is the symbol of Yan'an City which was first built in Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).It underwent renovation in Song Dynasty. The pagoda has nine stories and is 44 meters high (144 ft). Standing at the top of the hill, you will have a bird view of the ancient city of Yan'an. This is sure to be one of the highlights of your visit.
The most famous attraction here is the iron bell which was made in 1628 during Ming Dynasty. It is 1.5 meters high and about one meter in diameter. The tower is of great historical importance in relation to the Chinese revolutionary movement: when the Chinese Communist Party had its headquarters in Yan'an, the bell was used to toll the hour of the day and sound alarms.
On the hill, there is a huge new bell named Ping’ an Bell (Safety Bell) and a new huge drum named Taiping Drum (Peace Drum). It is said that luck and happiness will be bestowed on you by Tolling the bell or beating the drum. There is also a Stele Forest upon the slopes of the hill. They are inscribed with a variety of ancient Chinese calligraphy.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Baota Hill was designated by the State Council as one of the first key cultural relics under national protection. Baota Hill is now a public park. It has many pine, cypress and Chinese scholar trees.
Location: Jialing Road, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: RMB 41 for high season, RMB 31 for low season.
Opening Hours: 06:00-20:00
Transportation: Take bus No.1 or No.3 at Railway Station.
Revolutionary Memorial Hall

The Memorial Hall, not far from the Yangjialing Headquarters, is probably one of the best of its kind in China. It was founded in July 1950 in Yan'an City of Shaanxi Province, and it is one of the earliest revolutionary memorial halls in China. It was built in July 1950 and was previously called the Yan'an Revolutionary Museum. It was open to the public in February 1951.
The memorial hall boasts a comprehensive collection of historical literature, graphs and photos dating from the establishment of the "United Front against Japanese Invasion" to the opening of the Seventh General Conference of the Chinese Communist Party.
The main hall houses a huge collection of artifacts from the 1930-50s, including genuine footballs, sewing machines, Marxist books by Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky translated into Chinese and hundreds of communist weapons. Especially noteworthy is a white horse (it has been made into a specimen) that is said to have carried Mao Zedong.
The exhibition halls occupy 3,200 square meters, displaying 1,300 revolutionary cultural relics, more than 200 photos, as well as auxiliary exhibits like graphs, paintings, sculptures and models. All the exhibits introduce the founding of Northern Shaanxi Revolutionary Bases and the 13 years of revolutionary activities of the Communist Party of China. The memorial hall has launched the Exhibition of Yan'an Revolutionary Cultural Relics and the Exhibition of Yan'an Spirit, and has staged road shows in other places.
Location: Zaoyuan Road, East Bank of Yanhe River, Baota District, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: Free
Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00
Transportation: Take Bus No.1 or 3.
Yangjialing Revolution Headquarters

After an epic Long March the pitiful remainder of a once strong, though hounded, Red Army arrived to set up base in a little town called Yan'an. The leadership clique at that time, including such revolutionary martyrs as the all powerful Mao Zedong, the wise patriarch Zhou Enlai and the military strategist Zhu De, arrived weary to start again from where they had left off in the Jiangxi Soviet. The base area was first commanded from the Yangjialing Revolution Headquarters (Yangjialing geming jiuzhi), about 3km north from the town, although the HQ was moved about a number of times between October 1938-March 1947 by the wary troops. This first site, however, is of particular note for the holding of both the first Central Committee (CC) meetings and the seventh National Plenum that was to officially instate Mao as the Chairman of the revolutionary struggle.
Like much of the town, the headquarters nowadays remains very much undisturbed by the tourist hordes that used to pour through here on communist pilgrimage. Of interest are the Meeting Hall where the CC met, and more particularly, the mound behind that contains the Former Dwelling Holes of the leading military cadres. These 'rooms' can still be seen, where Mao and the rest were to sleep, write and plot. They are elegant enough affairs with white plaster over straw, mud or brick walls, and wooden lattice entrances faced with paper, typical of the traditional local architecture. Further up the hill are also a series of caves where the communist offices were located (including the secretariat and the propaganda departments.
Yangjialing Village

Yangjialing which is about three kilometers northwest of Yan'an was the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party. Many strategic guidelines and decisions had been made here by the top leaders of Communist Party since the beginning of Anti-Japanese War. During this time, large-scale Production Campaign was carried out among people and army with vigor and vitality. Rectification Campaign started and the Seventh National Congress of CPC and Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art were held .The Seventh National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party held from April 23 to June 11, 1945, opened the new page of the modern Chinese revolutionary history.
Many constructions were destroyed in 1947 while Hu zongnan (KMT military Leader) occupied Yan’an, luckily most of them have been rebuilt after 1949, and many evergreen trees were planted around later. Today we can still visit: Central Hall, Central General Office, Central Organization Department, Central United Front Work department, the old resident place of Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu de and where Mao Zedong and Anna Louis Strong talked.
At the entrance is an auditorium with brick and wood structure. The building behind was the office of the Central Committee's General. Mao Zedong and other high-level leaders of the revolution lived on a small hill in the north. There also is an exhibition hall; the objects displayed here show the revolutionary activities of the communist leaders and the people in Yan'an. Therefore, Yangjialing Village is a very important politic center in Chinese history. It has great significant meaning for most Chinese.
Location: Shengdi Road, Baota District, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: RMB 11
Transportation: Take Bus No.1, 3, 7,8,12 or 13.
Date Garden

Date Garden is 8 kilometers northwest of Yan'an. The garden used to be the manor of a landlord.It served as office of CPC Central Committee Secretariat during the war period of anti-Japanese and liberation after the Army entered Yan'an City. It is a special garden filled with revolutionary history. Secretariat directed the war against the Japanese invaders here, the Rectification Movement in 1942, and the production movement in 1941 and 1942 held here to supply the food and clothing to the people and army during the war in order to struggle with military attacks against the Japanese and economic blockade by the Kuomintang.
Many leaders such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Zhu De once lived here. What's more, Mao Zedong wrote many of his revolutionary works. The Date Garden, with flourish trees and flowers, is a nice place to visit. There are lots of relics among which most reflect or present the Chinese revolution and the tough time of war. The garden has been destroyed by Kuomintang when the communist party left, and it was rebuilt by the local government. Date garden has become the one of the most bases of Chinese revolutionary education.
Location: Zaoyunag Road, Yan'an
Entrance Fee: RMB 20
Transportation: Take Bus No.8 or 13.
Cool Hill

The Cool Hill is also called Qing Liang Shan Mountain, which used to be the center for CPC news, while central CPC committee was in Yan'an, the CPC newspaper committee, Xinhua News agent, Liberation Daily, Yan’an Xin Hua broadcast, Central Press, Central Publishing Department and so on were all located here, therefore, the Cool Hill was the birth place of Chinese News and Publishing, the cradle of news warriors, who believes that a pen and a gun are both sharp weapons. They created news agencies, broadcasted and published newspapers in the dark and wet caves, spreading Marxism, Mao's thoughts and propagating policies, approaches of CPC. Under the direct led of CPC, they sent Chinese Revolutionary voice to all around China and the world. Their contribution to the Chinese revolution is indelible. Yan'an News Memorial Hall located in the south wing of the Cool Hill, As the unique Journalism thematic memorial hall, it is divided into 5 unites , with about 180 historic relics, 400 pictures, and documents, this period of history revives.
During the War of Resistance, the Xinhua News Agency, the Xinhua Broadcasting Station, and Jiefang Ribao (Liberation Daily) all had their offices here. There is a stone cave on this hill called Ten-Thousand Buddha Cave (Wanfodong) which was carved out during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. It contains more than ten thousand Buddhist sculptures. The Moon Well (Yue'erjing), the Piba Bridge, and many other scenic spots with fancy names on the hill are all connected with beautiful legends.
Location: Nothern Bank of Yanhe Rider, Yan'an
Entrance Fee: RMB 31
Opening Hours: 7:30-19:30
Trasportation: Take Bus No.1,4,5,6,11 or 19.
Yulin Town

Yulin Town, in the far northern section of Shaanxi Province, lies at the boundary between a Yellow Soil Plateau and the Mao Wu Su Desert (Maowusu shamo). The town is renowned as a garrison and patrol post that worked the northern fringes of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) empire. Although a tiny town and not especially old, Yulin still retains much of its charm through being little renovated.
The town boasts a large number of sights for its size and the most notable include the fortress and beacon tower at the Zhengbei Terrace (Zhengbei tai), the Incense Burner Temple (Xianglu si), the remainder of the ancient Great Wall (Changcheng) and an old Bell Tower (Zhong lou). The nicest section of town is the Old Quarter, which still retains its Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1644-1911 AD) Dynasty look, hidden behind encircling walls and old, stone gates. This area is great to walk around, with pebble paved alleys, grey-tiled quadrangular courtyards (Siheyuan) and delicate copper rings upon wooden gates and windows. In places you will come across the original city walls.

Highlights
Glacier No.1

120 kilometers away from south of city, the No.1 Glacier belongs to sightseeing site. It lies in Kalawuquntage Mountain near the Shengli Slope that is the middle section of the Tianshan Mountains, The altitude here is 4,800 meters, distributed gigantic modern glacier. There are fantastic and ploy post glacier landforms, Its three sides encircled hills like a vast bucket, so people called it glacier bucket, The snow doesn't thaw all the year round in the mountains which around the number one glacier.
The snow become thicker due to yearly accumulated. And at last it slide down, fell into the hollow of the glacier bucket, and become translucent pale-blue glacier. The west branch moves 27 meters downwards every year, and the east 11 meters downward. When the fronted, namely glacial tongue moves below the snow line, it melts. The melted snow water of the No.1 Glacier becomes the main original of Urumqi River.
Ghost Town

The City of Demons is another name for the "Wuerhe Wind City" (Wuerhe Fengcheng), which refers to one of the Yadan landforms. Bushes like camel thorns are grown in sand hills spreading everywhere because of lack of water. In the open ground, the table -like mountains originally formed by burnt ochre stones and gray green rocks which have been fallen into pieces after thousands of years' wind and water erosion look like ancient castles and palaces with Gothic, Chinese and Egyptian styles.
So this area is called "the window of the world". There are many lively shaped models such as the towering stone mushrooms, stone bamboo shoots, stone pavilions, stone columns, wide streets, narrow lanes and caves cutting down to the rocks, lively shape of birds, animals, fishes and human bodies. In summer and autumn, 7 to 8 degrees of great storms usually blow along the valley, raising the sands, whistling like ghosts and wolves. So that's the derivation of another name of the Wuerhe Wind City---the City of Monsters.
Location: Wuerhe Area, 100 kilometers away to the northeast of Karamay
Entrance Fee: RMB 30
Transportation: Take long-distance bus at Karamay to Wuerhe. Then take shuttle bus to Ghost Town after arriving at Wuerhe.
Heavenly Lake

Heavenly Lake is 110 km from Urumqi. Located at the half way of the Begeda Peak of Tianshan Mountain, it has an elevation of 1,980 meters and an area of 4.9 square km. The lake is 3,400 meters long, with the widest section being 1,500 meters and the deepest 105 meters. It was named "Yaochi" in the old days.
The Heavenly Lake is a moraine by nature. Splendid peaks and glaciers were developed some 200,000 years ago. As a result of prolonged scouring and wearing off of the glaciers, a gigantic pit was formed. Later, the climate turned warmer, glaciers receded and a large amount of gravel accumulated, resulting in huge terminal moraines. In the end, the Heavenly Lake took shape.
The water is very clear and the banks are covered with tall trees. Surrounded by mountains, the jade-green lake is an ideal place for excursions and rest for most of the year. It provides an excellent skating ground in winter.In summer, the beautiful lake is an ideal cool resort. Boaters on the lake see the ever-changing silvery mountains soaring into the blue sky, their slopes highlighted with verdant pasture and flamboyant wild flowers. Fishing at dusk has its own special charm. A day in this fairyland promises restoration.
Heavenly Lake, a relic of the Quaternary Period Glacier and its surrounding geological relics, offers science lovers exploring opportunities.
As if the natural beauty of Heavenly Lake were not enough, legend adds a mysterious touch. It is said that the West Queen (Xi Wang Mu) entertained King Mu of the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100B.C.-771B.C.) at the Lake. The West Queen fell in love with the king and asked him in her poem, 'The white clouds drift while the mountains reach the blue sky. Passing thousands of mountains, crossing ten thousands of rivers, you come to us from a faraway place. If you are still strong and fine, would you like to come back to us again?' The king answered in his poem, 'After I go back to central China and lead the people to a prosperous life, I will come to you again.'We do not know why the king never returned. Only the placid lake and the silent mountains witnessed the lovesickness of the West Queen.
Southern Pastures

In the suburb of the city of Urumqi there lies the Southern Pastures, a beautiful pasture that the pastoral Kazakh inhabit and graze in summer.
Covering an area of 119 square kilometers (about 45 square miles), Southern Pastures, the natural large and famous summer resort, is 75 kilometers (about 46 miles) away from the city, and located in the Southern Mountain, an area at the northern foot of Karawuquntag Mountain.
It takes about one hour by bus from Urumqi to get to West White Poplar Gully, which is one of most typical sights. On the way, you can see the bright snowcapped Karawuquntag Mountain, the wandering valleys, and hear the gurgle of springs, smell the lush spruce
trees. In the thicket of the lush spruce trees, just let your eyes delight in the traditional villas and the scattered Kazakstan yurts as they paint the grassland and pastures.
Standing in the pastures, you can see the forest of emerald green spruce on a chain of undulating grass hills dotted with combined flocks and herds. As you immerse yourself in this beautiful site, the singing of the Kazakh may envelop you and inspire you to sing with them. You can visit one of the traditional yurts locating in the spruce forest where you will be welcomed by a generous host with fragrant milk tea, mare's milk, cheese and roasted lamb. If you are lucky enough, you will be able to observe the amazing horseracing and traditional Kazakh dancing.
Additional beautiful spots in Southern Pastures from west to east are respectively Chrysanthemum Tai (a table-board of alluvial fan), East White Poplar Gully, Zhaobi Mountain, Miao'er Gully and Da'xi Gully. With the embellishment by these other sights, Southern Pastures is even more beautiful and fascinating.
Red Hill

Red Hill, 1.5 kilometers long and one kilometer wide and 910 meters above sea level, is situated on the east side of the Urumqi River and at the very center of the city, running from east to west. The hill top looks like a mighty lion in its quiet sleep and the ridge like a wriggling dragon. The hill's rocks are reddish-brown, hence the name "Red Hill".
At the top of the hill stands a nine-story, solid, gray brick pagoda, which is 8 meters high, facing the top of Yamalike Hill. It is so-called "Zhenlong pagoda" that means "Pagoda to Suppress Dragons". According to historical documents, Red Hill overflowed in 1785 and the year after and later formed Urumqi River. It is said that it was done by a vicious dragon and the Red Hill and Yamalike Hill would join together to block it up, otherwise, Urumqi area would turn into a vast expanse of water. In the year 1788, the fifty-third year of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, Shang an, the governor of Urumqi, had a pagoda built at the top of each hill in order to suppress the evil dragon. After two hundred years of weathering, the pagoda still remains basically intact. There used to be a number of historical sites on the hill. As early as the time of the nomadic Oyrat Tribe, an "Ebo" was built at the top of the hill; "Ebo" is the name of a kind of cairn used by the tribesmen to worship and offer sacrifice to their gods.
During the Qing Dynasty, the Temple of the Jade Emperor was built at the top of the hill as well as the Temple of the Great Buddha; and the Palace of the Dipper and the Temple of Ksitigabha were built at the foot of the hill. These splendid temples attracted a great number of visitors and made the hill a holy place where worshippers chanted the Buddhist sutra and conducted religious services. Unfortunately almost all these magnificent buildings were burnt down in wars among warlords and nothing was left except a shaky temple gate and the pagoda standing at the top of the precipitous Red Hill. Today, local people regard Red Hill as the symbol of the city. As a result of the construction in the past thirty years or more, the barren Red Hill is now covered with emerald green trees and embellished with tourist facilities such as stone-stepped paths and an asphalt road winding to its top.
Today, Red Hill has been developed into the beautiful Red Hill Park. Modern entertainment facilities and ethnic performances bring a fresh and lively atmosphere to the park. On the peak of Red Hill, you will have the whole city of Urumqi before your eyes!
The Museum of Xinjiang Uygar Autonomous Region

Covering an exhibiting area of 7800 sqm, the museum of Uygur and Russian styles, is constructed in 1953. A green-tiled dome tops 18m above the main hall and enormous mural relieves decorate the walls, domes, and entrance. The exhibiting article of this museum center lies in two sources that are archaeological treasures from the Silk Road and the local cultural relics.
The first section displays over 50,000 cultural relics excavated on the ancient Silk Road, which including the silk, pottery and porcelain, terra-cotta figures, weapons, scriptures and so on.
The second section show some mummies discovered in the vast desert. Among over 10 mummies, one named 'sleeping beauty' is the most famous one. Buried underground for about 3,800 years, it keeps unbroken, ranking as the earliest and best preserved mummified body in China. Besides, various articles of ethnic groups are also showed in the museum, which include clothing, household utensils, handicrafts, hunting accoutrements and musical instruments as well as the Uygur house and different styles of yurts, giving a vivid introduction of the customs and cultures of different ethnic groups.
Location: No.132 Xibei Road, Urumqi
Entrance Fee: Free
Opening Hours: Summer9:30-19:00, Winter10:30-18:00, Holidays10:00-18:00.
Transportation: Take Bus No.7 at Hongshan Department Store.
Kanas Lake

1374 meters high above sea level, Kanas Lake (Kanasi Hu), which means "beautiful, rich and mysterious" in Mongolian, can be found in the deep forests and mountains of Altai, covering an area of 44.78 square kilometers which is 10 times bigger than Tianchi on Bogda Mountain. This is typical ice erosion & Moraine Lake shaped like a new moon, or rather, a long hyacinth bean. The reflections of the surrounding snowcapped, tree-covered mountains can be seen inverted on the lake water. During autumn especially, there is a picturesque landscape of forests in a riot of colors with gold, red, blue and green all reflected in the clear lake water here.
There are also some fun legends about Kanas Lake. It is said that huge lake monsters live in the lake's depths. In recent years, others claim to have seen 4 meter long blood red fish in the lake. The "Emei Spectacle", lights in the clouds after a morning rain, adds an air of mystery to the lake too.
The practices of the Tuwa and local Mongolian ethic minority, and Altai Mountain rock-paintings have been attracting explorers and travelers to this area for decades.
Location: Kanas Lake is 140km from Burqin County and 246km from Altay City.
Entrance Fee: RMB 230
Transportation: There are flights to Altay City and tourist coaches to Burqin County from Urumqi. You can enter the nature reserve by car or on horseback with local guides.
Yarrwo

Located in the east rely upon Yanr cliff, and west is close to Urumqi River, the Yarrwo is about 6 square kilometers in perimeter, it is a seasoning scenic zone in south suburb of cantonal. In summer, miscellaneous wild roses, rosebush and bushes bloom red, yellow, blue, white and purple, the flowers make this place a green and bright-colored world. In deep winter, icebound and snow touch down white flower that covered whole tree and shaped a different scenery.
It is said that there was a hero who named "Yanr" in ancient times who dived into Urumqi River and killed the devil and stopped a flood from overspreading, The spirit later become ten millions little swallows, and make here become "swallow fairyland". The ancient nomad called the place "Urabo", namely means "red shooting range". It is report that a tribe of ancient nomad often demonstrates and competes in military stills and target practice in open field here, the winner drape red silk band to show off portliness.
Glacier No.1

120 kilometers away from south of city, the No.1 Glacier belongs to sightseeing site. It lies in Kalawuquntage Mountain near the Shengli Slope that is the middle section of the Tianshan Mountains, The altitude here is 4,800 meters, distributed gigantic modern glacier. There are fantastic and ploy post glacier landforms, Its three sides encircled hills like a vast bucket, so people called it glacier bucket, The snow doesn't thaw all the year round in the mountains which around the number one glacier.
The snow become thicker due to yearly accumulated. And at last it slide down, fell into the hollow of the glacier bucket, and become translucent pale-blue glacier. The west branch moves 27 meters downwards every year, and the east 11 meters downward. When the fronted, namely glacial tongue moves below the snow line, it melts. The melted snow water of the No.1 Glacier becomes the main original of Urumqi River.
Ghost Town

The City of Demons is another name for the "Wuerhe Wind City" (Wuerhe Fengcheng), which refers to one of the Yadan landforms. Bushes like camel thorns are grown in sand hills spreading everywhere because of lack of water. In the open ground, the table -like mountains originally formed by burnt ochre stones and gray green rocks which have been fallen into pieces after thousands of years' wind and water erosion look like ancient castles and palaces with Gothic, Chinese and Egyptian styles.
So this area is called "the window of the world". There are many lively shaped models such as the towering stone mushrooms, stone bamboo shoots, stone pavilions, stone columns, wide streets, narrow lanes and caves cutting down to the rocks, lively shape of birds, animals, fishes and human bodies. In summer and autumn, 7 to 8 degrees of great storms usually blow along the valley, raising the sands, whistling like ghosts and wolves. So that's the derivation of another name of the Wuerhe Wind City---the City of Monsters.
Location: Wuerhe Area, 100 kilometers away to the northeast of Karamay
Entrance Fee: RMB 30
Transportation: Take long-distance bus at Karamay to Wuerhe. Then take shuttle bus to Ghost Town after arriving at Wuerhe.
Heavenly Lake

Heavenly Lake is 110 km from Urumqi. Located at the half way of the Begeda Peak of Tianshan Mountain, it has an elevation of 1,980 meters and an area of 4.9 square km. The lake is 3,400 meters long, with the widest section being 1,500 meters and the deepest 105 meters. It was named "Yaochi" in the old days.
The Heavenly Lake is a moraine by nature. Splendid peaks and glaciers were developed some 200,000 years ago. As a result of prolonged scouring and wearing off of the glaciers, a gigantic pit was formed. Later, the climate turned warmer, glaciers receded and a large amount of gravel accumulated, resulting in huge terminal moraines. In the end, the Heavenly Lake took shape.
The water is very clear and the banks are covered with tall trees. Surrounded by mountains, the jade-green lake is an ideal place for excursions and rest for most of the year. It provides an excellent skating ground in winter.In summer, the beautiful lake is an ideal cool resort. Boaters on the lake see the ever-changing silvery mountains soaring into the blue sky, their slopes highlighted with verdant pasture and flamboyant wild flowers. Fishing at dusk has its own special charm. A day in this fairyland promises restoration.
Heavenly Lake, a relic of the Quaternary Period Glacier and its surrounding geological relics, offers science lovers exploring opportunities.
As if the natural beauty of Heavenly Lake were not enough, legend adds a mysterious touch. It is said that the West Queen (Xi Wang Mu) entertained King Mu of the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100B.C.-771B.C.) at the Lake. The West Queen fell in love with the king and asked him in her poem, 'The white clouds drift while the mountains reach the blue sky. Passing thousands of mountains, crossing ten thousands of rivers, you come to us from a faraway place. If you are still strong and fine, would you like to come back to us again?' The king answered in his poem, 'After I go back to central China and lead the people to a prosperous life, I will come to you again.'We do not know why the king never returned. Only the placid lake and the silent mountains witnessed the lovesickness of the West Queen.
Southern Pastures

In the suburb of the city of Urumqi there lies the Southern Pastures, a beautiful pasture that the pastoral Kazakh inhabit and graze in summer.
Covering an area of 119 square kilometers (about 45 square miles), Southern Pastures, the natural large and famous summer resort, is 75 kilometers (about 46 miles) away from the city, and located in the Southern Mountain, an area at the northern foot of Karawuquntag Mountain.
It takes about one hour by bus from Urumqi to get to West White Poplar Gully, which is one of most typical sights. On the way, you can see the bright snowcapped Karawuquntag Mountain, the wandering valleys, and hear the gurgle of springs, smell the lush spruce
trees. In the thicket of the lush spruce trees, just let your eyes delight in the traditional villas and the scattered Kazakstan yurts as they paint the grassland and pastures.
Standing in the pastures, you can see the forest of emerald green spruce on a chain of undulating grass hills dotted with combined flocks and herds. As you immerse yourself in this beautiful site, the singing of the Kazakh may envelop you and inspire you to sing with them. You can visit one of the traditional yurts locating in the spruce forest where you will be welcomed by a generous host with fragrant milk tea, mare's milk, cheese and roasted lamb. If you are lucky enough, you will be able to observe the amazing horseracing and traditional Kazakh dancing.
Additional beautiful spots in Southern Pastures from west to east are respectively Chrysanthemum Tai (a table-board of alluvial fan), East White Poplar Gully, Zhaobi Mountain, Miao'er Gully and Da'xi Gully. With the embellishment by these other sights, Southern Pastures is even more beautiful and fascinating.
Red Hill

Red Hill, 1.5 kilometers long and one kilometer wide and 910 meters above sea level, is situated on the east side of the Urumqi River and at the very center of the city, running from east to west. The hill top looks like a mighty lion in its quiet sleep and the ridge like a wriggling dragon. The hill's rocks are reddish-brown, hence the name "Red Hill".
At the top of the hill stands a nine-story, solid, gray brick pagoda, which is 8 meters high, facing the top of Yamalike Hill. It is so-called "Zhenlong pagoda" that means "Pagoda to Suppress Dragons". According to historical documents, Red Hill overflowed in 1785 and the year after and later formed Urumqi River. It is said that it was done by a vicious dragon and the Red Hill and Yamalike Hill would join together to block it up, otherwise, Urumqi area would turn into a vast expanse of water. In the year 1788, the fifty-third year of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, Shang an, the governor of Urumqi, had a pagoda built at the top of each hill in order to suppress the evil dragon. After two hundred years of weathering, the pagoda still remains basically intact. There used to be a number of historical sites on the hill. As early as the time of the nomadic Oyrat Tribe, an "Ebo" was built at the top of the hill; "Ebo" is the name of a kind of cairn used by the tribesmen to worship and offer sacrifice to their gods.
During the Qing Dynasty, the Temple of the Jade Emperor was built at the top of the hill as well as the Temple of the Great Buddha; and the Palace of the Dipper and the Temple of Ksitigabha were built at the foot of the hill. These splendid temples attracted a great number of visitors and made the hill a holy place where worshippers chanted the Buddhist sutra and conducted religious services. Unfortunately almost all these magnificent buildings were burnt down in wars among warlords and nothing was left except a shaky temple gate and the pagoda standing at the top of the precipitous Red Hill. Today, local people regard Red Hill as the symbol of the city. As a result of the construction in the past thirty years or more, the barren Red Hill is now covered with emerald green trees and embellished with tourist facilities such as stone-stepped paths and an asphalt road winding to its top.
Today, Red Hill has been developed into the beautiful Red Hill Park. Modern entertainment facilities and ethnic performances bring a fresh and lively atmosphere to the park. On the peak of Red Hill, you will have the whole city of Urumqi before your eyes!
The Museum of Xinjiang Uygar Autonomous Region

Covering an exhibiting area of 7800 sqm, the museum of Uygur and Russian styles, is constructed in 1953. A green-tiled dome tops 18m above the main hall and enormous mural relieves decorate the walls, domes, and entrance. The exhibiting article of this museum center lies in two sources that are archaeological treasures from the Silk Road and the local cultural relics.
The first section displays over 50,000 cultural relics excavated on the ancient Silk Road, which including the silk, pottery and porcelain, terra-cotta figures, weapons, scriptures and so on.
The second section show some mummies discovered in the vast desert. Among over 10 mummies, one named 'sleeping beauty' is the most famous one. Buried underground for about 3,800 years, it keeps unbroken, ranking as the earliest and best preserved mummified body in China. Besides, various articles of ethnic groups are also showed in the museum, which include clothing, household utensils, handicrafts, hunting accoutrements and musical instruments as well as the Uygur house and different styles of yurts, giving a vivid introduction of the customs and cultures of different ethnic groups.
Location: No.132 Xibei Road, Urumqi
Entrance Fee: Free
Opening Hours: Summer9:30-19:00, Winter10:30-18:00, Holidays10:00-18:00.
Transportation: Take Bus No.7 at Hongshan Department Store.
Kanas Lake

1374 meters high above sea level, Kanas Lake (Kanasi Hu), which means "beautiful, rich and mysterious" in Mongolian, can be found in the deep forests and mountains of Altai, covering an area of 44.78 square kilometers which is 10 times bigger than Tianchi on Bogda Mountain. This is typical ice erosion & Moraine Lake shaped like a new moon, or rather, a long hyacinth bean. The reflections of the surrounding snowcapped, tree-covered mountains can be seen inverted on the lake water. During autumn especially, there is a picturesque landscape of forests in a riot of colors with gold, red, blue and green all reflected in the clear lake water here.
There are also some fun legends about Kanas Lake. It is said that huge lake monsters live in the lake's depths. In recent years, others claim to have seen 4 meter long blood red fish in the lake. The "Emei Spectacle", lights in the clouds after a morning rain, adds an air of mystery to the lake too.
The practices of the Tuwa and local Mongolian ethic minority, and Altai Mountain rock-paintings have been attracting explorers and travelers to this area for decades.
Location: Kanas Lake is 140km from Burqin County and 246km from Altay City.
Entrance Fee: RMB 230
Transportation: There are flights to Altay City and tourist coaches to Burqin County from Urumqi. You can enter the nature reserve by car or on horseback with local guides.
Yarrwo

Located in the east rely upon Yanr cliff, and west is close to Urumqi River, the Yarrwo is about 6 square kilometers in perimeter, it is a seasoning scenic zone in south suburb of cantonal. In summer, miscellaneous wild roses, rosebush and bushes bloom red, yellow, blue, white and purple, the flowers make this place a green and bright-colored world. In deep winter, icebound and snow touch down white flower that covered whole tree and shaped a different scenery.
It is said that there was a hero who named "Yanr" in ancient times who dived into Urumqi River and killed the devil and stopped a flood from overspreading, The spirit later become ten millions little swallows, and make here become "swallow fairyland". The ancient nomad called the place "Urabo", namely means "red shooting range". It is report that a tribe of ancient nomad often demonstrates and competes in military stills and target practice in open field here, the winner drape red silk band to show off portliness.
Glacier No.1

120 kilometers away from south of city, the No.1 Glacier belongs to sightseeing site. It lies in Kalawuquntage Mountain near the Shengli Slope that is the middle section of the Tianshan Mountains, The altitude here is 4,800 meters, distributed gigantic modern glacier. There are fantastic and ploy post glacier landforms, Its three sides encircled hills like a vast bucket, so people called it glacier bucket, The snow doesn't thaw all the year round in the mountains which around the number one glacier.
The snow become thicker due to yearly accumulated. And at last it slide down, fell into the hollow of the glacier bucket, and become translucent pale-blue glacier. The west branch moves 27 meters downwards every year, and the east 11 meters downward. When the fronted, namely glacial tongue moves below the snow line, it melts. The melted snow water of the No.1 Glacier becomes the main original of Urumqi River.
Ghost Town

The City of Demons is another name for the "Wuerhe Wind City" (Wuerhe Fengcheng), which refers to one of the Yadan landforms. Bushes like camel thorns are grown in sand hills spreading everywhere because of lack of water. In the open ground, the table -like mountains originally formed by burnt ochre stones and gray green rocks which have been fallen into pieces after thousands of years' wind and water erosion look like ancient castles and palaces with Gothic, Chinese and Egyptian styles.
So this area is called "the window of the world". There are many lively shaped models such as the towering stone mushrooms, stone bamboo shoots, stone pavilions, stone columns, wide streets, narrow lanes and caves cutting down to the rocks, lively shape of birds, animals, fishes and human bodies. In summer and autumn, 7 to 8 degrees of great storms usually blow along the valley, raising the sands, whistling like ghosts and wolves. So that's the derivation of another name of the Wuerhe Wind City---the City of Monsters.
Location: Wuerhe Area, 100 kilometers away to the northeast of Karamay
Entrance Fee: RMB 30
Transportation: Take long-distance bus at Karamay to Wuerhe. Then take shuttle bus to Ghost Town after arriving at Wuerhe.

Highlights
Karez Irrigation System

Karez irrigation systems are the crystallization of ancient people's diligence and intelligence. Without the Karez, there would be no Turpan culture.
The history of the karez, which have mainly been used in the Hami and Turpan areas of Xinjiang, where it is hot and dry, dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.). It is considered one of the three great projects of ancient China, along with the Great Wall and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
The karez system consists of four parts: a hole as deep as 50 to 60 meters, an underground canal, an aboveground canal and a small reservoir. It has many advantages, such as little evaporation from season to season and little percolation and can provide a stable water supply that does not consume energy or cause pollution.
Wandering underground over 5,000 kilometers, the system has also been called "the underground Great Wall."
Karez systems also functions as the natural air conditioner for the locals because they can sit in one while chatting or doing some chores. When exhausted during the scorching weather, sitting in a Karez, picking some grapes as they hang over the vertical wells and savoring their taste, you will be thoroughly refreshed.
Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs

The Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs are the Living Archives of Gaochang.This Tang-dynasty burial ground known as the "Underground Museum" attracts stream of archaeologists both at home and abroad. It provides some very valuable and fascinating artifacts such as tomb figures of wood, wall paint, ceramics, and documents and silk which were as well-preserved and as colorful as new ones by the hot and dry atmosphere. Astana means "capital" in Uygur and Karakhoja is the name of a legendary hero of the ancient Uygur Kingdom who expelled the evils by killing a vicious dragon.
The tombs are located 42 km (26miles) southeast of Turpan city and 6 km (3.7miles) from the Ancient City of Gaochang. The tombs range 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) from north to south and 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from east to west. The tombs were the public cemetery of the ancient Gaochang residents, both aristocrats and commoners. However, curiously, among the excavated 456 tombs the tomb of King Gaochang has been found nowhere in the tombs. According to the documentation buried with them, the era must have been between 273 and 778. The outsides of the tombs are shaped like small low hills, sloping down towards to the grave rooms. The tomb design appears from the sky to be like a "Jia" shape of Chinese character. Three tombs among them are open to visitors.
Ancient City of Gaochang

The ancient city Gaochang, with a cover of 2,000,000 square meters, is located in 46 kilometers (29 miles) southeast of Turpan near the 'Flaming Mountains', Xinjing Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Built in the first century B.C. and originally called Gaochangbi, it used to be a garrison town and later became a key point along the ancient Silk Road. In ancient times, it had been one of the political, economic and culture centers in the Western Regions, and it was a hub of exchange of economy and culture between ancient China and the West. The famous Buddhist monk Xuan Zang taught in the city for several months during his epic 18 year journey to India.
Though the ruins have not been as well preserved as the ones in the Ancient City of Jiaohe, it still provides interesting insight into this unique civilization. The city is split into 3 parts, the inner and outer cities and a palace complex. Nine city gates were built at cardinal points; three in the south and two in each other three directions respectively. Visitors are usually suggested to enter the best preserved one in the west to the core. Inside visitors can see remnants of "Khan Castle", a 15 meter (49ft) structure, temples, manuscripts ,Buddhist paintings and so on.
Two temple remains, one in the southwestern and the other in the northwestern parts of the outer city are worth a visit. The first one, 130 meters (427 feet) long from east to west, 85 meters (279 feet) wide from south to north covers 10,000 square meters. It consists of an arched gate, a courtyard, a lecture hall, a library of sutras, a main hall and the monks' dormitory. It is said that Xuan Zang the renowned Buddhist monk of the Tang period had lectures here in the year of 628 on his way to India. The second is smaller but the murals remains are impressive.
Ancient City of Jiaohe

The largest, oldest and best-preserved earthen city in the world, Jiaohe is 1,650 meters (5,413 feet) by 300 meters (984 feet) at its widest; with an area of 220,000 square meters (2,368,168 square feet). It was the capital of the former Cheshi State. An Indian proverb says, 'Intelligence is bound to exist where two rivers meet'. Jiaohe, meaning in Chinese where two rivers meet, is such a place. According to historical records it was home to 700 households, 6500 residents plus 865 soldiers.
Jiaohe distinguishes itself from other ancient cities owing to three features. First, it had only two city gates, the South and East Gates. The main South Gate vanished long ago, leaving a huge breach. The East Gate cut by the cliff was virtually non-existent. Second, the city faces cliffs on three sides, so there are no city walls commonly seen in other ancient cities. Third, all the buildings were dug from earth and wood was rarely used.
The central avenue, 350-meters (1148.3-feet) long, runs north from South Gate, separating the city into three parts; namely, residences for common people, temples, and residences for aristocrats. To the west of the avenue, low buildings with sparse small temples were residences for commoners, while the high ones in the east were for aristocrats and troops. At the end of the avenue stands a large well-preserved Buddhist temple, Jiaohe Temple, with an area of 5,000 square meters (53,824 square feet).
The relics we see today featured Tang Dynasty (618-907) architectural style. Houses were dug downward from the earth, and as no house gates faced the streets, military defense was apparently priority.
At the end of the 8 Century, the city was tossed into the reigns of the Turpan, Hui, and Mongols. Residents fled from the destroyed city continuously until in the beginning of the 14 Century, the city was abandoned, as was its glory and prosperity of over 2000 years. Miraculously, owing to the arid climate and remote location, the ancient city of Jiaohe remains intact, leaving us a rare exemplar of an earthen castle.
Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves

The Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves, 48 kilometers northeast of the Turpan urban area, are located in the Flaming Mountains' MuTou valley. As Buddhism was the first religion from abroad introduced to this area, Xinjiang witnessed the earliest development of Buddhist cave art in China. Soon after the religion's establishment in the region, Turpan became the Buddhist center on the Silk Road owing to its geographic location. Among the Buddhist caves found in Turpan, Bizalkik Thousand Buddha Caves are considered most valuable.
They were called the ningrong grottoes in the Tang Dynasty. There are 77 numbered grottoes, about 40 of which still have murals in them. The group of grottoes in Bizaklik, with a total of 1,200 square meters of murals, has the most grottoes, most diversified architectural styles and the richest mural content in the Turpan area. The oldest grottoes were hewn in the period of qushi gaochang. From the Tang Dynasty in the thirteenth century, it was an important Buddhist gathering place. Its most prosperous period was under the reign of the xizhou huigu government, which built the royal temple of the king of huigu on this site. Most of the existing grottoes were extended or reconstructed during the huigu period.
Bizaklik Caves was the royal temple of Huihu (the predecessor of today's Uygur) State and the existing caves were enlarged or renovated during that time. The murals take us back to the ancient Huihu State, where we can see the King and Queen and people from all walks of life. The inscriptions, written in ancient Uygur, Chinese and other languages, provide authentic reference for valuable historic research.
The most exceptionally rare mural topics in Bizaklik Caves are found in Caves No.16 and 17. Cave No.16 depicts a musician playing Xiao Hu Lei-- a lute-like instrument originating from southern China's Yunnan province. This strengthens the belief that cultural exchange between northern and southern China was unprecedented during Tang Dynasty.
In addition to the murals and inscriptions, a piece of gold foil wrapping paper found at the caves is also intriguing. A stamp on it revealed the address of the shop on the south side of Tiahelou Street, Hangzhou, Zhejiang of Song Dynasty. It also advised clients to examine their goods carefully before purchase to avoid being cheated. As an apparent piece of advertisement, the foil shows that Gaochang Huihu kept close economic ties with Song Dynasty as the trade extended as far as to the East China Sea.
Emin Minaret

Emin Minaret, 3km (2 miles) east of central Turpan is the largest extant old tower in Xinjiang; it is the only Islamic tower among the hundred famous towers in China. Construction of this religious tower and mosque complex began in 1777 at the request of the then ruler of Turpan Emin Khoja. He was an outstanding patriot who defended the unification of China throughout his life. He had eight sons but the eldest son died of illness at a young age. Influenced by Emin, all his remaining sons made contributions during the war against Jungar rebellions. It was Suleman, Emin's second son, who built this minaret with his own money. This is the reason why the minaret is also named Su Gong Ta. Upon Emin's death, Suleman inherited his father's rank and became the second Turpan ruler.
Emin Minaret is made of sun-dried bricks and is decorated with delicate geometric and floral patterns. The adjoining mosque has a latticed ceiling and a domed sacred space, all supported by wooden pillars. From the top of the mosque there is a good view of the surrounding vineyards and mountains.
At the entrance to the minaret, two steles were set up. On one is a Chinese inscription that explains that the purpose of building the minaret was to show gratitude to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and to commemorate exploits of Emin Khoja while the Uygur inscription on the other stele gave thanks to Allah.
The historical background of Emin Minaret is underlined by the architectural significance. The 44-meter (144 feet) high minaret has no stories. From the base with a diameter of 10 meters (32.8 feet), the minaret tapers to an Islamic dome. In the center of the minaret is a brick-piled pillar with 72 steps around it spiraling to the top. There are 14 openings for ventilation and lighting, which are located in different directions and at various heights. On the top, there is an attic of 10 square meters (107 square feet) with large windows on the four sides through which the marvelous landscape could be admired. Unfortunately, tourists today cannot climb to the top due to the protection given to the minaret.
However, the unique exterior of the minaret will make up for this lack. The huge column made of grey bricks and earth would be dull if not for its decorative patterns. Smart Uygur architects used bricks to form 15 different patterns such as waves, flowers or rhombuses. What's more, the architects even took the surroundings into consideration. Set against the azure sky, silvery Tianshan Mountain and the scarlet Flaming Mountain , Emin Minaret displays a pristine but dignified air. Only when you look up at the minaret will you find how crystal blue and high the sky of Turpan is!
The Flaming Mountains



Grape Valley

On the western face of the Flaming Mountains, east of Turpan is the Grape Valley. It is a world of unique with vineyards and fruit trees. The Grape Valley of the Flaming Mountains, fifteen kilometers from the city center, is also a world of unique beauty, presenting a striking contrast with the hot, dry and barren outside. "...Grapes in Turpan grow up; Anarhan's heart is ecstatic..." This folk song of the last century is well known in China. Turpan, a place truly flowing with milk and honey in the Turki language, is famous for its fruits. Among them, grape is the most famous.
Every August the sweet air will herald the vintage. The best place to enjoy the grapes is Grape Valley. In the valley you will find a park as well as patios and outdoor tables where you can eat the grapes and other fruit or enjoy a delicious meal complemented by the locally produced wine. Every single grape is crystal and watery-some are as green as emerald; some as red as agate, some as small as pearls while others are like olives. Among dozens of kinds of grapes, Wuhebai (white seedless) grape is reputed as a green pearl with the sugar content as much as 22%.
Karez Irrigation System

Karez irrigation systems are the crystallization of ancient people's diligence and intelligence. Without the Karez, there would be no Turpan culture.
The history of the karez, which have mainly been used in the Hami and Turpan areas of Xinjiang, where it is hot and dry, dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.). It is considered one of the three great projects of ancient China, along with the Great Wall and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
The karez system consists of four parts: a hole as deep as 50 to 60 meters, an underground canal, an aboveground canal and a small reservoir. It has many advantages, such as little evaporation from season to season and little percolation and can provide a stable water supply that does not consume energy or cause pollution.
Wandering underground over 5,000 kilometers, the system has also been called "the underground Great Wall."
Karez systems also functions as the natural air conditioner for the locals because they can sit in one while chatting or doing some chores. When exhausted during the scorching weather, sitting in a Karez, picking some grapes as they hang over the vertical wells and savoring their taste, you will be thoroughly refreshed.
Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs

The Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs are the Living Archives of Gaochang.This Tang-dynasty burial ground known as the "Underground Museum" attracts stream of archaeologists both at home and abroad. It provides some very valuable and fascinating artifacts such as tomb figures of wood, wall paint, ceramics, and documents and silk which were as well-preserved and as colorful as new ones by the hot and dry atmosphere. Astana means "capital" in Uygur and Karakhoja is the name of a legendary hero of the ancient Uygur Kingdom who expelled the evils by killing a vicious dragon.
The tombs are located 42 km (26miles) southeast of Turpan city and 6 km (3.7miles) from the Ancient City of Gaochang. The tombs range 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) from north to south and 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from east to west. The tombs were the public cemetery of the ancient Gaochang residents, both aristocrats and commoners. However, curiously, among the excavated 456 tombs the tomb of King Gaochang has been found nowhere in the tombs. According to the documentation buried with them, the era must have been between 273 and 778. The outsides of the tombs are shaped like small low hills, sloping down towards to the grave rooms. The tomb design appears from the sky to be like a "Jia" shape of Chinese character. Three tombs among them are open to visitors.
Ancient City of Gaochang

The ancient city Gaochang, with a cover of 2,000,000 square meters, is located in 46 kilometers (29 miles) southeast of Turpan near the 'Flaming Mountains', Xinjing Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Built in the first century B.C. and originally called Gaochangbi, it used to be a garrison town and later became a key point along the ancient Silk Road. In ancient times, it had been one of the political, economic and culture centers in the Western Regions, and it was a hub of exchange of economy and culture between ancient China and the West. The famous Buddhist monk Xuan Zang taught in the city for several months during his epic 18 year journey to India.
Though the ruins have not been as well preserved as the ones in the Ancient City of Jiaohe, it still provides interesting insight into this unique civilization. The city is split into 3 parts, the inner and outer cities and a palace complex. Nine city gates were built at cardinal points; three in the south and two in each other three directions respectively. Visitors are usually suggested to enter the best preserved one in the west to the core. Inside visitors can see remnants of "Khan Castle", a 15 meter (49ft) structure, temples, manuscripts ,Buddhist paintings and so on.
Two temple remains, one in the southwestern and the other in the northwestern parts of the outer city are worth a visit. The first one, 130 meters (427 feet) long from east to west, 85 meters (279 feet) wide from south to north covers 10,000 square meters. It consists of an arched gate, a courtyard, a lecture hall, a library of sutras, a main hall and the monks' dormitory. It is said that Xuan Zang the renowned Buddhist monk of the Tang period had lectures here in the year of 628 on his way to India. The second is smaller but the murals remains are impressive.
Ancient City of Jiaohe

The largest, oldest and best-preserved earthen city in the world, Jiaohe is 1,650 meters (5,413 feet) by 300 meters (984 feet) at its widest; with an area of 220,000 square meters (2,368,168 square feet). It was the capital of the former Cheshi State. An Indian proverb says, 'Intelligence is bound to exist where two rivers meet'. Jiaohe, meaning in Chinese where two rivers meet, is such a place. According to historical records it was home to 700 households, 6500 residents plus 865 soldiers.
Jiaohe distinguishes itself from other ancient cities owing to three features. First, it had only two city gates, the South and East Gates. The main South Gate vanished long ago, leaving a huge breach. The East Gate cut by the cliff was virtually non-existent. Second, the city faces cliffs on three sides, so there are no city walls commonly seen in other ancient cities. Third, all the buildings were dug from earth and wood was rarely used.
The central avenue, 350-meters (1148.3-feet) long, runs north from South Gate, separating the city into three parts; namely, residences for common people, temples, and residences for aristocrats. To the west of the avenue, low buildings with sparse small temples were residences for commoners, while the high ones in the east were for aristocrats and troops. At the end of the avenue stands a large well-preserved Buddhist temple, Jiaohe Temple, with an area of 5,000 square meters (53,824 square feet).
The relics we see today featured Tang Dynasty (618-907) architectural style. Houses were dug downward from the earth, and as no house gates faced the streets, military defense was apparently priority.
At the end of the 8 Century, the city was tossed into the reigns of the Turpan, Hui, and Mongols. Residents fled from the destroyed city continuously until in the beginning of the 14 Century, the city was abandoned, as was its glory and prosperity of over 2000 years. Miraculously, owing to the arid climate and remote location, the ancient city of Jiaohe remains intact, leaving us a rare exemplar of an earthen castle.
Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves

The Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves, 48 kilometers northeast of the Turpan urban area, are located in the Flaming Mountains' MuTou valley. As Buddhism was the first religion from abroad introduced to this area, Xinjiang witnessed the earliest development of Buddhist cave art in China. Soon after the religion's establishment in the region, Turpan became the Buddhist center on the Silk Road owing to its geographic location. Among the Buddhist caves found in Turpan, Bizalkik Thousand Buddha Caves are considered most valuable.
They were called the ningrong grottoes in the Tang Dynasty. There are 77 numbered grottoes, about 40 of which still have murals in them. The group of grottoes in Bizaklik, with a total of 1,200 square meters of murals, has the most grottoes, most diversified architectural styles and the richest mural content in the Turpan area. The oldest grottoes were hewn in the period of qushi gaochang. From the Tang Dynasty in the thirteenth century, it was an important Buddhist gathering place. Its most prosperous period was under the reign of the xizhou huigu government, which built the royal temple of the king of huigu on this site. Most of the existing grottoes were extended or reconstructed during the huigu period.
Bizaklik Caves was the royal temple of Huihu (the predecessor of today's Uygur) State and the existing caves were enlarged or renovated during that time. The murals take us back to the ancient Huihu State, where we can see the King and Queen and people from all walks of life. The inscriptions, written in ancient Uygur, Chinese and other languages, provide authentic reference for valuable historic research.
The most exceptionally rare mural topics in Bizaklik Caves are found in Caves No.16 and 17. Cave No.16 depicts a musician playing Xiao Hu Lei-- a lute-like instrument originating from southern China's Yunnan province. This strengthens the belief that cultural exchange between northern and southern China was unprecedented during Tang Dynasty.
In addition to the murals and inscriptions, a piece of gold foil wrapping paper found at the caves is also intriguing. A stamp on it revealed the address of the shop on the south side of Tiahelou Street, Hangzhou, Zhejiang of Song Dynasty. It also advised clients to examine their goods carefully before purchase to avoid being cheated. As an apparent piece of advertisement, the foil shows that Gaochang Huihu kept close economic ties with Song Dynasty as the trade extended as far as to the East China Sea.
Emin Minaret

Emin Minaret, 3km (2 miles) east of central Turpan is the largest extant old tower in Xinjiang; it is the only Islamic tower among the hundred famous towers in China. Construction of this religious tower and mosque complex began in 1777 at the request of the then ruler of Turpan Emin Khoja. He was an outstanding patriot who defended the unification of China throughout his life. He had eight sons but the eldest son died of illness at a young age. Influenced by Emin, all his remaining sons made contributions during the war against Jungar rebellions. It was Suleman, Emin's second son, who built this minaret with his own money. This is the reason why the minaret is also named Su Gong Ta. Upon Emin's death, Suleman inherited his father's rank and became the second Turpan ruler.
Emin Minaret is made of sun-dried bricks and is decorated with delicate geometric and floral patterns. The adjoining mosque has a latticed ceiling and a domed sacred space, all supported by wooden pillars. From the top of the mosque there is a good view of the surrounding vineyards and mountains.
At the entrance to the minaret, two steles were set up. On one is a Chinese inscription that explains that the purpose of building the minaret was to show gratitude to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and to commemorate exploits of Emin Khoja while the Uygur inscription on the other stele gave thanks to Allah.
The historical background of Emin Minaret is underlined by the architectural significance. The 44-meter (144 feet) high minaret has no stories. From the base with a diameter of 10 meters (32.8 feet), the minaret tapers to an Islamic dome. In the center of the minaret is a brick-piled pillar with 72 steps around it spiraling to the top. There are 14 openings for ventilation and lighting, which are located in different directions and at various heights. On the top, there is an attic of 10 square meters (107 square feet) with large windows on the four sides through which the marvelous landscape could be admired. Unfortunately, tourists today cannot climb to the top due to the protection given to the minaret.
However, the unique exterior of the minaret will make up for this lack. The huge column made of grey bricks and earth would be dull if not for its decorative patterns. Smart Uygur architects used bricks to form 15 different patterns such as waves, flowers or rhombuses. What's more, the architects even took the surroundings into consideration. Set against the azure sky, silvery Tianshan Mountain and the scarlet Flaming Mountain , Emin Minaret displays a pristine but dignified air. Only when you look up at the minaret will you find how crystal blue and high the sky of Turpan is!
The Flaming Mountains



Grape Valley

On the western face of the Flaming Mountains, east of Turpan is the Grape Valley. It is a world of unique with vineyards and fruit trees. The Grape Valley of the Flaming Mountains, fifteen kilometers from the city center, is also a world of unique beauty, presenting a striking contrast with the hot, dry and barren outside. "...Grapes in Turpan grow up; Anarhan's heart is ecstatic..." This folk song of the last century is well known in China. Turpan, a place truly flowing with milk and honey in the Turki language, is famous for its fruits. Among them, grape is the most famous.
Every August the sweet air will herald the vintage. The best place to enjoy the grapes is Grape Valley. In the valley you will find a park as well as patios and outdoor tables where you can eat the grapes and other fruit or enjoy a delicious meal complemented by the locally produced wine. Every single grape is crystal and watery-some are as green as emerald; some as red as agate, some as small as pearls while others are like olives. Among dozens of kinds of grapes, Wuhebai (white seedless) grape is reputed as a green pearl with the sugar content as much as 22%.
Karez Irrigation System

Karez irrigation systems are the crystallization of ancient people's diligence and intelligence. Without the Karez, there would be no Turpan culture.
The history of the karez, which have mainly been used in the Hami and Turpan areas of Xinjiang, where it is hot and dry, dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.). It is considered one of the three great projects of ancient China, along with the Great Wall and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
The karez system consists of four parts: a hole as deep as 50 to 60 meters, an underground canal, an aboveground canal and a small reservoir. It has many advantages, such as little evaporation from season to season and little percolation and can provide a stable water supply that does not consume energy or cause pollution.
Wandering underground over 5,000 kilometers, the system has also been called "the underground Great Wall."
Karez systems also functions as the natural air conditioner for the locals because they can sit in one while chatting or doing some chores. When exhausted during the scorching weather, sitting in a Karez, picking some grapes as they hang over the vertical wells and savoring their taste, you will be thoroughly refreshed.
Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs

The Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs are the Living Archives of Gaochang.This Tang-dynasty burial ground known as the "Underground Museum" attracts stream of archaeologists both at home and abroad. It provides some very valuable and fascinating artifacts such as tomb figures of wood, wall paint, ceramics, and documents and silk which were as well-preserved and as colorful as new ones by the hot and dry atmosphere. Astana means "capital" in Uygur and Karakhoja is the name of a legendary hero of the ancient Uygur Kingdom who expelled the evils by killing a vicious dragon.
The tombs are located 42 km (26miles) southeast of Turpan city and 6 km (3.7miles) from the Ancient City of Gaochang. The tombs range 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) from north to south and 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from east to west. The tombs were the public cemetery of the ancient Gaochang residents, both aristocrats and commoners. However, curiously, among the excavated 456 tombs the tomb of King Gaochang has been found nowhere in the tombs. According to the documentation buried with them, the era must have been between 273 and 778. The outsides of the tombs are shaped like small low hills, sloping down towards to the grave rooms. The tomb design appears from the sky to be like a "Jia" shape of Chinese character. Three tombs among them are open to visitors.

Highlights
Yonghegong Lamasery

Yonghegong Lamasery is a well-known lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism, which is located at the northeast part of Beijing. It was originally built in 1694 as the residence of Emperor Yongzheng of Qing (1644-1911 A.D.) before his ascent of the throne. And after his death, it was renamed Yonghegong. His successor Emperor Qianlong then rebuilt Yonghegong into an imperial palace with its turquoise tiles replaced by yellow tiles (yellow was the imperial color in the Qing Dynasty). In 1744, it became a lamasery. From then on, large numbers of monks from Mongolia and Tibet and national center of lama administration live in there.
As an imperial palace, the layout of the temple differentiated from other temples. The main gate faces to the south. There are five main halls and annex connected by courtyards on its 480-meter-long north-south axis, including a glaze-tiled arch, Gate of Peace (Zhaotaimen), Buddha's Warrior Hall (Tianwangdian), which was formerly the entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace, Hall of Harmony and Peace (Yonghegong), Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian), Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) and Pavilion of Eternal Happiness (Wanfuge).
When you are walking through the grand glaze-tile arch patterned with decorative dragons and flowers in the first court, you will reach a three-arch gate - the Gate of Peace. In ancient times, the central passageway was for emperors. On each side of the second court next to the Gate of Peace stand the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. Two pavilions stand symmetrically on opposite to the north. If you want to know more about the temple's history, you can have a look at the inscriptions of Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan engraved on steles.
The Buddha's Warrior Hall, also known as the Hall of Heavenly Kings, is the former entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace. The hall Maitreya (Happy Buddha) was always used to greet visitors, which has a smiling face with a sandalwood pagoda on each side. Many small Buddhist images, symbolizing longevity, stand on the pagoda. Therefore, the pagoda is the Longevity Pagoda. There are four fearsome-looking Heavenly Kings or Celestial Guardians on both sides of Maitreya's shrine.
On the way to the Hall of Harmony and Peace stands a marble-based bronze incense-burner. With decorations of two dragons playing with a pearl on its six opens, it is 4.2 meters in height. Afterwards there is the Mount Sumeru, a bronze sculpture of Ming (1368-1644A.D.), representing the center of the world. On the top of it there lies a legendary paradise where Sakyamuni and men of moral integrity live after death; in the middle the dwellings of humans and below devils abide in hell.
The Hall of Harmony and Peace is formerly a place for the emperor Yongzheng to hold meetings. It was also called Mahavira Hall or Daxiongbaodian in Buddhism. Mahavira here is an honorable title of Sakyamuni in Chinese. Sakyamuni is on the altar, with Buddha of the Present in the middle with Buddha of the Past Yeja and the Buddha of the Future Maitreya on each side. On each side of the hall stand Statues of 18 Arhats. It is said that 18 Arhats were the disciples of Samkyamuni to diffuse Buddhism. The painting that you can find on the western wall is a Bodhisattva.
The Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian) and the Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) are right behind the Hall of the Harmony and Peace, where enshrines a bronze image of Tsong Kapa -- founder of the Yellow Hat Sect. With 5 gold-plating pagodas, the golden-roofed Falundian was the place where lamas assemble to have religious activities. There is a 6-meter-high gilded bronze statue of Tsong Kapa on a lotus seat in the center of the hall.
Now there are nearly 70 lamas living in this temple. If you go there, you will find that regular religious activities are still practiced. More lamas can be seen coming here in the festival for lamas or Lamaism.
Old Beijing Hutongs

The numerous old hutongs are the distinguished features of Beijing. They symbolize the traditional community with small lanes, alleys and Siheyuan (quadrangle). The life of local people in these old hutongs makes this ancient capital look more charming. Wandering along these small lanes, you can see many quadrangles, called Siheyuan in Chinese, which are the residential quarters of natives. No one knows the exact number of these hutongs there are in Beijing.

Great Wall

It is without doubt that the Great Wall is the greatest of civil engineering project of defense in ancient China. With its gigantic scale and difficulties in its construction, it is regarded as one of the great wonders in the history of mankind. The Great Wall is really the glory of the Chinese nation, which symbolizes the ancient culture and the long-standing history of China. Stretching over the mountain ranges, it proudly shows its magnificence to us. So to speak, the Great Wall has witnessed the rises and falls of innumerable dynasties and changes on the earth. At present, though the Great Wall is no longer served as a work of military defense against harassment and invasion. It still plays an important role in linking the Chinese people with the people of the rest of the world. It is one of the great bridges that build up friendship between different peoples.
The Great Wall is starting from the Old Dragon Head of the Shanhai Pass at the seaside in the east to a distance of 10,000 li (1 kilometer= 2 lis) in the west. Snaking along the north of China, it crosses three provinces, two municipalities and two autonomous regions. It is about 6,300 kilometers long, an equivalent of about 3,915 miles.
The present-day Great Wall originated from the early ancient Chinese history. During the time of Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), in the purpose of defending themselves and against the infringement from the neighboring states, all the principal states had the walls built in the bordering areas of the territories. For example, the three states of Qin, Zhao and Yan had high walls and fortresses built along their northern frontiers to ward off the harassment by the Huns (an ancient nomadic tribe in China) from the north. In 221 B.C., the whole China was unified by the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty to defeat the six other ducal states. The emperor gave order to link up all the walls built by the former ducal states along the northern frontiers to prevent disturbing and attacking by the Huns. And these walls form the world famous “10,000-li Great Wall”. From generation to generation, the succeeding dynasties kept on the work of maintenance and repairs or having parts reconstructed time and again. Among them, the greatest project on scale in the old days of China was carried out in the Han and Ming dynasties.
Throughout history, the Great Wall is served as the traditional defensive project. It is mainly composed by passes, walls, watchtowers and beacon towers. Builders were forced to rely upon local materials for the wall inched across the Chinese wilderness. For example, some wall was built with tamped-earth, some with stone, some with tamped mixture of reed, red willow, and sands, and some with bricks outside and stuffed earth and sands inside. The walls we see today are mainly Ming walls, primary made of stone and bricks. The key parts of the military construction are Watchtowers. They are very close to each other, among which brick towers could be two or three storeys. There is a small room on the top of the tower, surrounded by battlements. The watchtower was also used to station soldiers or store food and weapons. Thousands of passes stretch along the Great Wall. Some are between the mountains, some between the mountains and rivers, and some between the mountains and sea. During the wars, passes are the strongholds by acting as the gateways of transportation. Beacon towers are used for communicating, which can deliver the emergent military messages in a very short time.
Just like the symbol of China—dragon, the Great Wall snakes from east to west on the Oriental. Nowadays, five sections of the Great Wall are opened to public in Beijing, including Badaling section, Juyong Pass section, Mutianyu section, Jinshanling section and Simatai section.
Badaling Section
Badaling section is the outstanding part of the Great Wall. Lying in the Yanqing District, sixty kilometers northwest of Beijing, it gives vital protection for the Juyong Pass, which is one of the key passes of the Great Wall. According to its strategic importance of commanding, Badaling section is known as "giving access to every direction", which gains it the name Badaling.
Badaling was built in an early time in the ancient Chinese history. During Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period, defensive wall was constructed along the Yanshan Range to resist the marauding of the nomadic tribes. Since then the following dynasties continued to fortify the Badaling section. The wall we see today was constructed in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.) along the ridges of mountains. The construction lasted about a hundred years long from 1505, the 18th year of Emperor Hongzhi, to the reign of Emperor Wanli.
The huge Badaling wall was strongly and firmly built. It was based on the foundation of granite slabs, surrounded by a facing of kiln-fired bricks, and covered with bricks on the top. All stuffed with pulverized lime, the slots could enable the wall to be smooth. The height of the wall is 8.5 meters. It is 6.5 meters wide at the bottom and 5.7 meters wide on the top, making it possible for 5 horses or 10 people march abreast on the top. Watchtowers are 0.5 or 1 kilometer apart from each other, which were full of vigor and grandeur, and orderly spotted the wall. The battlements and embrasures of the watchtower were in good condition in wartime. The wall winds its way along the ridge of the Jundu Mountain, rising abruptly to the peaks of each side of the Badaling. You will be amazed by its seemingly endlessness. It stretches far away into the remoteness. The wall of Badaling is 3, 741 meters long.
Among all the parts of the whole Great Wall, Badaling was the earliest section to be open to the tourists. Badaling has received 130 million tourists home and abroad. Among them, there are 370 foreign leaders and very important persons who have come to climb Badaling successively.
Mutianyu Section
Mutianyu section is 75 kilometers northeast of Beijing. Lies in Huairou District, it links Juyong Pass in the west with Gubeikou Pass in the east. Mutianyu section is called as the Majestic Pass on Precipitous Mountains, commanding its strategic importance.
Because of its relatively gentle terrain, watchtowers of Mutianyu section were built in large numbers to strengthen its defensive functions. The closest watchtowers are less than 50 meters apart from each other. Both arms of the Mutianyu section stretch upwards along the ridges of continuous mountains. On the foundation of the Ming Dynasty wall The Mutianyu section was mainly built on precipitous mountains and 5-7 meters high. It is featured with a thick cluster of watchtowers atop, strategic passed, majestic vigor and unique structure. In this section, the gate tower is the most unique building.
Simatai Section
Simatai Section lies in the Miyun County, 120 kilometers away from Beijing. It started from Wangjing Tower in the east and connected with Jinshanling section in the west. Without hordes of other tourists, it is a largely unrestored and more authentic section of the Great Wall.
Simatai section was constructed during the early years of Ming Emperor Hongwu. It is said that there was a renovation applying from 1569 to 1573. It was mainly built along the ridge of the mountains because of its location in the mountainous area. Featuring in uniqueness, ruggedness and trimness, it perfectly coordinates with the undulating terrain, which makes it more majestic and magnificent. Simatai reservoir is situated at the foot of the central part of the Simatai section, which is 600-700 meters long with the storage capacity of 50,000 cubic meters.
Simatai section is considered to be the most wonderful part of the Great Wall. Taking good advantage of the fluctuating terrain, the walls and watchtowers constitute the most essential part of the wall. It is famous for its precipitous cliffs, magnificent towers, suspension walls and rugged stairways. If you are looking from distance, you may find that the Great Wall is just like a flying dragon in the cloud. However, when you stand nearby, the wall stretches its arms along the ridges of mountains. All these make it the most amazing part of the Great Wall.
Jinshanling Section
The Jinshanling Great Wall was initially built from 1368 to 1389 in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and in 1567 and 1570 rebuilding of the Wall was mainly directed by General Qi Jiguang (1528-1588). Poems and tablet writings can be found on the Jinshanling Great Wall left from the time when Qi Jiguang directed the rebuilding of this section of the Great Wall. Continue to read more on the Great Wall history. Jinshanling is connected to the Simatai Great Wall in the east and the Panlongshan Great Wall in the west. Jinshanling has probably the highest frequency of towers per kilometer of any place along the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. It also has one of the greatest varieties of architectural and defensive styles of both wall and towers.
The total length of this section is about 11 kilometers (6.8 miles). The Wall is about 7 meters high and 5 meters wide, and is made of brick and stone. The Jinshanling Great Wall has an elevation of 700 meters. There are more than 100 watch towers along the Jinshanling Great Wall. ‘Watching Beijing Tower’ is on the highest point, from which you can see Beijing. The Jinshanling Great Wall is second only to the Badaling Great Wall in its completeness.
Tian’anmen Square

Tian’anmen(Gate of Heavenly Peace), situated at the center of Beijing meaning in English, symbolizes the People's Republic of China. Built in 1417, it was formally called Chengtianmen (Gate of Heavenly Succession). At that time, it was the front gate of the Imperial City. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, the uprising farmers led by Li Zicheng entered the city, but later when the Qing army marched upon Beijing, the Chengtianmen was destroyed under the crossfire. In 1651, it was rebuilt and named "Tian'anmen".
The Tian'anmen Rostrum, as a place to hold ceremonies of great importance, such as promulgating an imperial edict conferring the title of a queen, or announcing a newly enthroned emperor, was made known to the public all over the country. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was popular to hold the Imperial Exam system for choosing high-ranking officials by way of a palace examination, which supervised by the emperor himself. If the examinees ranked the first three, they would be entitled. What’s more, they would have the honor to be granted an audience by the emperor two days after the examination. On that day they would be called in to see the emperor in turn in the Tian'anmen Rostrum.
There is a square running 880 meters from south to north and 500 meters from east to west in front of the Tian'anmen Rostrum. It is the Tian'anmen Square – the very center of Beijing. Tian'anmen Square is the largest city square in the world with an area of 44 hectares.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Tian'anmen Square was a piece of land in front of the Imperial Palace, an open space jetting out towards the south from the Tian'anmen Gate. It had a meaning of embodying the outstanding importance of the Tian'anmen Gate and the Imperial City. In the early days of the Ming Dynasty, a gate of brick and stone was built, which is right on the site of the present Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong, called Damingmen (Gate of the Great Ming). In the Qing Dynasty it was renamed as Daqingmen (Gate of Great Qing) and after 1911 Zhonghuamen (Gate of China). Later on, another two gates of brick and stone structure were built on each site of the avenue in front the gate. Surrounded by a newly built red wall, the area within the three gates formed a small square of only 11 hectares-- Tian'anmen Square.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, common people were forbidden to enter the Tian'anmen Square. And for the officials, when they entered the gate, they had to get off horses and proceed on foot into the palace. The government offices were lined outside the wall on the east and west. According to the traditional system, the civil service organizations were set in the eastern part of the square, and the military organizations in the west.
Old buildings in the Tian'anmen Square were put down after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. In 1957, the square expanded with an area of 44 hectares, which may hold 1 million people at a time. With Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall right behind, the Monument to the People's Heroes towered in the center of the square. To the east of the Square, there is the National Museum of China and to the west the Great Hall of People (National People's Congress building).
The Monument to the People's Heroes is the largest monument in China's history which was built in 1952. On this monument, you can see the words--"The People's Heroes are Immortal", which were written by Chairman Mao. The development of Chinese modern history and those who contributed their lives to the democratic progress are shown by the eight unusually large relief sculptures. The monument is enclosed by two rows of white marble railings. It seems very simple and beautiful.
At the south side of the Square is the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong. This Hall is consisted by three halls, among which our dear Chairman Mao's body lies in a crystal coffin in the halls surrounded by fresh bouquets of various famous flowers and grasses.
The Great Hall of the People is in the west of the Square. Constructed in 1959, this building is the site of the China National People's Congress meetings, which also provides an impressive site for other political and diplomatic activities. With twelve marble posts, the Hall includes three parts--the Central Hall, the Great Auditorium and a Banqueting Hall. The ceiling of the Central Hall is decorated with crystal lamps and the floor paved with marble. The Great Auditorium behind the Central Hall can hold 10,000 people, while the huge Banqueting Hall can seat 5,000.
At the east side of the Square stands the China National Museum, which is another important place for you to visit. Built in 2003, it is a mergence of China History Museum and China Revolutionary Museum. This National Museum is on the opposite of the Great Hall of the People. In the China Revolutionary Museum, there are a lot of material objects, pictures, books and models, presenting the development of modern China. A large number of cultural relics are exhibited in the China History Museum, illustrating the long history and glorious culture of China from 1,700,000 years ago to 1925 when the last emperor left the throne.
Forbidden City

The Palace Museum, the imperial palace in the Ming and Qing dynasties, is the largest and best-preserved palace complex in the world today. It is also called the Purple Forbidden City in Chinese. Its name, on one side, derives from ancient Chinese astronomers' belief that God's abode or the Purple Palace. The pivot of the celestial world, is situated in the Pole Star (the middle of the Ziwei Star), at the center of the heaven. Therefore, the son of God of Heaven--the emperor, should live in the Purple City. On the other side, without special orders of the emperor eunuchs and guards, ordinary citizens were not allowed entering the Forbidden City, except for palace maids. For this reason, palaces in the Ming and Qing dynasties are called both the Forbidden City and the Purple City. The Construction of the magnificent palace started in 1406, and ended in 1420. It took 14 years to complete the project. One year after completion, Emperor Yongle moved his capital from Nanjing to Beijing. Since then, 24 emperors have lived at the Forbidden City, 14 during the Ming Dynasty and 10 during the Qing Dynasty.
The Forbidden City covers an area of over 720,000 square meters, 750 meters wide and 960 meters long. And it has four great gates. The fabulous city, which is surrounded by a 52-meter-wide moat, has four delicate and lovely turrets overlooking both the inside and outside.
The Forbidden City has more than 8,700 wooden rooms, most of which have yellow-glazed tiles. It is a color that only emperors were allowed to use on their roof. From the northern Drum Tower and the Bell Tower to the Southern Gate of Everlasting Stability (Yongdingmen), these colorfully painted and embellished rooms are divided symmetrically into northern and southern halves. If you walk into the city, you will see the layers of halls and palaces spreading out on either side of a central axis. As the designations of the wise architectures, the splendid buildings represent the unique features of the traditional Chinese architecture and embody the incredible creativity of the ancient Chinese people. Reconstructed after being destroyed by several fires, this pearl of Chinese cultural heritage still retains its original arrangements of the Ming dynasty. Nowadays, most of the existing buildings open to visitors were reconstructed during the early Qing Dynasty.
In many ways the Forbidden City reveals ancient Confucian ideas, as it is generally designed to the principles of the Front court, Rear Market, Ancestral Sacrifice on the left and Altar on the right. Hence, the court was located in the southern or front section of the Forbidden City, where officials discussed political affairs. A large trading market was situated in the rear part of the city, providing daily necessities for the court. On the left side was the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where the emperor offered sacrifices to his ancestors. Nowadays, it is the Working People's Cultural Palace. On the right side was the Altar to the god of Land and Grain, where the emperor displayed his reverence to the god. This is now Zhongshan Park.
There are two courts in the Forbidden City: the Inner Court and the Outer Court. They are separated across the middle between the south and north ends. The Outer court is mainly composed by the Meridian Gate and the Three Front Halls, flanked by the Hall of Literary Glory (Wenhuadian) and the Hall of Martial Spirit (Wuyingdian), which witnessed various ceremonies and political activities during the Ming and Qing dynasties. While the inner court is mainly consisted by the Three Back Halls, Imperial Garden, Hall of Mental Cultivation and Palace of Abstinence, which are flanked by the Six East Halls and the Six West Halls. This was the place where the emperor was confronted with political affairs and was the residential area for the emperor and his empresses and concubines.
Compared with other contemporary palaces, the Forbidden City stressed more on balance and independence, and embodied more cultural perspectives of the specific ethnic group. Just as what was written in the book of History of Chinese Science by Joseph Needham, each part of the Forbidden City is in well balance and independence, which is just on the contrary to other palaces in the Renaissance Age. For the city, the Palace of Versailles is just acting as an object. The palace is an organic part of the whole city, combining deep deference to nature with lofty significance. As a tin far-reaching and complicated Chinese architecture, Great overall arrangements have reached the highest level, far above any other culture.
After the subversion of the Qing Dynasty by the Revolution of 1911, the last emperor Pu Yi was exiled to palaces at the rear of the Forbidden City. In 1914, the Three Great Halls in the Imperial Palace was opened as exhibition hall of antiquities. Ten years later, Feng Yuxiang staged a coup in Beijing and expelled the last emperor from the palace. Oct. 10, 1925 established The Palace Museum. And in 1961, the Forbidden City was listed as a place to be given special protection by the State Council. UNESCO listed it as World Cultural Heritage site in 1987.
The Forbidden City, as one of the world-famous royal palaces, has played an important role in the world architectural history. Many tourists both from home and abroad have been attracted by the almost 1 million rare treasures and cultural relics on exhibition there.
Summer Palace

Covering an area of 290 hectares in total, the Summer Palace spreads out some 15 kilometers away from the city center in the north western suburbs of Beijing. Three fourths of the palace is covered by a pool of water and the rest the land and hills.
The Summer Palace is the summer resort of the Qing royal family. Now it is the most intact, the best-preserved and the largest of its kind of the classical gardens in the country. Since the garden began to be built in 1153, it had undergone many a time reconstruction and renovation in the Yuan and Ming dynasties. In the period of Emperor Qianlong’s reign of the Qing Dynasty, it was still reconstructed in a large-scale. And this time was renamed the "Garden of Crystal Ripples". When it was completed in 1860, it suffered a severe destruction, led by the Anglo-French Allied Army, which brought it down to ashes. In 1886, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled the funds allocated for the building of the navy to rebuild it and renamed it the "Summer Palace". However, in 1900, it underwent destruction again by the Eight Powers Allied Forces. Later, the1903 saw its second-time rebuild.
On the 12th of October 1911, Empress Dowager Longyu was finally forced to promulgate the abdication of the royal power. However, according to the agreement between the Qing royal family and the republic government, the Summer Palace would still be kept in the hands of the Qing royal family, while yet to be opened to outside as private property by selling admission tickets. 1924 when Puyi was ousted, the Summer Palace was taken over by the republic government and changed to be a public park.
The Qing royal family stayed in the Forbidden City in spring, autumn and winter. And when it came to summer, they went to their summer resort –Summer Palace. Hence, the Summer Palace shares the same functional quarters as that in the Forbidden City. Among these quarters, the office quarter, the living quarter and the entertainment quarter formed the magnificent scenery in Summer Palace.
Through the East Palace Gate, there is the Hall of the Benevolence and Longevity. The emperor used to handle state affairs and listen to reports by ministers and receive foreign envoys in there. It was called the Hallo of Diligent Administration by Emperor Qianlong during his reign. In 1860, it was burnt down by the Anglo-French Army. Reconstructed In 1890, it was then renamed the "Hall of the Benevolence and Longevity". During the reigns of Emperors Tongzhi and Guangxu, Empress Dowager Cixi got the real power to rule the country, and she started to handle state affairs behind the screen.
The Hall of Jade Ripples and the Hall of Happiness and Longevity are the three parts of the living quarter. Guangxu used to live in the Hall of Jade Ripples Emperor in the Summer Palace. After his failure of the Reform Movement of 1898, Emperor Guangxu was put into house arrest here. Thus, it is also regarded as an exquisitely decorated jail.
Consisting of four rooms, the Hall of Happiness and Longevity used to be the residence for Empress Dowager Cixi. The Empress moves to the Summer Palace and stays there in the hall every year on the first day of the fourth month in the lunar calendar. And she won't return until the tenth of the tenth lunar month when she had celebrated her birthday there. In the Summer Palace, there are over 1,000 people dancing attendance on the Dowager. Among them, there are 48 in the Hall of Happiness and Longevity, of whom 20 are maids-in-waiting, 20 eunuchs of importance and another 8 are the "ladies-in-waiting" by her side, normally waiting in the room behind the precious throne to attend on her.
The Long Corridor, the starting point of entertainment quarter, is at the end of the courtyard of the Hall of Happiness and Longevity. It is 728 meters long with more than 14,000 traditional Chinese paintings on the beams and rafters. The four pavilions along the corridor represent the four seasons a year. The Marble Boat can be found at the end of the Long Corridor. The original Chinese style of it was burnt down by the Anglo-French Army in 1860. In 1893, it was rebuilt into one of a western style, imitating a steam ship with two water-wheelers. In 1903 Empress Dowager Cixi built another storey of wooden structure with the decoration of colored pieces of glass. The construction of this immovable boat was to symbolize the stable and consolidated rule of the Qing regime just like a large piece of rock. It would stand still forever in the vast ocean and would, under no circumstances whatsoever be wavered or toppled.
Occupying three fourths of the total area of the Summer Palace, Kunming Lake plays important role in the adjustment of the temperature in the garden. Taking a walk in the Long Corridor and a dragon boat on the lake, you will have a wonderful feeling that you were the emperor and empress in ancient China.
Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven stands in the southern part of Beijing. It was used to be the house ceremonies of emperors of worshipping heaven and praying for harvest in the Ming and Qing dynasties. This altar temple remains to be the largest existing ancient sacrificial structures across the world, more important than other three major temples, i.e. Altar to the Earth, Altar to the Sun and Altar to the Moon.
The Temple of Heaven was built in 1407 and the construction of the project took 14 years. Covering an area of 273 hectares, with two surrounding rings walls, it is four times bigger than the Forbidden City. The wall, stretching from north to south, is as long as 1,657 meters and that from east to west 1,703 meters. The outer wall is 6,553 meters in circumference while the inner wall measures 4,152 meters in perimeter.
To pray for good harvests and fine rain, emperors did regular worshipping and offered sacrifices to heaven. And the Temple of Heaven was used to the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties went and worshipped the heaven twice (and sometimes three times) a year. In the past, the tradition went that sacrifices were offered to heaven and earth in one place only. But in 1530 when the Temple of Earth was built in the north of the city, the Temple of Heaven was ever since used specially for offering sacrifices to heaven alone.
The Temple of Heaven is consisted by three sections, named the Circular Mound Altar, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, attached with some affiliated buildings like Dressing Platform, Long Corridor and Echo Wall.
The Circular Mound Altar was first constructed in 1530. In ancient China, to some extend, the altar was a place that even more important than the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The emperor would come to offer sacrifices to heaven on the altar every year on the day of the Winter Solstice. For this reason, the altar was rebuilt into a circular one in 1749. Built in the open air without shelter, the sacrificial ceremony was being held right under heaven. Therefore, it was called "Luji", or the "open air offering of sacrifices".
The Imperial Vault of Heaven was first built in 1530 as a main building in the south of the Temple of Heaven. At first, it was called "Taishendian" or the Hall for Pacifying Gods, but later changed into the present name. In 1752, the building was rebuilt into one of a single eave, which used to have double eaves. Standing 19.5 meters high and of 15.6 meters in diameter, the circular hall used to be an octagonal one in the past. The tablet of the Jade Emperor, the four stone platforms on both sides used to be for the tablets of the emperor’s ancestors of eight generations in succession, is consecrated on the central stone-platform in the Hall of Imperial Vault of Heaven.
Being of 32.72 meters in diameter, built on a three-tired platform, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests towers 38 meters' high with its eaves fanning out on three tiers, of which the upper one has a gold-plated knob on it. You will be amazed to see that such a heavy building was supported only by 28 wooden pillars with no single piece of reinforced concrete at all. The whole building was built by mortise and tenon joints without using a single nail. With each pillar in height of 19.2 meters, the four pillars in the center of the hall are called "Longjingzhu"--the Dragon Well Pillar. Only by joining hands together by two and half persons, can it be embraced. These four pillars indicate the four seasons of a year. You may find it more interesting that all pillars have their special meanings: the outside 12 pillars suggest 12 months in a year and another 12 pillars in the round wall symbolize the 12 two-hour periods of a day. And when you put the two 12 pillars together, the number you get is 24, which represents the 24 solar terms of a year. And when you add the four in the center of the hall to 24, you will get 28, which represents the 28 lunar mansions in the heaven above.
Since its first construction in 1420, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests has gone through several times of changes. At that moment, the hall was called "Dasidian"--the Hall of Grand Sacrifices, which was rectangular in shape. But in 1529, it was reconstructed into a round one with a roof of three tiers. And this time it was named "Daxiangdian"--the Hall of Grand Treatment to Heaven. Three different colors were painted in these roofs of three tiers. From the upper tier to the lower one, the colors are respectively blue, yellow and green. In 1752, these three colors were all changed into glazed tiles of dark blue. However, they were destroyed by lightning in 1889. And later in 1890, it was restored according to the original. In 2006, the whole building was renovated with all its paintings according to the same style as they done last time. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests has become the symbol of Beijing.
At present, the Temple of Heaven is very popular with tourist home and abroad. It is also an entertainment center for local people. If you go to the temple early in the morning, you will find many local people practicing Taiji, playing cards and Chinese chess and singing folk songs there.
Ming Tombs

Covering an area of 40 square kilometers with 13 Ming emperors buried, the Ming Tombs is situated at the southern foot of the Tianshou Mountain in Changping District in the north western suburban areas of Beijing. The construction of the imperial tombs had been going on ceaselessly from the year 1409 when Emperor Zhu Di started building his tomb to the fall of the Ming Dynasty in 1644, lasting a period over 200 years.
As many people know, there are 16 emperors in the Ming Dynasty. Among the 16 Ming emperors, 13 of them were buried in this tomb area, except for Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty who was buried in the Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing, Zhu Yunwen, who disappeared and Zhu Qiyu, who was buried at Jinshan Hill in the western suburbs of Beijing, all other. Therefore, this area was called the 13 Ming Tombs.
It was originally built only for Emperor Zhu Di and his empress, named Changling, which is the most magnificent tomb. The succeeding twelve emperors had their tombs built around Changling. At present, the two tombs opened to the public are Changling and Dingling.
Changling is the first Ming tomb built in this area. Hence, the axle line of Changling naturally became the axle line of the whole Ming Tombs. Along with the various tombs, the Stone Tablet House come together overall as a structurally and visually unified architectural accomplishment. Though these tombs were built in different periods, they were strategically planed and built in different stages. Each tomb has its own distinct adornments. However, the entire tomb area has a unified layout and style.
Zhu Di was the third emperor in the Ming Dynasty, who was buried together with his empress in Changling. During his 22-year of reign, he was, relatively speaking, an emperor who had made quite some achievements. For example, he determined to move the capital from Nanjing to Beijing in 1421. To some extend, the move itself was an expression of far-sightedness, for it was very important to strengthen the national defense and guard frontier areas. During the period from 1405 to 1424, Zheng He, also called Eunuch Sanbao, was sent by the emperor to fulfill a diplomatic mission which was on an ever larger and broader scale in Chinese history. He went six times on board across the sea to over 30 countries in Asia and Africa.
Completed in 1416, as the place for worshipping tablets of the emperor and empress and offering sacrifices to ancestors, the Hall of Eminent Favor is situated within the second compound of Changling. The Hall of Eminent Favor in Changling is the best-preserved among the ones of the 13 tombs, which duplicated the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City. It is a very precious relic of ancient China's wooden structures.
Dingling is the tomb for Emperor Zhu Yijun, named the tomb of Stability. It is said that he was buried together with his two empresses—Xiaoduan and Xiaojing. Ascending the throne at the age of 10, Zhu Yijun was died at 58 with a reign span of 48 years. Therefore he became the emperor with the longest time in power for in the Ming Dynasty. The construction of the Dingling tomb started in 1584. It took 6 years to bring the project to finish in 1590, covering an area of 180,000 square meters and costing 8 million taels of silver.
The Dingling began to be excavated in May 1956, which brought to light the mystery of the underground palaces of the Ming Tombs. Constructed with hard stone-slabs, with a total floor space of 1,195 square meters, the underground palace is composed by five beamless vaults, called the front, the middle, the rear and the two annexes on the right and the left. Carved out of white marble and the rear hall with the bier holding three coffins for the emperor and his two queens, three thrones were laid out in the middle vault. There are over 3,000 pieces of archeological findings unearthed from the tomb.
Yonghegong Lamasery

Yonghegong Lamasery is a well-known lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism, which is located at the northeast part of Beijing. It was originally built in 1694 as the residence of Emperor Yongzheng of Qing (1644-1911 A.D.) before his ascent of the throne. And after his death, it was renamed Yonghegong. His successor Emperor Qianlong then rebuilt Yonghegong into an imperial palace with its turquoise tiles replaced by yellow tiles (yellow was the imperial color in the Qing Dynasty). In 1744, it became a lamasery. From then on, large numbers of monks from Mongolia and Tibet and national center of lama administration live in there.
As an imperial palace, the layout of the temple differentiated from other temples. The main gate faces to the south. There are five main halls and annex connected by courtyards on its 480-meter-long north-south axis, including a glaze-tiled arch, Gate of Peace (Zhaotaimen), Buddha's Warrior Hall (Tianwangdian), which was formerly the entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace, Hall of Harmony and Peace (Yonghegong), Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian), Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) and Pavilion of Eternal Happiness (Wanfuge).
When you are walking through the grand glaze-tile arch patterned with decorative dragons and flowers in the first court, you will reach a three-arch gate - the Gate of Peace. In ancient times, the central passageway was for emperors. On each side of the second court next to the Gate of Peace stand the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. Two pavilions stand symmetrically on opposite to the north. If you want to know more about the temple's history, you can have a look at the inscriptions of Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan engraved on steles.
The Buddha's Warrior Hall, also known as the Hall of Heavenly Kings, is the former entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace. The hall Maitreya (Happy Buddha) was always used to greet visitors, which has a smiling face with a sandalwood pagoda on each side. Many small Buddhist images, symbolizing longevity, stand on the pagoda. Therefore, the pagoda is the Longevity Pagoda. There are four fearsome-looking Heavenly Kings or Celestial Guardians on both sides of Maitreya's shrine.
On the way to the Hall of Harmony and Peace stands a marble-based bronze incense-burner. With decorations of two dragons playing with a pearl on its six opens, it is 4.2 meters in height. Afterwards there is the Mount Sumeru, a bronze sculpture of Ming (1368-1644A.D.), representing the center of the world. On the top of it there lies a legendary paradise where Sakyamuni and men of moral integrity live after death; in the middle the dwellings of humans and below devils abide in hell.
The Hall of Harmony and Peace is formerly a place for the emperor Yongzheng to hold meetings. It was also called Mahavira Hall or Daxiongbaodian in Buddhism. Mahavira here is an honorable title of Sakyamuni in Chinese. Sakyamuni is on the altar, with Buddha of the Present in the middle with Buddha of the Past Yeja and the Buddha of the Future Maitreya on each side. On each side of the hall stand Statues of 18 Arhats. It is said that 18 Arhats were the disciples of Samkyamuni to diffuse Buddhism. The painting that you can find on the western wall is a Bodhisattva.
The Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian) and the Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) are right behind the Hall of the Harmony and Peace, where enshrines a bronze image of Tsong Kapa -- founder of the Yellow Hat Sect. With 5 gold-plating pagodas, the golden-roofed Falundian was the place where lamas assemble to have religious activities. There is a 6-meter-high gilded bronze statue of Tsong Kapa on a lotus seat in the center of the hall.
Now there are nearly 70 lamas living in this temple. If you go there, you will find that regular religious activities are still practiced. More lamas can be seen coming here in the festival for lamas or Lamaism.
Old Beijing Hutongs

The numerous old hutongs are the distinguished features of Beijing. They symbolize the traditional community with small lanes, alleys and Siheyuan (quadrangle). The life of local people in these old hutongs makes this ancient capital look more charming. Wandering along these small lanes, you can see many quadrangles, called Siheyuan in Chinese, which are the residential quarters of natives. No one knows the exact number of these hutongs there are in Beijing.

Great Wall

It is without doubt that the Great Wall is the greatest of civil engineering project of defense in ancient China. With its gigantic scale and difficulties in its construction, it is regarded as one of the great wonders in the history of mankind. The Great Wall is really the glory of the Chinese nation, which symbolizes the ancient culture and the long-standing history of China. Stretching over the mountain ranges, it proudly shows its magnificence to us. So to speak, the Great Wall has witnessed the rises and falls of innumerable dynasties and changes on the earth. At present, though the Great Wall is no longer served as a work of military defense against harassment and invasion. It still plays an important role in linking the Chinese people with the people of the rest of the world. It is one of the great bridges that build up friendship between different peoples.
The Great Wall is starting from the Old Dragon Head of the Shanhai Pass at the seaside in the east to a distance of 10,000 li (1 kilometer= 2 lis) in the west. Snaking along the north of China, it crosses three provinces, two municipalities and two autonomous regions. It is about 6,300 kilometers long, an equivalent of about 3,915 miles.
The present-day Great Wall originated from the early ancient Chinese history. During the time of Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), in the purpose of defending themselves and against the infringement from the neighboring states, all the principal states had the walls built in the bordering areas of the territories. For example, the three states of Qin, Zhao and Yan had high walls and fortresses built along their northern frontiers to ward off the harassment by the Huns (an ancient nomadic tribe in China) from the north. In 221 B.C., the whole China was unified by the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty to defeat the six other ducal states. The emperor gave order to link up all the walls built by the former ducal states along the northern frontiers to prevent disturbing and attacking by the Huns. And these walls form the world famous “10,000-li Great Wall”. From generation to generation, the succeeding dynasties kept on the work of maintenance and repairs or having parts reconstructed time and again. Among them, the greatest project on scale in the old days of China was carried out in the Han and Ming dynasties.
Throughout history, the Great Wall is served as the traditional defensive project. It is mainly composed by passes, walls, watchtowers and beacon towers. Builders were forced to rely upon local materials for the wall inched across the Chinese wilderness. For example, some wall was built with tamped-earth, some with stone, some with tamped mixture of reed, red willow, and sands, and some with bricks outside and stuffed earth and sands inside. The walls we see today are mainly Ming walls, primary made of stone and bricks. The key parts of the military construction are Watchtowers. They are very close to each other, among which brick towers could be two or three storeys. There is a small room on the top of the tower, surrounded by battlements. The watchtower was also used to station soldiers or store food and weapons. Thousands of passes stretch along the Great Wall. Some are between the mountains, some between the mountains and rivers, and some between the mountains and sea. During the wars, passes are the strongholds by acting as the gateways of transportation. Beacon towers are used for communicating, which can deliver the emergent military messages in a very short time.
Just like the symbol of China—dragon, the Great Wall snakes from east to west on the Oriental. Nowadays, five sections of the Great Wall are opened to public in Beijing, including Badaling section, Juyong Pass section, Mutianyu section, Jinshanling section and Simatai section.
Badaling Section
Badaling section is the outstanding part of the Great Wall. Lying in the Yanqing District, sixty kilometers northwest of Beijing, it gives vital protection for the Juyong Pass, which is one of the key passes of the Great Wall. According to its strategic importance of commanding, Badaling section is known as "giving access to every direction", which gains it the name Badaling.
Badaling was built in an early time in the ancient Chinese history. During Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period, defensive wall was constructed along the Yanshan Range to resist the marauding of the nomadic tribes. Since then the following dynasties continued to fortify the Badaling section. The wall we see today was constructed in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.) along the ridges of mountains. The construction lasted about a hundred years long from 1505, the 18th year of Emperor Hongzhi, to the reign of Emperor Wanli.
The huge Badaling wall was strongly and firmly built. It was based on the foundation of granite slabs, surrounded by a facing of kiln-fired bricks, and covered with bricks on the top. All stuffed with pulverized lime, the slots could enable the wall to be smooth. The height of the wall is 8.5 meters. It is 6.5 meters wide at the bottom and 5.7 meters wide on the top, making it possible for 5 horses or 10 people march abreast on the top. Watchtowers are 0.5 or 1 kilometer apart from each other, which were full of vigor and grandeur, and orderly spotted the wall. The battlements and embrasures of the watchtower were in good condition in wartime. The wall winds its way along the ridge of the Jundu Mountain, rising abruptly to the peaks of each side of the Badaling. You will be amazed by its seemingly endlessness. It stretches far away into the remoteness. The wall of Badaling is 3, 741 meters long.
Among all the parts of the whole Great Wall, Badaling was the earliest section to be open to the tourists. Badaling has received 130 million tourists home and abroad. Among them, there are 370 foreign leaders and very important persons who have come to climb Badaling successively.
Mutianyu Section
Mutianyu section is 75 kilometers northeast of Beijing. Lies in Huairou District, it links Juyong Pass in the west with Gubeikou Pass in the east. Mutianyu section is called as the Majestic Pass on Precipitous Mountains, commanding its strategic importance.
Because of its relatively gentle terrain, watchtowers of Mutianyu section were built in large numbers to strengthen its defensive functions. The closest watchtowers are less than 50 meters apart from each other. Both arms of the Mutianyu section stretch upwards along the ridges of continuous mountains. On the foundation of the Ming Dynasty wall The Mutianyu section was mainly built on precipitous mountains and 5-7 meters high. It is featured with a thick cluster of watchtowers atop, strategic passed, majestic vigor and unique structure. In this section, the gate tower is the most unique building.
Simatai Section
Simatai Section lies in the Miyun County, 120 kilometers away from Beijing. It started from Wangjing Tower in the east and connected with Jinshanling section in the west. Without hordes of other tourists, it is a largely unrestored and more authentic section of the Great Wall.
Simatai section was constructed during the early years of Ming Emperor Hongwu. It is said that there was a renovation applying from 1569 to 1573. It was mainly built along the ridge of the mountains because of its location in the mountainous area. Featuring in uniqueness, ruggedness and trimness, it perfectly coordinates with the undulating terrain, which makes it more majestic and magnificent. Simatai reservoir is situated at the foot of the central part of the Simatai section, which is 600-700 meters long with the storage capacity of 50,000 cubic meters.
Simatai section is considered to be the most wonderful part of the Great Wall. Taking good advantage of the fluctuating terrain, the walls and watchtowers constitute the most essential part of the wall. It is famous for its precipitous cliffs, magnificent towers, suspension walls and rugged stairways. If you are looking from distance, you may find that the Great Wall is just like a flying dragon in the cloud. However, when you stand nearby, the wall stretches its arms along the ridges of mountains. All these make it the most amazing part of the Great Wall.
Jinshanling Section
The Jinshanling Great Wall was initially built from 1368 to 1389 in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and in 1567 and 1570 rebuilding of the Wall was mainly directed by General Qi Jiguang (1528-1588). Poems and tablet writings can be found on the Jinshanling Great Wall left from the time when Qi Jiguang directed the rebuilding of this section of the Great Wall. Continue to read more on the Great Wall history. Jinshanling is connected to the Simatai Great Wall in the east and the Panlongshan Great Wall in the west. Jinshanling has probably the highest frequency of towers per kilometer of any place along the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. It also has one of the greatest varieties of architectural and defensive styles of both wall and towers.
The total length of this section is about 11 kilometers (6.8 miles). The Wall is about 7 meters high and 5 meters wide, and is made of brick and stone. The Jinshanling Great Wall has an elevation of 700 meters. There are more than 100 watch towers along the Jinshanling Great Wall. ‘Watching Beijing Tower’ is on the highest point, from which you can see Beijing. The Jinshanling Great Wall is second only to the Badaling Great Wall in its completeness.
Tian’anmen Square

Tian’anmen(Gate of Heavenly Peace), situated at the center of Beijing meaning in English, symbolizes the People's Republic of China. Built in 1417, it was formally called Chengtianmen (Gate of Heavenly Succession). At that time, it was the front gate of the Imperial City. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, the uprising farmers led by Li Zicheng entered the city, but later when the Qing army marched upon Beijing, the Chengtianmen was destroyed under the crossfire. In 1651, it was rebuilt and named "Tian'anmen".
The Tian'anmen Rostrum, as a place to hold ceremonies of great importance, such as promulgating an imperial edict conferring the title of a queen, or announcing a newly enthroned emperor, was made known to the public all over the country. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was popular to hold the Imperial Exam system for choosing high-ranking officials by way of a palace examination, which supervised by the emperor himself. If the examinees ranked the first three, they would be entitled. What’s more, they would have the honor to be granted an audience by the emperor two days after the examination. On that day they would be called in to see the emperor in turn in the Tian'anmen Rostrum.
There is a square running 880 meters from south to north and 500 meters from east to west in front of the Tian'anmen Rostrum. It is the Tian'anmen Square – the very center of Beijing. Tian'anmen Square is the largest city square in the world with an area of 44 hectares.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Tian'anmen Square was a piece of land in front of the Imperial Palace, an open space jetting out towards the south from the Tian'anmen Gate. It had a meaning of embodying the outstanding importance of the Tian'anmen Gate and the Imperial City. In the early days of the Ming Dynasty, a gate of brick and stone was built, which is right on the site of the present Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong, called Damingmen (Gate of the Great Ming). In the Qing Dynasty it was renamed as Daqingmen (Gate of Great Qing) and after 1911 Zhonghuamen (Gate of China). Later on, another two gates of brick and stone structure were built on each site of the avenue in front the gate. Surrounded by a newly built red wall, the area within the three gates formed a small square of only 11 hectares-- Tian'anmen Square.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, common people were forbidden to enter the Tian'anmen Square. And for the officials, when they entered the gate, they had to get off horses and proceed on foot into the palace. The government offices were lined outside the wall on the east and west. According to the traditional system, the civil service organizations were set in the eastern part of the square, and the military organizations in the west.
Old buildings in the Tian'anmen Square were put down after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. In 1957, the square expanded with an area of 44 hectares, which may hold 1 million people at a time. With Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall right behind, the Monument to the People's Heroes towered in the center of the square. To the east of the Square, there is the National Museum of China and to the west the Great Hall of People (National People's Congress building).
The Monument to the People's Heroes is the largest monument in China's history which was built in 1952. On this monument, you can see the words--"The People's Heroes are Immortal", which were written by Chairman Mao. The development of Chinese modern history and those who contributed their lives to the democratic progress are shown by the eight unusually large relief sculptures. The monument is enclosed by two rows of white marble railings. It seems very simple and beautiful.
At the south side of the Square is the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong. This Hall is consisted by three halls, among which our dear Chairman Mao's body lies in a crystal coffin in the halls surrounded by fresh bouquets of various famous flowers and grasses.
The Great Hall of the People is in the west of the Square. Constructed in 1959, this building is the site of the China National People's Congress meetings, which also provides an impressive site for other political and diplomatic activities. With twelve marble posts, the Hall includes three parts--the Central Hall, the Great Auditorium and a Banqueting Hall. The ceiling of the Central Hall is decorated with crystal lamps and the floor paved with marble. The Great Auditorium behind the Central Hall can hold 10,000 people, while the huge Banqueting Hall can seat 5,000.
At the east side of the Square stands the China National Museum, which is another important place for you to visit. Built in 2003, it is a mergence of China History Museum and China Revolutionary Museum. This National Museum is on the opposite of the Great Hall of the People. In the China Revolutionary Museum, there are a lot of material objects, pictures, books and models, presenting the development of modern China. A large number of cultural relics are exhibited in the China History Museum, illustrating the long history and glorious culture of China from 1,700,000 years ago to 1925 when the last emperor left the throne.
Forbidden City

The Palace Museum, the imperial palace in the Ming and Qing dynasties, is the largest and best-preserved palace complex in the world today. It is also called the Purple Forbidden City in Chinese. Its name, on one side, derives from ancient Chinese astronomers' belief that God's abode or the Purple Palace. The pivot of the celestial world, is situated in the Pole Star (the middle of the Ziwei Star), at the center of the heaven. Therefore, the son of God of Heaven--the emperor, should live in the Purple City. On the other side, without special orders of the emperor eunuchs and guards, ordinary citizens were not allowed entering the Forbidden City, except for palace maids. For this reason, palaces in the Ming and Qing dynasties are called both the Forbidden City and the Purple City. The Construction of the magnificent palace started in 1406, and ended in 1420. It took 14 years to complete the project. One year after completion, Emperor Yongle moved his capital from Nanjing to Beijing. Since then, 24 emperors have lived at the Forbidden City, 14 during the Ming Dynasty and 10 during the Qing Dynasty.
The Forbidden City covers an area of over 720,000 square meters, 750 meters wide and 960 meters long. And it has four great gates. The fabulous city, which is surrounded by a 52-meter-wide moat, has four delicate and lovely turrets overlooking both the inside and outside.
The Forbidden City has more than 8,700 wooden rooms, most of which have yellow-glazed tiles. It is a color that only emperors were allowed to use on their roof. From the northern Drum Tower and the Bell Tower to the Southern Gate of Everlasting Stability (Yongdingmen), these colorfully painted and embellished rooms are divided symmetrically into northern and southern halves. If you walk into the city, you will see the layers of halls and palaces spreading out on either side of a central axis. As the designations of the wise architectures, the splendid buildings represent the unique features of the traditional Chinese architecture and embody the incredible creativity of the ancient Chinese people. Reconstructed after being destroyed by several fires, this pearl of Chinese cultural heritage still retains its original arrangements of the Ming dynasty. Nowadays, most of the existing buildings open to visitors were reconstructed during the early Qing Dynasty.
In many ways the Forbidden City reveals ancient Confucian ideas, as it is generally designed to the principles of the Front court, Rear Market, Ancestral Sacrifice on the left and Altar on the right. Hence, the court was located in the southern or front section of the Forbidden City, where officials discussed political affairs. A large trading market was situated in the rear part of the city, providing daily necessities for the court. On the left side was the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where the emperor offered sacrifices to his ancestors. Nowadays, it is the Working People's Cultural Palace. On the right side was the Altar to the god of Land and Grain, where the emperor displayed his reverence to the god. This is now Zhongshan Park.
There are two courts in the Forbidden City: the Inner Court and the Outer Court. They are separated across the middle between the south and north ends. The Outer court is mainly composed by the Meridian Gate and the Three Front Halls, flanked by the Hall of Literary Glory (Wenhuadian) and the Hall of Martial Spirit (Wuyingdian), which witnessed various ceremonies and political activities during the Ming and Qing dynasties. While the inner court is mainly consisted by the Three Back Halls, Imperial Garden, Hall of Mental Cultivation and Palace of Abstinence, which are flanked by the Six East Halls and the Six West Halls. This was the place where the emperor was confronted with political affairs and was the residential area for the emperor and his empresses and concubines.
Compared with other contemporary palaces, the Forbidden City stressed more on balance and independence, and embodied more cultural perspectives of the specific ethnic group. Just as what was written in the book of History of Chinese Science by Joseph Needham, each part of the Forbidden City is in well balance and independence, which is just on the contrary to other palaces in the Renaissance Age. For the city, the Palace of Versailles is just acting as an object. The palace is an organic part of the whole city, combining deep deference to nature with lofty significance. As a tin far-reaching and complicated Chinese architecture, Great overall arrangements have reached the highest level, far above any other culture.
After the subversion of the Qing Dynasty by the Revolution of 1911, the last emperor Pu Yi was exiled to palaces at the rear of the Forbidden City. In 1914, the Three Great Halls in the Imperial Palace was opened as exhibition hall of antiquities. Ten years later, Feng Yuxiang staged a coup in Beijing and expelled the last emperor from the palace. Oct. 10, 1925 established The Palace Museum. And in 1961, the Forbidden City was listed as a place to be given special protection by the State Council. UNESCO listed it as World Cultural Heritage site in 1987.
The Forbidden City, as one of the world-famous royal palaces, has played an important role in the world architectural history. Many tourists both from home and abroad have been attracted by the almost 1 million rare treasures and cultural relics on exhibition there.
Summer Palace

Covering an area of 290 hectares in total, the Summer Palace spreads out some 15 kilometers away from the city center in the north western suburbs of Beijing. Three fourths of the palace is covered by a pool of water and the rest the land and hills.
The Summer Palace is the summer resort of the Qing royal family. Now it is the most intact, the best-preserved and the largest of its kind of the classical gardens in the country. Since the garden began to be built in 1153, it had undergone many a time reconstruction and renovation in the Yuan and Ming dynasties. In the period of Emperor Qianlong’s reign of the Qing Dynasty, it was still reconstructed in a large-scale. And this time was renamed the "Garden of Crystal Ripples". When it was completed in 1860, it suffered a severe destruction, led by the Anglo-French Allied Army, which brought it down to ashes. In 1886, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled the funds allocated for the building of the navy to rebuild it and renamed it the "Summer Palace". However, in 1900, it underwent destruction again by the Eight Powers Allied Forces. Later, the1903 saw its second-time rebuild.
On the 12th of October 1911, Empress Dowager Longyu was finally forced to promulgate the abdication of the royal power. However, according to the agreement between the Qing royal family and the republic government, the Summer Palace would still be kept in the hands of the Qing royal family, while yet to be opened to outside as private property by selling admission tickets. 1924 when Puyi was ousted, the Summer Palace was taken over by the republic government and changed to be a public park.
The Qing royal family stayed in the Forbidden City in spring, autumn and winter. And when it came to summer, they went to their summer resort –Summer Palace. Hence, the Summer Palace shares the same functional quarters as that in the Forbidden City. Among these quarters, the office quarter, the living quarter and the entertainment quarter formed the magnificent scenery in Summer Palace.
Through the East Palace Gate, there is the Hall of the Benevolence and Longevity. The emperor used to handle state affairs and listen to reports by ministers and receive foreign envoys in there. It was called the Hallo of Diligent Administration by Emperor Qianlong during his reign. In 1860, it was burnt down by the Anglo-French Army. Reconstructed In 1890, it was then renamed the "Hall of the Benevolence and Longevity". During the reigns of Emperors Tongzhi and Guangxu, Empress Dowager Cixi got the real power to rule the country, and she started to handle state affairs behind the screen.
The Hall of Jade Ripples and the Hall of Happiness and Longevity are the three parts of the living quarter. Guangxu used to live in the Hall of Jade Ripples Emperor in the Summer Palace. After his failure of the Reform Movement of 1898, Emperor Guangxu was put into house arrest here. Thus, it is also regarded as an exquisitely decorated jail.
Consisting of four rooms, the Hall of Happiness and Longevity used to be the residence for Empress Dowager Cixi. The Empress moves to the Summer Palace and stays there in the hall every year on the first day of the fourth month in the lunar calendar. And she won't return until the tenth of the tenth lunar month when she had celebrated her birthday there. In the Summer Palace, there are over 1,000 people dancing attendance on the Dowager. Among them, there are 48 in the Hall of Happiness and Longevity, of whom 20 are maids-in-waiting, 20 eunuchs of importance and another 8 are the "ladies-in-waiting" by her side, normally waiting in the room behind the precious throne to attend on her.
The Long Corridor, the starting point of entertainment quarter, is at the end of the courtyard of the Hall of Happiness and Longevity. It is 728 meters long with more than 14,000 traditional Chinese paintings on the beams and rafters. The four pavilions along the corridor represent the four seasons a year. The Marble Boat can be found at the end of the Long Corridor. The original Chinese style of it was burnt down by the Anglo-French Army in 1860. In 1893, it was rebuilt into one of a western style, imitating a steam ship with two water-wheelers. In 1903 Empress Dowager Cixi built another storey of wooden structure with the decoration of colored pieces of glass. The construction of this immovable boat was to symbolize the stable and consolidated rule of the Qing regime just like a large piece of rock. It would stand still forever in the vast ocean and would, under no circumstances whatsoever be wavered or toppled.
Occupying three fourths of the total area of the Summer Palace, Kunming Lake plays important role in the adjustment of the temperature in the garden. Taking a walk in the Long Corridor and a dragon boat on the lake, you will have a wonderful feeling that you were the emperor and empress in ancient China.
Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven stands in the southern part of Beijing. It was used to be the house ceremonies of emperors of worshipping heaven and praying for harvest in the Ming and Qing dynasties. This altar temple remains to be the largest existing ancient sacrificial structures across the world, more important than other three major temples, i.e. Altar to the Earth, Altar to the Sun and Altar to the Moon.
The Temple of Heaven was built in 1407 and the construction of the project took 14 years. Covering an area of 273 hectares, with two surrounding rings walls, it is four times bigger than the Forbidden City. The wall, stretching from north to south, is as long as 1,657 meters and that from east to west 1,703 meters. The outer wall is 6,553 meters in circumference while the inner wall measures 4,152 meters in perimeter.
To pray for good harvests and fine rain, emperors did regular worshipping and offered sacrifices to heaven. And the Temple of Heaven was used to the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties went and worshipped the heaven twice (and sometimes three times) a year. In the past, the tradition went that sacrifices were offered to heaven and earth in one place only. But in 1530 when the Temple of Earth was built in the north of the city, the Temple of Heaven was ever since used specially for offering sacrifices to heaven alone.
The Temple of Heaven is consisted by three sections, named the Circular Mound Altar, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, attached with some affiliated buildings like Dressing Platform, Long Corridor and Echo Wall.
The Circular Mound Altar was first constructed in 1530. In ancient China, to some extend, the altar was a place that even more important than the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The emperor would come to offer sacrifices to heaven on the altar every year on the day of the Winter Solstice. For this reason, the altar was rebuilt into a circular one in 1749. Built in the open air without shelter, the sacrificial ceremony was being held right under heaven. Therefore, it was called "Luji", or the "open air offering of sacrifices".
The Imperial Vault of Heaven was first built in 1530 as a main building in the south of the Temple of Heaven. At first, it was called "Taishendian" or the Hall for Pacifying Gods, but later changed into the present name. In 1752, the building was rebuilt into one of a single eave, which used to have double eaves. Standing 19.5 meters high and of 15.6 meters in diameter, the circular hall used to be an octagonal one in the past. The tablet of the Jade Emperor, the four stone platforms on both sides used to be for the tablets of the emperor’s ancestors of eight generations in succession, is consecrated on the central stone-platform in the Hall of Imperial Vault of Heaven.
Being of 32.72 meters in diameter, built on a three-tired platform, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests towers 38 meters' high with its eaves fanning out on three tiers, of which the upper one has a gold-plated knob on it. You will be amazed to see that such a heavy building was supported only by 28 wooden pillars with no single piece of reinforced concrete at all. The whole building was built by mortise and tenon joints without using a single nail. With each pillar in height of 19.2 meters, the four pillars in the center of the hall are called "Longjingzhu"--the Dragon Well Pillar. Only by joining hands together by two and half persons, can it be embraced. These four pillars indicate the four seasons of a year. You may find it more interesting that all pillars have their special meanings: the outside 12 pillars suggest 12 months in a year and another 12 pillars in the round wall symbolize the 12 two-hour periods of a day. And when you put the two 12 pillars together, the number you get is 24, which represents the 24 solar terms of a year. And when you add the four in the center of the hall to 24, you will get 28, which represents the 28 lunar mansions in the heaven above.
Since its first construction in 1420, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests has gone through several times of changes. At that moment, the hall was called "Dasidian"--the Hall of Grand Sacrifices, which was rectangular in shape. But in 1529, it was reconstructed into a round one with a roof of three tiers. And this time it was named "Daxiangdian"--the Hall of Grand Treatment to Heaven. Three different colors were painted in these roofs of three tiers. From the upper tier to the lower one, the colors are respectively blue, yellow and green. In 1752, these three colors were all changed into glazed tiles of dark blue. However, they were destroyed by lightning in 1889. And later in 1890, it was restored according to the original. In 2006, the whole building was renovated with all its paintings according to the same style as they done last time. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests has become the symbol of Beijing.
At present, the Temple of Heaven is very popular with tourist home and abroad. It is also an entertainment center for local people. If you go to the temple early in the morning, you will find many local people practicing Taiji, playing cards and Chinese chess and singing folk songs there.
Ming Tombs

Covering an area of 40 square kilometers with 13 Ming emperors buried, the Ming Tombs is situated at the southern foot of the Tianshou Mountain in Changping District in the north western suburban areas of Beijing. The construction of the imperial tombs had been going on ceaselessly from the year 1409 when Emperor Zhu Di started building his tomb to the fall of the Ming Dynasty in 1644, lasting a period over 200 years.
As many people know, there are 16 emperors in the Ming Dynasty. Among the 16 Ming emperors, 13 of them were buried in this tomb area, except for Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty who was buried in the Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing, Zhu Yunwen, who disappeared and Zhu Qiyu, who was buried at Jinshan Hill in the western suburbs of Beijing, all other. Therefore, this area was called the 13 Ming Tombs.
It was originally built only for Emperor Zhu Di and his empress, named Changling, which is the most magnificent tomb. The succeeding twelve emperors had their tombs built around Changling. At present, the two tombs opened to the public are Changling and Dingling.
Changling is the first Ming tomb built in this area. Hence, the axle line of Changling naturally became the axle line of the whole Ming Tombs. Along with the various tombs, the Stone Tablet House come together overall as a structurally and visually unified architectural accomplishment. Though these tombs were built in different periods, they were strategically planed and built in different stages. Each tomb has its own distinct adornments. However, the entire tomb area has a unified layout and style.
Zhu Di was the third emperor in the Ming Dynasty, who was buried together with his empress in Changling. During his 22-year of reign, he was, relatively speaking, an emperor who had made quite some achievements. For example, he determined to move the capital from Nanjing to Beijing in 1421. To some extend, the move itself was an expression of far-sightedness, for it was very important to strengthen the national defense and guard frontier areas. During the period from 1405 to 1424, Zheng He, also called Eunuch Sanbao, was sent by the emperor to fulfill a diplomatic mission which was on an ever larger and broader scale in Chinese history. He went six times on board across the sea to over 30 countries in Asia and Africa.
Completed in 1416, as the place for worshipping tablets of the emperor and empress and offering sacrifices to ancestors, the Hall of Eminent Favor is situated within the second compound of Changling. The Hall of Eminent Favor in Changling is the best-preserved among the ones of the 13 tombs, which duplicated the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City. It is a very precious relic of ancient China's wooden structures.
Dingling is the tomb for Emperor Zhu Yijun, named the tomb of Stability. It is said that he was buried together with his two empresses—Xiaoduan and Xiaojing. Ascending the throne at the age of 10, Zhu Yijun was died at 58 with a reign span of 48 years. Therefore he became the emperor with the longest time in power for in the Ming Dynasty. The construction of the Dingling tomb started in 1584. It took 6 years to bring the project to finish in 1590, covering an area of 180,000 square meters and costing 8 million taels of silver.
The Dingling began to be excavated in May 1956, which brought to light the mystery of the underground palaces of the Ming Tombs. Constructed with hard stone-slabs, with a total floor space of 1,195 square meters, the underground palace is composed by five beamless vaults, called the front, the middle, the rear and the two annexes on the right and the left. Carved out of white marble and the rear hall with the bier holding three coffins for the emperor and his two queens, three thrones were laid out in the middle vault. There are over 3,000 pieces of archeological findings unearthed from the tomb.
Yonghegong Lamasery

Yonghegong Lamasery is a well-known lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism, which is located at the northeast part of Beijing. It was originally built in 1694 as the residence of Emperor Yongzheng of Qing (1644-1911 A.D.) before his ascent of the throne. And after his death, it was renamed Yonghegong. His successor Emperor Qianlong then rebuilt Yonghegong into an imperial palace with its turquoise tiles replaced by yellow tiles (yellow was the imperial color in the Qing Dynasty). In 1744, it became a lamasery. From then on, large numbers of monks from Mongolia and Tibet and national center of lama administration live in there.
As an imperial palace, the layout of the temple differentiated from other temples. The main gate faces to the south. There are five main halls and annex connected by courtyards on its 480-meter-long north-south axis, including a glaze-tiled arch, Gate of Peace (Zhaotaimen), Buddha's Warrior Hall (Tianwangdian), which was formerly the entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace, Hall of Harmony and Peace (Yonghegong), Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian), Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) and Pavilion of Eternal Happiness (Wanfuge).
When you are walking through the grand glaze-tile arch patterned with decorative dragons and flowers in the first court, you will reach a three-arch gate - the Gate of Peace. In ancient times, the central passageway was for emperors. On each side of the second court next to the Gate of Peace stand the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. Two pavilions stand symmetrically on opposite to the north. If you want to know more about the temple's history, you can have a look at the inscriptions of Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan engraved on steles.
The Buddha's Warrior Hall, also known as the Hall of Heavenly Kings, is the former entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace. The hall Maitreya (Happy Buddha) was always used to greet visitors, which has a smiling face with a sandalwood pagoda on each side. Many small Buddhist images, symbolizing longevity, stand on the pagoda. Therefore, the pagoda is the Longevity Pagoda. There are four fearsome-looking Heavenly Kings or Celestial Guardians on both sides of Maitreya's shrine.
On the way to the Hall of Harmony and Peace stands a marble-based bronze incense-burner. With decorations of two dragons playing with a pearl on its six opens, it is 4.2 meters in height. Afterwards there is the Mount Sumeru, a bronze sculpture of Ming (1368-1644A.D.), representing the center of the world. On the top of it there lies a legendary paradise where Sakyamuni and men of moral integrity live after death; in the middle the dwellings of humans and below devils abide in hell.
The Hall of Harmony and Peace is formerly a place for the emperor Yongzheng to hold meetings. It was also called Mahavira Hall or Daxiongbaodian in Buddhism. Mahavira here is an honorable title of Sakyamuni in Chinese. Sakyamuni is on the altar, with Buddha of the Present in the middle with Buddha of the Past Yeja and the Buddha of the Future Maitreya on each side. On each side of the hall stand Statues of 18 Arhats. It is said that 18 Arhats were the disciples of Samkyamuni to diffuse Buddhism. The painting that you can find on the western wall is a Bodhisattva.
The Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian) and the Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) are right behind the Hall of the Harmony and Peace, where enshrines a bronze image of Tsong Kapa -- founder of the Yellow Hat Sect. With 5 gold-plating pagodas, the golden-roofed Falundian was the place where lamas assemble to have religious activities. There is a 6-meter-high gilded bronze statue of Tsong Kapa on a lotus seat in the center of the hall.
Now there are nearly 70 lamas living in this temple. If you go there, you will find that regular religious activities are still practiced. More lamas can be seen coming here in the festival for lamas or Lamaism.
Old Beijing Hutongs

The numerous old hutongs are the distinguished features of Beijing. They symbolize the traditional community with small lanes, alleys and Siheyuan (quadrangle). The life of local people in these old hutongs makes this ancient capital look more charming. Wandering along these small lanes, you can see many quadrangles, called Siheyuan in Chinese, which are the residential quarters of natives. No one knows the exact number of these hutongs there are in Beijing.


Highlights
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower

Standing at a towering height of 468 meters (1,536 feet), the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is not only the tallest TV tower in Asia but also the third tallest in the world. It ranks behind the 553.3-meter-high CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, and the 540-meter-high Ostankino Tower in Moscow, Russia. Located in the heart of Pudong’s Lujiazui district, the tower has become a symbol of Shanghai, drawing both locals and tourists alike. Its unique design, featuring 15 spheres of varying sizes at different heights, creates a striking and futuristic appearance.
The tower's design is said to be inspired by a famous Chinese poetic line, "large and small pearls dropping onto a jade plate," evoking an image of pearls scattered across a jade surface. From its observation deck, visitors are treated to panoramic views of the bustling city, the Huangpu River, and beyond. The revolving restaurant and the expansive sightseeing platform can accommodate up to 1,600 people, offering an unparalleled experience in the sky.
Construction of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower began in 1992, with an initial investment of 50 million Yuan from the government. An additional 150 million Yuan and 10 million US Dollars were raised through bank loans from 44 banks. The tower was completed and opened to the public in 1994. It is affectionately known in China as "Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl," a reference to its striking design, with two massive spheres at the base and a large pearl-like structure at the top.
In 1995, the tower began broadcasting, hosting nine television channels and 10 FM radio stations. Over the years, it has become a major hub for media and telecommunications, in addition to being a top tourist destination.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower offers a wide range of amenities for visitors. At a height of 263 meters, the observation deck provides breathtaking views of Shanghai’s skyline. You can also visit the futuristic "Space City" exhibition hall and the Shanghai Municipal History Museum, located in the tower's base. This museum showcases the history of the city, including its transformation from a small fishing village to one of the world’s leading metropolises.
The large lower sphere of the tower features various attractions, including the "Science Fantasy City" and the "Recreational Palace." On a clear day, visitors can enjoy a view stretching all the way to the Yangtze River from the sightseeing hall. In addition to the observation areas, the tower houses a hotel with 25 elegant rooms in the smaller spheres, offering a relaxing place for visitors to stay.
At the very top of the tower is a large pearl-shaped structure, home to a rotating restaurant, shops, and additional viewing platforms. This iconic structure provides guests with a unique dining experience while enjoying Shanghai’s spectacular skyline.
Over the past decade, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower has welcomed more than 25 million visitors, including 295 overseas heads of state and dignitaries. This immense popularity has made it one of the most profitable TV towers globally. In fact, its annual revenue has exceeded that of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
According to the World Brand Lab, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower ranked 96th among the 500 most valuable Chinese brands, with a brand value of 5.148 billion Yuan (approximately 6.2 billion USD). It has consistently been one of the top 20 most influential Chinese brands on the global stage in recent years.
The tower’s combination of cutting-edge technology, breathtaking views, and cultural significance has made it a must-visit attraction in Shanghai and a proud symbol of China's modern achievements.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower stands as a monumental achievement in both architecture and engineering, symbolizing Shanghai's vibrant future while honoring its rich history. Whether you’re marveling at the panoramic views, exploring the interactive exhibits, or dining in the sky, the tower promises an unforgettable experience for all who visit.
Children’s Palace


The Bund

No. 12, The Bund, is also known as No. 12 Zhongshan East Road. It was once the location of the famous Hui Feng Bank. Built in 1923, this square-shaped building has five vaults and features a distinctive circular roof in the style of ancient Greece, with a half-spherical dome on top. The building is made of steel and is elaborately decorated, including a specially designed reception hall. The British builders of the structure were immensely proud of this creation, with some even calling it “the most exquisite building from the Suez Canal in the east to the Persian Gulf in the west.”
Walking along Zhongshan East Road, you can feel the grandeur and solemnity of the area, as if the Bund is a showcase of architectural excellence. Some say that the Bund is, in fact, "an architectural exhibition." If the architectural district of the Bund were a gallery, the rest of the area would be a showroom. In the early mornings, the Bund becomes a place for locals to exercise and enjoy the fresh air. By day, the historic buildings stand in harmony with the scenic beauty of the Huangpu River and the futuristic skyline of Pudong, making it a favorite spot for tourists. At night, the city lights bathe the Bund in a vibrant glow, enhancing its beauty. The old buildings along the riverbank stand in contrast to the modern skyline, which includes iconic structures such as the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Jin Mao Tower, creating a stunning view that never fails to leave visitors in awe.
On the eastern side, the Bund borders the Huangpu River, while on the west, 52 buildings line the street, each with its own architectural style—Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Renaissance, Classical, and a fusion of Eastern and Western elements. Although these buildings were constructed at different times and in varying styles, their overall design is remarkably harmonious, with each structure complementing the others.
The Bund, named after the desolate beach that once lay outside the old city of Shanghai, has become one of the city's most iconic landmarks. If you haven’t visited the Bund, then you haven’t truly seen Shanghai. The Bund symbolizes the city itself; it is a microcosm of Shanghai's history and growth.
The Huangpu River

The Huangpu River is a landmark waterway in Shanghai, stretching approximately 113 kilometers (about 70 miles) in length with a width ranging from 300 to 770 meters (about 984 to 2526 feet). Its drainage basin covers an area of 24,000 square kilometers (approx. 5,930,530 acres).
The river originates from Dianshan Lake in Zhujiajiao Town, Qingpu District, which receives water from the upper reaches of the Taihu Lake basin. From there, the river flows downstream to Wusongkou, where it meets the Yangtze River before flowing into the East China Sea. Over the course of thousands of years, the river has carved its path, with the upper reaches running east to west, and the middle and lower reaches turning north to south, effectively dividing the city of Shanghai into Puxi (West of the Huangpu River) and Pudong (East of the Huangpu River). On either side of the river, Shanghai’s most iconic landmarks have risen: the historic Bund on the west bank and the modern financial district of Lujiazui on the east.
During a visit to the river, tourists can admire the Yangpu Bridge, the Nanpu Bridge, and the Oriental Pearl Tower, which stands in the heart of the city. The two bridges, resembling two giant dragons stretching across the Huangpu River, frame the Oriental Pearl Tower in the center, creating a stunning visual metaphor of "two dragons playing with a pearl."
On the west bank of the Huangpu River, visitors are greeted by a collection of grand, foreign-style buildings, known for their diverse architectural influences from around the world. On the east bank, in stark contrast, towering modern skyscrapers rise into the sky, symbolizing Shanghai’s rapid development into a global financial hub.
Wusongkou, located at the mouth of the river, marks the point where the Huangpu River converges with the Yangtze River and the East China Sea. During high tide, one can witness the famous "Three-Water Convergence" phenomenon, where the Huangpu River’s bluish-gray waters, the muddy yellow waters of the Yangtze, and the green waters of the East China Sea mix together, creating a striking display of yellow, green, and blue hues.
The Huangpu River serves multiple functions: it is vital for shipping, water supply, drainage, irrigation, and tourism. As one of the world’s most renowned rivers, it is both a product of nature’s transformative power and a testament to humanity’s successful practice of harnessing the river’s natural flow to serve the needs of a growing city.
Yu Garden


The garden was originally established as a private estate by Pan Yunduan, a distinguished official from Sichuan, to provide his retired father, Pan En, with a serene and tranquil retreat. After over two decades of meticulous planning and construction, Yu Garden was completed in 1577. The name "Yu" symbolizes peace and tranquility, reflecting the garden's purpose of offering solace and serenity to Pan En during his retirement years. By the late Ming Dynasty, Yu Garden had gained recognition as one of the most exquisite gardens in Southeast China.
Yu Garden exemplifies the classical Jiangnan garden style, characterized by its intricate and refined design that seamlessly integrates natural and architectural elements. The garden boasts meandering pathways, exquisite pavilions, stunning rockeries, tranquil koi ponds, and ancient trees all thoughtfully arranged to create a serene and contemplative atmosphere. Additionally, it houses an impressive collection of cultural treasures including Ming and Qing dynasty furniture, renowned calligraphy and paintings, elaborate brick carvings as well as traditional stone sculptures.
The Yulinglong Stone, one of the renowned rocks in Jiangnan, and Dianchuntang, which served as the headquarters during the Taiping Rebellion in 1853, are among the prominent features of this garden. Additionally, visitors can explore the adjacent City God Temple and vibrant shopping streets, further enhancing its appeal as a popular tourist destination.
Yu Garden opened to the public in 1961 and was designated a national key cultural heritage site in 1982. Today, it remains a must-visit attraction for those seeking to experience the beauty and tranquility of traditional Chinese garden design.
The Jade Buddha Temple

Known for its vibrant spiritual atmosphere, the Jade Buddha Temple is one of the most visited and beloved temples in Shanghai. While Longhua Temple is known for fulfilling wishes related to career success, and Jing'an Temple is sought for blessings of peace, the Jade Buddha Temple is famous for helping people with wishes for wealth and love. A visit to the Jade Buddha Temple wouldn’t be complete without experiencing its treasures—the Jade Buddha and the Sitting Buddha, which have been prized by visitors since their arrival from Southeast Asia over a century ago.
At the heart of the temple is the magnificent Jade Buddha, a serene and life-sized statue carved from a single block of jade. Alongside it, visitors can find five other Buddha statues, each radiating peace and grace. The Jade Buddha Temple has undergone multiple restorations and expansions over the years, including the relocation of the Grand Buddha Hall and the construction of the Bell and Drum Towers. These additions have enriched the temple’s cultural and artistic legacy.
Occupying an area of approximately 11.6 acres, the Jade Buddha Temple features a layout based on traditional Chinese temple architecture. The temple’s main axis is home to three grand halls, with additional structures on both the east and west sides. The temple not only holds a special place in the hearts of Shanghai’s Buddhist community but is also a popular destination for tourists and pilgrims alike. It is recognized as one of the top ten tourist attractions in Shanghai and is listed as a key Buddhist site and a protected city monument.
In 1918, the temple was rebuilt on its present site under the guidance of Master Kecheng from the Linji school. The new structure, designed to emulate the architectural style of Song Dynasty temples, was completed after ten years of dedicated work. The complex includes a Buddha hall, pagodas, kitchens, and other traditional temple buildings, with over 200 rooms in total.
The original Jade Buddha Temple was established in 1900, near the Wusong River Bay Railway Station, under the leadership of Master Ben Zhao, a disciple of Huigen. However, the temple was destroyed during the upheaval of the 1911 Revolution, leaving only the precious Jade Buddha untouched. For a time, the statue was housed in a villa on Shendan Road (now Weian Road), before the decision was made to rebuild the temple at its current location.
Founded in 1882 by Master Huigen, the temple originally housed five jade Buddhas brought from Myanmar by the master himself. Of these, two were enshrined in Shanghai, and it is these statues that have made the temple famous.
Nestled at 170 Anyuan Road in the Putuo District of Shanghai, the Jade Buddha Temple is one of the city’s most revered spiritual landmarks. As its name suggests, the temple is home to the sacred Jade Buddha, a symbol of serenity and wisdom. Belonging to the Linji school of Chan Buddhism, the temple is not only a place of worship but also a center for meditation and spiritual practice.
Shanghai Museum

The Shanghai Museum is a preeminent institution in China, celebrated for its vast collection of over 120,000 invaluable cultural artifacts. Its extensive and exceptional assortment, particularly in the areas of bronze ware, ceramics, calligraphy, and painting has garnered international recognition.

Founded in 1952, the museum initially operated at 325 Nanjing West Road. In 1959, it relocated to a more spacious venue at 16 Henan South Road, where it continued its progressive growth and development. In 1992, the Shanghai government made the strategic decision to construct a new museum in the heart of the city, situated in the prime location of People's Square. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new museum building took place in 1993 and it was officially inaugurated on October 12, 1996.
The new building of the Shanghai Museum spans a total area of 39,200 square meters and stands at a height of 29.5 meters. The distinctive combination of a round dome and square base, symbolizing the concept of "Heaven is round and Earth is square," creates an aesthetically captivating effect. The design seamlessly integrates traditional cultural elements with modern architecture, establishing it as a truly unique and iconic structure among global museums.
The museum accommodates 11 permanent galleries and three exhibition halls. The architectural layout encompasses six functional areas, including exhibition spaces, storage facilities, academic and research zones, management offices, and supporting amenities. Within the premises are 12 thematic exhibition rooms showcasing a wide array of treasures such as bronze artifacts, ceramics, calligraphy masterpieces, and paintings. Additionally, the exhibits encompass coins, jade pieces, sculptures, seals as well as crafts from various ethnic minorities.
The museum's total exhibition space is 12,000 square meters, distributed across four floors. The first floor features the Ancient Chinese Bronze Gallery, Ancient Chinese Sculpture Gallery, and Exhibition Hall. The second floor showcases the Ancient Chinese Ceramics Gallery and the temporary Ceramics Gallery. The third floor is dedicated to the Calligraphy Gallery, Painting Gallery, and Seals Gallery. The fourth floor exhibits the Ancient Chinese Jade Gallery, Coin Gallery, Ming and Qing Furniture Gallery, and the Ethnic Minority Craft Gallery.
Shanghai Jinmao Tower

Standing proudly at 88 Century Avenue in the heart of Shanghai’s Lujiazui Financial District, the Shanghai Jin Mao Tower is a true marvel of modern engineering and design. Located in the bustling center of the city, the tower offers breathtaking views to the east over the Pudong New Area, to the west over downtown Shanghai and the Huangpu River, and to the south toward the vibrant commercial hub of Zhang Yang Road. To the north, it overlooks the expansive 100,000-square-meter central green space.
The Jin Mao Tower occupies 24,000 square meters of land, with a total building area of 290,000 square meters. The towering 88-story main structure rises to a height of 420.5 meters, with approximately 200,000 square meters of space. Its sleek, modern design features a stunning tapering shape, symbolizing both architectural elegance and strength. The tower’s six-story podium covers 32,000 square meters, while the three underground levels span 57,000 square meters. The building’s striking exterior is enveloped in an aluminum alloy lattice, giving it a contemporary yet timeless appeal.
Inside, the Jin Mao Tower is as spectacular as its exterior. The first two floors house the grand lobby, while floors 3 to 50 feature expansive, column-free office spaces with a ceiling height of 4 meters and a net height of 2.7 meters. The upper floors—51 to 52—house essential mechanical and electrical systems, while the 53rd to 87th floors are home to a luxurious hotel. The 88th floor boasts an observation deck, offering panoramic views of the city and beyond.
Designed by the renowned Chicago-based architectural firm SOM, with Adrian Smith as the lead designer, the Jin Mao Tower combines cutting-edge global architectural trends with traditional Chinese design elements. The building is an engineering masterpiece, with a vertical deviation of only 2 centimeters and the ability to withstand winds of up to level 12 and earthquakes of magnitude 7.
The tower’s exterior is characterized by large glass panels that reflect ever-changing hues—shifting from silver to shades of blue and green. Between the two layers of glass, a low-temperature conductor ensures the interior remains insulated from the outdoor elements.
Inside, the grand lobby features a striking archway design and walls clad in Mediterranean-style perforated marble for both aesthetic and soundproofing purposes. The polished marble floors gleam without being overly shiny, while the main hallway leading to the banquet hall is an artistic corridor showcasing Chinese calligraphy and copper reliefs that depict the evolution of Chinese script, from ancient oracle bone inscriptions to modern-day characters.
At the top of the Jin Mao Tower, the 88th floor offers the “Cloud Walk”—a 60-meter-long, 1.2-meter-wide transparent skywalk, the highest of its kind in the world. This glass walkway allows visitors to experience Shanghai from a breathtaking 340.1 meters above ground level, walking in the clouds and enjoying an unparalleled view of the city below.
Since its completion, the Jin Mao Tower has garnered numerous accolades, including the Illinois World Architecture Award in 1998 and the Shanghai Classic Architecture Gold Award in 1999. It also achieved LEED-EB certification in 2013 and was named one of the "Top Ten New Landmarks in Shanghai" in 2020.
A true symbol of Shanghai's dynamic growth, the Jin Mao Tower remains a must-see destination for those who wish to experience the cutting-edge of modern architecture while soaking in the rich cultural and historical essence of one of the world’s most exciting cities.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower

Standing at a towering height of 468 meters (1,536 feet), the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is not only the tallest TV tower in Asia but also the third tallest in the world. It ranks behind the 553.3-meter-high CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, and the 540-meter-high Ostankino Tower in Moscow, Russia. Located in the heart of Pudong’s Lujiazui district, the tower has become a symbol of Shanghai, drawing both locals and tourists alike. Its unique design, featuring 15 spheres of varying sizes at different heights, creates a striking and futuristic appearance.
The tower's design is said to be inspired by a famous Chinese poetic line, "large and small pearls dropping onto a jade plate," evoking an image of pearls scattered across a jade surface. From its observation deck, visitors are treated to panoramic views of the bustling city, the Huangpu River, and beyond. The revolving restaurant and the expansive sightseeing platform can accommodate up to 1,600 people, offering an unparalleled experience in the sky.
Construction of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower began in 1992, with an initial investment of 50 million Yuan from the government. An additional 150 million Yuan and 10 million US Dollars were raised through bank loans from 44 banks. The tower was completed and opened to the public in 1994. It is affectionately known in China as "Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl," a reference to its striking design, with two massive spheres at the base and a large pearl-like structure at the top.
In 1995, the tower began broadcasting, hosting nine television channels and 10 FM radio stations. Over the years, it has become a major hub for media and telecommunications, in addition to being a top tourist destination.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower offers a wide range of amenities for visitors. At a height of 263 meters, the observation deck provides breathtaking views of Shanghai’s skyline. You can also visit the futuristic "Space City" exhibition hall and the Shanghai Municipal History Museum, located in the tower's base. This museum showcases the history of the city, including its transformation from a small fishing village to one of the world’s leading metropolises.
The large lower sphere of the tower features various attractions, including the "Science Fantasy City" and the "Recreational Palace." On a clear day, visitors can enjoy a view stretching all the way to the Yangtze River from the sightseeing hall. In addition to the observation areas, the tower houses a hotel with 25 elegant rooms in the smaller spheres, offering a relaxing place for visitors to stay.
At the very top of the tower is a large pearl-shaped structure, home to a rotating restaurant, shops, and additional viewing platforms. This iconic structure provides guests with a unique dining experience while enjoying Shanghai’s spectacular skyline.
Over the past decade, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower has welcomed more than 25 million visitors, including 295 overseas heads of state and dignitaries. This immense popularity has made it one of the most profitable TV towers globally. In fact, its annual revenue has exceeded that of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
According to the World Brand Lab, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower ranked 96th among the 500 most valuable Chinese brands, with a brand value of 5.148 billion Yuan (approximately 6.2 billion USD). It has consistently been one of the top 20 most influential Chinese brands on the global stage in recent years.
The tower’s combination of cutting-edge technology, breathtaking views, and cultural significance has made it a must-visit attraction in Shanghai and a proud symbol of China's modern achievements.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower stands as a monumental achievement in both architecture and engineering, symbolizing Shanghai's vibrant future while honoring its rich history. Whether you’re marveling at the panoramic views, exploring the interactive exhibits, or dining in the sky, the tower promises an unforgettable experience for all who visit.
Children’s Palace


The Bund

No. 12, The Bund, is also known as No. 12 Zhongshan East Road. It was once the location of the famous Hui Feng Bank. Built in 1923, this square-shaped building has five vaults and features a distinctive circular roof in the style of ancient Greece, with a half-spherical dome on top. The building is made of steel and is elaborately decorated, including a specially designed reception hall. The British builders of the structure were immensely proud of this creation, with some even calling it “the most exquisite building from the Suez Canal in the east to the Persian Gulf in the west.”
Walking along Zhongshan East Road, you can feel the grandeur and solemnity of the area, as if the Bund is a showcase of architectural excellence. Some say that the Bund is, in fact, "an architectural exhibition." If the architectural district of the Bund were a gallery, the rest of the area would be a showroom. In the early mornings, the Bund becomes a place for locals to exercise and enjoy the fresh air. By day, the historic buildings stand in harmony with the scenic beauty of the Huangpu River and the futuristic skyline of Pudong, making it a favorite spot for tourists. At night, the city lights bathe the Bund in a vibrant glow, enhancing its beauty. The old buildings along the riverbank stand in contrast to the modern skyline, which includes iconic structures such as the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Jin Mao Tower, creating a stunning view that never fails to leave visitors in awe.
On the eastern side, the Bund borders the Huangpu River, while on the west, 52 buildings line the street, each with its own architectural style—Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Renaissance, Classical, and a fusion of Eastern and Western elements. Although these buildings were constructed at different times and in varying styles, their overall design is remarkably harmonious, with each structure complementing the others.
The Bund, named after the desolate beach that once lay outside the old city of Shanghai, has become one of the city's most iconic landmarks. If you haven’t visited the Bund, then you haven’t truly seen Shanghai. The Bund symbolizes the city itself; it is a microcosm of Shanghai's history and growth.
The Huangpu River

The Huangpu River is a landmark waterway in Shanghai, stretching approximately 113 kilometers (about 70 miles) in length with a width ranging from 300 to 770 meters (about 984 to 2526 feet). Its drainage basin covers an area of 24,000 square kilometers (approx. 5,930,530 acres).
The river originates from Dianshan Lake in Zhujiajiao Town, Qingpu District, which receives water from the upper reaches of the Taihu Lake basin. From there, the river flows downstream to Wusongkou, where it meets the Yangtze River before flowing into the East China Sea. Over the course of thousands of years, the river has carved its path, with the upper reaches running east to west, and the middle and lower reaches turning north to south, effectively dividing the city of Shanghai into Puxi (West of the Huangpu River) and Pudong (East of the Huangpu River). On either side of the river, Shanghai’s most iconic landmarks have risen: the historic Bund on the west bank and the modern financial district of Lujiazui on the east.
During a visit to the river, tourists can admire the Yangpu Bridge, the Nanpu Bridge, and the Oriental Pearl Tower, which stands in the heart of the city. The two bridges, resembling two giant dragons stretching across the Huangpu River, frame the Oriental Pearl Tower in the center, creating a stunning visual metaphor of "two dragons playing with a pearl."
On the west bank of the Huangpu River, visitors are greeted by a collection of grand, foreign-style buildings, known for their diverse architectural influences from around the world. On the east bank, in stark contrast, towering modern skyscrapers rise into the sky, symbolizing Shanghai’s rapid development into a global financial hub.
Wusongkou, located at the mouth of the river, marks the point where the Huangpu River converges with the Yangtze River and the East China Sea. During high tide, one can witness the famous "Three-Water Convergence" phenomenon, where the Huangpu River’s bluish-gray waters, the muddy yellow waters of the Yangtze, and the green waters of the East China Sea mix together, creating a striking display of yellow, green, and blue hues.
The Huangpu River serves multiple functions: it is vital for shipping, water supply, drainage, irrigation, and tourism. As one of the world’s most renowned rivers, it is both a product of nature’s transformative power and a testament to humanity’s successful practice of harnessing the river’s natural flow to serve the needs of a growing city.
Yu Garden


The garden was originally established as a private estate by Pan Yunduan, a distinguished official from Sichuan, to provide his retired father, Pan En, with a serene and tranquil retreat. After over two decades of meticulous planning and construction, Yu Garden was completed in 1577. The name "Yu" symbolizes peace and tranquility, reflecting the garden's purpose of offering solace and serenity to Pan En during his retirement years. By the late Ming Dynasty, Yu Garden had gained recognition as one of the most exquisite gardens in Southeast China.
Yu Garden exemplifies the classical Jiangnan garden style, characterized by its intricate and refined design that seamlessly integrates natural and architectural elements. The garden boasts meandering pathways, exquisite pavilions, stunning rockeries, tranquil koi ponds, and ancient trees all thoughtfully arranged to create a serene and contemplative atmosphere. Additionally, it houses an impressive collection of cultural treasures including Ming and Qing dynasty furniture, renowned calligraphy and paintings, elaborate brick carvings as well as traditional stone sculptures.
The Yulinglong Stone, one of the renowned rocks in Jiangnan, and Dianchuntang, which served as the headquarters during the Taiping Rebellion in 1853, are among the prominent features of this garden. Additionally, visitors can explore the adjacent City God Temple and vibrant shopping streets, further enhancing its appeal as a popular tourist destination.
Yu Garden opened to the public in 1961 and was designated a national key cultural heritage site in 1982. Today, it remains a must-visit attraction for those seeking to experience the beauty and tranquility of traditional Chinese garden design.
The Jade Buddha Temple

Known for its vibrant spiritual atmosphere, the Jade Buddha Temple is one of the most visited and beloved temples in Shanghai. While Longhua Temple is known for fulfilling wishes related to career success, and Jing'an Temple is sought for blessings of peace, the Jade Buddha Temple is famous for helping people with wishes for wealth and love. A visit to the Jade Buddha Temple wouldn’t be complete without experiencing its treasures—the Jade Buddha and the Sitting Buddha, which have been prized by visitors since their arrival from Southeast Asia over a century ago.
At the heart of the temple is the magnificent Jade Buddha, a serene and life-sized statue carved from a single block of jade. Alongside it, visitors can find five other Buddha statues, each radiating peace and grace. The Jade Buddha Temple has undergone multiple restorations and expansions over the years, including the relocation of the Grand Buddha Hall and the construction of the Bell and Drum Towers. These additions have enriched the temple’s cultural and artistic legacy.
Occupying an area of approximately 11.6 acres, the Jade Buddha Temple features a layout based on traditional Chinese temple architecture. The temple’s main axis is home to three grand halls, with additional structures on both the east and west sides. The temple not only holds a special place in the hearts of Shanghai’s Buddhist community but is also a popular destination for tourists and pilgrims alike. It is recognized as one of the top ten tourist attractions in Shanghai and is listed as a key Buddhist site and a protected city monument.
In 1918, the temple was rebuilt on its present site under the guidance of Master Kecheng from the Linji school. The new structure, designed to emulate the architectural style of Song Dynasty temples, was completed after ten years of dedicated work. The complex includes a Buddha hall, pagodas, kitchens, and other traditional temple buildings, with over 200 rooms in total.
The original Jade Buddha Temple was established in 1900, near the Wusong River Bay Railway Station, under the leadership of Master Ben Zhao, a disciple of Huigen. However, the temple was destroyed during the upheaval of the 1911 Revolution, leaving only the precious Jade Buddha untouched. For a time, the statue was housed in a villa on Shendan Road (now Weian Road), before the decision was made to rebuild the temple at its current location.
Founded in 1882 by Master Huigen, the temple originally housed five jade Buddhas brought from Myanmar by the master himself. Of these, two were enshrined in Shanghai, and it is these statues that have made the temple famous.
Nestled at 170 Anyuan Road in the Putuo District of Shanghai, the Jade Buddha Temple is one of the city’s most revered spiritual landmarks. As its name suggests, the temple is home to the sacred Jade Buddha, a symbol of serenity and wisdom. Belonging to the Linji school of Chan Buddhism, the temple is not only a place of worship but also a center for meditation and spiritual practice.
Shanghai Museum

The Shanghai Museum is a preeminent institution in China, celebrated for its vast collection of over 120,000 invaluable cultural artifacts. Its extensive and exceptional assortment, particularly in the areas of bronze ware, ceramics, calligraphy, and painting has garnered international recognition.

Founded in 1952, the museum initially operated at 325 Nanjing West Road. In 1959, it relocated to a more spacious venue at 16 Henan South Road, where it continued its progressive growth and development. In 1992, the Shanghai government made the strategic decision to construct a new museum in the heart of the city, situated in the prime location of People's Square. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new museum building took place in 1993 and it was officially inaugurated on October 12, 1996.
The new building of the Shanghai Museum spans a total area of 39,200 square meters and stands at a height of 29.5 meters. The distinctive combination of a round dome and square base, symbolizing the concept of "Heaven is round and Earth is square," creates an aesthetically captivating effect. The design seamlessly integrates traditional cultural elements with modern architecture, establishing it as a truly unique and iconic structure among global museums.
The museum accommodates 11 permanent galleries and three exhibition halls. The architectural layout encompasses six functional areas, including exhibition spaces, storage facilities, academic and research zones, management offices, and supporting amenities. Within the premises are 12 thematic exhibition rooms showcasing a wide array of treasures such as bronze artifacts, ceramics, calligraphy masterpieces, and paintings. Additionally, the exhibits encompass coins, jade pieces, sculptures, seals as well as crafts from various ethnic minorities.
The museum's total exhibition space is 12,000 square meters, distributed across four floors. The first floor features the Ancient Chinese Bronze Gallery, Ancient Chinese Sculpture Gallery, and Exhibition Hall. The second floor showcases the Ancient Chinese Ceramics Gallery and the temporary Ceramics Gallery. The third floor is dedicated to the Calligraphy Gallery, Painting Gallery, and Seals Gallery. The fourth floor exhibits the Ancient Chinese Jade Gallery, Coin Gallery, Ming and Qing Furniture Gallery, and the Ethnic Minority Craft Gallery.
Shanghai Jinmao Tower

Standing proudly at 88 Century Avenue in the heart of Shanghai’s Lujiazui Financial District, the Shanghai Jin Mao Tower is a true marvel of modern engineering and design. Located in the bustling center of the city, the tower offers breathtaking views to the east over the Pudong New Area, to the west over downtown Shanghai and the Huangpu River, and to the south toward the vibrant commercial hub of Zhang Yang Road. To the north, it overlooks the expansive 100,000-square-meter central green space.
The Jin Mao Tower occupies 24,000 square meters of land, with a total building area of 290,000 square meters. The towering 88-story main structure rises to a height of 420.5 meters, with approximately 200,000 square meters of space. Its sleek, modern design features a stunning tapering shape, symbolizing both architectural elegance and strength. The tower’s six-story podium covers 32,000 square meters, while the three underground levels span 57,000 square meters. The building’s striking exterior is enveloped in an aluminum alloy lattice, giving it a contemporary yet timeless appeal.
Inside, the Jin Mao Tower is as spectacular as its exterior. The first two floors house the grand lobby, while floors 3 to 50 feature expansive, column-free office spaces with a ceiling height of 4 meters and a net height of 2.7 meters. The upper floors—51 to 52—house essential mechanical and electrical systems, while the 53rd to 87th floors are home to a luxurious hotel. The 88th floor boasts an observation deck, offering panoramic views of the city and beyond.
Designed by the renowned Chicago-based architectural firm SOM, with Adrian Smith as the lead designer, the Jin Mao Tower combines cutting-edge global architectural trends with traditional Chinese design elements. The building is an engineering masterpiece, with a vertical deviation of only 2 centimeters and the ability to withstand winds of up to level 12 and earthquakes of magnitude 7.
The tower’s exterior is characterized by large glass panels that reflect ever-changing hues—shifting from silver to shades of blue and green. Between the two layers of glass, a low-temperature conductor ensures the interior remains insulated from the outdoor elements.
Inside, the grand lobby features a striking archway design and walls clad in Mediterranean-style perforated marble for both aesthetic and soundproofing purposes. The polished marble floors gleam without being overly shiny, while the main hallway leading to the banquet hall is an artistic corridor showcasing Chinese calligraphy and copper reliefs that depict the evolution of Chinese script, from ancient oracle bone inscriptions to modern-day characters.
At the top of the Jin Mao Tower, the 88th floor offers the “Cloud Walk”—a 60-meter-long, 1.2-meter-wide transparent skywalk, the highest of its kind in the world. This glass walkway allows visitors to experience Shanghai from a breathtaking 340.1 meters above ground level, walking in the clouds and enjoying an unparalleled view of the city below.
Since its completion, the Jin Mao Tower has garnered numerous accolades, including the Illinois World Architecture Award in 1998 and the Shanghai Classic Architecture Gold Award in 1999. It also achieved LEED-EB certification in 2013 and was named one of the "Top Ten New Landmarks in Shanghai" in 2020.
A true symbol of Shanghai's dynamic growth, the Jin Mao Tower remains a must-see destination for those who wish to experience the cutting-edge of modern architecture while soaking in the rich cultural and historical essence of one of the world’s most exciting cities.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower

Standing at a towering height of 468 meters (1,536 feet), the Oriental Pearl TV Tower is not only the tallest TV tower in Asia but also the third tallest in the world. It ranks behind the 553.3-meter-high CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, and the 540-meter-high Ostankino Tower in Moscow, Russia. Located in the heart of Pudong’s Lujiazui district, the tower has become a symbol of Shanghai, drawing both locals and tourists alike. Its unique design, featuring 15 spheres of varying sizes at different heights, creates a striking and futuristic appearance.
The tower's design is said to be inspired by a famous Chinese poetic line, "large and small pearls dropping onto a jade plate," evoking an image of pearls scattered across a jade surface. From its observation deck, visitors are treated to panoramic views of the bustling city, the Huangpu River, and beyond. The revolving restaurant and the expansive sightseeing platform can accommodate up to 1,600 people, offering an unparalleled experience in the sky.
Construction of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower began in 1992, with an initial investment of 50 million Yuan from the government. An additional 150 million Yuan and 10 million US Dollars were raised through bank loans from 44 banks. The tower was completed and opened to the public in 1994. It is affectionately known in China as "Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl," a reference to its striking design, with two massive spheres at the base and a large pearl-like structure at the top.
In 1995, the tower began broadcasting, hosting nine television channels and 10 FM radio stations. Over the years, it has become a major hub for media and telecommunications, in addition to being a top tourist destination.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower offers a wide range of amenities for visitors. At a height of 263 meters, the observation deck provides breathtaking views of Shanghai’s skyline. You can also visit the futuristic "Space City" exhibition hall and the Shanghai Municipal History Museum, located in the tower's base. This museum showcases the history of the city, including its transformation from a small fishing village to one of the world’s leading metropolises.
The large lower sphere of the tower features various attractions, including the "Science Fantasy City" and the "Recreational Palace." On a clear day, visitors can enjoy a view stretching all the way to the Yangtze River from the sightseeing hall. In addition to the observation areas, the tower houses a hotel with 25 elegant rooms in the smaller spheres, offering a relaxing place for visitors to stay.
At the very top of the tower is a large pearl-shaped structure, home to a rotating restaurant, shops, and additional viewing platforms. This iconic structure provides guests with a unique dining experience while enjoying Shanghai’s spectacular skyline.
Over the past decade, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower has welcomed more than 25 million visitors, including 295 overseas heads of state and dignitaries. This immense popularity has made it one of the most profitable TV towers globally. In fact, its annual revenue has exceeded that of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
According to the World Brand Lab, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower ranked 96th among the 500 most valuable Chinese brands, with a brand value of 5.148 billion Yuan (approximately 6.2 billion USD). It has consistently been one of the top 20 most influential Chinese brands on the global stage in recent years.
The tower’s combination of cutting-edge technology, breathtaking views, and cultural significance has made it a must-visit attraction in Shanghai and a proud symbol of China's modern achievements.
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower stands as a monumental achievement in both architecture and engineering, symbolizing Shanghai's vibrant future while honoring its rich history. Whether you’re marveling at the panoramic views, exploring the interactive exhibits, or dining in the sky, the tower promises an unforgettable experience for all who visit.
Children’s Palace



Highlights
Mt. Jiuhua

Jiuhua Mount together with Wutai Mount in Shanxi Province, Putuo Mount in Zhejiang Province and E-mei Mountain in Sichuan Province is member of the mountains that are known for the Buddhist culture. Deep inside the steaming mountains, 78 old temples are lying peacefully beneath towering trees with smokes curling up above the roofs.
Jiuhua Mountain consists of nine peaks, of which make a circle just like a lotus. Precious animals like giant salamander and rarely seen plants like Zamioculcas zamiifolia are one of the treasures here. Clear streams originating from Jiuhua Mountain are running down to different directions, forming a pleasant scene around. The curtain-like waterfalls are flying down from the cliffs, providing another kind of splendid landscape for you.
Throughout the ages, such celebrities as poets, painters and calligraphers have been attracted by the marvelous sceneries. Libai (701-762), a famous poet in Tang Dynasty, once came to visit the mountain. The verse slipped out when he was intoxicated with the scene of lotus blooms-like peaks of Mt. Jiuhua, 'From the azure skies above descends a jade-like flow, and nine fascinating lotuses rise out of the hills below'. Later, poet Liu Yuxi (772-784) in Tang Dynasty, litterateur Wang Anshi (1021-1086) in North Song Dynasty and many other scholars, politicians and monks also made the journey to the mountain.
The picturesque natural landscapes together with the wonderful human landscapes won a name as the Most Wonderful Mountain in Southeastern China for Jiuhua Mountain. Sunrise, sunset, seas of clouds, soft rime and Buddha’s Light are too beautiful to forget.
Opening Hours: the whole day
Ticket Price:
95 CNY for the kids
190 CNY for the adults
Location: Chizhou City, Anhui Province
Transportation: Public Bus No. 7 will bring you here
Tunxi Ancient Street

For people who love Chinese paintings, the famous painting, Riverside Scene on the Pure Brightness Festival, must be a way to learn about the Chinese art, because it describes the most prosperous scene of the ancient China. While, Tunxi ancient town is praised as the real scene of that painting. From which, can you tell how wonderful this ancient town is?
It is the best-preserved commercial street with the styles of Song, Ming and Qing Dynasty. The architectures around the old town are not too large but exquisite in designs. The white walls and blue Chinese-style tiles of the orderly located buildings are giving out a strong breath of elegance and antique. The Hui-style gates with delicate wooden carving on can be one of the symbols.
Built in Song dynasty, about 700 years ago, Tunxi Ancient Street, became a distribution center for goods and materials to Huizhou during Ming and Qing dynasties. With shops, it looks densely and compactly. The shops, workshops and residences form an organic whole, keeping the characteristic and operation layout of ancient store. They are simple and elegant, magnificent and clean. The lane along the old town is paved with red flagstones. With clear grain after a rain, it is as clean as a picture. Whether you are wandering along the old bridge, visiting the fish beside the river, finding shoots of bamboo on the slope, or standing under a tree and listening to the birds whistle, it is easy to rest and attain mental tranquility by getting back to the nature.
With the mountain in the north and the clear stream in the south, this ancient town possesses an advantaged location, making itself a wonderful place throughout the ages. It should be a good choice to come here for the exploration of the Chinese Ancient culture and customs.
Opening Hours: the whole day
Ticket Price: free
Location: Tunxi Zone, Huangshan City, Anhui Province
Transportation: Bus No. 1 and 12 from Huangshan City will bring you here
Mountain Huangshan Scenic Spot

Four wonders of Mt. Huangshan

Four seasons in Mt. Huangshan

Scenic Areas of Yellow Mountain

The Scenic Spots Areas of Yellow Mountain are the reason why the Huangshan City is so popular with the visitors near and far. Yellow Mountain is praised as the most fantastic mountain in China for the Four Wonders it embraces, namely the odd-shaped pines, spectacular rocks, pleasant hot springs and varied seas of clouds.
In the past centuries, numerous celebrities have visitor and left behind their masterpieces made for praising those beautiful sceneries around.
Hot Spring Scenic Area
It is a thousand years old hot spring with an average temperature of 40℃ that has been enjoying a high reputation near and far, and never run dry during the most severe droughts nor over-flown in rainy season. It is hailed as scared spring for its therapeutic effects for metabolic disorder, cardiovascular disease, malfunctions of digestive and nervous systems.
With marvelous sceneries around, the hot spring scenic area will come to live when the tourism season falls. The most amazing one is the waterfalls rushing down from the 50 meters high cliff, which, because of being split into two branches, looks from a distance like a Chinese character “人”.
Jade Screen Scenic Area
The sceneries around the Jade Screen Pavilion include the three picturesque Islands, the steep Aerial-ladder-like Stone Stairs and the mysterious Big Turtle Cave. On the peak of the mountains, bizarre pines and lifelike Buddha statues make this area more attractive.
With the height of 1,864 meters, the Lotus Mountain, the peak of the Mountain Huang, has appealed to numerous celebrities, like Chairman Mao, General Zhu De and General Liu Bocheng.
Beihai Scenic Area (North Sea Scenic Area)
Splendid mountains make up this special scenic spot, where will provide you different angles for those fantastic landscapes around Mountain Huang. Among those steaming mountains, the odd-shaped pines, spectacular rocks and varied seas of clouds will catch your eyes, therefore here is praised as the window of the Mountain Huang.
There is a platform at the top of Lion Mountain named Qingliangtai where is the best place for you to enjoy the sunrise and the seas of the clouds.
White Cloud Scenic Area (Baiyun Scenic Area)
A fantastic landscape of odd-shaped pines, bizarre rocks, roaring waterfalls and chirping steams is really a sumptuous feast of eyes.
The West Sea, long known as the Mystery Valley for the many clusters of peaks and the fathomless depth of the valley has been opened up as the White Cloud Stream Scenic Area. As the highest falls in the Yellow Mountains, Qianxun waterfall has a drop of 140 meters, and is ice-free all the year round. The falls thunder can be heard at Swan Rock near the brook and one can also have a near look on the Immortal Walking on Stilts.
Songgu Scenic Area (Pine Valley Scenic Area)
After the completion of the mission of climbing up the stone stairs over 6,500 steps leading to the peak of the Furong Mountain, beautiful landscapes made up by steaming forests, flying waterfalls, chirping steams, peaceful ponds, mysterious temple and exotic plants are waiting for you.
Here peaks are green and water is clear around the year. Beautiful scenic attractions include Old Dragon Pool (Laolong Tan), Green Dragon Pool (Qinglong Tan), Black Dragon Pool (Wulong Tan), White Dragon Pool (Bailong Tan) and Emerald Pond.
Yungu Scenic Area (Cloud Valley Scenic Area)
Situated between Arhat Peak and Incense Burner Peak, the 890 meters high Cloud Valley Temple is half way between the North Sea and the Hot Spring along the mountain as well as the departure station of the cable car route to the North Sea. This area does not lose out to other scenic areas for beauty. The major sights of this area are the Cloud Valley Villa, oddly shaped rocks, old trees and the Nine-Dragon Waterfall and the Baizhang Spring.
Descending the mountain path to the left of the Cloud Valley Temple and going through the bamboo grove, tourists can watch the Nine Dragon Falls four kilometers away. The Nine-Dragon Waterfall plunges all of 300 meters from the cliff top between the Incense Burner Peak and the Arhat Peak. The waterfall has nine leaps, each leap forms a waterfall and each fall feeds a pool.
Opening Hours: the whole day
Ticket Price:
230 CNY from March 1 to November 31
150 CNY from December 1 to February 28
Half fare for the student, soldiers, teachers, retired and the people over 60 years
Location: Nanshan City, Anhui Province
Transportation: Tour bus available every 15 minutes from Tourism Transportation Center in Tangkou Town, Huangshan City will bring you here (13 CNY)
Guide to the Cableways

Looking down from the cableway, you will see some different and amazing landscapes.
Cloud Valley Cableway (Cableway 1)
Cloud Valley Cableway with a length of 2,666 meters has been put into operation since the year 2007. It is supported by the world’s most sophisticated to ensure the safety and comfortableness. With a high difference of 775 meters, this cableway can provide you a different but splendid view of many landscapes with a bird’s view. A speed of 6 meters each second makes it takes only 8 minutes to get to the peak.
Opening Hours:
At weekend: 6:30 -- 16:30
Monday to Friday: 7:00 -- 16:30
Ticket Price:
80 CNY
Free for the kids below 1.2 m
Half Fare for the kids between 1.2 and 1.4
Taiping Cableway (Cableway 2)
Spanning 3,709 meters, Taiping cableway is the longest cableway in Asia. With a high difference of 1,014.5 meter, it can provide you an amazing bird’s view of such fantastic sceneries as Songgu Temple, Jade Pond and Moya Inscription, which seems like a 3D picture.
Opening Hours:
At weekend: 6:30 -- 16:30
Monday to Friday: 7:00 -- 16:30
Ticket Price:
65 CNY
80 CNY on Chinese public holidays
Free for the kids below 1.1 meter tall
Half fare for the kids between 1.1 and 1.3 m
Jade Screen Cableway (Cableway 3)
Spanning 2,176 meters, Jade Screen cableway with a high difference of 1,014.5 meters can take you go through the seas of clouds, provide you an amazing bird’s view of such fantastic sceneries as white-ribbon-like streams and take you to the wonderful and magical landscapes.
Opening Hours:
At weekend: 6:30 -- 16:30
Monday to Friday: 7:00 -- 16:30
Ticket Price:
65 CNY
80 CNY on Chinese public holidays
Free for the kids below 1.1 meter tall
Half fare for the kids between 1.1 and 1.3 m
Wildlife in Yellow Mountain

Deep inside this flourishing and peaceful mountain, wildlife of various kinds have been leading a harmonious life, making the mountain full of vigor. Owing to the mild climate, wildlife here enjoys a pleasant living environment.
Plants
Huang Mountain is a mini eco-system with wild plants and animals of various kinds living a harmonious life here. According to the Directories of Plants in Huangshan, Huangshan scenic spots have about 1446 species of protophyte in 155 orders, 193 species of hemerophyte in 51 orders. The protophyte include 187 species of bryophyte in 114 genera and 127 species of pteridophyte in 57 genera. These rare and ancient plants are of great viewing value and of scientific research significance. They can serve as important materials and experiment sites for probing into origins and history.
Various plants of different colors will address the Huang Mountain in different covers, making here a wonderful resort all year round.
Animals
The flourishing forests and the pleasant weather are the ideal environment for the precious wild animals of more than 300 species. Among them, there are 176 kinds of birds in 17 orders and 40 families, 48 kinds of reptiles, 21 kinds of amphibious animals, 24 kinds of fishes and 54 kinds of beasts. You will feel like walking into a paradise of animals here.
When the dawn comes, Mountain Huang will come to live with chirping birds’ seeking for foods, lovely monkeys jumping around, deer dancing, shy animals doing the hide-and-seek and other animals taking the morning walk.
Mt. Jiuhua

Jiuhua Mount together with Wutai Mount in Shanxi Province, Putuo Mount in Zhejiang Province and E-mei Mountain in Sichuan Province is member of the mountains that are known for the Buddhist culture. Deep inside the steaming mountains, 78 old temples are lying peacefully beneath towering trees with smokes curling up above the roofs.
Jiuhua Mountain consists of nine peaks, of which make a circle just like a lotus. Precious animals like giant salamander and rarely seen plants like Zamioculcas zamiifolia are one of the treasures here. Clear streams originating from Jiuhua Mountain are running down to different directions, forming a pleasant scene around. The curtain-like waterfalls are flying down from the cliffs, providing another kind of splendid landscape for you.
Throughout the ages, such celebrities as poets, painters and calligraphers have been attracted by the marvelous sceneries. Libai (701-762), a famous poet in Tang Dynasty, once came to visit the mountain. The verse slipped out when he was intoxicated with the scene of lotus blooms-like peaks of Mt. Jiuhua, 'From the azure skies above descends a jade-like flow, and nine fascinating lotuses rise out of the hills below'. Later, poet Liu Yuxi (772-784) in Tang Dynasty, litterateur Wang Anshi (1021-1086) in North Song Dynasty and many other scholars, politicians and monks also made the journey to the mountain.
The picturesque natural landscapes together with the wonderful human landscapes won a name as the Most Wonderful Mountain in Southeastern China for Jiuhua Mountain. Sunrise, sunset, seas of clouds, soft rime and Buddha’s Light are too beautiful to forget.
Opening Hours: the whole day
Ticket Price:
95 CNY for the kids
190 CNY for the adults
Location: Chizhou City, Anhui Province
Transportation: Public Bus No. 7 will bring you here
Tunxi Ancient Street

For people who love Chinese paintings, the famous painting, Riverside Scene on the Pure Brightness Festival, must be a way to learn about the Chinese art, because it describes the most prosperous scene of the ancient China. While, Tunxi ancient town is praised as the real scene of that painting. From which, can you tell how wonderful this ancient town is?
It is the best-preserved commercial street with the styles of Song, Ming and Qing Dynasty. The architectures around the old town are not too large but exquisite in designs. The white walls and blue Chinese-style tiles of the orderly located buildings are giving out a strong breath of elegance and antique. The Hui-style gates with delicate wooden carving on can be one of the symbols.
Built in Song dynasty, about 700 years ago, Tunxi Ancient Street, became a distribution center for goods and materials to Huizhou during Ming and Qing dynasties. With shops, it looks densely and compactly. The shops, workshops and residences form an organic whole, keeping the characteristic and operation layout of ancient store. They are simple and elegant, magnificent and clean. The lane along the old town is paved with red flagstones. With clear grain after a rain, it is as clean as a picture. Whether you are wandering along the old bridge, visiting the fish beside the river, finding shoots of bamboo on the slope, or standing under a tree and listening to the birds whistle, it is easy to rest and attain mental tranquility by getting back to the nature.
With the mountain in the north and the clear stream in the south, this ancient town possesses an advantaged location, making itself a wonderful place throughout the ages. It should be a good choice to come here for the exploration of the Chinese Ancient culture and customs.
Opening Hours: the whole day
Ticket Price: free
Location: Tunxi Zone, Huangshan City, Anhui Province
Transportation: Bus No. 1 and 12 from Huangshan City will bring you here
Mountain Huangshan Scenic Spot

Four wonders of Mt. Huangshan

Four seasons in Mt. Huangshan

Scenic Areas of Yellow Mountain

The Scenic Spots Areas of Yellow Mountain are the reason why the Huangshan City is so popular with the visitors near and far. Yellow Mountain is praised as the most fantastic mountain in China for the Four Wonders it embraces, namely the odd-shaped pines, spectacular rocks, pleasant hot springs and varied seas of clouds.
In the past centuries, numerous celebrities have visitor and left behind their masterpieces made for praising those beautiful sceneries around.
Hot Spring Scenic Area
It is a thousand years old hot spring with an average temperature of 40℃ that has been enjoying a high reputation near and far, and never run dry during the most severe droughts nor over-flown in rainy season. It is hailed as scared spring for its therapeutic effects for metabolic disorder, cardiovascular disease, malfunctions of digestive and nervous systems.
With marvelous sceneries around, the hot spring scenic area will come to live when the tourism season falls. The most amazing one is the waterfalls rushing down from the 50 meters high cliff, which, because of being split into two branches, looks from a distance like a Chinese character “人”.
Jade Screen Scenic Area
The sceneries around the Jade Screen Pavilion include the three picturesque Islands, the steep Aerial-ladder-like Stone Stairs and the mysterious Big Turtle Cave. On the peak of the mountains, bizarre pines and lifelike Buddha statues make this area more attractive.
With the height of 1,864 meters, the Lotus Mountain, the peak of the Mountain Huang, has appealed to numerous celebrities, like Chairman Mao, General Zhu De and General Liu Bocheng.
Beihai Scenic Area (North Sea Scenic Area)
Splendid mountains make up this special scenic spot, where will provide you different angles for those fantastic landscapes around Mountain Huang. Among those steaming mountains, the odd-shaped pines, spectacular rocks and varied seas of clouds will catch your eyes, therefore here is praised as the window of the Mountain Huang.
There is a platform at the top of Lion Mountain named Qingliangtai where is the best place for you to enjoy the sunrise and the seas of the clouds.
White Cloud Scenic Area (Baiyun Scenic Area)
A fantastic landscape of odd-shaped pines, bizarre rocks, roaring waterfalls and chirping steams is really a sumptuous feast of eyes.
The West Sea, long known as the Mystery Valley for the many clusters of peaks and the fathomless depth of the valley has been opened up as the White Cloud Stream Scenic Area. As the highest falls in the Yellow Mountains, Qianxun waterfall has a drop of 140 meters, and is ice-free all the year round. The falls thunder can be heard at Swan Rock near the brook and one can also have a near look on the Immortal Walking on Stilts.
Songgu Scenic Area (Pine Valley Scenic Area)
After the completion of the mission of climbing up the stone stairs over 6,500 steps leading to the peak of the Furong Mountain, beautiful landscapes made up by steaming forests, flying waterfalls, chirping steams, peaceful ponds, mysterious temple and exotic plants are waiting for you.
Here peaks are green and water is clear around the year. Beautiful scenic attractions include Old Dragon Pool (Laolong Tan), Green Dragon Pool (Qinglong Tan), Black Dragon Pool (Wulong Tan), White Dragon Pool (Bailong Tan) and Emerald Pond.
Yungu Scenic Area (Cloud Valley Scenic Area)
Situated between Arhat Peak and Incense Burner Peak, the 890 meters high Cloud Valley Temple is half way between the North Sea and the Hot Spring along the mountain as well as the departure station of the cable car route to the North Sea. This area does not lose out to other scenic areas for beauty. The major sights of this area are the Cloud Valley Villa, oddly shaped rocks, old trees and the Nine-Dragon Waterfall and the Baizhang Spring.
Descending the mountain path to the left of the Cloud Valley Temple and going through the bamboo grove, tourists can watch the Nine Dragon Falls four kilometers away. The Nine-Dragon Waterfall plunges all of 300 meters from the cliff top between the Incense Burner Peak and the Arhat Peak. The waterfall has nine leaps, each leap forms a waterfall and each fall feeds a pool.
Opening Hours: the whole day
Ticket Price:
230 CNY from March 1 to November 31
150 CNY from December 1 to February 28
Half fare for the student, soldiers, teachers, retired and the people over 60 years
Location: Nanshan City, Anhui Province
Transportation: Tour bus available every 15 minutes from Tourism Transportation Center in Tangkou Town, Huangshan City will bring you here (13 CNY)
Guide to the Cableways

Looking down from the cableway, you will see some different and amazing landscapes.
Cloud Valley Cableway (Cableway 1)
Cloud Valley Cableway with a length of 2,666 meters has been put into operation since the year 2007. It is supported by the world’s most sophisticated to ensure the safety and comfortableness. With a high difference of 775 meters, this cableway can provide you a different but splendid view of many landscapes with a bird’s view. A speed of 6 meters each second makes it takes only 8 minutes to get to the peak.
Opening Hours:
At weekend: 6:30 -- 16:30
Monday to Friday: 7:00 -- 16:30
Ticket Price:
80 CNY
Free for the kids below 1.2 m
Half Fare for the kids between 1.2 and 1.4
Taiping Cableway (Cableway 2)
Spanning 3,709 meters, Taiping cableway is the longest cableway in Asia. With a high difference of 1,014.5 meter, it can provide you an amazing bird’s view of such fantastic sceneries as Songgu Temple, Jade Pond and Moya Inscription, which seems like a 3D picture.
Opening Hours:
At weekend: 6:30 -- 16:30
Monday to Friday: 7:00 -- 16:30
Ticket Price:
65 CNY
80 CNY on Chinese public holidays
Free for the kids below 1.1 meter tall
Half fare for the kids between 1.1 and 1.3 m
Jade Screen Cableway (Cableway 3)
Spanning 2,176 meters, Jade Screen cableway with a high difference of 1,014.5 meters can take you go through the seas of clouds, provide you an amazing bird’s view of such fantastic sceneries as white-ribbon-like streams and take you to the wonderful and magical landscapes.
Opening Hours:
At weekend: 6:30 -- 16:30
Monday to Friday: 7:00 -- 16:30
Ticket Price:
65 CNY
80 CNY on Chinese public holidays
Free for the kids below 1.1 meter tall
Half fare for the kids between 1.1 and 1.3 m
Wildlife in Yellow Mountain

Deep inside this flourishing and peaceful mountain, wildlife of various kinds have been leading a harmonious life, making the mountain full of vigor. Owing to the mild climate, wildlife here enjoys a pleasant living environment.
Plants
Huang Mountain is a mini eco-system with wild plants and animals of various kinds living a harmonious life here. According to the Directories of Plants in Huangshan, Huangshan scenic spots have about 1446 species of protophyte in 155 orders, 193 species of hemerophyte in 51 orders. The protophyte include 187 species of bryophyte in 114 genera and 127 species of pteridophyte in 57 genera. These rare and ancient plants are of great viewing value and of scientific research significance. They can serve as important materials and experiment sites for probing into origins and history.
Various plants of different colors will address the Huang Mountain in different covers, making here a wonderful resort all year round.
Animals
The flourishing forests and the pleasant weather are the ideal environment for the precious wild animals of more than 300 species. Among them, there are 176 kinds of birds in 17 orders and 40 families, 48 kinds of reptiles, 21 kinds of amphibious animals, 24 kinds of fishes and 54 kinds of beasts. You will feel like walking into a paradise of animals here.
When the dawn comes, Mountain Huang will come to live with chirping birds’ seeking for foods, lovely monkeys jumping around, deer dancing, shy animals doing the hide-and-seek and other animals taking the morning walk.
Mt. Jiuhua

Jiuhua Mount together with Wutai Mount in Shanxi Province, Putuo Mount in Zhejiang Province and E-mei Mountain in Sichuan Province is member of the mountains that are known for the Buddhist culture. Deep inside the steaming mountains, 78 old temples are lying peacefully beneath towering trees with smokes curling up above the roofs.
Jiuhua Mountain consists of nine peaks, of which make a circle just like a lotus. Precious animals like giant salamander and rarely seen plants like Zamioculcas zamiifolia are one of the treasures here. Clear streams originating from Jiuhua Mountain are running down to different directions, forming a pleasant scene around. The curtain-like waterfalls are flying down from the cliffs, providing another kind of splendid landscape for you.
Throughout the ages, such celebrities as poets, painters and calligraphers have been attracted by the marvelous sceneries. Libai (701-762), a famous poet in Tang Dynasty, once came to visit the mountain. The verse slipped out when he was intoxicated with the scene of lotus blooms-like peaks of Mt. Jiuhua, 'From the azure skies above descends a jade-like flow, and nine fascinating lotuses rise out of the hills below'. Later, poet Liu Yuxi (772-784) in Tang Dynasty, litterateur Wang Anshi (1021-1086) in North Song Dynasty and many other scholars, politicians and monks also made the journey to the mountain.
The picturesque natural landscapes together with the wonderful human landscapes won a name as the Most Wonderful Mountain in Southeastern China for Jiuhua Mountain. Sunrise, sunset, seas of clouds, soft rime and Buddha’s Light are too beautiful to forget.
Opening Hours: the whole day
Ticket Price:
95 CNY for the kids
190 CNY for the adults
Location: Chizhou City, Anhui Province
Transportation: Public Bus No. 7 will bring you here
Tunxi Ancient Street

For people who love Chinese paintings, the famous painting, Riverside Scene on the Pure Brightness Festival, must be a way to learn about the Chinese art, because it describes the most prosperous scene of the ancient China. While, Tunxi ancient town is praised as the real scene of that painting. From which, can you tell how wonderful this ancient town is?
It is the best-preserved commercial street with the styles of Song, Ming and Qing Dynasty. The architectures around the old town are not too large but exquisite in designs. The white walls and blue Chinese-style tiles of the orderly located buildings are giving out a strong breath of elegance and antique. The Hui-style gates with delicate wooden carving on can be one of the symbols.
Built in Song dynasty, about 700 years ago, Tunxi Ancient Street, became a distribution center for goods and materials to Huizhou during Ming and Qing dynasties. With shops, it looks densely and compactly. The shops, workshops and residences form an organic whole, keeping the characteristic and operation layout of ancient store. They are simple and elegant, magnificent and clean. The lane along the old town is paved with red flagstones. With clear grain after a rain, it is as clean as a picture. Whether you are wandering along the old bridge, visiting the fish beside the river, finding shoots of bamboo on the slope, or standing under a tree and listening to the birds whistle, it is easy to rest and attain mental tranquility by getting back to the nature.
With the mountain in the north and the clear stream in the south, this ancient town possesses an advantaged location, making itself a wonderful place throughout the ages. It should be a good choice to come here for the exploration of the Chinese Ancient culture and customs.
Opening Hours: the whole day
Ticket Price: free
Location: Tunxi Zone, Huangshan City, Anhui Province
Transportation: Bus No. 1 and 12 from Huangshan City will bring you here

Highlights
The Tiger Hill

Tiger Hill was not the Tiger Hill before the King of the Wu Kingdom buried his father here. It is said that three days after the burial, a tiger appeared before the tomb, so people named it the present name --Tiger Hill. This 36-meter-high hill with 1000,000 m2 of area is one of the most popular resorts in Suzhou, where is praised as the must-visit-place in Suzhou by Su Dongpo, an eminent poet in North Song Dynasty (960-1127).
The architectures are the main cultural relics in Tiger Hill, which goes pretty well with the circumstance around. Most of the architectures here, including tower, palace, bridge, pavilion and tomb, were built in the ancient time, some are in Five Dynasties (907-979), some are in Song Dynasty (960-1234) and Yuan Dynasty (1206-1370), the other are in Ming Dynasty (1364-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). The architecture designs are of great significance in the development of Chinese architecture.
The most attractive scene is the 48-meter-tall Yunyan Tower, which is hailed as the Oriental Leaning Tower of Pisa, while the most mysterious one is the Sword Pool (Jian Chi), where is said hides a secret behind the tomb of the King of Wu State.
Tiger Hill is lively place where many festivals and celebrations are hold. The Flower Festival in spring, the local temple fair in autumn and the Tourism Festival of Suzhou are included. Thus it is a good place to go for you expedition of Chinese culture and customs.
Opening Hours:
7:30--17:30 (from March 1 to November 15)
7:30--17:00 (from November 16 to February 29)
Ticket Price:
40 CNY from October 31 to April 15
60 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: At the end of Tiger Hill Road, Suzhou
Transportation: Toru Bus No. 1 and 2, and Bus No. 32, 146, 816 and 949 will bring you here.
Zhouzhuang



Canglang Pavilion (Blue Wave Pavilion)

As the oldest garden among the existing classical gardens of Suzhou, Canglang Pavilion together with 'Lion Grove', 'Humble Administrator's Garden' and 'Garden for Lingering In.', is praised as the four most famous gardens in Suzhou. It was used as the private garden of a Prince of the Five Dynasties (907-960), thus the designs are of royal flavor.
This 11,000 m2 garden is full of breath of simplicity and serenity, with the rockery and pools as decorations. Over 108 patterns of carvings are applied into the decoration of the walls of the meandering corridor, which are all exquisite and elegant as that of in the traditional gardens.
The inscriptions go harmonious with the typical decorations of the entire garden, such as the poetic couplet carved on both sides of the gate. The key style of the decoration of this garden traces back to the Song Dynasty (960-1234), which together with the green bamboo will make your trip full of sceneries and literary flavor.
Note:
1.The landscape here have different highlights in different seasons and the best time for traveling here is February and October.
2. Take the medicine for preventing the mosquitoes in case of being bite by the mosquitoes, especially in summer.
Opening Hours: 7:30 -- 17: 30
Ticket Price:
15 CNY from October 31 to April 15
20 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Half fare for the people over 60 but less than 70
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: No. 3, Canglang Pavillion Street, Sanyuan Lane, Suzhou
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 2,4 and 5 and Bus No. 1, 5, 27, 30, 39, 101, 102, 103, 218, 261, 308 and 309 will bring you here.
Lingering Garden (Liuyuan)

Lingering Garden together with 'Lion Grove', 'Humble Administrator's Garden' and Canglang Pavilion, is praised as the four most famous gardens in Suzhou, for their artistic ways of dealing with the spaces between various kinds of architectural form. The garden is divided into four parts, namely the middle, eastern, northern and western, each of which has command of particular sceneries.
The middle part is featured by the water landscapes, which is the essence of the garden. The eastern part consists of idiomatical corridors and yards with picturesque rockery. The northern is full of the countryside flavor with the potted landscapes as decoration. The western is the top of the whole garden, from where you can overlook the entire view of the Lingering Garden.
There are three unique must-visit landscapes in Lingering Garden-- the Cloud Capped Peak, the Nanmu Palace and the Fish Fossil. Cloud Capped Peak is the one and only bizarre stone derived from Taihu Lake in the Song Dynasty (960-1234). Most of the building materials of Nanmu Palace is Nanmu, which is a precious and rare plant. The Fish Fossil, with a thickness of 15 mm and diameter of 1 meter, is a natural fossil transit from Yunnan to Suzhou, on which there is a natural picture of landscape painting.
Opening Hours: 7:30 -- 17:00
Ticket Price:
30 CNY from October 31 to April 15
40 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Location: No. 302, Liuyuan Road, Jinchang District, Suzhou
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 1, 3 and 5, Bus No. 6, 7, 22, 33, 44, 70, 85, 88, 91, 101 and 103 will bring you here.
Humble Administrator's Garden(Zhuozhengyuan)

Humble Administrator's Garden, the largest garden in Suzhou covering 52000 m2, is 500 years old. It is known for the typical and luxurious designs. Located in the Oriental Venice, Humble Administrator's Garden is featured by the water landscape that occupies three fifths of the entire garden, which is a reflection of special customs and culture in the south area of Yangtze River. Humble Administrator's Garden is representative of Chinese classical gardens in the Ming Dynasty, which is focused on a central pond with pavilions, terraces, chambers, and towers located nearby.
In this magnificent garden, the typical artificial landscapes, the rockery islands, the bamboo castles, the pine hills and meandering streams are so attractive and characterized that it is praised as the Model of the Garden. Elaborately conceived, the designer of the garden used the architecture technique know as 'borrowed view from afar' in the layout of this part, aiming to enlarge eyeshot within a limited space. Seen westward, a pagoda would be seen sitting in western garden, which actually is situated 1 km away from the garden.
Humble Administrator's Garden, the dwelling house of the famous poet Lu Guimeng in Tang Dynasty (618-907), is divided into four parts: the eastern, middle, western parts and the part for dwelling, in which arts of architecture, calligraphy, carving, painting and bonsai are the main decorations.
Note: The best time for traveling here is spring, summer and autumn, but not the Chinese holidays.
Opening Hours: 8:15--17:30
Ticket Price:
50 CNY from October 31 to April 15
70 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: No. 178, Dongbei Street, Pingjiang District, Suzhou
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 1, 2 and 5, and Bus No. 50, 55, 178, 202, 262, 309, 529, 331, 518 and 923 will bring you here.
Lion Grove Garden (Shizilin)

Built in 1342 during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) by Monk Tianru and a group of Zen Buddhist disciples as a memorial of their master-Monk Zhongfeng, Lion Grove Garden has witnessed 650 years’ changes. As one of the four famous Chinese gardens (together with Lingering Garden, Humble Administrator's Garden and Canglang Pavilion), Lion Grove Garden covers 11,000 m2.
Hailed as the Kingdom of the Rockery, Lion Grove Garden is full of lifelike rockeries that are of colorful shapes and complex postures. Plenty of rockeries are actually from North Song Dynasty (960-1127), which has been turned into various delicate patterns under the design of the skillful artisans. In the last reconstruction, some western styles and Chinese folk artistries are introduced into this Buddhist garden to make more charming and natural.
In this maze-like garden, Chinese traditional culture and literary works are one of the features. On the walls of the corridors, the calligraphies of the four eminent calligraphers in Song Dynasty (960-1234) are carved, and around the garden scriptures of the Buddhist classics can be seen, which provides you a chance of learning the Chinese cultures while enjoy the landscapes.
The water and rockeries form a beautiful contrast that is the key tone of the garden, which is the original model of some royal gardens. Rockeries together with water, bamboo grove, pavilions, meandering corridors and green plant formed a refreshing and nature-like resort where you can spend your expedition.
Opening Hours: 8:00--17:00
Ticket Price:
20 CNY from October 31 to April 15
30 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: No. 23, Yuanlin Road, Jiangping District, Suzhou
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 1, 2 and 5, and Bus No. 2, 3, 40, 55, 313, 301, 529 and 923 will bring you here.
Garden of the Master of the Nets

Built in the Song Dynasty (960-1234), Garden of Master of the Nets is as old as 800 years and is as big as one sixth of the Humble Administrators’ Garden, covering 8800 m2. Small as it is, the landscapes it owns are so impressive that many Chinese celebrities have lived in or near the garden. The master of the Chinese Traditional Paintings, Zhang Daqian, has ever lived in and created many masterpieces.
It is a symbol of the classical gardens of small and medium size, which has the exquisite designs and sophisticated layout. Once entering into the garden, you will impressed by the harmonious decorations and architectures inside, which will create an illusion that the garden is much greater than it is.
Despite of the small size, it possesses lots of highlights, among which the Dian Chun-yi, a cabin made of bamboo that covers less than 600 m2, is the impressive one. Dian Chun-yi has been imitated for more than once in the design of splendid garden all over the world, such as the Yiyuan Garden in Canada in 1986, the Yunxiuyuan Garden in Singapore in 1992 and the Jixingyuan Garden in America in 1998 etc. Therefore, it is safe to say that it is the garden with the delicate designs.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 22:00
Ticket Price:
15 CNY from October 31 to April 15
30 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Location: No. 11, North Yinxing Bridge, Canglang District, Suzhou
Transportation: Bus No. 204, 511, 47, 501, 202 and 931 will bring you here.
Hanshan Temple (Cold Mountain Temple)

Hanshan Temple, built in Liang Dynasty (502-557) and reconstructed in Tang Dynasty (618-907), derived the name from the abbot, who named Hanshan. Having come through 1400 years’ changes, Hanshan Temple has appealed to a growing number of people for its features and historic significance.
The architectures inside are of great value in art and of unusual features, among which the Hualan Lou is worthy of a visit. The Hualan Lou is supported by only two backbones, which just like the handle of the flower basket. It is a reflection of the Chinese traditional architecture style and sophisticated skills. Surprisingly, the screwing up stairs is holds with only one single column with exquisite carvings on.
Seen from the Maple Bridge, Hanshan Temple impresses people with the yellow walls, green glazed roof and the towering old pines. On entering the temple, the delicate scriptures and magnificent architectures will catch your eyes. What’s more, the meanderings will lead you to the Buddhist halls, where you can admire the Buddhist classics and true-to-life sculptures.
The most popular activity held here is the Bell-hitting Ceremony on the December 31-- the eve of the New Year, on when people from near and far come here to experience the 108 hits on the bell and do the count down. The bell is a gift from Japan, which was made together with the one in the Guanshan Temple in Japan in the year 1906.
Note: The best time for traveling here is from April to October.
Opening Hours: 7:30 -- 17:00
Ticket Price:
20 CNY for the entrance
Free for the children below 1.2 meters
380 CNY for the Bell-hitting Ceremony on the eve of the New Year
Location: Maple Bridge Town, Suzhou (5 km away from the Suzhou City)
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 3 and Bus 6, 9, 17, 21, 31, 301 and 313 will bring you to Maple Bridge.
The Tiger Hill

Tiger Hill was not the Tiger Hill before the King of the Wu Kingdom buried his father here. It is said that three days after the burial, a tiger appeared before the tomb, so people named it the present name --Tiger Hill. This 36-meter-high hill with 1000,000 m2 of area is one of the most popular resorts in Suzhou, where is praised as the must-visit-place in Suzhou by Su Dongpo, an eminent poet in North Song Dynasty (960-1127).
The architectures are the main cultural relics in Tiger Hill, which goes pretty well with the circumstance around. Most of the architectures here, including tower, palace, bridge, pavilion and tomb, were built in the ancient time, some are in Five Dynasties (907-979), some are in Song Dynasty (960-1234) and Yuan Dynasty (1206-1370), the other are in Ming Dynasty (1364-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). The architecture designs are of great significance in the development of Chinese architecture.
The most attractive scene is the 48-meter-tall Yunyan Tower, which is hailed as the Oriental Leaning Tower of Pisa, while the most mysterious one is the Sword Pool (Jian Chi), where is said hides a secret behind the tomb of the King of Wu State.
Tiger Hill is lively place where many festivals and celebrations are hold. The Flower Festival in spring, the local temple fair in autumn and the Tourism Festival of Suzhou are included. Thus it is a good place to go for you expedition of Chinese culture and customs.
Opening Hours:
7:30--17:30 (from March 1 to November 15)
7:30--17:00 (from November 16 to February 29)
Ticket Price:
40 CNY from October 31 to April 15
60 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: At the end of Tiger Hill Road, Suzhou
Transportation: Toru Bus No. 1 and 2, and Bus No. 32, 146, 816 and 949 will bring you here.
Zhouzhuang



Canglang Pavilion (Blue Wave Pavilion)

As the oldest garden among the existing classical gardens of Suzhou, Canglang Pavilion together with 'Lion Grove', 'Humble Administrator's Garden' and 'Garden for Lingering In.', is praised as the four most famous gardens in Suzhou. It was used as the private garden of a Prince of the Five Dynasties (907-960), thus the designs are of royal flavor.
This 11,000 m2 garden is full of breath of simplicity and serenity, with the rockery and pools as decorations. Over 108 patterns of carvings are applied into the decoration of the walls of the meandering corridor, which are all exquisite and elegant as that of in the traditional gardens.
The inscriptions go harmonious with the typical decorations of the entire garden, such as the poetic couplet carved on both sides of the gate. The key style of the decoration of this garden traces back to the Song Dynasty (960-1234), which together with the green bamboo will make your trip full of sceneries and literary flavor.
Note:
1.The landscape here have different highlights in different seasons and the best time for traveling here is February and October.
2. Take the medicine for preventing the mosquitoes in case of being bite by the mosquitoes, especially in summer.
Opening Hours: 7:30 -- 17: 30
Ticket Price:
15 CNY from October 31 to April 15
20 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Half fare for the people over 60 but less than 70
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: No. 3, Canglang Pavillion Street, Sanyuan Lane, Suzhou
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 2,4 and 5 and Bus No. 1, 5, 27, 30, 39, 101, 102, 103, 218, 261, 308 and 309 will bring you here.
Lingering Garden (Liuyuan)

Lingering Garden together with 'Lion Grove', 'Humble Administrator's Garden' and Canglang Pavilion, is praised as the four most famous gardens in Suzhou, for their artistic ways of dealing with the spaces between various kinds of architectural form. The garden is divided into four parts, namely the middle, eastern, northern and western, each of which has command of particular sceneries.
The middle part is featured by the water landscapes, which is the essence of the garden. The eastern part consists of idiomatical corridors and yards with picturesque rockery. The northern is full of the countryside flavor with the potted landscapes as decoration. The western is the top of the whole garden, from where you can overlook the entire view of the Lingering Garden.
There are three unique must-visit landscapes in Lingering Garden-- the Cloud Capped Peak, the Nanmu Palace and the Fish Fossil. Cloud Capped Peak is the one and only bizarre stone derived from Taihu Lake in the Song Dynasty (960-1234). Most of the building materials of Nanmu Palace is Nanmu, which is a precious and rare plant. The Fish Fossil, with a thickness of 15 mm and diameter of 1 meter, is a natural fossil transit from Yunnan to Suzhou, on which there is a natural picture of landscape painting.
Opening Hours: 7:30 -- 17:00
Ticket Price:
30 CNY from October 31 to April 15
40 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Location: No. 302, Liuyuan Road, Jinchang District, Suzhou
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 1, 3 and 5, Bus No. 6, 7, 22, 33, 44, 70, 85, 88, 91, 101 and 103 will bring you here.
Humble Administrator's Garden(Zhuozhengyuan)

Humble Administrator's Garden, the largest garden in Suzhou covering 52000 m2, is 500 years old. It is known for the typical and luxurious designs. Located in the Oriental Venice, Humble Administrator's Garden is featured by the water landscape that occupies three fifths of the entire garden, which is a reflection of special customs and culture in the south area of Yangtze River. Humble Administrator's Garden is representative of Chinese classical gardens in the Ming Dynasty, which is focused on a central pond with pavilions, terraces, chambers, and towers located nearby.
In this magnificent garden, the typical artificial landscapes, the rockery islands, the bamboo castles, the pine hills and meandering streams are so attractive and characterized that it is praised as the Model of the Garden. Elaborately conceived, the designer of the garden used the architecture technique know as 'borrowed view from afar' in the layout of this part, aiming to enlarge eyeshot within a limited space. Seen westward, a pagoda would be seen sitting in western garden, which actually is situated 1 km away from the garden.
Humble Administrator's Garden, the dwelling house of the famous poet Lu Guimeng in Tang Dynasty (618-907), is divided into four parts: the eastern, middle, western parts and the part for dwelling, in which arts of architecture, calligraphy, carving, painting and bonsai are the main decorations.
Note: The best time for traveling here is spring, summer and autumn, but not the Chinese holidays.
Opening Hours: 8:15--17:30
Ticket Price:
50 CNY from October 31 to April 15
70 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: No. 178, Dongbei Street, Pingjiang District, Suzhou
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 1, 2 and 5, and Bus No. 50, 55, 178, 202, 262, 309, 529, 331, 518 and 923 will bring you here.
Lion Grove Garden (Shizilin)

Built in 1342 during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) by Monk Tianru and a group of Zen Buddhist disciples as a memorial of their master-Monk Zhongfeng, Lion Grove Garden has witnessed 650 years’ changes. As one of the four famous Chinese gardens (together with Lingering Garden, Humble Administrator's Garden and Canglang Pavilion), Lion Grove Garden covers 11,000 m2.
Hailed as the Kingdom of the Rockery, Lion Grove Garden is full of lifelike rockeries that are of colorful shapes and complex postures. Plenty of rockeries are actually from North Song Dynasty (960-1127), which has been turned into various delicate patterns under the design of the skillful artisans. In the last reconstruction, some western styles and Chinese folk artistries are introduced into this Buddhist garden to make more charming and natural.
In this maze-like garden, Chinese traditional culture and literary works are one of the features. On the walls of the corridors, the calligraphies of the four eminent calligraphers in Song Dynasty (960-1234) are carved, and around the garden scriptures of the Buddhist classics can be seen, which provides you a chance of learning the Chinese cultures while enjoy the landscapes.
The water and rockeries form a beautiful contrast that is the key tone of the garden, which is the original model of some royal gardens. Rockeries together with water, bamboo grove, pavilions, meandering corridors and green plant formed a refreshing and nature-like resort where you can spend your expedition.
Opening Hours: 8:00--17:00
Ticket Price:
20 CNY from October 31 to April 15
30 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: No. 23, Yuanlin Road, Jiangping District, Suzhou
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 1, 2 and 5, and Bus No. 2, 3, 40, 55, 313, 301, 529 and 923 will bring you here.
Garden of the Master of the Nets

Built in the Song Dynasty (960-1234), Garden of Master of the Nets is as old as 800 years and is as big as one sixth of the Humble Administrators’ Garden, covering 8800 m2. Small as it is, the landscapes it owns are so impressive that many Chinese celebrities have lived in or near the garden. The master of the Chinese Traditional Paintings, Zhang Daqian, has ever lived in and created many masterpieces.
It is a symbol of the classical gardens of small and medium size, which has the exquisite designs and sophisticated layout. Once entering into the garden, you will impressed by the harmonious decorations and architectures inside, which will create an illusion that the garden is much greater than it is.
Despite of the small size, it possesses lots of highlights, among which the Dian Chun-yi, a cabin made of bamboo that covers less than 600 m2, is the impressive one. Dian Chun-yi has been imitated for more than once in the design of splendid garden all over the world, such as the Yiyuan Garden in Canada in 1986, the Yunxiuyuan Garden in Singapore in 1992 and the Jixingyuan Garden in America in 1998 etc. Therefore, it is safe to say that it is the garden with the delicate designs.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 22:00
Ticket Price:
15 CNY from October 31 to April 15
30 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Location: No. 11, North Yinxing Bridge, Canglang District, Suzhou
Transportation: Bus No. 204, 511, 47, 501, 202 and 931 will bring you here.
Hanshan Temple (Cold Mountain Temple)

Hanshan Temple, built in Liang Dynasty (502-557) and reconstructed in Tang Dynasty (618-907), derived the name from the abbot, who named Hanshan. Having come through 1400 years’ changes, Hanshan Temple has appealed to a growing number of people for its features and historic significance.
The architectures inside are of great value in art and of unusual features, among which the Hualan Lou is worthy of a visit. The Hualan Lou is supported by only two backbones, which just like the handle of the flower basket. It is a reflection of the Chinese traditional architecture style and sophisticated skills. Surprisingly, the screwing up stairs is holds with only one single column with exquisite carvings on.
Seen from the Maple Bridge, Hanshan Temple impresses people with the yellow walls, green glazed roof and the towering old pines. On entering the temple, the delicate scriptures and magnificent architectures will catch your eyes. What’s more, the meanderings will lead you to the Buddhist halls, where you can admire the Buddhist classics and true-to-life sculptures.
The most popular activity held here is the Bell-hitting Ceremony on the December 31-- the eve of the New Year, on when people from near and far come here to experience the 108 hits on the bell and do the count down. The bell is a gift from Japan, which was made together with the one in the Guanshan Temple in Japan in the year 1906.
Note: The best time for traveling here is from April to October.
Opening Hours: 7:30 -- 17:00
Ticket Price:
20 CNY for the entrance
Free for the children below 1.2 meters
380 CNY for the Bell-hitting Ceremony on the eve of the New Year
Location: Maple Bridge Town, Suzhou (5 km away from the Suzhou City)
Transportation: Tour Bus No. 3 and Bus 6, 9, 17, 21, 31, 301 and 313 will bring you to Maple Bridge.
The Tiger Hill

Tiger Hill was not the Tiger Hill before the King of the Wu Kingdom buried his father here. It is said that three days after the burial, a tiger appeared before the tomb, so people named it the present name --Tiger Hill. This 36-meter-high hill with 1000,000 m2 of area is one of the most popular resorts in Suzhou, where is praised as the must-visit-place in Suzhou by Su Dongpo, an eminent poet in North Song Dynasty (960-1127).
The architectures are the main cultural relics in Tiger Hill, which goes pretty well with the circumstance around. Most of the architectures here, including tower, palace, bridge, pavilion and tomb, were built in the ancient time, some are in Five Dynasties (907-979), some are in Song Dynasty (960-1234) and Yuan Dynasty (1206-1370), the other are in Ming Dynasty (1364-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). The architecture designs are of great significance in the development of Chinese architecture.
The most attractive scene is the 48-meter-tall Yunyan Tower, which is hailed as the Oriental Leaning Tower of Pisa, while the most mysterious one is the Sword Pool (Jian Chi), where is said hides a secret behind the tomb of the King of Wu State.
Tiger Hill is lively place where many festivals and celebrations are hold. The Flower Festival in spring, the local temple fair in autumn and the Tourism Festival of Suzhou are included. Thus it is a good place to go for you expedition of Chinese culture and customs.
Opening Hours:
7:30--17:30 (from March 1 to November 15)
7:30--17:00 (from November 16 to February 29)
Ticket Price:
40 CNY from October 31 to April 15
60 CNY from April 16 to October 30
Free for the disabled, the soldiers, the kids under 1.2 meters and the people over 70
Location: At the end of Tiger Hill Road, Suzhou
Transportation: Toru Bus No. 1 and 2, and Bus No. 32, 146, 816 and 949 will bring you here.
Zhouzhuang




Highlights
Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill

It has long history. In the Northern Song Dynasty, a distinguished artist, Zhang Zeduan, did a painting entitled "Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill". Nanpin Hill lies along the south bank of the West Lake, less than 100 meters high, but extends as long as over 1000 meters. It features the odd-shaped rocks and the green woods. Nanpin Hill offers different views due to the different weather.
In 972 A.D. a famous temple, named as "Xingjiao Temple" was built on the Nanpin Hill. After that, a few more small temples were built around it. Therefore, Nanpin Hill was locally called as "Buddhism Kingdom Hill". Formed of limestone, the Nanping Hill contains lots of caves and cavities. The shape of the hill is just like a painted screen. Therefore, when the bell was rung in the evening, its sonorous sound echoed through the caves and cavities, even reached as far as the other shore of the West Lake. And then the Ge Hill locating there sent back a big echo over the lake.
Viewing Fish in the Flowering Harbor

This spot is located at the southern end of the Su Causeway. A clean stream leads from Huajia Hill to the West Lake through here, so it named as 'Flowery Harbor'. Viewing Fish at Flowery Harbor, now has been made into a 22 hectares park with many varieties of trees and flowers, featuring a peony garden which blooms in April and a goldfish pond which is the famous site for viewing fish.
West Lake

The Spring Dawn Round the Su Causeway

The Spring Dawn Round the Su Causeway locates West Lake District Nanshan Road, tops the list of the ten best known sights in Hangzhou. The causeway was built during the Northern Song Dynasty by Su Dongpo, a great scholar in ancient time. Stretching around 2.8 kilometers long, it is spanned by six bridges and heavily sheltered by green vegetation. When spring comes, the whole causeway is blanketed by peach blossoms and weeping willows, creating an especially charming scene.
Breeze-ruffled Lotus at Quyuan Garden

In Southern Song Dynasty, Quyuan Courtyard was an official vinery which located on the bank of the West Lake beside the Hongcun Bridge on the Linyin Road where many lotuses were planted. In summer breezes, the air was scented with delicate fragrance of lotus intermingled with the tasteful bouquet of wine. However, the courtyard was very much neglected and the nearby lake silted up. Started from 1983, an extension project has been under way to develop it to a huge park. Currently, the park includes five sections: Yue Lake, Bamboo Garden, Lotus Garden, Winding Garden and Lakeside Forest. Therefore it is very popular attractions for the tourists.
Orioles Singing in Ripples of Willows

The park is a wonderful leisure place with the green willow leaves and orioles warbling, locates on the Nianshan Road of West Lake District. In the spring, the vernal breezes stroke the willows, their branches sway gently, bending over to kiss the rippling water. Walk in the garden, the orioles singing, the willows dancing, it is very wonderful. Now the park is combined by three gardens: Orioles Singing Garden, Friendship Garden and Collected Scenery Garden.
The eastern south of the Garden is served as a traditional public entertainment site. An open stage is built there. In the Summer and Autumn, the garden is served as an "evening garden". The lanterns exhibition, the traditional folk performance and cinema attract a lot of visitors every night.
Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow

Leifeng Pagoda, on the Evening Glow Hill situated on the south shore of the West Lake, was erected in celebration of the son his favorite concubine, Huang Fei, gave birth to. The 7 storied pagoda was a storied – pavilion –type structure, built of brick and wood. When the sun was setting, the pagoda bathed in the evening glow looked radiantly beautiful. It was therefore named as "Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow". In Ming Dynasty, the pagoda was fired by the Japanese bandits and collapsed at last on September, 25 1924 by the custom of local people to take a brick from its lower stories as a talisman or souvenir.
Malting Snow at Broken Bridge

It snows almost every winter in Hangzhou, when the sun comes out after snowfall, the snow on the sunny side of the bridge melts first, while the snow on the shady side still lingers. Looked at a distance or from a nearby hill, the bridge appears to be broken. It is a favorite stopover for you. Especially on fine winter days after a snow, you may stand on the bridge to feast your eyes on the snow scene far and near. Distant hills, clad in white, grow more enchanting.
Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill

It has long history. In the Northern Song Dynasty, a distinguished artist, Zhang Zeduan, did a painting entitled "Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill". Nanpin Hill lies along the south bank of the West Lake, less than 100 meters high, but extends as long as over 1000 meters. It features the odd-shaped rocks and the green woods. Nanpin Hill offers different views due to the different weather.
In 972 A.D. a famous temple, named as "Xingjiao Temple" was built on the Nanpin Hill. After that, a few more small temples were built around it. Therefore, Nanpin Hill was locally called as "Buddhism Kingdom Hill". Formed of limestone, the Nanping Hill contains lots of caves and cavities. The shape of the hill is just like a painted screen. Therefore, when the bell was rung in the evening, its sonorous sound echoed through the caves and cavities, even reached as far as the other shore of the West Lake. And then the Ge Hill locating there sent back a big echo over the lake.
Viewing Fish in the Flowering Harbor

This spot is located at the southern end of the Su Causeway. A clean stream leads from Huajia Hill to the West Lake through here, so it named as 'Flowery Harbor'. Viewing Fish at Flowery Harbor, now has been made into a 22 hectares park with many varieties of trees and flowers, featuring a peony garden which blooms in April and a goldfish pond which is the famous site for viewing fish.
West Lake

The Spring Dawn Round the Su Causeway

The Spring Dawn Round the Su Causeway locates West Lake District Nanshan Road, tops the list of the ten best known sights in Hangzhou. The causeway was built during the Northern Song Dynasty by Su Dongpo, a great scholar in ancient time. Stretching around 2.8 kilometers long, it is spanned by six bridges and heavily sheltered by green vegetation. When spring comes, the whole causeway is blanketed by peach blossoms and weeping willows, creating an especially charming scene.
Breeze-ruffled Lotus at Quyuan Garden

In Southern Song Dynasty, Quyuan Courtyard was an official vinery which located on the bank of the West Lake beside the Hongcun Bridge on the Linyin Road where many lotuses were planted. In summer breezes, the air was scented with delicate fragrance of lotus intermingled with the tasteful bouquet of wine. However, the courtyard was very much neglected and the nearby lake silted up. Started from 1983, an extension project has been under way to develop it to a huge park. Currently, the park includes five sections: Yue Lake, Bamboo Garden, Lotus Garden, Winding Garden and Lakeside Forest. Therefore it is very popular attractions for the tourists.
Orioles Singing in Ripples of Willows

The park is a wonderful leisure place with the green willow leaves and orioles warbling, locates on the Nianshan Road of West Lake District. In the spring, the vernal breezes stroke the willows, their branches sway gently, bending over to kiss the rippling water. Walk in the garden, the orioles singing, the willows dancing, it is very wonderful. Now the park is combined by three gardens: Orioles Singing Garden, Friendship Garden and Collected Scenery Garden.
The eastern south of the Garden is served as a traditional public entertainment site. An open stage is built there. In the Summer and Autumn, the garden is served as an "evening garden". The lanterns exhibition, the traditional folk performance and cinema attract a lot of visitors every night.
Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow

Leifeng Pagoda, on the Evening Glow Hill situated on the south shore of the West Lake, was erected in celebration of the son his favorite concubine, Huang Fei, gave birth to. The 7 storied pagoda was a storied – pavilion –type structure, built of brick and wood. When the sun was setting, the pagoda bathed in the evening glow looked radiantly beautiful. It was therefore named as "Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow". In Ming Dynasty, the pagoda was fired by the Japanese bandits and collapsed at last on September, 25 1924 by the custom of local people to take a brick from its lower stories as a talisman or souvenir.
Malting Snow at Broken Bridge

It snows almost every winter in Hangzhou, when the sun comes out after snowfall, the snow on the sunny side of the bridge melts first, while the snow on the shady side still lingers. Looked at a distance or from a nearby hill, the bridge appears to be broken. It is a favorite stopover for you. Especially on fine winter days after a snow, you may stand on the bridge to feast your eyes on the snow scene far and near. Distant hills, clad in white, grow more enchanting.
Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill

It has long history. In the Northern Song Dynasty, a distinguished artist, Zhang Zeduan, did a painting entitled "Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill". Nanpin Hill lies along the south bank of the West Lake, less than 100 meters high, but extends as long as over 1000 meters. It features the odd-shaped rocks and the green woods. Nanpin Hill offers different views due to the different weather.
In 972 A.D. a famous temple, named as "Xingjiao Temple" was built on the Nanpin Hill. After that, a few more small temples were built around it. Therefore, Nanpin Hill was locally called as "Buddhism Kingdom Hill". Formed of limestone, the Nanping Hill contains lots of caves and cavities. The shape of the hill is just like a painted screen. Therefore, when the bell was rung in the evening, its sonorous sound echoed through the caves and cavities, even reached as far as the other shore of the West Lake. And then the Ge Hill locating there sent back a big echo over the lake.
Viewing Fish in the Flowering Harbor

This spot is located at the southern end of the Su Causeway. A clean stream leads from Huajia Hill to the West Lake through here, so it named as 'Flowery Harbor'. Viewing Fish at Flowery Harbor, now has been made into a 22 hectares park with many varieties of trees and flowers, featuring a peony garden which blooms in April and a goldfish pond which is the famous site for viewing fish.

Highlights
Solitary Beauty Peak and Jingjiang Princes City

Solitary Beauty Peak, also known as Purple Hill, is located in the Jingjiang Princes City with reputation of “Southern Heaven Pillar”. At the foot of Solitary Beauty Peak, there is a Longevity Palace first built in Tang Dynasty, while a Solitary Beauty Pavilion is standing at the top. You can have a bird’s view of beautiful Guilin when you climb up 396 stone steps to the top. Dushu Rock, Taiping Rock and Crescent-shape Pond are at the foot of Solitary Beauty Peak while many ancient inscriptions are on the eastern side of the peak, for example “East or west, Guilin scenery is the best”. Other famous attractions include Snow Cave and Zhongshan Monument.
Jingjiang Prices City, praised as a “city in a city”, was built in Ming Dynasty with a history of more than 630 years. During the 257 years from its completion to the collapse of Ming Dynasty, 14 seigniors had lived here. Jingjiang Princes City became the Examination Compound in the Qing Dynasty. Covering an area of 19.78 hectares, Jingjiang Princes City composes of Chengyun Gate, Chengyun Palace, Palace Harem and Imperial Garden with other 40 rooms, pavilions and chambers. Listed as “the key cultural relics of national level”, Jingjiang Princes City is an irreplaceable scenic spot in Guilin.
If you want to enjoy picturesque mountains and crystal clear waters, Solitary Beauty Peak, famous royal treasure hill is your best choice. If you want to read the history of Guilin, Jingjiang Princes City will meet your need.
Tips:
1. Opening Hours: 9:30am—5:30pm
2. How to Get Here: No.1, 10, 11, 14, 100 Buses.
Folded Brocade Hill

Folded Brocade Hill, with an elevation of 73m, locates to the northeast of Guilin, facing beautiful Li River. As a beautiful and well-known hill, Folded Brocade Hill consists of Mingyue Peak, Crane Peak, Siwang Hill and Yuyue Hill, covering an area of 2km². Many amazing attractions such as Folded Brocade Pavilion, Yuyue Pavilion, Wind Cave and Wangjiang Pavilion etc. are on the hill. Besides, inscriptions on precipices carved by celebrities of all the precious dynasties are the essence of all relics.
Folded Brocade Pavilion, with a height of 5m, length of 7.5m and width of 8.5m, is architecture with single story, 4 angles, flat rooftop, red pillars and green tiles. With Yuyue Hill to the east, Siwang Hill to the west and Bright Moon Peak to the north, Folded Brocade Pavilion is harmonious with the surroundings. Stone benches standing from east to west, the northern side is the best place to appreciate the fantastic “folded brocade” and is an ideal place for rest. To the west of the pavilion, an inscription by Yu Qing of Ming Dynasty is also worth of visiting.
Wangjiang Pavilion is halfway up the hill and built during the reign of Emperor Zhengde (1506-1521) of the Ming Dynasty. Rebuilt in the years of 1954 and 1990, Wangjiang Pavilion is a pavilion with ancient style, 6m in height and dihedral angles. On the wall, a cliff inscription was carved as “a place for seeking adventures”.
Li River


Elephant Trunk Hill


Wave Subduing Hill


Reed Flute Cave


Seven Star Park


Yangshuo


Solitary Beauty Peak and Jingjiang Princes City

Solitary Beauty Peak, also known as Purple Hill, is located in the Jingjiang Princes City with reputation of “Southern Heaven Pillar”. At the foot of Solitary Beauty Peak, there is a Longevity Palace first built in Tang Dynasty, while a Solitary Beauty Pavilion is standing at the top. You can have a bird’s view of beautiful Guilin when you climb up 396 stone steps to the top. Dushu Rock, Taiping Rock and Crescent-shape Pond are at the foot of Solitary Beauty Peak while many ancient inscriptions are on the eastern side of the peak, for example “East or west, Guilin scenery is the best”. Other famous attractions include Snow Cave and Zhongshan Monument.
Jingjiang Prices City, praised as a “city in a city”, was built in Ming Dynasty with a history of more than 630 years. During the 257 years from its completion to the collapse of Ming Dynasty, 14 seigniors had lived here. Jingjiang Princes City became the Examination Compound in the Qing Dynasty. Covering an area of 19.78 hectares, Jingjiang Princes City composes of Chengyun Gate, Chengyun Palace, Palace Harem and Imperial Garden with other 40 rooms, pavilions and chambers. Listed as “the key cultural relics of national level”, Jingjiang Princes City is an irreplaceable scenic spot in Guilin.
If you want to enjoy picturesque mountains and crystal clear waters, Solitary Beauty Peak, famous royal treasure hill is your best choice. If you want to read the history of Guilin, Jingjiang Princes City will meet your need.
Tips:
1. Opening Hours: 9:30am—5:30pm
2. How to Get Here: No.1, 10, 11, 14, 100 Buses.
Folded Brocade Hill

Folded Brocade Hill, with an elevation of 73m, locates to the northeast of Guilin, facing beautiful Li River. As a beautiful and well-known hill, Folded Brocade Hill consists of Mingyue Peak, Crane Peak, Siwang Hill and Yuyue Hill, covering an area of 2km². Many amazing attractions such as Folded Brocade Pavilion, Yuyue Pavilion, Wind Cave and Wangjiang Pavilion etc. are on the hill. Besides, inscriptions on precipices carved by celebrities of all the precious dynasties are the essence of all relics.
Folded Brocade Pavilion, with a height of 5m, length of 7.5m and width of 8.5m, is architecture with single story, 4 angles, flat rooftop, red pillars and green tiles. With Yuyue Hill to the east, Siwang Hill to the west and Bright Moon Peak to the north, Folded Brocade Pavilion is harmonious with the surroundings. Stone benches standing from east to west, the northern side is the best place to appreciate the fantastic “folded brocade” and is an ideal place for rest. To the west of the pavilion, an inscription by Yu Qing of Ming Dynasty is also worth of visiting.
Wangjiang Pavilion is halfway up the hill and built during the reign of Emperor Zhengde (1506-1521) of the Ming Dynasty. Rebuilt in the years of 1954 and 1990, Wangjiang Pavilion is a pavilion with ancient style, 6m in height and dihedral angles. On the wall, a cliff inscription was carved as “a place for seeking adventures”.
Li River


Elephant Trunk Hill


Wave Subduing Hill


Reed Flute Cave


Seven Star Park


Yangshuo


Solitary Beauty Peak and Jingjiang Princes City

Solitary Beauty Peak, also known as Purple Hill, is located in the Jingjiang Princes City with reputation of “Southern Heaven Pillar”. At the foot of Solitary Beauty Peak, there is a Longevity Palace first built in Tang Dynasty, while a Solitary Beauty Pavilion is standing at the top. You can have a bird’s view of beautiful Guilin when you climb up 396 stone steps to the top. Dushu Rock, Taiping Rock and Crescent-shape Pond are at the foot of Solitary Beauty Peak while many ancient inscriptions are on the eastern side of the peak, for example “East or west, Guilin scenery is the best”. Other famous attractions include Snow Cave and Zhongshan Monument.
Jingjiang Prices City, praised as a “city in a city”, was built in Ming Dynasty with a history of more than 630 years. During the 257 years from its completion to the collapse of Ming Dynasty, 14 seigniors had lived here. Jingjiang Princes City became the Examination Compound in the Qing Dynasty. Covering an area of 19.78 hectares, Jingjiang Princes City composes of Chengyun Gate, Chengyun Palace, Palace Harem and Imperial Garden with other 40 rooms, pavilions and chambers. Listed as “the key cultural relics of national level”, Jingjiang Princes City is an irreplaceable scenic spot in Guilin.
If you want to enjoy picturesque mountains and crystal clear waters, Solitary Beauty Peak, famous royal treasure hill is your best choice. If you want to read the history of Guilin, Jingjiang Princes City will meet your need.
Tips:
1. Opening Hours: 9:30am—5:30pm
2. How to Get Here: No.1, 10, 11, 14, 100 Buses.
Folded Brocade Hill

Folded Brocade Hill, with an elevation of 73m, locates to the northeast of Guilin, facing beautiful Li River. As a beautiful and well-known hill, Folded Brocade Hill consists of Mingyue Peak, Crane Peak, Siwang Hill and Yuyue Hill, covering an area of 2km². Many amazing attractions such as Folded Brocade Pavilion, Yuyue Pavilion, Wind Cave and Wangjiang Pavilion etc. are on the hill. Besides, inscriptions on precipices carved by celebrities of all the precious dynasties are the essence of all relics.
Folded Brocade Pavilion, with a height of 5m, length of 7.5m and width of 8.5m, is architecture with single story, 4 angles, flat rooftop, red pillars and green tiles. With Yuyue Hill to the east, Siwang Hill to the west and Bright Moon Peak to the north, Folded Brocade Pavilion is harmonious with the surroundings. Stone benches standing from east to west, the northern side is the best place to appreciate the fantastic “folded brocade” and is an ideal place for rest. To the west of the pavilion, an inscription by Yu Qing of Ming Dynasty is also worth of visiting.
Wangjiang Pavilion is halfway up the hill and built during the reign of Emperor Zhengde (1506-1521) of the Ming Dynasty. Rebuilt in the years of 1954 and 1990, Wangjiang Pavilion is a pavilion with ancient style, 6m in height and dihedral angles. On the wall, a cliff inscription was carved as “a place for seeking adventures”.

Highlights
Museum of Stone Steles Forest

Here is the largest museum with the most exhibitions of the stone tablets passed down from the ancient China. Since the completion of the construction in North Song Dynasty the year of 1087, this greatest treasure store has appealed to a great number of visitors for having a close look at the marvelous forest of stone tablets.
With 900 years of history, this treasure house holds a large collection of the earliest stone steles of different periods, from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. All together, there are 3,000 steles and the museum is divided into seven exhibitions halls, which mainly display the works of calligraphy, painting and historical records. All of these record some achievements in the development of the Chinese culture and reflect the historical facts of the cultural exchanges between China and other countries.
It is a good place to admire all the authentic work of calligraphy of the celebrities who were well known in the Chinese history, to read the Chinese grand classics inscribed on the stone, and to learning about the world’s history from the most convinced proofs of the history.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 18:00
Ticket Price: 45 CNY
22 CNY for the student, the soldier, the disabled and the aged over 70
Location: No. 15, Sanxue Street, Xian City
Transportation: Bus No. 14, 402, 512, 223, 208 and 704 and tour bus No. 5 will bring you here.
Great Mosque

The Great Mosque is a typical architecture of the Islamism, which was designed with the antique style of Ming Dynasty (1364-1644). As one of the four famous Islamic Mosques in China, it covers a large area of 12,000 m2, half of which is with architectures standing on. In this magnificent mosque, architectures of various designs will be a feast of your eyes.
Towers, pavilions, platforms and halls are well distributed around the mosque, all of which together with the exquisite stone carvings, the precious inscriptions and other rarely seen decorations in which are the essence part of the mosque. It is the reason why a great number of visitors have been attracted here and reluctant to leave.
The first courtyard contains an elaborate wooden arch nine meters high covered with glazed tiles that dates back to the 17th century. In the center of the second courtyard, a stone arch stands with two steles on both sides. On one stele is the script of a famous calligrapher named Mi Fu of the Song Dynasty; the other is from Dong Qichang, a calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty. Their calligraphy because of such elegant yet powerful characters is considered to be a great treasure in the art of handwriting.
At the entrance to the third courtyard is a hall that contains many steles from ancient times. As visitors enter this courtyard, they will see the Xingxin Tower, a place where Muslims come to attend prayer services. A “Phoenix" placed in the fourth courtyard, the principal pavilion of this great mosque complex, contains the Prayer Hall, the surrounding walls of which are covered with colored designs. This Hall can easily hold 1,000 people at a time and according to traditional custom, prayer services are held five times everyday respectively at dawn, noon, afternoon, dusk and night.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 19:00
Ticket Price: 12 CNY
Location: Huajue Lane, Lianhu Zone, Xian City
Transportation: Taxi and chartered bus will bring you here.
Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum

Be discovered as the World’s Eighth Wonder, the Terra-cotta Warriors built in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) is known for its large and splendid scale and the sophisticated art technology. It is the Terra-cotta Warriors that make the Xian City a popular resort where has appealed to an amazingly great number of visitors from home and overseas which is up to 40 millions in total.
Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the first Emperor of all China, had work begun on his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his after life. A group of peasants uncovered some pottery figures fragments while digging for a well nearby the royal tomb in 1974. It caught the attention of archeologists immediately. They came to Xi'an in droves to study and to extend the digs. They had established beyond doubt that these artifacts were associated with the Qin Dynasty.
The museum covers an area of 16,300 square meters, divided into three sections: No. 1 Pit, No. 2 Pit and No. 3 Pit respectively. They were tagged in the order of their discoveries.
No. 1 Pit is the largest, first opened to the public on China's National Day, 1979. There are columns of soldiers at the front; followed by war chariots at the back. It is 230 meters from east to west, 62 meters from south to north, and five meters deep. The pit houses 6,000 life-size painted terracotta warriors and horses. The warriors, arranged in battle formation, wear helmets and armor and carry weapons. They are dignified, and each has a different manner and facial expression.
No. 2 Pit, found in 1976, is 20 meters northeast of No. 1 Pit. It contained over a thousand warriors and 90 chariots of wood. It was unveiled to the public in 1994.
Archeologists came upon No. 3 Pit also in 1976, 25 meters northwest of No. 1 Pit. It looked like to be the command center of the armed forces. It went on display in 1989, with 68 warriors, a war chariot and 4 horses.
All together over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. Most of them have been restored to their former grandeur. The Terracotta Warriors and Horses is a sensational archeological find of all times. It was listed by UNESCO in 1987 as one of the world cultural heritages.
It is one of the most marvelous feats and the most valuable historic relics of China. When take a closer view of the Terra-cotta Warriors, you will be surprised by the lifelike expressions and customs they are in as well as the life-size-big warriors. Let alone the various gestures and different looks, the hairstyles of them will make you amazed. Owing to the exquisite handicrafts, all the warriors can be told apart from one position to another, officer or soldier, infantry or cavalry.
Opening Hours: 9:00 -- 18:00
Ticket Price:
110 CNY from March 1 to November 30
70 CNY in January, February and December
35 CNY for the disabled, the kids below 1.2 m, the aged over 70 years, the students and the soldiers
Location: Qinling Road, Lintong Zone, Xian City
Transportation: Tour bus and public bus 306 and 307 will bring you here.
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

Together with the pyramids in Egypt, the Mausoleum of First Emperor of Qin shares the reputation of the world’s largest imperial tomb. The differences between them are the former is built above ground, while the latter under ground. It is a more splendid but luxurious mausoleum than any other mausoleum before, which takes a time as long as 38 years to complete. On entering in it, you will be shocked by the amazingly magnificent vision and the unprecedented huge scale.
Lies peacefully in the cuddle of the steaming mountains and roaring Weishui River, this giant imperial tomb embraces a great number of valuable art works. To be exact, the mausoleum, with a double-wall as defense, covers 56.25 square kilometers, which is 78 times large as the Imperial Palace in Beijing. When take a closer view of the Terra-cotta Warriors, you will be surprised by the lifelike expressions and customs they are in as well as the life-size-big warriors. Let alone the various gestures and different looks, the hairstyles of them will make you amazed. Owing to the exquisite handicrafts, all the warriors can be told apart from one position to another, officer or soldier, infantry or cavalry.
While the Terracotta Warriors forms only part of the tomb. Greater things are yet to come.
Thanks to Ssu-ma Ch'ien, a great historian in early Han dynasty, archeologists can learn from his works about the great insight on the mausoleum’s construction, such as the coffin was cast in bronze and the underground Palace was gem-studded replica of imperial housing above ground. Moreover, booby traps with automatic-shooting arrows were installed to deter would-be tomb robbers. Heaven and earth were represented in the central chamber of the tomb. Ceiling shaped into sun, moon and stars by inlaying pearls and gems symbolizes the sky and the ground was an accumulation point of rivers, lakes and seas, like Yellow River and Yangtze River, which stands for the earth.
The discovery of the marvelous terracotta warriors has indeed thrown the whole world into shock, but what is worth to be studied is the materials unexcavated. Qin bricks and tiles, engraved with decorative patterns, are strew everywhere around the tomb. There are many satellite tombs built as accompanying decorations of Qin Shihuang. Ministers, princesses and princes, the famous and the not were inhumed there. The burial pits for horses, rare birds and pottery figures were regarded as the sacrificial objects to the Emperor. Hence, the remains from these tombs and pits are beneficial for archaeologists to make further research.
Finally, let see who is living inside this splendid mausoleum. Qin Shi Huangdi (259-210 BC), the first emperor of China, ascended the throne at the age of 13, when the construction of his tomb began. On completion of his many conquests, he ordered 720,000 conscript laborers to hurry up on building his royal tomb. It was finished just-in-time in 210 BC for his use.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 17:30
Ticket Price:
40 CNY from March 16 to November 14
20 CNY from November 15 to March 15
Location: Lintong County, Xian City
Transportation: Tour bus and public bus 306 and 307 will bring you here.
Huaqing Hot Springs

For centuries, the Huaqing Hot Spring (huaqingchi) has been enjoying the reputation as the most wonderful spring for it has appealed to the emperors of the ancient China with its amazing pureness and miraculous healing promotion effect on the rheumatism and arthritis. The Huaqing Hot Spring is known as the Orient Sacred Spring, which means it is as famous as the Thermae of Caracalla in Ancient Rome and the Bath Spring in Britian.
During the Western Zhou, Li Palace was originally established a resort here. Later the First Emperor Qin built a stone pool and gave the name "Lishan Hot Springs," and it was extended by the Han Wudi, Martial Emperor. However, the strongest associations are with the Tang Dynasty, and most of the present buildings have a Tang style.
Later in the ancient China, Emperor Taizong built the Hot Springs Palace and Emperor Xuanzong added a walled palace in 747 A.D. Unfortunately it was damaged during the An Lushan Rebellion in the middle Tang period. The present site was rebuilt on the site of the Qing Dynasty structure
There are picturesque sceneries around the spring. Behind the west gate, Nine-Dragon Pool, the Lotus Flower Pool and the Frost Drifting Hall of the Tang architectural style are waiting for you. Emperor Xuanzong used to spend winter in the company of Yang Guifei (Lady Yang) - his favorite concubine in the Hall of Fluttering Frost. The hall gains its name due to the slightly milky mist and vapor over the pool year around. In winter, the snowflakes soon thaw immediately in front of the Hall because of the lukewarm vapor rising out of the hot spring.
Here is a combination of a miraculous hot spring, the beautiful landscapes and the marvelous historic relics, where will feast your eyes in your leisure time.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 16:00
Ticket Price:
40 CNY from March 1 to November 31
70 CNY from December 1 to February 28
Half fare for the student, the soldier, the disabled and the aged over 70
Location: No. 38 Huaqing Road, Lintong Zone, Xian City, Shanxi Province
Transportation: Bus No. 306, 914 and 915 and tour bus No. 5 will bring you here.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Dayan Pagoda was built in the year of 652 with a purpose of storing the precious Buddhist scriptures, figures of Buddha and Buddhist relics brought from India by a celebrated monk Xuan Zhang, which later became the symbolic architecture of Xian, the ancient capital of China. For centuries, the 64.5-meter-tall pagoda has appealed to a great number of visitors, among which a large part is the celebrities who left behind their inscriptions that make the pagoda more charming and holy.
During the early days, the pagoda boasted a brick structure of 5 storeys and about 60 meters (197 feet) high. Between AD 701 and AD 704, at the end of the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, 2 more storeys were added to the original pagoda. Damage by the war reduced it to seven storeys, to what it is today. With a height of 64 meters (210 miles), the pagoda occupies a base 25 meters by 25 meters (82 feet) square. The Big Goose Pagoda is brick-tower architecture, simple but sturdy. Walls and doors are carved with vivid and exquisite figures of Buddha, reflecting the profundity in the paintings f the Tang Dynasty.
Why people name it Dayan Pagoda? In the ancient time, monks in China were permitted to have the meat of the wild geese, deer and calf. One day, when a monk in the Da Ci'en Temple saw a flock of geese flew in the sky, he was so eager for the geese that he talked to the other monk: “We have not had geese today, why does not the Buddha grant us some?” Then suddenly a goose dropped on the ground front of them died. The monks were all surprised and thought that was a holy hint given by the Buddha, which required them to stop eating the geese. A pagoda was built here and wins its present name.
Opening Hours: 9:00 -- 17:00
Ticket Price:
50 CNY for the entrance of the Da Ci'en Temple
30 CNY for the students to enter into the Temple
30 CNY for ascending to the top of Dayan Pagoda
Free for the disabled, the soldiers and the aged over 70 years
Location: South Yanta Road, Xian City
Transportation: Bus No. 5, 21, 23, 27, 30, 41, 224, 320, 401, 500, 501, 527, 601, 606, 609 and 715 will bring you here.
City Wall of Xi’an

This is a huge impregnable wall, which has experienced 600 years of history, now lying peacefully like a giant in the city center of Xian. With a tallness of 12 meters and thickness of 15 meters, this giant looks as strong as iron. You may come into the ancient town surrounded by a 11.9-kilometer-long wall from the distinct gates.
When Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), occupied the city of Huizhou, he took advice to fortify the city and unify the other states by turning the wall built initially during the old Tang dynasty (618 -907) into the present Xi'an City Wall.
Surprisingly, every 120 meters, there is a rampart extending out from the main wall, therefore totally 98 ramparts are set on the wall, which were built to defend against the enemy climbing up the wall. Besides, the distance between every two ramparts is just within the range of an arrow shot from either side, so that they could shoot the enemy, who wanted to attack the city, from the side. On the outer side of the city wall, there are 5948 crenellations, namely battlements. The soldiers can outlook and shoot at the enemy. On the inner side, parapets were built to protect the soldiers from falling off.
In the ancient China, the side who was able to occupy the city of the other won the battle. However, there was no efficient way to enter into the city that protected by the impregnable wall. Therefore, from the defensive side the feasible way is to keep the gate. This is why complicated gate structures were built within the wall. In Xian, there are four gates set along the giant wall, which respectively named as Changle (meaning eternal joy) in the east, Anding (harmony peace) in the west, Yongning (eternal peace) in the south and Anyuan (forever harmony) in the north. The south gate, Yongning, is the most beautifully decorated one.
Among all the greatest ancient city walls in China, it was the most well-preserved and intact one, from which you can learn a lot about how the wars were going in the ancient China and how and for what the cities were built.
Opening Hours: 9:00 -- 20:00
Ticket Price:
40 CNY
20 CNY for the kids between 1.1m and 1.4 m and the students
Location: in the city center of Xian
Transportation: 5, 18, 215, 603 and 611 will bring you here directly.
Shaanxi Provincial History Museum

Having been as the capital of 13 dynasties for centuries, Xian is full of the breath of history. Therefore, there are numerous precious historic relics spreading around this mysterious historic site, which accounts for the reason why the Shaanxi History Museum is thought highly as the Treasure House of China.
The museum was designed as the magnificent and elegant as the architectures in Tang Dynasty (618-907). It is also a combination of the ancient style and the modern flavor, where there are more than 3,700,000 historic items displayed, among which there are 3900 rarely seen Bronze Ware from Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), 400 precious Mural from Tang Dynasty, 5000 invaluable potteries from prehistory period and many other amazingly marvelous historic relics.
The main complex is a mixture of ancient palaces and courtyard buildings, harmonious and graceful in hue, in simple and elegant style. The exhibits on the ground and first floors are arranged in roughly three parts: Basic Exhibition Hall, the Theme Exhibition Hall and East Exhibition Hall. As well as the chronological dynastic exhibits including the Han, Wei, Jin, North and South, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the pre-historical and bronze period exhibits, together with terra cotta figures and murals from tombs of the Tang Dynasty, are highly recommended.
Here you can have a close look at the amazingly cultural relics and remains from the dynasties of the Zhou, the Qin, the Han and the Tang, which is divided into the Preface Hall, the Shaanxi local history exhibition hall, and the central hall, where is the home to the temporary exhibitions from home and abroad. Can you image how great it is when surrounded by thousands of amazing items from such a far age?
Opening Hours: 8:30 -- 18:00 (except Monday)
Ticket Price: free
Location: East Xiaozhai Road, Yanta Zone, Xian City
Transportation: Bus No. 5, 19, 24, 26, 27, 30, 34, 401, 521, 527 and 610 and tour bus No. 701 and 710 will bring you here
Museum of Stone Steles Forest

Here is the largest museum with the most exhibitions of the stone tablets passed down from the ancient China. Since the completion of the construction in North Song Dynasty the year of 1087, this greatest treasure store has appealed to a great number of visitors for having a close look at the marvelous forest of stone tablets.
With 900 years of history, this treasure house holds a large collection of the earliest stone steles of different periods, from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. All together, there are 3,000 steles and the museum is divided into seven exhibitions halls, which mainly display the works of calligraphy, painting and historical records. All of these record some achievements in the development of the Chinese culture and reflect the historical facts of the cultural exchanges between China and other countries.
It is a good place to admire all the authentic work of calligraphy of the celebrities who were well known in the Chinese history, to read the Chinese grand classics inscribed on the stone, and to learning about the world’s history from the most convinced proofs of the history.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 18:00
Ticket Price: 45 CNY
22 CNY for the student, the soldier, the disabled and the aged over 70
Location: No. 15, Sanxue Street, Xian City
Transportation: Bus No. 14, 402, 512, 223, 208 and 704 and tour bus No. 5 will bring you here.
Great Mosque

The Great Mosque is a typical architecture of the Islamism, which was designed with the antique style of Ming Dynasty (1364-1644). As one of the four famous Islamic Mosques in China, it covers a large area of 12,000 m2, half of which is with architectures standing on. In this magnificent mosque, architectures of various designs will be a feast of your eyes.
Towers, pavilions, platforms and halls are well distributed around the mosque, all of which together with the exquisite stone carvings, the precious inscriptions and other rarely seen decorations in which are the essence part of the mosque. It is the reason why a great number of visitors have been attracted here and reluctant to leave.
The first courtyard contains an elaborate wooden arch nine meters high covered with glazed tiles that dates back to the 17th century. In the center of the second courtyard, a stone arch stands with two steles on both sides. On one stele is the script of a famous calligrapher named Mi Fu of the Song Dynasty; the other is from Dong Qichang, a calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty. Their calligraphy because of such elegant yet powerful characters is considered to be a great treasure in the art of handwriting.
At the entrance to the third courtyard is a hall that contains many steles from ancient times. As visitors enter this courtyard, they will see the Xingxin Tower, a place where Muslims come to attend prayer services. A “Phoenix" placed in the fourth courtyard, the principal pavilion of this great mosque complex, contains the Prayer Hall, the surrounding walls of which are covered with colored designs. This Hall can easily hold 1,000 people at a time and according to traditional custom, prayer services are held five times everyday respectively at dawn, noon, afternoon, dusk and night.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 19:00
Ticket Price: 12 CNY
Location: Huajue Lane, Lianhu Zone, Xian City
Transportation: Taxi and chartered bus will bring you here.
Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum

Be discovered as the World’s Eighth Wonder, the Terra-cotta Warriors built in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) is known for its large and splendid scale and the sophisticated art technology. It is the Terra-cotta Warriors that make the Xian City a popular resort where has appealed to an amazingly great number of visitors from home and overseas which is up to 40 millions in total.
Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the first Emperor of all China, had work begun on his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his after life. A group of peasants uncovered some pottery figures fragments while digging for a well nearby the royal tomb in 1974. It caught the attention of archeologists immediately. They came to Xi'an in droves to study and to extend the digs. They had established beyond doubt that these artifacts were associated with the Qin Dynasty.
The museum covers an area of 16,300 square meters, divided into three sections: No. 1 Pit, No. 2 Pit and No. 3 Pit respectively. They were tagged in the order of their discoveries.
No. 1 Pit is the largest, first opened to the public on China's National Day, 1979. There are columns of soldiers at the front; followed by war chariots at the back. It is 230 meters from east to west, 62 meters from south to north, and five meters deep. The pit houses 6,000 life-size painted terracotta warriors and horses. The warriors, arranged in battle formation, wear helmets and armor and carry weapons. They are dignified, and each has a different manner and facial expression.
No. 2 Pit, found in 1976, is 20 meters northeast of No. 1 Pit. It contained over a thousand warriors and 90 chariots of wood. It was unveiled to the public in 1994.
Archeologists came upon No. 3 Pit also in 1976, 25 meters northwest of No. 1 Pit. It looked like to be the command center of the armed forces. It went on display in 1989, with 68 warriors, a war chariot and 4 horses.
All together over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. Most of them have been restored to their former grandeur. The Terracotta Warriors and Horses is a sensational archeological find of all times. It was listed by UNESCO in 1987 as one of the world cultural heritages.
It is one of the most marvelous feats and the most valuable historic relics of China. When take a closer view of the Terra-cotta Warriors, you will be surprised by the lifelike expressions and customs they are in as well as the life-size-big warriors. Let alone the various gestures and different looks, the hairstyles of them will make you amazed. Owing to the exquisite handicrafts, all the warriors can be told apart from one position to another, officer or soldier, infantry or cavalry.
Opening Hours: 9:00 -- 18:00
Ticket Price:
110 CNY from March 1 to November 30
70 CNY in January, February and December
35 CNY for the disabled, the kids below 1.2 m, the aged over 70 years, the students and the soldiers
Location: Qinling Road, Lintong Zone, Xian City
Transportation: Tour bus and public bus 306 and 307 will bring you here.
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

Together with the pyramids in Egypt, the Mausoleum of First Emperor of Qin shares the reputation of the world’s largest imperial tomb. The differences between them are the former is built above ground, while the latter under ground. It is a more splendid but luxurious mausoleum than any other mausoleum before, which takes a time as long as 38 years to complete. On entering in it, you will be shocked by the amazingly magnificent vision and the unprecedented huge scale.
Lies peacefully in the cuddle of the steaming mountains and roaring Weishui River, this giant imperial tomb embraces a great number of valuable art works. To be exact, the mausoleum, with a double-wall as defense, covers 56.25 square kilometers, which is 78 times large as the Imperial Palace in Beijing. When take a closer view of the Terra-cotta Warriors, you will be surprised by the lifelike expressions and customs they are in as well as the life-size-big warriors. Let alone the various gestures and different looks, the hairstyles of them will make you amazed. Owing to the exquisite handicrafts, all the warriors can be told apart from one position to another, officer or soldier, infantry or cavalry.
While the Terracotta Warriors forms only part of the tomb. Greater things are yet to come.
Thanks to Ssu-ma Ch'ien, a great historian in early Han dynasty, archeologists can learn from his works about the great insight on the mausoleum’s construction, such as the coffin was cast in bronze and the underground Palace was gem-studded replica of imperial housing above ground. Moreover, booby traps with automatic-shooting arrows were installed to deter would-be tomb robbers. Heaven and earth were represented in the central chamber of the tomb. Ceiling shaped into sun, moon and stars by inlaying pearls and gems symbolizes the sky and the ground was an accumulation point of rivers, lakes and seas, like Yellow River and Yangtze River, which stands for the earth.
The discovery of the marvelous terracotta warriors has indeed thrown the whole world into shock, but what is worth to be studied is the materials unexcavated. Qin bricks and tiles, engraved with decorative patterns, are strew everywhere around the tomb. There are many satellite tombs built as accompanying decorations of Qin Shihuang. Ministers, princesses and princes, the famous and the not were inhumed there. The burial pits for horses, rare birds and pottery figures were regarded as the sacrificial objects to the Emperor. Hence, the remains from these tombs and pits are beneficial for archaeologists to make further research.
Finally, let see who is living inside this splendid mausoleum. Qin Shi Huangdi (259-210 BC), the first emperor of China, ascended the throne at the age of 13, when the construction of his tomb began. On completion of his many conquests, he ordered 720,000 conscript laborers to hurry up on building his royal tomb. It was finished just-in-time in 210 BC for his use.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 17:30
Ticket Price:
40 CNY from March 16 to November 14
20 CNY from November 15 to March 15
Location: Lintong County, Xian City
Transportation: Tour bus and public bus 306 and 307 will bring you here.
Huaqing Hot Springs

For centuries, the Huaqing Hot Spring (huaqingchi) has been enjoying the reputation as the most wonderful spring for it has appealed to the emperors of the ancient China with its amazing pureness and miraculous healing promotion effect on the rheumatism and arthritis. The Huaqing Hot Spring is known as the Orient Sacred Spring, which means it is as famous as the Thermae of Caracalla in Ancient Rome and the Bath Spring in Britian.
During the Western Zhou, Li Palace was originally established a resort here. Later the First Emperor Qin built a stone pool and gave the name "Lishan Hot Springs," and it was extended by the Han Wudi, Martial Emperor. However, the strongest associations are with the Tang Dynasty, and most of the present buildings have a Tang style.
Later in the ancient China, Emperor Taizong built the Hot Springs Palace and Emperor Xuanzong added a walled palace in 747 A.D. Unfortunately it was damaged during the An Lushan Rebellion in the middle Tang period. The present site was rebuilt on the site of the Qing Dynasty structure
There are picturesque sceneries around the spring. Behind the west gate, Nine-Dragon Pool, the Lotus Flower Pool and the Frost Drifting Hall of the Tang architectural style are waiting for you. Emperor Xuanzong used to spend winter in the company of Yang Guifei (Lady Yang) - his favorite concubine in the Hall of Fluttering Frost. The hall gains its name due to the slightly milky mist and vapor over the pool year around. In winter, the snowflakes soon thaw immediately in front of the Hall because of the lukewarm vapor rising out of the hot spring.
Here is a combination of a miraculous hot spring, the beautiful landscapes and the marvelous historic relics, where will feast your eyes in your leisure time.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 16:00
Ticket Price:
40 CNY from March 1 to November 31
70 CNY from December 1 to February 28
Half fare for the student, the soldier, the disabled and the aged over 70
Location: No. 38 Huaqing Road, Lintong Zone, Xian City, Shanxi Province
Transportation: Bus No. 306, 914 and 915 and tour bus No. 5 will bring you here.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Dayan Pagoda was built in the year of 652 with a purpose of storing the precious Buddhist scriptures, figures of Buddha and Buddhist relics brought from India by a celebrated monk Xuan Zhang, which later became the symbolic architecture of Xian, the ancient capital of China. For centuries, the 64.5-meter-tall pagoda has appealed to a great number of visitors, among which a large part is the celebrities who left behind their inscriptions that make the pagoda more charming and holy.
During the early days, the pagoda boasted a brick structure of 5 storeys and about 60 meters (197 feet) high. Between AD 701 and AD 704, at the end of the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, 2 more storeys were added to the original pagoda. Damage by the war reduced it to seven storeys, to what it is today. With a height of 64 meters (210 miles), the pagoda occupies a base 25 meters by 25 meters (82 feet) square. The Big Goose Pagoda is brick-tower architecture, simple but sturdy. Walls and doors are carved with vivid and exquisite figures of Buddha, reflecting the profundity in the paintings f the Tang Dynasty.
Why people name it Dayan Pagoda? In the ancient time, monks in China were permitted to have the meat of the wild geese, deer and calf. One day, when a monk in the Da Ci'en Temple saw a flock of geese flew in the sky, he was so eager for the geese that he talked to the other monk: “We have not had geese today, why does not the Buddha grant us some?” Then suddenly a goose dropped on the ground front of them died. The monks were all surprised and thought that was a holy hint given by the Buddha, which required them to stop eating the geese. A pagoda was built here and wins its present name.
Opening Hours: 9:00 -- 17:00
Ticket Price:
50 CNY for the entrance of the Da Ci'en Temple
30 CNY for the students to enter into the Temple
30 CNY for ascending to the top of Dayan Pagoda
Free for the disabled, the soldiers and the aged over 70 years
Location: South Yanta Road, Xian City
Transportation: Bus No. 5, 21, 23, 27, 30, 41, 224, 320, 401, 500, 501, 527, 601, 606, 609 and 715 will bring you here.
City Wall of Xi’an

This is a huge impregnable wall, which has experienced 600 years of history, now lying peacefully like a giant in the city center of Xian. With a tallness of 12 meters and thickness of 15 meters, this giant looks as strong as iron. You may come into the ancient town surrounded by a 11.9-kilometer-long wall from the distinct gates.
When Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), occupied the city of Huizhou, he took advice to fortify the city and unify the other states by turning the wall built initially during the old Tang dynasty (618 -907) into the present Xi'an City Wall.
Surprisingly, every 120 meters, there is a rampart extending out from the main wall, therefore totally 98 ramparts are set on the wall, which were built to defend against the enemy climbing up the wall. Besides, the distance between every two ramparts is just within the range of an arrow shot from either side, so that they could shoot the enemy, who wanted to attack the city, from the side. On the outer side of the city wall, there are 5948 crenellations, namely battlements. The soldiers can outlook and shoot at the enemy. On the inner side, parapets were built to protect the soldiers from falling off.
In the ancient China, the side who was able to occupy the city of the other won the battle. However, there was no efficient way to enter into the city that protected by the impregnable wall. Therefore, from the defensive side the feasible way is to keep the gate. This is why complicated gate structures were built within the wall. In Xian, there are four gates set along the giant wall, which respectively named as Changle (meaning eternal joy) in the east, Anding (harmony peace) in the west, Yongning (eternal peace) in the south and Anyuan (forever harmony) in the north. The south gate, Yongning, is the most beautifully decorated one.
Among all the greatest ancient city walls in China, it was the most well-preserved and intact one, from which you can learn a lot about how the wars were going in the ancient China and how and for what the cities were built.
Opening Hours: 9:00 -- 20:00
Ticket Price:
40 CNY
20 CNY for the kids between 1.1m and 1.4 m and the students
Location: in the city center of Xian
Transportation: 5, 18, 215, 603 and 611 will bring you here directly.
Shaanxi Provincial History Museum

Having been as the capital of 13 dynasties for centuries, Xian is full of the breath of history. Therefore, there are numerous precious historic relics spreading around this mysterious historic site, which accounts for the reason why the Shaanxi History Museum is thought highly as the Treasure House of China.
The museum was designed as the magnificent and elegant as the architectures in Tang Dynasty (618-907). It is also a combination of the ancient style and the modern flavor, where there are more than 3,700,000 historic items displayed, among which there are 3900 rarely seen Bronze Ware from Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), 400 precious Mural from Tang Dynasty, 5000 invaluable potteries from prehistory period and many other amazingly marvelous historic relics.
The main complex is a mixture of ancient palaces and courtyard buildings, harmonious and graceful in hue, in simple and elegant style. The exhibits on the ground and first floors are arranged in roughly three parts: Basic Exhibition Hall, the Theme Exhibition Hall and East Exhibition Hall. As well as the chronological dynastic exhibits including the Han, Wei, Jin, North and South, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the pre-historical and bronze period exhibits, together with terra cotta figures and murals from tombs of the Tang Dynasty, are highly recommended.
Here you can have a close look at the amazingly cultural relics and remains from the dynasties of the Zhou, the Qin, the Han and the Tang, which is divided into the Preface Hall, the Shaanxi local history exhibition hall, and the central hall, where is the home to the temporary exhibitions from home and abroad. Can you image how great it is when surrounded by thousands of amazing items from such a far age?
Opening Hours: 8:30 -- 18:00 (except Monday)
Ticket Price: free
Location: East Xiaozhai Road, Yanta Zone, Xian City
Transportation: Bus No. 5, 19, 24, 26, 27, 30, 34, 401, 521, 527 and 610 and tour bus No. 701 and 710 will bring you here
Museum of Stone Steles Forest

Here is the largest museum with the most exhibitions of the stone tablets passed down from the ancient China. Since the completion of the construction in North Song Dynasty the year of 1087, this greatest treasure store has appealed to a great number of visitors for having a close look at the marvelous forest of stone tablets.
With 900 years of history, this treasure house holds a large collection of the earliest stone steles of different periods, from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. All together, there are 3,000 steles and the museum is divided into seven exhibitions halls, which mainly display the works of calligraphy, painting and historical records. All of these record some achievements in the development of the Chinese culture and reflect the historical facts of the cultural exchanges between China and other countries.
It is a good place to admire all the authentic work of calligraphy of the celebrities who were well known in the Chinese history, to read the Chinese grand classics inscribed on the stone, and to learning about the world’s history from the most convinced proofs of the history.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 18:00
Ticket Price: 45 CNY
22 CNY for the student, the soldier, the disabled and the aged over 70
Location: No. 15, Sanxue Street, Xian City
Transportation: Bus No. 14, 402, 512, 223, 208 and 704 and tour bus No. 5 will bring you here.
Great Mosque

The Great Mosque is a typical architecture of the Islamism, which was designed with the antique style of Ming Dynasty (1364-1644). As one of the four famous Islamic Mosques in China, it covers a large area of 12,000 m2, half of which is with architectures standing on. In this magnificent mosque, architectures of various designs will be a feast of your eyes.
Towers, pavilions, platforms and halls are well distributed around the mosque, all of which together with the exquisite stone carvings, the precious inscriptions and other rarely seen decorations in which are the essence part of the mosque. It is the reason why a great number of visitors have been attracted here and reluctant to leave.
The first courtyard contains an elaborate wooden arch nine meters high covered with glazed tiles that dates back to the 17th century. In the center of the second courtyard, a stone arch stands with two steles on both sides. On one stele is the script of a famous calligrapher named Mi Fu of the Song Dynasty; the other is from Dong Qichang, a calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty. Their calligraphy because of such elegant yet powerful characters is considered to be a great treasure in the art of handwriting.
At the entrance to the third courtyard is a hall that contains many steles from ancient times. As visitors enter this courtyard, they will see the Xingxin Tower, a place where Muslims come to attend prayer services. A “Phoenix" placed in the fourth courtyard, the principal pavilion of this great mosque complex, contains the Prayer Hall, the surrounding walls of which are covered with colored designs. This Hall can easily hold 1,000 people at a time and according to traditional custom, prayer services are held five times everyday respectively at dawn, noon, afternoon, dusk and night.
Opening Hours: 8:00 -- 19:00
Ticket Price: 12 CNY
Location: Huajue Lane, Lianhu Zone, Xian City
Transportation: Taxi and chartered bus will bring you here.

Highlights
Cool Hill

The Cool Hill is also called Qing Liang Shan Mountain, which used to be the center for CPC news, while central CPC committee was in Yan'an, the CPC newspaper committee, Xinhua News agent, Liberation Daily, Yan’an Xin Hua broadcast, Central Press, Central Publishing Department and so on were all located here, therefore, the Cool Hill was the birth place of Chinese News and Publishing, the cradle of news warriors, who believes that a pen and a gun are both sharp weapons. They created news agencies, broadcasted and published newspapers in the dark and wet caves, spreading Marxism, Mao's thoughts and propagating policies, approaches of CPC. Under the direct led of CPC, they sent Chinese Revolutionary voice to all around China and the world. Their contribution to the Chinese revolution is indelible. Yan'an News Memorial Hall located in the south wing of the Cool Hill, As the unique Journalism thematic memorial hall, it is divided into 5 unites , with about 180 historic relics, 400 pictures, and documents, this period of history revives.
During the War of Resistance, the Xinhua News Agency, the Xinhua Broadcasting Station, and Jiefang Ribao (Liberation Daily) all had their offices here. There is a stone cave on this hill called Ten-Thousand Buddha Cave (Wanfodong) which was carved out during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. It contains more than ten thousand Buddhist sculptures. The Moon Well (Yue'erjing), the Piba Bridge, and many other scenic spots with fancy names on the hill are all connected with beautiful legends.
Location: Nothern Bank of Yanhe Rider, Yan'an
Entrance Fee: RMB 31
Opening Hours: 7:30-19:30
Trasportation: Take Bus No.1,4,5,6,11 or 19.
Yulin Town

Yulin Town, in the far northern section of Shaanxi Province, lies at the boundary between a Yellow Soil Plateau and the Mao Wu Su Desert (Maowusu shamo). The town is renowned as a garrison and patrol post that worked the northern fringes of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) empire. Although a tiny town and not especially old, Yulin still retains much of its charm through being little renovated.
The town boasts a large number of sights for its size and the most notable include the fortress and beacon tower at the Zhengbei Terrace (Zhengbei tai), the Incense Burner Temple (Xianglu si), the remainder of the ancient Great Wall (Changcheng) and an old Bell Tower (Zhong lou). The nicest section of town is the Old Quarter, which still retains its Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1644-1911 AD) Dynasty look, hidden behind encircling walls and old, stone gates. This area is great to walk around, with pebble paved alleys, grey-tiled quadrangular courtyards (Siheyuan) and delicate copper rings upon wooden gates and windows. In places you will come across the original city walls.
Baota Hill

Baota Hill is also called Jialing Hill. It stands to the southeast of the urban Yan’an where the Yanhe River and the Nanchuan River meet. The pagoda at the top of the hill is the symbol of Yan'an City which was first built in Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).It underwent renovation in Song Dynasty. The pagoda has nine stories and is 44 meters high (144 ft). Standing at the top of the hill, you will have a bird view of the ancient city of Yan'an. This is sure to be one of the highlights of your visit.
The most famous attraction here is the iron bell which was made in 1628 during Ming Dynasty. It is 1.5 meters high and about one meter in diameter. The tower is of great historical importance in relation to the Chinese revolutionary movement: when the Chinese Communist Party had its headquarters in Yan'an, the bell was used to toll the hour of the day and sound alarms.
On the hill, there is a huge new bell named Ping’ an Bell (Safety Bell) and a new huge drum named Taiping Drum (Peace Drum). It is said that luck and happiness will be bestowed on you by Tolling the bell or beating the drum. There is also a Stele Forest upon the slopes of the hill. They are inscribed with a variety of ancient Chinese calligraphy.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Baota Hill was designated by the State Council as one of the first key cultural relics under national protection. Baota Hill is now a public park. It has many pine, cypress and Chinese scholar trees.
Location: Jialing Road, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: RMB 41 for high season, RMB 31 for low season.
Opening Hours: 06:00-20:00
Transportation: Take bus No.1 or No.3 at Railway Station.
Revolutionary Memorial Hall

The Memorial Hall, not far from the Yangjialing Headquarters, is probably one of the best of its kind in China. It was founded in July 1950 in Yan'an City of Shaanxi Province, and it is one of the earliest revolutionary memorial halls in China. It was built in July 1950 and was previously called the Yan'an Revolutionary Museum. It was open to the public in February 1951.
The memorial hall boasts a comprehensive collection of historical literature, graphs and photos dating from the establishment of the "United Front against Japanese Invasion" to the opening of the Seventh General Conference of the Chinese Communist Party.
The main hall houses a huge collection of artifacts from the 1930-50s, including genuine footballs, sewing machines, Marxist books by Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky translated into Chinese and hundreds of communist weapons. Especially noteworthy is a white horse (it has been made into a specimen) that is said to have carried Mao Zedong.
The exhibition halls occupy 3,200 square meters, displaying 1,300 revolutionary cultural relics, more than 200 photos, as well as auxiliary exhibits like graphs, paintings, sculptures and models. All the exhibits introduce the founding of Northern Shaanxi Revolutionary Bases and the 13 years of revolutionary activities of the Communist Party of China. The memorial hall has launched the Exhibition of Yan'an Revolutionary Cultural Relics and the Exhibition of Yan'an Spirit, and has staged road shows in other places.
Location: Zaoyuan Road, East Bank of Yanhe River, Baota District, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: Free
Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00
Transportation: Take Bus No.1 or 3.
Yangjialing Revolution Headquarters

After an epic Long March the pitiful remainder of a once strong, though hounded, Red Army arrived to set up base in a little town called Yan'an. The leadership clique at that time, including such revolutionary martyrs as the all powerful Mao Zedong, the wise patriarch Zhou Enlai and the military strategist Zhu De, arrived weary to start again from where they had left off in the Jiangxi Soviet. The base area was first commanded from the Yangjialing Revolution Headquarters (Yangjialing geming jiuzhi), about 3km north from the town, although the HQ was moved about a number of times between October 1938-March 1947 by the wary troops. This first site, however, is of particular note for the holding of both the first Central Committee (CC) meetings and the seventh National Plenum that was to officially instate Mao as the Chairman of the revolutionary struggle.
Like much of the town, the headquarters nowadays remains very much undisturbed by the tourist hordes that used to pour through here on communist pilgrimage. Of interest are the Meeting Hall where the CC met, and more particularly, the mound behind that contains the Former Dwelling Holes of the leading military cadres. These 'rooms' can still be seen, where Mao and the rest were to sleep, write and plot. They are elegant enough affairs with white plaster over straw, mud or brick walls, and wooden lattice entrances faced with paper, typical of the traditional local architecture. Further up the hill are also a series of caves where the communist offices were located (including the secretariat and the propaganda departments.
Yangjialing Village

Yangjialing which is about three kilometers northwest of Yan'an was the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party. Many strategic guidelines and decisions had been made here by the top leaders of Communist Party since the beginning of Anti-Japanese War. During this time, large-scale Production Campaign was carried out among people and army with vigor and vitality. Rectification Campaign started and the Seventh National Congress of CPC and Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art were held .The Seventh National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party held from April 23 to June 11, 1945, opened the new page of the modern Chinese revolutionary history.
Many constructions were destroyed in 1947 while Hu zongnan (KMT military Leader) occupied Yan’an, luckily most of them have been rebuilt after 1949, and many evergreen trees were planted around later. Today we can still visit: Central Hall, Central General Office, Central Organization Department, Central United Front Work department, the old resident place of Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu de and where Mao Zedong and Anna Louis Strong talked.
At the entrance is an auditorium with brick and wood structure. The building behind was the office of the Central Committee's General. Mao Zedong and other high-level leaders of the revolution lived on a small hill in the north. There also is an exhibition hall; the objects displayed here show the revolutionary activities of the communist leaders and the people in Yan'an. Therefore, Yangjialing Village is a very important politic center in Chinese history. It has great significant meaning for most Chinese.
Location: Shengdi Road, Baota District, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: RMB 11
Transportation: Take Bus No.1, 3, 7,8,12 or 13.
Date Garden

Date Garden is 8 kilometers northwest of Yan'an. The garden used to be the manor of a landlord.It served as office of CPC Central Committee Secretariat during the war period of anti-Japanese and liberation after the Army entered Yan'an City. It is a special garden filled with revolutionary history. Secretariat directed the war against the Japanese invaders here, the Rectification Movement in 1942, and the production movement in 1941 and 1942 held here to supply the food and clothing to the people and army during the war in order to struggle with military attacks against the Japanese and economic blockade by the Kuomintang.
Many leaders such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Zhu De once lived here. What's more, Mao Zedong wrote many of his revolutionary works. The Date Garden, with flourish trees and flowers, is a nice place to visit. There are lots of relics among which most reflect or present the Chinese revolution and the tough time of war. The garden has been destroyed by Kuomintang when the communist party left, and it was rebuilt by the local government. Date garden has become the one of the most bases of Chinese revolutionary education.
Location: Zaoyunag Road, Yan'an
Entrance Fee: RMB 20
Transportation: Take Bus No.8 or 13.
Cool Hill

The Cool Hill is also called Qing Liang Shan Mountain, which used to be the center for CPC news, while central CPC committee was in Yan'an, the CPC newspaper committee, Xinhua News agent, Liberation Daily, Yan’an Xin Hua broadcast, Central Press, Central Publishing Department and so on were all located here, therefore, the Cool Hill was the birth place of Chinese News and Publishing, the cradle of news warriors, who believes that a pen and a gun are both sharp weapons. They created news agencies, broadcasted and published newspapers in the dark and wet caves, spreading Marxism, Mao's thoughts and propagating policies, approaches of CPC. Under the direct led of CPC, they sent Chinese Revolutionary voice to all around China and the world. Their contribution to the Chinese revolution is indelible. Yan'an News Memorial Hall located in the south wing of the Cool Hill, As the unique Journalism thematic memorial hall, it is divided into 5 unites , with about 180 historic relics, 400 pictures, and documents, this period of history revives.
During the War of Resistance, the Xinhua News Agency, the Xinhua Broadcasting Station, and Jiefang Ribao (Liberation Daily) all had their offices here. There is a stone cave on this hill called Ten-Thousand Buddha Cave (Wanfodong) which was carved out during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. It contains more than ten thousand Buddhist sculptures. The Moon Well (Yue'erjing), the Piba Bridge, and many other scenic spots with fancy names on the hill are all connected with beautiful legends.
Location: Nothern Bank of Yanhe Rider, Yan'an
Entrance Fee: RMB 31
Opening Hours: 7:30-19:30
Trasportation: Take Bus No.1,4,5,6,11 or 19.
Yulin Town

Yulin Town, in the far northern section of Shaanxi Province, lies at the boundary between a Yellow Soil Plateau and the Mao Wu Su Desert (Maowusu shamo). The town is renowned as a garrison and patrol post that worked the northern fringes of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) empire. Although a tiny town and not especially old, Yulin still retains much of its charm through being little renovated.
The town boasts a large number of sights for its size and the most notable include the fortress and beacon tower at the Zhengbei Terrace (Zhengbei tai), the Incense Burner Temple (Xianglu si), the remainder of the ancient Great Wall (Changcheng) and an old Bell Tower (Zhong lou). The nicest section of town is the Old Quarter, which still retains its Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1644-1911 AD) Dynasty look, hidden behind encircling walls and old, stone gates. This area is great to walk around, with pebble paved alleys, grey-tiled quadrangular courtyards (Siheyuan) and delicate copper rings upon wooden gates and windows. In places you will come across the original city walls.
Baota Hill

Baota Hill is also called Jialing Hill. It stands to the southeast of the urban Yan’an where the Yanhe River and the Nanchuan River meet. The pagoda at the top of the hill is the symbol of Yan'an City which was first built in Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).It underwent renovation in Song Dynasty. The pagoda has nine stories and is 44 meters high (144 ft). Standing at the top of the hill, you will have a bird view of the ancient city of Yan'an. This is sure to be one of the highlights of your visit.
The most famous attraction here is the iron bell which was made in 1628 during Ming Dynasty. It is 1.5 meters high and about one meter in diameter. The tower is of great historical importance in relation to the Chinese revolutionary movement: when the Chinese Communist Party had its headquarters in Yan'an, the bell was used to toll the hour of the day and sound alarms.
On the hill, there is a huge new bell named Ping’ an Bell (Safety Bell) and a new huge drum named Taiping Drum (Peace Drum). It is said that luck and happiness will be bestowed on you by Tolling the bell or beating the drum. There is also a Stele Forest upon the slopes of the hill. They are inscribed with a variety of ancient Chinese calligraphy.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), Baota Hill was designated by the State Council as one of the first key cultural relics under national protection. Baota Hill is now a public park. It has many pine, cypress and Chinese scholar trees.
Location: Jialing Road, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: RMB 41 for high season, RMB 31 for low season.
Opening Hours: 06:00-20:00
Transportation: Take bus No.1 or No.3 at Railway Station.
Revolutionary Memorial Hall

The Memorial Hall, not far from the Yangjialing Headquarters, is probably one of the best of its kind in China. It was founded in July 1950 in Yan'an City of Shaanxi Province, and it is one of the earliest revolutionary memorial halls in China. It was built in July 1950 and was previously called the Yan'an Revolutionary Museum. It was open to the public in February 1951.
The memorial hall boasts a comprehensive collection of historical literature, graphs and photos dating from the establishment of the "United Front against Japanese Invasion" to the opening of the Seventh General Conference of the Chinese Communist Party.
The main hall houses a huge collection of artifacts from the 1930-50s, including genuine footballs, sewing machines, Marxist books by Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky translated into Chinese and hundreds of communist weapons. Especially noteworthy is a white horse (it has been made into a specimen) that is said to have carried Mao Zedong.
The exhibition halls occupy 3,200 square meters, displaying 1,300 revolutionary cultural relics, more than 200 photos, as well as auxiliary exhibits like graphs, paintings, sculptures and models. All the exhibits introduce the founding of Northern Shaanxi Revolutionary Bases and the 13 years of revolutionary activities of the Communist Party of China. The memorial hall has launched the Exhibition of Yan'an Revolutionary Cultural Relics and the Exhibition of Yan'an Spirit, and has staged road shows in other places.
Location: Zaoyuan Road, East Bank of Yanhe River, Baota District, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: Free
Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00
Transportation: Take Bus No.1 or 3.
Yangjialing Revolution Headquarters

After an epic Long March the pitiful remainder of a once strong, though hounded, Red Army arrived to set up base in a little town called Yan'an. The leadership clique at that time, including such revolutionary martyrs as the all powerful Mao Zedong, the wise patriarch Zhou Enlai and the military strategist Zhu De, arrived weary to start again from where they had left off in the Jiangxi Soviet. The base area was first commanded from the Yangjialing Revolution Headquarters (Yangjialing geming jiuzhi), about 3km north from the town, although the HQ was moved about a number of times between October 1938-March 1947 by the wary troops. This first site, however, is of particular note for the holding of both the first Central Committee (CC) meetings and the seventh National Plenum that was to officially instate Mao as the Chairman of the revolutionary struggle.
Like much of the town, the headquarters nowadays remains very much undisturbed by the tourist hordes that used to pour through here on communist pilgrimage. Of interest are the Meeting Hall where the CC met, and more particularly, the mound behind that contains the Former Dwelling Holes of the leading military cadres. These 'rooms' can still be seen, where Mao and the rest were to sleep, write and plot. They are elegant enough affairs with white plaster over straw, mud or brick walls, and wooden lattice entrances faced with paper, typical of the traditional local architecture. Further up the hill are also a series of caves where the communist offices were located (including the secretariat and the propaganda departments.
Yangjialing Village

Yangjialing which is about three kilometers northwest of Yan'an was the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party. Many strategic guidelines and decisions had been made here by the top leaders of Communist Party since the beginning of Anti-Japanese War. During this time, large-scale Production Campaign was carried out among people and army with vigor and vitality. Rectification Campaign started and the Seventh National Congress of CPC and Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art were held .The Seventh National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party held from April 23 to June 11, 1945, opened the new page of the modern Chinese revolutionary history.
Many constructions were destroyed in 1947 while Hu zongnan (KMT military Leader) occupied Yan’an, luckily most of them have been rebuilt after 1949, and many evergreen trees were planted around later. Today we can still visit: Central Hall, Central General Office, Central Organization Department, Central United Front Work department, the old resident place of Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu de and where Mao Zedong and Anna Louis Strong talked.
At the entrance is an auditorium with brick and wood structure. The building behind was the office of the Central Committee's General. Mao Zedong and other high-level leaders of the revolution lived on a small hill in the north. There also is an exhibition hall; the objects displayed here show the revolutionary activities of the communist leaders and the people in Yan'an. Therefore, Yangjialing Village is a very important politic center in Chinese history. It has great significant meaning for most Chinese.
Location: Shengdi Road, Baota District, Yan'an.
Entrance Fee: RMB 11
Transportation: Take Bus No.1, 3, 7,8,12 or 13.
Date Garden

Date Garden is 8 kilometers northwest of Yan'an. The garden used to be the manor of a landlord.It served as office of CPC Central Committee Secretariat during the war period of anti-Japanese and liberation after the Army entered Yan'an City. It is a special garden filled with revolutionary history. Secretariat directed the war against the Japanese invaders here, the Rectification Movement in 1942, and the production movement in 1941 and 1942 held here to supply the food and clothing to the people and army during the war in order to struggle with military attacks against the Japanese and economic blockade by the Kuomintang.
Many leaders such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Zhu De once lived here. What's more, Mao Zedong wrote many of his revolutionary works. The Date Garden, with flourish trees and flowers, is a nice place to visit. There are lots of relics among which most reflect or present the Chinese revolution and the tough time of war. The garden has been destroyed by Kuomintang when the communist party left, and it was rebuilt by the local government. Date garden has become the one of the most bases of Chinese revolutionary education.
Location: Zaoyunag Road, Yan'an
Entrance Fee: RMB 20
Transportation: Take Bus No.8 or 13.
Cool Hill

The Cool Hill is also called Qing Liang Shan Mountain, which used to be the center for CPC news, while central CPC committee was in Yan'an, the CPC newspaper committee, Xinhua News agent, Liberation Daily, Yan’an Xin Hua broadcast, Central Press, Central Publishing Department and so on were all located here, therefore, the Cool Hill was the birth place of Chinese News and Publishing, the cradle of news warriors, who believes that a pen and a gun are both sharp weapons. They created news agencies, broadcasted and published newspapers in the dark and wet caves, spreading Marxism, Mao's thoughts and propagating policies, approaches of CPC. Under the direct led of CPC, they sent Chinese Revolutionary voice to all around China and the world. Their contribution to the Chinese revolution is indelible. Yan'an News Memorial Hall located in the south wing of the Cool Hill, As the unique Journalism thematic memorial hall, it is divided into 5 unites , with about 180 historic relics, 400 pictures, and documents, this period of history revives.
During the War of Resistance, the Xinhua News Agency, the Xinhua Broadcasting Station, and Jiefang Ribao (Liberation Daily) all had their offices here. There is a stone cave on this hill called Ten-Thousand Buddha Cave (Wanfodong) which was carved out during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. It contains more than ten thousand Buddhist sculptures. The Moon Well (Yue'erjing), the Piba Bridge, and many other scenic spots with fancy names on the hill are all connected with beautiful legends.
Location: Nothern Bank of Yanhe Rider, Yan'an
Entrance Fee: RMB 31
Opening Hours: 7:30-19:30
Trasportation: Take Bus No.1,4,5,6,11 or 19.
Yulin Town

Yulin Town, in the far northern section of Shaanxi Province, lies at the boundary between a Yellow Soil Plateau and the Mao Wu Su Desert (Maowusu shamo). The town is renowned as a garrison and patrol post that worked the northern fringes of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) empire. Although a tiny town and not especially old, Yulin still retains much of its charm through being little renovated.
The town boasts a large number of sights for its size and the most notable include the fortress and beacon tower at the Zhengbei Terrace (Zhengbei tai), the Incense Burner Temple (Xianglu si), the remainder of the ancient Great Wall (Changcheng) and an old Bell Tower (Zhong lou). The nicest section of town is the Old Quarter, which still retains its Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1644-1911 AD) Dynasty look, hidden behind encircling walls and old, stone gates. This area is great to walk around, with pebble paved alleys, grey-tiled quadrangular courtyards (Siheyuan) and delicate copper rings upon wooden gates and windows. In places you will come across the original city walls.

Highlights
Glacier No.1

120 kilometers away from south of city, the No.1 Glacier belongs to sightseeing site. It lies in Kalawuquntage Mountain near the Shengli Slope that is the middle section of the Tianshan Mountains, The altitude here is 4,800 meters, distributed gigantic modern glacier. There are fantastic and ploy post glacier landforms, Its three sides encircled hills like a vast bucket, so people called it glacier bucket, The snow doesn't thaw all the year round in the mountains which around the number one glacier.
The snow become thicker due to yearly accumulated. And at last it slide down, fell into the hollow of the glacier bucket, and become translucent pale-blue glacier. The west branch moves 27 meters downwards every year, and the east 11 meters downward. When the fronted, namely glacial tongue moves below the snow line, it melts. The melted snow water of the No.1 Glacier becomes the main original of Urumqi River.
Ghost Town

The City of Demons is another name for the "Wuerhe Wind City" (Wuerhe Fengcheng), which refers to one of the Yadan landforms. Bushes like camel thorns are grown in sand hills spreading everywhere because of lack of water. In the open ground, the table -like mountains originally formed by burnt ochre stones and gray green rocks which have been fallen into pieces after thousands of years' wind and water erosion look like ancient castles and palaces with Gothic, Chinese and Egyptian styles.
So this area is called "the window of the world". There are many lively shaped models such as the towering stone mushrooms, stone bamboo shoots, stone pavilions, stone columns, wide streets, narrow lanes and caves cutting down to the rocks, lively shape of birds, animals, fishes and human bodies. In summer and autumn, 7 to 8 degrees of great storms usually blow along the valley, raising the sands, whistling like ghosts and wolves. So that's the derivation of another name of the Wuerhe Wind City---the City of Monsters.
Location: Wuerhe Area, 100 kilometers away to the northeast of Karamay
Entrance Fee: RMB 30
Transportation: Take long-distance bus at Karamay to Wuerhe. Then take shuttle bus to Ghost Town after arriving at Wuerhe.
Heavenly Lake

Heavenly Lake is 110 km from Urumqi. Located at the half way of the Begeda Peak of Tianshan Mountain, it has an elevation of 1,980 meters and an area of 4.9 square km. The lake is 3,400 meters long, with the widest section being 1,500 meters and the deepest 105 meters. It was named "Yaochi" in the old days.
The Heavenly Lake is a moraine by nature. Splendid peaks and glaciers were developed some 200,000 years ago. As a result of prolonged scouring and wearing off of the glaciers, a gigantic pit was formed. Later, the climate turned warmer, glaciers receded and a large amount of gravel accumulated, resulting in huge terminal moraines. In the end, the Heavenly Lake took shape.
The water is very clear and the banks are covered with tall trees. Surrounded by mountains, the jade-green lake is an ideal place for excursions and rest for most of the year. It provides an excellent skating ground in winter.In summer, the beautiful lake is an ideal cool resort. Boaters on the lake see the ever-changing silvery mountains soaring into the blue sky, their slopes highlighted with verdant pasture and flamboyant wild flowers. Fishing at dusk has its own special charm. A day in this fairyland promises restoration.
Heavenly Lake, a relic of the Quaternary Period Glacier and its surrounding geological relics, offers science lovers exploring opportunities.
As if the natural beauty of Heavenly Lake were not enough, legend adds a mysterious touch. It is said that the West Queen (Xi Wang Mu) entertained King Mu of the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100B.C.-771B.C.) at the Lake. The West Queen fell in love with the king and asked him in her poem, 'The white clouds drift while the mountains reach the blue sky. Passing thousands of mountains, crossing ten thousands of rivers, you come to us from a faraway place. If you are still strong and fine, would you like to come back to us again?' The king answered in his poem, 'After I go back to central China and lead the people to a prosperous life, I will come to you again.'We do not know why the king never returned. Only the placid lake and the silent mountains witnessed the lovesickness of the West Queen.
Southern Pastures

In the suburb of the city of Urumqi there lies the Southern Pastures, a beautiful pasture that the pastoral Kazakh inhabit and graze in summer.
Covering an area of 119 square kilometers (about 45 square miles), Southern Pastures, the natural large and famous summer resort, is 75 kilometers (about 46 miles) away from the city, and located in the Southern Mountain, an area at the northern foot of Karawuquntag Mountain.
It takes about one hour by bus from Urumqi to get to West White Poplar Gully, which is one of most typical sights. On the way, you can see the bright snowcapped Karawuquntag Mountain, the wandering valleys, and hear the gurgle of springs, smell the lush spruce
trees. In the thicket of the lush spruce trees, just let your eyes delight in the traditional villas and the scattered Kazakstan yurts as they paint the grassland and pastures.
Standing in the pastures, you can see the forest of emerald green spruce on a chain of undulating grass hills dotted with combined flocks and herds. As you immerse yourself in this beautiful site, the singing of the Kazakh may envelop you and inspire you to sing with them. You can visit one of the traditional yurts locating in the spruce forest where you will be welcomed by a generous host with fragrant milk tea, mare's milk, cheese and roasted lamb. If you are lucky enough, you will be able to observe the amazing horseracing and traditional Kazakh dancing.
Additional beautiful spots in Southern Pastures from west to east are respectively Chrysanthemum Tai (a table-board of alluvial fan), East White Poplar Gully, Zhaobi Mountain, Miao'er Gully and Da'xi Gully. With the embellishment by these other sights, Southern Pastures is even more beautiful and fascinating.
Red Hill

Red Hill, 1.5 kilometers long and one kilometer wide and 910 meters above sea level, is situated on the east side of the Urumqi River and at the very center of the city, running from east to west. The hill top looks like a mighty lion in its quiet sleep and the ridge like a wriggling dragon. The hill's rocks are reddish-brown, hence the name "Red Hill".
At the top of the hill stands a nine-story, solid, gray brick pagoda, which is 8 meters high, facing the top of Yamalike Hill. It is so-called "Zhenlong pagoda" that means "Pagoda to Suppress Dragons". According to historical documents, Red Hill overflowed in 1785 and the year after and later formed Urumqi River. It is said that it was done by a vicious dragon and the Red Hill and Yamalike Hill would join together to block it up, otherwise, Urumqi area would turn into a vast expanse of water. In the year 1788, the fifty-third year of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, Shang an, the governor of Urumqi, had a pagoda built at the top of each hill in order to suppress the evil dragon. After two hundred years of weathering, the pagoda still remains basically intact. There used to be a number of historical sites on the hill. As early as the time of the nomadic Oyrat Tribe, an "Ebo" was built at the top of the hill; "Ebo" is the name of a kind of cairn used by the tribesmen to worship and offer sacrifice to their gods.
During the Qing Dynasty, the Temple of the Jade Emperor was built at the top of the hill as well as the Temple of the Great Buddha; and the Palace of the Dipper and the Temple of Ksitigabha were built at the foot of the hill. These splendid temples attracted a great number of visitors and made the hill a holy place where worshippers chanted the Buddhist sutra and conducted religious services. Unfortunately almost all these magnificent buildings were burnt down in wars among warlords and nothing was left except a shaky temple gate and the pagoda standing at the top of the precipitous Red Hill. Today, local people regard Red Hill as the symbol of the city. As a result of the construction in the past thirty years or more, the barren Red Hill is now covered with emerald green trees and embellished with tourist facilities such as stone-stepped paths and an asphalt road winding to its top.
Today, Red Hill has been developed into the beautiful Red Hill Park. Modern entertainment facilities and ethnic performances bring a fresh and lively atmosphere to the park. On the peak of Red Hill, you will have the whole city of Urumqi before your eyes!
The Museum of Xinjiang Uygar Autonomous Region

Covering an exhibiting area of 7800 sqm, the museum of Uygur and Russian styles, is constructed in 1953. A green-tiled dome tops 18m above the main hall and enormous mural relieves decorate the walls, domes, and entrance. The exhibiting article of this museum center lies in two sources that are archaeological treasures from the Silk Road and the local cultural relics.
The first section displays over 50,000 cultural relics excavated on the ancient Silk Road, which including the silk, pottery and porcelain, terra-cotta figures, weapons, scriptures and so on.
The second section show some mummies discovered in the vast desert. Among over 10 mummies, one named 'sleeping beauty' is the most famous one. Buried underground for about 3,800 years, it keeps unbroken, ranking as the earliest and best preserved mummified body in China. Besides, various articles of ethnic groups are also showed in the museum, which include clothing, household utensils, handicrafts, hunting accoutrements and musical instruments as well as the Uygur house and different styles of yurts, giving a vivid introduction of the customs and cultures of different ethnic groups.
Location: No.132 Xibei Road, Urumqi
Entrance Fee: Free
Opening Hours: Summer9:30-19:00, Winter10:30-18:00, Holidays10:00-18:00.
Transportation: Take Bus No.7 at Hongshan Department Store.
Kanas Lake

1374 meters high above sea level, Kanas Lake (Kanasi Hu), which means "beautiful, rich and mysterious" in Mongolian, can be found in the deep forests and mountains of Altai, covering an area of 44.78 square kilometers which is 10 times bigger than Tianchi on Bogda Mountain. This is typical ice erosion & Moraine Lake shaped like a new moon, or rather, a long hyacinth bean. The reflections of the surrounding snowcapped, tree-covered mountains can be seen inverted on the lake water. During autumn especially, there is a picturesque landscape of forests in a riot of colors with gold, red, blue and green all reflected in the clear lake water here.
There are also some fun legends about Kanas Lake. It is said that huge lake monsters live in the lake's depths. In recent years, others claim to have seen 4 meter long blood red fish in the lake. The "Emei Spectacle", lights in the clouds after a morning rain, adds an air of mystery to the lake too.
The practices of the Tuwa and local Mongolian ethic minority, and Altai Mountain rock-paintings have been attracting explorers and travelers to this area for decades.
Location: Kanas Lake is 140km from Burqin County and 246km from Altay City.
Entrance Fee: RMB 230
Transportation: There are flights to Altay City and tourist coaches to Burqin County from Urumqi. You can enter the nature reserve by car or on horseback with local guides.
Yarrwo

Located in the east rely upon Yanr cliff, and west is close to Urumqi River, the Yarrwo is about 6 square kilometers in perimeter, it is a seasoning scenic zone in south suburb of cantonal. In summer, miscellaneous wild roses, rosebush and bushes bloom red, yellow, blue, white and purple, the flowers make this place a green and bright-colored world. In deep winter, icebound and snow touch down white flower that covered whole tree and shaped a different scenery.
It is said that there was a hero who named "Yanr" in ancient times who dived into Urumqi River and killed the devil and stopped a flood from overspreading, The spirit later become ten millions little swallows, and make here become "swallow fairyland". The ancient nomad called the place "Urabo", namely means "red shooting range". It is report that a tribe of ancient nomad often demonstrates and competes in military stills and target practice in open field here, the winner drape red silk band to show off portliness.
Glacier No.1

120 kilometers away from south of city, the No.1 Glacier belongs to sightseeing site. It lies in Kalawuquntage Mountain near the Shengli Slope that is the middle section of the Tianshan Mountains, The altitude here is 4,800 meters, distributed gigantic modern glacier. There are fantastic and ploy post glacier landforms, Its three sides encircled hills like a vast bucket, so people called it glacier bucket, The snow doesn't thaw all the year round in the mountains which around the number one glacier.
The snow become thicker due to yearly accumulated. And at last it slide down, fell into the hollow of the glacier bucket, and become translucent pale-blue glacier. The west branch moves 27 meters downwards every year, and the east 11 meters downward. When the fronted, namely glacial tongue moves below the snow line, it melts. The melted snow water of the No.1 Glacier becomes the main original of Urumqi River.
Ghost Town

The City of Demons is another name for the "Wuerhe Wind City" (Wuerhe Fengcheng), which refers to one of the Yadan landforms. Bushes like camel thorns are grown in sand hills spreading everywhere because of lack of water. In the open ground, the table -like mountains originally formed by burnt ochre stones and gray green rocks which have been fallen into pieces after thousands of years' wind and water erosion look like ancient castles and palaces with Gothic, Chinese and Egyptian styles.
So this area is called "the window of the world". There are many lively shaped models such as the towering stone mushrooms, stone bamboo shoots, stone pavilions, stone columns, wide streets, narrow lanes and caves cutting down to the rocks, lively shape of birds, animals, fishes and human bodies. In summer and autumn, 7 to 8 degrees of great storms usually blow along the valley, raising the sands, whistling like ghosts and wolves. So that's the derivation of another name of the Wuerhe Wind City---the City of Monsters.
Location: Wuerhe Area, 100 kilometers away to the northeast of Karamay
Entrance Fee: RMB 30
Transportation: Take long-distance bus at Karamay to Wuerhe. Then take shuttle bus to Ghost Town after arriving at Wuerhe.
Heavenly Lake

Heavenly Lake is 110 km from Urumqi. Located at the half way of the Begeda Peak of Tianshan Mountain, it has an elevation of 1,980 meters and an area of 4.9 square km. The lake is 3,400 meters long, with the widest section being 1,500 meters and the deepest 105 meters. It was named "Yaochi" in the old days.
The Heavenly Lake is a moraine by nature. Splendid peaks and glaciers were developed some 200,000 years ago. As a result of prolonged scouring and wearing off of the glaciers, a gigantic pit was formed. Later, the climate turned warmer, glaciers receded and a large amount of gravel accumulated, resulting in huge terminal moraines. In the end, the Heavenly Lake took shape.
The water is very clear and the banks are covered with tall trees. Surrounded by mountains, the jade-green lake is an ideal place for excursions and rest for most of the year. It provides an excellent skating ground in winter.In summer, the beautiful lake is an ideal cool resort. Boaters on the lake see the ever-changing silvery mountains soaring into the blue sky, their slopes highlighted with verdant pasture and flamboyant wild flowers. Fishing at dusk has its own special charm. A day in this fairyland promises restoration.
Heavenly Lake, a relic of the Quaternary Period Glacier and its surrounding geological relics, offers science lovers exploring opportunities.
As if the natural beauty of Heavenly Lake were not enough, legend adds a mysterious touch. It is said that the West Queen (Xi Wang Mu) entertained King Mu of the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100B.C.-771B.C.) at the Lake. The West Queen fell in love with the king and asked him in her poem, 'The white clouds drift while the mountains reach the blue sky. Passing thousands of mountains, crossing ten thousands of rivers, you come to us from a faraway place. If you are still strong and fine, would you like to come back to us again?' The king answered in his poem, 'After I go back to central China and lead the people to a prosperous life, I will come to you again.'We do not know why the king never returned. Only the placid lake and the silent mountains witnessed the lovesickness of the West Queen.
Southern Pastures

In the suburb of the city of Urumqi there lies the Southern Pastures, a beautiful pasture that the pastoral Kazakh inhabit and graze in summer.
Covering an area of 119 square kilometers (about 45 square miles), Southern Pastures, the natural large and famous summer resort, is 75 kilometers (about 46 miles) away from the city, and located in the Southern Mountain, an area at the northern foot of Karawuquntag Mountain.
It takes about one hour by bus from Urumqi to get to West White Poplar Gully, which is one of most typical sights. On the way, you can see the bright snowcapped Karawuquntag Mountain, the wandering valleys, and hear the gurgle of springs, smell the lush spruce
trees. In the thicket of the lush spruce trees, just let your eyes delight in the traditional villas and the scattered Kazakstan yurts as they paint the grassland and pastures.
Standing in the pastures, you can see the forest of emerald green spruce on a chain of undulating grass hills dotted with combined flocks and herds. As you immerse yourself in this beautiful site, the singing of the Kazakh may envelop you and inspire you to sing with them. You can visit one of the traditional yurts locating in the spruce forest where you will be welcomed by a generous host with fragrant milk tea, mare's milk, cheese and roasted lamb. If you are lucky enough, you will be able to observe the amazing horseracing and traditional Kazakh dancing.
Additional beautiful spots in Southern Pastures from west to east are respectively Chrysanthemum Tai (a table-board of alluvial fan), East White Poplar Gully, Zhaobi Mountain, Miao'er Gully and Da'xi Gully. With the embellishment by these other sights, Southern Pastures is even more beautiful and fascinating.
Red Hill

Red Hill, 1.5 kilometers long and one kilometer wide and 910 meters above sea level, is situated on the east side of the Urumqi River and at the very center of the city, running from east to west. The hill top looks like a mighty lion in its quiet sleep and the ridge like a wriggling dragon. The hill's rocks are reddish-brown, hence the name "Red Hill".
At the top of the hill stands a nine-story, solid, gray brick pagoda, which is 8 meters high, facing the top of Yamalike Hill. It is so-called "Zhenlong pagoda" that means "Pagoda to Suppress Dragons". According to historical documents, Red Hill overflowed in 1785 and the year after and later formed Urumqi River. It is said that it was done by a vicious dragon and the Red Hill and Yamalike Hill would join together to block it up, otherwise, Urumqi area would turn into a vast expanse of water. In the year 1788, the fifty-third year of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, Shang an, the governor of Urumqi, had a pagoda built at the top of each hill in order to suppress the evil dragon. After two hundred years of weathering, the pagoda still remains basically intact. There used to be a number of historical sites on the hill. As early as the time of the nomadic Oyrat Tribe, an "Ebo" was built at the top of the hill; "Ebo" is the name of a kind of cairn used by the tribesmen to worship and offer sacrifice to their gods.
During the Qing Dynasty, the Temple of the Jade Emperor was built at the top of the hill as well as the Temple of the Great Buddha; and the Palace of the Dipper and the Temple of Ksitigabha were built at the foot of the hill. These splendid temples attracted a great number of visitors and made the hill a holy place where worshippers chanted the Buddhist sutra and conducted religious services. Unfortunately almost all these magnificent buildings were burnt down in wars among warlords and nothing was left except a shaky temple gate and the pagoda standing at the top of the precipitous Red Hill. Today, local people regard Red Hill as the symbol of the city. As a result of the construction in the past thirty years or more, the barren Red Hill is now covered with emerald green trees and embellished with tourist facilities such as stone-stepped paths and an asphalt road winding to its top.
Today, Red Hill has been developed into the beautiful Red Hill Park. Modern entertainment facilities and ethnic performances bring a fresh and lively atmosphere to the park. On the peak of Red Hill, you will have the whole city of Urumqi before your eyes!
The Museum of Xinjiang Uygar Autonomous Region

Covering an exhibiting area of 7800 sqm, the museum of Uygur and Russian styles, is constructed in 1953. A green-tiled dome tops 18m above the main hall and enormous mural relieves decorate the walls, domes, and entrance. The exhibiting article of this museum center lies in two sources that are archaeological treasures from the Silk Road and the local cultural relics.
The first section displays over 50,000 cultural relics excavated on the ancient Silk Road, which including the silk, pottery and porcelain, terra-cotta figures, weapons, scriptures and so on.
The second section show some mummies discovered in the vast desert. Among over 10 mummies, one named 'sleeping beauty' is the most famous one. Buried underground for about 3,800 years, it keeps unbroken, ranking as the earliest and best preserved mummified body in China. Besides, various articles of ethnic groups are also showed in the museum, which include clothing, household utensils, handicrafts, hunting accoutrements and musical instruments as well as the Uygur house and different styles of yurts, giving a vivid introduction of the customs and cultures of different ethnic groups.
Location: No.132 Xibei Road, Urumqi
Entrance Fee: Free
Opening Hours: Summer9:30-19:00, Winter10:30-18:00, Holidays10:00-18:00.
Transportation: Take Bus No.7 at Hongshan Department Store.
Kanas Lake

1374 meters high above sea level, Kanas Lake (Kanasi Hu), which means "beautiful, rich and mysterious" in Mongolian, can be found in the deep forests and mountains of Altai, covering an area of 44.78 square kilometers which is 10 times bigger than Tianchi on Bogda Mountain. This is typical ice erosion & Moraine Lake shaped like a new moon, or rather, a long hyacinth bean. The reflections of the surrounding snowcapped, tree-covered mountains can be seen inverted on the lake water. During autumn especially, there is a picturesque landscape of forests in a riot of colors with gold, red, blue and green all reflected in the clear lake water here.
There are also some fun legends about Kanas Lake. It is said that huge lake monsters live in the lake's depths. In recent years, others claim to have seen 4 meter long blood red fish in the lake. The "Emei Spectacle", lights in the clouds after a morning rain, adds an air of mystery to the lake too.
The practices of the Tuwa and local Mongolian ethic minority, and Altai Mountain rock-paintings have been attracting explorers and travelers to this area for decades.
Location: Kanas Lake is 140km from Burqin County and 246km from Altay City.
Entrance Fee: RMB 230
Transportation: There are flights to Altay City and tourist coaches to Burqin County from Urumqi. You can enter the nature reserve by car or on horseback with local guides.
Yarrwo

Located in the east rely upon Yanr cliff, and west is close to Urumqi River, the Yarrwo is about 6 square kilometers in perimeter, it is a seasoning scenic zone in south suburb of cantonal. In summer, miscellaneous wild roses, rosebush and bushes bloom red, yellow, blue, white and purple, the flowers make this place a green and bright-colored world. In deep winter, icebound and snow touch down white flower that covered whole tree and shaped a different scenery.
It is said that there was a hero who named "Yanr" in ancient times who dived into Urumqi River and killed the devil and stopped a flood from overspreading, The spirit later become ten millions little swallows, and make here become "swallow fairyland". The ancient nomad called the place "Urabo", namely means "red shooting range". It is report that a tribe of ancient nomad often demonstrates and competes in military stills and target practice in open field here, the winner drape red silk band to show off portliness.
Glacier No.1

120 kilometers away from south of city, the No.1 Glacier belongs to sightseeing site. It lies in Kalawuquntage Mountain near the Shengli Slope that is the middle section of the Tianshan Mountains, The altitude here is 4,800 meters, distributed gigantic modern glacier. There are fantastic and ploy post glacier landforms, Its three sides encircled hills like a vast bucket, so people called it glacier bucket, The snow doesn't thaw all the year round in the mountains which around the number one glacier.
The snow become thicker due to yearly accumulated. And at last it slide down, fell into the hollow of the glacier bucket, and become translucent pale-blue glacier. The west branch moves 27 meters downwards every year, and the east 11 meters downward. When the fronted, namely glacial tongue moves below the snow line, it melts. The melted snow water of the No.1 Glacier becomes the main original of Urumqi River.
Ghost Town

The City of Demons is another name for the "Wuerhe Wind City" (Wuerhe Fengcheng), which refers to one of the Yadan landforms. Bushes like camel thorns are grown in sand hills spreading everywhere because of lack of water. In the open ground, the table -like mountains originally formed by burnt ochre stones and gray green rocks which have been fallen into pieces after thousands of years' wind and water erosion look like ancient castles and palaces with Gothic, Chinese and Egyptian styles.
So this area is called "the window of the world". There are many lively shaped models such as the towering stone mushrooms, stone bamboo shoots, stone pavilions, stone columns, wide streets, narrow lanes and caves cutting down to the rocks, lively shape of birds, animals, fishes and human bodies. In summer and autumn, 7 to 8 degrees of great storms usually blow along the valley, raising the sands, whistling like ghosts and wolves. So that's the derivation of another name of the Wuerhe Wind City---the City of Monsters.
Location: Wuerhe Area, 100 kilometers away to the northeast of Karamay
Entrance Fee: RMB 30
Transportation: Take long-distance bus at Karamay to Wuerhe. Then take shuttle bus to Ghost Town after arriving at Wuerhe.

Highlights
Karez Irrigation System

Karez irrigation systems are the crystallization of ancient people's diligence and intelligence. Without the Karez, there would be no Turpan culture.
The history of the karez, which have mainly been used in the Hami and Turpan areas of Xinjiang, where it is hot and dry, dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.). It is considered one of the three great projects of ancient China, along with the Great Wall and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
The karez system consists of four parts: a hole as deep as 50 to 60 meters, an underground canal, an aboveground canal and a small reservoir. It has many advantages, such as little evaporation from season to season and little percolation and can provide a stable water supply that does not consume energy or cause pollution.
Wandering underground over 5,000 kilometers, the system has also been called "the underground Great Wall."
Karez systems also functions as the natural air conditioner for the locals because they can sit in one while chatting or doing some chores. When exhausted during the scorching weather, sitting in a Karez, picking some grapes as they hang over the vertical wells and savoring their taste, you will be thoroughly refreshed.
Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs

The Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs are the Living Archives of Gaochang.This Tang-dynasty burial ground known as the "Underground Museum" attracts stream of archaeologists both at home and abroad. It provides some very valuable and fascinating artifacts such as tomb figures of wood, wall paint, ceramics, and documents and silk which were as well-preserved and as colorful as new ones by the hot and dry atmosphere. Astana means "capital" in Uygur and Karakhoja is the name of a legendary hero of the ancient Uygur Kingdom who expelled the evils by killing a vicious dragon.
The tombs are located 42 km (26miles) southeast of Turpan city and 6 km (3.7miles) from the Ancient City of Gaochang. The tombs range 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) from north to south and 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from east to west. The tombs were the public cemetery of the ancient Gaochang residents, both aristocrats and commoners. However, curiously, among the excavated 456 tombs the tomb of King Gaochang has been found nowhere in the tombs. According to the documentation buried with them, the era must have been between 273 and 778. The outsides of the tombs are shaped like small low hills, sloping down towards to the grave rooms. The tomb design appears from the sky to be like a "Jia" shape of Chinese character. Three tombs among them are open to visitors.
Ancient City of Gaochang

The ancient city Gaochang, with a cover of 2,000,000 square meters, is located in 46 kilometers (29 miles) southeast of Turpan near the 'Flaming Mountains', Xinjing Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Built in the first century B.C. and originally called Gaochangbi, it used to be a garrison town and later became a key point along the ancient Silk Road. In ancient times, it had been one of the political, economic and culture centers in the Western Regions, and it was a hub of exchange of economy and culture between ancient China and the West. The famous Buddhist monk Xuan Zang taught in the city for several months during his epic 18 year journey to India.
Though the ruins have not been as well preserved as the ones in the Ancient City of Jiaohe, it still provides interesting insight into this unique civilization. The city is split into 3 parts, the inner and outer cities and a palace complex. Nine city gates were built at cardinal points; three in the south and two in each other three directions respectively. Visitors are usually suggested to enter the best preserved one in the west to the core. Inside visitors can see remnants of "Khan Castle", a 15 meter (49ft) structure, temples, manuscripts ,Buddhist paintings and so on.
Two temple remains, one in the southwestern and the other in the northwestern parts of the outer city are worth a visit. The first one, 130 meters (427 feet) long from east to west, 85 meters (279 feet) wide from south to north covers 10,000 square meters. It consists of an arched gate, a courtyard, a lecture hall, a library of sutras, a main hall and the monks' dormitory. It is said that Xuan Zang the renowned Buddhist monk of the Tang period had lectures here in the year of 628 on his way to India. The second is smaller but the murals remains are impressive.
Ancient City of Jiaohe

The largest, oldest and best-preserved earthen city in the world, Jiaohe is 1,650 meters (5,413 feet) by 300 meters (984 feet) at its widest; with an area of 220,000 square meters (2,368,168 square feet). It was the capital of the former Cheshi State. An Indian proverb says, 'Intelligence is bound to exist where two rivers meet'. Jiaohe, meaning in Chinese where two rivers meet, is such a place. According to historical records it was home to 700 households, 6500 residents plus 865 soldiers.
Jiaohe distinguishes itself from other ancient cities owing to three features. First, it had only two city gates, the South and East Gates. The main South Gate vanished long ago, leaving a huge breach. The East Gate cut by the cliff was virtually non-existent. Second, the city faces cliffs on three sides, so there are no city walls commonly seen in other ancient cities. Third, all the buildings were dug from earth and wood was rarely used.
The central avenue, 350-meters (1148.3-feet) long, runs north from South Gate, separating the city into three parts; namely, residences for common people, temples, and residences for aristocrats. To the west of the avenue, low buildings with sparse small temples were residences for commoners, while the high ones in the east were for aristocrats and troops. At the end of the avenue stands a large well-preserved Buddhist temple, Jiaohe Temple, with an area of 5,000 square meters (53,824 square feet).
The relics we see today featured Tang Dynasty (618-907) architectural style. Houses were dug downward from the earth, and as no house gates faced the streets, military defense was apparently priority.
At the end of the 8 Century, the city was tossed into the reigns of the Turpan, Hui, and Mongols. Residents fled from the destroyed city continuously until in the beginning of the 14 Century, the city was abandoned, as was its glory and prosperity of over 2000 years. Miraculously, owing to the arid climate and remote location, the ancient city of Jiaohe remains intact, leaving us a rare exemplar of an earthen castle.
Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves

The Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves, 48 kilometers northeast of the Turpan urban area, are located in the Flaming Mountains' MuTou valley. As Buddhism was the first religion from abroad introduced to this area, Xinjiang witnessed the earliest development of Buddhist cave art in China. Soon after the religion's establishment in the region, Turpan became the Buddhist center on the Silk Road owing to its geographic location. Among the Buddhist caves found in Turpan, Bizalkik Thousand Buddha Caves are considered most valuable.
They were called the ningrong grottoes in the Tang Dynasty. There are 77 numbered grottoes, about 40 of which still have murals in them. The group of grottoes in Bizaklik, with a total of 1,200 square meters of murals, has the most grottoes, most diversified architectural styles and the richest mural content in the Turpan area. The oldest grottoes were hewn in the period of qushi gaochang. From the Tang Dynasty in the thirteenth century, it was an important Buddhist gathering place. Its most prosperous period was under the reign of the xizhou huigu government, which built the royal temple of the king of huigu on this site. Most of the existing grottoes were extended or reconstructed during the huigu period.
Bizaklik Caves was the royal temple of Huihu (the predecessor of today's Uygur) State and the existing caves were enlarged or renovated during that time. The murals take us back to the ancient Huihu State, where we can see the King and Queen and people from all walks of life. The inscriptions, written in ancient Uygur, Chinese and other languages, provide authentic reference for valuable historic research.
The most exceptionally rare mural topics in Bizaklik Caves are found in Caves No.16 and 17. Cave No.16 depicts a musician playing Xiao Hu Lei-- a lute-like instrument originating from southern China's Yunnan province. This strengthens the belief that cultural exchange between northern and southern China was unprecedented during Tang Dynasty.
In addition to the murals and inscriptions, a piece of gold foil wrapping paper found at the caves is also intriguing. A stamp on it revealed the address of the shop on the south side of Tiahelou Street, Hangzhou, Zhejiang of Song Dynasty. It also advised clients to examine their goods carefully before purchase to avoid being cheated. As an apparent piece of advertisement, the foil shows that Gaochang Huihu kept close economic ties with Song Dynasty as the trade extended as far as to the East China Sea.
Emin Minaret

Emin Minaret, 3km (2 miles) east of central Turpan is the largest extant old tower in Xinjiang; it is the only Islamic tower among the hundred famous towers in China. Construction of this religious tower and mosque complex began in 1777 at the request of the then ruler of Turpan Emin Khoja. He was an outstanding patriot who defended the unification of China throughout his life. He had eight sons but the eldest son died of illness at a young age. Influenced by Emin, all his remaining sons made contributions during the war against Jungar rebellions. It was Suleman, Emin's second son, who built this minaret with his own money. This is the reason why the minaret is also named Su Gong Ta. Upon Emin's death, Suleman inherited his father's rank and became the second Turpan ruler.
Emin Minaret is made of sun-dried bricks and is decorated with delicate geometric and floral patterns. The adjoining mosque has a latticed ceiling and a domed sacred space, all supported by wooden pillars. From the top of the mosque there is a good view of the surrounding vineyards and mountains.
At the entrance to the minaret, two steles were set up. On one is a Chinese inscription that explains that the purpose of building the minaret was to show gratitude to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and to commemorate exploits of Emin Khoja while the Uygur inscription on the other stele gave thanks to Allah.
The historical background of Emin Minaret is underlined by the architectural significance. The 44-meter (144 feet) high minaret has no stories. From the base with a diameter of 10 meters (32.8 feet), the minaret tapers to an Islamic dome. In the center of the minaret is a brick-piled pillar with 72 steps around it spiraling to the top. There are 14 openings for ventilation and lighting, which are located in different directions and at various heights. On the top, there is an attic of 10 square meters (107 square feet) with large windows on the four sides through which the marvelous landscape could be admired. Unfortunately, tourists today cannot climb to the top due to the protection given to the minaret.
However, the unique exterior of the minaret will make up for this lack. The huge column made of grey bricks and earth would be dull if not for its decorative patterns. Smart Uygur architects used bricks to form 15 different patterns such as waves, flowers or rhombuses. What's more, the architects even took the surroundings into consideration. Set against the azure sky, silvery Tianshan Mountain and the scarlet Flaming Mountain , Emin Minaret displays a pristine but dignified air. Only when you look up at the minaret will you find how crystal blue and high the sky of Turpan is!
The Flaming Mountains



Grape Valley

On the western face of the Flaming Mountains, east of Turpan is the Grape Valley. It is a world of unique with vineyards and fruit trees. The Grape Valley of the Flaming Mountains, fifteen kilometers from the city center, is also a world of unique beauty, presenting a striking contrast with the hot, dry and barren outside. "...Grapes in Turpan grow up; Anarhan's heart is ecstatic..." This folk song of the last century is well known in China. Turpan, a place truly flowing with milk and honey in the Turki language, is famous for its fruits. Among them, grape is the most famous.
Every August the sweet air will herald the vintage. The best place to enjoy the grapes is Grape Valley. In the valley you will find a park as well as patios and outdoor tables where you can eat the grapes and other fruit or enjoy a delicious meal complemented by the locally produced wine. Every single grape is crystal and watery-some are as green as emerald; some as red as agate, some as small as pearls while others are like olives. Among dozens of kinds of grapes, Wuhebai (white seedless) grape is reputed as a green pearl with the sugar content as much as 22%.
Karez Irrigation System

Karez irrigation systems are the crystallization of ancient people's diligence and intelligence. Without the Karez, there would be no Turpan culture.
The history of the karez, which have mainly been used in the Hami and Turpan areas of Xinjiang, where it is hot and dry, dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.). It is considered one of the three great projects of ancient China, along with the Great Wall and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
The karez system consists of four parts: a hole as deep as 50 to 60 meters, an underground canal, an aboveground canal and a small reservoir. It has many advantages, such as little evaporation from season to season and little percolation and can provide a stable water supply that does not consume energy or cause pollution.
Wandering underground over 5,000 kilometers, the system has also been called "the underground Great Wall."
Karez systems also functions as the natural air conditioner for the locals because they can sit in one while chatting or doing some chores. When exhausted during the scorching weather, sitting in a Karez, picking some grapes as they hang over the vertical wells and savoring their taste, you will be thoroughly refreshed.
Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs

The Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs are the Living Archives of Gaochang.This Tang-dynasty burial ground known as the "Underground Museum" attracts stream of archaeologists both at home and abroad. It provides some very valuable and fascinating artifacts such as tomb figures of wood, wall paint, ceramics, and documents and silk which were as well-preserved and as colorful as new ones by the hot and dry atmosphere. Astana means "capital" in Uygur and Karakhoja is the name of a legendary hero of the ancient Uygur Kingdom who expelled the evils by killing a vicious dragon.
The tombs are located 42 km (26miles) southeast of Turpan city and 6 km (3.7miles) from the Ancient City of Gaochang. The tombs range 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) from north to south and 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from east to west. The tombs were the public cemetery of the ancient Gaochang residents, both aristocrats and commoners. However, curiously, among the excavated 456 tombs the tomb of King Gaochang has been found nowhere in the tombs. According to the documentation buried with them, the era must have been between 273 and 778. The outsides of the tombs are shaped like small low hills, sloping down towards to the grave rooms. The tomb design appears from the sky to be like a "Jia" shape of Chinese character. Three tombs among them are open to visitors.
Ancient City of Gaochang

The ancient city Gaochang, with a cover of 2,000,000 square meters, is located in 46 kilometers (29 miles) southeast of Turpan near the 'Flaming Mountains', Xinjing Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Built in the first century B.C. and originally called Gaochangbi, it used to be a garrison town and later became a key point along the ancient Silk Road. In ancient times, it had been one of the political, economic and culture centers in the Western Regions, and it was a hub of exchange of economy and culture between ancient China and the West. The famous Buddhist monk Xuan Zang taught in the city for several months during his epic 18 year journey to India.
Though the ruins have not been as well preserved as the ones in the Ancient City of Jiaohe, it still provides interesting insight into this unique civilization. The city is split into 3 parts, the inner and outer cities and a palace complex. Nine city gates were built at cardinal points; three in the south and two in each other three directions respectively. Visitors are usually suggested to enter the best preserved one in the west to the core. Inside visitors can see remnants of "Khan Castle", a 15 meter (49ft) structure, temples, manuscripts ,Buddhist paintings and so on.
Two temple remains, one in the southwestern and the other in the northwestern parts of the outer city are worth a visit. The first one, 130 meters (427 feet) long from east to west, 85 meters (279 feet) wide from south to north covers 10,000 square meters. It consists of an arched gate, a courtyard, a lecture hall, a library of sutras, a main hall and the monks' dormitory. It is said that Xuan Zang the renowned Buddhist monk of the Tang period had lectures here in the year of 628 on his way to India. The second is smaller but the murals remains are impressive.
Ancient City of Jiaohe

The largest, oldest and best-preserved earthen city in the world, Jiaohe is 1,650 meters (5,413 feet) by 300 meters (984 feet) at its widest; with an area of 220,000 square meters (2,368,168 square feet). It was the capital of the former Cheshi State. An Indian proverb says, 'Intelligence is bound to exist where two rivers meet'. Jiaohe, meaning in Chinese where two rivers meet, is such a place. According to historical records it was home to 700 households, 6500 residents plus 865 soldiers.
Jiaohe distinguishes itself from other ancient cities owing to three features. First, it had only two city gates, the South and East Gates. The main South Gate vanished long ago, leaving a huge breach. The East Gate cut by the cliff was virtually non-existent. Second, the city faces cliffs on three sides, so there are no city walls commonly seen in other ancient cities. Third, all the buildings were dug from earth and wood was rarely used.
The central avenue, 350-meters (1148.3-feet) long, runs north from South Gate, separating the city into three parts; namely, residences for common people, temples, and residences for aristocrats. To the west of the avenue, low buildings with sparse small temples were residences for commoners, while the high ones in the east were for aristocrats and troops. At the end of the avenue stands a large well-preserved Buddhist temple, Jiaohe Temple, with an area of 5,000 square meters (53,824 square feet).
The relics we see today featured Tang Dynasty (618-907) architectural style. Houses were dug downward from the earth, and as no house gates faced the streets, military defense was apparently priority.
At the end of the 8 Century, the city was tossed into the reigns of the Turpan, Hui, and Mongols. Residents fled from the destroyed city continuously until in the beginning of the 14 Century, the city was abandoned, as was its glory and prosperity of over 2000 years. Miraculously, owing to the arid climate and remote location, the ancient city of Jiaohe remains intact, leaving us a rare exemplar of an earthen castle.
Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves

The Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves, 48 kilometers northeast of the Turpan urban area, are located in the Flaming Mountains' MuTou valley. As Buddhism was the first religion from abroad introduced to this area, Xinjiang witnessed the earliest development of Buddhist cave art in China. Soon after the religion's establishment in the region, Turpan became the Buddhist center on the Silk Road owing to its geographic location. Among the Buddhist caves found in Turpan, Bizalkik Thousand Buddha Caves are considered most valuable.
They were called the ningrong grottoes in the Tang Dynasty. There are 77 numbered grottoes, about 40 of which still have murals in them. The group of grottoes in Bizaklik, with a total of 1,200 square meters of murals, has the most grottoes, most diversified architectural styles and the richest mural content in the Turpan area. The oldest grottoes were hewn in the period of qushi gaochang. From the Tang Dynasty in the thirteenth century, it was an important Buddhist gathering place. Its most prosperous period was under the reign of the xizhou huigu government, which built the royal temple of the king of huigu on this site. Most of the existing grottoes were extended or reconstructed during the huigu period.
Bizaklik Caves was the royal temple of Huihu (the predecessor of today's Uygur) State and the existing caves were enlarged or renovated during that time. The murals take us back to the ancient Huihu State, where we can see the King and Queen and people from all walks of life. The inscriptions, written in ancient Uygur, Chinese and other languages, provide authentic reference for valuable historic research.
The most exceptionally rare mural topics in Bizaklik Caves are found in Caves No.16 and 17. Cave No.16 depicts a musician playing Xiao Hu Lei-- a lute-like instrument originating from southern China's Yunnan province. This strengthens the belief that cultural exchange between northern and southern China was unprecedented during Tang Dynasty.
In addition to the murals and inscriptions, a piece of gold foil wrapping paper found at the caves is also intriguing. A stamp on it revealed the address of the shop on the south side of Tiahelou Street, Hangzhou, Zhejiang of Song Dynasty. It also advised clients to examine their goods carefully before purchase to avoid being cheated. As an apparent piece of advertisement, the foil shows that Gaochang Huihu kept close economic ties with Song Dynasty as the trade extended as far as to the East China Sea.
Emin Minaret

Emin Minaret, 3km (2 miles) east of central Turpan is the largest extant old tower in Xinjiang; it is the only Islamic tower among the hundred famous towers in China. Construction of this religious tower and mosque complex began in 1777 at the request of the then ruler of Turpan Emin Khoja. He was an outstanding patriot who defended the unification of China throughout his life. He had eight sons but the eldest son died of illness at a young age. Influenced by Emin, all his remaining sons made contributions during the war against Jungar rebellions. It was Suleman, Emin's second son, who built this minaret with his own money. This is the reason why the minaret is also named Su Gong Ta. Upon Emin's death, Suleman inherited his father's rank and became the second Turpan ruler.
Emin Minaret is made of sun-dried bricks and is decorated with delicate geometric and floral patterns. The adjoining mosque has a latticed ceiling and a domed sacred space, all supported by wooden pillars. From the top of the mosque there is a good view of the surrounding vineyards and mountains.
At the entrance to the minaret, two steles were set up. On one is a Chinese inscription that explains that the purpose of building the minaret was to show gratitude to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and to commemorate exploits of Emin Khoja while the Uygur inscription on the other stele gave thanks to Allah.
The historical background of Emin Minaret is underlined by the architectural significance. The 44-meter (144 feet) high minaret has no stories. From the base with a diameter of 10 meters (32.8 feet), the minaret tapers to an Islamic dome. In the center of the minaret is a brick-piled pillar with 72 steps around it spiraling to the top. There are 14 openings for ventilation and lighting, which are located in different directions and at various heights. On the top, there is an attic of 10 square meters (107 square feet) with large windows on the four sides through which the marvelous landscape could be admired. Unfortunately, tourists today cannot climb to the top due to the protection given to the minaret.
However, the unique exterior of the minaret will make up for this lack. The huge column made of grey bricks and earth would be dull if not for its decorative patterns. Smart Uygur architects used bricks to form 15 different patterns such as waves, flowers or rhombuses. What's more, the architects even took the surroundings into consideration. Set against the azure sky, silvery Tianshan Mountain and the scarlet Flaming Mountain , Emin Minaret displays a pristine but dignified air. Only when you look up at the minaret will you find how crystal blue and high the sky of Turpan is!
The Flaming Mountains



Grape Valley

On the western face of the Flaming Mountains, east of Turpan is the Grape Valley. It is a world of unique with vineyards and fruit trees. The Grape Valley of the Flaming Mountains, fifteen kilometers from the city center, is also a world of unique beauty, presenting a striking contrast with the hot, dry and barren outside. "...Grapes in Turpan grow up; Anarhan's heart is ecstatic..." This folk song of the last century is well known in China. Turpan, a place truly flowing with milk and honey in the Turki language, is famous for its fruits. Among them, grape is the most famous.
Every August the sweet air will herald the vintage. The best place to enjoy the grapes is Grape Valley. In the valley you will find a park as well as patios and outdoor tables where you can eat the grapes and other fruit or enjoy a delicious meal complemented by the locally produced wine. Every single grape is crystal and watery-some are as green as emerald; some as red as agate, some as small as pearls while others are like olives. Among dozens of kinds of grapes, Wuhebai (white seedless) grape is reputed as a green pearl with the sugar content as much as 22%.
Karez Irrigation System

Karez irrigation systems are the crystallization of ancient people's diligence and intelligence. Without the Karez, there would be no Turpan culture.
The history of the karez, which have mainly been used in the Hami and Turpan areas of Xinjiang, where it is hot and dry, dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.). It is considered one of the three great projects of ancient China, along with the Great Wall and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
The karez system consists of four parts: a hole as deep as 50 to 60 meters, an underground canal, an aboveground canal and a small reservoir. It has many advantages, such as little evaporation from season to season and little percolation and can provide a stable water supply that does not consume energy or cause pollution.
Wandering underground over 5,000 kilometers, the system has also been called "the underground Great Wall."
Karez systems also functions as the natural air conditioner for the locals because they can sit in one while chatting or doing some chores. When exhausted during the scorching weather, sitting in a Karez, picking some grapes as they hang over the vertical wells and savoring their taste, you will be thoroughly refreshed.
Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs

The Astana-Karakhoja Ancient Tombs are the Living Archives of Gaochang.This Tang-dynasty burial ground known as the "Underground Museum" attracts stream of archaeologists both at home and abroad. It provides some very valuable and fascinating artifacts such as tomb figures of wood, wall paint, ceramics, and documents and silk which were as well-preserved and as colorful as new ones by the hot and dry atmosphere. Astana means "capital" in Uygur and Karakhoja is the name of a legendary hero of the ancient Uygur Kingdom who expelled the evils by killing a vicious dragon.
The tombs are located 42 km (26miles) southeast of Turpan city and 6 km (3.7miles) from the Ancient City of Gaochang. The tombs range 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) from north to south and 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from east to west. The tombs were the public cemetery of the ancient Gaochang residents, both aristocrats and commoners. However, curiously, among the excavated 456 tombs the tomb of King Gaochang has been found nowhere in the tombs. According to the documentation buried with them, the era must have been between 273 and 778. The outsides of the tombs are shaped like small low hills, sloping down towards to the grave rooms. The tomb design appears from the sky to be like a "Jia" shape of Chinese character. Three tombs among them are open to visitors.

Highlights
Yonghegong Lamasery

Yonghegong Lamasery is a well-known lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism, which is located at the northeast part of Beijing. It was originally built in 1694 as the residence of Emperor Yongzheng of Qing (1644-1911 A.D.) before his ascent of the throne. And after his death, it was renamed Yonghegong. His successor Emperor Qianlong then rebuilt Yonghegong into an imperial palace with its turquoise tiles replaced by yellow tiles (yellow was the imperial color in the Qing Dynasty). In 1744, it became a lamasery. From then on, large numbers of monks from Mongolia and Tibet and national center of lama administration live in there.
As an imperial palace, the layout of the temple differentiated from other temples. The main gate faces to the south. There are five main halls and annex connected by courtyards on its 480-meter-long north-south axis, including a glaze-tiled arch, Gate of Peace (Zhaotaimen), Buddha's Warrior Hall (Tianwangdian), which was formerly the entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace, Hall of Harmony and Peace (Yonghegong), Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian), Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) and Pavilion of Eternal Happiness (Wanfuge).
When you are walking through the grand glaze-tile arch patterned with decorative dragons and flowers in the first court, you will reach a three-arch gate - the Gate of Peace. In ancient times, the central passageway was for emperors. On each side of the second court next to the Gate of Peace stand the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. Two pavilions stand symmetrically on opposite to the north. If you want to know more about the temple's history, you can have a look at the inscriptions of Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan engraved on steles.
The Buddha's Warrior Hall, also known as the Hall of Heavenly Kings, is the former entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace. The hall Maitreya (Happy Buddha) was always used to greet visitors, which has a smiling face with a sandalwood pagoda on each side. Many small Buddhist images, symbolizing longevity, stand on the pagoda. Therefore, the pagoda is the Longevity Pagoda. There are four fearsome-looking Heavenly Kings or Celestial Guardians on both sides of Maitreya's shrine.
On the way to the Hall of Harmony and Peace stands a marble-based bronze incense-burner. With decorations of two dragons playing with a pearl on its six opens, it is 4.2 meters in height. Afterwards there is the Mount Sumeru, a bronze sculpture of Ming (1368-1644A.D.), representing the center of the world. On the top of it there lies a legendary paradise where Sakyamuni and men of moral integrity live after death; in the middle the dwellings of humans and below devils abide in hell.
The Hall of Harmony and Peace is formerly a place for the emperor Yongzheng to hold meetings. It was also called Mahavira Hall or Daxiongbaodian in Buddhism. Mahavira here is an honorable title of Sakyamuni in Chinese. Sakyamuni is on the altar, with Buddha of the Present in the middle with Buddha of the Past Yeja and the Buddha of the Future Maitreya on each side. On each side of the hall stand Statues of 18 Arhats. It is said that 18 Arhats were the disciples of Samkyamuni to diffuse Buddhism. The painting that you can find on the western wall is a Bodhisattva.
The Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian) and the Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) are right behind the Hall of the Harmony and Peace, where enshrines a bronze image of Tsong Kapa -- founder of the Yellow Hat Sect. With 5 gold-plating pagodas, the golden-roofed Falundian was the place where lamas assemble to have religious activities. There is a 6-meter-high gilded bronze statue of Tsong Kapa on a lotus seat in the center of the hall.
Now there are nearly 70 lamas living in this temple. If you go there, you will find that regular religious activities are still practiced. More lamas can be seen coming here in the festival for lamas or Lamaism.
Old Beijing Hutongs

The numerous old hutongs are the distinguished features of Beijing. They symbolize the traditional community with small lanes, alleys and Siheyuan (quadrangle). The life of local people in these old hutongs makes this ancient capital look more charming. Wandering along these small lanes, you can see many quadrangles, called Siheyuan in Chinese, which are the residential quarters of natives. No one knows the exact number of these hutongs there are in Beijing.

Great Wall

It is without doubt that the Great Wall is the greatest of civil engineering project of defense in ancient China. With its gigantic scale and difficulties in its construction, it is regarded as one of the great wonders in the history of mankind. The Great Wall is really the glory of the Chinese nation, which symbolizes the ancient culture and the long-standing history of China. Stretching over the mountain ranges, it proudly shows its magnificence to us. So to speak, the Great Wall has witnessed the rises and falls of innumerable dynasties and changes on the earth. At present, though the Great Wall is no longer served as a work of military defense against harassment and invasion. It still plays an important role in linking the Chinese people with the people of the rest of the world. It is one of the great bridges that build up friendship between different peoples.
The Great Wall is starting from the Old Dragon Head of the Shanhai Pass at the seaside in the east to a distance of 10,000 li (1 kilometer= 2 lis) in the west. Snaking along the north of China, it crosses three provinces, two municipalities and two autonomous regions. It is about 6,300 kilometers long, an equivalent of about 3,915 miles.
The present-day Great Wall originated from the early ancient Chinese history. During the time of Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), in the purpose of defending themselves and against the infringement from the neighboring states, all the principal states had the walls built in the bordering areas of the territories. For example, the three states of Qin, Zhao and Yan had high walls and fortresses built along their northern frontiers to ward off the harassment by the Huns (an ancient nomadic tribe in China) from the north. In 221 B.C., the whole China was unified by the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty to defeat the six other ducal states. The emperor gave order to link up all the walls built by the former ducal states along the northern frontiers to prevent disturbing and attacking by the Huns. And these walls form the world famous “10,000-li Great Wall”. From generation to generation, the succeeding dynasties kept on the work of maintenance and repairs or having parts reconstructed time and again. Among them, the greatest project on scale in the old days of China was carried out in the Han and Ming dynasties.
Throughout history, the Great Wall is served as the traditional defensive project. It is mainly composed by passes, walls, watchtowers and beacon towers. Builders were forced to rely upon local materials for the wall inched across the Chinese wilderness. For example, some wall was built with tamped-earth, some with stone, some with tamped mixture of reed, red willow, and sands, and some with bricks outside and stuffed earth and sands inside. The walls we see today are mainly Ming walls, primary made of stone and bricks. The key parts of the military construction are Watchtowers. They are very close to each other, among which brick towers could be two or three storeys. There is a small room on the top of the tower, surrounded by battlements. The watchtower was also used to station soldiers or store food and weapons. Thousands of passes stretch along the Great Wall. Some are between the mountains, some between the mountains and rivers, and some between the mountains and sea. During the wars, passes are the strongholds by acting as the gateways of transportation. Beacon towers are used for communicating, which can deliver the emergent military messages in a very short time.
Just like the symbol of China—dragon, the Great Wall snakes from east to west on the Oriental. Nowadays, five sections of the Great Wall are opened to public in Beijing, including Badaling section, Juyong Pass section, Mutianyu section, Jinshanling section and Simatai section.
Badaling Section
Badaling section is the outstanding part of the Great Wall. Lying in the Yanqing District, sixty kilometers northwest of Beijing, it gives vital protection for the Juyong Pass, which is one of the key passes of the Great Wall. According to its strategic importance of commanding, Badaling section is known as "giving access to every direction", which gains it the name Badaling.
Badaling was built in an early time in the ancient Chinese history. During Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period, defensive wall was constructed along the Yanshan Range to resist the marauding of the nomadic tribes. Since then the following dynasties continued to fortify the Badaling section. The wall we see today was constructed in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.) along the ridges of mountains. The construction lasted about a hundred years long from 1505, the 18th year of Emperor Hongzhi, to the reign of Emperor Wanli.
The huge Badaling wall was strongly and firmly built. It was based on the foundation of granite slabs, surrounded by a facing of kiln-fired bricks, and covered with bricks on the top. All stuffed with pulverized lime, the slots could enable the wall to be smooth. The height of the wall is 8.5 meters. It is 6.5 meters wide at the bottom and 5.7 meters wide on the top, making it possible for 5 horses or 10 people march abreast on the top. Watchtowers are 0.5 or 1 kilometer apart from each other, which were full of vigor and grandeur, and orderly spotted the wall. The battlements and embrasures of the watchtower were in good condition in wartime. The wall winds its way along the ridge of the Jundu Mountain, rising abruptly to the peaks of each side of the Badaling. You will be amazed by its seemingly endlessness. It stretches far away into the remoteness. The wall of Badaling is 3, 741 meters long.
Among all the parts of the whole Great Wall, Badaling was the earliest section to be open to the tourists. Badaling has received 130 million tourists home and abroad. Among them, there are 370 foreign leaders and very important persons who have come to climb Badaling successively.
Mutianyu Section
Mutianyu section is 75 kilometers northeast of Beijing. Lies in Huairou District, it links Juyong Pass in the west with Gubeikou Pass in the east. Mutianyu section is called as the Majestic Pass on Precipitous Mountains, commanding its strategic importance.
Because of its relatively gentle terrain, watchtowers of Mutianyu section were built in large numbers to strengthen its defensive functions. The closest watchtowers are less than 50 meters apart from each other. Both arms of the Mutianyu section stretch upwards along the ridges of continuous mountains. On the foundation of the Ming Dynasty wall The Mutianyu section was mainly built on precipitous mountains and 5-7 meters high. It is featured with a thick cluster of watchtowers atop, strategic passed, majestic vigor and unique structure. In this section, the gate tower is the most unique building.
Simatai Section
Simatai Section lies in the Miyun County, 120 kilometers away from Beijing. It started from Wangjing Tower in the east and connected with Jinshanling section in the west. Without hordes of other tourists, it is a largely unrestored and more authentic section of the Great Wall.
Simatai section was constructed during the early years of Ming Emperor Hongwu. It is said that there was a renovation applying from 1569 to 1573. It was mainly built along the ridge of the mountains because of its location in the mountainous area. Featuring in uniqueness, ruggedness and trimness, it perfectly coordinates with the undulating terrain, which makes it more majestic and magnificent. Simatai reservoir is situated at the foot of the central part of the Simatai section, which is 600-700 meters long with the storage capacity of 50,000 cubic meters.
Simatai section is considered to be the most wonderful part of the Great Wall. Taking good advantage of the fluctuating terrain, the walls and watchtowers constitute the most essential part of the wall. It is famous for its precipitous cliffs, magnificent towers, suspension walls and rugged stairways. If you are looking from distance, you may find that the Great Wall is just like a flying dragon in the cloud. However, when you stand nearby, the wall stretches its arms along the ridges of mountains. All these make it the most amazing part of the Great Wall.
Jinshanling Section
The Jinshanling Great Wall was initially built from 1368 to 1389 in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and in 1567 and 1570 rebuilding of the Wall was mainly directed by General Qi Jiguang (1528-1588). Poems and tablet writings can be found on the Jinshanling Great Wall left from the time when Qi Jiguang directed the rebuilding of this section of the Great Wall. Continue to read more on the Great Wall history. Jinshanling is connected to the Simatai Great Wall in the east and the Panlongshan Great Wall in the west. Jinshanling has probably the highest frequency of towers per kilometer of any place along the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. It also has one of the greatest varieties of architectural and defensive styles of both wall and towers.
The total length of this section is about 11 kilometers (6.8 miles). The Wall is about 7 meters high and 5 meters wide, and is made of brick and stone. The Jinshanling Great Wall has an elevation of 700 meters. There are more than 100 watch towers along the Jinshanling Great Wall. ‘Watching Beijing Tower’ is on the highest point, from which you can see Beijing. The Jinshanling Great Wall is second only to the Badaling Great Wall in its completeness.
Tian’anmen Square

Tian’anmen(Gate of Heavenly Peace), situated at the center of Beijing meaning in English, symbolizes the People's Republic of China. Built in 1417, it was formally called Chengtianmen (Gate of Heavenly Succession). At that time, it was the front gate of the Imperial City. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, the uprising farmers led by Li Zicheng entered the city, but later when the Qing army marched upon Beijing, the Chengtianmen was destroyed under the crossfire. In 1651, it was rebuilt and named "Tian'anmen".
The Tian'anmen Rostrum, as a place to hold ceremonies of great importance, such as promulgating an imperial edict conferring the title of a queen, or announcing a newly enthroned emperor, was made known to the public all over the country. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was popular to hold the Imperial Exam system for choosing high-ranking officials by way of a palace examination, which supervised by the emperor himself. If the examinees ranked the first three, they would be entitled. What’s more, they would have the honor to be granted an audience by the emperor two days after the examination. On that day they would be called in to see the emperor in turn in the Tian'anmen Rostrum.
There is a square running 880 meters from south to north and 500 meters from east to west in front of the Tian'anmen Rostrum. It is the Tian'anmen Square – the very center of Beijing. Tian'anmen Square is the largest city square in the world with an area of 44 hectares.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Tian'anmen Square was a piece of land in front of the Imperial Palace, an open space jetting out towards the south from the Tian'anmen Gate. It had a meaning of embodying the outstanding importance of the Tian'anmen Gate and the Imperial City. In the early days of the Ming Dynasty, a gate of brick and stone was built, which is right on the site of the present Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong, called Damingmen (Gate of the Great Ming). In the Qing Dynasty it was renamed as Daqingmen (Gate of Great Qing) and after 1911 Zhonghuamen (Gate of China). Later on, another two gates of brick and stone structure were built on each site of the avenue in front the gate. Surrounded by a newly built red wall, the area within the three gates formed a small square of only 11 hectares-- Tian'anmen Square.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, common people were forbidden to enter the Tian'anmen Square. And for the officials, when they entered the gate, they had to get off horses and proceed on foot into the palace. The government offices were lined outside the wall on the east and west. According to the traditional system, the civil service organizations were set in the eastern part of the square, and the military organizations in the west.
Old buildings in the Tian'anmen Square were put down after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. In 1957, the square expanded with an area of 44 hectares, which may hold 1 million people at a time. With Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall right behind, the Monument to the People's Heroes towered in the center of the square. To the east of the Square, there is the National Museum of China and to the west the Great Hall of People (National People's Congress building).
The Monument to the People's Heroes is the largest monument in China's history which was built in 1952. On this monument, you can see the words--"The People's Heroes are Immortal", which were written by Chairman Mao. The development of Chinese modern history and those who contributed their lives to the democratic progress are shown by the eight unusually large relief sculptures. The monument is enclosed by two rows of white marble railings. It seems very simple and beautiful.
At the south side of the Square is the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong. This Hall is consisted by three halls, among which our dear Chairman Mao's body lies in a crystal coffin in the halls surrounded by fresh bouquets of various famous flowers and grasses.
The Great Hall of the People is in the west of the Square. Constructed in 1959, this building is the site of the China National People's Congress meetings, which also provides an impressive site for other political and diplomatic activities. With twelve marble posts, the Hall includes three parts--the Central Hall, the Great Auditorium and a Banqueting Hall. The ceiling of the Central Hall is decorated with crystal lamps and the floor paved with marble. The Great Auditorium behind the Central Hall can hold 10,000 people, while the huge Banqueting Hall can seat 5,000.
At the east side of the Square stands the China National Museum, which is another important place for you to visit. Built in 2003, it is a mergence of China History Museum and China Revolutionary Museum. This National Museum is on the opposite of the Great Hall of the People. In the China Revolutionary Museum, there are a lot of material objects, pictures, books and models, presenting the development of modern China. A large number of cultural relics are exhibited in the China History Museum, illustrating the long history and glorious culture of China from 1,700,000 years ago to 1925 when the last emperor left the throne.
Forbidden City

The Palace Museum, the imperial palace in the Ming and Qing dynasties, is the largest and best-preserved palace complex in the world today. It is also called the Purple Forbidden City in Chinese. Its name, on one side, derives from ancient Chinese astronomers' belief that God's abode or the Purple Palace. The pivot of the celestial world, is situated in the Pole Star (the middle of the Ziwei Star), at the center of the heaven. Therefore, the son of God of Heaven--the emperor, should live in the Purple City. On the other side, without special orders of the emperor eunuchs and guards, ordinary citizens were not allowed entering the Forbidden City, except for palace maids. For this reason, palaces in the Ming and Qing dynasties are called both the Forbidden City and the Purple City. The Construction of the magnificent palace started in 1406, and ended in 1420. It took 14 years to complete the project. One year after completion, Emperor Yongle moved his capital from Nanjing to Beijing. Since then, 24 emperors have lived at the Forbidden City, 14 during the Ming Dynasty and 10 during the Qing Dynasty.
The Forbidden City covers an area of over 720,000 square meters, 750 meters wide and 960 meters long. And it has four great gates. The fabulous city, which is surrounded by a 52-meter-wide moat, has four delicate and lovely turrets overlooking both the inside and outside.
The Forbidden City has more than 8,700 wooden rooms, most of which have yellow-glazed tiles. It is a color that only emperors were allowed to use on their roof. From the northern Drum Tower and the Bell Tower to the Southern Gate of Everlasting Stability (Yongdingmen), these colorfully painted and embellished rooms are divided symmetrically into northern and southern halves. If you walk into the city, you will see the layers of halls and palaces spreading out on either side of a central axis. As the designations of the wise architectures, the splendid buildings represent the unique features of the traditional Chinese architecture and embody the incredible creativity of the ancient Chinese people. Reconstructed after being destroyed by several fires, this pearl of Chinese cultural heritage still retains its original arrangements of the Ming dynasty. Nowadays, most of the existing buildings open to visitors were reconstructed during the early Qing Dynasty.
In many ways the Forbidden City reveals ancient Confucian ideas, as it is generally designed to the principles of the Front court, Rear Market, Ancestral Sacrifice on the left and Altar on the right. Hence, the court was located in the southern or front section of the Forbidden City, where officials discussed political affairs. A large trading market was situated in the rear part of the city, providing daily necessities for the court. On the left side was the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where the emperor offered sacrifices to his ancestors. Nowadays, it is the Working People's Cultural Palace. On the right side was the Altar to the god of Land and Grain, where the emperor displayed his reverence to the god. This is now Zhongshan Park.
There are two courts in the Forbidden City: the Inner Court and the Outer Court. They are separated across the middle between the south and north ends. The Outer court is mainly composed by the Meridian Gate and the Three Front Halls, flanked by the Hall of Literary Glory (Wenhuadian) and the Hall of Martial Spirit (Wuyingdian), which witnessed various ceremonies and political activities during the Ming and Qing dynasties. While the inner court is mainly consisted by the Three Back Halls, Imperial Garden, Hall of Mental Cultivation and Palace of Abstinence, which are flanked by the Six East Halls and the Six West Halls. This was the place where the emperor was confronted with political affairs and was the residential area for the emperor and his empresses and concubines.
Compared with other contemporary palaces, the Forbidden City stressed more on balance and independence, and embodied more cultural perspectives of the specific ethnic group. Just as what was written in the book of History of Chinese Science by Joseph Needham, each part of the Forbidden City is in well balance and independence, which is just on the contrary to other palaces in the Renaissance Age. For the city, the Palace of Versailles is just acting as an object. The palace is an organic part of the whole city, combining deep deference to nature with lofty significance. As a tin far-reaching and complicated Chinese architecture, Great overall arrangements have reached the highest level, far above any other culture.
After the subversion of the Qing Dynasty by the Revolution of 1911, the last emperor Pu Yi was exiled to palaces at the rear of the Forbidden City. In 1914, the Three Great Halls in the Imperial Palace was opened as exhibition hall of antiquities. Ten years later, Feng Yuxiang staged a coup in Beijing and expelled the last emperor from the palace. Oct. 10, 1925 established The Palace Museum. And in 1961, the Forbidden City was listed as a place to be given special protection by the State Council. UNESCO listed it as World Cultural Heritage site in 1987.
The Forbidden City, as one of the world-famous royal palaces, has played an important role in the world architectural history. Many tourists both from home and abroad have been attracted by the almost 1 million rare treasures and cultural relics on exhibition there.
Summer Palace

Covering an area of 290 hectares in total, the Summer Palace spreads out some 15 kilometers away from the city center in the north western suburbs of Beijing. Three fourths of the palace is covered by a pool of water and the rest the land and hills.
The Summer Palace is the summer resort of the Qing royal family. Now it is the most intact, the best-preserved and the largest of its kind of the classical gardens in the country. Since the garden began to be built in 1153, it had undergone many a time reconstruction and renovation in the Yuan and Ming dynasties. In the period of Emperor Qianlong’s reign of the Qing Dynasty, it was still reconstructed in a large-scale. And this time was renamed the "Garden of Crystal Ripples". When it was completed in 1860, it suffered a severe destruction, led by the Anglo-French Allied Army, which brought it down to ashes. In 1886, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled the funds allocated for the building of the navy to rebuild it and renamed it the "Summer Palace". However, in 1900, it underwent destruction again by the Eight Powers Allied Forces. Later, the1903 saw its second-time rebuild.
On the 12th of October 1911, Empress Dowager Longyu was finally forced to promulgate the abdication of the royal power. However, according to the agreement between the Qing royal family and the republic government, the Summer Palace would still be kept in the hands of the Qing royal family, while yet to be opened to outside as private property by selling admission tickets. 1924 when Puyi was ousted, the Summer Palace was taken over by the republic government and changed to be a public park.
The Qing royal family stayed in the Forbidden City in spring, autumn and winter. And when it came to summer, they went to their summer resort –Summer Palace. Hence, the Summer Palace shares the same functional quarters as that in the Forbidden City. Among these quarters, the office quarter, the living quarter and the entertainment quarter formed the magnificent scenery in Summer Palace.
Through the East Palace Gate, there is the Hall of the Benevolence and Longevity. The emperor used to handle state affairs and listen to reports by ministers and receive foreign envoys in there. It was called the Hallo of Diligent Administration by Emperor Qianlong during his reign. In 1860, it was burnt down by the Anglo-French Army. Reconstructed In 1890, it was then renamed the "Hall of the Benevolence and Longevity". During the reigns of Emperors Tongzhi and Guangxu, Empress Dowager Cixi got the real power to rule the country, and she started to handle state affairs behind the screen.
The Hall of Jade Ripples and the Hall of Happiness and Longevity are the three parts of the living quarter. Guangxu used to live in the Hall of Jade Ripples Emperor in the Summer Palace. After his failure of the Reform Movement of 1898, Emperor Guangxu was put into house arrest here. Thus, it is also regarded as an exquisitely decorated jail.
Consisting of four rooms, the Hall of Happiness and Longevity used to be the residence for Empress Dowager Cixi. The Empress moves to the Summer Palace and stays there in the hall every year on the first day of the fourth month in the lunar calendar. And she won't return until the tenth of the tenth lunar month when she had celebrated her birthday there. In the Summer Palace, there are over 1,000 people dancing attendance on the Dowager. Among them, there are 48 in the Hall of Happiness and Longevity, of whom 20 are maids-in-waiting, 20 eunuchs of importance and another 8 are the "ladies-in-waiting" by her side, normally waiting in the room behind the precious throne to attend on her.
The Long Corridor, the starting point of entertainment quarter, is at the end of the courtyard of the Hall of Happiness and Longevity. It is 728 meters long with more than 14,000 traditional Chinese paintings on the beams and rafters. The four pavilions along the corridor represent the four seasons a year. The Marble Boat can be found at the end of the Long Corridor. The original Chinese style of it was burnt down by the Anglo-French Army in 1860. In 1893, it was rebuilt into one of a western style, imitating a steam ship with two water-wheelers. In 1903 Empress Dowager Cixi built another storey of wooden structure with the decoration of colored pieces of glass. The construction of this immovable boat was to symbolize the stable and consolidated rule of the Qing regime just like a large piece of rock. It would stand still forever in the vast ocean and would, under no circumstances whatsoever be wavered or toppled.
Occupying three fourths of the total area of the Summer Palace, Kunming Lake plays important role in the adjustment of the temperature in the garden. Taking a walk in the Long Corridor and a dragon boat on the lake, you will have a wonderful feeling that you were the emperor and empress in ancient China.
Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven stands in the southern part of Beijing. It was used to be the house ceremonies of emperors of worshipping heaven and praying for harvest in the Ming and Qing dynasties. This altar temple remains to be the largest existing ancient sacrificial structures across the world, more important than other three major temples, i.e. Altar to the Earth, Altar to the Sun and Altar to the Moon.
The Temple of Heaven was built in 1407 and the construction of the project took 14 years. Covering an area of 273 hectares, with two surrounding rings walls, it is four times bigger than the Forbidden City. The wall, stretching from north to south, is as long as 1,657 meters and that from east to west 1,703 meters. The outer wall is 6,553 meters in circumference while the inner wall measures 4,152 meters in perimeter.
To pray for good harvests and fine rain, emperors did regular worshipping and offered sacrifices to heaven. And the Temple of Heaven was used to the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties went and worshipped the heaven twice (and sometimes three times) a year. In the past, the tradition went that sacrifices were offered to heaven and earth in one place only. But in 1530 when the Temple of Earth was built in the north of the city, the Temple of Heaven was ever since used specially for offering sacrifices to heaven alone.
The Temple of Heaven is consisted by three sections, named the Circular Mound Altar, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, attached with some affiliated buildings like Dressing Platform, Long Corridor and Echo Wall.
The Circular Mound Altar was first constructed in 1530. In ancient China, to some extend, the altar was a place that even more important than the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The emperor would come to offer sacrifices to heaven on the altar every year on the day of the Winter Solstice. For this reason, the altar was rebuilt into a circular one in 1749. Built in the open air without shelter, the sacrificial ceremony was being held right under heaven. Therefore, it was called "Luji", or the "open air offering of sacrifices".
The Imperial Vault of Heaven was first built in 1530 as a main building in the south of the Temple of Heaven. At first, it was called "Taishendian" or the Hall for Pacifying Gods, but later changed into the present name. In 1752, the building was rebuilt into one of a single eave, which used to have double eaves. Standing 19.5 meters high and of 15.6 meters in diameter, the circular hall used to be an octagonal one in the past. The tablet of the Jade Emperor, the four stone platforms on both sides used to be for the tablets of the emperor’s ancestors of eight generations in succession, is consecrated on the central stone-platform in the Hall of Imperial Vault of Heaven.
Being of 32.72 meters in diameter, built on a three-tired platform, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests towers 38 meters' high with its eaves fanning out on three tiers, of which the upper one has a gold-plated knob on it. You will be amazed to see that such a heavy building was supported only by 28 wooden pillars with no single piece of reinforced concrete at all. The whole building was built by mortise and tenon joints without using a single nail. With each pillar in height of 19.2 meters, the four pillars in the center of the hall are called "Longjingzhu"--the Dragon Well Pillar. Only by joining hands together by two and half persons, can it be embraced. These four pillars indicate the four seasons of a year. You may find it more interesting that all pillars have their special meanings: the outside 12 pillars suggest 12 months in a year and another 12 pillars in the round wall symbolize the 12 two-hour periods of a day. And when you put the two 12 pillars together, the number you get is 24, which represents the 24 solar terms of a year. And when you add the four in the center of the hall to 24, you will get 28, which represents the 28 lunar mansions in the heaven above.
Since its first construction in 1420, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests has gone through several times of changes. At that moment, the hall was called "Dasidian"--the Hall of Grand Sacrifices, which was rectangular in shape. But in 1529, it was reconstructed into a round one with a roof of three tiers. And this time it was named "Daxiangdian"--the Hall of Grand Treatment to Heaven. Three different colors were painted in these roofs of three tiers. From the upper tier to the lower one, the colors are respectively blue, yellow and green. In 1752, these three colors were all changed into glazed tiles of dark blue. However, they were destroyed by lightning in 1889. And later in 1890, it was restored according to the original. In 2006, the whole building was renovated with all its paintings according to the same style as they done last time. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests has become the symbol of Beijing.
At present, the Temple of Heaven is very popular with tourist home and abroad. It is also an entertainment center for local people. If you go to the temple early in the morning, you will find many local people practicing Taiji, playing cards and Chinese chess and singing folk songs there.
Ming Tombs

Covering an area of 40 square kilometers with 13 Ming emperors buried, the Ming Tombs is situated at the southern foot of the Tianshou Mountain in Changping District in the north western suburban areas of Beijing. The construction of the imperial tombs had been going on ceaselessly from the year 1409 when Emperor Zhu Di started building his tomb to the fall of the Ming Dynasty in 1644, lasting a period over 200 years.
As many people know, there are 16 emperors in the Ming Dynasty. Among the 16 Ming emperors, 13 of them were buried in this tomb area, except for Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty who was buried in the Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing, Zhu Yunwen, who disappeared and Zhu Qiyu, who was buried at Jinshan Hill in the western suburbs of Beijing, all other. Therefore, this area was called the 13 Ming Tombs.
It was originally built only for Emperor Zhu Di and his empress, named Changling, which is the most magnificent tomb. The succeeding twelve emperors had their tombs built around Changling. At present, the two tombs opened to the public are Changling and Dingling.
Changling is the first Ming tomb built in this area. Hence, the axle line of Changling naturally became the axle line of the whole Ming Tombs. Along with the various tombs, the Stone Tablet House come together overall as a structurally and visually unified architectural accomplishment. Though these tombs were built in different periods, they were strategically planed and built in different stages. Each tomb has its own distinct adornments. However, the entire tomb area has a unified layout and style.
Zhu Di was the third emperor in the Ming Dynasty, who was buried together with his empress in Changling. During his 22-year of reign, he was, relatively speaking, an emperor who had made quite some achievements. For example, he determined to move the capital from Nanjing to Beijing in 1421. To some extend, the move itself was an expression of far-sightedness, for it was very important to strengthen the national defense and guard frontier areas. During the period from 1405 to 1424, Zheng He, also called Eunuch Sanbao, was sent by the emperor to fulfill a diplomatic mission which was on an ever larger and broader scale in Chinese history. He went six times on board across the sea to over 30 countries in Asia and Africa.
Completed in 1416, as the place for worshipping tablets of the emperor and empress and offering sacrifices to ancestors, the Hall of Eminent Favor is situated within the second compound of Changling. The Hall of Eminent Favor in Changling is the best-preserved among the ones of the 13 tombs, which duplicated the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City. It is a very precious relic of ancient China's wooden structures.
Dingling is the tomb for Emperor Zhu Yijun, named the tomb of Stability. It is said that he was buried together with his two empresses—Xiaoduan and Xiaojing. Ascending the throne at the age of 10, Zhu Yijun was died at 58 with a reign span of 48 years. Therefore he became the emperor with the longest time in power for in the Ming Dynasty. The construction of the Dingling tomb started in 1584. It took 6 years to bring the project to finish in 1590, covering an area of 180,000 square meters and costing 8 million taels of silver.
The Dingling began to be excavated in May 1956, which brought to light the mystery of the underground palaces of the Ming Tombs. Constructed with hard stone-slabs, with a total floor space of 1,195 square meters, the underground palace is composed by five beamless vaults, called the front, the middle, the rear and the two annexes on the right and the left. Carved out of white marble and the rear hall with the bier holding three coffins for the emperor and his two queens, three thrones were laid out in the middle vault. There are over 3,000 pieces of archeological findings unearthed from the tomb.
Yonghegong Lamasery

Yonghegong Lamasery is a well-known lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism, which is located at the northeast part of Beijing. It was originally built in 1694 as the residence of Emperor Yongzheng of Qing (1644-1911 A.D.) before his ascent of the throne. And after his death, it was renamed Yonghegong. His successor Emperor Qianlong then rebuilt Yonghegong into an imperial palace with its turquoise tiles replaced by yellow tiles (yellow was the imperial color in the Qing Dynasty). In 1744, it became a lamasery. From then on, large numbers of monks from Mongolia and Tibet and national center of lama administration live in there.
As an imperial palace, the layout of the temple differentiated from other temples. The main gate faces to the south. There are five main halls and annex connected by courtyards on its 480-meter-long north-south axis, including a glaze-tiled arch, Gate of Peace (Zhaotaimen), Buddha's Warrior Hall (Tianwangdian), which was formerly the entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace, Hall of Harmony and Peace (Yonghegong), Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian), Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) and Pavilion of Eternal Happiness (Wanfuge).
When you are walking through the grand glaze-tile arch patterned with decorative dragons and flowers in the first court, you will reach a three-arch gate - the Gate of Peace. In ancient times, the central passageway was for emperors. On each side of the second court next to the Gate of Peace stand the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. Two pavilions stand symmetrically on opposite to the north. If you want to know more about the temple's history, you can have a look at the inscriptions of Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan engraved on steles.
The Buddha's Warrior Hall, also known as the Hall of Heavenly Kings, is the former entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace. The hall Maitreya (Happy Buddha) was always used to greet visitors, which has a smiling face with a sandalwood pagoda on each side. Many small Buddhist images, symbolizing longevity, stand on the pagoda. Therefore, the pagoda is the Longevity Pagoda. There are four fearsome-looking Heavenly Kings or Celestial Guardians on both sides of Maitreya's shrine.
On the way to the Hall of Harmony and Peace stands a marble-based bronze incense-burner. With decorations of two dragons playing with a pearl on its six opens, it is 4.2 meters in height. Afterwards there is the Mount Sumeru, a bronze sculpture of Ming (1368-1644A.D.), representing the center of the world. On the top of it there lies a legendary paradise where Sakyamuni and men of moral integrity live after death; in the middle the dwellings of humans and below devils abide in hell.
The Hall of Harmony and Peace is formerly a place for the emperor Yongzheng to hold meetings. It was also called Mahavira Hall or Daxiongbaodian in Buddhism. Mahavira here is an honorable title of Sakyamuni in Chinese. Sakyamuni is on the altar, with Buddha of the Present in the middle with Buddha of the Past Yeja and the Buddha of the Future Maitreya on each side. On each side of the hall stand Statues of 18 Arhats. It is said that 18 Arhats were the disciples of Samkyamuni to diffuse Buddhism. The painting that you can find on the western wall is a Bodhisattva.
The Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian) and the Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) are right behind the Hall of the Harmony and Peace, where enshrines a bronze image of Tsong Kapa -- founder of the Yellow Hat Sect. With 5 gold-plating pagodas, the golden-roofed Falundian was the place where lamas assemble to have religious activities. There is a 6-meter-high gilded bronze statue of Tsong Kapa on a lotus seat in the center of the hall.
Now there are nearly 70 lamas living in this temple. If you go there, you will find that regular religious activities are still practiced. More lamas can be seen coming here in the festival for lamas or Lamaism.
Old Beijing Hutongs

The numerous old hutongs are the distinguished features of Beijing. They symbolize the traditional community with small lanes, alleys and Siheyuan (quadrangle). The life of local people in these old hutongs makes this ancient capital look more charming. Wandering along these small lanes, you can see many quadrangles, called Siheyuan in Chinese, which are the residential quarters of natives. No one knows the exact number of these hutongs there are in Beijing.

Great Wall

It is without doubt that the Great Wall is the greatest of civil engineering project of defense in ancient China. With its gigantic scale and difficulties in its construction, it is regarded as one of the great wonders in the history of mankind. The Great Wall is really the glory of the Chinese nation, which symbolizes the ancient culture and the long-standing history of China. Stretching over the mountain ranges, it proudly shows its magnificence to us. So to speak, the Great Wall has witnessed the rises and falls of innumerable dynasties and changes on the earth. At present, though the Great Wall is no longer served as a work of military defense against harassment and invasion. It still plays an important role in linking the Chinese people with the people of the rest of the world. It is one of the great bridges that build up friendship between different peoples.
The Great Wall is starting from the Old Dragon Head of the Shanhai Pass at the seaside in the east to a distance of 10,000 li (1 kilometer= 2 lis) in the west. Snaking along the north of China, it crosses three provinces, two municipalities and two autonomous regions. It is about 6,300 kilometers long, an equivalent of about 3,915 miles.
The present-day Great Wall originated from the early ancient Chinese history. During the time of Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), in the purpose of defending themselves and against the infringement from the neighboring states, all the principal states had the walls built in the bordering areas of the territories. For example, the three states of Qin, Zhao and Yan had high walls and fortresses built along their northern frontiers to ward off the harassment by the Huns (an ancient nomadic tribe in China) from the north. In 221 B.C., the whole China was unified by the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty to defeat the six other ducal states. The emperor gave order to link up all the walls built by the former ducal states along the northern frontiers to prevent disturbing and attacking by the Huns. And these walls form the world famous “10,000-li Great Wall”. From generation to generation, the succeeding dynasties kept on the work of maintenance and repairs or having parts reconstructed time and again. Among them, the greatest project on scale in the old days of China was carried out in the Han and Ming dynasties.
Throughout history, the Great Wall is served as the traditional defensive project. It is mainly composed by passes, walls, watchtowers and beacon towers. Builders were forced to rely upon local materials for the wall inched across the Chinese wilderness. For example, some wall was built with tamped-earth, some with stone, some with tamped mixture of reed, red willow, and sands, and some with bricks outside and stuffed earth and sands inside. The walls we see today are mainly Ming walls, primary made of stone and bricks. The key parts of the military construction are Watchtowers. They are very close to each other, among which brick towers could be two or three storeys. There is a small room on the top of the tower, surrounded by battlements. The watchtower was also used to station soldiers or store food and weapons. Thousands of passes stretch along the Great Wall. Some are between the mountains, some between the mountains and rivers, and some between the mountains and sea. During the wars, passes are the strongholds by acting as the gateways of transportation. Beacon towers are used for communicating, which can deliver the emergent military messages in a very short time.
Just like the symbol of China—dragon, the Great Wall snakes from east to west on the Oriental. Nowadays, five sections of the Great Wall are opened to public in Beijing, including Badaling section, Juyong Pass section, Mutianyu section, Jinshanling section and Simatai section.
Badaling Section
Badaling section is the outstanding part of the Great Wall. Lying in the Yanqing District, sixty kilometers northwest of Beijing, it gives vital protection for the Juyong Pass, which is one of the key passes of the Great Wall. According to its strategic importance of commanding, Badaling section is known as "giving access to every direction", which gains it the name Badaling.
Badaling was built in an early time in the ancient Chinese history. During Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period, defensive wall was constructed along the Yanshan Range to resist the marauding of the nomadic tribes. Since then the following dynasties continued to fortify the Badaling section. The wall we see today was constructed in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.) along the ridges of mountains. The construction lasted about a hundred years long from 1505, the 18th year of Emperor Hongzhi, to the reign of Emperor Wanli.
The huge Badaling wall was strongly and firmly built. It was based on the foundation of granite slabs, surrounded by a facing of kiln-fired bricks, and covered with bricks on the top. All stuffed with pulverized lime, the slots could enable the wall to be smooth. The height of the wall is 8.5 meters. It is 6.5 meters wide at the bottom and 5.7 meters wide on the top, making it possible for 5 horses or 10 people march abreast on the top. Watchtowers are 0.5 or 1 kilometer apart from each other, which were full of vigor and grandeur, and orderly spotted the wall. The battlements and embrasures of the watchtower were in good condition in wartime. The wall winds its way along the ridge of the Jundu Mountain, rising abruptly to the peaks of each side of the Badaling. You will be amazed by its seemingly endlessness. It stretches far away into the remoteness. The wall of Badaling is 3, 741 meters long.
Among all the parts of the whole Great Wall, Badaling was the earliest section to be open to the tourists. Badaling has received 130 million tourists home and abroad. Among them, there are 370 foreign leaders and very important persons who have come to climb Badaling successively.
Mutianyu Section
Mutianyu section is 75 kilometers northeast of Beijing. Lies in Huairou District, it links Juyong Pass in the west with Gubeikou Pass in the east. Mutianyu section is called as the Majestic Pass on Precipitous Mountains, commanding its strategic importance.
Because of its relatively gentle terrain, watchtowers of Mutianyu section were built in large numbers to strengthen its defensive functions. The closest watchtowers are less than 50 meters apart from each other. Both arms of the Mutianyu section stretch upwards along the ridges of continuous mountains. On the foundation of the Ming Dynasty wall The Mutianyu section was mainly built on precipitous mountains and 5-7 meters high. It is featured with a thick cluster of watchtowers atop, strategic passed, majestic vigor and unique structure. In this section, the gate tower is the most unique building.
Simatai Section
Simatai Section lies in the Miyun County, 120 kilometers away from Beijing. It started from Wangjing Tower in the east and connected with Jinshanling section in the west. Without hordes of other tourists, it is a largely unrestored and more authentic section of the Great Wall.
Simatai section was constructed during the early years of Ming Emperor Hongwu. It is said that there was a renovation applying from 1569 to 1573. It was mainly built along the ridge of the mountains because of its location in the mountainous area. Featuring in uniqueness, ruggedness and trimness, it perfectly coordinates with the undulating terrain, which makes it more majestic and magnificent. Simatai reservoir is situated at the foot of the central part of the Simatai section, which is 600-700 meters long with the storage capacity of 50,000 cubic meters.
Simatai section is considered to be the most wonderful part of the Great Wall. Taking good advantage of the fluctuating terrain, the walls and watchtowers constitute the most essential part of the wall. It is famous for its precipitous cliffs, magnificent towers, suspension walls and rugged stairways. If you are looking from distance, you may find that the Great Wall is just like a flying dragon in the cloud. However, when you stand nearby, the wall stretches its arms along the ridges of mountains. All these make it the most amazing part of the Great Wall.
Jinshanling Section
The Jinshanling Great Wall was initially built from 1368 to 1389 in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and in 1567 and 1570 rebuilding of the Wall was mainly directed by General Qi Jiguang (1528-1588). Poems and tablet writings can be found on the Jinshanling Great Wall left from the time when Qi Jiguang directed the rebuilding of this section of the Great Wall. Continue to read more on the Great Wall history. Jinshanling is connected to the Simatai Great Wall in the east and the Panlongshan Great Wall in the west. Jinshanling has probably the highest frequency of towers per kilometer of any place along the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. It also has one of the greatest varieties of architectural and defensive styles of both wall and towers.
The total length of this section is about 11 kilometers (6.8 miles). The Wall is about 7 meters high and 5 meters wide, and is made of brick and stone. The Jinshanling Great Wall has an elevation of 700 meters. There are more than 100 watch towers along the Jinshanling Great Wall. ‘Watching Beijing Tower’ is on the highest point, from which you can see Beijing. The Jinshanling Great Wall is second only to the Badaling Great Wall in its completeness.
Tian’anmen Square

Tian’anmen(Gate of Heavenly Peace), situated at the center of Beijing meaning in English, symbolizes the People's Republic of China. Built in 1417, it was formally called Chengtianmen (Gate of Heavenly Succession). At that time, it was the front gate of the Imperial City. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, the uprising farmers led by Li Zicheng entered the city, but later when the Qing army marched upon Beijing, the Chengtianmen was destroyed under the crossfire. In 1651, it was rebuilt and named "Tian'anmen".
The Tian'anmen Rostrum, as a place to hold ceremonies of great importance, such as promulgating an imperial edict conferring the title of a queen, or announcing a newly enthroned emperor, was made known to the public all over the country. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was popular to hold the Imperial Exam system for choosing high-ranking officials by way of a palace examination, which supervised by the emperor himself. If the examinees ranked the first three, they would be entitled. What’s more, they would have the honor to be granted an audience by the emperor two days after the examination. On that day they would be called in to see the emperor in turn in the Tian'anmen Rostrum.
There is a square running 880 meters from south to north and 500 meters from east to west in front of the Tian'anmen Rostrum. It is the Tian'anmen Square – the very center of Beijing. Tian'anmen Square is the largest city square in the world with an area of 44 hectares.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Tian'anmen Square was a piece of land in front of the Imperial Palace, an open space jetting out towards the south from the Tian'anmen Gate. It had a meaning of embodying the outstanding importance of the Tian'anmen Gate and the Imperial City. In the early days of the Ming Dynasty, a gate of brick and stone was built, which is right on the site of the present Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong, called Damingmen (Gate of the Great Ming). In the Qing Dynasty it was renamed as Daqingmen (Gate of Great Qing) and after 1911 Zhonghuamen (Gate of China). Later on, another two gates of brick and stone structure were built on each site of the avenue in front the gate. Surrounded by a newly built red wall, the area within the three gates formed a small square of only 11 hectares-- Tian'anmen Square.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, common people were forbidden to enter the Tian'anmen Square. And for the officials, when they entered the gate, they had to get off horses and proceed on foot into the palace. The government offices were lined outside the wall on the east and west. According to the traditional system, the civil service organizations were set in the eastern part of the square, and the military organizations in the west.
Old buildings in the Tian'anmen Square were put down after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. In 1957, the square expanded with an area of 44 hectares, which may hold 1 million people at a time. With Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall right behind, the Monument to the People's Heroes towered in the center of the square. To the east of the Square, there is the National Museum of China and to the west the Great Hall of People (National People's Congress building).
The Monument to the People's Heroes is the largest monument in China's history which was built in 1952. On this monument, you can see the words--"The People's Heroes are Immortal", which were written by Chairman Mao. The development of Chinese modern history and those who contributed their lives to the democratic progress are shown by the eight unusually large relief sculptures. The monument is enclosed by two rows of white marble railings. It seems very simple and beautiful.
At the south side of the Square is the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong. This Hall is consisted by three halls, among which our dear Chairman Mao's body lies in a crystal coffin in the halls surrounded by fresh bouquets of various famous flowers and grasses.
The Great Hall of the People is in the west of the Square. Constructed in 1959, this building is the site of the China National People's Congress meetings, which also provides an impressive site for other political and diplomatic activities. With twelve marble posts, the Hall includes three parts--the Central Hall, the Great Auditorium and a Banqueting Hall. The ceiling of the Central Hall is decorated with crystal lamps and the floor paved with marble. The Great Auditorium behind the Central Hall can hold 10,000 people, while the huge Banqueting Hall can seat 5,000.
At the east side of the Square stands the China National Museum, which is another important place for you to visit. Built in 2003, it is a mergence of China History Museum and China Revolutionary Museum. This National Museum is on the opposite of the Great Hall of the People. In the China Revolutionary Museum, there are a lot of material objects, pictures, books and models, presenting the development of modern China. A large number of cultural relics are exhibited in the China History Museum, illustrating the long history and glorious culture of China from 1,700,000 years ago to 1925 when the last emperor left the throne.
Forbidden City

The Palace Museum, the imperial palace in the Ming and Qing dynasties, is the largest and best-preserved palace complex in the world today. It is also called the Purple Forbidden City in Chinese. Its name, on one side, derives from ancient Chinese astronomers' belief that God's abode or the Purple Palace. The pivot of the celestial world, is situated in the Pole Star (the middle of the Ziwei Star), at the center of the heaven. Therefore, the son of God of Heaven--the emperor, should live in the Purple City. On the other side, without special orders of the emperor eunuchs and guards, ordinary citizens were not allowed entering the Forbidden City, except for palace maids. For this reason, palaces in the Ming and Qing dynasties are called both the Forbidden City and the Purple City. The Construction of the magnificent palace started in 1406, and ended in 1420. It took 14 years to complete the project. One year after completion, Emperor Yongle moved his capital from Nanjing to Beijing. Since then, 24 emperors have lived at the Forbidden City, 14 during the Ming Dynasty and 10 during the Qing Dynasty.
The Forbidden City covers an area of over 720,000 square meters, 750 meters wide and 960 meters long. And it has four great gates. The fabulous city, which is surrounded by a 52-meter-wide moat, has four delicate and lovely turrets overlooking both the inside and outside.
The Forbidden City has more than 8,700 wooden rooms, most of which have yellow-glazed tiles. It is a color that only emperors were allowed to use on their roof. From the northern Drum Tower and the Bell Tower to the Southern Gate of Everlasting Stability (Yongdingmen), these colorfully painted and embellished rooms are divided symmetrically into northern and southern halves. If you walk into the city, you will see the layers of halls and palaces spreading out on either side of a central axis. As the designations of the wise architectures, the splendid buildings represent the unique features of the traditional Chinese architecture and embody the incredible creativity of the ancient Chinese people. Reconstructed after being destroyed by several fires, this pearl of Chinese cultural heritage still retains its original arrangements of the Ming dynasty. Nowadays, most of the existing buildings open to visitors were reconstructed during the early Qing Dynasty.
In many ways the Forbidden City reveals ancient Confucian ideas, as it is generally designed to the principles of the Front court, Rear Market, Ancestral Sacrifice on the left and Altar on the right. Hence, the court was located in the southern or front section of the Forbidden City, where officials discussed political affairs. A large trading market was situated in the rear part of the city, providing daily necessities for the court. On the left side was the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where the emperor offered sacrifices to his ancestors. Nowadays, it is the Working People's Cultural Palace. On the right side was the Altar to the god of Land and Grain, where the emperor displayed his reverence to the god. This is now Zhongshan Park.
There are two courts in the Forbidden City: the Inner Court and the Outer Court. They are separated across the middle between the south and north ends. The Outer court is mainly composed by the Meridian Gate and the Three Front Halls, flanked by the Hall of Literary Glory (Wenhuadian) and the Hall of Martial Spirit (Wuyingdian), which witnessed various ceremonies and political activities during the Ming and Qing dynasties. While the inner court is mainly consisted by the Three Back Halls, Imperial Garden, Hall of Mental Cultivation and Palace of Abstinence, which are flanked by the Six East Halls and the Six West Halls. This was the place where the emperor was confronted with political affairs and was the residential area for the emperor and his empresses and concubines.
Compared with other contemporary palaces, the Forbidden City stressed more on balance and independence, and embodied more cultural perspectives of the specific ethnic group. Just as what was written in the book of History of Chinese Science by Joseph Needham, each part of the Forbidden City is in well balance and independence, which is just on the contrary to other palaces in the Renaissance Age. For the city, the Palace of Versailles is just acting as an object. The palace is an organic part of the whole city, combining deep deference to nature with lofty significance. As a tin far-reaching and complicated Chinese architecture, Great overall arrangements have reached the highest level, far above any other culture.
After the subversion of the Qing Dynasty by the Revolution of 1911, the last emperor Pu Yi was exiled to palaces at the rear of the Forbidden City. In 1914, the Three Great Halls in the Imperial Palace was opened as exhibition hall of antiquities. Ten years later, Feng Yuxiang staged a coup in Beijing and expelled the last emperor from the palace. Oct. 10, 1925 established The Palace Museum. And in 1961, the Forbidden City was listed as a place to be given special protection by the State Council. UNESCO listed it as World Cultural Heritage site in 1987.
The Forbidden City, as one of the world-famous royal palaces, has played an important role in the world architectural history. Many tourists both from home and abroad have been attracted by the almost 1 million rare treasures and cultural relics on exhibition there.
Summer Palace

Covering an area of 290 hectares in total, the Summer Palace spreads out some 15 kilometers away from the city center in the north western suburbs of Beijing. Three fourths of the palace is covered by a pool of water and the rest the land and hills.
The Summer Palace is the summer resort of the Qing royal family. Now it is the most intact, the best-preserved and the largest of its kind of the classical gardens in the country. Since the garden began to be built in 1153, it had undergone many a time reconstruction and renovation in the Yuan and Ming dynasties. In the period of Emperor Qianlong’s reign of the Qing Dynasty, it was still reconstructed in a large-scale. And this time was renamed the "Garden of Crystal Ripples". When it was completed in 1860, it suffered a severe destruction, led by the Anglo-French Allied Army, which brought it down to ashes. In 1886, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled the funds allocated for the building of the navy to rebuild it and renamed it the "Summer Palace". However, in 1900, it underwent destruction again by the Eight Powers Allied Forces. Later, the1903 saw its second-time rebuild.
On the 12th of October 1911, Empress Dowager Longyu was finally forced to promulgate the abdication of the royal power. However, according to the agreement between the Qing royal family and the republic government, the Summer Palace would still be kept in the hands of the Qing royal family, while yet to be opened to outside as private property by selling admission tickets. 1924 when Puyi was ousted, the Summer Palace was taken over by the republic government and changed to be a public park.
The Qing royal family stayed in the Forbidden City in spring, autumn and winter. And when it came to summer, they went to their summer resort –Summer Palace. Hence, the Summer Palace shares the same functional quarters as that in the Forbidden City. Among these quarters, the office quarter, the living quarter and the entertainment quarter formed the magnificent scenery in Summer Palace.
Through the East Palace Gate, there is the Hall of the Benevolence and Longevity. The emperor used to handle state affairs and listen to reports by ministers and receive foreign envoys in there. It was called the Hallo of Diligent Administration by Emperor Qianlong during his reign. In 1860, it was burnt down by the Anglo-French Army. Reconstructed In 1890, it was then renamed the "Hall of the Benevolence and Longevity". During the reigns of Emperors Tongzhi and Guangxu, Empress Dowager Cixi got the real power to rule the country, and she started to handle state affairs behind the screen.
The Hall of Jade Ripples and the Hall of Happiness and Longevity are the three parts of the living quarter. Guangxu used to live in the Hall of Jade Ripples Emperor in the Summer Palace. After his failure of the Reform Movement of 1898, Emperor Guangxu was put into house arrest here. Thus, it is also regarded as an exquisitely decorated jail.
Consisting of four rooms, the Hall of Happiness and Longevity used to be the residence for Empress Dowager Cixi. The Empress moves to the Summer Palace and stays there in the hall every year on the first day of the fourth month in the lunar calendar. And she won't return until the tenth of the tenth lunar month when she had celebrated her birthday there. In the Summer Palace, there are over 1,000 people dancing attendance on the Dowager. Among them, there are 48 in the Hall of Happiness and Longevity, of whom 20 are maids-in-waiting, 20 eunuchs of importance and another 8 are the "ladies-in-waiting" by her side, normally waiting in the room behind the precious throne to attend on her.
The Long Corridor, the starting point of entertainment quarter, is at the end of the courtyard of the Hall of Happiness and Longevity. It is 728 meters long with more than 14,000 traditional Chinese paintings on the beams and rafters. The four pavilions along the corridor represent the four seasons a year. The Marble Boat can be found at the end of the Long Corridor. The original Chinese style of it was burnt down by the Anglo-French Army in 1860. In 1893, it was rebuilt into one of a western style, imitating a steam ship with two water-wheelers. In 1903 Empress Dowager Cixi built another storey of wooden structure with the decoration of colored pieces of glass. The construction of this immovable boat was to symbolize the stable and consolidated rule of the Qing regime just like a large piece of rock. It would stand still forever in the vast ocean and would, under no circumstances whatsoever be wavered or toppled.
Occupying three fourths of the total area of the Summer Palace, Kunming Lake plays important role in the adjustment of the temperature in the garden. Taking a walk in the Long Corridor and a dragon boat on the lake, you will have a wonderful feeling that you were the emperor and empress in ancient China.
Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven stands in the southern part of Beijing. It was used to be the house ceremonies of emperors of worshipping heaven and praying for harvest in the Ming and Qing dynasties. This altar temple remains to be the largest existing ancient sacrificial structures across the world, more important than other three major temples, i.e. Altar to the Earth, Altar to the Sun and Altar to the Moon.
The Temple of Heaven was built in 1407 and the construction of the project took 14 years. Covering an area of 273 hectares, with two surrounding rings walls, it is four times bigger than the Forbidden City. The wall, stretching from north to south, is as long as 1,657 meters and that from east to west 1,703 meters. The outer wall is 6,553 meters in circumference while the inner wall measures 4,152 meters in perimeter.
To pray for good harvests and fine rain, emperors did regular worshipping and offered sacrifices to heaven. And the Temple of Heaven was used to the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties went and worshipped the heaven twice (and sometimes three times) a year. In the past, the tradition went that sacrifices were offered to heaven and earth in one place only. But in 1530 when the Temple of Earth was built in the north of the city, the Temple of Heaven was ever since used specially for offering sacrifices to heaven alone.
The Temple of Heaven is consisted by three sections, named the Circular Mound Altar, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, attached with some affiliated buildings like Dressing Platform, Long Corridor and Echo Wall.
The Circular Mound Altar was first constructed in 1530. In ancient China, to some extend, the altar was a place that even more important than the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The emperor would come to offer sacrifices to heaven on the altar every year on the day of the Winter Solstice. For this reason, the altar was rebuilt into a circular one in 1749. Built in the open air without shelter, the sacrificial ceremony was being held right under heaven. Therefore, it was called "Luji", or the "open air offering of sacrifices".
The Imperial Vault of Heaven was first built in 1530 as a main building in the south of the Temple of Heaven. At first, it was called "Taishendian" or the Hall for Pacifying Gods, but later changed into the present name. In 1752, the building was rebuilt into one of a single eave, which used to have double eaves. Standing 19.5 meters high and of 15.6 meters in diameter, the circular hall used to be an octagonal one in the past. The tablet of the Jade Emperor, the four stone platforms on both sides used to be for the tablets of the emperor’s ancestors of eight generations in succession, is consecrated on the central stone-platform in the Hall of Imperial Vault of Heaven.
Being of 32.72 meters in diameter, built on a three-tired platform, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests towers 38 meters' high with its eaves fanning out on three tiers, of which the upper one has a gold-plated knob on it. You will be amazed to see that such a heavy building was supported only by 28 wooden pillars with no single piece of reinforced concrete at all. The whole building was built by mortise and tenon joints without using a single nail. With each pillar in height of 19.2 meters, the four pillars in the center of the hall are called "Longjingzhu"--the Dragon Well Pillar. Only by joining hands together by two and half persons, can it be embraced. These four pillars indicate the four seasons of a year. You may find it more interesting that all pillars have their special meanings: the outside 12 pillars suggest 12 months in a year and another 12 pillars in the round wall symbolize the 12 two-hour periods of a day. And when you put the two 12 pillars together, the number you get is 24, which represents the 24 solar terms of a year. And when you add the four in the center of the hall to 24, you will get 28, which represents the 28 lunar mansions in the heaven above.
Since its first construction in 1420, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests has gone through several times of changes. At that moment, the hall was called "Dasidian"--the Hall of Grand Sacrifices, which was rectangular in shape. But in 1529, it was reconstructed into a round one with a roof of three tiers. And this time it was named "Daxiangdian"--the Hall of Grand Treatment to Heaven. Three different colors were painted in these roofs of three tiers. From the upper tier to the lower one, the colors are respectively blue, yellow and green. In 1752, these three colors were all changed into glazed tiles of dark blue. However, they were destroyed by lightning in 1889. And later in 1890, it was restored according to the original. In 2006, the whole building was renovated with all its paintings according to the same style as they done last time. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests has become the symbol of Beijing.
At present, the Temple of Heaven is very popular with tourist home and abroad. It is also an entertainment center for local people. If you go to the temple early in the morning, you will find many local people practicing Taiji, playing cards and Chinese chess and singing folk songs there.
Ming Tombs

Covering an area of 40 square kilometers with 13 Ming emperors buried, the Ming Tombs is situated at the southern foot of the Tianshou Mountain in Changping District in the north western suburban areas of Beijing. The construction of the imperial tombs had been going on ceaselessly from the year 1409 when Emperor Zhu Di started building his tomb to the fall of the Ming Dynasty in 1644, lasting a period over 200 years.
As many people know, there are 16 emperors in the Ming Dynasty. Among the 16 Ming emperors, 13 of them were buried in this tomb area, except for Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty who was buried in the Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing, Zhu Yunwen, who disappeared and Zhu Qiyu, who was buried at Jinshan Hill in the western suburbs of Beijing, all other. Therefore, this area was called the 13 Ming Tombs.
It was originally built only for Emperor Zhu Di and his empress, named Changling, which is the most magnificent tomb. The succeeding twelve emperors had their tombs built around Changling. At present, the two tombs opened to the public are Changling and Dingling.
Changling is the first Ming tomb built in this area. Hence, the axle line of Changling naturally became the axle line of the whole Ming Tombs. Along with the various tombs, the Stone Tablet House come together overall as a structurally and visually unified architectural accomplishment. Though these tombs were built in different periods, they were strategically planed and built in different stages. Each tomb has its own distinct adornments. However, the entire tomb area has a unified layout and style.
Zhu Di was the third emperor in the Ming Dynasty, who was buried together with his empress in Changling. During his 22-year of reign, he was, relatively speaking, an emperor who had made quite some achievements. For example, he determined to move the capital from Nanjing to Beijing in 1421. To some extend, the move itself was an expression of far-sightedness, for it was very important to strengthen the national defense and guard frontier areas. During the period from 1405 to 1424, Zheng He, also called Eunuch Sanbao, was sent by the emperor to fulfill a diplomatic mission which was on an ever larger and broader scale in Chinese history. He went six times on board across the sea to over 30 countries in Asia and Africa.
Completed in 1416, as the place for worshipping tablets of the emperor and empress and offering sacrifices to ancestors, the Hall of Eminent Favor is situated within the second compound of Changling. The Hall of Eminent Favor in Changling is the best-preserved among the ones of the 13 tombs, which duplicated the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City. It is a very precious relic of ancient China's wooden structures.
Dingling is the tomb for Emperor Zhu Yijun, named the tomb of Stability. It is said that he was buried together with his two empresses—Xiaoduan and Xiaojing. Ascending the throne at the age of 10, Zhu Yijun was died at 58 with a reign span of 48 years. Therefore he became the emperor with the longest time in power for in the Ming Dynasty. The construction of the Dingling tomb started in 1584. It took 6 years to bring the project to finish in 1590, covering an area of 180,000 square meters and costing 8 million taels of silver.
The Dingling began to be excavated in May 1956, which brought to light the mystery of the underground palaces of the Ming Tombs. Constructed with hard stone-slabs, with a total floor space of 1,195 square meters, the underground palace is composed by five beamless vaults, called the front, the middle, the rear and the two annexes on the right and the left. Carved out of white marble and the rear hall with the bier holding three coffins for the emperor and his two queens, three thrones were laid out in the middle vault. There are over 3,000 pieces of archeological findings unearthed from the tomb.
Yonghegong Lamasery

Yonghegong Lamasery is a well-known lama temple of the Yellow Hat Sect of Lamaism, which is located at the northeast part of Beijing. It was originally built in 1694 as the residence of Emperor Yongzheng of Qing (1644-1911 A.D.) before his ascent of the throne. And after his death, it was renamed Yonghegong. His successor Emperor Qianlong then rebuilt Yonghegong into an imperial palace with its turquoise tiles replaced by yellow tiles (yellow was the imperial color in the Qing Dynasty). In 1744, it became a lamasery. From then on, large numbers of monks from Mongolia and Tibet and national center of lama administration live in there.
As an imperial palace, the layout of the temple differentiated from other temples. The main gate faces to the south. There are five main halls and annex connected by courtyards on its 480-meter-long north-south axis, including a glaze-tiled arch, Gate of Peace (Zhaotaimen), Buddha's Warrior Hall (Tianwangdian), which was formerly the entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace, Hall of Harmony and Peace (Yonghegong), Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian), Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) and Pavilion of Eternal Happiness (Wanfuge).
When you are walking through the grand glaze-tile arch patterned with decorative dragons and flowers in the first court, you will reach a three-arch gate - the Gate of Peace. In ancient times, the central passageway was for emperors. On each side of the second court next to the Gate of Peace stand the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. Two pavilions stand symmetrically on opposite to the north. If you want to know more about the temple's history, you can have a look at the inscriptions of Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan engraved on steles.
The Buddha's Warrior Hall, also known as the Hall of Heavenly Kings, is the former entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace. The hall Maitreya (Happy Buddha) was always used to greet visitors, which has a smiling face with a sandalwood pagoda on each side. Many small Buddhist images, symbolizing longevity, stand on the pagoda. Therefore, the pagoda is the Longevity Pagoda. There are four fearsome-looking Heavenly Kings or Celestial Guardians on both sides of Maitreya's shrine.
On the way to the Hall of Harmony and Peace stands a marble-based bronze incense-burner. With decorations of two dragons playing with a pearl on its six opens, it is 4.2 meters in height. Afterwards there is the Mount Sumeru, a bronze sculpture of Ming (1368-1644A.D.), representing the center of the world. On the top of it there lies a legendary paradise where Sakyamuni and men of moral integrity live after death; in the middle the dwellings of humans and below devils abide in hell.
The Hall of Harmony and Peace is formerly a place for the emperor Yongzheng to hold meetings. It was also called Mahavira Hall or Daxiongbaodian in Buddhism. Mahavira here is an honorable title of Sakyamuni in Chinese. Sakyamuni is on the altar, with Buddha of the Present in the middle with Buddha of the Past Yeja and the Buddha of the Future Maitreya on each side. On each side of the hall stand Statues of 18 Arhats. It is said that 18 Arhats were the disciples of Samkyamuni to diffuse Buddhism. The painting that you can find on the western wall is a Bodhisattva.
The Hall of Everlasting Protection (Yongyoudian) and the Hall of the Wheel of the Law (Falundian) are right behind the Hall of the Harmony and Peace, where enshrines a bronze image of Tsong Kapa -- founder of the Yellow Hat Sect. With 5 gold-plating pagodas, the golden-roofed Falundian was the place where lamas assemble to have religious activities. There is a 6-meter-high gilded bronze statue of Tsong Kapa on a lotus seat in the center of the hall.
Now there are nearly 70 lamas living in this temple. If you go there, you will find that regular religious activities are still practiced. More lamas can be seen coming here in the festival for lamas or Lamaism.
Old Beijing Hutongs

The numerous old hutongs are the distinguished features of Beijing. They symbolize the traditional community with small lanes, alleys and Siheyuan (quadrangle). The life of local people in these old hutongs makes this ancient capital look more charming. Wandering along these small lanes, you can see many quadrangles, called Siheyuan in Chinese, which are the residential quarters of natives. No one knows the exact number of these hutongs there are in Beijing.

This tour brings you some of the most fabulous landscapes in China. First we begin our tour from the largest city of China-Shanghai, which will amaze you by its modern atmosphere and traditional culture and art. Huangshan Mountain has brought together all the strong points other mountains have: grand, strange, baffling, arduous, steep, flourishing, quiet and spacious. The mountain offers a crowd of peaks. The water village in Suzhou, the graceful West Lake in Hangzhou will surely leave you a deep impression. What's more, you experience a cruise on the world-wide famous Li River through stunning karst landscapes in Guilin, and travel to the ingenious terrace field for a grand view. Then we come to Xi'an. This ancient capital city is really a Chinese history book, be marvel at the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, and admires those ancient buildings such as the Wild Pagoda Tower. Tour to the Hukou Waterfall will to enjoy the marvelous view. And then we fly to the north China to Urumqi, where you experience the exotic and colorful mountains and the mysterious Kanas Lake. The Grape Valley in Turpan welcomes you with its abundant sweet fruits. Our tour ends in Beijing, the capital of China, witness and climb the magnificent ancient construction of the Great Wall, get a brief impression of this big capital.
Itinerary
Our guide will meet you at the airport when you arrive in Shanghai, and you will be transferred to hotel and check in.
Stay overnight in Shanghai.
Meals included:
We will go to the [Yuyuan Garden] after having a leisurely breakfast; at there you can find much tasty Chinese snacks and delicate handicrafts. Also, we will go to the [Jade Buddha Temple], a Buddhist sacred place famous for two white jade Buddha statue which is decorated by jewels. Later, we will have lunch at a characteristic Shanghai restaurant. After lunch, our guide takes you to the [Outer Bund] for wide horizon of Shanghai and you may marvel at how modern this metropolis is while still containing its old traditions. The most prosperous commercial street [Nanjing Road] is nearby. You can enjoy a walk and go shopping with the two lines of world famous brands along the street.
Stay overnight in Shanghai.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
After enjoying a leisurely breakfast in the morning, we will go to visit the [Shanghai Museum]. This afternoon we take a flight to Huangshan Mountain. Upon arrival, you will be met by our guide and transferred to the hotel.
Stay overnight at Huangshan.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
Early in this morning, we will [take cable to climb the Huangshan Mountain], along the way to the top, you can enjoy the spectacular view. Mt. Huangshan is characterized by the four wonders, namely, odd-shaped pines, grotesque rock formation, seas of clouds and crystal-clear hot springs. It is said that you won't want to visit any other mountains after seeing Wu Yue but you won't wish to see even Wu Yue after returning from Mt. Huangshan. This saying may give you some idea of the beauty and uniqueness of Mt. Huangshan. You will see the magic spots and enjoy the wonderful view.
Stay overnight at Huangshan Mountain.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
We wake up in the mountains this morning. After enjoying a leisurely walk, we take cable car downwards. In the evening, we catch a flight back to Shanghai. Our guide will be there upon your arrival and you will be transferred to hotel to check in.
Stay overnight in Shanghai.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
Today we are going to drive to Suzhou city to visit the [Humble Administrator's Garden], the largest private garden in Suzhou. It is known that there are four most famous classic gardens in China, and the Humble Administrator's Garden is a typical example of the art of horticulture south of Yangtze River. What’s more, it is a treasure house containing arts of architecture, calligraphy, carving, painting, and bonsai. Then we drive to [Zhouzhuang], one of the most famous water townships in China, only 30 kilometers (18 miles) southeast of Suzhou. Its profound cultural background and the well preserved ancient residential houses, the elegant watery views and the strong local colored traditions and customs are well noted. It abounds with rivers and lakes. You will enjoy a leisurely stroll; maybe you will be impressed that all the houses in the Zhouzhuang were built with sidewalks along canals have formed a web of water lanes. Stone bridges and overhanging towers span the waterways to provide free passage for the local people. Afterwards, we drive back to Suzhou.
Stay overnight in Suzhou.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
After enjoying a leisurely breakfast; you can walk around the downtown area of Suzhou and feel the city by yourself. We will go to Hangzhou after lunch. It is a city well known for its natural beauty of West Lake worldwide. The saying "above is paradise, below is Suzhou and Hangzhou" expresses people's truly praise to Hangzhou. We will arrive there in the afternoon and will be transferred to the hotel. The rest of the day will be on your own to explore the city.
Stay overnight in Hangzhou.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
Today we will have a tour to the [West Lake]. There is no doubt that the West Lake is the most renowned feature of Hangzhou and is noted for the scenic beauty that blends naturally with many famous historical and cultural sites. Wandering on the world-famous lake by a boat could be the best way to enjoy the beautiful view of this area. This afternoon we pay a visit to [Hefang Old Street], a well-designed old pedestrian street which can reflect the old Hangzhou. Shops selling art crafts, souvenirs, silk, teahouses, and restaurants line on both sides of the street. Many famous century-old shops including Hu Qing Yu Tang, Wang Xingji Fans can be found along the street. The Street is otherwise known as the Snack Street for the diverse food it serves. You can choose to try some of the local flavors.
Stay overnight in Hangzhou.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
This morning we need to spend some time on driving to the [Thousand Islets Lake] which is about 160 kilometers (about 99 miles)west of Hangzhou. Thousand Islets Lake is the largest man-made lake in China. It got its name from the 1078 islets in the lake. The lake will show us the crystal-clean water and picturesque scenery. Being a pure, young, beautiful and fertile lake, it covers an area of 573 square kilometers (about 141,591acres) and is more than one hundred times larger than the West Lake in Hangzhou. In addition to its tranquil natural scenery, Thousand Islets Lake also is a natural storage, containing various species, minerals, agricultural products and being the main resource of some drinks products which are popular among us. Besides, if you want to know more about the history about the lake, you would need time to explore the ancient architectures under the water. You will enjoy a wonderful afternoon at Thousand Islets Lake and later the day we will drive back to Hangzhou.
Stay overnight in Hangzhou.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
This morning is free at leisure, and then we go to the airport for a flight to Guilin. Guilin is considered to be the pearl of China's thriving tourist industry on account of the natural beauty and historic treasures. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel. The rest of the day is on your own to explore the city. This evening, we suggest that you take a cruise in the city's central area on a water system, which will absolutely leave a fantastic impression on you.
Stay overnight in Guilin.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
Today we will go to Longji, a minority area famous for the magnificent terraced rice paddies. The [Longji Terraced Rice Paddies] in Ping’an Zhuang minority village are located in Longsheng County where you may have a chance to take some wonderful pictures of minority people wearing exquisite costumes. Located southeast of Longsheng, the rice terraces are built into the hillsides which look like great chains or ribbons as they wind from the foot to the top of the hill. This ingenious construction created by their ancestors in hundreds of years before, which makes best use of the limited arable land and water resources in the mountainous area. But before the Terraced Rice Paddies, we will stop to visit [Huangluo Red Yao minority village], where you can see the women all keep their hair to a length of more than one meter. You will be marvel at their characteristic red costumes and beauty.
Stay overnight in Longsheng.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
The morning time is free for you to explore this lovely and mysterious Zhuang village yourself. You can take a walk around the village to feel the life style of the local people. After lunch we will drive to the local market to see daily life of people and have interesting discovery. Then we drive back to Guilin city (about 2 hour drive).
Stay overnight in Guilin.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
This morning we will embark the boat for the [Li River cruise]. Cruising downstream with a pleasant breeze greeting, you can sit on cushion comfortably or enjoy the open-air viewing platform. Be sure thatt the memory card in your digital camera is with a large capacity, because this is a photographer's dreamland, where you are able to capture the dramatic landscapes that Chinese artists have been painting for centuries. Lunch will be served onboard. Disembark at Yangshuo Town and walk to the West Street within three minutes, which attracts countless foreigners from all over the world and reputed as "Global Village" in China. Today, the 600-meter long street has over 300 cafes, restaurants without borders, various hotels art crafts and tourist stores, foreign language clubs, internet centers and Kungfu schools.
This afternoon you will be free at leisure. It is said that east or west, Guilin Landscape is best. And the landscape in Yangshuo is even the best of the best. You can enjoy a coffee time in the West Street, or walk around the small Yangshuo town.
Stay overnight in Yangshuo.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
In the morning, we will drive back to Guilin city, spending the rest of the day in Guilin to discover what make this small city unique and especially beautiful even in the downtown. The first one will be the [Elephant Trunk Hill], the symbol of Guilin, standing in the Li River and looks like an elephant drinking water from the river. The second is the [Reed Flute Cave], one of the most spectacular caves displaying karst geographical feature in various shapes. After the visit, we will continue to the nearby [South China Sea Pearl Museum], where we can learn some knowledge of pearls and how to distinguish the real pearl and the fake one, also you will have the chance to purchase real sea pearl at competitive prices.
Stay overnight in Guilin.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
It is a good time for you to discover city in the morning before we go to the airport for a flight to Xi'an. With a history of more than 3,000 years, Xi'an has abundant collection of archaeological relies to express its rich history. The rest of the day, you can have a rest or choose to enjoy a walk in the city center or explore more.
Stay overnight in Xi'an.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
This morning we will go to the [Banpo Museum] by our private car. At the museum, you can see lots of precious unearthed cultural relics and artworks, indicating the civilization of the Matriarchal Community, the period of the prehistoric time. Very close to the Banpo Museum, we will visit a Terra Cotta Fine Art Factory, where we have the opportunity to know the manufacturing operation of the Terra-cotta Warrior replicas, and after the visit, we travel by van/bus for 30 minutes to the world-renowned Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum. Situated east of Xi'an city, the [Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses Museum] is famous throughout the world for its life-sized terra-cotta warriors and horses. Seeing the three pits of the terra-cotta warriors and horses excavated, you will marvel at how magnificent the structure of Emperor Qin Shihuang's (the First Qin Emperor’s) Mausoleum was.
In the evening you may choose local special dumpling for dinner and the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show.
Stay overnight in Xi'an.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
Today we will enjoy an exciting tour to [Huashan Mountain], which is known as the most dangerous and steep. We drive to the mountain's foot and take a cable to climb and have a bird’s eye view to this precipitous mountain whilst admiring the wonderful views along the way. Later we pay a visit to the [Grey Dragon Mountain Range] and other scenic spots. Later this afternoon we drive back to Xi'an.
Stay overnight in Xi'an.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
This morning we drive to visit the [Mausoleum of Huang Emperor], which is reputed as "No.1 mausoleum under heaven". It is said that the Egypt Pyramid is the biggest mausoleum on the grand while the Mausoleum of Huang Emperor is the biggest mausoleum under the grand. And next, we will go to visit the [Xuanyuan Temple], also named Huangdimiao, used for sacrifice in the ancient time. After lunch, we continue to the [Hukou Waterfall]. You will be marveled at the imposing vigor that the waterfall shows. Its earth-shaking sound and billowy water let you understand the famous saying that "draw in the Yellow River into a bottle". You will have a great time there and later you will be transferred to the hotel in Yan'an City.
Stay overnight in Yan'an.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
Today, we drive from Yan’an back to Xi’an. Upon arrival back to the city, we will visit the Ming [City Wall], which is most integrated reservation of ancient city wall of Ming Dynasty and the [Provincial Museum], a striking Tang-Dynasty style pavilion, there are out of the 130 000 pieces or sets of collected culture relics, 14 400 pieces or sets are cherished culture relics, exceeding national standard of third class. Almost 2 000 pieces or sets of relics are exhibited to the public for the first time. Also included is a visit to the [Big Wild Goose Pagoda], one of the city's most distinctive and outstanding landmarks, the national key protection culture unit, possibly the most beautiful building left in Xian today.
Stay overnight in Xi'an.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
Before we go to the airport, the free time is arranged on your own. Taking a leisurely morning walk around the city, especially the alley is our recommendation. Later you will be transferred to take a pm flight to Urumqi.
Stay overnight in Urumqi.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
After breakfast, we need to drive 110 km (about 69 miles)to the [Heavenly Lake] from Urumqi. Located at the half way of the Begeda Peak of Tianshan Mountain, it enjoys an elevation of 1,980 meters (about 1.2 miles) and an area of 4.9 square km( about 1210 acres). Heavenly Lake, a relic of the Quaternary Period Glacier and its surrounding geological relics, offers science lovers exploring opportunities. Moreover, the water is very clear and the banks are covered with tall trees. Surrounded by mountains, the jade-green lake is an ideal place for excursions and rest for most of the year. It provides an excellent skating rink in winter, while it provides an ideal cool resort in summer. Boaters on the lake see the ever-changing silvery mountains soaring into the blue sky, their slopes highlighted with verdant pasture and flamboyant wild flowers.
Stay overnight in Urumqi.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
Today we will go to visit the beautiful [South Mountain Pasture] and have the opportunity to visit the [Kazak Yurt]. Standing in the pastures, you can see the forest of emerald green spruce on a chain of undulating grass hills dotted with combined flocks and herds. As you immerse yourself in this beautiful site, the singing of the Kazakh may envelop you and inspire you to sing with them. Their folk art form is the typical representative of this nation; they will show their history and culture in the songs. You can visit one of the traditional yurts locating in the spruce forest where you will be welcomed by a generous host with fragrant milk tea, mare's milk, cheese and roasted lamb. If you are lucky enough, you will be able to observe the amazing horse-racing and traditional Kazak dancing.
Then we take our van/bus to Turpan (2.5 hours). We will visit the [Sugong Minaret] and [a Uygur family] , tasting their home made food under the grape. Fortunately, they may present Uygur dance and song show to us.
Stay overnight in Turpan.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
Today our tour will get to four amazing places, [Karez Well] and the [Jiaohe Ancient City], [Gaochang Ancient City] and the [Tuyugou Valley]. Wandering underground over 5,000 kilometers( about 3106 miles), the Karez system has been called "the underground Great Wall", also functions as the natural air conditioner for the locals because they can sit in one while chatting or doing some chores. All those are due to the severe climate in that region. Later we will go to the visit of twin ancient cities Gaochang & Jiaohe will help you have a better understanding of the history once played here 1000 years ago, all which made the Turpan region the only place where four ancient civilizations once met and melt each other in the world. In the Tuyugou Valley, you will visit a peaceful village nested in the mountains together with the very well preserved Uyghur style architecture.
Stay overnight in Turpan.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
Today we take our van/bus back to the capital city Urumqi. In the afternoon, we will visit the [XinJiang Provincial Museum] which houses tons of valuable historical relics unearthed along the Silk Road in this region, especially the Mummies Section. In the Mummies Section, you may astonish at the method of death preservation in the ancient time. And if we are lucky enough to catch the bazaar day, we would see the prosperous local market. You may do some shopping in the International Grand Bazaar. Bargain hunting for handicraft souvenirs such as rugs, carpets, Uygur-style hats, knitted sweaters, ethnic costumes, hand-made embroideries and jade carvings, will definitely draw your intense interest.
Stay overnight in Aletai.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
This morning we will take an early flight to Kanas Lake Airport. You can enjoy spectacular views along the way, we will pass the golden mountain -- Aletai Mountain, and see the silver water -- Erqis River. Then we will arrive at the [Kanas Lake] in the afternoon, which is only 150km (about 93miles)away from Burqin County. “Kanas” in Mongol means beautiful and rich as well as mysterious. And Kanas Lake is the most beautiful mountain lake that enjoys a reputation as "the Swiss scene in Asia". Its unparalleled scenery and mysterious legend attract many tourists. The water in the lake changes its color unpredictably with imposing mountains and green trees around, composing a magnificent picture. We will enjoy a cruise on the lake. We will walk along the bank to feel its tranquility and indulge yourself in the beautiful scene. We will also pay a visit to a local Tuwan People residence that can only be found in this part of China.
Stay overnight at Kanas Lake Area.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
This morning we continue to explore more about this mysterious lake area and visit wooden houses which are quite unique there. Then we drive to the airport for a flight to Urumqi. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel.
Stay overnight in Urumqi.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
This morning is your own to relax or to make your arrangement that how to spare the free time in Beijing, and then we catch a flight to Beijing. When you arrive in Beijing, our guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel.
Stay overnight in Beijing.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
After breakfast, let's visit the [Temple of Heaven], which is the grandest cult architecture complex in the world and a masterpiece of the Chinese people created in ancient time. After that, we enjoy a walk on the [Tian'anmen Square], one of the largest city squares in the world, encompassing an area of 14 hectares, and measuring 865meters (2838feet) north to south, and 500 meters (1640feet) and 370meters (about 1214feet) east to west on the northern and southern ends respectively. It is located on the central axis of old Beijing. In the center of Tian'anmen Square stands the [Monument to the People's Heroes]. Then we go to the [Forbidden City], imperial palaces for the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The city contains 800 ceremonial buildings, 9,999 rooms, and a courtyard that can hold 100,000 people. Best ancient Chinese architectural styles are well preserved here, consist an imposing view. Later the day will be on your own to explore more about this city.
Stay overnight in Beijing.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
There is a famous Chinese saying goes "One cannot be a hero unless he climbs on the Great Wall." This morning we will drive to the [Jinshanling Great Wall], the most original and less commercial section of the Wall. This historic construction is somewhat a challenge to the climbers as it winds up and down the precipitous ranges. But as a reward, splendid views are available to you during the climb.
People say that a visit to Beijing isn't complete without trying the crispy and tasty Peking duck, so we recommend you a dinner with Peking duck at one famous restaurant.
Stay overnight in Beijing.
Meals included: Breakfast , Lunch
This morning we will go to visit the [Summer Palace]. Its Chinese name is Yiheyuan, “The Garden of Harmonious Unity”. The beauty of the Summer Palace is out of imagining. It is one of China's architectural masterpieces. The pavilions, kiosks, terraces, bridges, dikes, corridors are delicately crafted and placed, well displaying the thousand-year old Chinese landscape gardening. The scenic spots contain a nation's profound philosophical and aesthetic tradition. Our tour ends after a farewell lunch. You are free at leisure until ready to be transferred to the airport for departure.
Meals included:
Pricing & Accommodation
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1 person | 2-5 persons | 6-9 persons | ≥10 persons | Single Room Supplement | |
First Class Tour | $9298 | $5816 | $4950 | $3932 | $2040 |
Comfortable Tour | $7405 | $4652 | $3787 | $3563 | $1170 |
Standard Tour | $6103 | $3935 | $3401 | $3039 | $740 |
* Price in every box above is for each person.
* The default currency is in US dollar. Please use the Currency Converter to see the equivalent quote in your currency. Price is for references only, it may vary according to your actual travel itinerary, travel time, hotel price rise or fall, US dollar exchange rate fluctuation, car fuel price change and government tax adjustment, etc..
* The price is only for your reference and it is subject to seasons, high or low.Please send us your inquiry if you are interested.
* The differences between First Class Tour, Comfortable Tour and Standard Tour are mainly reflected in the hotels we use. For First Class Tour, we use mostly 5 star hotels (or hotels corresponded to 5 star ones), 4 star hotels for Comfortable Tour and 3 star hotels for Standard Tour. But there’re exceptions when there come home stay experience, remote destinations and other specified circumstances in the itinerary.
Inclusions / Exclusions
Inclusions:
- Attraction Entrance Fees
- Centrally Located Hotels
- Authentic Chinese Food
- Private Experienced Guides
- Private Cars/Van with Drivers
- Internal Flights/Train(s) in China
- Luggage Transfers
- Airport Taxes and Fuel Fees
- Service Charge & Government Taxes
- Travel Insurance
Exclusions:
- International Airfare to Enter/Leave China
- China Entry Visa Fees
- Excess Baggage Charges
- Personal Expenses
- Single Room Supplement
- Tips or Gifts to Guides/Drivers/Bellmen
Important Information
How to Pack up
We suggest that each person packs up one rollable suitcase with the weight under 20 kg/44lb. You will also need a day pack/bag to carry water, cameras and other electronics like iPods and mobile phones.
Checklist
It's only for reference and you may not need all of them. Choose from below according to the tour you pick up:
Passport (with photocopies)
Travel insurance (with photocopies)
Airline tickets (with photocopies)
USD cash and travelers checks
Credit or debit card (see personal spending money)
ChinaExpeditionTours vouchers and trip dossier
Any entry visas or vaccination certificates required
Day pack for daily personal items
Wet wipes / Moist towelettes
Alarm clock
Flashlight
Sun hat, Sun block, Sunglasses
Insect Repellent
Water bottle and Plastic mug for train journeys
Ear plugs for train journeys or light sleepers
Small towel and swim wear
Toiletries (biodegradable)
Sturdy walking shoes/Sport sandals
Money belt
Shorts for summer months (June – September)
Long pants
Shirts/T-shirts
Warm clothes for Nov-April. Fleece, Jacket, hat and gloves
Umbrella or waterproof jacket.
Cover for backpack or plastic bags to keep clothes dry.
Camera, film and memory chip
Reading/writing material
Binoculars
Pocketknife
First-aid kit (should contain lip salve, Aspirin, Band Aids, anti-histamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, re-hydration powder, extra prescription drugs you may be taking).
Local Dress
Generally speaking, the dress standard is more conservative in China than it is in western countries. Things also changes quickly, nowadays the young Chinese share the same hobbies with their western counterparts. When packing try to pick loose, lightweight, long clothing that will keep you cool in the usually hot and humid climate of summers. In predominately Buddhist and Muslim regions we ask that you dress respectfully and avoid very short shorts/skirts and singlets/tanktops when visiting temples or mosques or other holy sites.
Spending Money
Every traveler is different and therefore spending money requirements will vary. Some travelers may drink more than others while other travelers like to purchase more souvenirs than most. Please consider your own spending habits when it comes to allowing for drinks, shopping and tipping. Please also remember the following specific recommendations when planning your trip.
Money Exchange
As currency exchange rates in Asia fluctuate often we ask that you refer to internet for the recent exchange rates. There are many ATM machines that accept both Visa and MasterCard and other credit cards in most Chinese cities. We also recommend the use of cash and travelers checks in USD currency. Major credit cards are accepted in big shops but they may charge a 2-4% transaction fee. For the small shops and the street venders, they take cash (either Chinese Yuan or US dollar) only.
Meals
Eating is a big part of your traveling in China. Travelling with ChinaExpeditionTours you experience the vast array of wonderful food that is available out in the world. Generally breakfasts and lunches are included except dinners to give you the flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat. Your group leader or local guide will be able to suggest favorite restaurants during your trip.
Emergency Fund
Please also make sure you have access to at least an additional USD200 (or equivalent) as an "emergency" fund, to be used when circumstances outside our control, necessitate a change to our planned route. This is a rare occurrence!
Tipping
It is customary to tip service providers in travel industry in Asia, at approximately 10%, depending on the service. Tipping is expected - though not compulsory - and shows an expression of satisfaction with the people who have assisted you on your tour. Although it may not be customary to you, it is of considerable significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels. Recommendations for tipping local guides would range from $6-$10 USD per person per day depending on the quality and length of the service, for driver, it could be half. If necessary, ask your tour leader or call your ChinaExpeditionTours tour advisor for specific recommendations based on the circumstances. If you have a tour leader for the whole tour, at the end of the trip if you felt he/she did an outstanding job, tipping is appreciated. The amount is entirely a personal preference. However as a guideline $6-10 USD per person, per day can be used.
Local Flights
All local flights are included in the cost of your tour unless otherwise noted. It is important that we have your passport information at the time of booking in order to process these tickets. Internal flight tickets are all e-tickets. They are issued locally and you will be given the information of them prior to the flight departure.
Laundry
Generally laundry facilities are offered by our hotels for a charge. You also can go to a laundry service center near your hotel to have your clothing washed at a lower cost. There will be times when you may want to or have to do your own laundry so we suggest you bring non-polluting/biodegradable soap.
Safety and Security
We strongly recommend the use of a neck wallet or money belt while travelling, for the safe keeping of your passport, air tickets, travelers' checks, cash and other valuable items. Many of the hotels we cooperate with have safety deposit boxes which are the most secure way of storing your valuables. A lock is recommended for securing your luggage.
Many national governments provide a regularly updated advice service on safety issues involved with international travel. We recommend that you check your government's advice for their latest travel information before departure. When travelling on a trip, please note that your group leader or local guides has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the trip itinerary if it is deemed necessary due to safety concerns. Your leader or local guides will accompany you on all included activities. During your trip you will have some free time to pursue your own interests, relax and take it easy or explore at your leisure. While your group leader or local guides will assist you with options available in a given location please note that any optional activities you undertake are not part of your itinerary, and we offer no representations about the safety of the activity or the standard of the operators running them. Please use your own good judgment when selecting an activity in your free time.
A Couple of Rules
Illegal drugs will not be tolerated on any trips. Possessing or using drugs not only contravenes the laws of China but also puts the rest of the group at risk. Smoking marijuana and opium is not acceptable for ChinaExpeditionTours travelers. Our philosophy of travel is one of respect towards everyone we encounter, and in particular the local people who make the world the special place it is. Use of illegal drugs is completely contrary to this philosophy and local law. Our group leader or local guides has the right to expel any member of the group if drugs are found in their possession or used.
Health
If you want to fully enjoy your trip abroad, a good health and confidence in physical strength are important. This trip may contain a fair amount of walking up and down steps in towns or climbing mountains. You should consult your doctor for up-to-date medical travel information well before departure. We recommend that you carry a First Aid kit as well as any personal medical requirements. Please be aware that sometimes we are in remote areas and away from medical facilities, and for legal reasons our leaders or local guides are prohibited from administering any type of drug including headache tablets, antibiotics, etc. In China pharmacies tend to stock the same western drugs as you get at home but they are usually produced locally so please bring the full drug name with you when trying to purchase a prescription drug. When selecting a tour please carefully read the itinerary and assess your ability to cope with our style of travel. Please refer to the Physical and Culture Shock ratings in this dossier for trip specific information. For travelers over 70 years a completed Medical Form is highly suggested to bring forth. ChinaExpeditionTours reserves the right to exclude any traveler from all or part of a trip without refund if in the reasonable opinion of our group leader or local guides they are unable to complete the itinerary without undue risk to themselves and/or the rest of the group.
Medical Form
It is very important you are aware that, as a minimum, an "average level of fitness and mobility" is required to undertake our easiest programs. Travelers must be able to walk without the aid of another person, climb 3-4 flights of stairs, step on and off small boats, and carry their own bags at a minimum. Travelers over the age of 70, or travelers with a pre-existing medical condition, are required to complete a short medical questionnaire, which must be signed by their physician. This is to ensure that senior travelers have the necessary fitness and mobility to comfortably complete their chosen trip. While our leaders or local guides work hard to ensure that all our travelers are catered for equally, it is not their responsibility to help individuals who cannot complete the day's activities unaided.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is compulsory in order to participate on any of our trips. You must have comprehensive travel insurance that covers you for medical costs associated with hospitalization, emergency travel and repatriation back to your home country. Please take your insurance policy with you when you travel. You may take other cover, of course, but we require you to be adequately insured before we can allow you to participate in our programs. Your ChinaExpeditionTours leader or local guides will need to see and record your policy details at the pre-tour briefing at the starting city, so please bring a copy along to the meeting. If you arrive without travel insurance your tour leader or local guide will require you to purchase a policy before you continue your journey with us.
If you are covered by a policy arranged through your credit card company you will be asked to provide evidence of this cover, as well as a 24-hour emergency contact number. Many credit card companies do not provide an insurance policy number. In this instance, the tour leader or local guides will need to record your credit card number, as this is required to activate any request for emergency assistance. You should also bring along the travel insurance information booklet provided by your credit card company. It is your responsibility to ensure that you meet the requirements set out by your credit card company in order to be effectively covered and that the cover offered is of a suitable standard.
Passport & Visas
Well before travelling, please ensure that you have a current passport, with an accurate photo, that is valid for at least six months after your scheduled return home. Also check that your airline tickets are in exactly the same name as your passport.
Please note that visas for China and Hong Kong are the responsibility of the individual traveler. The visa requirements for your trip vary depending on where you are from and where you are going. Americans, British, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders do currently require a visa for China. For all other nationalities please reconfirm your visa requirements with your government. For the most up to date information please check your governments' foreign ministry website. It is important that you check for yourself. For most travelers there will probably have an embassy and consulate in the country that you live in. Please note if you are travelling from China, into Hong Kong then back into China, you will need a double entry Chinese visa. Note that on some occasions people transiting through China on way to Hong Kong have been made to go through immigration and had their single entry visa stamped making this invalid. Do not allow your visa to be stamped if you are only going through transit.
Keeping in Touch
If you need to be contacted while travelling we recommend that you set up an email address that can be accessed on the road, rather than relying on postal mail. Email cafes are becoming increasingly commonplace and cheap throughout the country, and have quickly become the preferred way for our leaders and travelers to stay in touch. If someone wishes to contact you in an emergency while you are on one of our trips we recommend that they contact us so we can get into touch with your tour leader or local guide quickly by their cell phone and they can pass their cell phone to you! We recommend that family and friends don't try to contact you through phoning hotels en route, as our hotels are subject to change.
Feedback
After your travels, we want to hear from you! Your feedback information is so important to us and we'll record you and give you ChinaExpeditionTours travel points so you can use the points to get discount for your next ChinaExpeditionTours trip or your friends' ChinaExpeditionTours tours.
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