Showing posts with label tourism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tourism. Show all posts

Monday, May 28, 2007

Great Wall of China

Great Wall of China
by: Jeff Anderson

The Great Wall of China as some believed originated as a military fortification against intrusion by tribes on the borders during the earlier Zhou Dynasty. In 770-BC-476BC, the ducal states extended the defense work, and built large structures to prevent the attacks from other states. The Great Wall of China was eventually separated during the Qin Dynasty, which preceded the Zhou Dynasty. The Zhao, Qin, and Yan kingdoms were connected to form a defensive system on the northern border of the country of Emperor, Qin Shi Huang. In 214 BC the building of the Great Wall of China was on its way. The Great Wall of China took as long as ten years to build.

The Great Wall of China took hundreds of thousands of laborers working daily beyond human limitations to construct and build. Many persons that did not work were thrown into the foundation trenches starving from hunger and exposure of the earths changing weathers. The Great Wall of China was then called The Longest Cemetery on Earth. Buried beneath its structure were more than 400,000 persons.

The Great Wall was stretched from Linzhao (eastern part of Gansu Province), in the west to Liaodong (Jilin Province) in the east. The Great Wall of China served as both a defense and symbolized the power of the emperor. The Great Wall of China was partly successful in repelling invading Mongol forces more than a century ago.

The Great Wall of China has more than 300 million trees, and its purpose was to serve as a barrier from the dust storms that swept into China from the Gobi Desert and other low-rainfall areas. The Great Wall of China was dubbed This Great Green Wall. During the 50's, the city of Beijing was beset by 10 to 20 dust storms every spring. Visibility was only half a mile for 30 to 90 hours each month. By the 1970's the storms had reduced resulting in greater visibility at less than ten hours per month. The reduction made work easier for the many laborers.

The Great Wall of China towered China's mountains, plunging to the lower valleys, and marching across burning desert plains. Very cold winds coupled with snowstorms, made it very difficult for workers. At the same time raging desert sun and stinging sandstorms oppressed the workers, making their jobs difficult, and often risky.

Today the Great Wall of China is a captivation for tourists around the world.

About The Author

Jeff Anderson knows about China. He knows what to look for and what pitfalls to avoid. Let him guide you to finding out more about China. Contact him at Jeff@culchina.com or visit the blog at his site www.culchina.com.

Friday, March 23, 2007

China on the Go! Let’s Take A Tour To Beijing

China on the Go! Let’s Take A Tour To Beijing
by: Lola Adewoyin

So you have decided to take a tour to China? As China brags of many cities and towns filled with history of ancient civilizations, you probably would be wondering where to go in China. Well, it should not be a very hard decision to make; Beijing should definitely be the first stop over on a planned tour in China.

Beijing, one of the first attractions and most exciting places to visit is located in the North of China. It is the country’s capital which demonstrates most of the country’s cultural heritage. The natives are preparing the beautiful city in anticipation for the Beijing 2008 Olympics. So, the upcoming years will be a perfect time to take a tour to Beijing. Beijing is the home of history in China. It has always represented the place of three important Chinese dynasties over the past 1000 years. Peking duck is one of the most famous dishes in Beijing which many tourists enjoy having as a special cuisine.

A typical tour in Beijing comprises of places like the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China, the Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square, the Ming Tombs as well as the Lama Temple. There are lots of hotels around these cities due to the large number of tourists who visit China. The Beijing Grand Hotel is completely decorated in Chinese style with rooms well furnished with Chinese calligraphies and paintings. As a tourist, you feel more at ease and welcomed into the Chinese culture.

The Forbidden City boasts of the world’s largest public square which is the Tiananmen Square. The Tiananmen Square is synonymously linked to the Chinese cultural revolutions where thousands of Chinese supporters crowded the square during Mao’s reign.

Not forgetting the Summer Palace, a major tourist destination spot located on the outskirts of Beijing, although, much of it is covered by the Kunming Lake. This palace completely demonstrates Chinese architecture, history and garden design. Taking a tour to the Summer Palace, you will see the Long Corridor of the lake which runs for about 2500 feet and ends at the marble boat.

One of China’s ost cherished and greatest treasures is the Great Wall which makes the people proud of. This wall was built over 2 millennia by the old Chinese dynasties. It started in 221 BC and was continuously built until the 17th century. The Great Wall of China stretches from almost the center of Asia to the East China Sea. Visiting a part of the Great Wall is a must for any tourist who tours China as it is truly one of the great wonders of the ancient world.

Don’t get too tired as the Ming Tombs is still one of the nicest places to visit in Beijing. These tombs represent the burial grounds of some of the 16 Ming dynasty emperors of China. It has a 7km quiet walkway known as the Spirit Way which leads to the tombs.

As a tourist in Beijing, there’s still so much to see and even after taking a tour in Beijing, places to tour in China includes Tibet, Huangshan commonly known as the Yellow Mountains, Shanghai, Xian and many of the traditional local places. A short tour in China will not be enough to tour all these places, but the experience and adventure would definitely be worth it.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit Passport to China.

About The Author
Lola Adewoyin writes for Passport to China. An inbound tour operating company serving as your gateway to Passport to China.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Travel China - Beautiful Lijiang

Travel China - Beautiful Lijiang
by: Chris Chew

Lijiang is an and quaint town in Yunan, a province of China which is well endowed with magnificent and beautiful mountains, rivers and a long history. The ancient Lijiang county was put into the list of world cultural legacy by the World Legacy Committee of the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization in 1997.

The city of Lijiang has a history of 800 years or 900 years dating from the Sung Dynasty. Why is Lijiang one of the most beautiful city in the world? Firstly, it is one of the very few city which is over a mile high above sea level. Smacked in the middle of the Lijiangba Dam, surrounded by snowcapped mountains and a river that runs through an oriental forest with small streams meandering into the town. Some tourists even called the town "Heaven On Earth".

Lijiang experienced an earth shattering 7 on the Richter scale earthquake on February 1996 which killed more than 5,000 people mainly the Naxi community being the major community in Lijiang. Since then, Lijiang caught the attention of the world and tourism growth was unprecedented. As such, Lijiang is now one of the most favoured tourist travel destination in China.

Most residents in Lijiang are of the Naxi tribe. The Naxi community makes a living by herding yaks and doing small retail businesses. The construction of the ancient Lijiang city was quickly developed in the Ming Dynasty. This is especially so because the Ming Dynasty made a large number of people in Anhui Province to migrate into Lijiang in order to station military troops and common people in the boundary areas.

As a result of this mass migration, the buildings of Lijiang ancient city were very much influenced by the architectural style of Anhui Province. The original buildings of the Naxi community can only be found in the rural areas surrounding Lijiang City.

The Yuan dynasty and the Mongol Emperor then, Kublai Khan stationed military troops in Lijiang in 1253. He brought the foreign culture alien to Lijiang and thus Lijiang was then influenced by the culture Central China, such as Buddhism and Taoism, and then affected by the Christianity and Islamic culture in the early 1900s. The Naxi community assimilated all these cultures. As such, Lijiang is also very much appreciated for its cultural landscape not only in China, but the entire Asia.

Millions of tourists travel to Lijiang each year to enjoy Lijiang's primitive simplicity, tranquility and elegant culture.The folks at Lijiang enjoy music too. You can hear the beautiful music from the dwelling houses in Dayanzhen Town. The musicians carry their often home made musical instruments to take part in household parties all over the town.

The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang is perhaps one the most beautiful mountain range in the world, famous for its perilous, beautiful and breathtaking landscapes. The mountain is a world class tourist scenic spot. The peak of the Jade Dragon Mountain is some 5596 meters (about 17,000 ft) above sea level. The mountain's thirteen peaks viewed from south to north look just like a flying giant Chinese dragon. A very formidable view indeed.

So if you are travelling to China, don't miss the quaint city of Lijiang.

About The Author
Chris Chew is a travel fanatic. Read more travel destinations at his sites www.sgfitness.com and http://sgfitnessonline.blogspot.com.