tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47420862879669252112011-04-21T19:38:05.151-07:00travelchina2008http://www.blogger.com/profile/09014022059518663631noreply@blogger.comBlogger631100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4742086287966925211.post-86185443354133926302009-03-10T21:39:00.000-07:002009-03-10T21:40:29.602-07:00

FRIDAY8 p.m. - Xiamen has done a surprisingly good job at protecting many of its beautiful old buildings which date back to the 1920s and 1930s. In one of those structures, just by the east gate of Zhongshan park, is The House. Serving what it calls California cuisine, the portions are both huge and tasty, with an extensive wine list and friendly, English-speaking staff. If the weather is good,

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The annual eight-day Dayuan Buddhist Ritual of the Yonghe Temple in Beijing came to its climax yesterday afternoon when the buzha dance was performed by the temple's lamas.The buzha, or cham in Tibetan language, is a masked dance used in Tibetan Buddhism to exorcize devils. Wearing masks of skulls and various demons, the lamas of Yonghe Temple performed buzha to the accompaniment of traditional

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The first words the Mexican Ambassador's 2-year-old daughter uttered were "ni hao". Her brother, meanwhile, is fluent in Chinese, Spanish and English and already has a Chinese girlfriend, at the ripe old age of 6."It is enjoyable to see my son speak Chinese - he's learning it at school," says Jorge Guajardo.Born in Monterrey, Guajardo came to China with his family - wife Paola, son Jorge and

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Tuyugou is not a name that is familiar to tourists. Visitors to the popular city of Turpan are often ignorant of this small place tucked in a mountain valley some 50 km away. However, Tuyugou has a rich religious history that few other places in China can match.Named after the Uygur word tuyuq or "not passable", Tuyugou is a township in Shanshan county of Turpan prefecture. The Mazar village or "

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Like most Uygur people in Kashgar, 33-year-old businessman Kasim Abduhawer is a devout Muslim who adheres strictly to the regimen of five daily prayers. And like many others in the city, he goes to pray at the Id Kah mosque at least once a day, although there are more than 800 mosques in Kashgar, and Id Kah is not the closest to his home."I like the atmosphere in the mosque, and I like to listen

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"It is hard to find another city like this," said Dr Sun Yat-sen as he gazed over Nanjing, The city is one of China's Four Great Ancient Capitals and was much-loved by Sun, the 20th century revolutionary and politician still seen by many as "the Father of Modern China".It is fitting that his mausoleum now lies in the city of which he once famously wrote: "The setting of Nanjing is wonderful.

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The Indian Community of Beijing organized the first-ever Indian Bazaar on Feb 14 that drew an enthusiastic response from expats and locals alike. Courtesy of British School of BeijingA starry-eyed Indian teenager hops on a plane for the first time, flies over the Himalayas and lands in Beijing. The 13-year-old accompanies his parents from New Delhi on their second China visit to continue their

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Hangzhou is a picturesque and popular tourist destination within easy reach of Shanghai residents - but there is much more to the place than just beautiful West Lake.Many Shanghai people find Hangzhou a "cliched" tourist destination - close and easy. But it's hard to think of a better place to resign yourself to countryside pleasures.Two weeks back my wife and I ventured into the mountains around

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Kids dressed in ancient attire practice calligraphy, demonstrating the scene of ancient schooling.[Shanghai Daily]Regarded as a land of fortune, Changle Village in Lanxi City, Zhejiang Province, is the only scenic spot in Jiangnan (region south of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River) that truly showcases the culture of an emperor.This is the place where Zhu Yuanzhang, the first

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The 2008 International Seaside City of Tourism Development summit was held this morning in Rizhao, a beautiful costal city in east China's Shandong Province.With the theme of "Ocean, Ecology, Environmentally-friendly and the Future", this year’s gathering is building a platform to encourage exchanges among tourism cities home and abroad on the topics including the travel industry, image-building

travelchina2008http://www.blogger.com/profile/09014022059518663631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4742086287966925211.post-92196583362950472342007-07-28T01:35:00.000-07:002007-07-28T01:39:44.349-07:00

The knife is sharp. He has just proved it by seizing my right arm, turning it veins up and dragging the blade across my skin. At the sight of a three sqcm bald patch in my arm hair, I agree to pay only RMB 10 less than his initial asking price.Bargaining at the Sunday market in Kashgar, the westernmost city in China, was never going to be easy, given the town's long-standing trade experience.A

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Out of date, nothing fun and freezing - these are common perceptions about northeast Chinese cities among those who live in the southern coastal areas. Those were the ideas I had before visiting Changchun, a city renowned for its winter activities and snow art. I quickly realized how wrong those impressions were.After arriving at the airport, the promise of a pleasant trip increased just a few

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Construction of an "Ice Palace" was recently completed near the Tianchi Lake, adding new appeal to the beautiful natural scenic spot located in northwestern China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.The steel-structured house is encrusted with ice, and stretches across 1,000 square meters. Inside, a variety of ice sculptures are on display, each imbued with local flavor.Visitors to the Tianchi

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Spring Festival holiday is a nice time to get away from the busy city. However, before setting out for the various fascinating destinations, foreign tourists may need first to get themselves informed of the various problems they may encouter in China. Here comes a list.InjuriesInjuries are the leading cause of preventable death in travelers. An estimated five million people lost their lives from

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Within weeks, two young panda cubs will make their public debut at Hong Kong's Ocean Park resort, a gift from the mainland to celebrate the city's return to the motherland. Crowds of admirers will greet them and they themselves can be forgiven if they look a little startled by all the attention they receive.Le Le and Ying Ying have come a fairly long way from their native Sichuan, especially so

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Best Place to OverindulgeBeijing has succumbed to Sunday Brunch Buffet Mania. First, there was the one that started it all; the boozy Garden Court champagne brunch that defined "lazy Sunday," and then came Cafe Cha, seducing us with its hidden garden. These days, the trendiest spots are in the Financial Street area, such as Monsoon where you can relax with live jazz and classical music, or the

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Xinjishi exudes the sticky sweetness of a Shanghai summer. We started with lotus root slices (RMB 16), which arrived promptly, stuffed with sticky rice and covered with an osmanthus-scented glaze. We then smacked our lips at the "grandmother pork" in soy sauce (RMB 48).With its perfect balance of flavors and textures, and sweet melt-in-your-mouth pork fat, eating fatty meat has never been so

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The restaurant's name is taken from a poem written by Chinese poet Du Fu (AD712-770), meaning "the house old and new friends visit." Located inside Zhongshan Park, the restaurant was first built in 1915. The cuisine is based on the ancient Chinese literary classic A Dream of Red Mansions, which listed many dishes served to a late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) Chinese aristocratic family.Since 1981,

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Organizer Sun Huijie plans trails on the city outskirts in locations that remain largely unknown to most visitors, and many locals.Sun schedules outings every Sunday, regardless of the weather, and often on Saturdays as well. The club also hosts occasional overnight hikes, which may involve camping near a remote section of the Great Wall.New walkers, both foreign and Chinese, are welcome to join

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Everything happening to China today is happening in Yangshuo, and it seems far removed from the provincial and rural life of a generation ago. This small, sprawling community is experiencing an influx of new residents as well as tourists, drawn by job growth, the brisk trade in home building, and the growing number of hotels, trade stores and boutique shops. It could be any rapidly developing

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Being one of the National Scenic Resorts in China, Stone Forest Scenic Resort is 83km from Kunming and has a complete range of karst formations. Among the most wonderful attractions in this area are the following eight scenic spots: Large & Small Stone Forests, Naigu Stone Forests, Large & Small Zhiyun Caves, Qingfeng Cave, Long Lake, Moon Lake, Fairy Lake, Feilong Falls. Standing upright in the

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Tiananmen Square is a large paved public plaza near the middle of Beijing, China,in front of the Forbidden City, facing south,and is said to be the biggest square in the world. It is 880 meters from south to north, and 500 meters from east to west, with total area of 440,000 square meters and can hold one million people.Tourists can visit Tiananmen Tower, Monument to the People's Heroes, Great

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The Great Silk Road is the trading caravan way from China to the capital of Rome empire. It connects two very contrasting worlds - East and West: the two cultures of Asia and Europe. Existed from the 2nd century B.C. till the 16th century A.D. the total length of the route was about 7,000 km.Its name comes from the first item of transit trade - Chinese silk, later beside silk, appeared other

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The Great Wall in north China stretches from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west traversing provinces of Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia,Shaanxi and Gansu and is 6,700 kilometers long. Hence the name "Wan Li Chang Cheng" or "the long wall of 10,000 li".Great Wall of China, an ancient gigantic defensive project,is one of the greatest

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Two girls look at the fragrant bags they just received in front of an old drugstore selling Chinese medicine in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang province, May 31, 2006. [Xinhua Photo]

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Photo taken on March 29 shows a folk performance named "Mashraf" in Yaer Village, in Turpan City, northwest China's Xinjiang Ugyur Autonomous Region. Hundreds of folk actors perform songs and dances which were popular among local people. [Xinhua Photo]Photo taken on March 29 shows a folk performance named "Mashraf" in Yaer Village, in Turpan City, northwest China's Xinjiang Ugyur Autonomous

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The Tomb of Concubine Yang is situated about 60 km. to the west of Xi an. Yang Guefeis tomb is situated near to Xianyang city which was the capital of Chinas first dynasty.Although many of the tombs and the Famen Temple are a long way out of Xian, it is worth visiting these places if you have time. It takes a long day to see all the sights along this route and its best to just pick a few of the

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2km northeast Qianling Mausoleum, Princess Yongtai’s Tomb, now the site of Qianling Museum, is a chief satellite tomb to Qianling. Princess Yongtai was the grand daughter of the Tang Emperor Gaozong and his wife Empress Wu zetian. In the first year of Dazu(701 A.D.), she and her husband were killed by Wu Zetian because she tacked about the scandalous affairs between Wu Zetian and her men

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Qianling Mausoleum is located on Liangshan Hill about 80 kilometers west of Xian. This well preserved mausoleum is the joint tomb of the the Tang dynasty Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu Zetian. Empress Wus rise to power is particularly impressive given that she became an Empress in her own right in a society where the highest position a woman could generally hope to obtain was that of

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Famen Temple is located in Famen Town 120 kilometers northwest of Xian. Although this Temple is a fair distance from Xian, it is a fascinating place with an intriguing history and it is worth making the effort to get here.Legend has it that in 147 AD King Asoka of India traveled throughout Asia, distributing Buddhist relics as atonement for his sins and war like attitude. In China, he built this

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Two blocks west of the Bell Tower, stands the Drum Tower, which was built in 1380. There used to be a huge drum in the tower, which told the time at dusk; hence, the Bell and the Drum have been referred to as "the Morning Bell" and "the Dusk Drum". Later, the drum was no longer used to tell time but only to give warnings to people in times of war.Quite similar to the nearby Bell Tower, the Drum

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The Bell Tower in Xian is situated in the very heart of the city and at the junction of four main roads. There is a huge bell hanging on the roof of the tower which was traditionally used to tell the time by and there are other, smaller bells on exhibit in the tower too.Known as the symbol of Xian, its history can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty. Each Ming city had a bell tower and a drum

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Located at Huajue Lane, the Great Mosque is the major spot for the religious activities of over 60000 Moslems in Xi’an. It is also an important historic monument in Shaanxi Province.Unlike other Arabic mosques, the Great Mosque in Xi’an possesses much Chinese tradition in both its design and its artistic outlook. The Mosque at Huajue Lane is the largest in Xi’an, and it is also one of the

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Located in the east Xiaozhai Road, south of Xi’an city, it is a massive modern museum and a magnificent architectural complex in the Tang-Dynasty style. It covers an area of 70000 square meters.The architectural style is simple, unsophisticated, elegant and unique, it combines the construction of the ancient Chinese palaces and courtyard buildings . It collects the highlights of the Shaanxi

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Situated at the site of the Confucian Temple in Sanxue Street, Xi’an, the Museum of Forest of Stone Tablets is a courtyard-styled structure. It covers an area of 30000 square meters.Steles are huge stone slabs which depict important calligraphic writing, often dating back to ancient times. They are held in high regard in China and many people study the artistry of these mammoth pieces.Xi’an

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The Xian City Wall is not only the most complete city wall that has survived in China, but its also one of the largest and most complete ancient military systems of defense in the world. The city walls here were actually built on the fortifications of the Tang Forbidden City.Located in the central area of Xi’an city, the Xi’an City Wall which built in Ming Dynasty stands 12 meters high. It is 12-

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The Small Wild Goose Pagoda, is situated about 1km south of Xian city in the grounds of Jianfu Temple.The temple, was originally established in 684 A.D. in honor of Li Zhi - Emperor Gaozong of Tang dynasty. It was particularly associated with Buddhist Monk Yijing, who translated Buddhist scriptures he had brought back from India.The pagoda set up in 707 originally had 15 storeies about 45 meters

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Situated in the Da Ci’en Temple, about four kilometers form the urban center, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is one of the famous Buddhist pagodas in China. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda was sponsored and named by the famous master Xuan Zang (Monk Tripitaka) in 652 A.D.. Xuan Zang was both a great translator and traveler of Tang Dynasty. At the age of 28 in 627 A.D., he went alone ot India to study

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Located at the foot of the Mountain Li and 2 km west of the Terracotta army, is the tomb of the Qin Emperor that the warriors were built to protect. This is a very tourist oriented site and it leaves many people feeling cold. Today, its hard to imagine the incredible glamour and grandeur that must have surrounded this tomb in 221 BC.Emperor Qin ascended the throne when he was only thirteen years

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The Banpo Village is six kilometers east of Xian. This excavated site of a village dates back to 4500 BC and was discovered in 1953. The village during this period was called Yangshao and 45 houses, 6 pottery kilns, 200 storage pits, 250 adults tombs and childrens burial jars, 10,000 tools and utensils were unearthed.The distinct culture of these villagers was known as Yangshao culture. The most

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Huaqing Hot Spring (huaqing chi) is situated 30 kilometers east of Xian at the foot of the Lishan Hills. The Springs were a popular retreat with Emperors more than 2500 years ago, many of whom enjoyed bathing in the perfectly clear mineral water.Today this is a favorite site for Chinese tourists. In fact, there is not a great deal to actually see here, but the history behind the area is very

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Arguably one of Chinas most famous and popular tourist sites, the Terracotta warriors (bingmayong) are among the top archaeological excavations of the 20th Century. The warriors have made Xian the big tourist destination that it is today and the wealth in this city owes much to their discovery.This incredible collection of 6,000 men and their horses was actually discovered completely by accident

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The city of Xian (population 6 million) was the first Chinese city to open up its doors to the Ancient world, not in 1980 under the "Open Door" policy but in fact during the Tang dynasty when Xian blossomed as the first stop on the Silk Road.Over a period of more than 2000 years, Xian was the capital for eleven dynasties. Along with Rome and Constantinople, this city was a world leader in culture

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Yunnan is situated on a plateau in southwest China formed with the rising of the Himalayas from the ancient sea. In the northwest it borders on the eastern section of the Himalayas, thus it seems to be the last step to Tibet, the "roof of the world". "Yunnan" in Chinese means "south of the clouds". Various colors and shapes of the clouds over this plateau give Yunnan its full name "South of the

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While an unusual choice, there are literally thousands of vacations you can plan that revolve around fish: Head to Japan to brave a puffer fish roll, vacation in Oregon and Washington States to see Pacific salmon run, journey to Scandinavia for a pungent bite of pickled herring or strap on a tank in Australia and visit the deep blue. A lesser known destination for fish aficionados is in

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In this season, it is the best time to go Hainan for an enjoyment. The beatutiful views and the good accomodation will make you fully refreshed.Hilton Sanya Resort and Spa Range: Five-star This hotel, positioned on Yalong Bay, Hainan's southernmost tip, overlooks a 750 meter stretch of powdery white sand.Its six restaurants and bars, all based on traditional Chinese elements, offer indoor dining

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Yangzhou, famed for its beauty and namesake fried rice dish, has a long history and a strategic position that has attracted travelers for centuries.The late English poet Philip Larkin wrote "The Importance of Elsewhere" whilst living and working across the Irish Sea in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The sentiment of the poem is one that many will associate with. It was with this in mind that I bought

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Early spring is the time to taste fresh bamboo shoots in Anji, a town dominated by bamboo forests in western Zhejiang, and have a Chinese poetic tour through one of the country's biggest seas of bamboo. A Tang dynasty (618-907) poem says, "You went to Yangzhou in a flowered March." For the thousand years since, Chinese people have used that quotation to refer to any earlspring travel. Here, "

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Nianbaoyuze, when translated from the Tibetan language,means the grand mountain of boulder. Located on the border of Qinghai and Sichuan provinces, it is composed of about 3,600 mountains and 360 lakes about 4,000 meters above sea level.Though it is said Nianbaoyuze has 360 lakes, the local tourism bureau and local Tibetans said they are mainly 16 large lakes and about 300 smaller lakes dotting

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Considering that it was constructed for the purpose of keeping foreigners out of China, it's ironic that the Great Wall has become China's number one attraction for visitors from abroad. If you've only done the chairlift at Badaling, however, you can hardly count yourself as a Wall veteran. Indeed, speak to any tourist visiting Beijing, and you may well get the impression that there are only

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The ferry departs the picturesque city of Weihai and speeds eastwards towards Liugong Island, only 4 kilometers away.From a distance, Liugong Island looks like a huge whale breaching the waters. Some naval vessels loom along the coast as it gets closer.Liugong Island, off the Shandong Peninsula, is probably one of the tiniest isles along China's long coastline, yet it weighs heavily in the

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Qingdao, a coastal city on the Yellow Sea on East China's Shandong Peninsula, is famous worldwide for its famed Tsingtao Beer, but another constant delight of locals and a beautiful memory for tourists is the city's excellent seafood cuisine.Seafood choices abound in Qingdao, and its residents' cooking skills have been highly regarded for centuries. Trepang, abalone, sea snails, clams, oysters,

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Hong Kong's newest tourist attraction, a 25-minute cable-car ride over the rugged green hills of Lantau Island, says a lot about this former British colony. Ngong Ping 360 (www.np360.com.hk) demonstrates Hong Kong's fascination with travel and technology; the skyrail's hilltop terminus, an ersatz Chinese village, plays to local passions for eating, shopping and taking pictures. From there, it is

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Nanjing-meaning 'southern capital'-has served as the captial of China during several historical periods and remains the capital of Jiangsu province today. Unfortunately, it is also synonymous with the massacres and atrocities committed by Japanese troops and recounted in Iris Chang's Rape of Nanking. However, what greets visitors today is a genteel, rapidly modernising city proud of its heritage

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Located in eastern China's Shandong Province, Qufu is a quaint, rural Chinese town with an ancestral temple, a forest cemetery, and the mansion of a family clan that did rather well in Chinese history: the Kong clan. On the face of things, that hardly makes the town stand out, but it is the Kong family that makes Qufu so special. In fact, 125,000 of Qufu's 630,000 residents are still surnamed

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Located in Hezhou of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jiang Family Hakka House is the largest known and best preserved Hakka-style house in China. This historical building now attracts a number of foreign visitors.According to the Hezhou Tourism Bureau, tourists visiting the Hakka House reached 2.73 million in 2005, of which about 100,000 were foreigners.The chief administrator of the Hezhou

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By Sunita DwivediIt had rained all night in Lhasa and the earth was wet and cold. From the mountains a pleasant breeze blew as I drove towards Nyingchi on the Tibet-Sichuan Highway. My destination was the famous Lamaling temple and the confluence of the Brahmaputra, known as the Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet, and its tributary, the Niyang river.The highway ran between paddy fields along the bank of the

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A gentle voice came from the train's loudspeaker. "Passengers who are seeing off friends and family, please leave the train and be reassured that we will take good care of your beloved. We will make sure they arrive safe and sound."The brief announcement was spoken in Chinese, English and Tibetan and was relief for me and others on board the N971 from Xining to Lhasa.I had been feeling slightly

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Buri Gude, the groom (front), dances with his friends before setting off for the bride's home. This month is a good time to visit north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The climate turns mild and the vast grassland looks serene, prosperous and enchanting. Now there is another reason. A new song and dance spectacular, "Mongolian Wedding Ceremony," has been winning rave reviews from

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The Dongjiang Lake is in Zixing county of Chenzhou, 38 kilometers from the center of Chenzhou. The lake is close to the Beijing-Guangzhou railway and the 107 national highway. The whole area covers about 160 square kilometers and is considered the "Dongting Lake of southern Hunan." The lake scenes are beautiful, full of many islands and trees, giving it the nickname of the "Eastern Swiss"

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After all, with a total length of 35,000 miles the Great Wall(s) can fairly be said to be the greatest feat of engineering in the world. Much of it has been reconstructed and without this section’s recently installed railings it would be even more daunting. The fascinating Discovery Channel doco “Secrets of the Great Wall” identifies four distinct walls that traverse both deserts and mountains.

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The headquarters of China's first nuclear weapons research and production base in northwest China's Qinghai Province has been declassified and opened for tourism.Qinghai Atom City, code-named the No. 221 Plant of the China Nuclear Industry Corporation, was located 3,200 meters above sea level and 101 kilometers from the provincial capital, Xining.The command center of the base is 9.3 meters below

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This undated photo shows a view of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The Forbidden City, Badaling section of the Great Wall, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven are now AAAAA-rated tourist sites. [File Photo: gaoyuan.tang3.cn]Four world-famous tourist attractions in Beijing have become the nation's first AAAAA-rated tourist sites.The Beijing Tourism Administration on Monday said the Forbidden City,

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