Xian: Tang Paradise

Tang Paradise is located in the east of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, southeast of Xi’an city, Shaanxi Province. When I attend the Beijng to Xian tour, I have seen the largest and the most complete wooden structure building complex—the Forbidden City in Ming and Qing Dynasty. Tang Paradise is the first largest imperial theme park to give a fully display of the outlook of flourishing Tang Dynasty in China.
First opened in April, 2005, it is a new developed tourism attraction in Qujiang Resort. Covering a total area of 1000mu (about 165 acres), with 49 acres as water area, Tang Paradise is also the biggest cultural theme park in northwestern China. There are totally twelve scenic regions distributed throughout Tang Paradise. Each region provides visitors with different cultural themes to show the profound and brilliant culture of the Tang Dynasty.

As the first theme park in China that combines the five sense(vision, hearing, smell, touch and taste) together,Tang Paradise is hailed as 'Garden of History', 'Garden of Spirit', 'Garden of Nature', 'Garden of Human Culture' and 'Garden of Art'. In addition, it is also the largest outdoors fragrant project in the world. In evening, it also provides you the most largest and spectacular water film all over the world. All those make Tang Paradise one of the most attractive destinations in Xi’an tour.

Xinjiang Baihaba: Fairy Land of Nature

Somebody says that Baihaba is a fairy land of nature. The natural landscape here is considered extremely beautiful and can be as gorgeous as Kanas. Polar leaves in river alley is yellow, while the foot of the mountain is reddened by birch leaves, the lower part of larch leave is yellowish, and meadows on the ridges are in maroon, together with snow-covering peaks and blue sky, you will feel yourself in a spectacular masterpiece created by a great oil painters of impressionism—nature in a fairy land.
Located along the bank of Haba River, the boundary river of China and Kazakhstan, Baihaba is called “the First Village in Northeastern China”. Far away from the madding crowd, it always keeps its simple folk customs.

Baihaba is a typical primitive village of Tuvinians, where lives Mongolian people who embraces lama religion—Tuvinian. It reminds me the Baopo Village when I have a trip in my Beijing Xian tour. Different from the Banpo Village, all buildings in the Tuvinians village are made of wood, with the little wood house as a symbol, being characterized with European village style. The houses are all built with spires, with wall and and roof firmed with a complete log. And the spire of the house is supported to be a herringbone shape, which is helpful to protect the house from rain and snow erosion.

In sunset time and in foggy morning, smokes curling up from the chimneys and cows and sheep scattering on hills, which presents you a harmonious landscape painting. This is my impression about the primitive village of Tuvinians. If you are interested in more aout the Banpo village, you can plan a travel in Xian.

North Xinjiang: Kazakh Golden Eagles

On the way back to Karamay from Kanas, my driver made a brief stop at a small town to have a rest and replenish energy. The place where we stopped by is a noisy small market, where we discovered a golden eagle trained by two Kazakhs. If you want to take photos, you have to pay for it.

Golden eagle belongs to eagle species and it is renowned for is outstanding appearance and swift and powerful flight. With average wingspan over 2 meters and body length over 1 meter, its legs and feet are all covered with feathers. It usually lives in mountainous area or hilly area, especially in cliffs of valleys or plains at mountain foot, and perched on mountain grasslands, desserts, river valleys and forest area. In addition, golden eagles feed on medium and large-size birds and beasts, therefore, it is also famous for bravery and mighty. In ancient Babylonia and Roman Empire, people see golden eagles as symbol of King’s power. In Kublai reign, golden eagles were once trained to hunt wolves by Mongolian hunters.

In modern time, Kazakh remains the tradition of training golden eagles, but they are seldom used to hunt animals and herd sheep, most are used in tourism to make money.

A Fantastic trip in Zhenjiang

On a Saturday afternoon, we arrived in Zhenjiang and left there at 5:00 PM on the second day. Although it was a very short stay at there, we really fell in love with the city Zhenjiang. It took us one hour from Shanghai to Zhenjiang.

We have a wonder in this city by ourselves, exploring the old streets, experiencing the local customs, tasting the delicious local snacks. There is a famous street, named Xijindu Street. Walking on this street, its ancient and historic relics may bring you back to the old times. Meanwhile, you can also smell an atmosphere of youth and modern.

The residents living on the old street enjoy a comfortable life, bathing in the warm sun and immersing in the past memories. In front of their eyes were the shadows of tourists who are riding on donkeys to the Golden Mountain. They savor the special history of Zhenjiang. The flavor is just like they chew malt sugars and dried bean curd. All things in Zhenjiang give you a very inexplicable vitality, such as the long history, the number of heritage, the primitive environment, the traditional custom, and conventional business. Nowadays, with unique charm, Zhenjiang is attracting more and more tourists and investors at home and abroad. It will be developed into a center where has hotels, wine bars and various clubs.

Ningxia: Imperial Mausoleums of Xixia Dynasty

Located the east foot of Helan Mountain, about 30 km west of Yinchuan Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, the Imperial Tombs of Xixia regime(1038-1227) is the royal mausoleum of Xixia dynasty which is renowned as the “mysterious miracle” and “Western Pyramid”. With nine emperors’ mausoleums and 253 accompanied tombs scattering in the 53-square-kilometer area, it is one of the most largest the best preserved surficial relic of imperial mausoleums.

Like other imperial tombs, Western Xia mausoleums were composed of two architectural units— the mausoleum gardens above ground and underground palaces. All the mausoleum gardens faced south, and their architectural forms above ground have some unique characteristics, though they are quite similar to mausoleums of the Tang and Northern Song dynasties in Gongxian County.

Based on some excavations, each mausoleum had a unified layout, occupying an area of more than 100，000 square meters, surrounded by inner and outer walls. At each corner of the mausoleum gardens were watchtowers, providing visual indicators of the boundaries, serving functions similar to those of watchtowers of the Imperial Palace(Forbidden City)in Beijing. Mausoleum gardens were organized from south to north: Stone gates, tablet pavilion, outer city, inner city, hall furnished as an imperial bedroom and spiritual terrace.

Guilin Yangshuo: Bourgeois Sentiment in the Gorgeous Night

The second day arriving in Guilin, I went to Yangshuo straightly, where I had been desiring to go for a long time. When I went there and see her for the first sight, I knew I had fallen in love with this beautiful place. The beauty of night scene in Yangshuo is is far beyond my words.

After getting off the cruise ship at Yangshuo wharf, when I stepped into the land, I was a little bit disappointed somehow—the quiet town has been totally commercialized, which also is a common problem in the development of tourism in ancient towns. However, when the night fell, I was attracted by the bourgeois sentiment out of my expectation because many unexpected surprises can be found in West Street. In Yangshou, time is born to be used for enjoying beautiful things. I was obsessed with this fantastic night.

Despite wandering alone, you can still kill the whole night by tasting a cup of coffee or drinking in the coffeehouse and pubs along the street, watching these guys and dolls pass by. Everything there reveals an exotic atmosphere and make people feel comfortable.

Car model in a small shop

A artist is carving the photo of a couple on stone

Qinghai: Visit the Hongshuiquan Mosque in Autumn

In the tributary of Yellow River’s source area, the middle reaches of Huangshui River, stands a grand and magnificent ancient temple. It is the famous Hongshuiquan Mosque. The mosque is located at Hongshuiquan village, southwest of Ping’an County in eastern Qinghai Province. It is said that it was first built in Ming Dynasty, originally small in size, later after five extensions, then forming today’s dimension with a total area of 4500 square meters. It is consisted by screen wall, the front gate and prayer hall etc and renowned for its exquisite craft and architectural art.

In terms of architectural style, Hongshuiquan Mosque combines Han, Hui and Tibetan architectural features, at the same time, it widely used some auspicious patterns like plum blossoms, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, the eight auspicious symbols, lyre-playing, chess, calligraphy and painting etc. The cultural elements of Han, Hui and Tibet appear simultaneously in one mosque, which is unusual in Muslim temple in China and can be said as a symbol of national unity.