Hi, Chinese friends! Receive my most sincere congratulations because of the great welcome you gave us to your country. :)

Part I Pics are not mine! taken from flickr and other threads

It's a pleasure for me to present you the Mexico City Downtown... World Heritage Site by the UNESCO since 1987. Many time ago it was the ceremonial center of the aztec Capital city Mexico-Tenochtitlán, founded in 1325, (kinda aztec forbidden city).
IT was one of the most beautiful cities in the world at that time (some spaniard conquerors said they had never seen a city so beautiful and clean), but in 1521, after a serie of events, it fell under the spanish control, the conquerors destroyed the city, and over the ruis, they built the new Mexico City with a spanish style of a main square with a great church and a royal palace.
That's the begining of a stage of three centuries, and in this stage is when was forged the mexican indentity, a mixed culture between ancient cultures (maya, aztec, olmec, etc) and the european spanish culture.

So, here are some pics of Mexico City downtown, first of all, the most representative buildings. Then, the life and culture in downtown. At last, a serie of pics of many other streets that have nice buildings, but unfortunately they are in the neglect.

Plaza de la Constitución "Zócalo" - Main Square
When the Spanish built Mexico City over the ruins of Tenochtitlan in the colonial era, all the streets were developed from the orientation of the Plaza Mayor.
In the north side of the Zócalo are the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Metropolitan Sagrario. In the east there's the National Palace; in the southeast corner, the Supreme Court of Justice. In the south, the City Hall main and new buildings; and in the west, the Monte de Piedad building and the famous Portal de Mercaderes.
The Zócalo holds many artistic and sp events and civic celebrations.
It also functions as a meeting place for cultural, social and sporting events.

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/1599/copiade64005384uftlepfsxr3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Striking the mexican national flag every day at 6 o clock
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/6449/dfw56576987968796df9ti5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/316/df3w45w3nw3wst8zt6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Protests
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/6042/1609200611aq6tj4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

chess world cup!
http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/1701/dibujomd3.png (http://imageshack.us)

Nomadic Museum of Gregory Coldbert exposition "Ashses and snow"
http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/5544/226397399937d51a91c3ofl3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/9868/22799479838352f88880oph0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/699/2282364803ae7ccd734bbdt1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Christmas time!
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/559/2661910746118832cb87bwg2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Spencer Tunick at the main square!
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/9483/df345wn364w364w364w346wss1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/2265/dfw4556w36nw3nbal9eg0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)



To the North: Metropolitan Cathedral Approximate measures: 59m wide x 110m lenght and 60m height
The first temple was built with the pieces of aztecs temples.
The new (this one) cathedral was built from 1571 to 1813. It has elements of baroque and neoclasic.
Through the time,the cathedral has lost part of its artistic heritage. There are evidence of some lost artistic works:
Large silver lamps, chandeliers, blandons and figures made of the same material, "la custodia de Borda" (88 frames made of gold with 10 pearls, covered in the front by 5872 diamonds and in the back by 2653 emeralds, 544 rubies and 28 sapphires) one pectoral made of gold with relics, another one with topazes and diamonds, rugs, cushions, draperies, and many other treasures with similar characteristics.
http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/2833/2510367812e6e4ff71d7bpm0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/6602/catedraldc0cw0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/5198/dfs346nw64w364w3463bl9rm3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Facade of the Sagrario Metropolitano, near the Cathedral
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/5264/dfw3634m6w3463w463oy9pe6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Inside the MC

Forgiveness Altar
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/6117/24745991495c242294daoeg8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Kings Altar
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/6553/40702381746d61354e0oaq8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Pipe Organ
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/8152/df457e4754ftumau4if5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


To the East: National Palace, built in 1563 and modified through many years. The last modification was it the XX century (here was located the aztec palace of the emperors)
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/9906/64005384uftlepfs3vfqt5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/2042/dffjhgjkghjla11di4ll9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/6475/2491640733ac5bc4f4a0bvo8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/2685/df57455rn1rm9xp3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)



To the South: City Hall Buildings
Built in 1714 and modified in 1907

http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/7958/p1050291zn4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/2572/2404736330a74ab139a8occ4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/8945/dfsw46mse6sbnr6ht1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

To the West: Many buildings

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/8686/1556788501c44d351663bbd8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/1050/2378140957a841cce468oaf5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Xmas!
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/3206/225008639741e5edf1a0oeq0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


Ok! this is the first part! If you liked it, please leave your comments! Then many other representative buildings, life and culture in downtown!

I forgot, in the southeast corner, Supreme Court of Justice

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/826/22560663453a8e64a4b3oee9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

The pictures are awesome,thanks for sharing !

wow wow look really nice

To see the complete thread, please visit my signature's site... because here are not the necessary comments to continue the thread

thanks for the input.

Damn I really have to say it again that this city is absolutely stunning, breathtaking.

wow, so beautiful. that's europe style buildings?

wow what a fantasitc country.

wow, so beautiful. that's europe style buildings?

Spanish colonial style. The building material of many buildings were from the old destroyed monumental architecture of the Aztecs.

well... thanks!! there are many images to post... but for this thread I'll wait until the pages changes... if you want to visit the most complete same thread, click on mi signature!!

HEEYYY!!!! I'm learning madarin noww!! hehe but i had just mi first class:D