China, one photo every day

[riasbaixas]

2008.05.14



Guangdong position in China:


Xujialiao is located in the Leizhou Peninsula, in the southernmost part of Guangdong province in southern China.
Leizhou Peninsula is located on the southwestern end of Guangdong, with the Gulf of Tonkin to the west and the 30 km wide Qiongzhou Strait to the south, separating the peninsula from Hainan Island/Province.
The peninsula lies in tropical South China. The region is under the influence of continental northeastern monsoons and maritime southeastern and southwestern monsoons. Typhoons occasionally occur, both from the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea.

Xujialiao's location:

[riasbaixas]

2008.05.15



Extra photo. Detian, China on the right and Banyue Waterfall in Vietnam on the left



Guangxi location in China:


The Detian Waterfall in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, it lies in a subtropical area along the Sino-Vietnamese border.
At the upper reaches of the Guichun River, there is the roaring Detian Waterfall ( Detian pubu ) that appeals to visitors because of its unique setting on the border of China and Vietnam. It is the second largest trans-national waterfall in the world, second only to the Niagara Falls on the US-Canadian border.
The Detian Waterfall is over 200 meters wide and has a drop of more than 70 meters. Its water rushes down a three-tiered cliff with tremendous force. The fall is awe-inspiring, and its thunder is audible before it even comes into view.
Water flows year around, but the best time to visit is during the spring, when the water levels at Detian are highest and when visitors are treated to the sight of bright red blossoming kapok trees. During the warmer seasons, pack a swimming suit so you can take a dip in the beautiful pools below the falls, then hire a bamboo raft to see the nearby Banyue Waterfall in Vietnam that connects with Detian – just don’t get too close! Detian offers everything you’d expect from one of the world’s best waterfalls, minus the throngs of tourists.

[riasbaixas]

2008.05.16



Extra photo. The tower and Fuyu Bridge



Extra photo. The entrance at Jiaxiu.



Extra photo. Inside Jiaxiu Pavillion



Guizhou location in China:


Jiaxiu Tower is a magnificent 3-level pavilion about 20 meters high. Its turnup eaves and white stone pillars are well carved and preserved. Located in water, connected by the Fuyu Bridge (Floating Bridge) at two banks, the tower has green tiles, red pillars, engraved windows and white stone parapets, which makes it superb and striking. Ascending the tower, visitors can get a good view of the surrounding scenery.
The tower has a long history. During the Ming dynasty (1573-1620), the local majesty, Jiang Dongzhi, ordered to build a causeway at where the tower locates today, linking to the southern bank of the Nanming River. Later a pavilion was built to honor the first scholar of the time and hoped that would encourage more scholars to follow the example. Thus the tower was named "Jiaxiu tower", which means "First Sholar's Tower". In 1621, the original pavilion was burnt in a fire and the stadholder of the time made it rebuilt. In 1689, it was destroyed again, and then, Majesty Tianwen rebuilt it again. So far, the tower has been reconstructed 6 times. For 400 years, it has become the symbol of the city, witnessing the history as well as the future of the development of the Guiyang city.
Inside Jiaxiu Tower, there is a good collection of authentic works and paintings from ancient calligraphers. Of them, the most famous one is the couplet written by Liu Yushang in the Qing Dynasty. This couplet consists of 206 words as a whole, with 87 words in the first and the second line respectively, which is 26 words more than the "Longest couplet" preserved in the Big Guan Tower in Kunming. This couplet is notable not only for its length, but also for its literatural value. Its choice of words is so delicate and magnificent that it looks into not only the history of the tower but also the universal life of human being.
Under the Jiaxiu Tower, is the Fuyu Bridge (Jade Floating Bridge). It is made of white stone and the parapets are well engraved. From distance, the bridge looks like a dragon floating in the river.

[riasbaixas]

2008.03.17



Hainan location in China:


Sanya is situated on the southernmost tip of Hainan Province. Possessing a number of excellent harbors, Sanya is an important port for import and export of trade with foreign countries. Therefore, Sanya is also named the 'South Gate of China' to stress its importance while it plays a vital role in the life of the southern part of China in areas of the economy and politics to transportation.
However, for most visitors, Sanya is a noted tourist resort with mountains, sea, river and city. The favorable climate is hot in summer but warm in the three other seasons so attracting large numbers of followers from both home and abroad every year. The whole of Sanya is related to the sea. Here you can enjoy a unique tropical oceanic landscape that is totally different from the other provinces of China. Sanya Bay, Yalong Bay and Dadonghai, all golden seaboards of Sanya, are some of the first choices for visitors to spend their holidays. Instead of a busy and exhausting journey, you can relax totally here by strolling along the beaches and breathing the fresh air. Additionally more than 20 ethnic groups including Han, Li, Miao, Hui inhabit Sanya becoming a wonderful place to appreciate the various cultures of China.

[riasbaixas]

2008.05.18









Hebei


The Mountain Resort of Chengde, a key national cultural protection unit, was listed in the World Cultural Heritage Directory in 1994. It was built in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and took about 90 years (1703-1792) to construct.
The Mountain Resort, also called Rehe Temporary Palace, is situated north of Chengde and 230 kilometers (143 miles) from Beijing. It covers an area of 564 sq meters (218 sq miles) and was originally built for the royal families to spend the hot summer months. When compared with the grand and solemn Forbidden City, the mountain resort is characterized by its simplicity and elegance. It is a grand architectural complex that consists of numerous palaces, the largest royal garden in China and wonderful scenery, combined with a pleasant climate.
The Mountain Resort is divided into four parts: the Palace Area, Lake Area, Plain Area and Mountain Area. The Palace Area lies in the south part of the Mountain Resort and is a concentration of palaces where the Qing emperors handled the political affairs and where the royal families lived. It covers an area of 100,000 sq meters (25 acres), consisting of four main complexes: the Main Palace, the Pine-Crane Hall, the East Palace and the Pine Soughing Valley. The Main Palace was the place where important ceremonies and events were observed but today it is used as the Mountain Resort Museum. The Pine-crane Hall was the residence built by Emperor Qianlong for his mother-the empress while the East Palace was damaged in a fire in 1945 with only the groundwork still visible today. The Pine Soughing Valley was the reading room of the emperors and the office where the emperors handled the political mandates.
The Lake Area lies in north of the Palace Area. Eight islets dotted in the lake, dividing the Lake Area into several fields of different sizes. In total there are eight lakes in the Lake Area, respectively called Cheng Lake, Mirror Lake, Ruyi Lake, Upper Lake, Lower Lake, Silver Lake, Half-moon Lake and Inner Lake. Cheng Lake is the deepest while Rehe Spring is famous for its crystal-clear waters.
The Plain Area is located at the foot of the mountain, north of the Lake Area. The plain is a vast area, and is covered with thick grass and trees. The plain area is broken into three areas: a garden populated by various trees in the east, a vast grassland for riding horses in the west and a group of temples in the north. Riding a horse over this broad plain leaves visitors feeling refreshed and relaxed.
The Mountain Area, located in the northwest of the Mountain Resort, accounts for 80% of the total area. The mountain area is formed by four valleys: Filbert Valley, Pine Valley, Pear Valley and Pine-cloud Valley, which run south to north. The mountain peaks surrounding the area form a natural curtain which impedes the cold winds blowing in from Northwest China. Various pavilions, temples and other structures dot the mountain slopes and valleys.

[redstone]

Beautiful!

[riasbaixas]

2008.05.19



Extra photo. The 1998 and 1957 flood levels



Heilongjiang position in China:


The Flood Control Monument (Fanghong jinian tang) is located on the bank of Songhua River at the northern end of Zhongyang Street (Zhongyang dajie). The Monument is the centerpiece of the popular Stalin Park, built in 1958 to commemorate the tremendous feat of the Harbin people in controlling the massive flood of 1957. The flood was the biggest flood ever recorded in Harbin until the summer 1998 disaster.
The 13m tall monument consists of one Roman style cylinder column topped with statues of the heroic people of Harbin and a 7-meter-long curving corridor surrounding the column. The water level of 11 small semi-circular pools near to the column marks the level reached by the devastating flood in 1957. However, the water level record was again broken by the summer 1998 flood in which the monument witnessed the devastating destruction of nature and the great courage of the Harbin people...many paid with their lives. A new monument has been added on to the old to commemorate these new victims.
Stalin Park (Sidalin gongyuan) was built in 1953 and, as its name suggests, the park is evidence of the friendship, sometimes strained, between the two biggest communist countries at that time. The park is characterized by Russian style flower beds and a series of theme statues and is lavishly vegetated with flowers and trees. The river beach in the park serves as an ideal place for viewing the Songhua River and a natural swimming place for the Chinese, although the water is a good example of the state of China's rivers: less than clean. This place is very popular on the weekends.

Harbin location:

[riasbaixas]

2008.05.20



Henan position in China:



Er' Qi (meaning 'July 2nd') Square, located in the center of the downtown area, is the busiest commercial area in Zhengzhou and even Henan Province. There are many department stores and restaurants, which should not be missed. The most eye-catching architecture on the square is the central Er' Qi Memorial Tower, also called Erqi Tower (二七纪念塔) which commemorates a strike (二七大罢工) that happened on July 2nd, 1923.
The Erqi Tower was opened in September 1971. It has 14 floors and is 63 meters high.
Zhengzhou is a dusty, flat industrial city set amid the farmland of the central China plain. While it is not a tourist city, it is a good example of a remarkably fast-changing city in China without some of the tourism clutter.

Zhengzhou location:

[riasbaixas]

2008.05.21



Hubei position in China:



The Three Gorges Dam (长江三峡大坝) is a Chinese hydroelectric river dam that spans the Yangtze River in Sandouping, Yichang, Hubei. The total electric generating capacity of the dam will reach 22,500 megawatts, at which point it will be the largest hydro-electric power station in the world. This is the biggest project that has been undertaken in China since the Great Wall and the Grand Canal. Several generators are yet to be installed; the dam is not expected to become fully operational until about 2011.
As with many dams, there is a debate over costs and benefits. Although there are potential economic benefits such as flood control and hydroelectric power, there are also concerns about the relocation of over 1,500,000 people who have been or will be displaced by the rising waters; siltation that could limit the dam's useful life; loss of numerous valuable archaeological and cultural sites; and the significant adverse effects of increased pollution upon the regional ecosystem.

[nestor morales]

Amazing photos!!

[riasbaixas]

2008.05.22



Hong Kong location in China:




Repulse Bay is an area in the southern part of Hong Kong Island, located in the Southern District, Hong Kong.
In 1841, the bay was used as a base by pirates and caused serious concern to foreign merchant ships trading with China. The pirates were subsequently repulsed by the British Fleet; hence the name. Another theory holds that the bay was named after the HMS Repulse which was stationed at the bay at one point.
In the 1910s, Repulse Bay was developed into a beach, and the Repulse Bay Hotel was built in 1920. To attract swimmers, a bus route from Central to Repulse Bay was created, and now stands as one of Hong Kong's oldest bus routes. During the Battle of Hong Kong in World War II, Repulse Bay was an important strategic location.
The beach was extended artificially, and thus the sand closer to the shore is coarser than that further away.
The Repulse Bay area is one of the most expensive housing areas in Hong Kong, due to the nice surroundings. The prices are matched only by the mid-levels at Victoria Peak.

[riasbaixas]

2008.05.23



Inner Mongolia position in China:



The Qingshan Nature Reserve is located in the southeast part of Daxinganling Mountains, 25 km south of Jingpeng Township of the Keshiketeng Banner. The glacial stone pit groups and granite forests stretch some 20 km. The pit forest, with all kinds of shapes and positions, has its main peak at an elevation of 1,574 meters, with many cliffs and precipices, trees, grasslands and springs. A path paved with stones, sometimes visible and sometimes hidden, zigzags to the top of the mountain.

[riasbaixas]

2008.05.24



Jiangsu position in China:


Qin Huai River, a branch of the great Yangtze River, is 110 kilometers (about 68 miles) in length and covers a drainage area of 2,631 square kilometers (about 1,016 square miles). The river was originally called Huai River, and it is said that the river was channeled to the city of Nanjing during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, so it was named Qin Huai River from then on.
Qin Huai River is the largest river in the Nanjing City area and is the 'life blood' of the city.
Qinhuai River is the cradle of Nanjing culture. As long as the Stone Age, people began to live in this area. From time that followed by, it was the central place where the rich lived. The Qinhuai River was at its peak during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

[riasbaixas]

2008.05.25



Extra photo. The left side



Extra photo. The right side



Extra photo. Right side and Rainbow Bridge



Boats and buildings along the shore



Boats ferrying tourists up and down stream



Old alleys paved with flagstones and houses



Hunan position in China:


A famous city of historical & cultural significance. This ancient city was built in 686 during the Tang dynasty.
'Feng Huang' is Chinese for 'Phoenix', the mythical bird of good omen and longevity that is consumed by fire to be re-born again from the flames. Feng Huang Cheng or Phoenix Town is so called as legend has it that two of these fabulous birds flew over it and found the town so beautiful that they hovered there, reluctant to leave.
The town is situated on the western boundary of Hunan Province in an area of outstanding natural beauty where mountains, water and blue skies prevail. Upon entering the town you can see its air of mystery, elegance and primitive simplicity. The mountain slopes are covered with green foliage, the fields are green and even the Tuo Jiang River reflects the greenery. The bridges over the water and unique houses built on stilts display a harmony that is so often portrayed in traditional Chinese paintings. This is particularly true when mist pervades the scene in the early morning or after rain. It soon becomes apparent that the claim to being one of the most beautiful towns in the whole of China is more than justified.
Feng Huang Cheng is a wonderful example of what villages were like prior to the onset of modernization. Here dozens of alleys paved with flagstones run between the houses, each showing wear caused by the feet of generations of local people who have used them when going about their daily business. For the visitor, these alleys are the way to see the typical high gabled wooden houses built on stilts along the banks of the Tuo Jiang River at close quarters.
Stretching diagonally from the northwest to southeast of the town, Tuo Jiang River is a life force of the local people. Here in its waters women wash their clothes and the men fish with their nets, while on the bank food is prepared in much the same way as it has for centuries. The river also provides a means for boatmen to support their families by ferrying tourists up and down stream so that they may admire the many splendours of the town.

[BarbaricManchurian]

Originally Posted by riasbaixas

2008.05.25



Extra photo. The left side



Extra photo. The right side



Extra photo. Right side and Rainbow Bridge



Boats and buildings along the shore



Boats ferrying tourists up and down stream



Old alleys paved with flagstones and houses



Hunan position in China:


A famous city of historical & cultural significance. This ancient city was built in 686 during the Tang dynasty.
'Feng Huang' is Chinese for 'Phoenix', the mythical bird of good omen and longevity that is consumed by fire to be re-born again from the flames. Feng Huang Cheng or Phoenix Town is so called as legend has it that two of these fabulous birds flew over it and found the town so beautiful that they hovered there, reluctant to leave.
The town is situated on the western boundary of Hunan Province in an area of outstanding natural beauty where mountains, water and blue skies prevail. Upon entering the town you can see its air of mystery, elegance and primitive simplicity. The mountain slopes are covered with green foliage, the fields are green and even the Tuo Jiang River reflects the greenery. The bridges over the water and unique houses built on stilts display a harmony that is so often portrayed in traditional Chinese paintings. This is particularly true when mist pervades the scene in the early morning or after rain. It soon becomes apparent that the claim to being one of the most beautiful towns in the whole of China is more than justified.
Feng Huang Cheng is a wonderful example of what villages were like prior to the onset of modernization. Here dozens of alleys paved with flagstones run between the houses, each showing wear caused by the feet of generations of local people who have used them when going about their daily business. For the visitor, these alleys are the way to see the typical high gabled wooden houses built on stilts along the banks of the Tuo Jiang River at close quarters.
Stretching diagonally from the northwest to southeast of the town, Tuo Jiang River is a life force of the local people. Here in its waters women wash their clothes and the men fish with their nets, while on the bank food is prepared in much the same way as it has for centuries. The river also provides a means for boatmen to support their families by ferrying tourists up and down stream so that they may admire the many splendours of the town.

Wow, looks nice! I love ancient Chinese towns, they have so much character, just pure beauty. You can get lost for days just exploring the alleys, soaking up the atmostphere, speaking and learning Chinese with the friendly natives, travelling on bumpy busses and roads, watching old people play Go and Mahjong, just paradise!

[riasbaixas]

2008.05.26



Jiangxi position in China


Nanchang (南昌) is the capital of Jiangxi Province in southeastern China and it's famous for its scenic lakes, mountains, rich history and cultural sites.
Nanchang means 'a prosperous south part of China'. Being over 2,200 years old, Nanchang is a city with significant historical relevence. As the capital city, it is undoubtedly the political, economic and cultural center of Jiangxi Province.
The city, called Gàn (赣), was founded and first walled in 201 BC (during the early Han dynasty), when the county town was given the name Nanchang. It was also the administrative seat of a commandery, Yuzhang. In 589 (during the Sui dynasty) this commandery was changed into a prefecture named Hongzhou (洪州), and after 763 it became the provincial center of Jiangxi, which was then beginning the rapid growth that by the 12th century made it the most populous province in China.
Nanchang is located 60 km south of the Yangtze River and is situated on the right bank of the Gan River just below its confluence with the Jin River and some 40 km south of its discharge into Poyang Lake.
Water is her soul or in other words water carries all her beauty. Lakes and rivers in or around Nanchang bring a special kind of charm to the city. Nanchang is honored as 'a green pearl in the southern part of China' thanks to its clear water, fresh air and great inner city virescence.

[riasbaixas]

2008.05.27



Extra photo. Inside the Exhibition Hall



Extra photo. The throne room



Jilin position in China:


The story of Puyi, the last emperor of China, is a sad tale of political intrigue, a story that was played out in one of China's most volatile periods of history. Puyi, manipulated from cradle to grave, was the last of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) line, given power by the devious Empress Dowager Cixi. He ascended the throne at the age of eight.
His mettle as a true emperor was never to be tested however, as the 1911 Republican Revolution, led by the revered Sun Yatsen (Sun Zhongshan), removed the child-emperor from his post in the same year as his coronation. After remaining in the Forbidden City for some years, living the life of a breathing relic, he was expelled by the Nationalist Party (Guomindang) for his less than revolutionary past. Given "immunity" by the Japanese, the young child was moved to his new residence in Jilin Province.
From 1932 to 1945, Puyi was resident, more or less involuntarily, in the Puppet Emperor's Palace (Wei Huang Gong). He stayed here as nominal head of the newly established state of Manchukuo, established as a way for the Japanese to try to legitimize their claim to the territory of Dongbei (northeastern China), and then the rest of the country.
His residence here came to an end with the Communist victory, when the emperor was arrested and sentenced to reform and re-education in the communist style, even being exiled to the Soviet Union for a time. Puyi ended his sad life as a gardener, probably happy for once to be beholden to few men.
Like the life of the protagonist himself, the remains of the palace today are of decaying sadness. The gardens and courtyards aren't all fairly maintained. The palace is located in the northeastern corner of Changchun, and was not only an open prison for the young Puyi, but also the site of the "central government" of the Manchukuo state. Today the palace serves as a museum, wax works and testament to the evils perpetrated by the Japanese in their long reign in the north of China.
The palace itself is a miniature of the emperor's exiled home, the Forbidden City in Beijing. It is a complex composed of several buildings in a variety of taste and style, including architecture of Chinese, Japanese, and European form. The palace can be divided into two parts: the front palace for administrative purposes and the rear palace for residence. The largest and most impressive of the buildings, the Tonde Palace was not lived in by the emperor since he believed it to be bugged. The best of the blocks is the Qian Ming Building which houses the throne, a variety of gimmicky wax models of Puyi, one of his wives and others, and documents of his life, from stately childhood to Japanese pawn.
The rear palace gives visitors a glimpse of the grandness that was the facade of life here: a swimming pool, a tennis court, a few gardens, courtyards and even a bomb shelter, are the accoutrements of the emperors empty life (a life that is chronicled within on diary pages that are attached to the wall). There are also exhibitions here to the atrocities that the Japanese manufactured in their inhumane reign in northeast China. This is struck home with images of the war, including those concerning the Japanese armies Unit 731 Germ Warfare Experimental Base, and various torture equipment. The captions here are in Chinese, although most of the pictures speak for themselves. Visitors are made to wear "shower caps" on their shoes to protect the original carpet.

[oliver999]

fenghuang town is amazing!!!!!!!!!

[riasbaixas]

2008.05.28



Liaoning position in China:


Zhaoling Tomb, the tomb of Hongtaiji and his wife, Xiaoduanwen Queen, is a Key Cultural Relic Unit under State Protection.
Zhaoling Tomb, also called North Tomb due to its location in the north of Shenyang, enjoys equal fame with Fu Tomb and Yong Tomb. All these tombs are jointly called three imperial tombs outside Shanhaiguan. However, Zhaoling Tomb is much beyond the other two in terms of scale and layout.
Zhaoling Tomb is the largest park in Shenyang City, covering an area of 330 hectares. In the eighth year of Chongde in Qing Dynasty, the tomb of Huangtaiji and his wife Bo'erjijite was completed. In 1927, Zhaoling Tomb was authorized to be a park by Fengtian government, and got the name of North Tomb. As one of tourist attractions and historic sites in Shenyang, Zhaoling Tomb is the essence of China's ancient architectures, and also the representative of cultural communication between Manchus and Han nationalities. There are decorated archways, ornamental columns, cloud pillars and some stones animals, such as standing elephant, standing horse, sleeping camel, kylin, sitting lion and Xiezhi (the mythical Chinese beast) on both sides of the road, face to face with each other. Square City is the main part of the park, and the layout is similar to that of Fu Tomb. Under the Bao City is the underground palace, the coffin chamber of Huangtaiji and his queen.
Zhaoling Tomb is spacious and bright with splendour pavilions and palaces. The yellow tiles, red walls and green trees set each other off. After liberation, North Tomb has been greatly restored and expanded so it combines traditional ancient architecture with modern park features.

Shenyang location within China:

[riasbaixas]

2008.05.29



Macau location in China:


Taking center stage along the outer harbor waterfront is this breath-taking statue of the Goddess of Mercy. Kun Iam is the most popular goddess amongst Buddhists and plays a special role in protecting children, as well as bringing affluence. Inaugurated by the Portuguese president Jorge Sampaio, the statue was designed by noted Portuguese artist Cristina Rocha Leiria. The 48 polished bronze plates that make up the 20-meter tall statue were crafted in Nanjing, and bolted together on site. The giant lotus flower pedestal is home to the Ecumenical Centre, providing information on China's major religions.
The Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre located on a man-made island is linked to the Avenida de Sun Yat-sen by a causeway 60 metres long. The Centre is composted of two parts: the Kun Iam Statue in bronze which weighs 50 tonnes and measures 20 metres high, and the dome-shaped lotus stands with sixteen petals which measures 7 metres high and 19 metres across. The statue consists of different castings that permit the variation of strong winds.
The Centre is divided in 2 levels: the first level is the Polyvalent Room on which the souvenir counter is located. The second level is a basement where a contemplation Room and a small library are located. The contemplation Room has a capacity of 50 people and is dedicated to mini activities, such as conferences, exhibitions and films, etc.