China, one photo every day

[Dr.Seltsam]

Wow...amazing pictures! I love this waterfall! Just beautiful!
Thank you!

[riasbaixas]

2008.06.17



Extra photo. Closest view of Moon Hill



Extra photo. View from the hill



Guangxi position in China:


Moon Hill (月亮山) or Moon Mountain is a hill with a natural arch through it a few kilometers outside Yangshuo in southern China's Guangxi autonomous region. It is so named for a wide, semicircular hole through the hill, all that remains of what was once a limestone cave formed in the phreatic zone. Like most formations in the region, it is karst. It is also a popular tourist attraction.
It takes about 20 minutes to climb to the arch, or considerably longer for those who mean to reach the hill's summit.
Souvenirs and refreshment vendors often follow climbers up and down the path.
In addition to a concrete tourist path which passes through the arch, and a somewhat rougher, steeper path leading to the summit above the arch, Moon Hill has several rock climbing routes, the first of which was climbed by Todd Skinner in the 1990s.
Moon hill offers some broad, panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, which is characterized by the knobby karst hills found throughout the region.

[riasbaixas]

2008.06.18






Miao people love sat TV



View of the rice terraces from the village



Guizhou


Xijiang Miao Village is located southeast of Kaili City. There are about 1,000 households in the village, so it is also called Qianhu Miao Village (Qianhu means a thousand households). The villagers build their houses at the foot of a mountain. The houses are mostly wood houses (those propped up by wooden supports with ladders leading up), or built with dark red maple wood blocks, which appear golden in the evening glow. The village enjoys a beautiful natural environment with green mountains and crystal water. It is also the homeland of Miao song and dance, and abundant local festivals.
There is some exquisite silverware sold in Xijiang Miao Village, which is also known as a silversmiths' village. The cross-stitch embroidery works done by the Miao girls are delicate.

[Mahratta]

Great photo collection, China is definitely one of the most beautiful and truly amazing nations in the world

[riasbaixas]

2008.06.19



Hainan position in China:


When thinking about the charming seaside Province of Hainan, a lush image of leafy coconut plantations, blue waters and silver sands springs to mind.
Known variously as the 'Kingdom of Coconuts', 'Golden Seashore', and 'Forest Park over the Sea', Dongjiao Coconut Plantation is located on the seaside of Dongjiao Town, Wenchang City in Hainan and is most well-known for its broad coconut plantation.
The plantation is literally a forest with over 500,000 coconut trees including the red, green, well-bred, short, tall and other varieties. The trees not only provide a scenic backdrop and savory fruit, but they also act as a shield against the frequent typhoons here.

[riasbaixas]

2008.06.20


















Hebei position in China:


Located about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from Shijiazhuang, Mt. Cangyan Scenic Area is a national tourist attraction in China. With an altitude of 1,000 meters (3,281 feet) high, the scenic area covers an area of 180 square kilometers (69 square miles).
Mt. Cangyan Scenic Area is renowned for its natural landscape and some cultural and historical attractions. It has verdant forests, magnificent waterfalls, crystal streams and springs, steep cliffs and queer peaks.
Many temples, pavilions, terraces and other buildings are constructed on the cliffs or in the valley. Built in the Western Jin period (265-316), the Fuqing Temple is the most celebrated complex. Legend has it that Princess Nanyang once became a nun and practiced Buddhism there. She was the daughter of Yang Guang, an emperor of the Sui Dynasty (581-618).
The Fuqing Temple consists of the Dafo Hall, the Yuanjue Hall, the Lingguan Temple, the Guandi Temple, the Cangyan Tower, the Princess Memorial Hall, the Qiaolou and other structures. The Qiaolou (a hall built on the bridge) is the main structure of the Fuqing Temple. It is constructed on a single arch stone bridge which is about 15 meters (49 feet) long and nine meters (30 feet) wide. On the arch of the bridge are carved life size images of beasts, horses and human beings. The Qiaolou is a two storied building built in the Sui Dynasty and houses the statues of Sakyamuni and eighteen arhats and some murals.
The Princess Memorial Hall is situated to the north of the Qiaolou. In the hall stand the statue of Princess Nanyang with her two sisters attending to her. On the walls are painted some murals recording the stories of Princess Nanyang. Behind the hall is a cave which is said to be the princess' bedroom.

[mafun]

There is something very familiar in the last three pictures. I think it is same place they use in the movie Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

[riasbaixas]

2008.06.21






Heilongjiang position in China:


St. Sophia Church in Harbin is the largest Eastern Orthodox Church in the Far East. It is 53.3 meters (175 feet) high and occupies an area of 721 square meters (0.18 acres). In November, 1996, it was listed as one of the Key Cultural Relics under State Protection. Half a year later, the Harbin City government repaired it and renamed it as Harbin Art Gallery. It is a respectable landmark for Harbiners and for tourism.
St. Sophia Church has a complex history. Shortly after the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901), the Russian built the church of timber in March, 1907. Then, the Russian rebuilt it using masonry and timber four years later. The onset of a second reconstruction by Russian was marked on September 23rd, 1923, and a ceremony was held to celebrate laying the corner stone. It was completed on November 25th, 1932, after nine years, and was hailed as a monumental work of art.
The Byzantine style church is so beautiful, it is said to look as if it had been made by God's hands. In fact, St. Sophia means 'God's wisdom'. Having a Latin cross footprint, the church's original shape was preserved during reconstruction. The church has four floors and is accessible by a door on each side. Until the 1960's, the bell tower over the entrance housed 7 bells of different sizes and tones. When there were religious festivals in the past, a well-trained ringer would play musical progressions, tolling the bells with ropes tied to his hands and feet. The bells resounded to the skies.
By the 1990's, St. Sophia had undergone considerable decline. The church no longer was in use, and residential apartments and office buildings surrounded it. Magnificent Russian painted murals that adorned the church's arched walls were destroyed out of recognition. While in 1997, the Harbin government under took to undo the decades of deterioration. But as the original Russian murals were lost completely, they were replaced by topically new murals depicting the architectural history of the Harbin community. And crosses that were removed in six places were replaced. Now, the murals, pendent lamps, dome and the bell tower are restored to their original splendor.

[riasbaixas]

2008.06.22



Henan position in China:


Located to the west of the Green City Square, the largest square in the city, and the neighboring Zhengzhou Science and Technology Museum in the north, lies the Zhengzhou City Museum. It is a choice place for people to visit and learn about the history of the municipality. Displayed in 8 halls and arranged according to the historical development, the antiques unearthed in Zhengzhou region highlight the brilliant ancient history and culture of the area.

[riasbaixas]

2008.06.23






Hong Kong position in China:



The Clock Tower is a landmark in Hong Kong. It is located on the southern shore of Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. It is the only remnant of the original site of the former Kowloon Station on the Kowloon-Canton Railway. Officially named Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower (前九廣鐵路鐘樓), it is usually referred to as the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower (尖沙咀鐘樓) for its location.
Built out of red bricks and granite, the Clock Tower peaks at 44 metres, and is topped by a 7-metre lightning rod. The top of the tower can be reached by a wooden staircase located within. It is located near Victoria Harbour at the foot of Salisbury Road. Another landmark, the Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier, is located nearby.
The tower has been listed as a declared monument in Hong Kong since 1990.

[cmoonflyer]

All the awesome pics for every day's enjoyment , and it has been my habit to view the new post , thanks for sharing . And miss the thread - Planet Earth !

[riasbaixas]

2008.06.24









Hubei position in China:


East Lake, the biggest scenery tourist attraction in Wuhan and also the largest lake within a city in China, is located on the south bank of the Yangtze River and in the east suburb of Wuchang. It covers an area of 87 square kilometers (33 square kilometers of water area) that is five times greater than the area of the West Lake in Hangzhou . Because of its winding banks and crisscrossing ponds and brooks, it is called 'a lake with 99 bays'. The East Lake Scenic Area was formed from many famous scenic spots along the bank.

[riasbaixas]

2008.06.25






Hunan position in China:


Longjin Roofed Bridge is also called “Flower Bridge”, “Luck Bridge”. In 1591, the ninth year of Wanli, in Ming Dynasty, the famous monk Kuanyun took the initiative to build this bridge. Destroyed and re-built for several times, it has always been the transportation fortress of Hunan-Guizhou highroad as well as a busy place with merchants and tourists. It was called “the first bridge of Chu (ancient Chu, including Hunan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang)”.
In the beginning of 1999, Longjin Bridge was rebuilt again and completed on November 7th, the same year. The rebuilt Longjin Bridge is 12.2 meters wide, 146.7 meters long, and the biggest roofed bridge all over the world. It is very special, because it is composed of huge stones, wooden body, corridor and pavilion. The whole bridge is of all wooden structure, without any nails. It looks like a dragon across the river, very magnificent. It maintains well the architectural culture of Dong ethic groups and embodies the modern garden architecture arts. At the left side of the bridge, there stands “Tianhou Palace”, which is the biggest and best-preserved sea goddess temple in mainland China. The carving arts of the arched door as well as their stories are very unique.

[riasbaixas]

2008.06.26









Inner Mongolia position in China:


Five-Pagoda Temple (Wuta Si), which is also called Jingangzuo Sheli Baota, is located in Hohhot City. As there are five small dagobas on the pedestal of the pagoda, it is named Wuta Si. Wuta was originally a building of the temple constructed during 1727-1732. Now the temple has disappeared, but the pagoda has remained.
The pagoda is 16 meters high (about 51 feet) and it is composed of three parts: the base, the seat and the top (five dagobas). The lower part of the seat is inlaid with inscriptions of Diamond Sutra written in Mongolian, Tibetan and Sanskrit. The upper part is niches holding gold-plated statues of Buddha. The body of the pagoda is glazed in greens and yellows.
On the northern wall of the pagoda, three sculptures are inlaid. The Mongolian Astronomical Map is the only one labeled in Mongolian so far in the world and it is of great importance to scientific research.
Compared with other pagodas, Five-Pagoda Temple is unique in at least two aspects: its special structure, pagodas over pagoda, and the green and yellow colored glazes on the short eaves and tops of pagodas. Those make Five-Pagoda Temple quite special, a treasure of Hohhot City.

[riasbaixas]

2008.06.27



The Pavillion



The entrance



Jiangsu


Covering an area of 80,000 square meters (about 20 acres), Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum is located in the Zhong Mountain Scenic Area in the east suburb of Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province. As the mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the father of the Republic of China, it is considered the Holy land of Chinese people both home and abroad. With deep historical significance, magnificent architecture and beautiful scenery, it is a must see when traveling in Nanjing.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925) was a great forerunner of the Chinese democratic revolution and led by Dr. Sun the Chinese people brought down the corrupt rule of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and ended 2000 years of the feudal monarchy system, which led the Chinese peoples in to a new age.
The majestic mausoleum's construction was started in 1926 and completed in 1929. The whole Mausoleum Scenic Area represents an alarm bell as seen from the air, symbolizing the noble spirit and heroic efforts of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's devotion to the Chinese people, fight of oppression and wining the independence of China. Facing south, the structures, along with the mountain ascends gradually along with the central axis line running from south to the north and is regarded as the most outstanding mausoleum in Chinese modern architectural history.

[cmoonflyer]

Mt.Wuyi, Fujian Province









Fujian location in China:


Located south of Wuyishan City, Fujian Province, with an area of 70 square kilometers, the area has what is probably the largest, most typical and best-preserved humid subtropical native forest in the world. It was nominated as a biosphere reserve of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Program in 1987.
The cliffs and waters of Wuyishan are outstanding. The workings of Nature of a typical Danxia landform have left behind 36 peaks, 72 caves, 99 prominent rocks and 108 scenic spots. The Stream with Nine Turnings is emerald green and crystal clear. The beauty of the mountain and its waters has made Wuyi known as "the most attractive mountain in southeast China".

Wuyishan is also known for being of great historic and cultural value. Cultural relics include the extensive remains of an ancient city of the Min Yue people, dating back over 2,000 years, the Ziyang Academy of Classical Learning, the tomb of Zhu Xi, cliffside sculptures, etc. Zhu Xi, a philosopher of the Southern Song Dynasty, taught for 40 years at Wuyishan and made it an academic center of southeast China.

[oliver999]

it's a shame as a chinese, i've never been to most of these places.

[riasbaixas]

2008.06.28






Jiangxi position in China:


Jinggangshan is located in the southwest of Jiangxi Province, near the border with Hunan. This remote region is famous in China as the area where a young Mao Zedong and other communist leaders set up the rural Jiangxi Soviet, an outpost against Nationalist (Guomindang) suppression. It was from here, after the People's Liberation Army troops, led by Zhu De and Zhou Enlai, fled here from Nanchang, that the epic Long March (1934-1936) was to begin. This group were to advance, harried by Guomindang troops and bandits, on a circuitous route through some of China's harshest regions, finally arriving in the little town of Yan'an, northern Shaanxi.

[riasbaixas]

2008.06.29






Jilin position in China:


Tonghua (通化) is an industrial city in the south of Jilin Province in the People's Republic of China. Jilin Province is one of three (the others being Heilongjiang to the northeast and Liaoning to the southwest) that comprise the region known as Dongbei (the Northeast) - commonly referred to in English as Manchuria.
Traditionally, Tonghua occupied a railhub position in a region of China noted for trade in only three agricultural commodities. These were ginseng, marten furs and deer antler products. In the 1980's Tonghua had some initial success with a wine distillery producing sweet, sticky red wines that proved popular with local consumers. From 1987 onwards a bienniel wine festival was inaugurated, but this and the industry it promoted ultimately failed commercially owing to competition with joint venture wine companies such as Dragon, who were able to produce a product that was marketable overseas. Following this failure, Tonghua industry was thrown back on its traditional agricultural products - and a few small but viable factories, including one specialising in artificial furs.
Poor, backward and, at local level, conservatively led, Tonghua was late in benefiting from the economic reforms (gai ge) of national leaders such as Zhao Ziyang. Although the railway provided useful direct links to major cities such as Shenyang, Tianjin and Changchun, few signs of progress could be seen on Tonghua's dirty streets until the mid-nineties, when plans were approved for a plethora of building projects which transformed the city. These have helped fuel a resurgence in Tonghua's commercial strength.
Today, Tonghua is one of the three largest natural herb bases of China. Medicine industry is well developed there. It is also an important forest area of Jilin and the 'Town of Skiing' in China. The ethnic minority group Gaojuli culture and the revolutionary culture of the Chinese Anti-Japanese War add more interest to the charm of the city.

[riasbaixas]

2008.06.30






Liaoning position in China:


Jade Buddha Park is located in the Dongshan Scenic Spot covering an area of 46 thousand square meters it is surrounded by hills in three directions and faces lakes. It is made up of the Jade Belt Bridge, the Bloom and Fruit Island, the Monastery Gate, the Imperial Road,the Platform, the Scripture Pillars, the Jade Buddha Temple，the Partial Halls and galleries. Its unique scenic beauty and human landscapes make the Buddha Culture, Jade Culture and Ancient Architecture Culture mixed harmoniously. It has become an artistic treasure of global ancient architectures.
Inside the temple seated the biggest jade buddla in the world. It was carved from one piece of jade stone weighing 260.76 tons，which was found in Xiuyan County, the famous “Hometown of Jade”, on July 22, 1960. The jade stone is 7.95m high, 6.88m wide and 4.10m thick. The Jade was carved into a sakyamuni in front and an Avalokitesvara at the back. Many enchanting and legendary events happened during the carving of the Jade Buddha. It makes many vistors at home and abroad linger on and gasp in admirtion.