The Forbidden City
Located at the heart of Beijing, the Forbidden City is the best preserved and largest palace in the world. It served as the imperial palace during the Ming Dynasty. It took 14 years to complete and tens of thousands of laborers worked hard to finish it. Measuring 961 meters by 753 meter, the rectangular-shaped palace has 8,707 rooms in a 155,000-square-meter area. Because it was a castle, it had to a follow a specific building code which reflected the emperor's status and paramount authority. The Forbidden City has 4 gates: the Wu Gate, the Donghua Gate, the Xhua Gate, and the Shenwu Gate. The Wu Gate, which is the main entrance, has 5 arches. The middle arch was built as the central axis of Beijing City and the palace.
Visitors, even high-ranking government officials, can only enter the palace through the side arch. The National Palace is further divided into the interior and external imperial courts. The exterior is where rituals and festivals were held. Feudal rulers also showed their power in the exterior court. The interior court was the dwelling place of the emperor and his family. When the Qing feudal dynasty fell in 1911, the emperor continued to live in the palace until 1924 when he abdicated his throne. In 1925, the Forbidden City was transformed to become the Palace Museum. When the People's Republic of China was established, the Palace Museum was renovated. It was put on the World Heritage List in 1987.
The Great Wall of China
As a part of the history of human civilization, the Great Wall of China was considered as the 8th Wonder of the World. Its construction was believed to have been started from 770BC to 221BC. When China was unified under Qinshihuang, he ordered the construction of the wall. Succeeding dynasties continued the extension and strengthening of the wall. During the Ming Dynasty, this wall was extended from Pohai's Shanhaiguan to Gansu's Jiayuguan. Measuring about 7.8 meters in height, it has a watchtower for every 100 meters.
The Great Wall of China was constructed to defend its borders against other nomad nationalities and kingdoms. However, it was proved to be useless in defending against the enemies. In fact, Ming Dynasty's emperor Yingzong was taken by the Qirat when they broke down the wall. The Great Wall of China is a symbol of human civilization in China. Currently, it is a popular tourist spot. In 1987, it was included in the World Heritage List.
Shanghai Bund
Located in the Huangpu District, the Shanghai Bund is a popular Shanghai landmark and destination. It often refers to the wharves and the building. The Bund includes 52 buildings of different architectural styles like Art Deco, Neo-Classical, Renaissance, Romanesque, and Gothic. It used to be a desolate area. However, Shanghai developed it when it had to open the area as a treaty port after the First Opium War. During the 1990s, the Bund was renovated. A popular spot in the area is the bronze statue of Chen Yi, who was Shanghai's 1st communist mayor. Concerts are held in front of the statue during weekends.
Terracotta Warriors
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses is located in Xian in the Lintong District. In 1987, it was also included in the list of World Cultural Heritage. The figures represent Qin Shi Huang's soldiers which were buried with the emperor when they died to protect him. These Terracotta Warriors were discovered in 1974. It was reported that there at least 8,000 soldiers, 150 cavalry horses, and 150 chariots with 520 horses in 3 square-shaped pits. By taking a closer look, a tourist can discover that each Terracotta Warrior has its own facial expression and posture.
The Temple Of Heaven
Situated in Beijing's southeast, the Temple of Heaven has been in existence for at least 500 years. It was built during the Ming and Qing dynasties so that the emperors can worship the heaven. It is China's best preserved and largest architectural structure for sacrifice. With an area of 2.7 million square meters, its walls have 2 layers to divide the temple into the inner and outer enclosures. The main buildings are the Circular Mound Altar, the Imperial Heavenly Vault, and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.
The Hall of Prayer has massive wood columns to symbolize the four seasons, the 12 daily hours, and the 12 months. The Vault of Heaven is smaller and without crossbeams. The Circular Mound Altar, on the other hand, is a white stone terrace with 2 sets of walls which symbolize the round heaven and the square earth. During the winter solstice, the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worship the heaven in the Circular Mound Altar. The temple was included in the World Cultural Heritage list in 1998.
Li River
The Li River is a scenic spot with the most beautiful and largest karsts scenery. It stretches for 83 kilometers from the Maoer Mountain to Yangshuo. The river decorated by verdant and undulant hills, leisurely boats and fishermen, and wonderful caves. The first scenery from Guilin to Huangniu Gorge includes the Huangnue Gorge, Daxu Ancient Town, Forest of Odd Shaped Peaks, Pagoda Hill, Rooster Fighting Hill, and the Elephant Trunk Hill. The second scenery from Huangniu Valley to Shuiluo Village includes the XingPing Ancient Town, the Yellow Cloth Shoal, the Mural Hill, the Yangdi Village, the Crown Cave, and the Wangfu Rock. The last scenery from Shuiluo Village to Yangshuo includes the Shutong Hill, the Bilian Peak, and the Snail Hill. During sunny days, white clouds and verdant hills are reflected in the river. During rainy days, mist covers the nearby mountains and the river.
0 comments:
Post a Comment