Shanghai: Autumn Scenery in Guyi Garden

News said that the autumn this year in is the longest one in Shanghai in recently years, but the leaves are still in green. In recent days, maple leaves are turning red, so I brought my camera to take some photos the other day. But guess what? I saw several purple magnolia were in full bloom. Purple magnolia is supposed to blossom in Spring. It is really a magical garden.

 The autumn comes late in Shanghai. Usually when north China sheeted down with snow, the autumn of Shanghai will come belatedly. In Shanghai, the time to see red maple leaves and yellow ginkgo leaves is quite short. After a following autumn rain, autumn goes away without nothing left and winter comes.

There are many places for you to appreciate autumn scenery, and most of which assemble in the surrounding areas, such as Qixia Mountain in Nanjing city, Tianping Mountain in Suzhou Mountain, further to Wuyuan County in Jiangxi Province or Tachuan, Hongcun Village in Qianxian County of Anhui Province.
If you are planing a Shanghai to Xian tour, Guyi Garden is a perfect place to view autumnal scenery. Of course, a Xian tour will bring you more surprise, not only the natural scenery.

Beijing: Autumn in Diaoyutai State Guest House

Every autumn, Beijing will be colored by golden leaves. A vast of golden world comes flooding in my eyes and then captures my heart. In Beijing, red leaves is the most famous while ginkgo leaves is absolutely the most beautiful. In late autumn, place where ginkgo trees grow will turn yellow, just like a fairy land. The history of planting ginkgo has been long in Beijing, but the most beautiful ginkgo are those in front of Diaoyutai State Guest House. It is said that these ginkgoes are the first group planted in Beijing. Today’s Diaoyutai can be said as a landmark in Beijing to appreciate ginkgo trees.

 Walking along the ginkgo venues in Beijing, the yellow ginkgo leaves are just like bar chimes hanging in the trees and rustling in the wind. I have a wonderful trip im my Beijing Xian tour in autumn 2010, Diaoyutai is a good destination for your trip. In fact, if you travel Xian, there is another gorgeous scenery of plane trees in Xian Jiaotong University in autumn.

Located in east of Yuyuantai Park, Haidian District, Beijing, China’s capital city,the Diaoyutai State Guest House is an ancient royal garden and modern state guest house building complex. Emperor Wan Yanjing of Jin Dynasty had building a platform(“tai”in Chinese) here to do fishing(“Diao yu”in Chinese), hence the name “Diaoyutai”. It has a history of over 800 year. In Qing Dynasty, Emperor Qianlong ordered to dredge Yuyuantan and build a palace here, therefore, it is saved as a royal garden.

Mongolia: Dadain Jaran Desert

Located in western Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region and the North of Hexi Corridor in Gansu Province, Badain Jaran Desert covers a total area of 47,000 square kilometers.

Being the third largest desert in China and the forth largest in the world, the annual precipitation here is less than 40 mm, but what really surprise you is that there are over 100 lakes in Badain Jaran Desert. The whether there is very different from that of Xian. The cloud-kissing sand dune, as well as mysterious singing sand, quiet lakes and wetlands presents you a gorgeous desert landscape, which makes it a hot-spot and an ideal place for exploration.

So far, no one has arrived in northwest of the desert. With altitude ranging from 1200 to 1700 meters, the relative altitude is over 500 meters, therefore it is renowned as “Desert Everest”. Geologically, the desert belongs to Alashan block. It consists of denuded monadnock and hollows in mountainous area. With Quaternary sediment covering on the surface, it form a vast Gobi desert.

Peculiar mountain, singing sand, lakes, mysterious spring and temple are called the “Five Miracles of Dadain Jaran”. Due to wind stress, the sand dunes take on wave and tower shapes. There are 113 lakes scattering in the desert, among which 74 lakes have water all year around, and 12 are freshwater lakes, accounting for a total water area of 4.9 mu.

The above essay is originated from the website http://www.travel-xian.com/xian-tours

Fujian Xiamen: the Soth Putuo Temple

Situated at the foot of Wulao Peak in the south of Xiamen Island, South Putuo Temple (“Nan putuo” in Chinese)is the most famous temple in Fujian Province and it is also well known among all the Buddhist temples in China. The temple backs on to a group of exquisite peaks and is adjacent to Xianmen University, one of the top universities in China.

The temple was first built in Tang Dynasty and destroyed many times due to wars in the flowing years and was later rebuilt again in the 23rd year of Kangxi Reign in Qing Dynasty. As the temple is mainly for worshiping the Avalokitesvara ( a buddism godness named Guanyin or Guanshiyin) and the temple is located in the south of the Putuo hill of Zhoushan (a city in southern part of Zhejiang province), hence the name of South Putuo Temple.

With a total area of over 258,000 square kilometers, the temple has numerous worshippers and pilgrims all year around. There are many magnificent buildings and attractions in the South Putuo Temple, namely the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Shrine of Sakyamuni Buddha, the Hall of Great Compassion, the Surta House, the Drum and Bell Towers, and the Thousand Hands Buddhist. In addition, a great number of inscriptions by celebrities have been well preserved round the temple, and a Chinese character 'Buddha'(佛) was inscribed on a cliff behind the temple.

Yunnan: encounter a Bai People’s town along Erhai Lake

I heard Xizhou from one of my friends incidentally. Because of the word “xi”, it impresses me a lot(because the “xi” character is in my name).One time when I went to Yunnan and passed by Dali city, I decided to visit Xizhou.

The first sight discouraged me a little. At the entrance of the town stands all the new built buildings for tourist development. After we parked the car, an old man came to the car and asked us to buy ticket. After paying 10 yuan RMB for each one, we followed the crowd and went into the so-called Courtyard of Family Yan.

We arrived at a corner and heard a faint song from the house. When we were about to have a look, a beautiful Bai girl stopped us and told us that we have to buy another 20 yuan RMB for the show. After thinking twice we gave it up.

When my friend asked me: “How is your feeling about the town?” I said: “Fair to middling.” I had thought about leaving, but when I remembered somebody once had described Xizhou as serenity, clean and… I decided to walk down to the deepest end. Will it present us another different look?

The answer is “YES”.

Walking pass by a small lane near Sifang Street, we discovered a tailor shop. The tailor was busy cutting a piece of colorful cloth. The camelia on the cloth were all embroidered by hands. Foreigners like these stuff very much and they are usually willing to buy a bag for hundreds yuan. However, the one in the tailor’s hand is not for sale. It is used to carry babies.

Ningbo: Chines style in the small fishing village— knotted Chinese buttons

Throughout Chinese history, each dynasty has its own symbolized costume and forms a unique costume culture, such as the Chinese cheongsam. At the same time, the knotted Chinese buttons also developed from belt into a byproduct of cheongsam which combines both practical use and decoration, therefore, a unique handicraft technique was developed.

In a small fishing village named Shipu in Ningbo City, China’s southeast Zhejiang Province, there is a Yugang ancient town. Walking along the narrow lane paved with stone, it is like stepping into a costal culture Museum. Among the a few museums, one named “Knotted Chinese Buttons” is quite exquisite, where exhibits more than 600 types with more than 1,000 knotted buttons.

The tiny buttons are embodied with unique and profound traditional Chinese culture. The knotted button is a kind of button which is used in traditional Chinese costume to fix clothes or decorations.The knotted button is developed from the ancient “knot”.In ancient times, people knot the belt to keep clothes fit their bodies. In addition, the knot symbolizes good wishes and blessings in Chinese people’s heart.

Sichuan: walk into the arcadia in your dream world

Daochengyading is located at the southern part of Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in China’s southwest Sichuan Province, the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and middle part of Hengduan Ranges. Yading means “the place facing the sun” in Tibetan. It is also called Qinggonggarisonggongbu, which means the Holy Land. Yading is subjected to alpine valley in topography.

With altitude ranging from 2900 meters(Gongga estuary) to 6032 meters(Xiannairi Peak) and a totally area of 1344 square meters, it is the best preserved and one of the most primeval alpine ecosystem in China so far. The beautiful natural scenery of alpine and valley attracts a large number of visitors every year, and it has become the arcadia people desire to go.

The waterfalls scattered can be seen everywhere in the valley, which formes a plateau-featured river tourism resource. From May to August every year, the water there would become milky, just like milk, therefore, the local people call it “the Miraculous Water”.

Chongqing in Southwest of China

With a population of more than 30 million Chongqing Municipality was approved by the National People’s Congress on March l4, 1997, and has become the fourth municipality after Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. It is the hub of water, land transportation and one of the leading trade ports in China. The most attractive tourist prime sight is the Thee Gorges of the Yangtze River长江三峡，a world-renowned tourist attraction The Gorges start at Baicheng in Fengjie County in the west and end at Nanjing Pass in Yichang in the east, passing through Fengjie, Wushan counties in Chongqing Municipality and on through Badong, Zigui counties and Yichang City in Hubei Province totalling 193 kilometres. The gorges themselves are like a long poem, a mysterious natural gallery . The 8-kilometre-long Qutang Gorge 瞿塘峡is famous for its magnificent precipices which form a colossal, nearly perfect gate over the river. The 44-kilometre-long Wuxia Gorge巫峡，with soaring fascinating mountain peaks rising from the riverbanks, is serene and secluded, and presents a panorama lovely scenery. The 66-kilometre-long Xiling Gorge西陵峡is well known for its numerous hidden rocks and perilous shoals The picturesque scenery along the river, which never fails to appeal to visitors will, will surely make them admire the mysterious creative power of nature. The Thee Little Gorges小三峡，referring to the three separate valleys of the Darting River, are respectively called “Dragon-Gate Gorge 龙门峡，” “Misty Gorge巴雾峡，” and “Emerald Gorge滴翠峡.” With clear water flowing fast though the gorges, the precipices and peaks towering to the sky, tourists can take a small lunk to enjoy these extremely marvelous spectacles of nature.