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 Posted January 22nd, 2008, 09:52 PM |
#4 (permalink)
| | Beijing, China 
China World Trade Center The 990-foot China World Trade Center, in Beijing, will be the centerpiece of Beijing's developing business district. The glass-and-steel tower very gradually steps back as it rises, looking a bit like a giant square telescope. Its facade is layered with a series of faceted vertical glass-and-metal fins, creating a texture that the firm says will look somewhat like a waterfall. For most westerners, Beijing day trips are an endless treasure, revealing incredible art, history and culture around every corner. Planning Beijing day tours and Beijing trips for anyone who has not spent time in China can seem a bit overwhelming at first, but the informed traveler should have no trouble creating the ideal vacation and day trip in Beijing.  Great Wall of China
There is little that can be said about the Great Wall of China that has not been stated over and over again throughout the wall's 2000 year history. Construction of the Great Wall started in 221 BC to defend the Middle Kingdom from Mongol soldiers. But many of the sections were already in place, built by a series of independent kingdoms stretched across the land, from Shanhaiguan on the east coast to Jiayuguan in the Gobi Desert – Emperor Qin Shihuang merely oversaw the joining of these walls. http://www.destination360.com/asia/china/great-wall-of-china.php   Forbidden City The city of Beijing swirls around the mystery of the Forbidden City of China. Also known as the Imperial Palace Museum, it has almost 10,000 buildings splayed across 250 acres – the enclosure housed the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for around 500 years. A behemoth of a national landmark, its inner workings hold thousands upon thousands of China's rarest treasures and artifacts. It should be no surprise that the Forbidden City of China is one of the premier places for tourists to visit. It's convenient location to the greater Beijing area certainly doesn't hurt, either.  Temple of HeavenThere are plenty of temples in China – but none are larger than the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. It's hard to miss this complex, located in the southerly Chongwen district, about four miles away from the city's epicenter. Even though the many temples of Beijing have equally inspiring titles – the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Moon, and the Temple of the Earth – the pinnacle of these buildings is the Temple of Heaven. Constructed in the early 15th century, the Temple of Heaven of China and its surroundings covers an area over five times the size of the nearby Forbidden City. http://www.destination360.com/asia/china/temple-of-heaven.php  Photograph by Macduff Everton  Beijing's Summer Palace is a charming natural landscape of hills and water, artfully populated with bridges, pavilions, palaces and temples.  Hu Tong One of the unique features of Beijing is its numerous Hutongs which means small lanes. The life of ordinary people in these lanes contributes greatly to the charm of this ancient capital. In these small lanes, you'll find many siheyuan, or quadrangles which are the living quarters of ordinary Beijingers. No one knows exactly how many lanes there are in Beijing which has been China's capital for five dynasties.  As the proud capital of modern China, Beijing is fast becoming a popular and fashionable tourist destination. And for good reason too. Beijing is not only the modern political, cultural and educational center of China, but holds the biggest collection of ancient sites and relics in the nation. Beijing has been at the center of China and the heart and soul of politics and society for over 5000 years. If the pace of change in the city today is anything to judge by, Beijing is determined to stay at the forefront of Chinese civilization.  ShiMao Olive Garden in Beijing  The Sacred Road  The Beijing Zoo Panda  The Juyongguan Great Wall
Xiangshan --------------------------------------------
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Last edited by mina; January 22nd, 2008 at 09:54 PM.
Reason: Doublepost Automerged
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