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China & Tibet
Beyond the Ordinary Tours- Spiritual Journeys- to the most sacred
and spectacular sites in China & Tibet
Dao of Well Being Tours™
Glossary & Facts
The Forbidden City
at the center of Beijing, called Gu Gong in Chinese, was the imperial
palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Now known as the Palace
Museum, it is to the north of Tiananmen Square. Rectangular in
shape, it is the world's largest palace complex and covers 74
hectares. It is surrounded by a six meter deep moat and a ten meter
high wall and there are 9,999 buildings.
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The Terra Cotta
Warriors were created by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi
Huang di pronounced - Chin Shi Huang di. This amazing but
megalomaniac man conquered and united China from a collection of
warring states to become its First Emperor. He built the Great Wall
and amassed great works of art. Obsessed with a quest for the secret
of immortality, 70,000 workers built his tomb said to be filled with
legendary treasures. His 3000 wives and concubines followed him to
the grave. Over 8000 fantastic life-size clay warriors protected his
tomb. The Famous Terracotta Army - is now referred to as the eighth
wonder of the ancient world.
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Great Wall of China
was first built in the 7th century B.C. when China was still
divided into many small states. After the unification of China in
221 B.C., the first emperor of Qin Dynasty (you must have heard of
his teracotta army) linked the walls of the three states in the
north and formed the first "Wan Li Chang Cheng" (ten thousand li
Great Wall, li is a Chinese length unit, 2 li = 1 km). Since then,
the Great Wall was rebuilt, modified or extended throughout Chinese
history for over 2,000 years. Most of the Great Wall we see today
was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In some areas, two walls
built in two different dynasties can be seen running side by side.
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The Barkor
Bazaar is the most widely
visited pilgrimage site in Tibet. Lying at the center of the "Old
City" of Lhasa, it is the circumambulation path around the Jokhang,
the main cathedral of all of Tibet, with origins in the Tibet's
Imperial Period (from the 7th to the 9th Century CE). For the past
several hundred years, the Barkor has been a vibrant market,
pilgimage site and residential center. The circular Barkor path
ranges about 1 km in length, completely encircling the Jokhang and
passes by numerous shops, stalls, sidewalk vendors and temples. The
Barkor is itself surrounded by traditional Tibetan residential
buildings.
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Potala
Palace
Originally built by King Songtsen Gampo in
the seventh century, Potala Palace is located on the Red Hill of
Lhasa, Tibet. Destroyed by lightning and war, Potala Palace had been
rebuilt by the Fifth Dalai Lama in 1645. Since then, Potala Palace
has become the seat of Dalai Lamas and also the political center of
Tibet. The thirteenth Dalai Lama extended it to the present size,
117 meters (384 ft) in height and 360 meters (1,180 ft) in width,
covering an area of more than 130, 000 sq meters (about 32 acres).
Mainly comprised by the White Palace (administerial building) and
the Red Palace (religious building), Potala Palace is famous for its
grand buildings, complicated constructions, devotional atmosphere
and splendid artworks.
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Tibetan Prayer Wheels
are cylindrical wheels filled with rolls of paper that are printed
with mantras (sacred syllables) and prayers. Larger prayer wheels
line walls of shrines, monasteries, and chötens (Buddhist
monuments). Smaller hand-held prayer wheels are most often used by
the elderly. Devotees spin the prayer wheels in a clockwise
direction with their right hand and hold a mala (prayer beads) in
their left while reciting mantras and prayers.
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Tibetan Prayer Flags
are inscribed with auspicious symbols, prayers, and mantras.
Derived from Bön, Tibet's pre-Buddhist religion, prayer flags are
seen wherever Tibetan Buddhism or Bön have spread. Traditionally,
prayer flags are fastened to eaves, sewn onto ropes to be displayed
horizontally, or fastened to wooden poles for vertical display. It
is believed that these flags are a means to create an auspicious
environment and accumulate positive karma by having blessed prayers
and mantras blown from the top of houses, monasteries, or mountain
passes. The colors of the flags symbolize the five elements:
yellow/earth, white/water, red/fire, blue/wind, and green/space.
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"Our"
Orphanage
We have adopted this orphanage in Tibet. It supplies all of the
food, heat, shelter, clothing as well as tuition for schooling for
68 children ranging in age from one month old to 18 years. Many of
the children have never had any other family.
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Giant Panda Research Center
The giant pandas are not only a Chinese
national treasure but are also beloved by people the world over.
They are found only in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. In
total there are fewer than 1000, of which 80% are distributed within
the territory of Sichuan province. Therefore, when visitors from
home and abroad come to Chengdu, Sichuan Province one of their main
objectives will be to see the giant pandas for themselves. Located
just 10km (6miles) away from downtown Chengdu, the Chengdu Panda
Breeding Research Center has been created and imitates the pandas'
natural habitat in order that they might have a the best possible
environment for rearing and breeding. The Center cares also for
other rare and endangered wild animals. The Research Center covers
an area of 92 acres, 96% of which is verdure. Giant pandas, lesser
pandas, black-necked cranes, white storks as well as over 20 species
of rare animals are fed and bred there throughout the year. Verdant
bamboo, bright flowers, fresh air, a natural hill scene and a
beautiful artificial view are merged ingeniously at the base.
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Songtsam Lama Temple
Built by the 5th Dalai Lama in 1681, the temple is the
largest Tibetan Buddhist lamasery in Yunnan. It was almost
completely destroyed during the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966 -
1976), but has since been reconstructed, and today, Songzanlin
Monastery houses 800 monks and lamas. Constructed in the style of
Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, the spiritual complex resides on top
of a hill and consist of the Zhacang and Jikang lamaseries.
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Jorkang Temple
Included on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2000 as
part of the Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple is located in central
Lhasa in Tibet. With an area of 25,100 square meters (about six
acres), it is the ultimate pilgrimage destination for Tibetan
Pilgrims.
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Sera Monastery It is one of three
famous monasteries in Lhasa along with the Drepung Monastery and the
Ganden Monastery. The Sera Monastery is dedicated to the Gelugpa or
Yellow Hat Sect, a branch of Tibetan Buddhism, founded by Tsong
Khapa. Jamchen Chojey, one of Tsong Khapa's disciples built the
monastery in 1419 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The monastery
was named Sera which means wild rose in the Tibetan language,
because the hill behind it was covered with wild roses in bloom when
the monastery was built.
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Shangri-La Zhongdian County was
renamed Shangri-La County in 2001 by Chinese authorities after the
fictional land of Shangri-La in the novel "Lost Horizon". Previously
the county was called Zhongdian, among Chinese, and Gyalthang, among
Tibetans. The capital of the county is also known as Shangri-La,
before 2001 it was named Jiantang Town. James Hilton was inspired by
the Shangri-La of the Tibetan Buddhist Scriptures, where human
beings, animals, and nature lived in harmony under the rule of a
Tibetan Monastery.
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Tibetan Traditional Hospital
Originally
built in 1916, Mentsekhang (also called 'Tibetan Medical and
Astrological Institute' at that time) was the place of research for
Tibetan medicine and calendar calculations for the former Tibetan local
government. After a large expansion in 1980, Mentsekhang became the
center for the treatment, training, research and production of Tibetan
medicine. Covering an area of more than 40,000 sq meters (about 10
acres) and with a staff of 450, Mentsekhang is also the biggest Tibetan
traditional hospital in Tibet. The hospital focuses on the research of
Tibetan traditional medicine. Tibetan doctors believe that human bodies
have close relationship to weather. Beautiful thangkas hanging on the
wall are used to depict the system of Tibetan medicine while training
doctors-to-be. The statues of the Medicine Buddha also can be seen by
visitors. Many unique vessels as well as herbs and ores which are used
as materials of traditional medicine are also on exhibition. In the
hospital, visitors can try to understand the mysticism of Tibetan
traditional medicine.
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Lijiang has the best preserved ancient town
in China - the Old Town which has been listed in the World Cultural
Heritages by UNESCO in 1997. The Old Town was once the center of
Lijiang and continues to maintain the original flavor of the local
lifestyle, the typical groups of buildings and the profound cultural
heritage of the region. When wandering along Square Street or any
other streets in the Old Town, you will be struck by the peaceful
surroundings. From enjoying the sight of the setting sun from
historic hotels to local farmsteads, there are many favorable things
here for travelers. Naturally, there are a number of tour
destinations to enhance your visit as well.
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Naxi
China officially recognizes 55 ethnic minorities. The people of the
Naxi ethnic minority mostly live in the Naxi Autonomous County in
Lijiang, Yunnan Province, while the rest live in Sichuan and Tibet.
Their population is 308,893 according to the 2000 census.
According to
historical documents, the forefathers of the Naxi people were
closely related to a tribe called "Maoniu Yi" in the Han Dynasty
(206 B.C.-A.D. 220), "Mosha Yi" in the Jin Dynasty (265-420) and
"Moxie Yi" in the Tang Dynasty (618-907).
In the name Naxi (also spelled Nakhi), Na means senior and honored and
Xi means people. Before the foundation of modern China in 1949, most
of the Naxi held the faiths of Dongba Jiao, believing that all have
spirits and those spirits could never die.
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Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Mountain)
is the southernmost glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. Consisting
of 13 peaks, among which Shanzidou is the highest one with an
altitude of 5,600 meters (18,360 feet), Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
stretches a length of 35 kilometers (22 miles) and a width of 20
kilometers (13 miles). Looking from Lijiang Old Town in the south
which is 15 kilometers (nine miles) away, the snow-covered and
fog-enlaced mountain resembles a jade dragon lying in the clouds,
hence, the name Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
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Cave
of the Heavenly Master Temple
This
cave and nearby temple is where ancient hermits and masters had
meditated. It is said that the Yellow Emperor had practiced in
these caves and transmitted many secret methods of practice. Also,
Lao Tse is said to have practiced and written some of his famous Tao
Te Ching here.
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Mt. Huashan
is known as 'The Number One Precipitous Mountain under
Heaven'. It is one of the five sacred mountains in China. From a
distance the five peaks seem to form the shape of a 'flower' (hua in
Chinese), hence the name 'Huashan'. It is famous for its natural
vistas of steep and narrow paths, precipitous crags, and a high
mountain range. It is home to several influential Taoist temples
where emperors of past dynasties made pilgrimages, making Mt.
Huashan the holy land of Taoism.
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Tsampa is a Tibetan
staple foodstuff particularly prominent in the central part of the
country. It is roasted flour, usually barley flour and sometimes
also wheat flour or rice flour. It is usually mixed with the salty
Tibetan Yak butter tea.
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Yak Butter Tea is another Tibetan
food staple. Made from yak butter and salted black tea churned
together, it resembles broth. The female yak (dri) provides rich
milk from which butter, yogurt, and various dried cheeses are
derived.
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Jiaozi Dumpling were so
named because they were horn shaped. The Chinese for "horn" is
jiǎo
(角), and jiaozi was originally written with the Chinese character for
"horn", but later it was replaced by a specific character 饺, which
has the food radical on the left and the phonetic component jiāo
on the right. According to folk tales, jiaozi were invented by Zhang
Zhongjing, one of the greatest practitioners of traditional Chinese
medicine in history. They were originally named because they were
used to treat frostbitten ears.
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BWCAW- The Boundary
Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a mouthful for a name but worth every
word. One million acres of hundreds of inter-connecting lakes and
streams in Northeastern Minnesota, USA. It was designated a
"wilderness" in 1978 and set aside as a non-motorized canoe (and
very limited hiking) area. The BWCAW sits alongside of the Canadian
Quetico Provincial Park, another one million acres set aside for
wilderness canoeing. We live here and present our "Qigong Women in
the Wilderness" weeklong workshop/retreat here.
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Fragrant Hills Park
The park was first built in 1186 in the
Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) and later extended to a large scale in the
Yuan and Ming dynasties. In 1745, Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799)
ordered the addition of many new halls, pavilions and gardens and
gave it a new name, Jingyi Garden (Garden of Tranquility and
Pleasure). Unfortunately, in 1860 and 1900 after the Summer Palace
and the Yuanming Yuan (the Old Summer Palace) were set on fire, lots
of relics in the Fragrant Hills were damaged by foreign troops.
Since 1949, with a half-century's restoration and development by
Chinese government, Fragrant Hills Park has been recognized as one
of the ten most famous parks in Beijing.
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The Summer Palace
The Summer Palace has a history of over 850
years - an imperial garden has existed here since 1150. Early in the
Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), an imperial palace named 'Golden Hill
Palace' was built on the present site of the Summer Palace. The
history of the gardens at the New Summer Palace dates back to the
Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan. To improve Beijing's water supply, he
ordered the construction of canals transporting water from the
Western Hills to an enlarged lake, now known as the Summer Palace's
Kunming Lake. This lake was to serve as a reservoir for Beijing - a
function that it still performs today.
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Sichuan Opera (Chuan
Ju) originated at the end of the Ming (1368-1644) and the beginning
of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). With immigrants flooding into
Sichuan, different dramas were brought in to blend with the local
dialect, customs, folk music and dances. Gradually, brisk humorous
Sichuan Opera, reflecting Sichuan culture, came into being. Face
changing is the highlight of Sichuan Opera. It is said that ancient
people painted their faces to drive away wild animals. Sichuan Opera
absorbs this ancient skill and perfects it into an art. There are
three types of face changes. The Wiping Mask routine, the Blowing
Mask routine which works with powder cosmetics, such as gold,
silver, and ink powders and the Pulling Mask routine which is the
most complicated.
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QingYang Gong,
(Green Sheep Temple) a Taoist temple built during the Eastern
Han dynasty. Variously called the Green Ram or Grey Sheep Temple,
this is a square building with a round dome, illustrating the
Chinese belief that "the sky is round and the earth is square".
There are eight pillars within which symbolize the eight trigrams.
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Tiger Leaping Gorge
is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northwest of Lijiang Old
Town lying between Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Xueshan) and
Haba Snow Mountain (Haba Xueshan) is Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao
Gorge), which is believed to be the deepest gorge in the world. From
the top of the gorge you look down the steeply angled (70-90
degrees) mountain sides to the rushing Golden Sands (Jingsha) River
with its 18 frothing rapids more than 200 meters (about 700 feet)
below. This is a great sightseeing stop with enormous photo
opportunities. Bring your camera, wear skid proof shoes, and be
prepared to be astonished.
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Weibao Mountain
(Mt. Towering Treasures) is located in the south of Weishan County
about 70 km. north of Dali. The mountain looks like a crouching lion
who turns its head back and looks at the county seat and the
belt-like Guajiang River in the mist. Weibao Mountain was the place
where Xinuluo, the head of Mengshe Zhao during the early Nanzhao
period, rose to power, and it was also an important Daoist mountain
in Yunnan. Undulating and magnificent hills are covered with dense
forests and there are more than 20 temples scattered over the
mountain.
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Mount Qingcheng
65km west of Chengdu, Qingchengshan Mountain (Qingchengshan) is one of
the ancient cradles of Daoism. The mountain has numerous Daoist
temples and sites along the paths to its peak. The area is green all
year round and is known for its secluded tranquility. Mt. Qingcheng
is located at the Dujiangyan scenery spot of Chengdu, Sichuan
province. It is a famous mountain of Taoism. Surrounded by countless
peaks and densely covered by ancient trees whose branches reaching
the sky, the mountain was named "Mt. Qingcheng" (Green Town in
Chinese). The mountain includes two parts-the anterior Mt. Qingcheng
and the posterior Mt. Qingcheng. The anterior mountain is famous for
its beautiful scenery and numerous cultural and historic sites;
while the posterior mountain is noted for its paradisiacal scenery,
primitive and brilliant, gorgeous and mysterious. With its annually
average temperature of 15 centigrade, Mt. Qingcheng belongs to humid
subtropical monsoon climate. It is reputed as "Dong Tian Fu Di"
(means wonderful mountain and happy place), "the fairyland on
earth".
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Tianshi Cave, About
halfway up Mount Qincheng sits Tianshi Cave (Tianshi Dong) the major
temple and school of Zhang Daolin, a famous Daoist master who taught
here and contributed greatly to spreading Daoism in China. The
present Tianshi Cave buildings were built at the end of the Qing
Dynasty. According to legend, in the Eastern Han dynasty, Zhang
Daolin had been here for preaching. In the Three Kings Palace, the
main hall of the Tianshi Cave, the stone inscriptions of three kings
of Tang dynasty were laid. The palace contains wood and stone
tablets of past dynasties. The most famous include the Tang
Xuanzong's imperial decree and Yuefei's handwriting of Zhu Geliang's
Chushibiao. .
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Yamdrok Lake
It is the largest freshwater lake at the south foot of the Himalayas
with an area of about 638 square kilometers (about 246 square
miles). The lake is in a length of 130 kilometers (about 81 miles)
and a width of 70 kilometers (about 43 miles). The surface of the
lake is about 4,441 meters (about 14,570 feet) above the sea level.
Yamdrok Lake is said to be the female Guardian of Buddhism in Tibet.
People here believe that it will bless and protect them. Every year,
many devotional followers in Tibet or from other places would come
here for pilgrimage. Some of them start on foot and give one
prostration every three steps even from hundreds of kilometers away.
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Yunnan
(Beautiful Clouds in the South) Province is the most southwest region
of China bordering the countries of Vietnam, Laos, and Burma. Within
these borders, Yunnan has a diverse topography that ranges from
alpine mountain ranges to tropical rainforests and the greatest
number of plant species in China (more than 18,000) as well as an
incredible array of animals, including the Asian elephant and the
protected Yunnan golden monkey. There is even a rainforest in the
area known as Xishuangbanna where you will find many rare and
endangered species of plants and animals.
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Bai
ethnic group. The main distribution of the Bai people is in the Dali
Bai Autonomous County of Yunnan Province, together with Lijiang,
Kunming, Yuanjiang, Guizhou and so on. According to the census taken
in 2000, the Bai ethnic group numbered some 1,858,063 individuals.
The Bai people favor white clothes and decorations. White in Chinese
is pronounced 'Bai', so maybe this is where their name derives from.
Women in Dali traditionally wear a white coat trimmed with a black
or purple collar, blue loose trousers; embroider shoes, silver
bracelets and ear rings.
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Lhasa,
sometimes spelled Lasa, is the traditional capital of Tibet and
the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic
of China. Lhasa is located at the foot of Mount Gephel. The city is
the traditional seat of the Dalai Lama and the Potala and
Norbulingka palaces and in Tibetan Buddhism is regarded as the
holiest centre in Tibet. The city is home to about 255,000
inhabitants and, at an altitude of approximately 3,650 m (11,975
ft), is one of the highest cities in the world. Lhasa literally
means "place of the gods", although ancient Tibetan documents and
inscriptions demonstrate that the place was called Rasa,
which means "goat's place", until the early 7th century.
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Yuyuan
Bazaar (also known as the Yu Garden Market) is located next
to the Yuyuan Garden. Originally there was just a temple (the City
God Temple) that built in the 15th Century. Today the area is also
home to a lively market that specializes in traditional Chinese arts
and crafts. Over 100 years ago there was an increase in pilgrims who
came to worship at the temple. As a result businesses and peddlers
began to open up shops in the immediate area to cater to these
pilgrims. Since that time this market has continued to grown in
importance. Today you can find more than 100 different shops and
restaurants in the immediate area. It is a place where locals and
tourists go to find unique items to purchase and grab a bite to eat
at one of the many restaurants. If you come to study and learn
Chinese in Shanghai, stop by the Yuyuan Bazaar to learn and
experience a little of the Chinese culture. If you have questions
about how to get to the Yuyuan Bazaar, just ask the staff at the
Chinese language school in Shanghai.
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Yuyuan Garden is
centrally located in the downtown area of Shanghai. Today it is
considered to be the finest example of the classical garden style
used in Shanghai. The Yuyuan Garden was built in the mid 1500's
during the Ming Dynasty. The Yuyuan Gardens are actually a
combination of gardens laid out in an intricate manner along with a
series of buildings and courtyards. If you want to see classical
Chinese gardens, then a stop at the Yuyuan Garden is a must.
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Old
City God's Temple is a major yet relatively inactive, Taoist
temple in Shanghai. It is located in the area south of Yan'an Road
on the Fangbang Zhong Road. During the Ming Dynasty, Zhangshouyue,
the head of Shanghai County, dedicated a temple to the local city
god. Since then, the City God's Temple has been destroyed several
times and the current temple was built in 1926. During the the war
of resistance against Japanese invasion during World War II, local
merchants built a new City God's Temple in the Foreign Concession
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Shanghai Museum
As a museum of ancient Chinese art, Shanghai Museum possesses a
collection of 120,000 precious works of art. Its rich and
high-quality collection of ancient Chinese bronze, ceramics,
painting and calligraphy is specially celebrated in the world.
Founded and first open to the public in the building previously of
the horseracing club at 325 W. Nanjing Road in 1952 and then moved
into the former Zhonghui Building at 16 S. Henan Road in 1959, the
museum developed very quickly in aspects of acquisition,
conservation, research, exhibition, education and cultural exchanges
with other institutes. In 1992, the Shanghai municipal government
allocated to the Museum a piece of land at the very center of the
city, the People's Square, as its new site. The whole construction
took three years, from August 1993 to its inauguration on October
12th, 1996. The 29.5 meters high new building has a construction
space of 39,200 square meters. Its unique architectural form of a
round top with a square base, symbolizing the ancient Chinese
philosophy that the square earth is under the round sky, is a
distinguished architectural combination of traditional feature and
modern spirit. The present Shanghai Museum has eleven galleries and
three special temporary exhibition halls.
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Chengdu's history can be
traced back to 2,400 years ago when the first emperor built his
capital here and named the city. Through thousands of years its
original name has been kept and its position as the capital and as
the significant center of politics, commerce and military of the
Sichuan area (once called Shu) has remained unchanged. Since before
the Han (206B.C.-220) and Tang (618-907) Dynasties, its ( the Shu
Dynasty) handicraft industry flourished, Chengdu has been famous for
its brocades and embroideries. Shu embroideries still enjoy a high
reputation for their bright colors and delicate designs, ranking
among the four main embroideries in China. Chengdu was the place
where the bronze culture, an indispensable part of ancient Chinese
culture, originated, the place where the Southern Silk Road started,
and the place where the earliest paper currency, Jiaozi (not the
dumpling!), was first printed. It is listed among the first 24
state-approved historical and cultural cities and owns 23 state and
provincial cultural relic units.
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Dalai Lama
In Tibetan Buddhism, the
successive Dalai Lamas form a lineage of allegedly reborn
magistrates which traces back to 1391. They are of the Gelug sect of
Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhists believe the Dalai Lama to be one of
innumerable incarnations of Avalokiteśvara ("Chenrezig" in
Tibetan), the bodhisattva of compassion. Between the 17th century
and 1959, the Dalai Lama was the head of the Tibetan government,
administering a large portion of the country from the capital Lhasa.
He is often styled "His Holiness" (HH) before his title. The Dalai
Lama is often thought to be the head of the Gelug sect, but this
position officially belongs to the Ganden Tripa (Tibetans call the
Dalai Lama by the name of Gyalwa Rinpoche ( meaning "Precious
Victor," or Yishin Norbu meaning "Wish-fulfilling Jewel". The 14th
(and current) Dalai Lama was awarded the USA's Congressional Gold
Medal on October 17, 2007.
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Xian, the eternal city,
records the great changes of the Chinese nation just like a living
history book. Called Chang'an in ancient times, Xian is one of the
birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow River Basin
area of the country. During Xian's 3,100 year development, 13
dynasties such as Western Zhou (11th century BC - 771 BC), Qin (221
BC - 206 BC), Western Han (206 BC - 24 AD) and Tang (618 - 907)
placed their capitals here. So far, Xian enjoys equal fame with
Athens, Cairo, and Rome as one of the four major ancient
civilization capitals.
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The Bell Tower
in Xi'an is
situated in the very heart of the city and at the junction of four
main roads. The original city Bell Tower was situated to the west of
this site and the present construction was built in 1582 and
restored in 1739. There is a huge bell hanging on the roof of the
tower which was traditionally used to tell the time by and there are
other, smaller bells on exhibit in the tower too.
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Drum Tower.
This is a smaller building, situated in a lively street which is
filled with street traders and hawkers. This tower marks the
entrance to the city's Muslim Quarter which is a lovely area to
wander and observe. the felling here is almost of a "city within a
city" and the streets around this district heading up to the Mosque
are like a small village crammed with people selling all kinds of
weird and wonderful things.
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Chinese Time Zones
with its large territory, China
spans five time zones. For the past few decades,
however, the geographical region of China, which includes mainland
China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, has been in the same time zone
which is eight hours ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+8).
Although all jurisdictions within the region are placed under the
same time zone, due to historical and political reasons different
jurisdictions keep their own time standard and have their own names.
In mainland China, which is under the administration of the People's
Republic of China (PRC), the time standard is called the Beijing
Time or Chinese Standard Time. A summer daylight saving
time was observed from 1986 through 1991, but no longer observed.
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Mosuo
are, to many people, one of the most fascinating minority groups in
China. Although commonly described as a matriarchal
culture, the truth is much more complicated (and interesting) than
that, and really defies categorization in traditional models. In
general, it is true that Mosuo women take a leading role in the
family (owning property, making business decisions, etc.); and that
women have more power/autonomy in many regards than in many other
cultures. But there are many non-matriarchal facets of their
culture, as well. Of course, one of the most interesting – and
famous – aspects of Mosuo culture is the practice of “walking
marriages”, a practice in which couples do not marry, but rather
women can choose (and change) partners as they wish. But modern
depictions of the Mosuo as sexually promiscuous (particularly
marketing of Lugu Lake as a “sex tourist” area) are misleading at
best, and often damaging. The real “center” of Mosuo culture, if one
exists, would be Yongning. Commonly considered the Mosuo capital, it
is home to the largest Mosuo Tibetan monastery, and is a center of
Mosuo religion and culture.
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Pumi One of 25 ethnic minorities of
Yunnan,The Pumi nationality has a population of only 31,000. They
live mainly in Lanping County of Nujiagn Prefecture, Ninglang ,
Lijiang, Yongshen counties of Lijniang Prefecture and weixi County
of diqing Prefecture. Their ancestors were the Guqiang, a nomadic
tribe on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
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Lake Lugu-The last peaceful place on the
planet, the last place where war has never existed, where people
live in harmony, is Lugu Lake. The lake is home to the Mosuo
minority, one of China's 56 ethnic groups, hidden in the shadows of
the Xiaoliang Mountains, bordering Sichuan Province and Yunnan
Province of China. Anthropologists have noted Lugu Lake as an
oddity in the study of human society. According to many scholars,
the Mosuo have done away with the problem of sexual harassment,
burglary, murder, rape, domestic disputes between mother in-laws and
daughter in-laws, and individual desire for economic gain. Hence
their language has no words for war, rape, or murder.
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Tao Te Ching
or Dao De Jing
is a Chinese classic text. Its name comes from the opening words
of its two sections: 道 dào
"way," plus 經 jīng
"classic." According to tradition, it was written around the 6th
century BC by the Taoist sage Laozi (or Lao Tzu, "Old Master"),
a record-keeper at the Zhou Dynasty court, by whose name the
text is known in China. The text's true authorship and date of
composition or compilation are still debated.The
Tao Te Ching
is fundamental to the Taoist school of Chinese philosophy and
strongly influenced other schools, such as Legalism and
Neo-Confucianism. This ancient book is also central in Chinese
religion, not only for Taoism but Chinese Buddhism, which when
first introduced into China was largely interpreted through the
use of Taoist words and concepts. Many Chinese artists,
including poets, painters, calligraphers, and even gardeners
have used the Tao Te Ching
as a source of inspiration. Its influence has also spread widely
outside East Asia, aided by hundreds of translations into
Western languages.
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