Map of China

http://geology.com/world/china-satellite-image.shtml

LIJIANG- Venice of the Far East China

The Old Town of Lijiang is a UNESCO World Heritage.The unique Naxi Culture is impressive.The Naxi People consider those plump girls as beauties.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4WlvTuvU6U

Charming Dali

In 2006,Dad and I went to Yunnan Province for a visit.We've been Kunming,Lijiang,Shangri-La and Yulong Mountain.My dad had live in Dali for 4 years and he likes Dali the most.As I want more people know about Dali,so I find a video online which can give you an overview of this beautiful place.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM9YTq4x-rE&feature=related

One of the greatest Chinese philosophers---Confucious

Chinese traditional culture is a mixer of Confucianism,Taoism and Buddhism.Confucianism controls the whole Chinese education values and from Han Dynasty,the government use Confucius quotes and the other famous articles of Confucianism as the reference of the national official admission exam.

• The profile of Confucius:

Confucius (551-479 BCE), according to Chinese tradition, was a thinker, political figure, educator, and founder of the Ru School of Chinese thought. His teachings, preserved in the Lunyu or Analects, form the foundation of much of subsequent Chinese speculation on the education and comportment of the ideal man, how such an individual should live his live and interact with others, and the forms of society and government in which he should participate. Fung Yu-lan, one of the great 20^th century authorities on the history of Chinese thought, compares Confucius' influence in Chinese history with that of Socrates in the West.

• Confucius and Education:

A hallmark of Confucius' thought is his emphasis on education and study. He disparages those who have faith in natural understanding or intuition and argues that the only real understanding of a subject comes from long and careful study. Study, for Confucius, means finding a good teacher and imitating his words and deeds. A good teacher is someone older who is familiar with the ways of the past and the practices of the ancients. (See Lunyu 7.22) While he sometimes warns against excessive reflection and meditation, Confucius' position appears to be a middle course between studying and reflecting on what one has learned. “He who learns but does not think is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.” (Lunyu 2.15) Confucius, himself, is credited by the tradition with having taught altogether three thousand students, though only seventy are said to have truly mastered the arts he cherished. Confucius is willing to teach anyone, whatever their social standing, as long as they are eager and tireless. He taught his students morality, proper speech, government, and the refined arts. While he also emphasizes the “Six Arts” -- ritual, music, archery, chariot-riding, calligraphy, and computation -- it is clear that he regards morality the most important subject. Confucius' pedagogical methods are striking. He never discourses at length on a subject. Instead he poses questions, cites passages from the classics, or uses apt analogies, and waits for his students to arrive at the right answers. “I only instruct the eager and enlighten the fervent. If I hold up one corner and a student cannot come back to me with the other three, I do not go on with the lesson.” (Lunyu 7.8).
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/confucius/#ConPol

Chinese Kungfu center---Shaolin Temple

Chinese Kungfu is famous around the world as there are a lot of  Hong Kong Kungfu films and three famous Kungfu stars---Bruce Lee,Jackey Chen and Jet Li.Bruce Lee is famous for his Jeet Kune Do and Jackey Chen is good at mix different kinds of kungfu together,Jet Li comes from Shaolin.
Shaolin Temple is the kungfu center of the central China,in a lot of kungfu novels,Shaolin is always a important role.If someone ask you about Chinese Kungfu and you just answer"Bruce Lee",it means that you don't really know it.Shaolin Kungfu is a good start of your learning.
Shaolin Kungfu:

Shaolin Kungfu refers to the traditional cultural system that has formed in the particular Buddhist cultural environment in Shaolin Temple of Songshan Mountain over long history. It is based on a belief in the supernatural power of Buddhism and fully reflects the wisdom of Chan Buddhism. The martial arts practiced by monks in the Shaolin Temple are its major form of expression.

Shaolin Kungfu encompasses complete technical and theoretical system, with martial arts and techniques as its major form of expression, and Buddhism belief and Chan wisdom as the cultural connotation.
http://www.shaolin.org.cn/templates/EN_T_new_list/index.aspx?nodeid=374

Expo in China--2010 Shanghai

When we heard about the news that Shanghai would hold EXPO in 2010,we were so excited about it.I even did a travel plan on it but after I heard from my friends,I cancelled this plan not for the EXPO itself but the number of tourists.Can you imagine that if you want to enter the Saudi Arabia Pavilion,you need to wait outside almost 8 hours. And Shanghai is pretty hot from June to October.But we can not denied that Shanghai Expo is successful as the number of tourists is over 70 million.



 

Encyclopedia of Shanghai EXPO 2010

(1)Introduction:

Duration: May 1 to Oct 31, 2010 Theme: Better City,Better Life Sub-themes: Blending of diverse cultures in the city, Economic prosperity in the city, Innovation of science and technology in the city, Remodeling of communities in the city, Rural-urban Interaction Goal: To attract the participation of 200 countries and international organizations and 70 million visitors.

 (2)Emblem: 

The emblem, depicting the image of three people-you, me, him/her holding hands together, symbolizes the big family of mankind.

(3)Mascot:

Created from a Chinese character meaning people, the mascot "Haibao" embodies the character of Chinese culture.

http://en.expo2010.cn/documents/indexf.htm

China's Empire heart---The Forbidden City

When I was sixteen years old,I went to Beijing with my classmates and teachers as a graduation trip.We spent a whole week in Beijing and visited a lot of tourist attractions.There is one place I can not forget forever,that is Forbidden City.Its spetecular buildings and creative design shock me and show me how develped and grateful  old China is.

The Forbidden City

Today the Forbidden City (or Palace Museum), a World Heritage site since 1987, still abounds with the sense of grandeur and wealth and an aura of pomp and majesty that has been passed down through the ages. This secret city was closed off from the world for about 500 years but now the 720 square kilometers of courtyards, pavilions, great halls, flourishing gardens and nearly 10,000 rooms combine to form one of the best-preserved historical sites in China. Built by tens of thousands of people, it took over 14 years and 32 million bricks to complete.

                                              

the northwest corner tower 

  

Owing its origins to the 24 Ming and Qing dynasty emperors who worked and lived here, few of the original buildings remain. The last emperor Puyi (known in the West for the movie the Last Emperor) moved out of this complex in 1925. Not too long ago, only one-third of this palace complex was open to the public. The latest renovations, started in 2002, have made it possible to display almost half of the palace, as prepared for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The entire complex sits on a north-south axis, or meridian line, with halls and houses symmetrically arranged on the side. It consists of three parts: the outer court where the emperor received high officials and administered state affairs; the inner court where the emperor, empress and concubines lived; and the private Imperial Garden for the imperial family to entertain and relax.

The view of the Forbidden City from Jingshan Park

http://english.visitbeijing.com.cn/play/sight/n214621257.shtml