Around ShangRi-La 香格里拉市

YuánMíngYuán was the original Summer Palace in BeiJing and sometimes referred to as the 'Old Summer Palace'. YuanMingYuan lies 8 kilometers (5 miles) northwest of central Beijing, close to the (new) Summer Palace (YíHéYuán 颐和园). It was constructed during the 18th and early 19th centuries and was a wonderland of lakes and waterways, bridges, hills and pavilions. There were originally towers, terraces, pavilions, halls, corridors, pagodas and bridges with a total construction area of 150,000 square meters. Artisans were recruited from all over China to enact the exquisite settings. Many of the 160 scenic spots were reproductions of famous mountains, rivers and famous gardens in China. The various styles of architecture, standing encircled by hills and streams, presented a most picturesque view. In addition, hundreds of invaluable Chinese art masterpieces and antiquities were stored in the halls, including some unique copies of literary works and collections. YuanMingYuan was, indeed, a veritable museum of garden construction and horticulture. Known to be one of the largest museums in the world, a popular name in China was the 'Garden of Gardens'. In 1860 during the 'Second Opium War', YuanMingYuan was looted then burned down by imperialist British and French troops. So great was the devastation that a new Summer Palace was later built nearby.

With Democracy Now ... On 'Western Civilization', with ShangGuan JieWen ...

With a great song by Pharrell Williams Bonus film ... Family and friends from the Philippines on a trip to Beijing ...

Savvy Sonia in SanYa ...

Places include HuaShan mountain, wild Great Wall, ZhangJiaJie (WuLingYuan National Forest Park) and the YuanYang rice terraces ...

With Walk East ...

Capitol city of ZheJiang province, near ShangHai in east China. Plus a beautiful time-lapse film by MaoShan Tang 走進浙江秋季 ...

美國大叔賣掉房屋，移居中國14年：在百年老宅找到人生理想

HuaShan lies in ShaanXi province and is one of China's Five Sacred Mountains; the highest peak is 2,155 meters (7,070 feet).

Within ShangHai, the HuangPu River has an average width of 400 meters and is crossed by many subway train lines, other tunnels, bridges and ferries. The river divides the city into two regions: PuDong to the east and PuXi (the older part of Shanghai that includes the Bund) to the west. It is the last major tributory of the YangTse River before the East China Sea. Bonus film - a stroll along the Bund, in 4k / UHD ...