The beautiful YuanYang 元阳 rice terraces, south YunNan province

With Walk For You ... ShenZhen Sea World ...

YuanMingYuan, also known as the 'Old Summer Palace', was constructed during the 18th and early 19th century and was a wonderland of lakes and waterways, bridges, hills and pavilions. One third of the ground of YuanMingYuan was taken up by over 200 small hills with steep sides, secluded valleys, rock walls and stone caves. Half of the garderns are covered by the waters of lakes, winding streams and ponds. It was at YuanMingYuan that the emperors of the Qing Dynasty resided and handled government affairs - until it was destroyed; the Forbidden City was mostly used only for formal ceremonies at this time. The southern part of YuanMingYuan was where emperors handled state affairs, while the other parts were primarily for personal use and comprised of more than 150 scenic spots, involving rare exotic flowers and trees from different parts of the country. There were originally towers, terraces, pavilions, halls, corridors, pagodas and bridges with a total construction area of 150,000 square meters - corresponding in scale to that of the Imperial Palace. Artisans were recruited from all over China to enact the exquisite settings. The various styles of architecture, standing encircled by hills and rivulets, presented a most picturesque view. Many were reproductions of scenic mountains, rivers and famous gardens in China (mostly southern China). During his many tours of the country, emperor QianLong made it a point to have pictures of famous gardens and scenes drawn so that he could have replicas built in Beijing. Most famous of these were the ten scenic spots of the West Lake in HangZhou. The Old Summer Palace is often associated with the European-style palaces (Xi Yang Lou) that were built of stone. The designers of those structures, the Jesuits Giuseppe Castiglione and Michel Benoist, were employed by emperor QianLong to satisfy his taste for exotic buildings and objects. However, more than 95% of the Imperial Gardens consisted of essentially Chinese-style buildings. There were also a few buildings in Tibetan and Mongolian styles, reflecting the diversity of the Qing empire. In addition, hundreds of invaluable Chinese art masterpieces and antiquities were stored in the halls, including some unique copies of literary works and collections. In 1860, during the 'Second Opium War', the British and French expeditionary forces looted the Old Summer Palace. Later, on October 18 1860, a British general - despite protestations from the French (who in fact had began the looting) - gave the order to set fire to the huge complex, which burned to the ground. In 1900, those buildings that had partly survived or been restored were burnt for good by the Western expeditionary forces sent to quell the 'Boxer Rebellion'. Many priceless artifacts were plundered and made their way to museums and private collections in Europe. The ruins were further plundered by the warlords of the early republican period and further destruction of the ruins took place during the 'Cutural Revolution'. After all this destruction, what was left was truely just an empty shell. Empress dowager CiXi later directed the forming of YiHeYuan (Garden of Nurtured Harmony), into a new Summer Palace; this was near to the Old Summer Palace, but on a (somewhat) smaller scale. Nearest subway station : YuanMingYuan on line 4.

Also known as Honey Lake Park ...

Off the beaten track ... featuring sand-dunes, an amazing salt lake, and much more. Beautiful - don't miss it ...

Jiddu Krishnamurti talks about how we are enslaved, and how to be free; clear sight, without prejudice, reveals the truth / what is - that is the true knowing / now. "Distortion will inevitably come into being when there is fragmentation, when one part of you condones or condemns what you observe. We are the result of propaganda, what we have been told from childhood to believe and not to believe. Knowledge is the past; there is no knowledge in the present. To be aware without choice is to observe without the observer, which is the past, the image-maker." BB says : truth begins when belief ends ... To be free, to be eternal, is to be here, right now, not chained to the past (baggage that blinds us), or forever focused on the future (in fear). This, is it. Until we realise it, the past controls us - both own own experience (in those chains), and all that we have believed. The past gives rise to fear. Love is the absence of fear.

SuQian is a city with a cultural history of 2,500 years. The earliest use of the name was in 762 A.D. during the Tang Dynasty. The city is located on the North JiangSu Plain, with a highest elevation of 71 m over sea level and the lowest 2.8 m only. The elevation is gradually reduces along northwest to southeast. SuQian is abundant in water resources and the water surface area is close one third of its total land mass. There are two freshwater lakes in SuQian, Lake HongZe, which is one of the four largest freshwater lakes in China, and Lake LuoMa. Four rivers run through the city, including the the Grand Canal. Agriculture, including aquatic produce, accounts for about 25% of the area's economy. The population is around 5 million. Attractions include : * LuoMa Lake Scenic Area: Situated in the northwest of the city, it covers a total area of 375 square kilometers (145 square miles), dotted by many natural scenic spots and historical sites. * QianLong Temporary Palace: Named after the esteemed Qing dynasty emperor, this is a well-preserved building complex on the south bank of LuoMa Lake. It was first built around 1684. * ZhangShan Forest Park: 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) north of the city, the park has a beautiful mix of mountain and water landscapes.

Stone and Li Yuer's "Yuhua Stone" (Ci / Qu: Hu Li, 2010) is a song full of sadness and strength, which will be performed by Li Yugang and Stone one year later. The video clip is from the 2011 movie "The Legend of the White Snake". Director: Cheng Xiaodong, starring: Jet Li, Huang Shengyi, Lin Feng Cai Zhuoyan. This original music video was edited by AlphaMV. 石头和李雨儿合唱的《雨花石》(词/曲︰胡力, 2010年)，是一首充满忧伤和力量的歌曲，1年后再由李玉刚和石头演绎。视频片段来自2011年电影《白蛇传说》。导演︰程小东，主演︰李连杰、黄圣依、林峰 蔡卓妍。此原创音乐视频由AlphaMV配套剪辑。 Bonus - Zhang WeiJia - XiHai Love Song ...

WuXi is an old city that lies between Changzhou to the west and Suzhou to the east, not far from ShangHai. It also lies on Lake Tai. WuXi is well known for being one of the birthplaces of China's modern industry and commerce. The giant Buddha at LingShan, WuXi ...

How the West created the discord with China, and Asia, and what might ensue ...

ZhangJiaJie 张家界 (HuNan) and HuaShan 华山 (ShaanXi) ... XingPing 兴平 and the Li River 漓江 (GuangXi) ... Xi'An 西安 (ShaanXi) and BeiJing 北京 ... LuoYang 洛阳 (HeNan) and PingYao 平遥 (ShanXi) ...