The magnificently beautiful Temple of Heaven 天坛, BeiJing 北京

GuangXi province in south China. A very picturesque place, with thousands of tall karst limestone hills.

An enchanting water town on the outskirts of Shanghai, ZhuJiaJiao retains it's ancient charm ... The name literally translates as 'Zhu Family home/corner', reflecting its earliest origins. The town lies on the south side of the YangTse River and has many picturesque canals crossed by hundreds of original Ming and Qing dynasty bridges.

With The New Atlas ... Meanwhile ... BBC - after each Olympic video shows a 'Hate will not win" message (relating to endemic racism in the UK). WHY then, are they endlessly promoting hatred of China ? WHY the incessant stories denigrating China right up to the eve of the opening (and doubtless throughout) ? 2008 - BBC says that the the one and a half lines of subway added for the summer Olympics was simply 'white elephant propaganda show-boating'; YET, now BeiJing has added a further some 20 lines of subway (as was always the plan) to become the world's largest subway metro system. And still the lies go on and on and on. A disgrace to humanity. At least, now that the hype is so obvious, more and more can see it for what it really is. Time for this relic of empire to be scrapped. But don't expect "fight for your right, to paaaartyyy" to change anything; or the fake 'opposition'; the elite all know that it is essential in a propaganda war (even if just as a distraction).

GuangXi province, south China ...

Tiger Leaping Gorge in YunNan province lies 60 kilometers north of LiJiang. It is part of the UNESCO 'Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan' World Heritage Site. The road in (up) - an excerpt, with Shiraz Dole and friends ... Hiking with Tim and Glo ... The gorge in gorgeous 4K by Milosh Kitchovitch ... The site of the leaping rock close up, by Valpard ... The gorge is one of the world's deepest canyons and is populated by a few villages of the NaXi minority. Around 15 km in length, the gorge is located where the river passes between 5,600 meter high Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the 5,400 meter high HaBa Snow Mountain in a series of rapids below steep 2000 meter cliffs. Legend says that in order to escape from a hunter, a tiger jumped across the river at its narrowest point (still 25 meters wide, though with a rock in the middle). There are a fair number of basic guesthouses for hikers, so your visit does not need to be rushed. These can also provide meals or snacks to passers by. The Hiking Trails. Hiking the entire length of the gorge is possible. There are two paths. The 'the high road' is well-maintained by the locals and marked, although sometimes narrow, and is used by the Naxi as part of everyday life. This trail is longer than the lower road, approximately 22 kilometers (14 miles), but more varied. It features a variety of micro-ecosystems and waterfalls, and is probably the best choice if you only take one of the paths. The 'low road' is a stretch of pavement (until recently a simple mule track) crossed by several waterfalls. This path more closely follows the Yangtze, so there are more views of the river and a stronger sense of being in a gorge. Where the high road descends to meet the lower road, one can climb down to the river near the Tiger Leaping Stone, the point at which the tiger is said to have leaped across in two bounds. Preparation That the gorge is outstandingly beautiful is coupled with the need for care. The environment is natural and so the almost absence of safety clutter puts the responsibility on the those visiting. Rockfalls are not unknown. Prepare for wet weather, which can arrive suddenly, and use suitable shoes. Take extra care when crossing wet rocks and in general don't take risks; think first. Don't go alone in case of accident. Take a mobile phone. Swimming and kayaking are extremely dangerous and must be avoided. Don't go off track; take a map (essential). Head back to your lodgings well before dusk as, being within a gorge, light fades quickly.

HangZhou lies 180 kilometers south west of ShangHai in the YangTse River Delta and is the capital of ZheJiang province. With abundant natural scenery, including the famous West Lake, HangZhou has been a popular city for over 2,000 years when it was founded during the Qin dynasty. It is listed as one of the seven great ancient capitals of China. The West Lake covers 6 square km and is surrounded by historical sites and scenic areas. HangZhou lies at the southern end of the Grand Canal of China, with a length of nearly 1,800 km; at the northern end lies BeiJing. It was completed around 600 AD during the Sui dynasty. The longest man-made canal in the world, by far, it is a fine example of China's achievements, which include invention of the canal lock (Song dynasty; 10th century). HangZhou is also noted for tea, silk, umbrellas and fans.

July lotuses and the boat to the Summer Palace ... Boating the ancient canal route from downtown BeiJing to the Summer Palace (YiHeYuan) ... The LiangMa River ...

Alan Dawa Dolma sings one of the most beautiful Tibetan Buddhist songs called Laydrei (Karma), in her angelic voice ...

With Walk For You ...

Beautiful ...