The wonderful, beautiful HuangShan 黄山

Lotus Lane is a charming place to wander and a lively place in the evening to dine and listen to live music ... Often mis-named as HouHai, which is actually another lake immediately to the north, these lakes form part of ShiChaHai, once the docks at the northern end of the Grand Canal from HangZhou. To the south lies BeiHai and JingShan Parks and to the north, the Drum and Bell Towers; east from there lies NanLuoGuXiang, a largely pedestrianized hutong filled with craft and speciality shops and cafes.

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 Walk East ...

Home of the Dai ethnic minority ...

With Seiu Travel ... 🌹 Yongding Gate Yongding Gate was the south gate of the outer city of Beijing's old city in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is the highest-regulated and largest of the seven gates in Beijing's outer city Unfortunately, the original gate was demolished in 1957, and what we see now is the rebuilt one in 2004. 🌹 Temple of Heaven and Altar of the God of Agriculture The Temple of Heaven and the Altar of the God of Agriculture are located on both sides of the central axis, showing east-west symmetry. The Temple of Heaven is the largest and most complete existing royal worship building complex in China during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Official website: http://www.tiantanpark.com/english/ The Altar of Agriculture is the largest existing royal place for worshipping the God of Agriculture in China. It is now converted into a museum of ancient Chinese architecture. Official website: http://www.bjgjg.com 🌹 Zhengyang Gate Zhengyang Gate, commonly known as the "front gate", is the south gate of the inner city of Beijing's old city, located on the south side of Tian‘anmen Square. Zhengyang Gate integrates defense, urban management and ceremonial functions and is known as the "first of the nine gates". 🌹 Tian’anmen Square and Buildings Tian‘anmen Square and buildings are composed of the Monument to the People's Heroes, Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, the Great Hall of the People, and the National Museum of China. Official website: http://yuyue.tamgw.beijing.gov.cn 🌹 Outer Jinshui Bridge The Outer Jinshui Bridge is located in front of the Tian’anmen Tower. It was the only way from the imperial city to the southern suburbs for sacrifice (Temple of Heaven, Xiannongtan) in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is also the ceremonial space for major celebrations today. 🌹 Tiananmen Gatetower Tiananmen Gatetower was the main gate of the imperial city in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Its platform was connected to the imperial city wall, together forming the southern boundary of the imperial city in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Tiananmen Gatetower was the place where imperial edicts were issued in the Ming and Qing dynasties and major state events were held in modern times. 🌹 Duan Gate Duan Gate is located on the south side of the Forbidden City, between Wu Gate and Tiananmen Gatetower, and is part of the court space. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, Duan Gate was the place where the emperor's ceremonial supplies were stored. 🌹 Forbidden City The Forbidden City was the palace city of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is an outstanding example of Chinese royal palace architecture and is located at the center of the central axis. Official website: https://intl.dpm.org.cn/index.html?l=en 🌹 Imperial Ancestral Temple and Altar of Land and Grain The Imperial Ancestral Temple and Altar of Land and Grain are the ideal capital planning model of "left ancestor and right community", and are located on the east and west sides of the Forbidden City. The Imperial Ancestral Temple, now the Working People's Cultural Palace, was the royal ancestral temple of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Official website: https://www.bjwhg.com.cn Altar of Land and Grain, now Zhongshan Park, is the most complete ancient royal altar in China for worshiping Taishe (land) and Taiji (grain). Official website: https://www.zhongshan-park.cn 🌹 Jingshan Hill Jingshan Mountain is the commanding height and important landscape node on the central axis of Beijing. Official website: http://www.bjjspark.com/index.jhtml 🌹 Wanning Bridge Wanning Bridge is the oldest bridge on the central axis of Beijing. It is an important water channel in the upper reaches of Tonghui River in the capital of the Yuan Dynasty. It is also a physical object for studying the canal transportation in Beijing during the Yuan Dynasty. 🌹 Bell and Drum Tower The Bell and Drum Tower, which was responsible for the city's timekeeping and time reporting functions during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, was an important urban management facility. 00:00:00 Highlights 00:01:09 Yongding Gate - the southern gate of Beijing's old city 00:03:42 Remains of the road in the southern section of Beijing's central axis 00:05:26 Temple of Heaven - a place for offering sacrifices to heaven 00:28:18 Altar of Agriculture - a place for offering sacrifices to the god of agriculture 00:36:09 Zhengyang Gate and Qianmen Street 00:41:49 Tian‘anmen Square and buildings 00:49:09 Forbidden City 01:12:52 Imperial Ancestral Temple - a place for offering sacrifices to royal ancestors 01:16:27 Altar of Land and Grain - a place for offering sacrifices to the land and grains 01:20:38 Jingshan 01:29:05Wanning Bridge 01:32:28 Bell and Drum Tower - the northernmost end of the central axis

How to pronounce the four tones and speak PinYin correctly. With Qing Xia ... [videogallery type=playlist id=PLn996NprGoEI-rbWdpRlX-yuZoQ5ERZl2 columns=2]

Apologies - some ill-health issues slowing things down atm.

With Seiu Travel ...