Walking the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, China

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.

From CCTV / CGTN ...

Last year, artist Hu JunJun was invited to make a six ton Reclining Buddha statue with twigs, which received much attention on exhibition in XiaMen. In her works, the Buddha often appears among colorful Chinese landscapes in a light and graceful style, rather than in the stereotypical manner of religious art works. Master architect Tadao Ando designed a museum for their collection of Buddha statues of the Northern Dynasties over the past decade. At the end of 2020, YIT visited Hu JunJun in her studio and collected the backstage story of her creation and collection of Buddha statues ... *** Find many more inspiring videos on our latest Chinese culture videos page ***

With Daniel Dumbrill ...

AnHui province ...

Singers - Yang Zi and Zhang YiShan 杨紫, 张一山 at the 2020 BeiJing Spring Festival Gala ...

If Afghans are starving, it's not because of the Taliban; it's because of Western sanctions; disinfo / crocodile tears ...

TongLi, lies in the outskirts of SuZhou, JiangSu province in east China, about 100 km (62 miles) north-west of ShangHai. This charming water town retains many of the features of the ancient Kingdom of Wu.

"US-sponsored separatist groups, backed by Washington for decades, are being mobilized to attack and undermine activities related to the BeiJing 2022 Olympics, starting with the torch relay in Greece. I explain the background of the “Free Tibet” movement and how the US government, through the CIA, backed it as early as the 1950s and transferred its operations to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) [or 'Dominion' / enslavement]." With The New Atlas ... Bonus films - terror activities by US-backed 'opposition' in Myanmar ... Bonus film 2 - subverting the 'left' ... Bonus film 3 - on Ecuador ... Bonus film 4 - on Cambodia ... They say : "How dare you put your face in front of my fist ! Serve your master. Or else." More ... On the US plan to nuke Chinese cities - as revealed by Daniel Ellsberg, famous for the 'Pentagon Papers', with NuMuves ... On the Falun Gong cult ...