Peking Opera

Originally a form of local theatre, it spread all over the country and has become the national opera of China. About 200 years ago, the Qing Emperor Qianlong toured in southern China and developed an interest in the local operas. On his 80th birthday, he had local opera troupes to come to Beijing to perform for him. Some remained in Beijing after the celebration. The ones from Anhui and Hubei were incorporated the palace opera -Kunqu Opera- and became the Peking Opera.
Peking Opera combines stylized acting with singing, dancing, musical dialogue, martial arts, colorful facial make up and fantastic costumes. Female roles are called dan, male roles are sheng, clowns are chou. Each role, according to their sex, age and disposition, is characterized by different designs of facial make-up, such as jing representing a rough, frank character and hua lian representing a cruel or sinister character. So the audience can easily tell what kind of characters the actors are portraying. Facial make-up, costumes and head - dresses are wonderful works of traditional art.
In the past, both dan and sheng roles were played by male actors, but now they are played separately by females and males.
It is a must to see a Peking Opera while you are in Beijing, equivalent to seeing an opera if you go to Italy.
There are also some other types of operas staged in Beijing, such as Kunqu Opera, Pingju Opera and Hebei Bangzi as well as other operas from different places.

Folk Woodblock Picture

It is a kind of picture enjoying popularity among the people with a large variety. A few of them are singled out for appreciation, but most of them are used for different worldly life and protocols, such as the portrait of the Gate God, the portrait of gods, illustration, pictures for packaging and decorating, window flowers, lamp pictures, kites, paper cards, colourful squares, flags, embroidery patterns. Of these pictures some are printed in a single colour (black), some others are printed in chromatography or by the continuation of colour applying. It is a characteristic way of picture popularization from the invention of China's woodblock printing to the contemporary printing skill. Their authors are professional painter and engravers. Some of them are anonymously created by farmers.

It is spread in the north of China, and named after the village where it is produced. It originated in the Chongzhen Period of the Ming Dynasty, and flourished in the Yongzheng Period and the Qianlong Period of the Qing Dynasty. It inherits the traditional printing craft: it is coloured after the image appears on the link lines. The characters' countenances and attires are painted in lead powder in golden colour. Its sources of themes are from the Three Beauties, the Theft of the Charmed Herb, etc.

Beijng and Dynasty

As the capital city of the People's Republic of China,Beijing is the nation's political and cultural center and also a center for international contacts.
The recorded history of Beijing as a city can date back to more than 3,000 years ago. During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-771 B.C.), the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) and the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), Beijing was the capital city of the State of Yan, which was ruled by dukes or princes under the emperor. From the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.) and the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.) to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127),Beijing was a major city and also a strategic point in northern China.
When the Qidan (Khitan) people founded the Liao Dynasty (907-1125),they established Beijing, which was then under their occupation and was called Jiuzhou, as the secondary capital under the name of Nanjing (southern capital). Afterwards, the dynasties of Jin(1115-1234), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) all chose Beijing as their capital city.
In 1928, the Nanjing-based nationalist government of the Republic of China designated Beijing as the Beiping Special Municipality. In 1930, the municipality was renamed as Beiping City.
On September 27, 1949, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference decided that the newborn People's Republic of China would base its capital in Beiping and renamed the city as Beijing.

Beijing's History

Some half a million years ago, Peking man lived in Zhoukoudian, in the southwestern suburbs of Beijing. The climate of that time was warmer and more humid than it is today. Forests and lakes in the area supported large numbers of living creatures. The fossil remains of Peking man, his stone tools and evidence of use of fire, as well as later tools of 18,000 years ago, bone needles and article of adornment from the age of Upper Cave Man are the earliest cultural relics on record in China today.
Some four to five thousand years ago, settlements to the southwest of Beijing were thriving on basic agriculture and animal husbandry. Story has it that the legendary Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) battled against the tribal leader Chiyou in the ?°wilderness of the prefecture of Zhuo.?±Zhuolu, a town west of present-day Beijing, is perhaps the site of the first metropolis in the area. Yellow Emperor??s successor, Emperor Yao, was said to have established a legendary capital Youdu (City of Quietude) that was where the city of Ji was actually built.
During the Warring States Period (475¨C221BC), the Marquis of Yan annexed the territory of the Marquis of Ji, making the city of Ji his new capital. The approximate location was north of Guang?? anmen Gate in present¨Cday Beijing near the White Cloud Temple (Baiyunguan).
Early in the third century BC, the first Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huang) set about conquering six states and unifying China. The city of Ji was named administrative center of Guangyang Commandery, one of 36 prefectures in China??s first feudal empire. For 10 centuries, through to the end of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Ji remained a strategic trading and military center and the object of frequent power struggles.
Two emperors during that period -- Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty -- left their mark on the city. Emperor Yang amassed troops and supplies at Ji for expeditions against Korea. Emperor Taizong also used the city for military training. He built the Temple for Compassion for the Loyal (Minzhongsi), which is dedicated to troops who died in battle. This temple was the precursor of the Temple of the Origin of the Dharma (Fayuansi) located outside the old walls of the city.
At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Ji was little different from any other large feudal cities. Several centuries later, however, when the Tang was nearing a state of collapse, the Qidans (Khitans) came from the upper reaches of the Liaohe River and moved south to occupy Ji and make it their second capital. They called the city Nanjing (Southern Capital) or Yanjing. Emperor Taizong of the Liao Dynasty (916-1125) carried out reconstruction projects and built palaces, which were used as strongholds from which the Qidans set out to conquer the central plains of China.
In the early 12th century, the Nuzhen (Jurchen) conquered the Liao and established the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). In 1153, Wan Yanliang moved the Jin capital from Huiningfu in present¨C day Liaoning Province to Yanjing and renamed it Zhongdu (Central Capital) as a challenge to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), which had its capital at Lin??an (present¨Cday Hangzhou). Before the ascension of Wan Yanliang to the throne, the city of Yanjing had changed little from the Liao period.
The rebuilding of the new city began in 1151 with expansion to the east, west and south. Palaces were constructed on a scale similar to the Northern Song (960-1127) capital at Bianliang (modern Kaifeng), and many of the actual building materials were transported from Bianliang. The new expanded city, with its splendid buildings in the center measured roughly five kilometers in circumference. The registered population of the Imperial Palace in the center measured roughly five kilometers in circumference. The registered population of Zhongdu amounted to 225,592 households, or approximately one million people.
Mongol armies occupied Zhongdu in 1215. At this time, the city of Kaiping (in present¨Cday Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region) served as the principal Mongol capital (Shangdu), while Yanjing was given provincial status. It was not until 1271 that Kublai Khan formally adopted the new dynasty??s name -- Yuan -- and made Yanjing the capital. Kublai Khan rebuilt the city and gave it the Chinese (Han) name of Dadu (Ta-tu) or Great Capital, though in Mongol it was known as Khanbalig (Marco Polo??s Cambaluc), the City of the Great Khan. When the Mongols finally eliminated the Southern Song and unified China, Dadu became the political center of the country for the first time in history.
The construction of Dadu began in 1267 and ended in 1293, extending throughout the entire period of Kublai Khan??s rule. The magnificent palaces of the Jin capital Zhongdu were destroyed by fire during the dynastic turnover from the Jin to the Yuan. When the capital was rebuilt, the original site of Zhongdu was replaced by a larger rectangular area centered in a beautiful lake region in the northeastern suburbs.
The construction of Dadu consisted of three main projects -- the imperial palaces, the city walls and moats, and the canal. The first stage was construction of the palace buildings, most of which were completed in 1274. The next stage was construction of the mansions for the imperial princes, the government offices, the Taimiao (Imperial Ancestral Temple) and Shejitan (Altar of Land and Grain) to the east and west of the palace, and a system of streets for ordinary residences. In 1293, the strategic Tonghui Canal, connecting the capital to the Grand Canal, was completed.
As the capital city of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Dadu enjoyed great fame in the 13th century world. The envoys and traders from Europe, Asia and Africa who paid visits to China were astounded by the splendor and magnificence of Dadu. Marco Polo??s description of the palaces of Cambaluc, as the called Khanbalig, us most famous of all:
?°You must know that it is the greatest palace that ever was?­ The roof is very lofty, and the walls of the palace are all covered with gold and silver. They are adorned with dragons, beasts and birds, knights and idols, and other such things?­ The Hall of the Palace is so large that 6,000 people could easily dine there, and it is quite a marvel to see how many rooms there are besides. The building is altogether so vast, so rich and so beautiful, that no man on earth could design anything superior to it. The outside of the roof is all colored with vermilion and yellow and green and blue and other hues, which are fixed with a varnish so fine and exquisite that they shins like crystal, and lend a resplendent luster to the palace as seen for a great way around.?±
The new Dadu was a rectangular city more than 30 kilometers in circumference. In the later years of Kublai Khan??s rule, the city population consisted of 100,000 households or roughly 500,000 people. The layout was the result of uniform planning, the broader streets all 24 paces wide, the narrow lanes half this width. The regular chessboard pattern created an impression of relaxed orderliness.
Achievements in stone and plaster sculpture and painting at this time reached great heights. The names of two contemporary artisans have come down to us: the sculptors Yang Qiong and Liu Yuan. The latter was known for the plaster statues he created for temples. Liulansu Lane at the northern end of Fuyou Street in present-day Beijing was named after Liu Yuan.
On August 2, 1368, Ming troops seized Dadu and renamed it Beiping (Northern Peace). Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), however, made Nanjing his first capital. Beginning in 1406, Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty spent 15 years constructing walls 12 meters high and 10 meters thick at their base around the city of Beiping. The construction of palace buildings and gardens began in 1417 and was completed in 1420. The following year, Emperor Yongle formally transferred the capital from Nanjing to Beiping and, for the first time, named the city Beijing (Northern Capital).
Extensive reconstruction work was carried out in Beijing during the first years of the Ming Dynasty. The northern city walls were shifted 2.5 kilometers to the south. Evidence of great advances in city planning is the district known as the Inner (Tartar) City. The Outer or Chinese City to the south was built during the reign of Emperor Jiajing (1522-1566), adding to the rectangular city a slightly wider ?°base?± in the south.
When the Manchus founded the Qing Dynasty in 1644, they began to build suburban gardens, the most famous of which was Yuanmingyuan. Construction over the course of an entire century, the imposing columned palaces and open-air pavilions blended with the serenity of well¨Cplanned gardens to create a masterpiece of garden architecture unrivaled in the history of China.
A city plan was first laid out in the Yuan Dynasty. Yet only after extensive reconstruction during the Ming and Qing (1644-1911), did the city emerge as an architectural masterpiece fit to serve as the capital of the Chinese empire. A north-south axis bisects the city with the Imperial Palace was knows as Danei (The Great Within). In the Ming, it was renamed the Forbidden City (Zijincheng), and more recently it has come to be called the Palace Museum (Gugong Bowuyuan). Designed with thousands of halls and gates arranged symmetrically around a north¨Csouth axis, its dimensions and luxuriance are a fitting symbol of the power and greatness of traditional China.
After the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, China fell prey to the Northern Warlords and Kuomintang, Beijing suffered the same fate as the rest of China, hobbling along like an old camel without a sense of direction. The Chinese People??s Liberation Army formally entered Beijing on January 31, 1949, opening a new chapter in the long history of the city. It was in Tian??anmen Square on October 1st, 1949, that Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the People??s Republic of China, with Beijing as its capital.
The city has changed totally since then. It has expanded from its old confines within the nine gates of the Inner City wall (Zhengyangmen, Chongwenmen, Xuanwumen, Chaoyangmen, Dongzhimen, Fuchengmen, Xizhimen, Andingmen and Deshengmen) to the seven outer gates (Dongbianmen, Guangqumen, Xibianmen, Guang?? anmen, Yongdingmen, Zuoanmen and Youanmen) and out into the suburbs, Beijing now covers an area of about 750 square kilometers, which includes a dozen new living districts built on the outskirts of town.
Tian??anmen Square is still the center of Beijing, Chang?? an Boulevard now running 38 kilometers from Shijingshan in the west to Tongxian in the east. The palaces and city towers along both sides have been designated cultural relics for national protection. Former imperial residences and gardens have been opened for public viewing.
New buildings like the International Post Office and Bank of China have been built along the Second Ring Road, the former line of the Inner City wall. Old living quarters and blocks of traditional Beijing¨Cstyle buildings, such as Liulichang Culture Street, have been restored. Large¨C scale construction has been undertaken along the Third Ring Road and the fourth Ring Road.
Future development in Beijing will continue to preserve the symmetry of the old city layout while integrating modern architectural design into the over¨Call plan.

Siheyuan(quadrangle)

Siheyuan is the traditional residential compound of Beijing. Taking shape in the Liao Dynasty, it matured through the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties to become the most characteristic residence of Beijing.
The name siheyuan means a courtyard surrounded by houses on all the four sides. Over hundreds of years, the Beijing siheyuan formed a style unique to the capital city in layout, inner structure, furnishing and decoration.
A regular siheyuan is built in a lane (hutong) running from east to west, and faces south. The four houses, with the principal one in the north, are enclosed with high walls. The main gate is opened in the southeast corner, the position of xun in the Taoist Eight Diagrams, signifying the wind. The northern house usually has three main chambers and two flanking ones; the eastern and western houses, three chambers respectively; the southern house, four chambers. There are altogether seventeen bays if the main gate and the festooned gate are included. Assuming 11 to 12 sq. m for each bay, the total area amounts to about 200 sq. m. The courtyard is spacious, containing trees, flowers, and gold fish jars. It is the center of the siheyuan, serving for passage and providing good light, ventilation and cool shades. People would like to take a rest or do the housework here.
Despite the sameness of layout, siheyuan differs in sizes. There are large, middle and small sized siheyuan.
In a small siheyuan, the northern house has three chambers, one or two of them being the main chamber(s). The eastern and western houses have two chambers respectively, and the southern house has three chambers. The houses are built with brick, and covered with a ridged tile roof. They can be inhabited by a family of three generations, with the elderly members living in the northern house and the younger ones living in the eastern and western houses. The southern house may serve as the study or the living room. In the courtyard there are brick-paved paths leading up to the steps before the doors of the houses. The main gate has two leaves coated in black lacquer, with two brass knockers on them, and a couplet pasted on both sides.
A middle siheyuan is more spacious. The northern house has three main chambers and two flanking ones. The eastern and western houses have three chambers respectively. Before each house is a corridor serving as a shelter from wind or rain. The courtyard is partitioned by a wall into a front (outer) yard and a back (inner) yard, with a moon-shaped gate in the wall. The front yard is simple, with one or two gate houses. The back yard, the living quarters, has well built houses with square-brick-paved floors and granite steps.
A large siheyuan is customarily known as‘big mansion’ (dazhaimen). The southern house may have five or seven chambers, and so does the northern one. The principal house may have as many as nine or eleven chambers. It is usually made up of several quadrangles connected lengthways. There are many courtyards, such as the front yard, the back yard, the eastern yard, the western yard, the principal yard, the flanking yards, the side yards, the study yard, the stable yard, the first row of courtyard, the second row, and the third row. The various parts of the compound are connected by corridors. The area covered is enormous. However, if the space available is inadequate, of if a full-size large siheyuan is not affordable, the southern house may be omitted.
The middle or small siheyuan was usually inhabited by ordinary people, while the large siheyuan served as the mansion of a senior official or government office.
The houses in the Beijing siheyuan are built with wood and bricks. The frameworks–purlins, columns, beams, thresholds, rafters, doors, windows, and partitions—are made of wood. The beams, columns, doors, windows and the ends of rafters are lacquered or decorated with colored paintings, holding their own against magnificent palace halls to some extent. The walls are customarily built with polished bricks and broken bricks. The roofs may be tiled, with drip-tiles below the eaves; they may also be simply covered with graphite, with no tiles at all.
The main gate usually occupies the space of a chamber. It has a complicated structure, composed of over twenty types of components, such as frames, leaves, thresholds, bolts, nails and hinges.
The main gate is usually coated in black lacquer, and may be decorated with a couplet with black characters on a red background. Behind the main gate are the festooned gate and the moon-shaped gate. The festooned gate is the most beautifully decorated of all the gates, with eaves modeled on the top of the pailou (decorated archway). It serves to divide the courtyard into two parts–an outer part consisting of the living room, the gate house, the carriage house and the stable, and an inner part, or the living quarters. The moon-shaped gate may also serve the same function if there is no festooned gate.
The festooned gate is beautifully lacquered. The ends of rafts under the eaves are in bluish green, and the wangmu in red; the round raft ends are decorated with a pattern of concentric blue, white and black circles, and the square raft ends, with golden patterns or diamond designs. The middle of the front eaves also has decorative designs. The lotus-shaped ends of the columns on both sides, with patterns carved on them, are colorfully lacquered.
The carved patterns in the siheyuan are symbols of good luck, such as the combination of the character meaning longevity and the bat (meaning happiness), the vase with a Chinese rose in it (meaning ‘peace in four seasons’), and tokens of ‘long-lasting clan’, ‘three friends in winter’, ‘riches and honor’, and ‘happiness, wealth and longevity’. They reflect old Beijing dwellers’ wish for a happy life.
Trees and flowers are planted in the siheyuan to add to its beauty. Traditionally planted are such flowers as lilacs, Chinese crabapples, flowering almonds and mountain peaches, and such trees as jujube and locust. Flowers may also be grown in flowerpots or in water.
Plants grown in flowerpots are usually pomegranate trees, oleanders, cassiabark trees, osmanthus fragans, Indian azaleas, and gardenias. Pomegranate trees are symbolic of fertility. In flowerbeds before the steps of houses are usually planted jasmines, garden balsams, morning glories, and hyacinth bean flowers.
Life in a siheyuan is described in a Qing-dynasty saying: ‘awning, fish jars, and pomegranate trees; master, fat dog, and plump maidservant’.
Though it is usually inhabited by one household, a siheyuan may also be shared by several poor households. In the case it would be called a dazayuan, of which many old Beijing dwellers cherish fond memories.

Modern Beijing

Beijing thrives today as the political and cultural capital of China as well as a center of international activity and an important socialist base. Great changes have taken place since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The city walls were demolished to facilitate transportation and allow for general expansion. By 2001, the population exceeded 12.5 million, and the total municipal area was increased to over 17,800 square kilometers. The city is presently divided into 16 districts: Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chongwen, Xuanwu, Chaoyang, Haidian, Shijingshan, Fengtai, Shunyi, Changping, Mentougou, Tongzhou, Fangshan, Daxing, Huairou and Pinggu. In addition to these urban districts, the municipality is comprised of two counties: Miyun and Yanqing. Plans for future development retain the symmetrical layout of the old city on its north-south axis, extending out into the suburban districts. From Dingfuzhuang in the east to Shijingshan in the west and from Qinghe in the north to Nanyuan in the south, the overall plan covers an area of 1,000 square kilometers. A traffic network of four concentric beltways, 28 radial roads, and underground and suburban railways are being further developed to link the city center with outlying areas and surrounding towns. With Tian'anmen at the center, offices along 38-kilometer-long Chang'an Boulevard will concentrate on state, political and economic affairs. The areas around the Palace Museum (Imperial Palace or Forbidden City) and city gates as well as the lakes -- Zhongnanhai, Beihai and Housanhai -- have been designated landmark districts. And with a look to the future, an increasing number of historical, cultural and revolutionary sites are being renovated and opened to the public.

Beijing-Long-Standing Restaurants

Duyichu
The restaurant was a small hut when it was set up in 1738 (the 3rd year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign in the Qing Dynasty) by a man named Li from Shanxi Province. In the 7th year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign or 1742, a small building was built to sell boiled peanuts, sugared date, aired meat and so on.
In the 17th year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign, it became famous because of the name Duyichu and the Tiger Head Plaque granted by the emperor. During Emperor Tongzhi’s reign, the restaurant added in his menu Steamed Dumpling which had thin coat, rich stuffing and tasted delicious. During the war against Japanese, it survived from closing down and suffered poor business until its rebirth when Beijing was liberated. After the Joint Public-Private Ownership reform, the restaurant moved from the south of Xianyukou to the north of it into a large building with 200 square meters in business space. Nowadays it is capable to receive two or three thousand person times per day. The Tiger Head Plaque inscribed by Emperor Qianlong is hanging in the center of the hall reads Duyichu, and another plaque inscribed by Guo Moruo is hanging in the entrance.
Featured foods: Steamed Dumpling of Three Fresh Delicacies, Fried Triangle Rolls, Steamed Dumpling, Qianlong Cabbage, Fried Round Mass of Food

Quanjude
The renowned brand of Quanjude dates back to 1864 (the third year in the reign of Emperor Tongzhi of Qing Dynasty). Through constant development and innovation of more than one handred years, the Quanjude cuisine has been created, starring the Quanjude Peking Duck, and including the All Duck Banquet and over 400 well-known dishes. The Quanjude Peking Duck and its unique food culture are famous across the world as an important component of the Chinese food culture.

Ruibinlou
Ruibinlou, a restaurant offering Dalian Pie Stuffed with Meat which is a Beijing local snack, is located in Menkuang Hutong in Dashanlan, Qianmen. Set up in 1876 during Emperor Guangxu’s reign in the Qing Dynasty, it has a history of 130 years. Originally it was run by Xiao Chunxuan and his wife in Dong’an Market, and the restaurant was called Ruiminglou. It was closed down in the second generation. In 1934, two employees of it, Luo Huxiang and Hao Jiarui set up Xiangrui Restauran after their names Xiang and Rui in Menkuang Hutong and went on making Dalian Pie Stuffed with Meat. In 1986, the restaurant was rebuilt to a two-floored building and renamed Ruibinlou. In 1997, Dalian Pie Stuffed with Meat was inscribed as Famous Snack of China by China Cuisine Association, and in 1998, Ruibinlou was inscribed as Time-Honored Brand of China by the Domestic Trade Department.
Dalian Pie Stuffed with Meat is a Beijing local snack, it looks like Dalian–money bag hanging on the waist in the old times, hence the name. It is popular because it has thin coat and rich stuffing, and is delicious and instant combination of staple and non-staple foods giving people a fill feeling.

Nengrenju
It is well known for its seasoning. Guest coming here could know what “clean plate and clear soup” means. As the meat is out, the plate is clean without any blood left, and as the dinner finished, the soup is clear without any bubble. This is rare among all chafing dish restaurants nowadays.

Huguo Temple Snack Restaurant
Huguo Temple Snack Restaurant is one of the representatives of Beijing local snack. It is well known for rich variety, outstanding features and deep culture in it. Over 80 local snackswhich are popular among people from Beijing and all over the country as well as foreign guests,such as Stuffed Glutinous Rice Flour Ball, Glutinous Rice Flour Roll with Red Bean Paste and Soy Bean Flour, Pea Flour Cake, Fried Dough Twist, Fried Glutinous Rice Balls with Sesame, Fried Doughnut, Flour Tea, Gut Soup, Fermented Soya Milk, and more, could be found here.
In the spring of 1999, four chefs from Huguo Temple Snack Restaurant went to Singapore to attend the “Spring in River Bank–Greeting the New Year”. The delicate snacks made by them were highly praised by Singapore citizens and Premier Wu Zuodong, after the event, ordered 100 Glutinous Rice Flour Roll with Red Bean Paste and Soy Bean Flourfor the State Banquet. Local snacks have been present to elegant places. In November 2004, Business Department of Huguo Temple Snack Restaurant sent chefs to participate the 4th Macao Cate Festival and won great reputation in Macao with delicate Beijing local snacks and technique.
Huguo Temple Snack Restaurant as a time-honored brand in China, based on carrying out the local snack tradition, focuses on research and innovation, and introduced the Local Snacks Banquet integrating fine works of local snacks and Moslem flavor with excellent technique and deliberate banquet design

Beijing Prospect

Approaching the turn of the millennium, Beijing has mapped its blueprint for tomorrow: By 2010, Beijing will achieve an all-round development of economic and social development. The functions as political and cultural center will be further enhanced and brought to perfection. It will become the best city with the most developed culture, education, science and technology, social ethics and conventions and democracy and legal system. An economic system suited to the characteristics of the capital will be completed, led by a new and high technology industry, with developed tertiary industry, rational industrial Structure and high efficiency and high quality. The people's living standards will be raised to a higher level on the basis of a comfortable level. The city environment will be further improved and the city's management level will be improved markedly. By 2010, the GDP will be double that of 2000 and a fairly perfect socialist market system will take shape. The comprehensive strength of the economy, science and technology and social development will reach or surpass in some aspects the levels of capital cities of middle developed countries. By the mid-21st century, Beijing will become a modern international metropolis.With full confidence, Beijing is on its march into the new century.

Beijing CBD

With an area of 3.99 square kilometres (sq.km), Central Business District (CBD) Chaoyang is home to around 3,000 domestic and foreign companies. Like other world-famous districts such as Manhattan in New York City and Zhonghuan in Hong Kong, CBD provides an excellent investment environment, convenient transportation, and a high-speed telecommunications system. Office towers, hotels, first-class apartments and multiple service organizations involved in finance, IT and intermediary service industries make Chaoyang Beijing's biggest and most rapidly developing economic area. CBD has become a symbol of modern Beijing.

Olympic Park

Olympic Park in Chaoyang District will be the heart of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. It is on the northern end of Beijing's axis and covers 12.15 square kilometres (sq.km). To the north lies the Olympic Forest Park. To the south are: 14 stadiums, Olympic Village, Media Centre, International Radio and TV Centre, National Sports Museum, China International Exhibiton Centre and National Olympic Sports Centre.
After 2008, Olympic Park plans to become Beijing's biggest multi-function community with trade centres, business centres, exhibition halls, large-scale stadiums and entertainment facilities. It will be the one of Beijing's landmarks.

Mo Hill (Mo Shan) Travel

An important part of the famous Wuhan East Lake Scenic Area, Mo Hill, also called Millstone Hill, lies southeast of East Lake. The graceful east peak that looks like a millstone gave the hill its present name, Millstone Hill. Covering a total area of about 5 square kilometers, it boasts abundant plants and unique gardens, amid the culture of the State of Chu (one of the seven warring states before Qin (221BC - 206BC) in China's first feudal dynasty). Many charming scenes, such as Chutian Jimu (Looking at the State of Chu As Far As One Can See), Botanical-Viewing Garden, Tiantai Chenxi (Morning Rays of Heaven Platform), and Zhu De's Stele Pavilion, are located on the hill.
On the first peak of the Mo Hill stands the pavilion called Zhu De's Stele Pavilion. Two stories high, it is famous for a red stele lying in front on which is carved the epigraph of Zhu De (an important leader of the Chinese revolutionary period), and an attached horizontal board inscribed 'Zhu De's Stele Pavilion' by Guo Moruo (a famous Chinese author). The second floor of the pavilion affords an excellent view of the beautiful lake.
Fans of Chu culture will particularly enjoy the State of Chu culture theme park. Many historical places such as the City Wall of the State of Chu, the Chu Market, the Chu Talent Garden, the Chu Heaven Platform, etc., introduce the current State of Chu in this area.
At the entrance to the State of Chu's cultural sightseeing area is the City Wall at 23.4 meters (77 feet) tall and 11 meters (36 feet) wide. Chu people prefer the color red. The surrounding wall made of reddish-brown stones is magnificent in its primitive simplicity. The street of the Chu Market with special craftworks and distinctive local foods exemplifies Chu architectural styles. Not far from the Chu Market is the Chu Talent Garden, where over a hundred statues in the garden depict outstanding Chu litterateurs, scientists, myths characters and so on.
The Chu Heaven Platform affords clear views of Chu relics, great paintings, calligraphy, and waxworks of famous persons. Thirty-six meters (118 feet) tall and with an area of 2260 meters (7415 feet), it has 345 steps in front, culminating in the soul part of Mo Hill - the four-floor Chu Heaven Platform. Wearing classic Chu costumes, bandsmen play upbeat ancient music. Lifelike waxworks of eminent persons are displayed on the second floor, while Chu relics are exhibited on the third floor. A panoramic view of the entire East Lake Scenic Area is available from the summit.
The incredible Botanical Viewing Garden lies on the south side of Mo Hill. More than 360 kinds of plants are nursed in 13 special gardens, such as the Plum Garden, Cherry Blossom Garden, Rhododendron Garden, etc., for viewing and education. Among them the most famous is the Cherry Blossom Garden which covers an area of 150 mu (25 acres), valued as one of the world's three cherry blossom capitals, together with Hirosaki in Japan and Washington D.C. in America. The 2006 Wuhan Cherry Blossom Festival offers top grade cherry blossoms plus rich and colorful activities in the garden that attract visitors from all over the world. The Plum Garden, listed as the top of the four plum gardens in China, is also worth a visit. March, April, and May are the best viewing months.
Recreation facilities such as the slide way and ropeway, offer an exciting change of pace.
Put Mo Hill belongs on everyone's itinerary.

East Lake Scenic Area Travel

East Lake, the biggest scenery tourist attraction in Wuhan and also the largest lake within a city in China, is located on the south bank of the Yangtze River and in the east suburb of Wuchang. It covers an area of 87 square kilometers (33 square kilometers of water area) that is five times greater than the area of the West Lake in Hangzhou . Because of its winding banks and crisscrossing ponds and brooks, it is called 'a lake with 99 bays'. The East Lake Scenic Area was formed from many famous scenic spots along the bank. The six major ones are Tingtao (Listening to Surging Waves), Mo Hill (Millstone Hill), Luoyan (Diving Wild Goose), Baima (White Horse), Chuidi (Playing Flutes), and Luohong Hills.
Among the six scenic areas, Tingtao and Mo Hill scenic areas are the most two notable and are open to visitors.
The East Lake gate opens to the Tingtao scenic area featuring the rare sequoia especially elegant in late autumn. The Listening-to-the-Waves Tower (Tingtao Xuan), with its classic elegance is one of the famous buildings in this area, along with Land of Water and Cloud (Shuiyun Xiang) which serves as a teahouse, and the Tingtao Inn of Wine, a restaurant offering local fish dishes. On the north, the center of this area, is the Poetry-Reciting Pavilion (Xingyinge), built for memorizing works of Qu Yuan, the great patriotic poet of the State of Chu (one of the seven warring states before Qin (221BC-206BC) in China's first feudal dynasty). Many exhibits about Qu Yuan are featured in this building including his great literary masterpieces. In addition, the first allegory sculpture park in China is here displaying wonderful sculpture and allegories.
Characterized by beautiful landscape, abundant plants, the customs of the State of Chu and unique gardens, the Mo Hill Scenic Area attracts many tourists. In this area, the Chu cultural theme park displays the Chu culture in China. The Botanical Viewing Garden where more than 360 kinds of plants are nursed in 13 special gardens with flowers blooming all the year round - orchids and cherry blossoms in spring, lotus in summer, osmanthus in autumn, and plum blossoms in winter - is also admirable. Two of the most famous are the Cherry Blossom Garden said to be one of the world's three cherry blossom capitals along with Hirosaki in Japan and Washington in America, and the Plum Blossom Garden which is listed as the top plum garden. For more details about Mo Hill, please click Mo Hill.
Other scenic areas include Luoyan (Diving Wild Goose), known for its serene environment, Baima (White Horse), with the white horse tombs, Chuidi (Playing Flutes), Zhu Zhen (the sixth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)), and Luohong Hills, where the highly respected Wuhan University is situated.
Besides these, the Bird Forest with 200 kinds of birds, the mysterious East Lake Ocean Park, the biggest sand beach bathing area in inner China, the Friendship Forest where many other cities' delegates together with Wuhan people have planted trees symbolizing friendship are all worth a visit.
What make the East Lake Scenic Area more incredible are its recreational facilities: the exciting slide way, the ropeway, the yachts, tandem bikes, the skating rink and the pleasure ground for children.
As Wuhan has a subtropical monsoon climate with four distinct seasons, the ideal months to visit are from March to April and from September to October. Thus you avoid the scorching summer heat of July and August with 40 C (104 F) heat, and the cold winter period from November to late January with its severe cold. The festival periods such as the Wuhan International Tourist Festival (Late September-Mid October), Plum Blossom Festival (February-March) are the highly recommended times to visit the East Lake Scenic Area.

Yangtze River Bridge Travel

Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge is the first highway-railway bridge over the Yangtze River. On the mighty Yangtze with a length of 6,300 kilometers (3,915 miles), there was no bridge for thousands of years. This river seemed an obstacle set by nature, separating Hanyang, Hankou and Wuchang, namely the three towns of Wuhan. Moreover, it blocked the transportation between the north and the south China. Only ship can be used. However, the natural obstacle became accessible for various vehicles due to the finish of the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge in 1957.Started in 1955, the grand bridge project takes about two years. The complete bridge is 1,670.4 meters (5,480.3 feet) long with the main body of 1,156 meters (3,793 feet). It has 8 piers and 9 holes. The bridge is divided into two levels with the upper one for bus transit and the lower for trains. The driveway is 18 meters (59 feet) wide for six buses to run parallel. The bridge is extremely firm. It has not been harmed even during the huge Wenchuan Earthquake in 2008.Extending from Tortoise Hill (Gui Shan) in Hanyang to Snake Hill (She Shan) in Wuchang, the bridge has not only improved the transportation in Wuhan City, but also enhanced the communication between the north and the south of the river. To fully view the splendid bridge and the marvelous river, you can climb up the 7-story bridge tower at either end of the bridge by elevator or staircases. The attached buildings and decorations are harmonious and exquisite, reflecting rich Chinese architectural features. The theme of sculptures on the 143 panes along each side of the bridge is from some Chinese folk stories such as the peacock showing its fine feathers, carp playing among lotus, a magpie singing on blossom tree.From the bridge, you can see the rolling water run to the east with ships coming and going; on the bank, Hubei TV Tower stands tall on Tortoise Hill (Gui Shan) in Hanyang, while the first tower in southern China, the Yellow Crane Tower (Huang He Lou), stands on Snake Hill (She Shan) in Wuchang.
Related information: Now, in Wuhan, there are already three grand bridges over the Yangtze River - Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge described above, the Second Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge established in 1995 and the Third Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge (Baishazhou Bridge) opened in 2000.

Heptachord Terrace (Guqin Tai) Travel

Heptachord Terrace, or Guqin Tai to give it its Chinese name, is located in the north of the Hanyang District of Wuhan City, Hubei Province. It is situated at the west of Tortoise Hill and on the bank of the Moon Lake.
The terrace is a reminder of the legend of Yu Boya, who was a famous official who lived in the Jin State during the the Spring and Autumn Period (770 B.C. - 476B.C.), and was an expert heptachord player. One day, Yu Boya played two pieces of music on his way home by boat from an official visit to the Chu State. One was a composition called 'High Mountain' and the other 'Flowing Water'. To Yu Boya's amazement Zhong Ziqi, a woodcutter, understood and appreciated his music. Yu Boya admired Zhong Ziqi's musical attainment and after a long conversation they became bosom friends. Since Yu Boya had to return to his state, they agreed to meet again in the coming year. Unfortunately, Yu Boya found that his friend had died from a disease before their planned meeting could take place and understandably he was deeply grieved upon hearing the sad news. Upon setting up an altar near his friend's grave and burning incense there, he played 'High Mountain' and 'Flowing Water' once again. The emotion of the music was so strong that it was as if the rivers and the mountains were crying. When he had finished playing, the distraught musician broke his heptachord to pieces. From then on, Yu Boya never played again.
The terrace was built in honor of the sincere friendship between Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi during the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) and later restored by a prefect living in Hubei Province during the early years of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911).
Surrounded by water on three sides, the Heptachord Terrace is set among some very beautiful scenery. As well as the stone terrace, a hall named 'High Mountain and Flowing Water' stands on the site. Other recreational features around the Heptachord Terrace are a courtyard and a teahouse as well as an arboretum. At the entrance to the Heptachord Terrace, you are confronted by a colorful glaze-tiled hall over which the Chinese characters say 'Guqin Tai'. Walking to the north brings you to a screen wall facing the gate of a house, on the screen is carved the Chinese character written by the Daoguang Emperor (1875 - 1909) of the Qing Dynasty. Passing a small gate to the east of this screen wall, a zigzag veranda lies in front of you. Here you will see many stone carvings and a stele inscription commemorating the restoration of the Heptachord Terrace. On the west of the veranda is the Heptachord Hall in front of which is a white marble terrace. As the legend suggests, it was on this terrace that Yu Boya played his instrument. There is an exhibition of wax figures depicting how the two men became good friends together with a white marble statue of Yu Boya playing the Heptachord.
All in all, a trip to the Heptachord Terrace will help tourists to truly appreciate the friendly nature of Chinese people and have a better understanding of the stress they place upon sincere affection.

Chairman Mao Zedong's Villa Travel

The famous villa of Chairman Mao Zedong in Wuhan is strategically located at the scenic bank of East Lake of Wuchang, which consists of Meiling Buildings One, Two and Three. It was once a retreat house for Chairman Mao and other privileged ruling members of the Politburo. During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Mao in a letter nicknamed it 'Home of the White Clouds and Yellow Cranes' where he enjoyed the quiet ambiance and great relief it offered. The attractive scenery of tree-lined footpath, dense grove, flying songbirds, and Chairman Mao's favourite pines, bamboo trees and plums seen everywhere can undoubtedly, make one reluctant to leave.
Meiling was Mao's summer villa where he lived for a long time and often visited many times besides Zhongnanhai. He came here once a year up to three times a year, at the most, and stayed for one month to as long as six months.
Meiling Building One is the most interesting structure since it was Chairman Mao's private residence where he ate, slept, wrote and conducted numerous daily national affairs. He gave audience to many celebrities and foreign friends, including President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger of the United States of America in 1972. Moreover, he wrote here the famous poem Swim that won universal praises. It has a bedroom, a sitting room, a reception room and a formal dining room. As the picture shows, the dining room is accentuated by a restful scenic painting of trees with dark gray foliage, soft rose colored flowers and a gentle orange sun, with its questionable mix of plum carpeting, red tablecloth and emerald green crushed velvet armchairs.
The same grey covered chair where the great leader sat is still there, but rather faded and frayed now. The chair and lamps are still in the same semi-circular position as they were 27 years ago.The bedroom was furnished with plain fifties furniture with a pink and white patterned chaise. Next to the large-sized bed hangs his blue and white striped king size bathrobe. There still remain the slippers of him and his wife, Jiang Qing.
Meiling Building Two, the assembly hall, has a huge lobby cloaked in heavily worn curtains. The hall with its hundreds of red upholstered chairs facing the stage is cordoned off while the lobby is open to the public. On the balcony, there is a wicker chair placed in a certain position as was placed in the past, with a framed photograph hanging next to it. Visitors are permitted to sit on the chair and take photos of themselves as souvenirs.
Meiling Building Three houses Mao's private indoor swimming pool. It is about 30-meter long and six lanes wide, the same as most competition-sized pools. It is lined with tiles with stainless steel ladders, and underwater lights. There are nine floor-to-ceiling tinted windows, which Mao could see through during his daily swims.
Meiling was open to the public in the early 1993, and has received numerous travellers, both local tourists and foreigners. It is now a very hot tourist spot where many could recall Chairman Mao's experiences of his late years and get glimpses of the great leader's historical and colourful life.

Yellow Crane Tower Guide

The single largest tourist attraction in Wuhan is Yellow Crane Tower (Huanghelou), a modern construction built on the site of five previous incarnations. It is considered one of the four great towers in China.

A view of Snake Hill Park from about the fourth floor of Yellow Crane Tower.The tower sits atop Snake Hill near the Number One Chang (Yangtze) River Bridge and affords a commanding view of the Chang River as well as the mouth of the Han River where it connects. The view can be very impressive depending on local smog conditions. On the few clear days one can see practically the entire city of Wuhan as well as up and down the Chang River.
Entering the park costs 50RMB which gives access to Snake Hill Park, Yellow Crane Tower and the Mao Pavilion (in which many of the poems of Chairman Mao are etched into stone for viewing pleasure). The park as a whole is nicely landscaped with many charming buildings. Of particular interest is the enormous bronze bell located behind Yellow Crane Tower itself as well as a teahouse on the premises which features regular performances of traditional Chu-era music. The performance itself is free, but it is expected that patrons enjoying it order at least a beverage or a small snack.
The tower itself is a modern building completed in the 1980s using modern materials - most notably, concrete is used instead of wood for all supporting members. It is sited where five previous Yellow Crane Towers have stood, each pervious one destroyed in war or disaster. The ground floor of the tower contains a large entrance hall, two storeys tall, with enormous decorative lamps and a giant ceramic fresco displaying the quasi-mythical story of the tower's initial construction. The second storey, essentially a balcony around the entrance hall, contains the usual souvenir shops as well as displays of traditional Chinese paintings and calligraphy. The third storey has a residence done up in the very ancient, Chu style modelled after the kinds of sitting rooms used by nobility greeting guests in the ancient period. The fourth storey contains a souvenir shop and a set of models displaying the tower in its five previous incarnations. This latter display shows the fascinating development of an essentially military watchtower into an increasingly residence/tourist-oriented showpiece. The top accessible storey has pay telescopes for the view (which are generally not useful in the smog which dominates Wuhan air) and some art displays.
Yellow Crane Tower (and, in fact, Snake Hill Park in general) is wheelchair-accessible in most areas of interest. The tower even has two elevators suited to the elderly and the handicapped who would otherwise not be able to climb the stairs to the top. Ramps around in most of the areas of interest.

Wuhan Travel Guide

"I like to eat the delicious Re Gan Mian noodles; I like to wear the cotton jacket I bought in Han Zheng Street; I like to live near the flourishing Liuduqiao area; I like to cross each bridge over the Yangtze," writes a Chinese Wuhan resident.
The Hanjiang, a large river, joins China's great Yangtze in Hubei Province creating a river-crossed fertile land known as Jianghan Plain. Situated on the Plain, Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province, is the biggest hub city in Central China. Divided by the Yangtze, Wuhan has come to be known as the Three Towns of Wuhan with Hankou and Hanyang on the west bank, and Wuchang on the east.
Wuhan is a city with both an ancient history and a thriving present. Historic relics excavated from ancient tombs tell the city's long history dating back 3,500 years. In the period of Pre-Qin (770 B.C. - 221 B.C.), this was the land of the State of Chu (one of the seven warring states before Qin, in China's first feudal dynasty) and was the cradle of the brilliant Chu Civilization. Starting here, merchants followed the great Yangtze River and lake network to expand businesses throughout the entire country.
In the Qing Dynasty, Hankou became one of the four best-known towns in the country. For centuries, this city has been the center of trade and transportation in central China. Today it is an important hub in central China and a feature of Yangtze River cruises for sightseers and businessmen traveling from Sichuan to Shanghai or Hong Kong.
Wuhan is the place to find both history and natural wonders. Hubei Provincial Museum and Yellow Crane Tower are two places to appreciate ancient Chinese history and culture. In the museum, chimes excavated from tombs reveal the incredible achievements of ancient people in music, acoustics and metallurgy. The classic poems and inscriptions on the tower, (although unrecognizable to most Westerners) can inspire your spirit as you pretend to be a poet with a bird's-eye view of the river from the tower window. In addition, the famous Villa of Chairman Mao Zedong on the scenic bank of East Lake, Wuchang, is an ideal place for Westerns to learn more about him.
Two famous places for local Wuhan snacks are Ji Qing Jie night street and Hu Bu Xiang breakfast street. Ji Qing Jie features all kinds of special foods plus entertainment at table by classical folk musicians. Snacks tops on travelers' list include Re Gan Mian , Steamed Wuchang Fish and Fried Bean Sheets. Street stalls in Hu Bu Xiang support the local habit of Guo Zao (having breakfast at street stalls with their cheap tasty food and vendors' skillful performance). Benefited from rivers around, Wuhan Cuisine earns its reputation especially from fish. Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong in his poem wrote: "I have just drunk the waters of Changsha Come to eat the fish of Wuchang." Streamed Wuchang Fish is a must for epicures.
Time-honored Han Zheng Street and the bustling walking street near Hanjiang Road are two choices for shopping lovers. Comb through dazzling shops housed in traditional Chinese buildings and find special gifts for friends and family. Even the most fastidious shopper will be satisfied.
Wuhan is also a city with impressive nightlife. Today people have more entertainment choices than ever before. Instead of watching TV at home, locals go to the cinema with friends, or spend the evening at disco parlors, karaoke rooms, bars and pubs and other interesting places.
Put Wuhan on your itinerary; you will not be disappointed.

Guiyuan Temple Travel

Guiyuan Temple is located in Hanyang District, Wuhan Cuiwei Road at the western end, Hanyang bell Village covers an area of 46,900 square meters, more than 200 homes Palace, the building area of 200,000 square meters. Temple architecture, Buddhist scriptures, Buddha body flawless white fo after the "Cultural Revolution" and survived a complete catastrophe, especially Rohan Hall honors the 500 golden luohan for the focus of one of the special features Monastery. Wuhan Guiyuan Temple are the best preserved ancient temple, the temple Diange towering, tree onions Xiu Xiu, height period "from the Association in over a thousand people," known, are conservation units in Hubei Province, China's major Buddhist temples. Shunzhi built before Guiyuan Temple years, were taken from the scriptures "Guiyuan of Fujio, how convenient door" and "Guiyuan" word.Guiyuan also known as simplicity, that is really attributable to silence origin, attained Buddhahood.Guiyuan Temple points, the southern and northern group of three yards, has cangjingge, Main Hall three main buildings, their own characteristics. In particular, Rohan halls are dedicated to the 500 clay body Rohan, sit ups and downs, joys and sorrows, lifelike. Devout men and women often ask for this number of good and bad luohan Bu perils. Very wang Guiyuan Temple incense to attract a large number of tourists at home and abroad. Kaishan Guiyuan Temple ancestors are white, the main peak sujia two brothers, ancestral home in Zhejiang Province. They swim side to Hanyang Xingguo Tripitaka Temple study, at the same time practice contained three good deeds. HanyangSun Yaoguang wealthy businessmen, such as people wearing Tiancheng deeply moved, so the construction of civil money Guiyuan Temple. "Guiyuan" from the Buddhist word "Surangama": "no Guiyuan Road to facilitate a number of door", meaning one to the ten thousand laws that facilitate the very many people of the doorways. "Zen" is the "thinking", "jinglv", "disposable evil" such as Italy, Zen is Mahayana Buddhism and Confucianism teach a combination of one faction, which is of a Chinese Buddhist.

Yellow Crane Tower Travel

Yellow Crane Tower is a famous scenic spots at home and abroad, it is located in the Yangtze River, stands a high view of the Peak, overlooking denglou overlooking Jianghan, relaxed and happy. Since ancient times, the enjoyment of "the world must King" and "the world the first floor Jiangshan"'s reputation. Yellow Crane Tower in the history of the repeated destruction of repeated construction, only that the seven destroyed in the Qing Dynasty built seven, and finally destroyed the first floor Guangxu Decade (1884). Yellow Crane Tower was first built in the Three Kingdoms Wu Huang Wu-year (AD 223 years) have elapsed since the 1780 years of history, was a lookout for military watchtower and command used, then gradually evolved into sightseeing, the yinsizuociresort. "The text because King-shing," "King, by fax," our predecessors passed since poetry, Wen Fu, couplet reads,moyan stone and folk stories, so that spot to become beautiful human landscape of the culture of mutual reliance on floor. Today's Yellow Crane Tower, re-erected in 1985 in the top of Snake Hill, Lou Tzu magnificent spot for the past year. To spot as the center of the park west司门口, East Grand Dongmen only covers an area of 30 hectares divided into eastern, western, southern and shouyi five boroughs. Western Yellow Crane Tower has attractions, Hwanghak bronze, wins like the pagoda, "Jiangshan picturesque" arch, the Millennium auspicious bell, etc.; the Southern District has beilang ancient poems beilang, Mi Fu el rock, geese pond, Ziwei Court ; North has Songyuan, an azalea garden, Meiyuan, etc.; Eastern has baiyunge, Yuefei scenic, Chung platform, "Spring, summer, autumn and winter" seasons arches, etc.;shouyi district have Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial,shouyi martyrs qundiao, Fort shouyi such. Yellow Crane Tower, opening up the reconstruction of 19 years, the cultural building has a collection of more than 100 contemporary art works, published over 10 books of the Yellow Crane Tower series culture. Opening up of Chinese and foreign tourists so far has received more than 4,000 million, a reception party and state leaders and foreign heads of more than 100. Yellow Crane Tower has passed ISO14000 environmental protection system, argues that among the "top ten enterprises in Hubei Province, the economy," Chinese tourist destination forty good, being a set tour, sightseeing, dining, entertainment and shopping into a contemporary resort.

East Lake Travel

East Lake Scenic Area, Wuhan City are scenic tours to biggest. Of Donghu Lake, Wuhan same mirror, the surface area of 33 square kilometers, the West Lake of Hangzhou, are 6 times, the biggest Chinese city lakes, mountains, vast bright and clean, a maximum width 28 kilometers deep, 6 meters, 111.5 kilometers long shoreline, shoreline twists and turns staggered, known as known as Bay 99. 。 Yamashita has lakes, mountains and water. Deng and Wang Qing Lian peak, riding whitecaps tabled in the mountains, different perspectives can savor to a different landscape of exquisite taste. Hubei Chu ancient hinterland and the main battlefield of the Three Kingdoms. According to history books and legends, East Lake scenic spot construction of a group of Chu culture and the three countries for the connotation of cultural tourist attractions. Court, a statue of Qu Yuan, Qu Yuan Memorial Hall, Chu City, Chu City, Taiwan and Lisao Chutian Monument, to name just a hundred years appear Chu Chu Culture brilliant Bo Yu Tai; Liubei rural Temple of Heaven, Wu Shing Temple zhuodaoquan allows you to enjoy the Three Kingdoms the essence of culture. Plum Blossom and Lotus Lake in cultivation techniques leading the country, so here is the "Plum Blossom Chinese Research Center" and "China Lotus Research Center" location. Hongxia sky like cherry blossoms, Japanese-style garden, it gives the wrong impression to outside Japan. East Lake Park, Cherry blossom Cherry blossom is the largest Park, 5000 Cherry blossom fragrance spit competing, giving the maya-like feeling.