Since yellow is the symbol of the royal family, it is the dominant color in the Forbidden City. Roofs are built with yellow glazed tiles; decorations in the palace are painted yellow; even the bricks on the ground are made yellow by a special process. However, there is one exception. Wenyuange, the royal library, has a black roof. The reason is that it was believed black represented water then and could extinguish fire.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
Lying at the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City, called Gu Gong in Chinese, was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Now known as the Palace Museum, it is to the north of Tiananmen Square.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
Rectangular in shape, it is the world's largest palace complex and covers 74 hectares. Surrounded by a six meter deep moat and a ten meter high wall are 9,999 buildings. The wall has a gate on each side.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
Opposite the Tiananmen Gate, to the north is the Gate of Divine Might (Shenwumen), which faces Jingshan Park. The distance between these two gates is 960 meters, while the distance between the gates in the east and west walls is 750 meters. There are unique and delicately structured towers on each of the four corners of the curtain wall. These afford views over both the palace and the city outside.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
The Forbidden City is divided into two parts. The southern section, or the Outer Court was where the emperor exercised his supreme power over the nation. The northern section, or the Inner Court was where he lived with his royal family. Until 1924 when the last emperor of China was driven from the Inner Court, fourteen emperors of the Ming dynasty and ten emperors of the Qing dynasty had reigned here. Having been the imperial palace for some five centuries, it houses numerous rare treasures and curiosities.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
Listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987, the Palace Museum is now one of the most popular tourist attractions world-wide.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
Each imperial door has nine rows of nine knobs, a total of 81, as an imperial designation that the number nine is an imperial number. The dragons all have five claws too as an imperial symbol. Commoners using the nine knobs and the five dragon claws faced execution.
The Chongqing Zoo is located in the western suburbs of Chongqing. It occupies more than 60 hectares of land. There are more than 230 kinds of rare wild animals on display in the zoo. Among all of the residents of the Chongqing Zoo, the pandas are the most popular.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
Situated in the western outskirts of Haidian District, the Summer Palace is 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) from central Beijing. Having the largest royal park and being well preserved, it was designated, in 1960 by the State Council, as a Key Cultural Relics Protection Site of China.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
Containing examples of the ancient arts, it also has graceful landscapes and magnificent constructions. The Summer Palace is the archetypal Chinese garden, and is ranked amongst the most noted and classical gardens of the world. In 1998, it was listed as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Work is ongoing at this site, which is around 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum, Lintong County, Shaanxi Province. It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the first Emperor of all China, had begun to work for his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his after life.
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A group of peasants uncovered some pottery while digging for a well nearby the royal tomb in 1974. It caught the attention of archeologists immediately. They came to Xian in droves to study and to extend the digs. They had established beyond doubt that these artifacts were associated with the Qin Dynasty (211-206 BC).
This Image was taken in April 2008.
The State Council authorized to build a museum on site in 1975. When completed, people from far and near came to visit. Xian and the Museum of Qin Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses have become landmarks on all travelers' itinerary.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
Life size terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations are the star features at the museum. They are replicas of what the imperial guard should look like in those days of pomp and vigor.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
Altogether over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. Most of them have been restored to their former grandeur.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses is a sensational archeological find of all times. It has put Xian on the map for tourists. It was listed by UNESCO in 1987 as one of the world cultural heritages.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
The Great Wall of China, one of the great wonders of the world, was enlisted in the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles) from east to west of China.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the sections of the great wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
China is believed to be the home of umbrellas, which are still universally used in the country. The earliest umbrellas are known to have existed at least two thousand years ago and were made of silk.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
The Bund, also called the Zhongshan Road, is the waterfront area of Pu Xi (West City) that faces the newer part of Shanghai - Pu Dong (East City). The Bund has been regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years, is less than one mile in length, and is a popular desitnation for tourists.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
Walking along the Bund at night is a fascinating site, as the entire PuDong skyline (across the river) is illuminated, including the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the 2nd tallest building in the world - Jin Mao Tower. And directly across Zhongshan Road, you will see many different types of structures from Old Shanghai, including: Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism and Renaissance.
This Image was taken in April 2008.
