 | Chuandixia Village
Only 60 km away from China's huge capital Beijing there is this lovely little village called Chuandixia. This village is known for its well preserved 689 Ming and Qing dynasty-style houses owned by 76 families.
These houses are built on the side of a hill, surrounded by mountains and forests. Steep stairs and lanes paved with rocks are simple and unadorned.
The village was rated as a village of great tourist value and has been placed under national level cultural relics protection. It is a great place to take photos. Almost every family at the village now receives tourists.
The village is also near spots like Shuanglong Gorge, with its rivers and falls, the Pearl Lake and the Longmenjian grand canyon.
To get there: take bus 929 from Pingguoyuan subway station to Chuandixia village.
Tel: 010-6981-9333
|
.jpg "Great Wall of China") | Great Wall of China
As a symbol of ancient Chinese civilization, The Great Wall of China has stood for more than 2,000 years. The Great wall of China was built in stages from the 5th century BC up to the 16th century AD as protection against northern nomadic tribes. Stretching from the coast of the Bohai Bay in the east and ending at the Jiayu Pass in the west, it snakes along the back of mountains, deserts and valleys for 6,350km (3900 miles). It is said to be 1 of the only 2 human engineering projects visible by astronauts from space with the naked eye. Built of huge granite slabs and special sized bricks, the Great Wall at Badaling 75km (47 miles) north of Beijing is most typical part of the Wall during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). There the wall is wide enough for 5 horsemen to ride abreast or 10 men to walk side by side. |
 | Lama Temple
In the northeastern part of Beijing stands Yonghe Lamasery, a Yellow Hat Tibetan lamasery and one of the city finest and most celebrated temples. Its 5 main halls and many galleries are filled with exquisitely detailed tanka paintings and beautifully carved or cast Buddha images. The buildings encompass the Han, Mongol, Manchu and Tibetan architectural styles and the brilliance of the blue, green and gold detail on the sharp red pagodas is simply stunning. The temple is renown for its "3 matchless treasures". These include an 18 meter (60ft) sandalwood Maitreya Buddha statue sculpted from a single tree, a niche of Buddha carved from the nanmu tree and the "mountain of 500 arhats" made from precious stones and metal. |