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02 juni Cultural Sites > Palaces > Dr. Sun Yat-sen's MausoleumDr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum The question remains to be answered as to why the mausoleum is located on Zijin Mountain , especially since Dr. Sun Yat-sen, who was born in Chanxiangshan of Guangdong province and died in Beijing, stayed in Nanjing for only a short time. Perhaps the answer can be found in one of his trips to Zijin Mountain. In March 1912, when Dr. Sun was the provisional president of the then Republic of China, he once went hunting on Zijin Mountain with Hu Hanmin and others. As he gazed at the winding Qinhuai River, followed by the green mountains behind, the Ming Dynasty Tomb to the left and Linggu Valley to the right, he smiled and said to his close attendants, "The day I die, I wish to rest my body down here."
After his death on March 12, 1925, his coffin was temporarily put in the Fragrant's Mountain's Temple of Azure Clouds, while the mausoleum was being built on the southern slope of Zijin Mountain, according to his will. A grand foundation-laying ceremony was held. In 1928, the Kuomintang government designated the entire Zijin Mountain as the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and upon completion of the mausoleum, Dr. Sun's coffin was brought from Beijing to be buried there. In 1961, the mausoleum was
The south-facing mausoleum covers an area of over 80,000 square meters, and includes the semi-circle square, the memorial archway, the passway, the gate hall, the tablet pavilion, the sacrificial hall and the coffin chamber. All the buildings in the mausoleum's layout are arranged on a north to south axis. The Ming Dynasty Tomb (Ming Xiao Ling) is located nearby. Visitors cherish the memory of Dr. Sun by paying respects to his remains. The mausoleum was designed in the shape of an alarm bell, reflecting Dr. Sun's idea of "evoking the mass people to build the Republic of China". The bronze statue of his image at the foot of the mountain is the spire of the bell，and the semi-circle square in front of the entrance resembles the arch top of the bell. The main memorial hall's vault looks like the pendulum. The huge bronze Ding (an ancient cooking vessel with two or three loop handles), a symbol of power in ancient times is seen as the hand of the bell. A granite memorial archway, or Paifang which is inscribed with two Chinese characters written by Dr. Sun with the meaning of "fraternity", leads to the mausoleum grounds.Immediately behind is a 375-meter-long and 40-meter-wide pathway leading slightly up the hill to the formal gate hall with three arched entrances. On the upper part of the gate is inscribed four Chinese characters Inside the gate hall, there is a pavilion which houses Dr. Sun's memorial tablet, a huge stone stele about 6 meters in height. Behind this and at the end to steps is the main memorial hall, consisting of the sacrificial hall and the coffin chamber. On the eighth terrace there is a pair of ancient Chinese ornamental columns (Huabiao), standing respectively on each side of the 12.6 meters high memorial hall.
North to the sacrificial hall is the circular coffin chamber, the resting place of Sun's remains. They lie in a rectangular marble stone coffin capped with a reclining sculpture of Dr. Sun , which is the work of a Czechic sculptor. The coffin sits in a sunken circular pit with a diameter of 4 meters and a height of 5 meters so that visitors can gaze down on it as they circle around in silence. Over the last three decades, Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum has witnessed enormous changes. The whole mausoleum and its memorial buildings have been extensively renovated several times. Tourists to Nanjing usually visit the mausoleum and pay their respects to Sun Yat-sen, the great revolutionist. Endowed with rolling hills, a vast sea-like forest, many sights and rich resources, the mausoleum is majestic and magnificent. With the unique and successful design, the mausoleum has been dubbed "the First Mausoleum in the History of Modern Architecture ". Cultural Sites > PavilionsPenglai Pavilion
The Penglai Pavilion is listed as one of the four famous pavilions in China, together with the Yellow Crane Tower, Yueyang Tower and Prince Teng Pavilion. Constructed with double-deck wood, it is seated on the north, facing the south, with symmetrically built side rooms and wing rooms in front of both east and west sides. Wing rooms perform the role of halls, with hallways linking side rooms and stone stairs running up the Pavilion. Its ground floor measures 14.8 meters in length, and 9.65 meters in width, with winding corridors and 16 columns surrounding all sides. Hung on the front door is a huge horizontal tablet inscribed with three Chinese characters: Peng Lai Ge (Peng Lai Pavilion), written by famous calligrapher Tie Bao of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Three huge stone tablets are embedded in the outside of the north wall of the Pavilion's ground floor. One reads Bi Hai Qing Feng (Blue Sea, Cool Breeze), written by Lu Qiguang, a renowned Qing calligrapher. Another reads Hai Bu Yang Bo (Placid Seawater), of which the word Bu was struck by a cannonball during the 1894 to 1895 Sino-Japanese war, leaving a visible scar. The third one reads Huan Qing (The Whole Qing). In front of the wing rooms' north gable wall are three monuments, built during the reigns of Emperor Jiaqing, Daoguang and Guangxu respectively after each renovation or construction of attached buildings. To the west of west-wing room, a 2.3-meter-tall tablet is erected facing the east. Engraved on the tablet is Daoguang's Notes on Repairing Penglai Pavilion in Dengxhou, written with full power and grandeur. Inside the west-wing room, ten tablets are embedded into the west wall, with four Chinese characters on each, describing the Ten Scenes of Penglai: Sunrise on the Sea, Evening Tide under the New Moon, Countless Jade Fragments, Ten Thousand Miles of Clear Water, Pavilion in the Air, Snow Covered Peak, Mist and Clouds, Fishing and Singing on the Yuliang, Shining Waves in Well and Rain Drops from Heaven. Another ten tablets of past dynasties are in the west side room, all of which have great historiography and calligraphy values. The second floor of the Penglai Pavilion is 13.5 meters in length and 8.55 meters in width, surrounded by winding corridors, wooden fencing guardrails and 16 columns. With wooden folding screen in the north, east and west, windows are opened in the north wall for visitors to look over the sea. On this floor, the door opens to the south. Hung above the outer side of the door is a board carved with Bi Hai Chun Rong (Blue Sea, Warm Spring), and the inner side is a board carved with Shen Zhou Sheng Jing (Scenic Spot on the Divine Land). Tie Bao's powerful handwriting Penglai Ge (Penglai Pavilion) is just hung on the center of north wall, along with Dong Biwu's inscription and Ye Jianying's couplets. The wooden roof beams are painted with colored drawings like Penglai Ten Scenes, Eight Immortals and Bamboos. With sculptures of eight drunken immortals placed in the center and an old-fashioned square table and chairs placed around, the arrangement of the room is just as what was described in the famous legend of "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea". It is said that the eight immortals (Lu Dongbin, Tie Guaili, Zhang Guolao, Han Zhongli, Cao Guojiu, He Xiangu, Lan Caihe, and Han Xiangzi) got drunk at the Penglai Pavilion and crossed the sea by different tricks of their own without ships or boats. The Penglai Pavilion is the best place to view two of the Ten Scenes of Penglai -- Pavilion in the Air and Fishing and Singing on Yuliang. The Pavilion high up in the air casts its invert reflection in the blue sea, with mist wrapping up the mountainside ring upon ring. It is just like a fantastic mirage written in water. Standing in the Pavilion with mist and clouds floating beneath, visitors will feel like immortals hovering over the waves against wind. Under the Pavilion, reefs rising above the sea surface are called Yuliang. Sometimes you can find old men, in groups of three or five, fishing on the reefs, happy and pleased with themselves.
Changyin Pavilion
Resembling that of Dehe Garden in the Summer Palace, the Grand Theater Building in Changyin Pavilion has trapdoors in the ceiling for fairies to descend, as well as on the floor for demons to surface. Wells and ponds were sunk under the ground stage, with machinery drawing water up to the stages when needed. The Shou Stage is the main performing stage, with the Fu Stage and the Lu Stage seldom used except when performing dramas of gods and spirits. Opposite the stage is a two-storey building called Yueshi Building, where the emperors, empresses and imperial concubines watched the play. The Yueshi Building is surrounded by two-storey buildings respectively in the east, west and north. Female court attendants and ministers could watch the play in corridors along the side buildings. Behind the Yueshi Building is the Hall for Birthday Celebrations. The Grand Theater Building in Changyin Pavilion is the largest in the Qing palace. In ancient China, enjoying the theater was the major entertainment in the imperial palace. Plays were put on stage during festivals like the New Year, the Beginning of Spring, the Lantern Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Seventh Evening of the Seventh Moon, the Mid-autumn Festival, the Double Ninth Festival, the Winter Solstice, the New Year's Eve, as well as important celebrations like the enthronement of the emperor and the birthday party of the emperor or the empress. According to historical data, Empress Dowager Cixi went to see a play in the Changyin Pavilion during every festival, accompanied by the emperor, the empress, the emperor's concubines, princes, dukes and ministers. In the tenth year (1884) of Emperor Guangxu's reign, Empress Dowager Cixi celebrated her fiftieth birthday. To please her, the emperor spent 110,000 liang of silver to purchase costume and stage properties for plays held in the Changyin Pavilion.
Shanhaiguan Pass
Built in tenth year of the Emperor Hong Wu's reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the city gate towers are the main sceneries in the Shanhaiguan Pass, composed of Arrow Tower, Muying Tower, Linlu Tower and Jingbian Tower. Among those towers, the most famous one is the East Gate, the tower of First Pass under Heaven. It forms a situation of Five Tigers Guarding the East Way, together with Weiyuan, Jingbian, Muying, Linlu towers. Standing on the second floor of the tower, one can have a full view of both inside and outside of the Shanhaiguan Pass. Today, the lower part of the tower has turned into a Great Wall Museum, showcasing archaeological materials, literatures, pictures and models. The city gate towers of the Shanhaiguan Pass recorded great changes seen in the past 600 years. After the founding of New China, the Pass under careful maintenance has become a favorable tourist spot and won the honors of the Nation's Model Tourist Spot, the Nation's AAAA-Class Tourist Spot and the Nation's Excellent Tourist City, owning to its typically traditional architectural style and scenery blending mountain, sea and fortress.
Yueyang Tower
It is said that the site was originally an inspection platform for the general Lu Su of the Wu Kingdom (222-250AD) to train his naval troops. In the fifth year of Emperor Qingli's reign in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), Teng Zijing renovated the Yueyang Tower and invited his good friend Fan Zhongyan, a well-known writer, to compose an essay. In Fan's essay, Remarks of Yueyang Tower , he not only described the wonderful scenery, but also wrote the famous lines of one should be the first to bear hardship, and the last to enjoy comforts, indicating his concerns for the country and people. His words won the tower great fame, and have been deeply rooted in the Chinese people's mind from generation to generation. After numerous renovations, the current structure was rebuilt in 1867 in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The Yueyang Tower has its special architectural features. Its main building has three stories and is 15 meters in height, with four huge nanmu pillars supporting the whole building, twelve round log columns supporting the second floor, and another twelve catalpa pillars supporting the roof. Constructed of wood with interlocking brackets that require no nails, the main building is as steady as a monolith. Its roof looks like a general's helmet, grand and unique. On the right side of the main building is the Thrice Drunken Pavilion, named after a legend describing Immortal Lu Dongbin who got drunk here three times. On the left side is the Fairy Plum Blossom Pavilion. It is said that a flagstone was excavated during the Emperor Chongzhen's reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368-16440. The lines on the stone resemble withered plum blossoms. Those lines were regarded as hand drawings of immortals and called the pavilion Fairy Plum Blossom Pavilion. The piece of flagstone is still erected in the center of the pavilion. Housed in the tower is a wooden screen written by famous calligrapher Zhang Zhao of the Qing Dynasty. Fan Zhongyan's Remarks of Yueyang Tower are inscribed on the screen, which remind visitors of his famous lines.
Tuan Cheng Fortress
The layout of the Tuan Cheng Fortress has a style of its own, with a great spectacle. From north to south are, in turn, Tuan Cheng, the drill hall, the drill ground, the Shisheng Temple Stele Pavilion, and the Pine Hall. The drill hall is a circular castle-like building, enclosed by a city moat. Two white marble bridges are over the moat, facing the city gate. The south and north side of the castle has respectively a gate with a tablet hung on it -- the north tablet reads Zhi Yu Jin Tang (will strong as the impregnable fortress), and the south one reads Wei Xuan Bi Lei (power running over rampart). Inside the castle, a circular yard measuring 1,800 square meters is in the center, with two paths for horse running up the east and west city walls to the top of the fortress. On the south and north gates are two towers of the same specifications. The south city gate tower has turned into a temporary exhibition hall, displaying historical materials of the Tuan Cheng Fortress, copies of imperial couches, battle-axes, gongs, umbrellas, fans and weapons of the Qianlong reign according to their original shape, which gives visitors a brief introduction of relevant historical facts and the development of the Tuan Chen Fortress. A drill ground named the Peach Garden is situated to the south of the drill hall. It is said that in the twelfth year (1747) of Qianlong's reign, Sichuan ran into chaos caused by war, with local people setting up watchtowers in every strategic pass to resist the garrison of the Qing troops. To calm down the turmoil and preparing soldiers for battle against heavily armed defenders fortified in watchtowers, Emperor Qianlong duplicated several watchtowers in the Tuan Cheng Fortress and trained a special troop named Smart Scaling Ladder Troop. Later, the Tuan Cheng Fortress became the drill place of Scaling Ladder Troop and was inspected by Emperor Qianlong from time to time. The Stele Pavilion of Shisheng Temple was built to the southwest of the drill hall, with a tablet erected in the center. Inscribed by Emperor Qianlong himself and written in languages of the Han, Manchu, Mongolian and Zang, the inscriptions on the tablet recorded the cracking down of Sichuan turmoil and the development of Shisheng Temple. Featuring a special architectural style, the Tuan Cheng Fortress is Beijing's only military training center combining city, temple, tower and drill ground into a whole set. In ancient times, emperors of past dynasties rewarded soldiers here. Nowadays, Tuan Chen has held three large martial art events, and received many martial art fans from all over the country. Cultural Sites > TowersErqi Memorial Tower
The Erqi Memorial Tower has altogether 14 storeys, totaling 63 meters in height, and is also called Twin Tower, because its body is made up of two connected quinquangular parts. A winding stair inside the tower brings you up to the top floor, where you can get a bird's-eye view of the whole city of Zhengzhou. The tower looks solemn and imposing, which has been one of Zhengzhou's historical spots.
Three Pagodas of Dali
The Three Pagodas of Dali was listed as a national key cultural relics preservation site by the State Council. The tallest of the three, Qianxun Pagoda, has 16 storeys totaling 69.13 meters (230 feet) in height. It was built more than 1,000 years ago during the Zhenguan Period in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The two smaller pagodas to its west and north, each 42.19 meters (135 feet) high with ten tiers, have a luxurious appearance with their exquisite carvings. They were built in the Five Dynasties (907-960). More than 600 rare relics of the states of Nanzhao and Dali were discovered in the three pagodas during the 1978 reconstruction, making them even more famous. There are several different sayings about the specific construction period of the three pagodas. Historical records show that they were first built in 836. When building the tallest one, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty sent two famous architects to see to its design and construction, thus introducing the architectural arts of the central plain to Yunnan Province. Therefore, no wonder that many experts and scholars think its structure is similar to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province. Besides, it is the testimony of unification among different nationalities in ancient China. When visiting the Three Pagodas of Dali, you'll wonder at the super architectural techniques in ancient times. It is said that construction workers did not employ scaffolds but hillocks piled around the already built tiers, to construct higher parts. Upon completion of the pagodas, workers carried away these hillocks, and the pagodas finally showed up.
Wide Goose Tower
In the year of 648, Li Zhi, the Tang Dynasty Emperor Gaozong, then a prince, built the temple to pray for his late-mother, Queen Wende. The temple has 1,897 rooms, the walls of which are painted with works of famous painters Yan Liben, Wu Daozi, and Yi Lin, etc., once painted their works on to add splendor the temple. Soon after the temple was completed, the master monk Xuanzang spent 19 years here to translate 74 copies of sutra after his westward trip and wrote a great work On the West Area of Tang. To protect the sutra he brought from the West Paradise, Xuanzang applied to build the Wide Goose Tower. Therefore, the temple gained widespread fame and attracted crowds of pilgrims. Unfortunately, the hall buildings of the temple were burnt down I in wars in the late Tang Dynasty (618-907), and only the tower survived. All the buildings in the present temple were reconstructed in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The original two-storey Wide Goose Tower was covered by bricks on the surface and filled with earth. After it collapsed, it was rebuilt to a ten-storey tower. In the Chang'an Period (701-704) of Empress Wu Zetian's reign of the Tang Dynasty, the tower was reconstructed again with blue bricks. The rebuilt tower had seven storeys composed of tower base and tower body, with square-shaped plain layout. The tower base is 4.2 meters high and the body is 59.9 meters high. The 64-meter tower is of religious style with natural characteristics. The Wild Goose Tower adopts traditional Chinese architecture crafts to outline the prisms of the tower wall. Preserved on the four stone doors in the base of the tower are exquisite engravings of the Tang Dynasty. Two steles with the Preface to the Sacred Religion written by the famous Tang calligrapher Chu Suiliang are set into the walls on either side of the south door of the tower. Because of their distinctive and elegant inscriptions, the steles are valuable data for the art of calligraphy. Successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations always left their signature in the Temple Fair, which is called Superscription of the Wild Goose Tower. In addition, many celebrities left poems or other literary works here, among which Du Fu and Cen Cen were the most praised. On the Lantern Festival, many tourists get together to enjoy the Temple Fair of Wild Goose Tower.
Pagoda of Six Harmonies
The pagoda suffered repeated damages over about a thousand years. It was almost completely destroyed by war in 1121. Reconstruction started in 1153 and was completed in 1163. The height of the pagoda was reduced after reconstruction because there were only seven storeys left of the original nine. Major repairs were made again in 1524 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and in 1735 and 1900 during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), but these repairs were on the outside eaves only. The brick body of the pagoda remained the same as in the Song Dynasty. Today some Song Dynasty inscriptions can still be found inside the pagoda. The extant pagoda is octagonal, with thirteen levels on the exterior but seven levels on the interior. It stands 59.89 meters high, and is one of the tallest pagodas in southern China. The pagoda can be divided into four parts from the exterior to the interior, namely, the outer wall, the zigzag corridor, the inside wall and the little chamber. The corridor in-between connects the exterior with the interior; the winding staircases, linking the corridor parts, lead to the top level. The exterior wall, with a thickness of 4.12 meters, has doors in the four sides. On the two side walls of the entrance connecting the exterior with the interior, there are engraved shrines. The four sides of the interior wall, with a thickness of 4.2 meters, also have doors. In the center of the pagoda is the little chamber which was originally used to place Buddhist Statues. Each storey has a square room, with ceiling supported by brackets. In the pagoda there are more than two hundred sites of brick carvings, which feature a wide range of motifs, including megranate, lotus, phoenix, peacock, parrot, lion, kylin and so on. These brick carvings are rare material proofs of Chinese ancient architectures. The Six Harmonies Pagoda, as a state-level cultural site, has been under the state protection since 1961. It is one of the famous scenic spots in Hangzhou City. Commanding a spectacular view of the surging Qiantang River, the pagoda presents a quiet image of age-old majesty. Looking out from the top of the pagoda, sightseers can see as far as the misty horizon, enjoying the unforgettable, breathtaking scenery..
Manfeilong Pagoda
Crossing a river along Manfeilong Village, you'll come across more than 200 stone steps, which have a boundless virgin forest on the left side and an exuberant hurst of rubber plants on the right side. The pagoda, on a mountaintop, actually consists of 9 stupas, with the primary stupa in the center while the other 8 smaller stupas clustering to its base. The primary pagoda measures 16.29 meters and the 8 pagodas on the sides look like a group of children nestling around the mother. In each stupa, there is a niche featuring a Buddhist statue and a Buddhist relief, and on top of the niche is a flying phoenix. At the gate of each stupa are two giant dragons engraved out of earth. Bells hung on the stupas give wonderful tinkles in the breezes. Below one of the stupas and in a niche the Buddha's footprint is enshrined. Legend has it that the 80 cm long and 58 cm wide footprint was left by Sakyamuni, the founder of the Buddhist religion, during his visit in the area. Records in a sutra show that Manfeilong Pagoda was first built in 1204 (565 in the Dai calendar). It was designed by three monks from India and the design was executed under the sponsorship of the chieftain of Menglong tribe. After two renovates in modern times, the pagoda was listed as a national key cultural relic preservation site.
Pagoda Forest at Shaolin Temple
Most of the Pagoda Forest is stone and brick structures, ranging from one to seven storeys, less than fifteen meters high -- much smaller than pagodas for Buddhist relics -- and all carry the exact year of their construction and many carvings and inscriptions. They are in a variety of styles, but are mainly multi-eaved and of pavilion-style. Their shapes are varied, including polygonal, cylindrical, vase, conical and monolithic, making the pagoda forest an exhibition of ancient pagodas, carvings and calligraphy of various dynasties. Besides the pagoda forest there are many invaluable tomb pagodas scattered around the Shaolin Temple, including the Faro Pagoda built in 689 in the Tang Dynasty, the Tongguang Pagoda constructed in 926 in the Five Dynasties, the Yugong Pagoda erected in 1324 in the Yuan Dynasty, and the Zhaogong Pagoda built in the Ming Dynasty, which are gems among ancient pagodas. Yugong Pagoda (Duke Yu Pagoda) located in the center of the Pagoda Forest, is a seven-storey hexagonal brick pagoda, commemorating the monk Fu Yu, the most famous abbot of the Zhongxing Shaolin Temple in the Yuan Dynasty. After he passed away, the then Yuan emperor granted him the title of duke. He was the only duke monk in the history of the Shaolin Temple. Due to Fu Yu's contribution to the Zhongxing Temple, monks of the Shaolin Temple erected a stele before his pagoda with Chinese characters kai shan zu shi (the great founder). The Pagoda Forest is a rare treasure for later generations to study the history of Chinese ancient architecture, carving, calligraphy, art and religion. Besides, it is a scenic spot for tourists from home and abroad.
Iron Pagoda
The pagoda was built in 1049 during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). With a history of more than nine hundred years, it is one of the earliest constructions made of glazed bricks and tiles in China. It got its name from the iron-gray color of its glazed bricks. Its predecessor was a wood pagoda built by Yu Hao, a noted architect in the Northern Song Dynasty, to worship Buddhist relics of Sakyamuni. The wood pagoda was burnt down in a fire caused by lightning in 1044. Song Emperor Renzong ordered to build an iron pagoda in Yishan Mountain, close to the wood pagoda according to its style. This is the iron-gray pagoda we see today. The octagonal pagoda is 56.88 meters high and has thirteen levels, with its base buried in silt from the Yellow River. Although it was constructed of glazed bricks of different shapes and sizes, it looks very much like a huge wooden pillar, with carved patterns of Buddhas, flowers, human figures and legendary animals, all representing the highly developed workmanship of the Song Dynasty. The top of the pagoda affords a good view of the whole city of Kaifeng. Hanging under the eaves are 104 bells, giving wonderful tinkles in the breezes. There are 168 steps, winding upwards along the central pillar, by which the visitors can reach the summit of the pagoda. Historical records show that the pagoda experienced 38 earthquakes, 10 hailstones, 19 disasters caused by windstorms and 6 floods. Especially, it suffered bombings by Japanese planes and cannons in 1938. However, it has stood for over 900 years and remains intact. About one hundred meters west of the Iron Pagoda is a grand hall with lacquered ridgepoles and painted girders. The hall, with 24 big poles supporting it, is the largest hall in the Iron Pagoda Park, also called the Welcoming Buddha Hall. The figure of Buddha in the hall is 5.14 meters high and weighs 12 tons. The Buddhist figure made of copper, has eleemosynary appearance and heavenly manner with its left hand on the heart and right hand drooping. It stands barefoot on a lotus flower platform and seems ready to guide Buddhists, who have cultivated themselves according to religious doctrines, to the western Elysium. The walls around the Buddhist figure are painted with a large-scale mural The Western Elysium, on which there are 70 josses including Bodhisattva, fairies, Flying Apsaras, and so on. On the east of the Iron Pagoda is the site of a Buddhism Institute established in the 1930s, which consists of a display room for cultural relics of the Iron Pagoda and a pavilion to commemorate Yu Hao. In the Iron Pagoda Park, a lake, a corridor over the water, waterside pavilions, man-made rockeries and springs were constructed in recent years, to entertain the tourists.
Five-Pagoda Temple
The structure of the Five Pagodas is known in Buddhist terminology as the diamond throne pagoda style, wherein five small pagodas stand on a large square foundation known as the throne. This architectural form was introduced to China by an Indian monk around the year of 1413, and the Temple of True Awakening was constructed here in 1473. The entire temple complex, including numerous wooden buildings, was renovated and renovated in 1761, but in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) it was looted and burned to the ground, first by the Anglo-French Allied Armies in 1860, then again by the Eight-Power Allied Forces in 1900. Today, the only extant relic is the monumental diamond throne pagoda. Altogether, China only has six diamond throne pagodas nationwide, of which three are located in Beijing, namely, the Five-Pagoda Temple, the Temple of Azure Clouds and the Yellow Temple; and of the other three, one is in Hohhot in Inner Mongolia, one is the Miaolian Temple in Kunming City of Yunnan Province and the last one, the Guanghui Temple in Zhengding County of Hebei Province. Among all the six, the Five-Pagoda Temple in Beijing is the most beautiful one. The pagoda is composed of the throne foundation and the stone pagoda. The throne foundation made of bricks and white marbles is 7.7 meters high and has six tiers. The five pagodas rise from their rectangular bases on top of this foundation, one in each of the four corners and the fifth in the center. The central pagoda, totaling 8 meter, is slightly higher than the others, with 13 eaves, two more than those in the corners. A door at the foot of the foundation on each of the southern and northern sides opens into an inner spiral 44-step stairway that leads to the top of the foundation. The five pagodas are carved with images of Buddha in five directions, as well as those of horses, lions, elephants, peacocks and the gold-winged birds that served as the steeds of Buddha. Carvings in Sanskrit and in Tibetan provide priceless research materials of the ancient Indian language and Buddhist scriptures. The central pagoda is also carved with a pair of footprints of Buddha. All parts of the diamond throne pagoda in the Five-Pagoda Temple are symmetrically proportioned, giving viewers an impression of being stable and unshakable.
Small Wild Goose Pagoda
The Jianfu Temple, originally located at Kaihuafang of the Tang Dynasty Chang'an, was former residence of Princess Xiangcheng, a daughter of Tang Emperor Taizong. It was originally established in 684 in hornor of Li Zhi -- Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty -- and its original name was the Xianfu Temple, which changed into the Jianfu Temple in 690. It was a famous temple in Chang'an City of the Tang Dynasty. The temple was the place where the great translator Monk Yijing of the Tang Dynasty translated Buddhist scriptures. Yijing set out by sea for India in search of Buddhist principles in 671. After traveling over 30 countries for 25 years, he came back to China with some 400 volumes of holy Sanskirt scriptures, and stayed in the Jianfu Temple. Yijing translated altogether 56 volumes of scriptures in the Jianfu Temple and wrote the book Biography of Eminent Monks of the Tang Dynasty in Search of Buddhist Truth in India, which is of great help to the study of Chinese and Indonesian history and the cultural exchange. Now the only extant ancient architecture in the Jianfu Temple is the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. The Small Wild Goose Pagoda is a multi-eave and square brick structure. Originally it was 46 meters high with 15 storeys, but now it is 43.3 meters high with 13 storeys, because its steeple was destroyed, as a result of earthquakes. Carved on the lintel are images of arhats and designs of grasses, with excellent workmanship reflecting the artistic style of the early Tang Dynasty. The pagoda has fifteen pent roofs. Each storey is very low with small windows only on the south and north sides to let in light and air. The eaves are formed by designs in the shape of chevrons and fifteen tiers of overlapping bricks, each tier wider than the one below, thus making the eaves curve inward, a characteristic of multi-eave pagodas in the Tang Dynasty. From the first to the fifth storey it tapers very little, but from the sixth storey up, it reduces drastically, giving the pagoda a smooth curved contour. The tubular interior of the pagoda has wooden flooring and a winding flight of wooden steps leading to other storeys. The shape and structure of the pagoda are typical of early multi-eave pagodas and influenced many brick and stone multi-eave pagodas built later in other parts of the country. Standing in one of the courtyards is a huge bell -- 4.5 meters in height, 7.6 meters in diameter along the rim, and 10 tons in weight -- dating back to the Jin Dynasty (1192). It was called the "Magic Bell" for an interesting legend that the one who missed his beloved, living far away from him, could write down their names on a piece of yellow paper and send a message by the sound of the Bell. Hence, the "Morning Bell Chimes of the Pagoda" is one of the Eight Famous Scenic Features in Shaanxi.
Haibao Pagoda in Yinchuan
The Haibao Pagoda Temple was called the Haibao Buddha Hall in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and early Republic of China. Surrounded by exuberant poplars, willows and other trees, the temple has a quiet surrounding. It is said that there was a lake here long ago and the Haibao Pagoda was situated on an island in the lake. Bulrushes grew thickly in the lake and a lot of fish stayed in the water. Every March 4 of the lunar year, people got out of the city and crossed the lake by boat to attend the annual temple fair. The topping Haibao Pagoda in the temple is the mainstay architecture. The pagoda was originally called the Black Pagoda. It is also known the North Pagoda. Nothing is known about its construction time, but it was rebuilt during the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty. It is a brick pagoda modeled on multi-storeyed counterparts. The existing pagoda has nine storeys -- eleven storeys if the base and pedestal are included, and is 53.9 meters high. The pagoda is built on a square brick base, each side measuring 19.7 meters long and 5.7 meters high. Its ground ichnography is cress-shaped, which is rare in multi-storeyed pagodas. The first storey has a portico and an arched door. Inside is an arhat niche flanked by brick steps leading to the top of the pagoda. Arched doors on the front of each storey are flanked by false niches. The interior of the pagoda is also cross-shaped and in the center of each floor is a square chamber. The pagoda tapers by fifteen to twenty centimeters from one storey to the next. The steeple of the Haibao Pagoda is different from that of other pagodas. It is peach-shaped and built of green glazed bricks. The Haibao Pagoda was ruined several times in earthquakes and underwent several repairs. The present 11-storey pagoda was the result of reconstruction during the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty. After reconstruction, it had two fewer storeys than the original one and the brick steps inside it were changed into wooden steps, which spiral upwards to the top. On the top of the pagoda, visitors will have a good view of Yinchuan City. In the past 20 years, the Chinese government invested heavily to repair the Haibao Pagoda and the temple, added a bell tower, a drum tower, wing-rooms and a greenhouse, expanded and repainted the bounding wall, constructed a road to the scenic spot and set up an administrative unit here. The Haibao Pagoda Temple has become an important scenic spot with its entirely new appearance.
Wooden Pagoda in Yingxian County
Around the upper edge and at the corners of the platform there are sculptures of crawling lions whose simple and unsophisticated style belonging to the Liao Dynasty. The exterior of the pagoda is divided into five levels, but there are actually nine levels in the interior, including four built-in storeys. The steeple of the pagoda is ten meters high, and the whole pagoda, built on a stone platform of 4 meters high, is 67.31 meters in height. The diameter of the octagonal first storey is 30.27 meters, the longest among ancient pagodas. The ground storey has two tiers of eaves, with steps attached to it. The caisson ceiling is refined and beautifully structured. When entering the southern door of the pagoda, one can see a statue of Sakyamuni of about 11 meters high. On the inner walls are 6 pictures of Tathagata in different poses. On the walls of the doorway are mural paintings of warrior attendants, heavenly kings, and Buddhist disciples. For nearly a thousand years, the wooden pagoda has withstood numerous strong earthquakes. Tire pagoda's antiseismic strength, proved by these earthquakes, demonstrated the achievement of wooden architecture in ancient China. During the repair work in 1974, a number of important and valuable cultural relics were found in the pagoda, including a picture of medicinal herbs and Buddhist scriptures, all belonging to the Liao Dynasty. Scripture scrolls include both hand-written and block-printed ones; some of them are more than thirty meters long when spread out and date back to as early as 990, 1003 or 1071. They are regarded as rare treasures both at home and abroad, providing important data not only for the collating of Buddhist scriptures, but also for the study of the development of printing technology in China. Cultural Sites > TownsLuzhi
Luzhi is gifted with favorable terrain and outstanding people. It faces the Wusong River to the north and the Chenghu Lake to the south, and borders on Kunshan City to the east, and Suzhou to the west. Today's Luzhi teems with lakes, rivers and bridges, luring numerous visitors with its beautiful scenery. Luzhi has been reputed as A Land of Bridges for long. It is amazing to see so many famous small bridges span the 5.6-kilometer-long river course. In its prime it had 72.5 bridges, and now 41 remain extant. Large stone bridges with several arches, small stone bridges with only one arch, wide arch bridges, narrow flat-top bridges, sister bridges and so on. All theses bridges make Luzhi quite special as a town in watery regions. The famous Baosheng Temple is located in the west of Luzhi. It is recorded that the temple was constructed in 503. Having a history of more than 1,480 years, it is an ancient temple in areas south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. With an area of over 100 mu (1 mu = 1/15 hectare), 5,000 rooms and 1,000 monks in its early days, the temple attracted a great number of worshippers and pilgrims. Today we can still see its large scale from the remains. Beside its large scale, the sculpture in the temple also is also known far and wide The tomb of Mr. Fu Li is in the west yard of the temple, with the Douya Pond in front. The Qingfeng Pavilion stands in the center of the pond. There are also stone bridges and ginkgos of thousands of years old in the temple.
Nanxun
It is recorded by Records of Gardens South of the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River that Nanxun is the only town south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River with five large gardens in one town. Nanxun boasts numerous historic sites and enchanting natural landscapes, and has both historical and cultural details as well as poetic charm of watery regions south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Since ancient time, Nanxun has been a place with flourishing culture and has turned out many talents. During the Song (960-1279), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, Nanxun turned out 41 successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations. With a history of 745 years, Nanxun has places of interests such as the Jiaye Book-Collecting Building, Liu Yong's Xiaolian Manor, Zhang Jingjiang's former residence, Zhangshiming's former residence, the Baijian Building and ancient stone bridges of the Song Dynasty.
Tongli
Tongli is famous for its large numbers of architectures built in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, small bridges and celebrities as well as persons of ideals and integrity. In Tongli, there are 38 residential gardens, 47 temples and several hundred former residences of landowners and celebrities of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Tongli used to have more than twenty natural views, but only some remained extant. Among them, the Tuisi Garden is the representative one, which has been listed as one of the substitutes of cultural heritage in the world. Surrounded by water on four sides, Tongli is inlaid in the area of five lakes, and is thus abundant in small bridges. The town is divided into seven islands by 15 small rivers while the 49 ancient bridges link up them to form an integral whole. Many buildings are constructed beside water; hence Tongli is reputed as Little Venice in the Oriental. It is the best-preserved ancient watery town in Jiangsu Province, and a key cultural relics site under the protection of the province. In 1995, it was listed by the provincial government as one of the first batch famous historical and cultural towns. It is one of the thirteen major scenic areas around the Taihu Lake.
Wuzhen
In the past, Wuzhen was divided into two towns by the Che Brook; the west part was named Wu Town, belonging to Wucheng County of Huzhou Prefecture, and the east part was named Qing Town, belonging to Tongxiang County of Jiaxing Prefecture. According to the chorography of Wuzhen and Qingzhen, during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC), Wuzhen was the boundary area of Wu and Yue states. It was during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) that the name of "Wuzhen Town" was officially accepted for the first time. In the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), it was divided into Wu and Qing towns by the Che Brook. After liberation, the two towns eventually merged and was renamed Wuzhen, administrated by Tongxiang County. Wuzhen is not only famous for its beautiful rivers and lakes, but also the hometown of the famous writer Mao Dun.
Xitang
Ceilinged corridors are the most special scene in Xitang construction. It was originally built to make convenience for the residents trading on boats by the side of the rivers. Each shop has a ceiling over the stone-plank road in front of its own house, and the ceilings connect with one another to form corridors, the longest of which is 1,300 meters, like a silk belt winding along the river. The ceilinged corridors are the main places at the Chaonanli and Beizhalan Street. Riding a bicycle along the ceilinged corridors, one will have a special sentiment. Standing under the ceilings, looking at the white walls at the other bank, looking at the masts and the green ripples, boats and the shadows of the bridges, one will revel in the beauty of the scenery. The residential buildings were mostly built in the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are a total of 122 lanes, long and short, wide and narrow. Five of them are longer than 100 meters. Among all the lanes, Shipi Lane is the most famous. It is situated at the west side of Zhongfu Hall in the West Street, with a total length of 68 meters. The lane is about 1 meter at the widest but the narrowest point is only 80 centimeters. It is paved with 166 stone planks which are only 3 centimeters thick, which is really hard to be chisel from the granite. That is why it is called Shipi (the skin of the stone) Lane. Walking through the long quiet lane with stained tall walls is just like traveling through the town's long history in a spatio-temporal tunnel. Xitang is a little town with an area of less than 2 sq. km. Nine rivers that run through the town divide it into eight parts, with 15 bridges of various shapes and structure connecting the parts, which becomes the enchanting sight attracting visitors far and near. Among the bridges, the oldest is the Sleeping Dragon Bridge built in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Zhouzhuang
Zhouzhuang is not only famous for its beautiful scenery, but also known for its culture heritages. It boasts about 100 old houses, such as the Shen's House, the Zhang's House, Milou Tower, Ye Chucang's Former Residence, Chengxu Taoist Temple, Quanfu Temple, etc. All of them have great historical and cultural value. Many ancient and modern scholars lived in or visited the town. Zhouzhuang is reputed as the best region of rivers and lakes in China. Cultural Sites > GardensChengde Summer Resort
The resort is divided into two sections: the palace area and the scenic area, the latter of which is subcategorized into Lake Zone, Plain Zone and Mountain Zone.
Palaces in China conjure up pictures of majesty and splendor. Certainly most palaces are just like that, but for sure you will have a different view if you come to visit the palace in the Chengde Summer Resort. The architectural style of the palace is very unique, and similar to the residential houses in North China. Black bricks and gray tiles, rock steps and the cute courtyard covered with old pine trees look peaceful and elegant.
1. Lake Zone Lying in the north of the palace area, the scenery of the lake zone sparkles like a diamond in the Summer Resort. In the middle of the lake zone are three islands, namely, Happy Island, Island for Enjoying the Water Songs under the Moonlight, and Green Surrounded Island. The Green Surrounded Island is where the princes studied. The Happy Island boasts the most ancient architectures, such as the Yanxun Mansion, where the emperors used to deal with state affairs before the construction of the Main Palace. To the north of the Happy Island lies Green Lotus Island, with the Misty Rain Pavilion. The zone is divided into several lakes including the Half-Moon Lake, Mirror Lake, Silver Lake and Inner Lake, around which are the main scenic areas. The Wenjin Loft was one of the seven famous libraries in the Qing Dynasty. The Island for Enjoying the Water Songs under the Moonlight was where the emperors enjoyed reading as well as moonlight and water songs. Weeping willows crooning along the banks and green waves poppling on the lake make up a wonderful picture. 2. Plain Zone Going north, you come to the plain zone where the Qing emperors held banquets and recreational activities. This area is mainly covered with grassland and woods. The plain zone is divided into three parts: an arboretum to the east with 28 various Mongolia tents; to the west is a piece of grassland where you can ride horses, and temples and other buildings lie to the north. 3. Mountain Zone It is located in the northwestern part of the Resort and accounts for four fifths of the total area. There are four great valleys from north to south: Pine-cloud Valley, Pear Valley, Pine Valley and Filbert Valley. Here you can enjoy the mountain scenery completely, including undulating hills, flourishing woods, steep peaks, gurgling streams and white waterfalls. It is pleasantly cool here, a best place to spend the summer holidays. Architectures in this zone, adopting the styles both of the Southland and of North China, are of great artistic value. Each year in the summer, the Qing emperors would come and live in the Chengde Summer Resort for about five to six months. Nowadays, once summer starts, most people think of the Resort to spend their vacations.
Gardens in Yangzhou City
There is a saying that gardens in Yangzhou are innumerous just like residential houses. The number of gardens in Yangzhou and their refined architectural design are far beyond the reach of gardens in other places. Situated in the northeastern corner of Yangzhou City, the Ge Garden covers a total area of about 30 mu (2 hectares). It is famous for rockeries that are piled up with stones from Huangshan Mountain and Taihu Lake. They are elaborate in shape and present different grand views that are rare within the country in four seasons. Ponds and gullies, dotted everywhere, are another highlight of this garden.
Suzhou Gardens
Suzhou is China's well-known "city of gardens", which tops all gardens in both the number and the artistry. Suzhou's art of gardening has undergone a history of 1,500 years. According to chorography, there were once over 200 gardens in the city, and 69 of them are still in good preservation today. Suzhou gardens seek the return to Nature and the cultivation of temperament, with hills and waters, flowers and trees, pavilion, terraces, towers and halls composing the basic garden elements. Suzhou gardens have their own characteristics in layout, structure and style. The Four Classical Gardens of Suzhou, namely, the Surging Waves Pavilion, the Lion Grove Garden, the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Lingering Garden, respectively represent the different styles of Song (960-1279), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.
The garden, connected by a long roofed walkway, features a range of man-made mountains on the inside and waterscapes on the outside. To enter the garden, one must proceed past an expanse of water over a zigzag bridge of stone and through the entrance. It is at this point that one catches sight of a man-made mountain covered with age-old trees and bamboos. The Mingdao Hall (Enlightened Way Hall), located to the south of the mountains, is the major building of the garden. It was said to have been a site for lectures during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Surrounded by verdant trees, it appears simple but dignified. On the walls of the hall hang three rubbings of the Song Dynasty steles, which are pictures of astronomy, Song Dynasty vehicles and a map of Pingjiang (today's Suzhou) in the Song Dynasty. Inside the hall there is a wall inlaid with more than 500 stone statuaries of figures related to the history of Suzhou. In the southwest part of the garden is a stone cave in rockeries, on which stands a pavilion for people to enjoy scenery in Suzhou.
Covering nearly half of the total area of the garden, these rockworks, made from Taihu Lake limestone, were ingeniously piled up in layers to form peaks, crags, valleys and caverns. There're 9 mountain paths, 21 caves, and innumerable grotesque rocks, many of them resembling lions with different and striking poses, such as dancing lions, roaring lions, a couple of fighting lions, and lions playing with a ball. It was said that Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty once visited here and wrote an inscription "Zhenqu" (True Delight) to describe the beauty of the garden, which is now hung on the True Delight Pavilion. The long corridor zigzags throughout the garden, with walls carved with 67 pieces of calligraphy works of famous Chinese calligraphers. Other famous architectures include Wen Tianxiang Poem Steles Pavilion and Imperial Steles Pavilion, etc.
Today, centering the pond, the garden is separated into the eastern, middle, northern and western parts. To the south of the pond are groupings of garden courts and elegant buildings, such as Mingse Building; to the north are rockeries and pavilions; to the west are rockeries with a long corridor zigzagging to all parts of the garden; and to the east are zigzag corridors and Guanyun Courtyard which is best famous for its 6.6-meter-high and 5-ton-weighty Guanyun Peak, the only complete Taihu Lake limestone and the biggest among the rockworks in Suzhou gardens.
Focused on a central pond with pavilions, terraces, chambers, and towers located nearby, the garden is divided into three parts: the eastern, middle and western parts. The eastern part features mountains and ponds, with Suxiang Hall and Lanxue Hall as the representative architectures. The main building, Mandarin Duck Hall, was where the master used to entertain his guests with operas and other performances. The middle part of the garden is the cream of all, featuring the Lotus Pond, Yuanxiang Hall and two mountain islands. In this area there are several pavilions which are suitable for sightseers to enjoy the sceneries around the lotus pond. It has marvelous mountains, clear water, exquisite buildings and exuberant trees and flowers, reminiscent of the scenery in Southland. Humble Administrator's Garden is a typical example of the art of horticulture south of Yangtze River as well as a treasure house containing arts of architecture, calligraphy, carving, painting, and bonsai. It was listed as cultural relics of national importance in 1961.
The Jichang Garden, also named the Garden for Ease of Mind and located at the eastern foot of Huishan Hill and north side of Huishan Temple, is a noted ancient garden in southern China. In the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Qin Jin, a military official in Nanjing, made the place into a villa garden. Later it renamed Jichang Garden. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was so impressed by its design that he ordered an imitation of the garden to be built in the Summer Palace in Beijing which was named the Garden of Harmonious Interest. Covering only 15 mu (1 hectare), with Huishan Hill on its east and Xishan Hill on its southeast, the Jichang Garden was built in such an ingenious manner that it seems to absorb the picturesque surroundings, giving to its confines an impression of infinite space. It seems as if both Xishan Hill and Huishan Hill are a part of the garden. The garden is divided into two parts: the eastern part, mainly composed of water ponds and pavilions, and the western part, mainly luxuriant forests and exquisite rockeries.
The garden was laid out during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), abandoned, and then restored in the 18th century as part of the residence of a retired official. It was said that the official announced that he had had enough of bureaucracy and would rather be a fish man. Hence came its name. The main garden, occupying about four fifth of the total area of the garden, is situated northwest of the residential area with a pond in the center. Comparing with the normal architecture in the east residential area, the garden architecture appears freer and was suitable for reading, painting, viewing, resting, sipping tea and holding small banquets. The pond, covering an area of about 440 square meters, has a tiny arch bridge named Yinjing Bridge (Leading to Quietude Bridge) in its end. The bridge, with a total length of 212cm and a width of 29.5cm, is the smallest arch bridge in the garden. To the west of the main garden is the inner garden, which covers an area of 1 mu (about 667 square meters). Halls, pavilions, springs, plants, and verandas are scattering here and there in this garden, fully embodying the cream of the layout of the Suzhou gardens. The Dianchun Studio, a solitary courtyard in this part, enjoys a quiet environment, and features the architectural style of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The most striking features of the Garden of the Master of the Nets are: all pavilions in it are surrounded by water; and small as its size is, the scale of the building is large, but nothing appears cramped.
The Garden of Pleasance, situated along the Renmin Street in downtown Suzhou, was the residence of Wu Kuan in the Ming Dynasty. During the reign of Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), its ownership shifted to Gu Wenbin, who spent seven years expanding it to an area of more than 8 mu (15mu = 1 hectare). The garden is divided into two parts -- the east and the west -- and in between, there is a two-layered corridor, which has windows on the wall and is decorated with varied patterns. The eastern part mainly consists of two pavilions, one hut and one hall, and courtyard architectures, surrounded by winding corridors. In the courtyards flowers and trees are planted in the front, decorated with lake limestone. The eastern part, focus of the whole garden, is mainly composed of mountain and water sceneries. A narrow pond runs from the east to west in the middle, surrounded by mountain stones, flowers and trees. The Garden of Pleasance is noted for three features: the large numbers of rocks from lake, stones carved with calligraphic works, and abundant flowers and trees. Compact layout, zigzag arrangement, ponds, flowers and birds, and a large number of pavilions in the garden are really appealing to tourists.
The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty, situated at No. 262 of Jingde Road, was originally the site of Qian's Jingu Garden. After several times of ownership changes and expansions, the garden was renamed Huanxiu Shanzhuang (the Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty), also called Yi Yuan, during the reign of Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The villa is celebrated for its unusual limestone rockery. Within an area of 500 square meters, this man-made mountain, with high peaks, dells, pathways, caverns, stone house, stone steps, ravines, precipices, gullies, bridges and cliffs, has a natural appearance. At its summit are towering old trees, and at its foot, murmuring streams. The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty is surrounded by pines, cypress, yulan and so on. The trees form a green wall and flowers send out fragrance, adding vitality to the surrounding mountains, ponds and architectures.
Summer Palace
The administration area, taking the Halls of Benevolence and Longevity as its principal part, is the place where Empress Dowager Cixi dealt with state affairs and received officials. Behind the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity are three large-scale quadrangles: Hall of Joyful Longevity, Hall of Jade Billows and Chamber of Mortal Beings, which used to be residence of Cixi, Emperor Guangxu and Empress Longyu, the wife of Emperor Guangxu, respectively. To the East of the Chamber of Mortal Beings is the Garden of Virtue and Harmony, which, covering an area of 3,000 sqm, mainly consists of the Theatre Building and the Hall of Nurtured Joy. The scenery area is the essential part of the Summer Palace, consisting of the Kunming Lake and the Longevity Hill (Front Hill and Rear Hill). Longevity Hill, located on the northern bank of the Kunming Lake, is divided into two parts, the Front Hill and the Rear Hill. The structures in the Front Hill begins in the Gate of Dispelling Clouds, passes the Hall of Dispelling Clouds, the Hall of Moral Brilliance and the Tower of Buddhist Incense in turn, and finally ends in the Sea of Wisdom on the mountaintop, forming an axis of the whole garden. At the foot of the hill is the Long Corridor, renowned as the First Corridor in the World, which is more than 700 meters long and features over 8,000 colored paintings. Besides the gallery lies the Kunming Lake, The Rear Hill, different from the Front Hill, is quiet and elegant. A path circles down the hill with trees and brooks scattering here and there. Main structures in the Rear Hill include the Suzhou Market Street, the Garden of Harmonious Interests, etc. On the eastern part of the Rear Hill lies the Garden of Harmonious Interests, which was built in imitation of Jichangyuan Garden in Wuxi of Suzhou City during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. The garden is small and exquisite and thus renowned as the Garden within a Garden. Ingeniously conceived and elaborately designed, the Summer Palace, concentrating the features of the gardens in southern and northern China, is reputed as the soul of the Chinese gardens. Cultural Sites > CitiesDatong
Datong, situated in the far north of Shanxi Province, covers a total area of 14,112.56 square kilometers, and averages at 700 to 1,400 meters in altitude. The city has a population of 2.848 million, about 60% of which is in rural areas. Datong has ethnic minority groups like Mongolian, Manchu, Tibetan, Hui, Miao, Korean, etc., and the Han people make up 99.6%. Datong, with a long history and located at a strategic place, was once a capital of the country in ancient times, the capital city of two non-Han Chinese dynasties and a town of military importance in four dynasties. Datong enjoys convenient transportation and communications, and boasts rich mineral resources and solid industrial foundation. It is now an energy and heavy chemical base in China, and is especially famous for coal production, which wins it the name of the capital of coal. The finest of the city's marvelous natural sites is a magnificent series of Yungang Grottoes built in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), just west of the city. Yungang Grottoes, Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes and Luoyang Grottoes are called China's three major grottoes, which are of very high artistic value. The most beautiful landscape in Datong is Hengshan, one of the five holy mountains of Taoism. At the foot of Hengshan Mountain, there is the almost unbelievable Midair Temple, which lies against cliffs and stays high up in the air, and is acclaimed as the peak of perfection.
Nanjing
Nanjing, an ancient metropolis of six different dynasties, is a city of mountains, waters and green trees. Called Ning for short and Jinling in ancient times, Nanjing is the capital of Jiangsu Province, situated in the western part. It is a central city in western part of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River Delta and has beautiful sceneries. With a downtown area of 860 square kilometers and a population of more than 3 million people, Nanjing spans the southern and northern sides of the Yangtze River. Nanjing took shape at the confluence of the Yangtze and Qinhuaihe rivers. Goujian, King of Yue State, had a city built by the Qinhuaihe and named it Yuecheng 2,500 years ago. Later the Chu State had a city called Jinling erected at the foot of Qingliangshan Hill. Yuecheng and Jinling were the embryonic forms of Nanjing. Later, it successively became the capital of the Eastern Wu State during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), and the states of Song, Qi, Liang and Chen during the Southern Dynasty (420-589). In addition, the Southern Tang and Ming dynasties, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and even the Kuomingdang kaiserdom all set their capitals here. The Six Dynasties (from the beginning of the 3rd century to the end of the 6th century) were the prime period of Nanjing. After the downfall of Western Jin, North China was controlled by chieftains of some nomads. Many aristocrats, men of letters, craftsmen thronged to the south, promoting the development of culture, economy, and crafts and technology. And Nanjing, the biggest city of the time, became a new cultural center in ancient China. The modern new Nanjing is not only the political, economic and cultural center in Jiangsu Province, but also the most important transportation and communications hub in East China. Besides, it is an international commercial center of the Yangtze River Delta, next to Shanghai.
Hangzhou
Capital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou is a well-known tourist city at home and abroad. It lies on the lower reaches of the Qiantang River and is the southern end of the l794-kllometer-long Grand Canal (Beijing-Hangzhou Canal). With an area of 16,596 square kilometers, it embraces six urban districts and seven suburban counties. Hangzhou is a hub of politics, economy, culture and transportation in Zhejiang Province. It is a major area for silk production in China, and has more than 1,000 years of tealeaf cultivation. Machinery, textiles and chemical industry are the pillar industries of the city with an annual GDP above RMB7.72 billion. Products with local flavor include Zhang Xiaoquan Scissors, West Lake bamboo chopsticks and silk umbrellas, etc. Hangzhou is one of the seven ancient capitals in China with a history of 2200 years, and has long been a famous tourist attraction. The widely expressed Chinese proverb -- "in heaven there is paradise and on earth there are Hangzhou and Suzhou" -- combined with the words of Marco Polo who described this place as, the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world", all this helps to make Hangzhou one of the biggest tourist attractions in the entire country. The West Lake provides the idyllic image of Hangzhou that most people leave with. This huge circular fresh water lake, covering 3 km from north to south and 3 km from east to west, is surrounded by hills on three sides and the city on the fourth. Two picture-postcard causeways cross the lake and three islands float in the middle. With its inviting views and outstanding scenery, the West Lake soon became popular with numerous artists, poets and painters seeking inspiration in this little bit of "paradise". Hangzhou is a city with a rich history and culture. It first made a name in the sixth century, when the Grand Canal opened up and linked the area to other centers of trade such as Suzhou. The Southern Song Dynasty helped to make Hangzhou famous when they moved the capital here in the 12th century. There are numerous historical relics and sights -- curtilages, garderns, pavilions, temples, towers, springs, grottos, and cliff inscriptions -- scattered throughout Hangzhou. At present, there are more than 60 scenic spots open to the public and over 40 key cultural relics preservation sites, the most famous include Lingyin Temple, Liuhe Tower, Yue Temple, and Hupao Spring (Tiger-Running Spring), etc.
Qufu
Qufu, the Oriental Holy City, is a famous city best known as the hometown of Confucius (551-479BC), a famous philosopher, educator, and the creator of Confucianism in ancient China. The city is also the birthplace of another great thinker and educator Mencius (372-289BC). Therefore, Qufu is listed as one of China's first group of historical cultural cities. Situated in the southwest of Shandong Province and near Taishan Mountain in the north, Qufu has fertile land and rich products. The city was the settlement center for ancient Eastern Yi tribe, and a major site of Dawenkou and Longshan cultures. Confucius was born in Nishan, which is 30 kilometers southeast of Qufu City, and spent many years in Qufu giving lectures on his ideology, accompanied by his disciples and followers. A year after Confucius' death, many believers flocked to Qufu to listen to Confucius' disciples explain the doctrine, and the Duke Ai of Lu ordered the philosopher's home to be turned into a temple. Qufu is world renowned for its long history, advanced culture, rich cultural relics and grand ancient architecture. There are more than 300 cultural protection units, and 112 key cultural relics preservation units. Among them, the Confucius Temple, Confucian Grove and Confucian Mansion are the most famous, listed as World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1994.
Shaoxing
Located in the northern part of Zhejiang Province and south of the Hangzhou Bay, Shaoxing is a famous historical and cultural city with beautiful sceneries of rivers and lakes. The city has a long history which fostered many celebrities. Legend has it that as early as 4,000 years ago, Dayu of the Xia Dynasty went to Shaoxing personally for water-control projects. During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC), Goujian, King of the Yue State, made Shaoxing the capital and named it Yuechi. In the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), it was renamed Shaoxing, which went down to the present. Shaoxing is the birthplace of many famous scholars, writers and artists, including Cai Yuanpei, a famous educator, late Premier Zhou Enlai, and Lu Xun, the novelist, as well as Qiu Jin, a heroine. Shaoxing is world famous for the gorgeous scenes along its waters. The rivers, big and small, span 1,900 kilometers, running vertical and horizontal -- just like streets in northern China -- with various stone bridges as their crossroads. Shaoxing boasts 229 ancient bridges in various forms, which form a site rich in man-made landscape and wins the city the title of Hometown of Bridges. Residential houses in Shaoxing are of simple style, brilliant color, blue bricks, gray walls and black corridor poles, and typically keep the style of architecture in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Bathed in the bright sunshine, the whole architecture looks light and handy, simple and elegant. Here in Shaoxing, there are many places worth visiting. You may climb Houshan, visit Dayu's Mausoleum and Censer Hill and Qinwang Mountain in its outskirts, or the Ancestor Residence of Zhou Enlai, Memorial of Lu Xun, Former Residence of Cai Yuanpei, and so on. The Dayu's Mausoleum, a temple and mausoleum complex to honor the great-grandfather of China, Emperor Yu, took over a century to build. The East Lake is around 6km east of the city center, featuring beautiful, natural rock formations. The Lanting Pavilion, built in 1548, is considered one of Shaoxing's "must see" spots.
Suzhou
In the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of the Taihu Lake lies the 2500-year-old city of Suzhou, the cradle of Wu culture. It takes up an area of 8,488 square kilometers with a population of 5.75 million people. The name "Wu" is often applied to refer to Suzhou, derived from the local tribes who named themselves "Gou Wu" in the late Shang Dynasty about 11th century BC. Later, King Helu of Wu State in 514BC built his capital here known as the "Great City of Helu" and since then the city's site and scale have remained virtually unchanged, making Suzhou a rare city of historical and cultural renown in the world. Bordering on Shanghai in the east, Zhejiang Province in the south, the Taihu Lake in the west and the Yangtze River in the north, Suzhou enjoys a mild and humid climate, with an annual temperature of 15 to 17℃ and an annual rainfall of 1076.2mm. It is easily accessible by water, land and air communications. Talking about Suzhou, people would mention the old saying: "Paradise in Heaven, Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth." The style of Suzhou lies in "Softness", like the tone of Wu dialect, which also sums up the character in feminine beauty, tenderness, serenity, subtlety and elegance. The natural scenery of hills and waters in Suzhou is as charming as a delicate beauty. Of the whole area, 10% is cultivated fields, 30% hills, and the rest covered with water. Streets and alleys in Suzhou extend side by side with canals. Small bridges and flowing waters, white walls and dark gray roof tiles match one another in tranquil elegance. As a poem describes, "On arriving in Suzhou you behold: Houses are all pillowed on water's edge." The gentle waters make the prominent urban scenery. The poetic and picturesque Suzhou gardens are a typical demonstration of simple elegance, with intriguing scenes found in every season and in all weathers. The Humble Administrator's Garden and the Lingering Garden in the city are listed in China's Four Most Famous Gardens and exert great influence on China's and even the world's garden architecture. Endowed with abundant native products, the rich and exquisite Suzhou cuisine sets a style of its own on this "land of plenty". The traditional performing arts of Suzhou are best represented by Kunqu Opera, Suzhou Opera and Pingtan (ballad singing), reputed both in China and overseas for their minute acting and harmonic melody. The folks here are honest, good-natured, friendly and hospitable. A metropolis of industry and commerce along the southeastern coast of China since ancient times, Suzhou has always been a hub for merchants, which, as the Tang (618-907) poet Bai Juyi described over a thousand years ago, "...has a population greater than Yangzhou Prefecture and more than half of the shops in Chang'an, the capital". The Italian traveler Marco Polo praised Suzhou as a "noble and great city" 600 years ago. Today's Suzhou is an open city with developed economy and frequent exchanges with the outside world. It has been officially declared as part of the coastal economic open zone of the Yangtze River Delta. Comprehensive industrial system has taken shape, and Suzhou has seen tremendous expansion in foreign trade and international economic co-operation, establishing friendship with cities in Italy, Canada, Japan and the United States. |
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Built in 1061, the sixth year of Emperor Jiayou's reign in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), the Penglai Pavilion is a famous coastal tourist site in eastern China's Shandong Province. It is seated on the cliff of Danya Mountain close to the sea in the north of Penglai City. 
Located in the Ningshou Palace (the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity) in the Forbidden City, to the east side of Yangxing Study (Study of the Cultivation of Nature), Changyin Pavilion is best known for its Grand Theater Building. First built in 1771 in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the grand theater building is 20.71 meters in height, and 685.94 square meters in total area. It features three tiers of tilted eaves and stages, namely, Fu Stage (Happiness), Lu Stage (Fortune) and Shou Stage (Longevity), from top to the bottom.
Known as the First Pass under Heaven, the Shanhaiguan Pass is one of the world's grandest ancient structures as well as the starting point of the Great Wall. Situated between two sheer cliffs of the Yanshan Mountains, it has been a strategic place contested by militarists since ancient times. Standing between mountain and sea, the Pass controls both land and sea passages. With Beijing, the national capital, and Shenyang, the provincial capital of Liaoning, only 400 kilometers away, the Shanhaiguan Pass has been traditionally known as "the first important pass of the Great Wall and the only pass that can lock up the two capitals".
The Yueyang Tower stands on the west gate of the Yueyang city wall, looking down at the Dongting Lake, facing the Junshan Island in the distance, and linking the Yangtze River to the north and the Xiangjiang River to the south. Standing on the tower, one can gaze at the distant view of the mists and ripples of the Dongting Lake, with boats sailing on the vast lake. Yueyang Tower is listed as one of the Three Great Towers in China, along with the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan and the Prince Teng Pavilion in Nanchang. It has long enjoyed the reputation of being the "first tower under heaven", as the Dongting Lake is known as the "first water under heaven."
About two kilometers southeast to the Xiangshan Park at the foot of the West Hill in Beijing, the Tuan Chen Fortress was first built in the 14th year (1749) of Emperor Qianlong's reign. Being the only one of its kind, the Tuan Chen Fortress is a castle-like military training compound for emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to train and inspect their troops.
The Erqi Memorial Tower, situated in the Erqi Square in downtown Zhengzhou of Henan Province, was built on September 29, 1971, to commemorate the setting up of Workers' Union of Beijing-Hankou Railway as well as the whole-line Communist-led strike of rail workers held at Zhengzhou Pule Park (today's Erqi Memorial Hall) on February 7, 1923. 
The world-renown Three Pagodas of Dali arises on Cangshan Mountain slope, overlooking Erhai Lake within Dali of Yunnan Province.
The Wide Goose Tower, originally called Daci'en Temple Tower (the Grand Mercy Temple Tower), lies in the Grand Mercy Temple of the south suburb of Xi'an City. It is the oldest and most famous ancient tower in Xi'an, considered the symbol of the old city.
Standing by the Qiantang River in Hangzhou, the Pagoda of Six Harmonies was first constructed in 970 during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) by Qian Hongchu, King of the Wuyue State, who ruled the area of today's Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. The purpose of building the pagoda was to suppress the tidewaters. It had nine storeys and was some 150 meters high. At night lanterns were lit on the pagoda so that ships and boats on the Qiantang River could use it as a navigation tower. 
The Manfeilong Pagoda is located on top of the mountain in Manfeilong Village in Jinhong County of Yunnan Province. The pagoda is a famous stupa group in Xishuanbanna. The white stupa looks like a white bottle gourd while the minarets look like bamboo shoots, hence the name "Bamboo Shoot Tower". Due to the white stupa, some people also called it the White Pagoda. 
The Pagoda Forest at Shaolin Temple stands at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain about half a kilometer west of Shaolin Temple in Henan Province. It is a concentration of tomb pagodas for eminent monks and abbots of the temple. A rough count shows more than 240 tomb pagodas of various sizes from the Tang, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties (618-1911), making it the biggest pagoda forest in China. 
Located in the Iron Pagoda Park in the northeast part of the Kaifeng City, the Iron Pagoda is called as the First Pagoda under Heaven by people for its exquisite architectural design and magnificent structure. 
The Five-Pagoda Temple is situated at Xizhimen Wai in Haidian District of Beijing. Its original name was the Temple of True Awakening (Zhen Jue Temple), which changed to the Temple of Great Righteous Awakening (Da Zhengjue Temple) after renovation in 1761. Today, however, it is popularly referred to as the Five-Pagoda Temple because there are five pagodas in the temple. 
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda is located about 1 kilometers south of Jianfu Temple in Xi'an City of Shaanxi Province. Along with the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, it was an important landmark in Chang'an, capital of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Since it was smaller and built later than the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, it was named the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. 
Located about 1.5 kilometers northwest of downtown Yinchuan in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, the Haibao Pagoda Temple is one of the major Buddhist temples opened to public in China. And, the pagoda in the temple is the most ancient Buddhist architecture in Ningxia, and is among the first group of national key cultural relics sites. 
The real name of the Wooden Pagoda in Yingxian County, located in the Fogong (Buddha's Palace) Temple in the northwestern corner of Yingxian County, is the Sakyamuni Pagoda. Since it was built completely of timber, it has been well known as the Wooden Pagoda of Yingxian County. Standing 67.31 meters high, it is the only extant large wooden pagoda in China and also the tallest among ancient wooden buildings of the world. The pagoda was constructed in 1056 during the Liao Dynasty. After several renovations throughout the dynasties, except for the wooden tower of the Liao Dynasty, other structures, like the Bell and Drum Tower and the Daxiong Palace, were all rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Situated 25 kilometers southeast from Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, Luzhi Town was praised as the First Town of Chinese Watery Regions by Fei Xiaotong, vice president of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Because Lu Qiumeng, a poet named Fu Li in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), once lived there in seclusion, it was called Songjiang Fuli in ancient times. The town was renamed as Luzhi in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), after Luduan, a mysterious unicorn, which was believed to have the power of warding off evils.
Nanxun, situated in Huzhou City, is a famous historical and cultural town in Zhejiang Province. It is in the hinterland of the Hangjiahu Plain. It faces the Taihu Lake to the north, and borders on Jiangsu Province to the east. Nanxun is only 51 kilometers away from Suzhou. One will pass the famous Tongli Town from Nanxun to Suzhou.
Situated east to the ancient canal on the bank of the Taihu Lake, Tongli is 18 kilometers from Suzhou City, and 80 kilometers from Shanghai. In ancient times, Tongli was called Fushi. It was changed to Tongli in the early years of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).
Wuzhen Town lies in the north of Zhejiang Province and by the west side of the Jinghang Grand Canal. Being a place of strategic importance for both land and water transportation, it is known to all that Wuzhen is at the juncture of the two provinces (Zhejiang and Jiangsu), three prefectures (Jiaxing, Huzhou, and Suzhou), and seven counties (Wucheng, Gui'an, Chongde, Tongxiang, Xiushui, Wujiang, and Zhenze).
Xitang is an ancient town in the north of Jiashan County. It has a peaceful and beautiful entironment, with flat terrain and netted rivers. It features huge area and a large number of bridges, lanes, and ceilinged corridors. What's more, other than the noisy commercial places of interest, Xitang offers pure scenery of a little town, making the tourists feel quiet and cozy.
Zhouzhuang is 30 km in the southwest of Kunshan City and 38 km to the southeast of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province. Lying quietly by the side of Dianshan Lake near the Daguanyuan Park in Shanghai, it has a history of more than 900 years. The town is surrounded and bisected by streams. Inside the town, riverways intersect one another, and houses are all built on riverside. More than 10 stone bridges span over the water lanes, providing convenient passage for the local people. They were built between the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.
Chengde Summer Resort, also called Chengde Out Palace or Rehe Xanadu, is situated north of Hebei Province's Chengde downtown, 230 kilometers away from Beijing. First built in the 42nd year (1703) of Emperor Kangxi's reign of the Qing Dynasty, the resort cost about 90 years to construct, covering 564 hectares. It is the largest imperial garden in China. 
Palace Area
The area is located in the southern part of the resort, made up of the Main Palace, Pine-Crane Hall, Pine Soughing Valley and East Palace. The Main Palace is comprised of the Front Court and the Back Imperial Bedroom. The main hall of the Front Court, all made of nanmu, was the place where all important ceremonies were held during the Qing emperors' stay in the summer resort. The Back Imperial Bedroom is comprised of Yanbo Zhishuang Hall, where the emperors lived and dealt with state affairs, and Yunshan Shengdi Tower, where the emperors and empresses appreciated the beautiful scenery. 
Scenic Area
Chinese ancient gardens, enjoying great fame since ancient times, traditionally fall into two styles: northern and southern styles. Northern ancient gardens are represented by imperial gardens and southern, private gardens of merchants and the wealthy. However, gardens in Yangzhou City of Zhejiang Province are an exception, forming their unique style between the above-mentioned two schools. Yangzhou gardens not only feature the spectacularity of northern gardens, but also boast a large number of elaborate architectural works, which is the main characteristic of southern gardens. 
Yangzhou gardens are most famous for their oddly layered rockeries. The best representative among all gardens in the city is the Ge Garden, built during the reigns of Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820) and Daoguang (1821-1850) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It was privately owned by Huang Zhijun, a salt merchant of the period. Doting on bamboo, he had many bamboos planted in his garden. And since the shape of the bamboo resembles the Chinese character "ge (个)", it was named "Ge Garden".
The Canglang Pavilion
Canglang Pavilion, also named the Surging Waves Pavilion and located south of Suzhou City, is the oldest garden among the existing classical gardens of Suzhou. The area used to be the private garden of a Prince of the Five Dynasties (907-960). During the Northern Song Dynasty, the scholar Su Zimei built a pavilion in the garden and named it Canglang Pavilion. 
The Lion Grove Garden
Located in the northeast part of Suzhou City, the Lion Grove Garden is the representative of gardens of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). It was first built in 1350 by Monk Tianru and his disciples, as a memorial to their master, Monk Zhongfeng. Because there were a lot of grotesque rocks in the garden resembling lions, the garden was thus named as the Lion Grove. With an area of 10,000 square meters, the Lion Grove Garden has reputed as the "Kingdom of Rockery" for a long time. 
The Lingering Garden 
With an area of 30 mu (2 hectares) and situated outside the Cang Gate of Suzhou City, the Lingering Garden was originally the East Garden of Xu Shiqin in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), later it became the property of Liu Rongfeng of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and was renamed Haibi Villa, popularly known as "Liu Garden". In the 12th year (1873) of the reign of Tongzhi, it was purchased, expanded and overhauled by the new owner, Sheng famlily, who renamed it "the Lingering Garden".
The Humble Administrator's Garden 
The Humble Administrator's Garden is the representative of gardens in Suzhou. Around 1513 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the imperial inspector Wang Xianchen, being sick of officialdom, returned to Suzhou after retiring from public life and built this garden and named it The Humble Administrator's Garden.
The Jichang Garden 
The Garden of the Master of the Nets 
The Garden of the Master of the Nets, located on Shiquan Street in Suzhou City with a total area of 0.54 hectares, is the smallest garden in Suzhou -- half the size of the Canglang Pavilion and one-tenth the size of the Humble Administrator's Garden. 
The Garden of Pleasance (Yi Yuan)
The Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty
The Summer Palace, a world-renowned imperial garden, is situated 15 kilometers from downtown Beijing. It was first named the Garden of Clear Ripples, which was burnt down by the allied forces of Great Britain and France in 1860. It was rebuilt in 1888 with an investment of 30 million taels of silver and renamed the Summer Palace. Covering 293 hectares, the Summer Palace mainly consists of the Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake, and boasts more than 3,000 various buildings. The garden can be divided into three parts, namely, administration, residence and scenery area. 
Yungang Grottoes
Qinhuaihe river
the West Lake
Confucius Temple
East Lake
The Humble Administrator's Garden|
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