China Travel Guide

The YongHeGong (Lama Temple or YongHe Temple, Chinese: 雍和宫), also known as the 'Palace of Peace and Harmony Lama Temple', is a temple and monastery of the Geluk (Yellow Hat) School of Tibetan Buddhism located in the northeastern central part of Beijing, next to the subway station of the same name.

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Introduction to YuanMingYuan

YuanMingYuan (Chinese: 圆明园), also known as the 'Old Summer Palace' and originally called the Imperial Gardens, was an extremely large complex of palaces and gardens 8 km (5 miles) northwest of the old city wall of Beijing (that is, about 8km from XiZhiMen subway station). YuanMingYuan is very close to the Summer Palace; in fact, slightly nearer to central Beijing. There will shortly be a subway station there.

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The first part described main attractions in Forbidden City. The part 2 will describe the exhibition halls,the nine dragon screen, doorways, pots, sculptures, decorative tiles, roofs, beams, ceilings ,windows, gargoyles, ballustrades, walls and other places of interest.

The Exhibition Halls(Chinese: 展览馆)

Some of the buildings in the forbidden city with more minor original functions have been internally converted to hold permanent, but sometimes changing, exhibitions of artefacts of various types - including clocks, ceramics, paintings and bronzes. But first, a little background.

The Imperial Studios(Chinese: 工艺美术馆)

The emperors of China retained artists and craftsmen to manufacture works of the highest quality both to please their senses and add weight to their claim of legitimacy. Under the Qing dynasty, imperial porcelain makers from JingDeZhen introduced new glazes, shapes and techniques. The imperial studios produced paintings with traditional themes such as portraiture, landscapes, birds and flowers, and religious subjects, as well as detailed representations of political ceremonies, military conquests, and imperial processions.

Unlike earlier dynasties, the Qing court also employed Jesuit artists from Europe, whose introduction of western painting techniques and aesthetics stamped the academy as a whole with a unique visual flavor.

Religious Art(Chinese: 宗教艺术)

The Qing emperors retained their sacred Manchurian traditions, performing shamanistic rituals within the seclusion of the Forbidden City. In addition, they became ardent supporters of tantric Buddhism, imported from Tibet and Mongolia. Tibetan monks, stationed at the Hall of Uprightness, were employed as artists to produce religious objects for the emperor.

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The Temple of Heaven (TianTan, Chinese: 天坛) was where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties would offer sacrifices to heaven and pray for good harvests. There are 12 million people visit the magnificent and colorful Temple of Heaven every year.

The ancient Chinese believed that Heaven was the supreme ruler of the universe and the fate of mankind, and thus worshiping rites dedicated to Heaven came into being.

Introduction to the Temple of Heaven

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Great Wall(Chinese: 长城), one of the greatest wonders of the world, was enlisted in the World Heritage in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, it winds

up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus stretching approximately 6,700 km(3,948 miles) from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2000 years, some sections are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance. A Chinese saying goes like that, "you are not a real hero until you have climbed the Great Wall".The Great Wall extends from ShanHaiGuan (the 'Old Dragon Head'), a seaport along the coast of BoHai, in the east (near BeiDaiHe resort) to JiaYuGuan Pass in GanSu Province in the west. Like a giant dragon, the Great Wall of China winds its way across grasslands, deserts and mountains.

The wall is complemented by defensive fighting stations, to which wall defenders may retreat if overwhelmed. Each tower has unique and restricted stairways and entries to confuse attackers. Barracks and administrative centers are located at larger intervals. In addition to the usual military weapons of the period, specialized wall defense weapons were used.

Although the Great Wall was originally built for protection, the wall stands as a tribute to the amazing ingenuity of the Chinese.

Listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987, the Great Wall ('Chang Cheng' in chinese) is a true marvel and a testament to the long history of the Chinese Civilisation.

Today, people from all over the world visit to walk on the Great Wall of China, to stand on a watchtower and view the wall snaking into the distance. This treasure is now protected so that future generations can see the Great Wall with the same wonder and amazement as we do now.

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