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2009-05-27 21:59
Zong zi
Many traditional Chinese foods are intended to honor either the gods or divine persons in history. Zong Zi - a glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves - is no exception. It is meant to honor Qu Yuan (340-278 BC.), the pioneer poet of ancient China.
Qu Yuan was a famous poet who was also concerned about the fate of his government. Unfortunately his stature aroused the jealousy of the king, who banished him to a remote area. The poet despaired of the government and its policies. When the state's capital was captured by enemies, he committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River (on May 5th according to the Chinese lunar calendar). The Chinese people felt this loss deeply, as he was a much beloved poet. Local folk searched for him in the river, meanwhile dropping dumplings of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves into the river in order to keep the fishes from attacking Qu Yuan's body.
Since that time, it has been customary on this day to enjoy Zong Zi dumplings as a memorial to the patriotic poet. In addition, there is also a festival called the Duan Wu or Dragon Boat Festival. If you ever visit China during the Dragon Boat Festival, you can't miss the nationwide custom of enjoying Zong Zi. You are sure to be impressed with the delicacy of this snack, and with the faint scent of the leaves imprinted on the skin of the dumplings.
I still remember making and enjoying Zong Zi as a child. Along with my brothers and sisters I hovered around the stove, begging to have a taste, unable to wait until they were cooked. We were very eager since the food was made only once a year on May 5th. But now it is quite different. The Chinese Zong Zi is not only made for the Duan Wu Festival. It is available at any time of the year. And local areas have developed their own styles and varieties of dumpling.
The main ingredient of ZongZi is the glutinous rice. The next most important ingredient is the bamboo or reed leaves which form the wrapping and make Zong Zi distinct from other types of Chinese dumplings. The filling often contains either dates or sweetened red bean paste. These are the ones I once had in my family. I like them much more than the ones with meat but my brother doesn't. He says the meat ones are terrific.
The leading place for the food is Jia Xing, an ancient town in Zhejiang province. Many different types of Zong Zi are made here. At Wu Fang Zhai, a monopolistic food processor, you'll find all the ingredients you need: the dumplings with meat, sweetened bean paste and chestnuts, lotus seeds, dates, and yolk of egg.
If the materials are available to you, it is quite possible for you to make Chinese Zong Zi at home; both for pleasure and maybe also to honor the great poet, Qu Yuan. By the way, in the year 2006 the Dragon Boat Festival happens to fall on May 31st, according to the solar calendar. You'd better prepare a net for the fish.
Here is a recipe for Zong Zi:
(makes ten dumplings)
1. 50 sheets of bamboo or reed leaves
2. Glutinous rice (1 kilogram)
3. Chinese dates (250 grams)
Directions:
1.Soak the rice and the dates 12 hours or more till they are soaked thoroughly.
2.Wash the leaves.
3.A chopping board is necessary for laying out the leaves.
4.Fold the leaves flat at the leafstalk to make a sheet.
5.Hold the sheet, fold it round in the middle and make a funnel till both ends are laid over each other in one direction.
6.Use about 1/10 kg. of rice and 6 dates for each dumpling. The dates must be covered by the rice so that they won't lose too much syrup in cooking.
7.Fold the leaves up to seal the open side of the funnel and tie the bundle with a band made of twisted leaves. Make sure that the bundle is tied neither too tight nor too loose. This helps make sure that the ingredients are well cooked.
8.Put the dumplings in a pot, cover with water and make sure they are pressed and kept still while being boiled.
9.Cooking time: 40 minutes in a pressure cooker; 2 hours in an ordinary pot. |
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2009-05-27 21:58
Qu Yuan
Qu Yuan (340-270 B.C.), whose real first name was Ping (Yuan was his courtesy name. He once called himself Zhengze with a courtesy name as Lingjun), is remembered as a patriotic poet in ancient China. He was bom to an aristocratic family which belonged to the same clan of the King of the State of Chu.
As a court minister, Qu Yuan attempted to persuade the king to promote the talented and to govern with laws and regulations in purpose of achieving "perfect ruling". He also wished that the State of Chu could, through political reforms, become an sovereign and af fluent power, capable of reunifying the war-torn China. However, the kings of Chu fell for the in fluence of some corrupt and jealous court officials who slandered Qu Yuan and banished him as a result. Upon hearing the news that the capital of Chu was captured by the State of Qin, Qu Yuan ended his life in frustration by leaping into the Miluo River. Qu Yuan's unswerving spirit of fortitude and patriotism shined through his entire life and was embodied in his literary works. Li Sao, his key poetic work, is the first existing long lyric poem in the history of Chinese literature and a masterpiece of Romanticism. In this first-person narrative poem, he successfully created the image of a chaste and lofty gentleman by using himself as the prototype. Loaded with Romantic ideas, Li Sao was compiled into an anthology of poetry called Chu Ci (or Odes of Chu), which marks the fountainhead of the Romantic strain of Chinese literature. Li Sao was also made comparable with the major collection of Chinese poems, Shi Jing ( The Book of Songs). Other works of Qu Yuan include Jiu Ge (Eleven Odes), a collection of surrealistic lyric poems adapted from ritual songs of the State of Chu. His Jiu Zhang (Nine Elegies) faithfully records his life in exile and expresses his intense political frustration and patriotic emotions.
In Tian Wen (The Riddle), he bombards with 170 questions throughout the poem, presenting his extensive learning and inquisitive spirit. As one of the earliest great poets in Chinese literature, Qu Yuan marked a turning point from poetry as collective chanting to independent composition.
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2009-05-27 21:53
dragon boat festival
**Happy Dragon Boat Festival**
The 5th day of May in lunar month is Chinese dragon boat festival.
The Fifth Moon Festival, was celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth moon. The proper name for this festival was the Upright Sun Festival , but foreigners in China referred to it as the Dragon-Boat Festival.
The Fifth Moon Festival was also noted for its dragon-boat races, especially in the southern provinces, where there are many rivers and lakes. This regatta commemorated the death of Quyuan an honest minister who is said to have committed suicide by drowning himself in a river.
Qu Yuan was a minister in the kingdom of Chu situated in present-day Hunan and Hubei provinces, during the Warring States period (475 -221 BC). He was upright , loyal and highly esteemed for his wise counsel that had brought peace and prosperity to the kingdom. However, when a dishonest and corrupt prince vilified QU yUAN, he was disgraced and dismissed from his office. Realizing that the country was now in the hands of evil and corrupt officials, Qu Yuan clasped a large stone and leaped into the Mi Lo river on the fifth day of the fifth moon. Nearby fishermen rushed over and tried to save him, but they were unable even to recover his body. Thereafter , the kingdom declined and was eventually conquered by the kingdom of Qin
The people of Chu, mourning the death of Qu Yuan, threw rice into the river to feed his hungry ghost every year on the fifth day of the fifth moon. One year, the spirit of Qu Yuan appeared and told the mourners that a huge reptile in the river had stolen the rice that had been offered. The spirit advised them to wrap the rice in silk and bind it with five different colored threads before tossing it into the river.
On the Fifth Moon Festival, a glutinous rice pudding called Zongzi was eaten to symbolize the rice offerings to Qu Yuan. Ingredients such as beans, lotus seeds, chestnuts, pork fat and the golden yolk of a salted duck egg were often added to the glutinous rice. The pudding was wrapped with bamboo leaves, bound with a sort of raffia and boiled in salt water for hours.
The dragon-boat races represented the attempts to rescue and recover the body of Qu Yuan A dragon-boat ranged from fifty to one hundred feet in length with a beam of about five and a half feet, accommodating two paddlers sitting side by side. A wooden dragonhead was attached at the bow, and a dragon tail at the stern. A banner hoisted on a pole was also fastened at the stern. The hull was decorated with a design of red, green and blue scales edged in gold. In the center of the boat was a canopied shrine. Behind the shrine sat drummers, gong-beaters and cymbal-crashers that would set the pace for the paddlers. Men standing at the bow set off firecrackers, tossed rice into the water and made believe they were looking for Qu Yuan. All the noise and pageantry created an atmosphere of gaiety and excitement for the participants and spectators. Competitions were held between different clans, villages and organizations, and winners were awarded medals, banners, jugs of wine and festive meals.
After the races, the wooden head and tail of the dragon were detached and stored either at the clan headquarters or at the local temple. The hull was buried in the muddy river to prevent cracking, warping and shrinkage. The boats were therefore reconditioned annually before the festival..
Now, on the fifth day of the lunar fifth moon, all Chinese people celebrate this festival by eating Zongzi |
2009-04-25 14:31
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Beijingfeeling Beijing trip guide you into this cultural and historical Beijing city. We provide you different themes of Beijing trip with high quality and good price. There are Beijing days trip; Beijing package trips; culture Beijing Trip ; Beijing Great Wall trips ; Beijing Night trips; Beijing Golf Trips; .
Beijing (北京 Běijīng) is the capital of the most populous country in the world, the People's Republic of China. It was also the seat of the Ming and Qing dynasty emperors until the formation of a republic in 1911. As such it is rich in historical sites and important government institutions.
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The Beijing city is well known for its flatness and regular construction. There are only three hills to be found in the city limits (in Jingshan Park to the north of the famous Forbidden City). Like the configuration of the Forbidden City, Beijing has concentric "ring roads", which are actually rectangular, that go around the metropolis.
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If the Beijing Trips listed here is not what you like,or you have any good suggestion,please contact our Beijing China trip advisors or Email: bjf@beijingfeeling.com to organize for you the customized Beijing Trip.
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Beijing Daily Trip will visit Tiananmen Square - Forbidden City - Summer Palace - the Temple of Heaven first 4 popular attractions in Beijing.
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Badaling Great Wall Beijing Trip Badaling was the earliest section to be opened to the tourists among all the parts of the whole Great Wall and now is the most famous one home and abroad.
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Mutianyu Great Wall Beijing Trip Mutianyu Great Wall Beijing Trip: The Mutianyu Great Wall is considered as the most beautiful section in Beijng . Unlike the other five sections, the mountain in this area full of Chestnut, Walnut, apple as well as many other fruit trees, has a very pretty view all year round.
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Simatai Great Wall Beijing Trip The Simatai Great Wall in Miyun County features many aspects including a strategic pass, being carpeted by a dense growth of foliage, strange mirages, superb craftsmanship excelling nature panorama.
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Beijing Olympic Trip: Beijing Olympic Games has concluded. At the Bird's nest (the Beijing National Stadium), Usain Bolt of Jamaica broke the world record by winning both the 100 and 200 gold medals at the Olympics; at the Water Cube (the National Aquatics Centre), Michael Phelps of America makes history with 8 Gold Medals in Beijing! A visit to the Beijing Olympic Green sitting at the north end of the Beijing city's axis is an eye-opener for your Beijing trip.
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Beijing Short Stop Trip: Upon arrival of Beijing, our guide and driver will pick you up at the airport. Tour guide will hold a board with your name on. Visit the Tian'anmen Square , Forbidden City(Gugong) . Transfer to the airport to catch the flight. Service ends.
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Beijing Night Trip Chun yi: The Legend of kung Fu show or Chun yi Show focuses on a young boy found wondering outside an ancient temple somewhere in China, who dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master. After the day's sightseeing, Beijing nightlife has more to offer! You can see the Peking Opera , acrobatics ,and Kung Fu show in beijing.
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Beijing Village Trip: The Chuan Di Xia village located 90 kilometers/55miles away from downtown Beijing, it is considered as a “pearl” of the traditional village of China. Chuan Di Xia has a rich history, first established more than 500 hundred years ago to the time of the Ming(1368-1644).
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Beijing Culture Trip :Go to the Hutong join the local people life, cook with them , eat with them that is the best way to enter into local beijng culture.
Chinese Knot :A kind of characteristic folk decorations of handicraft art. Appeared in ancient time. |
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Beijing Golf Trip: Beijing International Golf Club has a total area of up to 1000,000 square meters, with a length of 6986 yard, 18 holes and par 72. As the first course in Beijing, it was opened in 1986. Many famous golf matches were held here.
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Beijing Private Trip :You only have one day's time in Beijing, but you want to see all the places then you can join our Beijing Feeling Private Beijing Trip . You can travel the most popular Forbidden City and Great Wall.
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Beijing Photography Trip : Beijing has beautiful sightseeing and the friendly ethnic peoples and rich cultures with a long history. Our Beijing photograph trip offers an excellent value for travelling photographer. We will leave you enough time in every place for your phtograph activity.
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Beijing Architecture Trip: Summer Palace , a former royal garden. It was was first built in 1751, but was destroyed by European troops in 1860 and again in 1900. Niujie, or Ox Street Mosque. The mosque is a blend of Islamic and Chinese cultures. Temple of Heaven , where dynastic rulers in China used to worship the heaven.
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Beijing Hutong Trip :Shichahai area is a centraly preserved zone showcasing the life of old Beijing. Lama Temple is the largest and the best preserved lamasery in beijing.If you look down at Coal Hill Park by satellite, it is just like a buddha sit cross his`s legs...
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One Day Beijing Trip :Boating in the river, on the way to summer palace, I am feeling the breeze. It is nice, peace and silence. All of my memories just stop at here – My Beijing Feeling One Day Beijing Trip
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2 Days Beijing Trip : Beijing has been the Imperial Capital for more than 600 years. It is the living place for the Jade Dragon Emperor. Beijing Feeling guides you into 2 days beijing trip to know more about the city of Beijing.
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3 Days Beijing Trip : Day 1 : Tianan men Square - Forbidden City - Chinese Kung Fu Show Day 2 : Great Wall(Badaling) - Summer Palace Day 3: Temple of Heaven
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5 Days Beijing Trip: Day 1: arrive in Beijing Day 2: Tianan men Square-Forbidden City-Temple of Heaven-Summer Palace-Chinese Kung Fu show Day 3: Great Wall (Badaling)-Ming Tomb-Foot massage Day 4: Lama Temple - Hu Tong (also known as Rickshaw tour) – Beijing Zoo (Panda House) Day 5: Depart Beijing
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6 Days Beijing Trip: Day 1 arrive in Beijing Day 2 Tianan men Square - Forbidden City - Temple of Heaven - Summer Palace - Chinese Kung Fu show Day 3 Great Wall (Badaling) - Ming Tomb - Foot massage Day 4 Lama Temple - Hu Tong (also known as Rickshaw tour) – Beijing Zoo (Panda House) Day 5 Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall, Wangfujing Walking Street, Olympic Village Day 6 Depart Beijing
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7 Days Beijing Trip: Day 1 arrive in Beijing Day 2 Tiananmen Square- Forbidden City - the Temple of Heaven - Acrobatic Show Day 3 Great Wall (Badaling) - Summer Palace- Foot massage Day 4 Beijing-Chengde.Day 5 Chengde-Beijing Day 6 Beijing-Tianjin-Beijing Day 7 Beijing-Home/next destination
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2009-01-17 09:47
2008-07-21 10:22
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Big Bell Temple and Museum (Da Zhong Si)
The temple, built in 1733, got its present name in 1743 when an enormous bronze bell, the largest in China, was brought here on ice sleds. It's thought that this Big Bell was cast in 1420 when Yongle, builder of the Forbidden City, was emperor. Weighing in at 46 tons and standing 23 feet high, it is displayed in its own tower in a rear courtyard. Emperor Qianlong lit incense and prayed for rain before it. For fun and good fortune, you can climb the spiral stairs to the top of tower and, like Buddhist pilgrims of old, cast coins into the bell's opening, which makes a pleasing sound. This ritual was once the major source of income for the temple monks. Before the temple reopened as the bell museum in 1985, it served as the Beijing No. 2 Food Factory.
Other halls in the former Juesheng (Awakening) Temple house 4,000 years of Chinese bells, including a set of stone chimes from the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.) that visitors are invited to ring (for a small fee). Among the 700 or so relics are friendship bells from New Zealand and Italy and newly cast Chinese bells used to mark great occasions (such as the resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997).
Ancient Observatory (Guguan Xiang Tai)
The Imperial Observatory has been here, atop the Jianguomen gate in the city wall, since 1442, even if it is now surrounded by expressways, skyscrapers, and the city's busiest avenue. Inside is a collection of some of the world's rarest astronomical instruments, most them originally fashioned by Jesuit missionaries who took up residence in Beijing in the 17th century and charmed the emperor with their scientific knowledge of the heavens. The observatory has a wonderful gold foil map of the stars as they were plotted in the Ming Dynasty and fine copies (for the most part) of the old instruments used to plot the heavens. On the roof, which offers superb views of the Forbidden City, are copies of the Jesuit-designed armillary sphere, bronze gnomons, and other large ornate bronze devices that the Son of Heaven depended on 3 centuries ago.
Beijing Art Museum (Zhongguo Meishuguan)
Beijing's newest art museum occupies the grounds of the Wanshou Temple (Temple of Longevity), a small Buddhist complex of Ming Dynasty halls and pavilions dating from 1577. The meditation hall (50 feet wide by 75 feet deep) in the center of the grounds serves as a gallery of modern oil paintings, with prices in the $2,000 range. The halls on the west side have displays of paintings, scrolls, textiles, ceramics, furniture, and artifacts from the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as Japanese artworks created during the occupation of Manchuria in the 1930s and 1940s.
 
Natural History Museum (Ziran Bowuguan)
This spacious gallery contains some fine specimens of primitive man and of dinosaur skeletons and eggs excavated in China.
Prince Gong's Mansion (Gong Wang Fu)
Prince Gong's estate is Beijing's best-preserved example of how the upper class lived during the Qing Dynasty. It consists of 31 pavilions, halls, and residential buildings; nine courtyards; several arched bridges; large ponds with islands and swans; one immense rock garden in the classic style; and even its own private pagoda for gazing at the moon. Prince Gong's brother was China's emperor from 1851 to 1861, and Gong served as regent for the next emperor, along with Cixi, who would become the Empress Dowager. Gong's son, Puyi, became China's last emperor. Prince Gong moved into this palace estate in 1852, but its design originated more than a century earlier. The mansion has its own stage for outdoor performances of Peking Opera, as well as a teahouse open to hutong tour groups
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2008-07-21 10:20
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2008 Year 7 Month 21 Day Monday |
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http://www.beijingfeeling.com
The construction of the Great Wall started during the Warring States Period on 7th century B.C, it had a history of more than 2,500 years. Many dukedoms built walls in Central China to protect themselfs and their northern territories. When Qin Shihuang, the first emperor in Chinese history, unified China and established the first centralised feudal state in China, he decided to have the walls linked up and extended.
There were about one million people, one-fifth of China's population at the time, were involved in the project which took more than ten years. Most of the walls we see today were rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty in the 16th century. It extends from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west. It is the only construction that the American astronauts could recognize with their naked eyes on their first flight to the Moon.
Those who succeeded in climbing the wall today are often regarded as "Real heroes", from this we should realize the difficulty in climbing the wall, and can imagine how difficult it is to build the Great Wall without modern machinery at that time.
In Beijing, the Great Wall is about 630 km long, 6 sections of the Great Wall have been opened to visitors. There are Badaling Section, Juyongguan Section, Simatai Section, Mutianyu Section, Jinshanling Section and Gubeikou Section.
History of the Great Wall
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The construction of the Great Wall started during the Warring States Period on 7th century B.C, it had a history of more than 2,500 years. At that time, it was the Warring States Period, Many dukedoms built walls in Central China to protect themselves from each other and from the "barbarians", the walls were built in the states of Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei and Qin. These seven dukedoms conquered many other small states and became "the Seven Most Powerful States in the Warring States Period".
When Qin Shihuang, the first emperor in Chinese history, unified China and established the first centralised feudal state in China, he ordered that the northern sections of the Walls built by different dukedoms be linked up and put together into one defensive bulwark. Emperor Qin Shihuang sent general Meng Tian with an army of 300,000 forced labourers for the mission and built part of the new wall. That was the Qin Great Wall-From Lintao in Gansu Province in the west to Liaodong in the east.
The Han Great Wall started from Lop Nur in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to Liaodong in the east, which stretched about 10,000 Km (20,000 Li, one li = 500 metres) and in the following dynasties, except tthe Tang Dynasty when the Great Wall was all within the boundary of the Great Tang Empire, the Great Wall was under constant construction and repairing. Today, you may find some remnants of the wall scattered in the northwest of China, but not in the eastern part of China.
The Ming Dynasty was the last dynasty in Chinese history when large scale construction of the Great Wall took place, and most of the walls we see today were built in the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Great Wall stretched from the Yalu River in the east to Jiayuguan in the west, covering a total length of more than 5,000 Km. At present, however, Shanhaiguan Pass is generally considered as the eastern end of the Great Wall because the section from Shanhaiguan Pass to the Yalu River was poorly built and maintained. Shanhaiguan Pass is also considered as "the First Pass Under Heaven".
The Qing rulers did not continue building the Great Wall, they adopted a new policy by building a Summer Resort in Chengde to entertain the Mongolian and Tibetan nobles to ensure a peaceful boundary.
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Juyongguan Pass
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Juyongguan Pass lies 50 Km northwest of Beijing, it is located in a 15 Km long valley. Many passes were built at strategic points along the wall, and the Juyongguan Pass was one of them. Besides its strategic significance, this pass was also famous for its beautiful scenery. In fact, in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234 A.D), this place was listed one of the Eight Best Scenic Spots in Beijing.
The gate in the center of Juyongguan Pass is built of finely carved marble and called Cloud Terrace or Guojie (crossing-street) in Chinese. This building was originally the base of three towers and was built as early as 1345, more than 500 years of history now, this marble Cloud Terrace is nearly 10 mtres high, the bottom is 27 metres long from east to west, 15 metres wide from north to south. Seen from distance, this terrace is bigger at the bottom and smaller at the top.
Originally, on the top of the cloud terrace stood three towers, but an earthquake in the early Ming Dynasty destroyed the three towers on the top, only the terrace itself left. An arch gateway is underneath the terrace, which is more than 7 metres high, 6 metres wide, wide enough for carriages to go through. Both side of the arch gateway are decorated with carvings of Buddhas, four Celestial Kings, and the text of a buddist Sutra in Chinese, Tibetan, Sanskrit and three other minority languages.
In 1644, the troops of Peasant Uprising led by Li Zicheng, whose statue we saw on the way to the Great Wall, took over Beijing and entered the city from here. It was Li Zicheng, this peasant general who overthrew the Ming Dynasty that same year. At that time, this was a very crowded area. Later on, buses as well as railways went by here, nobody would stay here for the night or do business any more, therefore, this area gradually became deserted.
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"If you haven't climbed the Great Wall, you haven't seen China."
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"If you haven't climbed the Great Wall, you haven't seen China." Many of your friends who visited China before might have told you this. It is, indeed an experience of life. Who would leave the country without seeing the only construction that the American astronauts could recognise with their naked eyes, on their first flight to the Moon!
The Great Wall of China starts from Shanhaiguan Pass, a seaport along the coast of Bohai Bay in the east, to Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu Province in the west, covering 16 provinces, cities and autonomous regions in China. It is more than 6,000 Km long (one li=500 meters), hence the name "Ten Thousand-li-long Wall".
The Great Wall traverses many mountains and gullies, a countless number of inner walls, outer walls, fortified towers, signal beacon towers, fortifications and garrisons complete this complex, and make up the whole system of the Great Wall.
Those who succeeded in climbing the wall today are often regarded as "real heroes", from this we should realize the difficulty in climbing the wall, but can you imagine how even more difficult it is to build the Great Wall without modern machinery?
The bricks, rocks and lime used to build the Wall had to be carried up the mountains at the cost of back-breaking labor, morever, goats and donkeys carried the earth and bricks in baskets, some of the rocks were moved up slopes by means of rolling rods and hoisting bars. It is hard to calculate the amount of manpower used in the construction of the Great Wall.
In Beijing, the Great Wall is 629 Km long, five sections of the Great Wall have been opened to visitors. There are Badaling Section, Simatai Section, Mutianyu Section, Jinshanling Section and Gubeikou Section. Of all these five sections, the Great Wall at Badaling Section is the most famous and best preserved.
In ancient China, military information is usually conveyed through horsesiders and beacon-towers. In pain area, emergent military information is conveyed from one station to another by riding horses-at each station the horses should be changed and supplies refilled. However, in the Tang Dynasty, when the whole country is not at war, horses were used to carry fresh Lichii to Chang'an, the capital at that time for the emperor's most favorite concubine-Lady Yang Yuhuan. Du Fu, a famous poet in the Tang Dynasty wrote certain poems to criticise the corruption of the emperor.
In the mountainous area, on the other hand, it could ne extremely difficult for the horses to send messages, therefore, beacon towers were built along the wall to relay information from place to place. When the enemy invaded in the daytime, wolve's dung was used to burn for a strong smoke, while at night, beacon fires were lit on the towers to give a warning message. But you may ask why wolve's dung were used?
One reason is that there were many wolves in the region and wolve's dung could easily be found, another reason is that the wolve's dung gathered closely and went straight upward so it can easily be seen from afar. Moreover, the number of the smoke signals could reveal the number of invading enemies. One smoke used to represent 100 enemies, two smokes, 500, and 3 smokes,1,000 etc, and the amount of smokes also expressed the degree of emergency.
It is evident that the purpose of building the wall was to prevent the frontier from the invasion of the northern nomadic tribes.
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Beijing Zhangjiakou Railway
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Everyday, there're two trains from Beijing Xizhimen Railway station to Badaling Great Wall at Qinglongqiao Railway Station, where you can see a bronze statue erected by the Chinese government. But who was he?
This railway is very famous in China, known to almost every household, because this railway was the first of its kind designed and built by us Chinese, it was called Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway and recorded in the textbook for primary school pupils.
The chief engineer is Zhan Tianyou, a Yale graduate majoring in Civil and railway engineering, he was born in 1861 in Guangdong Province, and he was very intelligent and interested in machinery at an early age. Upon graduation from the Yale University in 1881, he returned to China and became the Chief engineer in 1905 for the first railway in China, he succeeded in overcoming the gradient problem by switching back the line, and he initially used two locomotives instead of one, one pulling, another pushing the train over this area. The railway was completed in 1909, two years ahead of time. It added a brilliant page in the history of the Chinese Railway Construction.
Therefore, the Chinese government decided to erect a bronze statue at Qinglongqiao Railway Station in memory of his great contribution.
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Badaling Fortress
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Badaling Fortress was built in 1505, it was 7.5 metres high, 4 metres thick. Badaling was actually a hub of communications in ancient times.
The Badaling Fortress is about 600 metres above sea level. East of the Fortress is a huge rock seven metres long and two metres high. It is called Looking-Toward Beijing Rock. The name of the rock was from the Empress Dowager Ci'xi, who passed here as she fled to the north when the Eight Allied Forces invaded Beijing in 1990. From this big rock, she looked back and gave Beijng her last look. Hence the name.
Standing on the rock, you may see the east side of the Fortress, on which four Chinese characters are written, the outer town of Juyong. That is to say, this is indeed an important defensive area on the north side of Juyongguan Pass.
When you entered the Fortress, you will soon find on the west side of the Fortress another four Chinese characters: the key to the north gate of Beijing. This simply means that strategically, this area is very important.
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Great Wall at Badaling
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Badaling means "giving access to every direction", the name itself suggests its strategic importance. Badaling Great Wall lies in Yanqing County, northwest of Beijing. It covers five counties and one district, namely: Miyun, Huairou, Pinggu, Yanqing and Changping County and Mentougou District.
Badaling Great Wall was the best preserved part of the Ming Great Wall. Here, the wall averages 7.8 metres high, 6.5 metres wide of the base, and 5.8 metres at the top. The wall was designed to allow five horsemen or ten soldiers to march side by side along the wall. The flights of stairs up to the outer wall are fairely widely spaced.
The wall could almost be considered as a superhighway on the rough mountain terrain. On the highway, news, men or even food could travel rapidly. Suppose you were a solider 500 years ago in the Ming Dynasty, when you found some enemies were about to invade your country, in the daytime, they should start a heavy smoke to tell the other soliders to get ready, when seeing their signal, would start another smoke in the distance, this signal would be relayed until finally it reached the capital and the whole country would be ready for the war. But what if the enemies invade the country at night, as most invasion started, they should light up beconfires to communicate military information to the emperor at a very rapid speed.
For every few hundred metres, you can see a watchtower. Also, the wall of this section was built of giant rocks and bricks of similar size. It was faced with stone, and the inside was filled with earth and rubber, therefore, Badaling Great Wall was also regarded the strongest section of the Ming Great Wall.
To experience the real splendor of the Great Wall, you should not only see the Great Wall and take pictures from down here, but also walk on it. There're two entrances where you can climb the Badaling Great Wall, most people, however, climb the Great Wall from the right entrance because it is an easier way. It takes about an hour to climb to the top of the raised towers either way. From the top on the right looking northwest, you can see the famous Guanting Reservoir; The wall on the left is a little more steep, naturally, less people climb the wall from this side.
Different people may have very different preferences. Make your choice and start climbing now!
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2008-07-21 10:19
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2008 Year 7 Month 21 Day Monday |
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The Forbidden City
http://www.beijingfeeling.com
The Forbidden City was the imperial palaces of the Ming and Qing dynasties, known as the Palace Museum. The consitruction took 14 years and was finished in 1420. In the following years, the capotal of the Ming Dynasty was moved from Nanjing to Beijing. Twenty-four emperors, 14 in the Ming and 10 in the Qing dynasties ruled from here. The last dynasty fell in 1911, but Emperor Puyi still lived in the Inner Court until 1924, when he was thrown out of the palace by the troops of General Feng Yuxiang. After that, the palace was opened to the public as the Palace Museum and it was no longer forbidden to the common people.
The Forbidden City located in the centre of Beijing, covering an area of 72 hectares. It is rectangular in shape, 961 meters long from north to south and 753 meters wide from east to west. There are total 9999.5 rooms in the whole clmplex. There is a 10-metre-high wall, encircled by a 52-metre-wide moat.
The Forbidden City is the largest piece of ancient Chinese architecture still standing. Some of the buildings were damaged by lightning and rebuilt in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It had beed expanded several times, but the original layout was preserved.
After liberation, some costly renovations were done and the Forbidden City is listed as one of the important historical monument under special preservation by the Chinese Government.
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The great courtyard is in front of The Hall of Supreme Harmony. The courtyard is 10,000 square metres in area. The 33 single room-units on each side were used as warehouses for storing such items as fur, porcelain, silver, tea, silks and satins and clothes. Now I have a question for you.
There are no trees here! Beijing is a city well afforested. It is quite strange that there are no trees in such a large place. There are some interesting reasons for this. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the emperors attended to affairs of state or held grand occassions mostly in the Hall of supreme Harmony, a symbol of the imperial power. The emperors considered themselves sons of Heaven, born to reign over the country, so they should occupy the highest position. Nothing was allowed to tower over The Hall of Supreme Harmony, and trees were no exception. Another reason was that the emperors feared that assassins might use trees as their hiding places. A third reason was related to Chinese characters. A tree in a square represents the word trouble . The emperors were so superstitious that they believed the trees in the courtyard were likely to bring no end of trouble to the monarchy.
TheForbidden City was heavily guarded, but the emperors still didn't feel secure enough and worried that someone might dig a tunnel into the palace. So, they had the ground bricks laid in a very special way: seven layers lengthwise and eight layers crosswise, totalling fifteen layers. The emperors changed the rooms they stayed in almost every night to escape assassins, only their close eunuchs knew where the emperors stayed for each night.
All the buildings in the Forbidden City were made of wood, which was prone to fire. Therefore, fire prevention measures had to be taken. Around the courtyard you can find many iron vats, which were used for storing water against fire. In the whole complex, there are altogether 308 water vats, 18 of them gilded. Unfortunately, the gold has been scraped off by the invading forces of eight allied powers in 1900. Most of the vats made in the Ming Dynasty have bigger openings compared with those made in the Qing Dynasty. In winter, fires were lit to keep the water inside from freezing. On the north side underneath the vats are air vents to fan the fires. Moreover, lightning rods were installed on the roofs of the buildings in 1953.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony. stands along the north-south axis on the triple marble terrace. Each terrace is higher than the other, encircled by marble balustrades carved with dragon and phoenix designs. The dragon and phoenix were symbols of the emperor and the empresses respectively. You'll find 18 bronze incense burners, representing the 18 provinces of China during the Qing Dynasty.
The double layer roof represents the highest construction rank of all. In ancient Chinese buildings, the roofs were important social status symbols. I will show you some of the different ranks during our visit, and you can surely tell the difference by yourselves. Looking up you can see 11 mythical animals on the upturned eaves of the building. I have heard that in your country, some structures are being built with the eaves turned in the ancient Chinese style.
In ancient China, there used to be big wooden nails to prevent the tiles from sliding. They were replaced by glazed tiles which were later shaped into mythical animals, such as the dragon and the the phoenix. They were considered auspicious animals which could ward off calamities and bring about happiness and unity. Nowadays they serve only decorative purpose.
The heads of mythical animals jut out from the edge of the terraces, 1142 in number, which serve both as decorations and as rainspouts. If you come in a rainy day, you may witness a misty and mysterious scene here. Water pours out from the mouths of these mythical monsters, making the ticktack sounds which echo in the quiet, vast complex.
Take the staircases and get to the terrace. The central one was reserved for the emperor who was carried in a sedan chair over the marble ramp.
In the east of the terrace stands a sun-dial which was used to tell the time when there was sunlight. People looked at the markings of time on its upper part in summer and on its lower part in winter. Who can tell the time by it without looking at the watch? There is a question: "When there was no sunlights what would be used to tell the time? Right! the Water clock! A large variety of timing equipment is stored in the Forbidden City. Now see what is in the west side. A little pavilion in which a copper grain measure is kept. It was used as the national standard in the Qing Dynasty. The grain measure and sun-dial were symbols of imperial justice and rectitude. The dragon headed tortoises and storks were incense burners. They were both symbols of longevity.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony, the throne hall, built in 1420. It is the largest wooden structure still standing in China. It was used for grand ceremonies such as the celebration of Winter Solstice, the Chinese New Year, the Emperor's birthday and ascension to the throne and the dispatch of generals to battles. On such occasions, there would be an imperial guard of honor standing in front of the Hall and extending to the main gate.
The base and the throne are carved out of sandlewood. The throne was a symbol of imperial power. The floor was paved with Golden bricks which were baked for 136 days and then immersed in tung oil to polish it permanently. Looking up you can see the coffered ceiling, designed to create an aura of solemnity and mystery. In the middle of the ceiling is the design of two dragons playing with pearls. They were made of glass and painted with mercury. The big pearl was called "Xuan Yuan Jing" in Chinese, because according to a Chinese legend, the Emperor Huang Di who was also named "Xuan Yuan Shi", created the first glass. The pearl was said to be able to detect any usurper of the imperial power. If anyone who wasn't the descendant of the Emperor Huang Di took the throne, it would drop down and strike him to death. Yuan Shikai, who usurped the throne in 1912 was so frightened that he moved the throne slightly forward to avoid being hit.
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The Meridian Gate
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The Meridian Gate is the southern entrance of the Purple Forbidden City. This massive Gate, consisting of five openings, is shaped like a huge upside-down English capital letter "U" . It is the largest gate of the Forbidden City, 35.6 metres high and surmounted by five pavilions. The central pavilion is rectangular in shape, while the other four, two on each side, are square, henee the nickname "the Five Phoenix Tower".
The Meridian Gate was so named because the Chinese emperors believed that they lived in the center of the universe, and the Meridian Line went through the Forbidden city.
The 14 emperors of the Ming and 10 emperors of the Qing dynasties ruled China with an absolute authority which probably has no equivalent in human history. However, except for the room which the emperor would choose to stay for the night to avoid possible assassins, they had very little privacy. When they went to the temple of haven, bells in the west pavilion were struck. When they went to the Ancestral Temple, drums in the eastern pavilion were beaten. Modern day VIPS simply follow suit-sirens and motorcycles in front, a long fleet of cars behind.
"Why were there five openings?", simply because people of different classes or social statues shouldn't walk in through the same opening. The central opening was reserved for the emperor alone, the empress was entitled to go through the opening once-on her Wedding Day:
The first three successful candidates in the imperial examination could enter the opening once, too, when they were to be received by the emperor. The east opening was for the Ministers while the west opening was for the royal family. The other openings were for petty officials. Ordinary people were forbidden to enter the city. Today, only two openings are ready for visitors, the one for the emperors and the one for the Ministers
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The Hall of Supreme Harmony
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The Hall of Supreme Harmony is also nicknamed "the Throne Hall". It was first built in 1406, but the present structure dates back to 1695, during Emperor Kangxi's reign. It was repaired in 1765 and repainted under Yuan Shikai, a warlord and restored very recently. Since the Qing Emperors were all Manchurians, the inscriptions on all the palace halls were both in Chinese and Manchurian, as still can be seen in the inner courts. Why, then, was the inscription of this hall in Chinese only?
There's something interesting about this. In 1911, after the Qing Dynasty fell, the last Qing Emperor Puyi was allowed to stay in the Inner Court. The Outer Court, however, was taken over by the so called "Democratic Government". In 1915, Yuan Shikai, a warlord, wanted to be the emperor. He was preparing for his enthronement when he ordered all the Manchurian inscriptions in the outer court to be removed. But he was overthrown only 83 days after he ascended the throne and the inscriptions here became a witness to his scandal.
Three flights of marble steps lead up to the terrace; in the middle of the central flight is a huge stone carving in the design of "dragons playing with pearls", over which the emperors sedan chairs were carried. On the terrace, at the east corner was a sun-dial; At the west corner stands a small temple in which the grain measure was kept. The sun-dial and grain measure are both symbols of rectitude and fairness. Surrounding the hall are 18 bronze incense burners, representing China's 18 provinces at that time; the 308 water vats around the palace were used to protect it against fire.
The hall of Supreme Harmony is 35 metres high, 60 metres wide and 33 metres on both sides. It is now the largest, best preserved wooden hall in China. Twenty-four pillars support the roof; the central six are gilded and painted in the design of dragons, the rest are painted red. The Emperor's throne, which is surrounded by art treasures of symbolic significance, is in the middle of the hall. Above the throne is a gold painted caisson, or coffered ceiling, with dragon designs, from which hangs a spheric pearl called the Xuanyuan Mirror . This pearl was supposed to be able to distinguish right from wrong. The warlord Yuan Shikai was afraid that the pearl in the caisson may fall and hit him; he ordered the throne to be moved slightly backward. This is why you see the throne is not directly under the caisson.
This hall was used for great ceremonies, like the celebration of Winter Solstice, the publication of the list of successful candidates in the imperial examinations, the emperor's birthday and enthronement.
Just imagine the majestic and awesome scene in the past. When the emperor sat on the throne, the ministers and all their subordinates would kneel down, kowtow and chant aloud "Long Live Your Majesty", with incense burning and curling up in the hall, and the sound of bells ringing and drums beating in unison in the corridor.
Each of the 24 pillars supporting the hall was made from one piece of wood, about 18 metres high. What's more, it took 136 days to bake the floor tiles before they were immersed in tung oil for another 49 days to be polished.
To maintain the palace during the Qing Dynasty, 280,000 taels of silver were needed each year. They came from taxes and royal estate rents. During the Ming Dynasty, 9,000 ladies-in-waiting and 100,000 eunuchs served here. Some eunuchs like Wei Zhongxian in the Ming Dynasty and Li Lianying in the Qing Dynasty became even more powerful than the emperor.
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The Hall of Complete Harmony
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This hall was originally built in 1420 and restored in 1627 and again 1765. It is square in shape, with windows on all sides. It is the smallest hall among "the Big Threes" in the Outer Court.
The emperors came here once a year, to perform ceremonies like examining seeds for sowing, to take a rest before dressing up for great ceremonies in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, to receive ministers and greet foreign envoys or to deliver speeches to the royal family. The major function of the hall is to provide the emperor with a place to rehearse before he entered the hall of Supreme Harmony for important ceremonies.
In the middle of the hall stands a throne, with two sedan-chairs exhibited on both sides. The one on the east was made at the end of the Ming Dynasty, while the one on the west in the begining of the Qing Dynasty. There were many kinds of sedan-chairs in China, but the one used exclusively for the emperor was always carried by 8 people.
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The Hall of Preserving
Harmony
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This hall was the last hall of the Outer Court, similar in style but a bit smaller than the Hall of Supreme Harmony. It was first built in 1420, rebuilt in 1625 and renovated in 1765.
In 1789, the hall became the site of the "Palace Examinations", the highest level of the nationwide imperial examination system. There were four levels of examinations, namely: the county level, the provincial level, the national level and the Palace Examinations. Those who survived the palace exam would get the title of "doctor" (Jin Shi), and their status and wealth were assured.
This examination system started in the Han Dynasty and suspended every now and then and was finally abolished in 1904. In 1898, the Capital University (Beijing University) was established, and about the same time, China sent students to study in foreign countries like Japan and France. In 1911, Qing Hua University, a well known university both at home and abroad was also established. Thus, the modern Chinese education began.
The original throne sits in the middle, surrounded by some fine bronzes. This hall was the most decorative of all the halls, and the great imperial banquets were held here.
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The Stone Carving
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Behind the Hall of Preserving Harmony, between the stair-ways, is a huge one piece marble carving of dragons playing with pearls. This marble was brought here all the way from Fangshan District, about 70 Km away from Beijing city proper.
It is about 17 metres long, 3 metres wide and 1.7 metres thick, weighing about 250 tons. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, anyone who was caught touching this holy stone could be executed.
Without any modern means of transportation, you can imagine how difficult it was for the Chinese labourers to transport such a huge piece of stone here! For every half kilometre, wells were dug and water was pumped out onto the road to ice it up so that the stone could be slid over the ice. In summer, however, rolling logs were used.
Nothing was impossible for the Chinese!
Nothing was too extravagant for the emperor-the Son of Heaven!
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2008-07-20 20:51
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The village located 90 kilometers/55miles away from downtown Beijing, it is considered
as a 'pearl' of the traditional village of China.
Chuan Di Xia has a rich history, first established more than 500 hundred years ago to
the time of the Ming(1368-1644).
Tough it undergone the nature for dynasties, there are still many traditional Quadrangles
(typical dwellings in the village) exist in the village.
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The village stands along the vital communication line, with convenient transportation to
Hebei province and Inner-Mongolia, so the incessant stream of horses and carriages
made it being a busy place during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
But, part of the village was seriously damaged during the Japanese Occupation (1937-1945)
and the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), the ruins are still visible there.
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After the Reform and Opening up to the rest of the world in 1978, with the development
of the railway, express way and advanced mountainous road, the village has lost its
strategic significance and not being busy anymore. The young villagers flooded into the
city and moved out of the village. At present, there are only 14 families with more than
30 people still living here. Thus, the village was maintained very well and froze in its
history, has become a 'living museum' in Beijing.
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It's a great treasure in terms historical antique, architecture, art and social study.
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Tour schedule:
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Our well-trained English-speaking tour guide will pick you up between 8:00am and 8:30am based on your convenient time. Drive to the get to the village, touring around the ancient village, hiking on the mountains nearby, listening to the stories given by the aged and visit a temple in the village and farmer's family as well. Lunch will be arranged at about 12:00 noon. You will be transferred back to the Beijing downtown by 18:00.
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http://www.beijingfeeling.com |
2008-07-20 20:49
TOUR NAME: (Buddist Temple Specialtour tour1) Lama Temple---White Dagoba(Stupa) Temple----The Temple of the AzureClouds----The Temple of the Reclining Buddha -----
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(1) Tour schedule:Pick up at 9AM.
Visit Lama Temple then White Dagoba(Stupa) Temple in the morning. Lunch.
Visit The Temple of Azure Clouds and The Temple of the Reclining Buddha in the afternoon.
Return to the hotel at 5:00PM
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TOUR NAME:(Buddist Temple Specialtour tour2) The Pool and Cudrania Temple(Tanzhe Temple)Ordination Terrace Temple(Jietaisi)
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(1) Tour schedule:Pick up at 9:00AM.
Visit The Pool and Cudrania Temple(Tanzhe Temple)
Lunch
Ordination Terrace Temple(Jietaisi)Return to the hotel at 4:30PM.
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2008-07-19 20:08
| Coal Hill Park |
| by http://www.beijingfeeling.com |
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The coal hill park lies right to the north of the Palace Museum.The hill is 44.6 metres high and its elevation being 88.7 metres. It used to be a private garden of the imperial family. When the Imperial Palace was built in the early Ming Dynasty, the earth excavated to make the moat was piled up, and five peaks took shape. Coal was once heaped around the foot of the hill, it is therefore also known as Coal Hill.
If you look down at Coal Hill Park by satellite, it is just like a buddha sit cross his`s legs.
If you like to go to the Coal Hill Park you can choose Tour line1 and Tour line2:
Tour line1:- (DAILY Marco Polo Travel TOUR) - coal hill ; White Cloude Taoist Temple; Marco Polo Bridge;
Tour schedule: Pick up at your hotel between 8:30AM. Then drive to Coal hill park . Coal was once heaped around the foot of the hill, it is therefore also known as Coal Hill. If you look down at Coal Hill Park by satellite, it is just like a buddha sit cross his`s legs.Then will visite the White Cloude Taoist Temple. After lunch you can see the Marco Polo Bridge. About 6:30pm,you will back to your hotel.
Tour line2 : Special tour - ( (BeiJing culture half day tour) - 1 - Coal hill - 2- Imperial College (Guozijian) street -3- The temple of Confucius - 4- Hutong alley - 5 -Silver ingot bridge- 6- Local family-7- Bell tower - 8-Drum tower -9- Prince Gong's Garden - 10- Beijing Kindergarten -11- the outlook of olympic village
Tour schedule:our guide will pick you up by the time 1:30pm, then will drive you to the coll hill. The coll hill used to be a private garden of the imperial family. When the Imperial Palace was built in the early Ming Dynasty , the earth excavated to make the moat was piled up, and five peaks took shape. Coal was once heaped around the foot of the hill, it is therefore also known as Coal Hill. If you look down at Coal Hill Park by satellite, it is just like a buddha sit cross his`s legs.You are suggested stay in the coal hill for one hour.Sometime the guide will guide you to the emperor tea yard, which is usd to be the emperor`s tea house, after he visited the coal hill.
About 3:00pm you will reach the Imperial College(Guozijian) street and The temple of Confucius. The imperial College used to be the highest institution of learning in the Yuan , Ming and Qing dunasties(1279--1911), and the The temple of Confucius is located in the Imperial College(Guozijian) street .It is here that Confucius was worshipped during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dunasties(1279--1911).You will visite for about half hour.
Confucius lived from about 551B.C. to 479 B.C.
He taught about the important of family.
The Confucian teaching of Virtue is the main religion,which has influned chinese behavior for thousnads years
and Drum tower ,Rickshaw ride to Hutongs, (2 persons share one rickshaw).Visit the Local family, get a general idea of what the local family's life is like.,enjoy the free chat with the host/hostess.Leave for the Prince Gong`s garden at 6:00PM.go the local Kindergarten.
3:30 the HUTONG tricycle will pick you up from the Imperial College(Guozijian) street , Visit the Bell tower
BY the time 6:30 we will drive you to the olympic village, silk show inside the asian olympic village is arranged if you like.
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2008-03-04 10:15
The aim of http://www.beijingfeeling.com is seek to provide you with BeiJing local sevice and guide you to entrance into china to feel the chinese culture.
We would really appreciate your comments, suggestions and requirements.
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2008-03-04 10:09
Afforestation and Main Species of Tree in Beijing.
Since 1949 the people of Beijing have initiated and put into effect the plan of an all-round afforestation,planting both evergreen trees and deciduous ones.The most popular trees included in this elaborated plan are the Chinese scholartrees,poplars,willows,and pines.Two species chosen as the representative of the city are the Chinese schlartrees and the oriental arborvitae.The chrysanthemum and the Chinese rose are the city flowers. www.beijingfeeling.com
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2008-03-04 10:02
Rivers and Reservoirs.
There are three rivers running through the North China Plain,the Chaobai River,as well as the Northern Grand Canal.Of the three,Yongding River runs the longest course across the area,where it flows more than 180 kilometers(112 miles) out of its tatal length of 650 kilometers(miles).There are also 83 reservoirs in Beijing area.The best known of them are :the Miyun Reservoir(1960),the Guanting Reservoir(1955),the Huairou Reservoir(1958).www.beijingfeeling.com
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2008-02-16 19:49
City Layout 
Beijing is located at 3956'N and 11620' E, covers an area of 16,808 square kilometers, Two-thirds of it are mountains areas encircling the western northern and eastern sides of the city. The center of the city is 43.71 meters above the sea level. Main rivers include the Yongding River, the Chaobai River and the North Canal.
Beijing, including the urban and the suburban areas and the nine counties under its administration, is located in the northeastern corner of China, roughly the same latitude as New York City. Beijing municipality has a total area of 16,800 sq km (6552 sq mi). roughly the size of Belgium.
The permanent residents of Beijing come from all of China's 56 ethnic groups. The Han nationality accounts for 96.5% of the total. The other 55 ethnic minorities claim a population of more than 300,000, most of them are from Hui, Manchu, and Mongolian nationalities.
Though it may not appear so in the shambles of arrival, Beijing is a place of very orderly design. Long, straight boulevards and avenues are crisscrossed by a network of lanes. Scenic spots are either very easy to find if they're on the avenues, or impossible to find if they're buried down the narrow alleys (hutongs).
Encircling central Beijing today are a First Ring Road, a Second Ring Road, a Third Ring Road and a Fourth Ring Road, as well as a fifth one and the sixth.
There are ten districts and eight counties under the jurisdictive of Beijing. The ten districts are Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chongwen, Xuanwu,Chaoyang, Haidian, Fengtai, Shijingshan, Mentougou and Fangshan Districts and eight counties are Changping.Shunyi, Tongxian, Daxing, Pingnu, Huairou,Miyun and Yangqing counties.
Beijing has 10.6 million permanent residents and over 3 million transient populations. |
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