With over 3,000 years of recorded history maybe it should not be surprising that China has a museum containing nearly 3,000 pieces of inscribed stone. Those stones are called steles, which is a small monolith with carved writings or low-relief sculpture on one face. Like many things in China, these particular examples are extraordinary.

The museum is located in downtown Xi'an on Sanxue Street. The examples of Chinese calligraphy housed there have been lovingly gathered and cared for over many centuries. There are over 2,000 engraved tablets from the Han dynasty alone.

Originally constructed in 1078AD, the museum is now a labyrinth of six corridors, seven rooms and eight pavilions holding the huge collection. It is unique among storehouses of artifacts in its concentration on this one art.

The collection grew as samples were added over the centuries from the Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Extensively renovated in 1937, the museum and contents took on the present shape.

Chinese calligraphy has been practiced for over 5,000 years and many of its finest examples are housed in the museum. Among many top notch works, there is the Cao Quan stele, written in Han script in 185AD. Others of immense historical importance are also part of the collection, such as the Nestorian stele and the Monk Bu Kong.

The steles from Langya originate from Lin Xi during the Eastern Jin dynasty in the early 4th century. They provide evidence of the changes in Chinese calligraphy that were beginning during that time. Elegant, yet forceful, these samples influenced many generations of carvers.

Many of the steles are as important for their calligraphy as their content. The Chinese language is pictographic - its symbols are not just letters as English or Roman languages are. Like Egyptian hieroglyphics, they have an artistic element as well. Through the ages, many of these stones show variations in style that make them works of art in written language, as well as historical documents. The Ouyang Xun steles are examples of this.

Some steles are commemorative plaques praising some great man. Some are religious texts. The 12 Confucian Classics, carved around 837AD, guided much of those practicing the religion in feudal times. The Book of Changes, the Book of Rites and others were not merely displays of art for the idle rich, but sacred texts that defined a philosophy for millions. In the 2nd Exhibition Hall similar steles are stored constituting the Holy Buddhist Scriptures.

Epitaphs, stories, scriptures and other forms of writing show that the Forest of Stone Steles Museum is more than just a collection of ancient lithographic oddities. It is a treasure trove of the history of a complex people and their culture down through the ages.

Like China itself, the Imperial Palace in Beijing has come a long way in 600 years. Once the home of Emperors of one of the oldest civilizations on Earth, it now houses a Starbucks. Fortunately, alongside the encroaching commercial enterprises, the terrible grandeur of those bygone empires has been preserved within its massive walls.

The more than 800 buildings comprising the complex were first constructed in the early 15th century as a home, center of government and fortress for the Ming, and later Qing, emperors. For 500 years, until the establishment of the short-lived Chinese Republic in 1912, the grounds were the center of Chinese power.

The popular description for the Imperial Palace, Forbidden City, derives from the royal rule forbidding entrance to any but the royal retinue. Violation of the rule brought a sentence of death. That era is long gone, happily, and the palace is now one of the world's most popular tourist attractions.

And there is enough to see here at Zijin Cheng in Beijing to occupy all of a short vacation.

Covering 720,000 square meters (178 acres), and surrounded by ten meter (33ft) high walls, there are seventeen palaces. Surrounding the grounds are several Royal gardens. The colorful gardens are a perfect complement to the palaces themselves, as the Royal yellow dominates their rooftops.

Entrance is either through the north wall or the south wall. At the southern end is the Meridian Gate at the infamous Tiananmen Square. The northern entrance is via the Gate of the Divine Might, which faces Jingshan Park. The distance between the two is nearly a kilometer.

Within that space is the Outer Court encompassing three halls, once used for coronations and Imperial weddings. Given China's turbulent history the names are deeply ironic. The Hall of Supreme Harmony, which leads to the Imperial library, is just one example.

The Inner Court, on the northern and eastern end, holds another three halls that were used for daily administration of the country. Within the court is the Palace of Heavenly Purity, near the residence of the Emperor and his family and servants. Also at the northern end is one of the main Imperial gardens, home to many trees that are centuries old.

Within the walls are housed rare treasures collected over the centuries. Among these are a collection of unusual timepieces held in the Hall of Clocks. The Chinese were among the world's leading artisans and clockmakers, owing to their (for the time) advanced level of science and mathematics.

The Palace Museum, one of the more popular attractions, holds over a million artifacts, both rare and unusual. Everything from Royal robes to unique porcelain are displayed. Earthenware from the Stone Age, bronzes and jade artifacts from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and pottery tomb figurines from the Han are part of the collection. Ancient and more modern paintings adorn the walls, along with scrolls and samples of calligraphy from down the centuries.

The Forbidden City in Beijing is only one of the many attractions of this ancient and dynamic city. But no visit to the capital of China would be complete without a day spent here.

The Ba Hanging Coffins

Most ancient civilizations buried their dead under the ground, a few burned them on pyres. But there are some that placed bodies of the dead in coffins and hung the coffins on a precipice.

Examples of the latter can be found in many locations throughout China. Some of those are placed on wooden beams projecting out from rock, others are on the rocks themselves. Still others are merely placed in caves high up a cliff face. Some were even suspended on wooden stakes above the ground or stuck into the cliff face.

Coffins have been found from 18 counties in various provinces, some containing hundreds of samples. The age of some preserved artifacts ranges over 13 centuries from the Jin Dynasty (265AD-420AD) to the Ming Dynasty (1368AD-1644AD). But the practice dates much further back. Archaeologists have found hanging coffins in Wuyi Mountain from as far back as the Zhou Dynasty (1027BC-777BC).

One of the most well-known examples are the Ba Hanging Coffins of the Three Gorges. Some of these are - or soon will be - lost forever as the waters of the river rise. That change was brought about by the Three Gorges River dam project which is flooding sections that were previously high above the river's surface.

Most of these contain the remains of Ba peoples, an ancient ethnic Chinese group centered around what is now Yibin City. When buried, the wooden coffin - many containing weapons, food containers and decorated with Tiger carvings - would be placed high up the cliff face. These people are believed to be among the original engineers and workers of China's famed Silk Road.

Preserved examples of the coffins can be found in various museums around the country. Dozens are housed in the Yibin Museum in Gong Xian. Others can be seen in Wuyi in the Fujian Province. Still more are stored in Yingtan City in Jiang Xi. And, for a while, viewing the Ba Hanging Coffins of the Three Gorges is possible as part of one of the many tours down the river.

The Ba culture survived for over 3,000 years but the last known descendant is believed to have died out as recently as 400 years ago though the funeral practice ended centuries earlier. The earliest known example of their funeral practices is believed to be one dating 2,500 years ago found at Three Gorges.

Why this ancient people began this practice, or what significance it may have had for them, is not known. Some believe that suspending the body high above the ground confered honor. It isn't even known with certainty how they achieved some of the engineering feats involved in placing coffins so far up a cliff, distant from the top of the mountain.

But whatever the answers to these questions are, the Ba Hanging Coffins continue to fascinate visitors to China generation after generation. Come find out why.

Shanghai is a dynamic city, doing business at top speed and enjoying everything the new China has built.

There is more construction in Shanghai right now than in Manhattan, despite the fact that this Chinese business capital is much older. Hordes of cranes swing girders over the head of the population below all day. Given that the population is approaching 20 million, that's a lot of girders. But there's much more for tourists to do than watching buildings being built.

At one time Shanghai was the center of China's opium trade. But the days of thieves and prostitutes are long gone. Shanghai, called the 'City on the Sea' has evolved. It now boasts the country's stock market and is one of the world's major financial centers.

If offers one of the world's largest hotels, excellent dining and incomparable shopping. High-priced boutiques offer goods even a Parisian would not turn a nose up at. Givenchy, Lagerfeld and many more have stores here.

The Bund (Wai Tan) is a very popular sight in Shanghai. The name may sound German, but the area has a very international flavor. There are neo-classical buildings and a waterfront promenade full of busy locals and happy visitors.

Tourists rub shoulders with the street vendors in front of the Nisshin Kisen Kaisha Shipping building, built in 1925. The 7th floor restaurant is a local favorite. Others favor the roof terrace restaurant at the 1916 Union Assurance building. You can enjoy a breathtaking view of Pudong, where much of the major activity takes place.

Xintiandi is another of Shanghai's many refurbished areas. It now offers upscale clubs and restaurants, but it still retains the aura of its 19th century architecture. You'll be treated like visiting royalty.

The Yu Yuan Gardens have been receiving visitors for four centuries. And they remain one of the city's most popular tourist attractions. There are five acres of botanical treasures on display.

After a few hours spent viewing some of China's ancient history, tourists may want to see a modern example of Shanghai's creativity: The Oriental Pearl Tower (Dong Fang Ming Zhu). Visitors get a spectacular view of the city from the top of one of the world's tallest broadcasting towers. It's open day and night and the view is worth seeing both times.

The Shanghai Museum is one of the city's more recent additions. Built in 1996, it offers 11 modern galleries full of both contemporary and ancient objects. There are bronzes, ceramics, jade and furniture from the Ming dynasty. The sculpture collection is particularly impressive.

Shanghai sits alongside the Yangtze River and there are tours down that mammoth waterway that offer one of the best views of the city. You'll be competing for river space with lots of other boats, though. Shanghai is one of the busiest cargo ports in the world.

There are many other sights available not far from the dock. Ten Thousand-Flower Pavilion, the Grand Rockery and the Hall of Jade Magnificence are all well attended. Each is a great spot to take a break from all the activity.

One doesn't usually picture China and think of Europe. Yet there is one region of this Asian powerhouse that definitely fits that image: Macau. Sometimes called Macao, this peninsula less than 62km from Hong Kong is second only to that great city in its western aspect. For over 300 years, until just a few years ago, it was dominated by the Portuguese. Churches, museums and much more show that influence.

One of Macau's great, old church's is just ruins now: The Ruins of St. Paul's. Built in 1602, it was run by Jesuits for generations. Made of taipa and wood, the main portion was burned in an 1835 fire. Though only the front stone facade remains standing, there is still ample evidence of what was once a magnificent structure. Well worth a look when you visit this fascinating city.

But one church first built around the same time is still very much in existence. St. Augustine's Church, named after one of the founders of the Catholic church, was first erected in 1586. The present building dates from 1814 and houses a number of worthy sights. The high altar clad in marble is only one. The magnificent colonnades are still another. But one of the chief attractions is a statue of Jesus at the center of the altar.

The Guia Fort and Lighthouse is another popular tourist destination, and for good reason. Completed in 1638, it is located at the highest point in Macau. Though much of what was once an island has been flattened over the centuries, with the land becoming connected to the mainland, it nestles up against one of the few high hills of the region. It once housed a barracks and ammunition dump, but every part is worth a look, the lighthouse in particular.

The Macau Maritime Museum is a must see, given the strong influence of the sea on this coastal city. Opened just over 20 years ago, it is believed to be sited on the original landing point of the Portuguese who grew to dominate the island. There are numerous displays of Chinese and Portuguese history, a combination you won't find anywhere else.

But probably the most common attraction, and one of the finest, is the many casinos housed on Macau. There are dozens of gambling houses and, unlike some in parts of Asia, are meticulously maintained. They're colorful, cheerful and provide Vegas-style excitement.

Located at the mouth of the Pearl River delta, the casinos dot the area with delights to be found nowhere else in this well-known tourist destination. Filled with visitors both from Asia and Europe, as well as locals, here's where the nighttime action is in Macau.

Come find out for yourself how this jewel off the coast of China has transformed itself from the shady, crime-ridden image found in old films into a modern playground where East meets West.

At a 'mere' 2,200 years old, Hangzhou is among the younger cities in the vast, ancient land of China. Founded by the Qin dynasty, it has long been a favored location of those exploring China's treasures. Here, Marco Polo found silk to take back to Europe. He also found delightful temples and breathtaking natural scenery.

Hangzhou is located along the Qiantang River only just over 180km from Shanghai. It is connected to Beijing over 1,667km away by the magnificent man-made Grand Canal. There is also the West Lake which curves gently around many of the city's best sights.

One of the most popular of those is the Ling Yin temple, once the largest Buddhist temple in China. Built during the Jin dynasty that ended in 400 AD, it once housed over 3,000 monks. There are outstanding rock carvings of the Laughing Buddha and caves nearby, along with a stellar view of the mountains.

China's capital for 100 years in the early 12th to early 13th centuries, it holds a silk museum with treasures that would have been familiar to Marco Polo. But there are modern facilities, too, including audio tours and a bus that takes you right to it.

Here you can see exactly how the fine silks of China are made, what dyes are used and how the weaves are created. There are often live demonstrations to go along with the many artifacts on display.

The Six Harmonies Pagoda is a must for anyone visiting Hangzhou. Located on Yuelun Hill overlooking the river, this 5th century marvel is the epitome of architecture in the city. Its wood and brick are both ancient and unusual, arranged in an octagon almost 200 feet/60m high.

Surrounding the pagoda are numerous gardens with painted animal figures placed carefully about. In the interior is a challenging spiral staircase, a curious zigzag corridor and several small chambers to explore apart from the spacious main area. The seven-story interior is festooned with paintings of birds, flowers and other local elements. In the upper sections visitors can get a spectacular view of the nearby Qiantang River Bridge.

Hangzhou also has some outstanding restaurants to delight and refresh the busy tourist.

The Haveli at 77 Nanshan Rd offers Indian food in an elegant setting. Diners can enjoy a great tandoori chicken while watching the live belly dancers perform. One of the few restaurants with a non-smoking policy, you'll be able to really taste the dal fry spicy lentil soup.

Another excellent choice is the Hupanju Teahouse at 23 Hubing Rd. Its casual ambiance and waterside location makes for the perfect lunchtime setting. Sited alongside the northeast edge of West Lake, it offers everything from a buffet to some of the best tea in China.

Whether it is natural beauty, ancient architecture or fine dining you seek, you could do no better than to spend a day in Hangzhou before heading on to Shanghai or Beijing.

Picture white, sandy beaches, a bright blue sky and a gentle breeze. Coconuts drop at your feet from trees as the sand warms your feet while strolling along. No, you're not in Hawaii. You're in Hainan, the smallest province in China.

But, by Chinese standards, small has a slightly different meaning. Hainan covers over 35,000 square km and is home to over 7 million Chinese. At the southern end of the country, its natural beauty has long attracted visitors and fellow countrymen alike.

There are dozens of places to go and things to do in Hainan. Or, you can do nothing at all.

You can lounge on one of the many beautiful beaches in Sanya such as Tianya Haijia or Dadonghai. Take a walk around and enjoy some of the great seafood. You might visit one of the many shops. Shell carvings in many coastal towns around the world are just tourist trinkets. In Sanya, they're fine art.

Yalong Bay, east of Sanya, is one of the most popular beaches in the area. Covered with students during the height of the season, you can people watch or enjoy one of the longest stretches of beach sand in the world.

North of Sanya, you can visit the highlands. Cooler than some of the other areas during the summer, it provides ample opportunity for hiking. The local scenery is especially lush here.

Take a ferry trip to the capital of Haikou and see the Hairui Tomb, built for a famed officer of the Ming Dynasty. Or visit the popular Wugong Temple not far away.

Be sure to allow time to see Monkey Island. Here there are thousands of Macaque monkeys chattering away as you thread along the area. Only a ten minute ferry ride from Xincun, it's best seen in March or April, during mating season. You can enjoy yourself by purchasing a bag of peanuts and see whether they're easy to distract or not.

Xincun itself is a delightful little fishing village where you can enjoy a quiet stroll or interact with the friendly locals. Take some time to wander around and soak in the natural beauty of the land and its inhabitants.

You can visit the Li or Miao Villages, only two among the many that are home to the one million individuals who comprise the ethnic minority in Hainan. You'll be served some of the finest food available anywhere outside Hong Kong or Shanghai.

Come find out what so many already know: that anyone visiting China should have Hainan on the itinerary.

China - Gulangyu Island

Hong Kong is not the only notable island city in China. One - Gulangyu Island - is just a few minutes off the coast of Xiamen, north of its world famous cousin. But it might as well be in another country. Where Hong Kong is all hustle and bustle, Gulangyu Island is as laid back as a tiny village in the Caribbean.

Gulangyu Island provides an array of things for tourists to do, including the option of doing nothing at all. Though the port at Xiamen is busy shipping goods to and from Hong Kong, the island is a beach lover's paradise. Sunny, friendly and easy going.

No automobiles or motorcycles are allowed, so the transportation is by bicycle or electric scooter. But most people walk, if they go anywhere at all. Enjoying the breeze and the blue sky are a popular option. But for those who have rested and had their fill (temporarily at least) of soaking up the sun, there are a dozen interesting sights to see.

Sunlight Rock is a popular spot. It's the island's highest peak at just over 300 feet (92m). Either looking at it or from it, visitors will get a great view. Its granite face provides an impressive facade and the view from the top is breathtaking. At the base is a small museum called Memorial Hall, dedicated to a local hero, Zheng Chenggong, who chased off Dutch colonists and re-captured Taiwan.

Hiking up the path, one can read some of the many inscriptions left by poets over the generations, some of which date back 400 years. Nearby are the long abandoned training grounds for Chenggong's soldiers. Not far away is a fascinating cave called Gu Bishu Dong (Old Summer Cave).

The island houses a number of fine gardens, as well. The Shuzhuang Garden is one of the best. Built in 1931 by a private owner, it was opened to the public in 1955. Since then, thousands have come to enjoy its Garden of the Hiding Sea and Garden of Making-Up Hills.

Walking along the tall bamboo, the ocean is invisible, making its presence known by the hint of cool breeze. Climbing up the Tower of Tide-Viewing allows for a spectacular view of the ocean generating that wafting sea air. There are numerous paths to saunter along and you can take a rest at one point to get a great view of Sunlight Rock.

But one of the most notable features of Gulangyu Island is something that gives the place its nickname of Piano Island: the Piano Museum. Not long after the turn of the 20th century piano fever struck the Westerners occupying the island. Everyone who was anyone just had to learn. The objects of their passion are now enshrined in the Piano Museum. Miniatures, roll pianos, accordion pianos and many more are on display.

Whether it's for the delightful museum, the Gothic cathedral or just to sit atop Sunlight Rock and enjoy a great view of Xiamen City across the water, you'll find many delightful activities on Gulangyu Island.

The Zheng Yici Peking Opera Theatre at Beijing's Chongwen district, Hutong is one of the most romantic Peking opera theatres of Beijing, and also the oldest wooden theatre in China. With a rich history including performances by the Grandmaster of Peking Opera, Mei Lanfang, the theatre is a living relic and one of Beijing's fine monuments.

In the meantime restored, the theater now enjoys new days of bloom. Every night a delightful Peking opera shows in a historic Chinese theater.

The Zhaojun Tomb, located beside a river in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, the People's Republic of China, is said to be the resting place of Wang Zhaojun, a commoner woman from the Chinese Han Empire who married a Xiongnu Chanyu. The cemetery is 1.3-hectare, with a 33-metre mound containing Zhaojun's coffin, making it a landmark of the region.

The first Chinese mention of the cemetery in written record is in the Tang Dynasty, by Du You in A Comprehensive Guide (Tong Dian).

It is called by the local Mongols Temür Urkhu, meaning "Iron Wall". The nickname "Green Mound" (qin1 zhong3) refers to a

Zhanshan Temple is a Buddhist temple in Qingdao, Shandong, China. It is located on the southern side of Zhanshan (literally 'clear' or 'deep mountain'), facing the sea.

It features a number of buildings, including a Buddhist scripture library and a large stupa.

In 2004 the temple underwent renovation.

As of April 2004, entry was priced at 5RMB, with discounts available for seniors and the disabled.

The Cháng Jiang (lit. "Long River") is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world after the Amazon in South America and the Nile in Africa. The river is about 6,380 km long. It has traditionally been considered a dividing point between north China and south China, although Huai He also shares the claim.

The river is also called Yangtze River (Yángzi Jiang or Yangtze Kiang). The name "Yangzi" was originally used by local people only to refer to the lower reaches of the river. However, because this was the name first heard by missionaries, it has been applied in English to the entire river.

Victoria Peak or The Peak (Tai Ping Shan ) is a mountain in the South-West of Hong Kong Island. It is one of the tourist destinations in Hong Kong. The Peak is the place where the richest members of the former colony live.

About six million people visit this destination every year. One can see Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, even Victoria Park, from the Peak Tower. The tower has a special "wok" shape; it is not at the top of the mountain at the center of Hong Kong Island (554 m above sea level), but at an elevation of 396 m: the architects sought a design which would be prominent on the skyline but would not interrupt the natural line of the hills. The site is in a dip along the line of the hills, and the tower's height is restricted to 428 m above sea level, overlooking the city of Hong Kong. It is reachable by roads, the Peak Tram (a cable car on rails), and the Mid-Levels escalators (see also Transportation in Hong Kong). It is the biggest tourist attraction in Hong Kong for the spectacular views of the city and bay.

The Tsing Ma Bridge is one of the world's longest suspension bridge. It connects Tsing Yi and Ma Wan Islands in Hong Kong.

It is a part of the Lantau Link, which connects the Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) to the urban areas. With a main span of 1,377 metres (4,518 ft) and a height of 206 metres, it is the world's longest suspension bridge carrying both road and rail traffic. Contruction began in May 1992 and was completed in May 1997. It has already become a landmark in Hong Kong.

The Lantau Link opened on April 27, 1997, and was inaugurated by the former British Prime Minister M

Tibet is a region of Central Asia and the home of the Tibetan people. With an average elevation of 4,900 m (16,000 ft), it is often called the "Roof of the World". In Western usage, "Tibet" may refer either to the Tibet Autonomous Region or TAR (an administrative subdivision of the People's Republic of China), or to historic Tibet which consisted of the provinces of Amdo, Kham, and U-Tsang. The TAR covers the former U-Tsang province and western Kham, the remainder coming under the present-day Chinese provinces of Qinghai, Gansu, Yunnan, and Sichuan. Since 1959 the former government of Tibet, led by the 14th Dalai Lama, has maintained a government in exile in northern India which claims sovereignty over the area of Tibet defined by the pre-1950 borders.

Tiananmen Square (Pinyin: Tian'anmén Guangchang) is a large paved public plaza near the center of Beijing, China in front of the Forbidden City, facing south. Tian'anmen means "The Gate of Heavenly Peace", which is located north of the Square.

Built in 1417, the square is 880-metre south-north and 500-metre east-west. The gate was originally named the Chengtianmen, or "The Gate that Bears the Heaven". The gate was damaged by lightning in 1457, but was not repaired until 1465. In 1644, the gate was burned down by rebels led by Li Zicheng. In 1651 (early Qing), the gate was renovated and renamed to its present form. During the Ming and Qing eras, there was no public square at Tiananmen, and instead the area was filled with offices for imperial ministries. These were badly damaged during the Boxer Rebellion and the area was cleared to produce the beginning of Tiananmen Square.

The Three Gorges Dam (Sanxiá Dàbà) spans the Yangtze at Sandouping, Yichang, Hubei province, China. Construction began in 1994. It will be the largest hydroelectric dam in the world when completed. The reservoir began filling on June 1, 2003, and will occupy the present position of the scenic Three Gorges area, between the cities of Yichang, Hubei; and Fuling, Chongqing Municipality.

As with many dams under construction, there is controversy over the rights and wrongs of this project. Proponents point to the economic benefits from flood control and hydroelectric power. Opposition is mainly due to concerns about the future of the 1.9 million people who will be displaced by the rising waters; the loss of many valuable archaeological and cultural sites; as well as the effects on the environment.

The Center is the third tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong after Two International Finance Centre (88 stories) and Central Plaza, Hong Kong.

Location: Queen's Road, Central.
MTR station: Sheung Wan.
The 79 story building was completed in 1998. The building stands 350 meters tall.

The Center is notable for its arrangement of hundreds of neon lights arranged as bars in increasing frequency towards the top of the building, which slowly scroll through the colours of the spectrum at night. During the Christmas season, the building's neon arrangement follows a festive motif and resembles a Chri

The Bund is a row of buildings in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. It is located at the bank of the Huangpu river, facing Pudong, in the eastern part of Huangpu district.

The Bund has dozens of historical European colonial buildings lining against the Huangpu river that once housed numerous banks from Britain, France, USA, Russia, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands and Belgium. At the end of 19th century and beginning of 20th century, the Bund was a major financial hub of East Asia.

Some of the most important landmark buildings in The Bund are the Peace Hotel, Pudong Development Bank and the Customs Building. At the northern end of The Bund lies the Monument to the People's Heroes in Shanghai, which is a memorial for the revolutionary history of Shanghai dating back to the Opium Wars.

The Terracotta Army, inside the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, was discovered in March 1974 during the sinking of wells for farmland irrigation construction near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China. Professional excavation of the vaults started soon thereafter.

The army consists of more than 7,000 life-size tomb terra cotta figures of warriors and horses buried with the self-proclaimed first Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huangdi) in 210-209 BC.

With their burial it was believed that the Emperor would still have troops at his command. The Terracotta Army was buried in battle formation in 3 vaults, 1.5 kilometres east of the tomb of the Emperor, which is 33km east of Xi'an. The three vaults, measuring 4-8 metres deep, have been excavated and a museum set up on the ruins, called Xi'an First Qin Emperor's Terracotta Army Museum. Vault One was opened to the public in 1979, and the whole museum was completed in 1994. All figures are displayed as first unearthed.

The Temple of Heaven, literally The Altar of Heaven is situated in the southern part of Beijing.

In ancient China, the emperor was regarded as the "Son of Heaven", who administered matters on the earth on behalf of the heavenly authority. To show respect to the heaven, ceremonies for sacrifices to heaven were extremely important to the emperor. The temple was built for the worship of heaven and prayers for good harvests.

The Altar of Heaven is one of the four grandest temples located throughout Beijing. The other prominent temples include The Temple of Sun, The Temple of Earth, and The T

The Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) is a palace in Beijing, China.

The initial construction of the Summer Palace began in 1750. Artisans reproduced the garden architecture styles of various palaces in China.

It was ransacked, together with the Old Summer Palace in 1860 by French and British troops during the second Opium War. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi diverted 30 million taels of silver, said to be originally designated for the Chinese navy, into the reconstruction and enlargement of the Summer Palace.

The Summer Palace has been listed by the UNESCO as one of the World Heritage Sites.

St Paul's Cathedral was a 16th-century cathedral in Macau. Today, its ruins are one of the special administrative region's most famous tourist sites.

Built from 1582 to 1602 by the Jesuit priesthood, the Cathedral was the largest Christian church in Asia at the time, and the royalty of Europe vied with each other to bestow upon the Cathedral the best gift. With the decline in importance of Macau (which was overtaken as the main port for the Pearl River Delta by Hong Kong), the Cathedral's fortune's similarly ebbed, and it was for the most part destroyed by a fire caused by a typhoon in 1835.

The Silk Road was a network of trade routes between Asia and Europe connecting Chang-an, China with Antioch, Syria and other points. Silk first appeared in Rome in about 1 AD. The Silk Road stopped serving as a shipping route for silk in around 1400. Silk road is a translation from the German Seidenstraße, the term first used by German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen in the 18th century.

With extremely rare exceptions such as Marco Polo, no one travelled down the entire length of the silk road. Instead traders moved products much like a bucket brigade, with luxury goods being traded from one middleman to another, from China to the West, and resulting with extravagant prices for the trade goods.

The Shanghai Museum is a museum of ancient Chinese art, situated on the People's Square in Shanghai, People's Republic of China.

The building is 24 meters high with five floors, covering a total area of 38,000 sqm.

The museum was founded in 1952 and has a collection of over 120,000 pieces, including bronze, ceramics, calligraphy, furniture, jades, numismatics, paintings, seals, sculptures, minority art and foreign art.

It moved to the current building in 1996. Its main galleries are:

Gallery of Ancient Chinese Bronze
Gallery of Ancient Chinese Sculpture
Gallery of Ancient Chinese Ceramics

The Shaanxi History Museum is a museum located in Xian, China, housing over 300,000 items (murals, paintings, pottery, coins; bronze, gold, and silver objects).

Among these are:

The Deer Pattern Eaves Tile from the Qin Dynasty,
The Kneeling Archer, a 120cm tall figure unearthed in 1977 from Emperor Qin Shi Huang's tomb,
The Four Footed Li, a Shang Dynasty bronze cooking utensil,
Playing Polo, a Tang Dynasty mural of people playing polo in China,
The Empress's Seal, a jade seal from the Western Han Dynasty, excavated near the tomb of Emperor Gao Zu, the first emperor of the Han Dynasty - one of the most important imperial seals ever found in China.

Puji Temple (pinyin pujichansi; translation 'Puji Zen Temple') is a Buddhist temple located on the island of Putuoshan in Zhejiang province, China.

The temple is now a tourist attraction as the island is significant in Chinese Buddhism. In January 2004, entry tickets to the temple cost 5? per person.

History
Built in 916, at the time it was called (pinyin bu ken qu guanyin yuan).

In 1080, during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the Emperor Shenzong of Song China renamed the temple (pinyin bao tuo guanyin si). Shen Zong donated lands to the temple, and a new monk was ordained every year. (After the temple was renamed, the old name for the temple was still used to refer to a nearby hill, (pinyin zi zhu lin), on which a 20 metre tall Guanyin now stands.) The monks studied Buddhism and the temple slowly prospered.

The Potala Palace, located in Lhasa, Tibet, was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to Dharamsala after a failed uprising in 1959. It is now a popular tourist attraction and an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Built on the side of Potala Hill, Potala Palace, with its vast inward-sloping walls broken only in the upper parts by straight rows of many windows, and its flat roofs at various levels is not unlike a fortress in appearance. At the south base of the rock is a large space enclosed by walls and gates, with great porticues on the inner side. A series of tolerably easy staircases, broken by intervals of gentle ascent, leads to the summit of the rock. The whole width of this is occupied by the palace.

Peking Man (sometimes now called Beijing Man), also called Sinanthropus pekinensis (currently Homo erectus pekinensis), is an example of Homo erectus. The remains were first discovered in 1923-27 during excavations at Zhoukoudian (Choukoutien) near Beijing (Peking), China.

Excavations had begun at Zhoukoudian in 1921, investigating a number of caves in the limestone there. The remains of around fifteen prehistoric individuals were uncovered, with the first fragments being exposed in 1923. The finds have been dated from roughly 250,000-400,000 years ago.

The pre-war work was directed by Otto Zdansky, then Davidson Black and later by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Franz Weidenreich. The first specimens of H. erectus had been found in Java in 1891 by Eugene Dubois, with the Java Man initially being named Pithecanthropus erectus but later transferred to the genus Homo.

The Oriental Pearl Tower is located in the Pudong district of Shanghai, People's Republic of China. It was completed in 1995 and is 468m high.

The tower features 5 spheres. The lower sphere has a diameter of 50 m. An antenna extends 118 m above the building and transmits TV and radio programs.

The Pearl Tower attracts three million visitors each year.

It belongs to the World Federation of Great Towers.

The Old Summer Palace (yuan ming yuan, the Perfection and Brightness Garden) was a palace in Beijing, China.

It was destroyed on October 18-19, 1860 by French and British troops during the second Opium War.

The Summer Palace was also ransacked, but was later rebuilt by Empress Dowager Cixi. The Old Summer Palace was never rebuilt.

A partial copy of the palace was built recently in the southern city of Zhuhai, in Guangdong province.

Mount Putuo (Chinese: pinyin pu tuo shan) or Putuo Shan is an island located to the south-east of Shanghai, off the coast of Zhejiang province, China. It is famous in Chinese Buddhism, and is strongly associated with Guanyin, the most famous Bodhisattva in China.

Today it is a noted tourist destination. As of January, 2004, tourists are charged 110? for an entry ticket upon disembarkation at the island's port. A number of hotels and settlements are dotted around the island.

History
In the past, Japanese troops were stationed on the island.

Around 1612, the 20 year old future Chan-master Yinyuan Longqi arrived at Putuo Shan whilst looking for his father, who had disappeared fifteen years earlier. He served tea to the monks.

Mount Everest, measuring from sea level, is the tallest mountain on Earth. It is located at 27° 59' 16" N, 86° 56' 40" E in the Himalayas, and the summit ridge of the mountain marks the border between Nepal and Tibet. In Nepal the mountain is called Sagarmatha (goddess of the sky) and in Tibet Chomolangma (mother of the universe); and although it was named Everest by Sir Andrew Waugh, the British surveyor-general of India, in honour of his predecessor Sir George Everest, the popular pronunciation of Everest is different from how Sir George pronounced his own last name.

Measurement

The Mogao Caves form a system of 492 caves near Dunhuang, in Gansu province, China.

The caves, also known as the Mogao Grottoes, are located near the historic junction of the northern and southern Silk Roads. From the fourth until the fourteenth century, Buddhist monks at Dunhuang collected scriptures from the west, and many pilgrims passed through the area, painting murals inside the caves. The murals cover 450,000 square feet. The caves were abandoned in the fourteenth century.

The Mogao Caves are the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes, but are not the only ones.

Buddhist monks valued austerity in life, and they hoped that remote caves would aid their quest for enlightenment. The paintings served as aids to meditation, as visual representations of their quest for enlightenment, and as tools to inform illiterate Chinese about Buddhist beliefs and stories.

The Mausoleum of Princess Zhenxiao of was made in 793 by the early Bohai Kingdom during the Tang Dynasty, and is a part of the Ancient Tombs at Longtou Mountain in Jilin. The Mausoleum contains, among other things (see below), the first complete discovered and detailed murals done by Bohai artists, and hence provides valuable insights to historians.

Burial chamber
Excavated in October 1980, the burial chamber is underground. The 105-metre-high chamber is rectangular: 50 × 26-m, and is covered with blue-green bricks. It contains a 1.05-metre tall, 0.58 × 0.26-m mugui-shaped granite epitaph, on which 728 Chinese characters, in the Regular Script style, are inscribed in 18 horizontal lines.

Located upstream of a river, the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan is in Kandehuo Enclosure, Xinjie Township, Ejen Khoroo Banner, Yeke Juu League, Inner Mongolia, the People's Republic of China. It is a cenotaph, the coffins contains no body, only headdresses, and accessories. The real burial place of the Khan has not been discovered.

History
The coffin had been circulating between several temples between Gansu and Qinghai. Since then, the portable mausoleum called naiman chaghaan ger (eight white houses) enshrined him. Those who served to the mausolem was called the Ordus (lit. palaces) and the title of their leader was Jinong. The Ordus lived on the Kerulen river but later moved to what is now called Ordos.

Macau Tower, also known as Macau Sky Tower, is a tower located in Macau, China. From ground level to the highest point it is 338 metres. The main observation level is 223 m above ground.

On a visit to Auckland, New Zealand, Macau casino billionaire Stanley Ho Hung-sun was so impressed by the Sky Tower in Auckland that he commissioned a similar one to be built in Macau.

Construction started in 1998 and the tower was officially opened on December 19, 2001.

It is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers.

As well as being used for observation and amusement, the tower is used for telecommunications and broadcasting.

Laoshan (pinyin laoshan) is a famous mountain in Shandong province, China. It lies about 30km east of the city of Qingdao, and is an important tourist destination.

History
Laoshan has been an important centre of Taoism in China for many centuries. In 412 the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Faxian landed at Laoshan on his return from India.

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is a People's Republic of China space vehicle launch facility (spaceport) in the Gobi desert in Gansu Province located about 1,600 km from Beijing. It was founded in 1958, making it China's first spaceport of three, compared with the later Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center and Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

Jiuquan is usually used to launch vehicles into lower and medium orbits, as well as medium- to long-range missiles.

The launch center has been the focus of many of China's successful ventures into space, including their first satellite Dong Fang Hong 1