Luxury Travel Secrets

August 19, 2010

Ancient City Pingyao

Filed under: World Heritage — Tags: , — Jean @ 9:51 am

    When travelers get bored with the similar moder cities, ancient city route is gaining popularity.

    Pingyao is a Chinese county in central Shanxi Province, China. It is renowned for its well-preserved city wall and World Heritage Site. The wall which has two-thousand years history is surrounded by small houses and courtyards of the samilar time.


      You need to be extremely careful on the street of Pingyao, because everything around you may be the “protected cultural relics”. What in the picture above was built in Ming Dynasty, and it is hundreds years old now.

1. “日昇昌” (Ri Sheng Chang Bank)
      Ri Sheng Chang Bank is a typical Chinese old-times private bank. And it is the largest one during Qing Dynasty. It is said that the shop’s signboard even could be found in New York and Los Angeles at that time. Now, the home of this ancient-Chinese bank has become a museum for all tourists.

2. “乔家大院” (Qiao Family’s house)
      Qiao Family is famous for business in Qing Dynasty. There are many stories about this legendary large family. And the family’s 8724square mi house now is an attraction in Pingyao.

3. “镇国寺” (Zhenguo Temple)
      RMB 15.00 / person
      Zhenguo Temple has been listed as important cultural relic sites, and it is one of the most ancient and well-preserved wooden constructions.
      There are many things to see. A professional guide is needed to better understand their culture.

July 23, 2010

Coral’s heaven

Filed under: Beach Escapades, World Heritage — Jean @ 4:01 am

The Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia is so-called one of the natural wonder of the world. And it is also the largest coral reef in the world. For sure it has the distinction of being placed in the World Heritage as well as The National Heritage Lists.
Here more than 600 islands and coral cays, the reef covers more than 300,000 sq. km. There is a huge variety of sea life in the reef due to the Corals make up the several reefs and cays. Such like green turtles, several varieties of whales and dolphins, dugong, about 4000 types of mollusk, 1500 different species of fish as well as a beautiful colored bide life with 200 species.

The Great Reef Marine Park

This park is a huge tourist attraction with more than a couple of million tourists’ vesting the area each year. Here you can scuba diving and reef sailing.

Activities


Scuba diving is a normal activity you can find in this attract place. The under water world should surprise you with the incredible views. The brilliant sea life will full of you eyes and out of you imagine.
Explore this magical coast by boat to enjoy the great scenery. Or maybe select the half concealed in a yacht witch with the glass bottom, thus the unbelievable underwater view will appear in fount of you. If you think neither these two ways you are really no interested then you should try to survey the whole island like a bird. The helicopter can help you make this dream come true.
Follow the local travel guide to stroll in natural, adventure in the rain forest. Dive under the sea to dance with the variety sea life. Lie on the beach to enjoy the sunshine, beach and sea.

How to get there:

In Cairns, Townsville, Port Douglas and Mackay are all provide the exclusive wakeboat to The Great Reef Marine Park. There are experts introduce the great reef and show lots of marina knowledge to you. A little bit like to have an interesting biology class.

July 9, 2010

World Heritage – Melaka and George Town

Filed under: World Heritage — Tags: , , , — admin @ 8:27 am

PROFILE

Official name: Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca

Nationality: Malaysia

Date of Inscription: 2008

 

Melaka and George Town have developed over 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West in the Straits of Malacca. The influences of Asia and Europe have endowed the towns with a specific multicultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible.

 

With its government buildings, churches, squares and fortifications, Melaka demonstrates the early stages of this history originating in the 15th-century Malay sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch periods beginning in the early 16th century.

 

Featuring residential and commercial buildings, George Town represents the British era from the end of the 18th century. The two towns constitute a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.

< Statue of St.Francis at St.Paul’s Church 

Even the hotels along the street lead you back into a past time. Come to Malacca, take a look, you may glimpse the soul of this nation.

July 8, 2010

World Heritage – The Great Wall, Beijing

Filed under: World Heritage — Tags: , , , — admin @ 10:16 am

“One who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man.”

Sure, a true man must be so desire to witness such a mighty work of human begins that wriggles almost nine thousands kilometers from Jiayuguan in the Desert of western China to Liaoning province in the eastern China. And this Great Wall is also one of the seven wonders on earth.

< President Reagan at Great Wall

< President Nixon at Great Wall

< President Clinton and his family

The Great Wall was firstly built during the Qin dynasty (221 – 207BC), when China was unified under the Emperor Qin Shi Huang. And the wall was set to function as a defence system against invasions from the north. And the construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644).

 

One of the widely-spread legends is about Meng Jiang Nv, whose husband was taken to build the Great Wall and never returned home. She was so worried that she set for the construction site far from home to see her husband. However, she only got to know that her husband had died and his body was built into the Great Wall. She cried night and day by the side of the Wall and her sorrow was so deep that the Great Wall broke down and exposed the bones and bodies of many deceased workers. Meng cut her fingers and dripped her blood on the dead until her blood flowed into one. Knowing that this was her husband, she buried him and ended her life jumping into a river.

How true is the legend we may not know, but we do know that many people did give their lives building and more often defending the Wall. With a history of over 2,000 years, the Great Wall witnessed the changes of time, the lives of people, the happening of events, and the stories of many individuals. So much laughter, so many tears, the Great Wall all put through with calm and peace.

July 7, 2010

World Heritage – Summer Palace, Beijing

Filed under: World Heritage — Tags: , , , — admin @ 10:25 am

PROFILE

Name: Summer Palace 

Year of Birth: 1750

Location: 19 Xinjian Gongmen, Yuquan Shan, China

Admission: Y 40-50, audio guides Y30

Open Hours: 08:30 – 17:00

 

Brief Introduction

The Summer Palace in Beijing – first build in 1750, largely destroyed in the war of 1860 and restored on its original foundation in 1886 – is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value.

 < inside Summer Palace

The huge regal encampment of the Summer Palace is one of the city’s main attractions. And it once was a playground for the imperial court only to elude the insufferable summer swelter of the Forbidden City.

 < Kunming Lake

This sites had long been a royal garden and was considerably enlarged and embellished by Qing Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century. Enlisting 100,000 labors, he deepened and expanded Kunming Lake and reputedly surveyed imperial naval drills from hilltop perch.

 < damaged Part

Anglo-French troops badly damaged the buildings during the Second Opium War in 1860. Empress Dowager Cixi began a refit in 1888 with money flagged for a modern navy, indulging herself with the extravagant marble boat on the northern edge of the lake.

< The Marble boat

Surprisingly, this Summer Palace in winter is as gorgeous as it is in summer.

< Winter View of Summer Palace

July 1, 2010

World Heritage – Huanglong, China

Filed under: World Heritage — Tags: , , , — admin @ 10:37 am

Huanglong is another UNESCO World Heritage scenic and historic site in Sichuan, China.

 

As all people here say, you will totally lose interest in any other waters after visiting Huanglong, because however beautiful the water is, it will be pale and dull when compared with that in Huanglong.

 < Believe your eyes! No PS at all.

    Legend has that long long ago, a yellow dragon slithered through a valley, using its tail to help the King of Xia kingdom, Xia yu, create the Min River here. Actually, due to the golden-hued calcium carbonate, this mountain, in the right light, certainly could make one’s imagination run wildly.

You can find all the colors of the rainbow here or even more. Hence, it has gained the nickname Wucaichi (rainbow-colored pools). The rainbow color could be fully viewed if you visit during September to October.

 

 

    At the top of Huanglong mountain, a Buddhism temple (Huanglong si) has been built to honor the dragon. The temple is deep in valley about 7km from the road but the most spectacular ponds are right behind it. A round trip along a footpath takes about four hours, with the trail returning through dense and dark forest.

Accommodations are better in Jiuzhaigou than in Huanglong. But some people prefer the serene environment here. If you share the same mind with them, do bring enough water and supplies for your stay, as there is no vendor up in the mountain.

From Huanglong, you can go on visiting its neighbors – Jiuzhaigou and Chengdu, as well as on a horse-trekking tour out of Songpan. Nevertheless, you are advised to sign up on a tour.

June 29, 2010

World Heritage – Jiuzhaigou National Park

Filed under: World Heritage — Tags: , , — admin @ 8:28 am

PROFILE
Name: Jiuzhaigou National Park (literally, “Valley of Nine Villages”)
Location: Jiuzhaigou county in northern Sichuan, China
Area: 720km²
Altitude: range from 1,998 to 4,764 m
Entrance Fee: Y220 / adult; Y170 / student
Open Time: 6am – 7pm

< “Pearl Shoal”

According to legend, Jiuzhaigou was created when a jealous devil caused the goddess Semo to drop her magic mirror, a gift from her lover – the warlord god Dage. The mirror fell on to the ground and shattered into 118 glittering turquoise lakes.

^ “yaks dressed up to be photoed”

Sure, many may complain about the hassle travelling here, comparatively high cost and ‘too many tourists’ syndrome. All true enough, but just once – you will never forget this piece of memory.

 < “Grass Lake”

Start with the greener-than-green lakes and rushing waterfalls, add in deep green trees backed by snowy moutains, then lace with a long well-maintained walking trails, and you’ll just begin to get the charm of it.   

Those pools of eye candy are what may only be seen in your dreams, along with snow-coated mountain peaks, and forests and meadows, home to protected takins, golden monekeys and pandas.

 < Goddess Semo

Since opening, tourist activity has increased every year. As of 2004, the site averages 7,000 visits / day, with a quota of 12,000 being enforced during high season.

Despite those drawbacks, Jiuzhaigou is still a remarkable gem, and worth a splurge of RMB and time.

Learn more about Jiuzhaigou National Park @ Luxury Travel Guides.

Powered by WordPress