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Pingyoyo-Qufu-Ruili-Shanghai |
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Pingyoyo |
The ancient county town of
Pingyao, 90 kilomerers southwest of the city of Taiyuan, is a famous
historical and cultural town in China. It is also known as the
Turtle Town because turtle symbolizes good luck, longevity and
rock-like steadfastness. Pingyao is one of the few ancient towns
with a relatively long history and in better preservation. It is a
major historical monument under provincial protection. The ancient
city was first built during the reign of King Xuan between 827 and
782 B.C. in the Zhou Dynasty. The Town wall of bricks and stones we
see today was built in 1307, the third year of the Hongwu reign of
the Ming Dynasty, when the town wall was reconstructed and enlarged
for defense on the foundations of the Western Zhou Dynasty. This
county town wall was repaired 26 times during the Ming and Qing
periods.
The ancient square town wall of Pingyao is 6157.7 meters in
circumference and 6-10 meters high, which were built in the Ming
Dynasty (1368-1644). There are towers on the six gates, 3,000
crenels and 72 castles on the walls surrounded by moats, all typical
of ancient Chinese architecture. Inside the city, the streets,
residential quarters with courtyards and shops all preserve their
ancient Ming and Qing styles.
Inside the town, there are a large number of residential buildings
and temples built at the end of the Qing Dynasty. The ancient town
of Pingyao is made up by these old building together with the
ancient town wall.
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Confucius (551-479B.C.) , a
famous philosopher, was born in Qufu during the late Spring and
Autumn Period. Confucius is the founder of the Confucian School. His
thoughts have penetrated into the mind of almost everyone in the
east.
Located at the south of Mount Tai in central Shandong Province, Qufu
is an old cultural city with a history of 5000-year civilization. It
is an important birthplace of traditional Chinese culture and a
cradle of Eastern culture.
Qufu is well known for "three kongs"-- Confucian Temple, Confucian
Mansion and Confucian Grove.
Confucian Temple, erected in 478 B.C., is a memorial hall used for
the worship of Confucius. It was initially a temple of small size,
built on the former residence of Confucius. Beginning in the Western
Han Dynasty, with the increasing titles conferred on Confucius by
subsequent emperors, the temple was continually expanded into its
present vast magnitude. There are a lot of temples for Confucius all
over the world, but the one in Qufu is the greatest of all.
Confucian Mansion is actually not the former residence of Confucius.
Completed during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it has been occupied
by Confucius' descendants. Having 462 rooms in the various buildings
includes the Main Hall, Front and Rear Storied Buildings, Rear
Garden, Archives and so on in the mansion.
Confucian Grove, covering an area of about 200 hectares, is the
graveyard of Confucius and his family. In this graveyard overgrown
with ancient trees are the graves of Confucius, Kong Shangren, Lady
Yu and a group of Ming-dynasty graves.
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Situated in the southwest of
Yunnan, Ruili bores on Burma in the west. Historically, Ruili was
called "Mengmao", meaning "the misty place". The seasons here are
divided into dry season and rainy season. It is cool and misty in
dry season, while stuffy in rainy season. The subtropical climate
here makes Ruili a kingdom of plants and animals.
As an interior border port, Ruili is the gateway connecting China
with the South Asian and Southeast Asian nations.
The main tourist zones in Ruili include the Terrestrial Heat Volcano
in Tengchong, which covers an area of 130 square km, the Folding
Waterfall, the River Ruili-River Daying Tourist Zone, with Burma
Temple, Karst physiognomy, and original zoology community.
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Shanghai is China's biggest
city, largest port and one of the world's vital financial centers.
It was also one of the first ports opened to foreign trade.
Rising from a fishing village, Shanghai is one of the four
municipalities directly under the central government. Aside from
Pudong New District, Shanghai has jurisdiction over 13 districts and
six suburban counties. The total area of Shanghai is 6340 square
kilometers.
Shanghai sits in a sub-tropical monsoon climate, with moderate
temperatures and humidity and adequate sunshine. Rainfall is
abundant and the seasons are distinct. The average temperature of
Shanghai is 15.4 degrees Celsius, with the high averaging 27.4
degrees in July-August and the low 3-5 degrees below zero in
January.
Shanghai is a city with a long history. In the long-term
development, it has formed its own unique city scene and varied
cultures and arts. Up to now, a lot of cultural relics beginning in
the Tang (618-917) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties, many museums and
contemporary memorial halls are well preserved. There are a lot of
tourist centers in urban districts and suburbs of Shanghai, which
form many tourist areas, tourist lines and special-interest tourist
items.
With a distance of five kilometers, the Nanjing Road is the most
famous business street in Shanghai. The Oriental Pearl TV Tower,
completed in 1994 and standing 468 meters, is the tallest TV tower
in Asia and the third tallest in the world. |
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Western
China
