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China Attractions

Xinjiekou

Xinjiekou is the right in the heart of Nanjing city.  It is the center of commerce as well as the busiest shopping area in the city. 
 
For those who cannot resist shopping...
Xinjiekou is the right in the heart of Nanjing city.  It is the center of commerce as well as the busiest shopping area in the city. 
 
 
Xinjiekou is the third best area to eat in Nanjing. Hunan Road and Confucius Temple barely edge out Xinjiekou, relegating it to third place.  Still, being third in Nanjing says a lot.  Xinjiekou could take first place if it wasn’t for the lack of variety created by a lower density of restaurants. Western chain restaurants such as KFC and Pizza Hut don’t help Xinjiekou’s reputation either. However, on the border of Xinjiekou is Mingwa Alley, which is one of Nanjing’s best alleys to track down tasty snack vendors.
 
 
 
 


View of Xinjiekou from Yuhuatai - No, that is not much more pollution than the average Chinese city.

 

Getting To, From and Around Xinjiekou

 
The main intersection and subway station of Xinjiekou is situated between Zhongshan Road (中山路) from the north, Zhongshan Nan Road (中山南路) from the south, Hankou Road (汉口路) from the west and Zhongshan Dong Road (中山东路) from the east.  The bulk of the activity in Xinjiekou takes place within 300 meters to the east and west of Zhongshan Nan Road.
 
The subway always runs efficiently.  Xinjiekou sits along the middle of Subway Line 1 which runs on a north-south axis under Zhongshan Road and Zhongshan Nan Road. Within a few years Subway Line 2 will also run through Xinjiekou Subway Station.  All of Xinjiekou proper is located within walking distance of Xinjiekou Subway Station.
 
During rush hour above-ground traffic becomes much too crowded. Traffic on the main streets generally slows to a crawl and finding an empty taxi is difficult as well.   
 

Linggu Temple, Linggu Pagoda, Beamless Hall and Tomb of Tan Yankai

The Linggu Temple area contains the Linggu Temple, Linggu Pagoda, The Beamless Hall and the tomb of Tan Yankai.

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The Linggu Temple area contains the Linggu Temple, Linggu Pagoda, The Beamless Hall and the tomb of Tan Yankai.

          


Linggu Pagoda
 
The 60 meter high, 9 storey, Linggu Pagoda was completed in 1933.  The pagoda serves as a memorial for the Nationalist soldiers that died in the 1926-1928 revolution.  A spiral staircase  around the central pillar leads all the way to the top.  Looking out from the pagoda, you can see the Purple Mountain forest and Nanjing’s skyscrapers rising in the distance.
 
Linggu Temple
 
The Linggu Temple was built in memory of the monk Xuanzang. Xuanzang traveled to India to study Buddhism, and later he returned to China to translate a wealth of Buddhist scriptures into Chinese.  Walk into the temple and take a right to find the building that displays Xuanzang’s story.  The wooden carvings on the wall illustrate his beginnings as a monk in China and his trip to India while the statue in the middle depicts Xuanzang translating scriptures.  If you are lucky, you may come across a friendly monk that can explain the whole story in great detail.


Beamless Hall
This vaulted structure was built entirely with bricks, and has no beams, hence its name: The Beamless Hall.  This structure would be regarded as an extraordinary piece of architecture if it was built today. Considering it was built in 1381, it is that much more impressive.
 
The hall originally served as a place of worship, but now it serves as a place of remembrance.  Within the hall 110 stone tablets include the names of the 33224 deceased Nationalist officers and soldiers.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tomb of Tan Yankai



Tan Yankai was chairman of the Nationalist Government.  Upon his death in 1930, this tomb was built in his honor.

 
How To Get There
 
Both the 游1 (you 1) and 游2 (you 2) buses stop near the entrance to the Linggu Temple area.  These buses end daily service at 5:00pm and 5:45 pm respectively.
 
It is also possible to take a cab to Linggu Temple, however, legitimate cabs are not always readily available to take you back into the city.  There are usually people at the entrance that would love to charge much more than the normal rate to take you from the Linggu Temple into the city.
 
In the off chance you want to reach the Linggu Pagoda area from the top of the mountain see "Linggu Pagoda to The Mountain Peak" about 3/4 down the Purple Mountain article.



                              

Pure Lotus Vegetarian

Pure Lotus Vegetarian is perfect for those looking to detox or those in search of nourishing, natural tasting food.  Despite the name, the food on offer at the restaurant can be enjoyed by vegetarians and meat eaters alike.  Tucked away in a courtyard, the restaurant is owned and...
Pure Lotus Vegetarian is perfect for those looking to detox or those in search of nourishing, natural tasting food.  Despite the name, the food on offer at the restaurant can be enjoyed by vegetarians and meat eaters alike.  Tucked away in a courtyard, the restaurant is owned and run by Tibetan monks who use only natural organic ingredients in preparing the dishes.  In addition to fantastically-named dishes such as “hot tears fill the eyes glazed noodles” and “countenance of mercy, words of love stir-fry”, there is a large selection of potent fresh fruit and vegetable juices.
 
The very large menus, works of art in themselves, are written in English and Chinese.  For non-vegetarians, there are mock meat dishes such as “meatballs” and “steak” (made from tofu of course), which resemble the real thing, but taste even better.  After dinner fruit is served in a wooden sculpture flowing with dry ice. Please note that no alcohol is served at Pure Lotus.
 
A second Pure Lotus restaurant has recently opened in the Lido area, and whilst the décor is slightly more ‘upmarket’, the food is equally tasty.  It is impossible to leave Pure Lotus Vegetarian without feeling cleansed and refreshed.
 
A meal for two, with drinks, will set you back about 180 yuan.
 
How to Get There
 
Take the #107, 3000, 420 or 703 bus from Nong Han Guan bus station.  Get off at Tuan Jia Hu bus station.  The restaurant is a few minutes walk from the bus station located in the back left corner of the China Wenlian courtyard.
 
Other Locations
  
Tel: +86 (0) 10 8703 6668

Song Xian Qiao Art City

Just outside the west 1st ring road is Chengdu’s largest art market, Songxianqiao Art City. Local foreigners and travelers alike will be able to find whatever it is they are looking for here. However, the market is not cheap and a shopkeeper will obviously try to milk a foreigner for a...

Just outside the west 1st ring road is Chengdu’s largest art market, Songxianqiao Art City. Local foreigners and travelers alike will be able to find whatever it is they are looking for here. However, the market is not cheap and a shopkeeper will obviously try to milk a foreigner for as much as he or she can. There is an interesting selection of Mao Zedong memorabilia to go along with the predictable items such as jade jewelry and stamps, buddha statues, animal figures of all kinds, calligraphic wall hangings, tea sets, and loads of pottery. Be patient as the rows of shops and small stalls, all of which sell relatively similar items, keep bending away from the parking lot. With patience and persistence anyone should be able to find a deal they are satisfied with.

How to get there: The market is located just west of the 1st ring road on the corner of Qingyang Shangjie and Kuanhua Beilu. Hop off bus 17, 19, 35, 47, or 309 relatively soon after you cross the large 1st ring road. The bus stop is just past the market, so walk back east maybe 100 meters from the bus stop. A taxi from the center of town will be less than Y12.

Xintiandi Shopping and Restaurants

Shopping in Shanghai is a mixed bag. Big spenders will be appeased by the big names on Nanjing Road such as Cartier, Hermes, Prada and Gucci. Others might prefer to shop 'til they drop at the more special...
Shopping in Shanghai is a mixed bag. Big spenders will be appeased by the big names on Nanjing Road such as Cartier, Hermes, Prada and Gucci. Others might prefer to shop 'til they drop at the more specialized and often locally owned shops in Xintiandi. My advice, particularly if you are headed to Hong Kong as part of your trip, is to avoid shopping on Nanjing Road. High-end imported luxury goods are heavily taxed upon reaching China. Prices found in Shanghai are therefore much higher than the duty free prices in Hong Kong.
 
Xintiandi provides a fantastic area to explore, eat great food and browse special shops stocked full of beautiful high end products.  The following are a few of my favorites:
           
            Simply Life – This large 2 story store on the outside of the Xintiandi development carries a wide array of stunning porcelain pieces, including an interesting selection of Chinese bone porcelain. They also carry ultra modern cool furniture, great lamps, unusual glassware and other useful and fun kitchen items.  Two storefronts down from Simply Life is Simply Thai, owned by the same company.  This delicious restaurant is well worth a visit when in Xintiandi. 
         Address: South Block No. 5, 123 Xing Ye Rd; Tel: 21 6387 5100
  
            Xavier – This privately owned, one of a kind store, carries everything from beautiful clothing and scarves to hats, furniture and jewelry.  What is particularly special about this store is that all of the clothing comes in a vast array of sizes, a noteworthy option in a city full of generally tiny women. 
            Address: Unit 2, No. 15, 181 Taicang Road, Tel: 21 6328 7111
 
            Shanghai Trio – This small, yet lovely store carries alternative and modern Chinese accessories made from truly unique fabrics.  From purses and computer bags, to duvets and children’s bathrobes – all of the items are so creative and special here that I'd honestly love to buy just about everything. Perfect for gifts.
            Address: Lane 181 Taicang Rd. (close to Huangpi Rd.) Tel: 21 6355 2974
           
Wander around the entire development, and you are guaranteed to discover more specialty shops owned by local Shanghai residents. Keep an eye out for shops such as Shanghai Tang and a small indoor “mall” that offers other upscale and unique chains. Xintiandi is a shopping experience not to be missed.
 
All of the shops stay open late – most until 10 or 11pm.  I recommend first eating dinner at one of the fantastic restaurants in the area early and shopping afterwards. Making a late reservation and shopping before dinner also works. Shikumen Bistro, T8, or Kabb come highly recommended for a meal.
 
For a quick culture and history lesson try the Museum of the First National Congress of the Communist Party on Huangpi Road.
 
Visit Xintiandi’s website
 
How to get there:  Xintiandi is set two blocks south of HuaiHai Rd between Madong Rd and Huangpi Rd. Take Metro Line 1 to Huangpi Rd Station. Head south for two blocks on Huangpi Rd.  Xintiandi will be on the right.  

Tongji University


 

The Gate of Tongji University (上海同济大学校门), Photo by Willie (王伟立)

German Centre for i...

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Top China Tours

$53 Per Day

Pingyao Highlights Walking Tour

Pingyao Highlights Walking Day Tour

With our guide to know the Ancient Pingyao better!

Our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby at 08:00 or 08:30, then show you the ticket office to get the ticket for the museums we will visit later.

First we will visit the 700 years old City wall, We will climb up from south gate and have a walk on the wall. We are not sure how many km we can walk, because of the renovating of the wall. Normally we will walk from south gate to the Yunlu Exit.

Then visit the Confucius temple, there is a old building named Dacheng Hall which is over 840 years old. From outside, we can see the big wood joints to lift the big roof around the building which is named Dougong. Due to this design, there are less columns inside the hall for giving the big space for the statues and the prayer. We have chance to see the Confucius statue and learn the philosophy of Confucius. If you like, you can pray for you and your children to get better study.

There is the Paper Cutting master named Wentao nearby the exit of Confucius temple. She is very smart and create the new style paper cutting with much more details and good wishes on it. Her products are made by hanks. It is worth to visit and buy as a souvenir from Pingyao. From the table standing and wall hangings. Please remember, take the red one because of red is the traditional and happy color. But the white one is the best. It is really difficult to choose, because of all of them are really nice.

Then you can have coffee break or tea break if you need at Chummy coffee, after this, visit the City god temple (ChenghuangMiao) which is most beautiful temple inside the wall. Because of the roof is covered by the colorful glazed tiles. There is not only city god and also the three money gods, Now you know why pingyao was the financial center.

Next we will visit the Ancient government building, to see the pingyao politics center in the ancient time. It is the complete building with officials bed room, kitchen and private garden. Follow the guide to look the official’s life from the 250km far away from the hometown.

Have a stroll in the alley to the Rishengchang exchange bank, which is the first bank all of china.You can not miss it.

After lunch, walk to the Ming and Qing street, this is the shopping street full of the stores on the both side of street. You can find alot things here , from post card to lacquered boxes, and wall panels. One more place to see, it is the Armed escort agency also named security and transport service for the business man before the bank founded.

Inlcusions

1.private english speaking tour guide servcie

2.bottle water for the tour

 

$310 Per Day

3- Day Popular Tour In Zhangjiajie

Day 1    Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Full day trip to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park,take Bailong Elevator up Yuanjiajie,Bailong Elevator is the said to be the worlds tallest full-exposure outdoor lift,double-deck sightseeing elevator.Yuanjiajie is the inspiration for Hallelujah Mountain in AVATAR , Where you will also find the aptly named First Bridge under Heaven, Lover Peaks and so on.

Continuing to Tianzi Mountain, it takes you 40 minuts from Yuanjiajie to Tianzi Mountain by public bus, after arriving in Tianzi Mountain, you will have a bird’s-eye view of all the mountains and valleys of the Wuling Mountains. Visit Western Sea, Helong Park, Viewing Terrace etc.Take Tianzi cablecar down and check in hotel for a rest.
Accommodation: Wulingyuan Downtown

Day 2    Baofeng Lake & Glass Bridge

After breaking in the hotel, we head to Baofeng Lake where is the masterpiece of nature and human beings’wisdom. Baofeng Lake is pure just like a big crystal among Bao feng mountain Range.When you cruise, you can hear authentic song from Tujia minority people,you can fully understand the harmony and peace between human beings and nature.

Transfer to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, have a walking on the Glass Bridge, Glass Bridge is the highlight of Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, located in Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge is the highest and longest transparent glass bridge with a length 430 meters and a width 6 meters. It is 300 meters above the ground level and it can bear 800 persons standing on it at the same time. (need to book the tickets in advance)
Accommodation: Wulingyuan Downtown

Day 3    Tianmen Mountain

Full day to explore Tianmen Mountain,take the longest cablecar in the world up Tianmen Mountain,have a walk on the mountain plank road built along the face of cliffs. You will feel like walking in a fairy land when the mist is still heavy.The must-visit scenic spots are: Tianmen Cave, Glass Road, Tianme Temple.

See you off in the airport and looking forward to seeing you again in Zhangjiajie.

$200 Per Day

CHENGDU, A PANDA CITY, A GOURMET CITY, A TEA CITY, LOOKING FOWARD TO YOUR ARRIVAL

Chengdu, with an area of 12,400 square kilometers and a polulation of about 14,170,000 is not just the biggest provincial capital in west China, but also the only city in the history of China whose name has reminded the same for 3,000 years since its establishment. In Chinese, "Cheng" means "success or successful" and "Du" means "big city or capital". This "Successful City" boasts a long history. It is believed that everything about Chengdu has their origin from "Sanxingdui Ruins", from where you can deeply discover the history story of Chengdu.

Giant pandas definitely are the best calling card and trademark of Chengdu. Every year, million of people are attracted by giant pandas to spend their holidays here, go sightseeing here, make investment here and even settle here permanently. The reason is that for people around the world, the charm of giant pandas cannot be replaced by anything else. 

Various kinds of wonderful food shall be another reason attracting you to visit Chengdu. Of the four most famous schools of culinery art in China (Beijing cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Jiangsu cuisine, Guangdong cuisine), Sichuan cuisine boasts tongue-numbing, hot, delicate and fresh taste and a variety of flavors, as "each dish has its unique taste and no two dishes have the same flavor." Such spcial flavors as fish-flavored, gongbao (with peanuts), and water-boiled are incomparable at home and abroad.

"The teahouses in Sichuan top the world, and those in Chengdu Top Sichuan." This widespread saying not only points out the status of Chengdu's teahouses but also the inseverable ties between Chengdu culture and tea. Like bars in Paris and cafes in Vienna, teahouse add a touch of refinement and leisureliness to Chengdu, an ancient yet modern metropolis. The practice of driking tea prevailed in Sichuan as earlt as prior to the Qin and Han Dynasties.

Wish you can have a nice trip in Chengdu. You will love it.