Introduction of Scenic Spots
I. Pre-convention Tour
Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden
Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden is located at No. 3888, Chenhua Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai City. It was opened to the public on January 23, 2011, co-built by Shanghai Municipal Government, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the State Forestry Bureau. It is a 4A level comprehensive botanical garden. The botanical garden has four functional areas, including the central exhibition area, the plant conservation area, the world botanical area and the peripheral buffer zone. It covers an area of 2.07 million square meters, and is the largest botanical garden in East China and the second largest botanical garden in Shanghai.
Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden
Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden
Shanghai Yu Garden
Yu Garden is located in the northeast of Shanghai Old Town, with Fuyou Road to the north, Anren Street to the east, and Shanghai Chenghuang Temple to the southwest. It is a Jiangnan style classical garden, which was built during Jiajing and Wanli Periods of the Ming Dynasty, covering an area of more than 30 Mu (1Mu=667 square meters). In the garden, there are the famous spots such as Linglong Jade, one of the three famous jade stones in Jiangnan area, Dianchun Hall, the command post of Xiaodaohui Uprising in 1853, Chenghuang Temple and the Business Street. Yu Garden was first opened to the public in 1961 and was approved as one of the National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council in 1982.
Shanghai Yu Garden
Shanghai Yu Garden
Humble Administrator’s Garden
Humble Administrator’s Garden is located in the northeast of Suzhou City (No. 178 Northeast Street). It was built in the first years of Zhengde Period in the Ming Dynasty, a representative classical garden in southern areas of Yangtze River, which is reputed as one of the four famous gardens in China with the other three being the Summer Palace in Beijing, Summer Resort in Chengde, and Liu Garden in Suzhou. It had been the largest classical garden in Suzhou before 2014, covering an area of 78 Mu (about 5.2 hectares). The garden is typical of Jiangnan Water Town, dotted with wandering streams and mountains, exquisite halls and pavilions, and luxuriant flowers and trees. The garden is divided into three parts: east, central and west. Each part has its unique features, the east garden open and wide, the central garden the quintessence of the whole and the west garden exquisite and elegant. To the south of the garden is the typical traditional folk houses in Jiangnan area and Suzhou Garden Museum, which is the only garden themed museum in China. In March 1961, Humble Administrator’s Garden was listed as one of the first National Cultural Relics Preservation Units. In 1991, it was listed as the national special tourist spot by the State Development Planning Commission, China National Tourism Administration and the Ministry of Construction. In 1997, it was approved to be the “World Heritage” by UNESCO. And in 2007, it was rated as one of the first National 5A Level Tourist Attractions by China National Tourism Administration.
Humble Administrator’s Garden
Suzhou Lion Forest Garden
Lion Forest Garden is situated at No.3 Yuanlin Road, northeast of Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. It was built in the second year of Zhizheng Period of the Yuan Dynasty (1342 AD). It is one of the typical Chinese classical private garden architectures, and one of the four famous gardens in Suzhou. It is also a world cultural heritage, one of the National Protected Major History Museums and a national 4A level tourist attraction. The Lion Forest Garden is rectangle, slightly wider on the east and west side, covering an area of 1.1 hectares, among which 0.88 hectares is open to the public. It was named “Lion Forest” not only for grotesque stones in the shape of strong lions under the vast stretches of bamboos inside the garden, but also for the Lion Rock on Tianmu Mountain in Zhejiang Province, where Master Tianru learnt the Dharma from Master Puying. The garden has undergone many ups and downs, and the temple, garden and residence went through separation and integration over and again. With traditional gardening techniques merged with Buddhist thoughts, and western gardening and ancestral temple art introduced into the garden by the Bei family in modern times, Lion Forest Garden thus becomes a temple garden which integrates the Zen philosophy and gardening beauty perfectly together.
Suzhou Lion Forest Garden
Zhouzhuang, Suzhou
Zhouzhuang, located at Kunshan City, Suzhou Province, is a small town in the Jiangnan area. It has the reputation of “the First Water Town in China “, and is also one of the first 5A Level Scenic Attractions in China. Zhouzhuang was originally built in 1086 (the first year of Yuanyou Emperor in the Northern Song Dynasty ), and it is named for Mr. Zhou Digong, who donated his land to build Quanfu Temple. In the Spring and Autumn Period, it was the fiefdom “Zhenfengli” of Yao, the young son of King of Wu State. Zhouzhuang is typical of Jiangnan water town, with unique cultural landscape, which is a treasure of Jiangnan water town and Wu local culture. More than 60% of the residential buildings in Zhouzhuang keep the architectural style of Ming and Qing Dynasties. The town covers only 0.47 square kilometers, but has nearly 100 classical houses, more than 60 brick gatehouses and 14 ancient bridges with distinctive features. The scenic spots include Former Residence of Shen Wansan, Fuan Bridge, TwinBridge, Shen Hall, Weird Tower and Eight Views of Zhouzhuang, etc.
Zhouzhuang, Suzhou
Hangzhou West Lake
Located in the west of Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, West Lake is one of the first national major scenic spots and one of the top ten scenic spots in China. It is one of the main ornamental freshwater lakes in China, and is also one of the few listed in World Heritage List and the only Lake Cultural Heritage in China. West Lake is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with an area of about 6.39 square kilometers, approximately 2.8 kilometers wide from east to west, 3.2 kilometers long from north to south and 15 kilometers in perimeter. The lake is divided by Gu Mountain, Bai Causeway, Su Causeway and Yanggong Causeway, and according to the size of the area are respectively Outer West Lake, West Inner Lake, North Inner Lake, Small South Lake and Yue Lake. The Su Causeway and Bai Causeway cross the lake, the three small isles –Lesser Yingzhou, Mid-lake Pavilion and Ruangong Isle stand at the center of the Outer West Lake. Leifeng Tower on Xizhao Mountain and Baochu Tower on Baoshi Mountain stand across the lake. Thus, a basic framework of “one mountain, two towers, three isles, three causeways and five lakes” is formed. West Lake is charming for Hangzhou, and Hangzhou is famous for West Lake. “There are 36 West Lakes in the world, and the most attractive is in Hangzhou.”
Hangzhou West Lake
Hangzhou Flower Nursery
Hang Zhou Flower Nursery is located to the west of Yanggong Causeway on the west bank of West Lake, the south of Hongchun Bridge, the east of Huangniling, the south of Jinshagang Scenic Spot and the north of Maojiafu Scenic Spot. Hangzhou Flower Nursery was first a famous flower bonsai scenic spot. With West Lake in the front and West Mountain on the back, the Nursery has beautiful environments and exquisite layout, known as “a pearl of West Lake”. It is famous for breeding, collecting and preserving all kinds of garden flowers and bonsai, with 9 districts of bonsai, roses, orchids, chrysanthemums, telosmas, field flowers, aquatic flowers, greenhouse flowers, peonies and Chinese herbaceous peonies. There are 160 families of masterwork and traditional flowers preserved here, with more than 3500 bred species. There are 1,000 cultivars of chrysanthemum, among which,“Longtuge” and “Yueming Xingxi” have won the award of Best New Cultivar at “China Chrysanthemum Cultivars Exhibition”.
Hangzhou Flower Nursery
II. While-convention Tour
Wuhou Temple in Nanyang
Wuhou Temple has a history of over 1,800 years, originally built in Wei and Jin Periods and flourishing in Tang and Song Dynasties. Its location Wolong Hill is the place where Zhuge Liang, an outstanding statesman and militarist in Three Kingdoms Period, lived in seclusion and tilled and also where Liu Bei, Emperor Zhaolie of the Han Dynasty, paid three visits to the Thatched Cottage. It is also the cradle of “Three Kingdoms” and the place where Zhuge Liang has been worshiped in all dynasties.
Wuhou Temple in Nanyang
Wuhou Temple is now the National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit, the National Secondary Museum and the National 4A Level Scenic Attraction, which has been visited by a large number of top leaders from different countries. It covers an area of 120,000 square meters and has 267 rooms, with proper layout, majestic halls and spectacular pavilions. In front of the temple are the magnificent and elegant stone arch that is 9 meters high and 13.5 meters wide, three doors and four pillars, with symmetrical patterns and carvings everywhere. In the hall, there are rustling bamboos, dense pines and cypresses, green ponds and beautiful flowers, making the temple delight to the eyes. The proper layout, exquisite structure, classical atmosphere and picturesque environment make it of both solemn and rigour of a celebrity temple, but also of the lively and fresh image of a residential garden. The main spots are the Thatched Cottage, Gubai Pavilion, Yeyun Nunnery, Gonggeng Pavilion, Banyue Galary, Xiaohong Bridge, Liangfu Rock, Baoxi Stone, Laolong Cave, and Gonggeng Field, which are called “Ten Scenes of Wolong”. Inscription tablets are major features of the temple, where 300 inscriptions of different dynasties have been preserved, including records of persons, events, songs and prefaces in different calligraphy such as curved script, official script and seal script and so on, among which the cursive script of “Memorial on Sending out the Troops” is especially precious. According to the postscript of the tablet, in the eighth year of Emperor Shaoxing in the Song Dynasty (1138), Yue Fei sheltered in the temple on a raining night. With all sorts of feelings coming to his mind, he wrote with tears the famous essay “Memorial on Sending out the Troops”. The characters were powerful and vigorous, free and beautiful, which can be called the model of calligraphy. This tablet inscription is so marvellous in that it was composed by the prime minister and calligraghed by the general that it attracts many visitors to stop to watch and study, not only perceiving the lofty ambition of Zhuge Liang, but also appreciating the great calligraphic works of Yue Fei.
Art Museum of Han Dynasty Stone Carvings
Art Museum of Han Dynasty Stone Carvings locates in the suburb of Nanyang, Henan Province, the birthplace of Chu and Han Culture of China. It is a beautiful and peaceful place with Wuhou Temple to the north and Baihe Wetland Parks to the south. It is China’s earliest art museum to collect, display and research the Han Dynasty stone carvings. The museum was founded in October 10, 1935 and rebuilt twice in 1959 and 1976, with the collection of 1500 stone carvings, among which, 150 are top qualities. Especially the big cylinder carving “Tianlu & Bixie” ( the Eastern Han Dynasty) and the “Gravestone of Xu Aqu” ( the third year of Emperor Jianning of the Eastern Han Dynasty) is the art treasury of the Han Dynasty. The Art Museum of Han Dynasty Stone Carvings is an art museum of Han Dynasty stone carvings, with the longest history, largest scale and most collections and also the national biggest Han Dynasty portraits research center. In 2000, it was awarded the “National Top 10 Masterworks Exhibition Museum”. In 2008, it was entitled as the “National Top Museum” by the State Administration of Cultural Relics. The Han carvings collected in the museum have been honored as the “State Card” for several times.
Art Museum of Han Dynasty Stone Carvings
The whole museum covers an area of 53,360 square meters. The exhibition buildings, with a “T”-shaped layout, have a total construction area of 6,000 square meters and a total exhibition area of 2,400 square meters. There are 9 main exhibition halls and 3 temporary exhibition halls. More than 200 masterwork stone carvings are exhibited in 8 categories according to their contents, namely, productive labor, architectural art, historical stories, social life, astronomy and myth, wrestling, dance and music, and immortality. Carvings about productive labor mainly involves “farming” and “fishing”. Architectural carvings display architectural achievements in the Han dynasty. The category of historical stories mainly embellishes Confucian thoughts like loyalty, filial piety, righteousness and morality to a great extent. The social life carvings are various in content. Astronomical and mythological categories include carvings of great astronomical value and also many mythological images and stories closely related to astronomy. These carvings combine astronomical phenomena with mythology and have the dual values in nature science and humanistic science.
Art Museum of Han Dynasty Stone Carvings
In the wrestling category, the images of man and animals are exaggerated and display the spirit of an era when force, strength and challenges were worshiped. The category of dance and music extols the good times of peace of the two Han Dynasties, and is also a vivid expression of the unprecedented cultural and artistic prosperity of Nanyang in the two Han Dynasties. Carvings of immortality are the pictographic reflections of the idea that nature and human are integrated and the soul is immortal, which was prevailing during the Han dynasty.
The stone carvings displayed at the museum are rich in content and extensive in subject. They cover almost all aspects of the Han society and can be called a pictorial history of the Han Dynasty. Moreover, the stone carvings of the Han Dynasty in Nanyang also enjoy extremely high artistic appreciation value. The pictures are neat in layout, simple in composition, prominent in theme, smooth in lines, and are extremely dynamic and rhythmic. Exaggerated and distorted artistic creative methods are boldly adopted to make the images vivid and lifelike. The artistic style is bold and unrestrained, romantic and free, which fully shows a stunning beauty of force, dynamism and power .
The magnificent Han-style architecture, the novel and unique display, the exquisite and connotative Han Dynasty stone carvings together make a magnificent Han Dynasty stone carving art palace － Art Museum of Han Dynasty Stone Carvings.
Shan-Shaan Guildhall, Sheqi
Shanshaan Guildhall Scenic Area is a national 4A level tourist area, located in old town of Shedian, Sheqi County, which has a long history and rich cultural background. The name of “Shedian” originates from a story of Liu Xiu, Guangwu Emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, who bought on credit (Chinese Pinyin “she”) the flag ( Chinese Pinyin “qi” ) of a restaurant and dispatched troops there. The town has a history of more than 1900 years with an area of 1.95 square kilometers. In its heyday, It had a population of 130,000 , and was built according to the standard of the imperial city, with nine gates, nine passes and walls erecting 3 zhang high, and stretching 10 li. 72 ancient streets divided the market area in parallel, 36 alleys ware lined up with shops and stores, known as one of the four major trading towns along with Zhuxian Town, Foshan Town, Jingde Town in history. Besides, it was an important waterway transit of the 10-thousand-li Sino-Russian tea road.
Shan-Shaan Guildhall, Sheqi
Shanshaan Guildhall Scenic Area mainly includes 7 scenic spots: Shanshaan Guildhall, “the first Guildhall in the World”; “Fire God Temple”, the only existing fireworks and firecracker guildhall in China, Guangsheng Escort Agent, one of the national top ten escort agents, Shedian Likin Tax Bureau, the only currently preserved circuit intendant tax bureau of the Qing Dynasty, Weishengchang Exchange Shop, the first exchange shop on the Central Plains of China, Fujian Guildhall, an important cultural relics in Shedian on the 10-thousand-li Tea Road , Shedian Ancient Town Museum, the first community museum in Henan Province, as well as other scenic spots like the ancient city walls, ancient docks, and ancient city gates. All these constitute a unique tourist area that enjoys a culture of commercial integrity. Because of its numerous historical relics and profound historical and cultural background, it has been named as “National Historical and Cultural Town”, “National Characteristic Landscape Tourist Town”, “National Ethnic Featured Architectural Tourist Destination”, and “China World Influential Cultural Tourist Town”.
Neixiang Local Magistrate Office
Neixiang Local Magistrate Office (also Neixiang County Yamen) was approved as the national first Yamen Museum in 1984. It enjoys the fame of the “First Yamen in the World” and was released in 1996 as one of the 4th batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units. In 2002, it was selected by China Cultural Relics News as one of the ten “Cultural Diversity” museums in the world. In 2005, it was rated as an 4A level tourist spot by the National Tourism Administration. In 2008, it was chosen as the Anti-Corruption Education Base of Henan Province.
Neixiang Local Magistrate Office
Neixiang Local Magistrate Office was originally established in the 8th year of Dade Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty ( 1304 A. D.). Most of the existing buildings were built in the Qing Dynasty, enjoying a history of more than 700 years, covering an area of more than 40,000 square meters, and including 18 rows of houses and more than 280 rooms. The whole architectural complex was built strictly in accordance with the bureaucratic yamen of the Qing Dynasty, with the layout completely conforming to the building regulations recorded in The Ming History and The Collected Statutes of the Qing Dynasty and is the embodiment of the traditional ritual system of the ancient local yamen－backing north and facing south, civil officials left and military officers right, court front and residence back, and prisons in the south. Because of its rarely complete preservation, it is hailed by experts as “the only historic specimen in China”.
Each plaque and couplet on the buildings in the Neixiang Local Magistrate Office is concise in language and profound in meaning, which win raining praises of visitors. Among them, the most famous one is the couplet on Sanxing Court: “Bread from the people, milk from the people, no people is deceivable, for an official is also one of them; humble when promoted, unashamed when demoted, no official is useless, for local people can’t live without him.” These couplets are valuable references to research the governance of the feudal society, the morals of bureaucrats at different levels and the cultural characteristics of feudal yamens. Its rich cultural connotations have been described by experts and scholars as “an ancient yamen with half of the official culture”.
The main hall, secondary hall and third hall of t Neixiang County Yamen were built in comparison with the three primary halls of Taihe, Zhonghe and Baohe of the Forbidden City in Beijing, penetrating the ritual thoughts and golden mean of the ancient feudal society . At the same time, influenced by its geographical location and Zhang Bingtao, with Zhejiang origin, who was officially dispatched to preside the building, it integrates the architectural styles of both the north and the south of the Yangtze River, fully demonstrates the superb architectural arts of the working people in ancient China and enjoys the fame of “Forbidden City in the north; Neixiang County Yamen in the south”, and “Dragon head in Beijing; dragon tail in Neixiang”.
Nanyang Rose Expo Garden
Nanyang Rose Expo Garden locates in the plantation base of Wolong District, invested and constructed by Nanyang rose plantation base. It has developed into the largest rose planting base in China and the rose plants supply occupies 80% of the domestic market. Rose products have been exported from this garden to overseas markets including Europe and America, and the export volume accounts for over 80% of the total in China. Rose Expo Garden is also the largest garden themed on rose in China. There are over 1,200 cultivars here, of 8 species: Grandiflora Rose, Floribunda Rose, Miniature Rose, Standard Rose, Ground Cover Rose, Climbing Rose, Edible Rose and Cut Rose and 10 colors: red, yellow, pink and orange, etc. Rose Expo Garden is not only the exhibition garden of exquisite roses but also a miniature version of the flourishing development history of rose industry in Nanyang.
Nanyang Rose Expo Garden
Rose Expo Garden is planned to cover an area of 3000 Mu (about 200 hectares), with an estimated investment of 500 million yuan (Chinese currency). The construction has been on since 2010 and the total investment has now amounted to 50 million Yuan, covering an area of 1,000 Mu (about 15 hectares). Inside the garden, there is a smaller Rose Gene Garden, covering an area of 30 Mu (about 20,000 square meters), with the plantation of over 100 thousand roses including exquisite roses and multifloras etc. as well as more than 10,000 tree roses. There is also a multi-span greenhouse covering an area of over 20,000 square meters, cultivating more than 1 million pots of roses every year. With the rose festivals held in Nanyang since 2013, Rose Expo Garden has been favorably commented by professionals and governments at all levels and there is still an uptrend for its reputation and influence. In 2014, another 70 million yuan was invested in the construction of infrastructure projects, including improving Rose Gene Garden and Tourist Service Center etc. In late April of 2014, the opening ceremony of the garden and the rose festival were successfully held here. In 2015, another 100 million was invested to cultivate more rose plants and perfect related tourist service facilities and it was also in this year that the garden was awarded the National AAA Level Tourism Attraction. In the first half of 2016, another 6 million yuan was invested in elimination of water system contamination, landscaping, roads hardening, road signs and a bonsai garden. Presently, the annual tourist reception has amounted to 230 thousand person times with the annual income of 21 million yuan in total.
Nanyang Rose Expo Garden
Governments and local enterprises are contributing to constructing a rose-themed expo garden. So the second-phase project mainly devotes to building and improving Rose Gene Garden, greenhouses, rose pergolas, rose bonsai gardens, etc. Rambling in the garden, tourists will also be attracted by the ornamental landscapes such as Sanhua Square, Rose Culture Wall, Bird Garden, Baiguo Orchard and so on. All in all, being an exquisite city card of Nanyang, Rose Expo Garden is wielding more influential impacts upon our national rose industry.
the International Jade City
The International Jade City is located in Shifosi Town, Zhenping County, Henan Province, which is known as the “Hometown of China Jade Carvings”. The project is planned to cover an area of 1,300 mu and have an investment of 5 billion yuan and is being built by Hanan Wanzheng Real Estate Development Co.,Ltd.. Among the project is the 500-mu tourist and cultural landscape, including the Jade City Gate, the Jade God sculpture, Jade God Pavilion, Shifo Temple, etc., which make the International Jade City (to be completed) the globally largest wholesale base for jade carvings and related handicrafts as well as an international tourist shopping park and a large film base known for its antique architectural spectaculaire.
the International Jade City
With its big investment, large scale, good quality, high market capacity and strategic value, the International Jade City has been listed as a key construction project of Henan Province and a demonstration project of the Experimental Area of Cultural Industry Reforms and Development in Henan Province and has motivated the leap-forward development of the local economy and ecological jade carving industry.
The overall design of the International Jade City is mainly based on the Ming and Qing classical architectural styles. It makes full use of sloping roofs, cornices, coloured paintings, beast featured ridges, bucket arch, hip roofs, taper roofs and other techniques to reproduce the classical simple elegant ancient architectural charm and to make the overall style of the market and the nobility and elegance of jade all of a piece.
The total building area of the International Jade City is more than 1 million square meters, with sectional layout, full functions, and unique features. It is divided into 11 districts: Leisure Cultural District, Ritual Jade Cultural District, Lantian Jade Cultural District, Hetian Jade Cultural District, and Xiu Jade Cultural District, Dushan Jade Cultural District, Buddhist Jade Cultural District, Zen Cultural District, International Jade Cultural District, Stone Antique Cultural District and Divine Jade Cultural District. The clear functional divisions will have a strong brand agglomeration effect.
The International Jade City stresses the construction of garden landscapes, with scientific distribution of green spaces, lawns, rockeries, fountains, water systems, and sculptures, among which, garden sculptures alone amount to more than 2,000, accounting for 49% of the total project plan. “Flawless jade gathers aura of Heavy and Earth; Famous city attracts guests from the world.” The International Jade City, as an ancient architectural complex, a jade town, fair park, tourist attraction, wealth height and flavoured commercial street, will play the role of leading jade cultural industry, and facilitating the development of Nanyang as an “Efficient Eco-economic Demonstration City”.
III. Post-Convention Tour
Zhengzhou Garden Expo Park
The 11th China International Garden Expo was opened in Zhengzhou Airport Economic Comprehensive Experimental Zone on September 29, 2017, with three parks of Expo Park, Shuanghe Lake Central Park and Yuanling Ancient City Ruins Park all in the south part of Airport Experimental Zone, planned, built and opened simultaneously. Zhengzhou Garden Expo Park is mainly of garden landscapes, situated to the north of Yuanling Road and the east of East Binhe Road in the Comprehensive Experimental Zone, covering an area of 1785 Mu, with the major constructions of Xuanyuan Pavilion, Huaxia Hall, Children’s Center, Tongxin Lake, Huasheng Pavilion, Yu Garden and other garden landscapes with strong traditional culture of the Central Plains. The Expo has attracted 92 cities at home and abroad (3 cities from Hongkong, Macao and Taiwan, 71 domestic cities and 18 foreign cities) and 2 international designers to plan and construct the outdoor exhibition gardens. Integrating the great achievements of gardening art at home and abroad and in ancient and modern times, the domestic exhibition gardens give prominence to the royal gardens represented by Beijing, private gardens represented by Suzhou and Lingnan gardens represented by Guangzhou and Xiamen, while the international exhibition gardens gather those of 18 cities of 15 countries from Europe, North America, Oceania, Asia and Africa, displaying the worldwide representative gardening art culture. The 94 gardens all together form the style of being distinctive featured, varied and colorful.
Zhengzhou Garden Expo Park
Shaolin Zen Music Ceremony, Dengfeng
Shaolin Zen Music Ceremony is a music feast offered by the contemporary musical artists based on the study and exploration on Shaolin Zen music, par of Zen culture inherited by Shaolin Temple and is the largest mountainous live scene performance. Shaolin Zen Music Ceremony is held in an large scale, with perfect integration of music and scene, Zen Kungfu performance of over 600 persons, live chanting of Shaolin monks, scenic changes of four seasons, and Buddhist heart-touching music, which compose the splendid symphony of Zhongyue Song Mountain. The regular performance at 20:00 every night has become a highlight of the cultural tourism on the Central Plains. The whole music ceremony is composed of five chapters, “Music of Water · Zen Atmosphere”, “Music of Wood · Zen Meditation”, “Music of Wind · Zen Kungfu”, “Music of Light · Zen Satori”, and “ Music of Stone · Zen Chant”. In the Water chapter, performers sit in meditation, singing by the water and mountain; in the Wood chapter, Shaolin Temple Block (made of wood) Kungfu is performed, with wind blowing, streamers flying and heart moved; in the Wind chapter, one can hear the bell of the temple and the flowing of the wind in the mountain; in the Light chapter, the lights change, cycling with the four seasons and the drumming goes up and down, echoing far in the pagoda forest ; the Stone chapter is the full ending chant with stones.
Shaolin Zen Music Ceremony, Dengfeng
Shaolin Temple, Dengfeng
Shaolin Temple is a world famous Buddhist temple, the earliest Buddhist preaching temple of the Han Dynasty, occupying an important position in Buddhism history in China and is known as “the First Temple in the World”. It is famous for Shaolin Kungfu, which has been studied and developed by generations of Shaolin monks, and there goes a saying that “All styles of Kungfu in the world come from Shaolin, and Shaolin Kungfu is the best in the world”. Shaolin Temple is now a National 5A Level Scenic Attraction, National Key Relics Protection Unit, and the historic architectural complex “the Center of Heaven and Earth” including Shaolin Temple Residence, Chuzu Convent and Pagoda Forest is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.
Shaolin Temple, Dengfeng
Songyang Academy
Songyang Academy is an ancient institution of higher learning and one of the four major academies in China. Its construction is simple and elegant, with five yards along the central axis. Because of its unique architectural type of Confucian education, Songyang Academy is called the “specimen” to study ancient Chinese Academy architecture, educational system and Confucian culture. Academies were unique educational organizations in feudal China, and occupied an important and special position and played a decisive role in the history of ancient Chinese education. Songyang Academy, as one of the four major academies in ancient China played an important role in spreading traditional Chinese culture and cultivating talents. Songyang Academy was famous for science in history and is now well-known for its rich culture and special relics. Song Mountain area was a key area for the activities of Confucian School in ancient time, with many academies like Songyang Academy, Yinggu Academy, Shaoshi Academy, Nancheng Academy and Cungu Academy, among which Songyang Academy was the most famous one. As the poem goes, “Under the foot of Song Mountain, the academy stands quiet and serene, where the stone houses are hailed as another Forbidden City. Mountains and streams lodge the night rain, with chrysanthemums and bamboos shining in the next morning sunlight. How can I leave without say Goodbye, a poem coming to the mind in the cypress woods.”
Songyang Academy
Luoyang Longmen Grottoes
Located on the Longmen Mountain and Xiang Mountain along the banks of Yi River in Luolong District of Luoyang City, Henan Province, Longmen Grottoes is one of the of Chinese stone carving art treasuries, and now is one of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites, the National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units and the National 5A Level Scenic Spots. Longmen Grottoes, Mogao Grottoes, Yungang Grottoes and Maijishan Grottoes are the top four grottoes in China. Longmen Grottoes were first carved during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the large-scale carving lasted over 400 years from the Eastern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, Tang, Five Periods to Song Dynasty, 1 kilometer from south to north, with 2,345 caves, over 100,000 statues and over 2,800 inscriptions, among which, “Twenty Gems of Longmen Calligraphy” is the essence of Wei Tablets and “ Yique Niche Tablet” written by Chu Suiliang is the model of Regular Script in early Tang Dynasty. The carving of Longmen Grottoes lasted a long time over several dynasties, reflecting changes and developments in different fields ranging from politics, economy, religion and culture in ancient China with numerous object images and written records, and is a significant contribution to the innovation and development of China grotto art. In 2000, it was listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Luoyang Longmen Grottoes
Museum of Terra-Cotta Warriors, Xi’an
Museum of Terra-Cotta Warriors of Qinshihuang (the First Emperor of Qin Dynasty) is one of the first batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units and World Heritage sites, located 1.5 kilometers east to the Mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang, Lintong District, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province. Terra-Cotta Warrior is one of the ancient Chinese tomb sculpture categories. In ancient times, humans might be buried alive as sacrificial objects. Slaves were the accessories of slaveholders and might be buried alive as sacrificial objects after the slaveholder’s death. Terra-Cotta Warriors were the funerary objects in the shape of soldiers and horses (chariot, horses, soldiers). On March 4, 1961, the Mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang was listed as one of the first batch of National Key Cultural Relics Units. In March 1974, Terra-Cotta Warriors were discovered; in 1987, Mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang and Terra Cotta Warriors were approved to be listed in World Heritage List by the UNESCO, and were reputed as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”. It was visited by more than 200 foreign heads of states and governments, and is a name card of the glorious civilization of ancient China, known as the “top ten tomb treasures in the world”.
Museum of Terra-Cotta Warriors, Xi’an
Huaqing Hot Spring in Xi ‘an
Huaqing Hot Spring is located at the north of Mount Li, Lintong District of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, 30 kilometers west of Xi’an, with Mount Li to the south and Wei River to the north, an ancient detached palace famous for hot springs. The emperors of Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang Dynasties all built hot springs and city walls in Li Mountain and went in for hot spring palaces there. In 1982, Huaqing Hot Spring was approved as one of the first National Key Scenic Attractions; on May 8, 2007, it was approved as one of the National 5A Level Tourist Attractions.
Huaqing Hot Spring in Xi ‘an
World Horticultural Exposition in Beijing
The 2019 International Horticultural Expo in Beijing is a world horticultural expo approved by International Horticultural Producers Association and recognized by International Expositions Bureau, sponsored by China Government and hosted at the highest level by Beijing Municipal Government. With the theme of “Green Life and Beautiful Homeland”, it will be the concentrated display of China’s efforts to strengthen the construction of ecological civilization, build the green industrial system, promote the transformation of green advantage to economic advantage, and embody the harmonious co-existence of human and nature. The Expo will be held in Yanqing District of Beijing city from April to October, 2019, with a total planning area of 960 hectares. The Park is located 10 km from Badaling Great Wall, thus known as the “International Horticultural Exposition at the foot of the Great Wall”. The International Horticultural Expo in Beijing will gather international horticultural quintessence and organize six special international competitions in peony, orchid, rose, container gardening, bonsai and chrysanthemum and 2019 Interflora World Cup. All the horticultural organizations and high-level competitors from all over the world will be invited to participate and demonstrate and award in class the achievements in international horticultural fields, thus to stimulate active participation of the exhibitors and public and promote the innovation and development in floral horticultural industry.
World Horticultural Exposition in Beijing
