Thursday, June 18, 2015

Learn something about Southern Song Dynasty

After the two emperors Zhao Ji and Zhao Heng were captured, Zhao Gou was acclaimed emperor and the Southern Song was established, with its capital in Hangzhou (a famous China travel destination). The Jin troops continued to attack the Southern Song Dynasty but was defeated by two generals Han Shizhong and Yue Fei successively.
Although many Jin-occupied regions were recovered by Yue Fei, Zhao Gou ceded some of them to the Jin Dynasty again in exchange for his mother. He also killed Yue Fei without any reason.
In 1162, Zhao Shen succeeded to the throne and became the second emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty. He made great efforts to manage the state, and the situation of the Southern Song was improved. After his death, his son Zhao Dun took the throne.
Due to mental illness, he abdicated to his son Zhao Kuo. In 1224, Zhao Kuo died and Zhao Yun succeeded the throne. During the reign of Zhao Yun, the Southern Song Dynasty and the Great Mongolian Empire united in destructing the Jin Dynasty.
In 1264, Zhao Yun died and Zhao Qi got the throne. In 1271, Kublai established the Yuan Dynasty. When Zhao Qi died and his son Zhao Xian ascended the throne in 1274, the Southern Song Dynasty had become paralyzed. In 1275, the Yuan troops began to attack the Southern Song again and closed the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty.
In 1276, Zhao Xian abdicated, and his young brother Zhao Shi was acclaimed emperor after escaping to Fuzhou. In 1278, the 11-year-old Zhao Shi died and Zhao Bing took the throne. Under pursuit of the Yuan troops, the Song army had no more power to fight and was defeated. Together with hundreds of imperial members, Zhao Bing committed suicide by jumping into the sea, culminating in the end of the Southern Song Dynasty.

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Monday, April 6, 2015

6 BEST Places You should Visit in China

Met a lot of people in China, and when I asked them, where they have been in China, most of the answers are those five cities : "Beijing, Shanghai Shanghai travel, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hongkong"
Well, I've only lived in China for less than two years now and as an ordinary students from an average family, my income is limited to only scholarships and part-time jobs, but I could proudly say that I've traveled to at least 12 provinces in China and about 20 different cities. Some of them are because I participated in activities and programs, some of them are because some relatives or friends invited me to go with them, but most of them...I went there on my own, with one or two traveling companions.
There are a lot of wonderful places in China and it's a pity if you don't at least see some of them. Next time you have a chance to be in China, don't waste your money shopping in "Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hongkong". Instead, take out your map, buy train tickets, and go visit these places :
6. Xi'an
My Chinese teacher said that "If you have never been to Xi'an, you haven't seen the real China"
And I agree with him. If you go and visit big cities in China China tour deals, you will only see tall buildings, traffic jams, some crowded overly-commercialised fake "ancient towns", and also dark skies due to heavy pollutions. That's not the case with Xi'an. Compared to today's Beijing, Xi'an is much much smaller. As a capital for around 13 dynasties in the past, Xi'an still retain most of its ancient glory. There are a lot of historical sites around the city, ancient buildings, wonderful museums, tombs, pagodas, Terracotta Army, delicious cuisine, and most of all, The City Walls.
Do : Ride a bike atop the city walls
The taxi drivers in Xi'an is a jerk. Aside from refusing to use meter rates and giving you unreasonable prices, they could even drop you off in the street if they found another passenger with a more "beneficial" route. Try to use public bus more as Xi'an is quite a small city.
5 Xining
Chinese people call Xining "The Summer Capital". Most of hotels in this city doesn't have air conditioner. Why? Because they don't need it. Even in summer, the weather is cool, winds blowing all the time, and at night, you will need to wear blankets. There is not much to see in the city except for some mosques and islamic buildings. But if you get out from the city, you will experience the "Tibetan flavors" as Xining is the gateway to Tibetan plateau.
4. Datong
Datong is a small city located in mountainous Shanxi province. The people in this city have a very little experience with foreigners. When I visit Datong in Spring 2013, the city was under a heavy construction. Many streets are being torn up while buildings are being torn down; rubble and debris is littered all over the city. Other than the city walls, there is not much to see in the city itself. The main attractions in Datong, is not inside the city, but outside of it. The Hanging Temple is pretty impressive architecture wonder, and Yungang Grottoes is the second biggest grottoes in China, even bigger and better than Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang.
3. Guilin
Guilin Guilin tour is a beautiful city that is often portrayed in ancient Chinese paintings and poems. Surrounded by two rivers and four lakes and studded with sheer sided karst mountains, Guilin is a home to 12 ethnic minorities. Mountains, rivers, cities, and people, one in harmony. That is Guilin. There are many scenic places within short traveling distance in Guilin.
2. Harbin
Known as the "Winter Paradise", Harbin is one of the coldest place in China. Located on the bordering province with Russia, Harbin is heavily influenced by it, especially in architecture styles and foods. The weather is cool in summer, and in winter, the city hosted the annual "International Harbin Snow and Ice Festival"
1. Dunhuang
ocated on the crossroads of the ancient Silk Road, Dunhuang is one of the most important city in ancient China. Today it is a small beautiful town in the Gobi Desert with population less than 200.000 people. With a rich history of over a thousand years old, Dunhuang is a great place to visit for those who wishes to experience a life in the desert.%%@af$ko&we*407

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Tibet Customs - Taboos in etiquette

It is a taboo to call the name of the prestigious, the elders, monks, teachers. But add "la" after their names.

When walk outside, it is a taboo to walk in the way of others, especially of the elders, monks and teachers.

When inside a room or a tent, people should not sit cross legs, legs on all sides, in particular, on the cassions of meetings, holding ceremony or greeting guests. It is a taboo to stretch their legs pointing to others, not to mention lifting one's leg on teapot, table or other objects.

It is a taboo for some one directly takes a broom from other person's hand. When one needs to hand it over to others, one must firstly throw it to the ground, then let others pick it up themselves.

It is a taboo to make a noise when crossing mountain peak, lakes, and snow mountains as it will result in rains, snows and hails.

It is a taboo to use dirty bowls or put figures on the edge of a bowl when pouring tea and wine for guests.

Don't blow whistle indoors during the night, which may draw ghosts and nocturnal spirits home.

Don't close door heavily when guests were just gone, which means the host doesn't welcome guests.

Don't spit behind others (even not on purpose). Don't clap hands behinds.
Don't place empty bucket or pack basket and so on, in the walk way of guests, or in front of them when they come in.

Don't use bowls or cups with cracks. It is believed those objects with cracks will block fortune.

Don't present worn-out hadas to guests.

People must use both hands when carrying meals, teas, wine and hand over objects to guests, the elders, the masters, the monks, teachers and officials, otherwise it is considered as ban mannered.

When people present gifts to you, you should accept with both hands. If your hands have some dirt, you should clean them before accepting to show your respect.

tags: China travel and Tibet Tours

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Tibet Religious Taboos – Kowtow

Kowtow is a traditional etiquette of Tibetan, which is practiced in worshipping Buddha sculptures, pagodas and living Buddha, sometimes also for visiting the prestigious the elderly.  There are three forms as kowtow of full length kowtow, short length kowtow and kowtowing with sound. It is common to find people practicing kowtows of full length and short length in Johkang Temple, the Potala Palace and other monasteries.

When practicing kowtows, people put palms together, old them higher than head. Then holding them from top of the head to forehead and keep still before chest, then bow three times and prostrate on ground with both hands parallel evenly on the ground, and practice it three times. Pious Buddhism can constantly practice full length kowtows from Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai, Gansu to Lhasa, with three steps one kowtow. Such a pilgrimage could last several years. When making a kowtow with sound, men, women, the old and the young all hold palms together first and bow to under the feet of Buddha, knocking the Buddha slightly by forehead, which means penitence.

tags: Tibet Tours and China travel

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Tibet Custom - Babay Birth

On the third day after a baby was born, friends and relatives would come for celebration. The celebration activity is called Pangse. Pang means cirt and se means remove so it means the activity of removing evil spirits. Urban people bring presents such as qingke barley wine, butter tea, clothings and hats and so on for new born baby. When guests come into residence, they present a hada to the mother and the baby in swaddle. They present wine and tea to the mother and carefully look at the baby, with auspicious words and prayers.

In countryside, relatives and friends bring wine, tea as well as a Danggu (bag made of lamb leather) of zanba and a block of fresh butter, which are gifts for entrance. Following the ancient tradition, countrymen congratulate the new born baby for a healthy grown-up in the future. Guests present wine and tea to the mother, later using their thumb and point finger to pinch a bit of zanba upon the new born baby's forehead. It means praying for uprising future.

Tibetan asserts, a baby once was out of mother's embryo brought many evil spirits and dirts. Through holding the ceremony, it can remove them and celebrate the baby for a healthy growing.

It is said that pang se ceremony has developed from ancient Bon's period. In some remote countryside, Tibetans piles stones up on the morning of pang se. If a baby boy was was born, a pile of white stones will stand outside of the residence's gate. If a baby girl was born, any sort of stones is appropriate to pile up. Besides, people burn aromatic branches next to the pile of stones. People who come for celebration walk right to the gate for springkling a bit of zanba in the stone piles and burn incense before coming into the host's house. It is the way the Bon practise praying for deities.

tags:Tibet Tours and China travel

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Explore the beauty of Dazhuke River Marshes in Tibet

Dazhuke River Marshes are including the middle reaches of the Yarlungzangbo River, the belt with the gentle stream velocity, a broad stretch of the river beach and marshes as well as vast stretches of the surrounding farmland. Dazhuke River Marshes could be one of the important wintering grounds and other migratory waterfowls in Tibet (you can consider Tibet Tours).

Dazhuke River Marshes is located in the Tibet Autonomous Region, about 60 kilometers to the eastern part of Xigaze as Tibet's second largest city. The area of Dazhuke River Marshes is about 16,000 hectares, with the altitude of 3,600 metres above sea level. This region contains areas which are primarily covered with wet meadow and the alpine cold meadow. Its land uses are mainly herding cattle and agriculture.


If you take a walk through a marsh in winter and the place will reveal birds' summer nesting ground nesting ground by the dozens. The wetland is also called as marshes, which is connected with the land and water. Some of the wetlands are covered and immersed with the water all year round. Some of them are dried up for weeks or months during one year.

Many plants like tall rush, the reeds and cattails are generally growing in the wetland. Wetland was such kind of place that was not quite the land, nor yet the water, which was the special dual characteristics of a wetland. Wetland with the special ecosystem structure and function, was considered as the important ecosystem on earth, and was named the "the kidney of the earth."
Dazhuke River Marshes had the altitude of 3600 meters above sea level. Dazhuke River Integrated Nature Landscape Protect Region is located in the Yarlung Zangbo River Valley, which belongs to the vast prairie region of the Qinghai-Xizang plateau. To the south of Dazhuke River Marshes is the separation of the lofty mountains and rivers, with the high and precipitous mountains, while the northern face of Dazhuke River Marshes (consider it for your China tour deals) is somewhat flat.

There had developed numerous rivers that flow into the Yarlung Zangbo River from north to south. Owning to the flat valley and the sluggish stream, the riverbed is swinging frequently. The lowest parts of the flood plain may form "back-swamps." The fluviatile flood-plain and the old riverbed on each bank of the river as well as a swampy stretch of lowlands had developed the swamps.
Large areas of the surface near the Dazhuke River Marshes are the alluvial deposits. The water supply of the swamps is mainly the water of the river. The main soil types are meadow swamping, followed by swamping meadow soil. The swamps with mild weather are as flat as a pancake, which is very suitable for growing and developing the crops.
Dazhuke River Marshes
People had opened up a great number of farmland near the swamps. In the fringes of the swamps and high land had the moistened surface and the seasonal backwater section where had developed the swamping meadow. The swamps area is rich in the waterfowls, with more plentiful wading black-necked cranes.

tags: Tour China

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Get to know Unique Marriage Customs of Sanjiang Dong Minority during Chinese New Year

Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County is situated in north of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It has several traditional Dong minority villages and is home to the largest population of Dong people in China. The beautiful natural scenery and rich folk customs have made Sanjiang County a hot tourist spot to get to know the Dong ethnic group. Dong featured attractions of wind and rain bridges, drum towers, and houses are commonly seen. What’s more interesting are the rich folk customs and various festivals local Dong people have China tour deals.

Festivals of the Dong minority like Duoye Festival, Firecracker’s Festival, and Bullfight Festival are very popular. Also there are many customs that are unique and interesting, especially those customs that Dong people have when celebrating the Chinese New Year. During the Chinese New Year, what attracts people most is the marriage custom which has become a major attraction for tourists due to its grand scene and unique rituals.
Most of the young people of Dong minority marry during the Chinese New Year. A marriage usually starts with the mysterious “steal bride marriage” when the groom invite several close friends to visit the bride’s house and ‘steal’ the bride back to his home at Chinese New Year Eve. Then the groom and bride will have their wedding at the second day of Chinese New Year.

The highlight of the local marriage custom comes the third day of Chinese New Year. It is called Huimen and it is the grandest ceremony of a Dong wedding. Huimen means escorting the bride return to her mother’s home at the next day of the wedding. During Huimen, the groom is not allowed to accompany the bride but his relatives and friends will carry wedding gifts like sour fish, sour pork, sour duck, sticky rice and other local food to escort the bride and parade to her parents’ home. The bride will walk behind of the group with a cloth in her hand so that people could recognize her as the bride. The bridesmaid is a girl from the groom’s village but she is not allowed to enter the bride’s parents’ home when they arrived and has to go back home immediately China tour packages.

On the way to the bride’s parent’s home, the group usually choose routes where have many people. Every village they pass through, they will set off firecrackers to show good luck. When arrived, the bride’s parents will make tea for every guests, which is called wedding tea. In the evening, an activity called ‘Zuoye’ will be held when the unmarried youth from both the groom’s and bride’s village sitting together to chat and see if they will find their future partners.
The Chengyang Scenic Area that has the famous Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge is renowned for the group wedding held during the Chinese New Year. When there are more than 50 brides parading to their parents’ home with a large crowd of people, the scene is really exciting and interesting.

Besides the marriage custom, Dong people also have many other activities to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The “Thieves Driving Festival”, Lusheng Singing Competition, and Hundred-Family Banquet are very popular activities during the Chinese New Year. To get to know and experience the unique folk customs of Dong Minority, do not miss the opportunity to Sanjiang during Chinese New Year.
tags: Tour of China