Pingyao Ancient City gives you a taste of the old city life. Pingyao was recognized as the financial center of China of old. This ancient city is now known for its preserved city wall duly declared as heritage site by UNESCO.

As China’s old financial center, the city has more than 20 financial establishments carrying as much as half of the whole country’s wealth. Pingyao is famous for its agriculture and beef products up to this day. The city also produces cotton, lacquerware, and grains.

During the Ming Dynasty, the walls and architecture of this city enjoyed symmetrical design complemented by a well-planned layout of the city, streets, rooftops, and courtyards. Because of its symmetry, the site seemingly looks like a square city.

Until now, the city walls stand as it had when it was first erected in 1370 AD. The walls are complete with the equal intervals of watchtowers that are beneficial during war to avoid intruder attacks. In 2004, through the efforts of UNESCO, the walls were reconstructed and preservation methods were instituted.

Pingyao Ancient City walls have six barbican gates with 2 main entrance gates at the back and front seemingly following a turtle pattern (head and tail plus 4 legs). The walls are 12 meters high running a perimeter of 6000 m. A 4 m wide moat is found outside the city’s wall structures. It boasts of 72 watchtowers and approximately 3000 battlements.

Interesting tourist stops within the city include Rishengchang Bank (the primary bank in the 19th century), the Tian Ji Xiang Museum showing historical artifacts, and the Bell Tower exemplifying classic Northern Chinese Han architecture.

A visit to the Pingyao Ancient City will make you feel like you were living in the ancient early 19th century where battles are done through swords, arrows, and cannon balls.

Visiting China is not complete without hiking the Huangshan Mountain Range. The magnificent and breathtaking views while trekking the mountain or riding a cable car will send your weary mind rest. You will also notice that the views you will be seeing are comparable to illustrations found on Chinese scrolls.

There are many ways to get to the mountain range. Two of the most popular ways are hiking and riding the cable cars. Although hiking the mountains may be strenuous, compared to riding a cable car, most visitors who are up for an adventure choose to hike along the footpaths.

When hiking, there are two trails: the eastern steps and the western steps. The eastern step is a much easier route with footpaths that guide you on your way up. The western steps, on the other hand, have a more rugged path yet it has the more scenic route. The peak circuit is where the two steps meet and it is shrouded in the clouds, which makes it more rewarding when reached.

During your upward trek, you will encounter different rock formations with different names based on what creature they resemble. Inscriptions on stones are common on the Huangshan Mountain Range most of these inscriptions date back centuries.

Though you might see many inscriptions and carvings, you are not allowed to write on the mountain range. Expect rainfall during spring and summer. Temperature changes rapidly in the mountain range, which is why it is advised to bring extra clothes. Use apparel according to the season and also bring extra money for souvenirs.

Located in Hengshan, The Hanging Monastery of Hengshan is mainly influenced by Taoism. Located at the Jinlong Valley of Henshang Mountain, it will take you two hours to reach the Mountain from Datong.

The landscape of the mountain is a combination of manmade and natural designs. This is why many of people from around the world come and visit. Together with the Hanging Monastery, the nature vistas are very popular.

Built during the Beiwei dynasty in 491, the Hanging Monastery of Hengshan is more than 1,500 years old. The rich history of China and its deep-rooted cultural beliefs are etched into Hengshan and its Hanging Monastery.

80 religious statues made from different types of materials like rock, copper, clay, and iron can be found in the monastery. Through different reigns of dynasties, the monastery has been rebuilt and redesigned forming 40 different rooms interconnected through walkways and pillars.

The architecture and the history involving the Hanging Monastery of Hengshan have made it popular worldwide. Visitors from different parts of the world visit Hengshan only to be amazed by the wonders of the Hanging Monastery.

Hengshan, including the Hanging Monastery is open every day from 8:00am to 6:00 pm.

Shuttle buses from Downtown Datong to the Hanging Monastery in Hengshan is available for a nominal fee. Visitors can also rent cabs for their own convenience. Renting will be much expensive compared to taking the bus.

Visitors going to the Hanging Monastery should be prepared physically. Having extra spending money won’t hurt either The walkway and stairs in the Monastery are steep and narrow, if you have fear of heights, then it is advised that you refrain from looking down.

The Ganden Monastery was built in 1410 by Tsongkhapa. This makes it the first ever Gelugpa monastery in Tibet. Well preserved cultural relics can be found in the monastery. These historical relics date back to 1644 and are part of China’s rich history and culture.

With over four thousand monks residing in the monastery, the Ganden Monastery is one of the three principal monasteries along with the Dreprung and the Sera Monasteries. The Ganden Monastery is 57 kilometers east of Lhasa and is situated in the Wangbori Mountain that has an altitude of 3,800 meters.

The Ganden Monastery is accessible through bus from Jokhang Square which is available every day. The bus leaves at 7:00 am in the morning and comes back at 2:00pm in the afternoon.
A roundtrip fare is available for visitors for a nominal fee. Travel time from Jokhan Square to the Ganden Monastery is approximately two hours.

The Monastery opens at 9:00 am and closes at 4:00 pm in the afternoon. For visitors, there is an entrance fee to be paid upon entry. Locals enter the Ganden Monastery for free. Normally, it takes two hours to finish a tour of the whole monastery.

The main assembly hall of the monastery and the Tantric colleges are two of the main attractions present in the monastery. West of the assembly halls lay the Buddhist Building called Yangbajian. The Buddhist doctrine -protecting hall, the Numen Chapel, the Shidongkang Hall, and the Shangshi Hall can be found in the Yangbajian.

Buses going to the Ganden Monastery are also available in Barkhor Square. Travel time from Barkhor is roughly two and a half hours so the bus departs thirty minutes earlier at 6:30 am compared to the Buses from Jokhang Square which leaves at 7:00 am.

Found in the Heibei, the Chengde Mountain Resort is a popular place to escape to during the grueling heat of summer. The area covered by the mountain resort is the entire half of the urban area of Chengde; the entire mountain resort took more than 80 years to complete under two emperors, Qian and Long.

The Chengde Mountain Resort is composed of beautiful palaces and gardens enclosed in a wall of rock 10 kilometers long and 13 meters wide. Seventy-two scenic spots found inside the mountain resorts were named by the emperors themselves and the designs were copied in other parts of Northern and Southern China.

The garden area of the mountain resort is made up of more than a hundred clustered buildings and seventy-two scenic trails composed of lakes, plains, and mountains. The garden area spans from the northwest to the southeast areas of the mountain resort.

The palaces are in a building complex. Overall, there are three different building complexes. The main palaces, the chambers, and the towers are all situated inside the building. The main hall called the Danpochinjeng Hall span 583 square meters. The Hall is also known as the ‘Namnu Hall’ since it was rebuilt during the Qianlong rule.

There are eight outer temples inside the mountain resort in the northeastern part of the walls. Mongolian, Tibetan, and Ugyur architectural influences can be seen.

Food is great in the Chengde Mountain Resort. Local delicacies are available in the resort and all of them are delicious. Rou Jia Mo, pork and cilantro stuffed inside a bread pocket, is one of the foods you will enjoy.

Have you ever heard of a stone forest? Imagine entering a typical forest with gigantic trees stationed a meter away from each other. This time, picture the forest with high, irregularly shaped rocks with sharp pointed tips – that’s what a stone forest looks like.

The Chinese Stone Forest, located in Lunan Yu Autonomous County, is considered as the world’s most amazing calcareous relief for its vast array of karst formation. Karst is a terrain that forms through the disintegration of soft rocks like limestone. The formation of Karst in the area is responsible for the arrangement of several limestone rocks in a three hundred-square kilometer stretch of land. This area is crowded with huge and gigantic rocks that are about 30-40 meters or 100-133 feet tall. It was known to exist since 1368-1644 A.D. when the Ming Dynasty ruled China.

In 2005, the Chinese Stone Forest or Shilin in Chinese, was visited by over 2.2 million tourists from around the world. Its large-scale rock formation of different shapes and sizes continuously attracts both local and international visitors who enjoy natural beauty, and have a flair for rare destinations.

Visitors will have a great time exploring some of the rocks that were given names according to their appearance:

· The Great Mogul
· Mother and Son
· Teeth of the Dragon
· The Phoenix Bird
· Monkey on the Elephant Back
· Rhinoceroses Watching the Moon

Other stones look like mushrooms, towers, pyramids, columns, and other figures that resemble the things around us. Most of the rocks are surrounded by water, the reflections of these behemoths exude an eerie serenity. Some rocks have crumbled from its original state due to the earthquakes that devastated the area.

Shilin is divided into different sections according to their features. There is the Major, Minor, and Naigu Stone Forest that offers tourists the various rock formation that the place is known for. Then there’s subterranean section located in Zhiyun Cave. Zhiyun Cave shows the formation of cave in a Karst terrain. There’s also the Strange Wind Cave, the Penfeng Cave, Hongxi Spring, and an underground river. There is also a Karst lake named the Long Lake, which is three kilometers long and 300 meters wide.

The Stone Forest is just 85 kilometers from the Chinese city Kunming. The recommended time for visiting this place is 2-3 hours. It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Indeed, the Longji Rice terraces are worthy to be called the “champion of the terrace world”. Covering a stretch of 66 kilometers of systematically designed rice paddies in Longsheng, it looks like magnificent chains of rice ribbons in plain view. As far as your eyes can seek, the hillsides are carved with rice terraces following the slope formation.

The terraces were mostly built during the Ming Dynasty. They are popular because the terraces looked like scales of a dragon. This is where the rice fields got their name. Longji means “Dragon’s backbone”.

Agriculture was the main reason the terraces were built. Locals aim to make good use of the areas arable land. The terrace system allows enough water to be trapped in each puddle to ensure best rice growth while excess water trickles down to the lower puddles.

The highest elevation of the rice terraces is at 880 meters above water and the lowest is at 380 meters above water.

The view is at its best when you visit in June. By then, the rice plants are in full bloom with the greenery adding beauty to the overall magnificent effect. Visiting the site during different seasons provide a natural beauty of the area; winter outlines gray frost paddies, fall highlights the golden hue of the full golden rice heads, and spring reflects the sun’s rays on the water.

The most popular creation among the Longji rice terraces are Jinkeng Rice Terrace and Ping An Rice Terrace. A visit to the sight will make you realize how a work of farming intelligence brings out a magnificent view worthy of picture taking.

This is the home of exquisitely carved and beautiful rock carvings, where a journal of a rich past is displayed. The influence of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism are found along the steep hills of the Dazu County. Dazu County is located south east of Sichuan province, which is known for its warm climate.

The county hosts forty sites of the world-renowned rock carvings where there are fifty thousand statues of Buddha included. The Dazu rock carvings became known for its artistic and exquisite demonstration of rock carving skills. This has made it a part of the Cultural Heritage List in 1999 together with other well-known rock carvings from other countries.

The rock carvings are found beginning in Dazu County to Baodingshan, Beishan, Nanshan, Shizhuanshan, and Shimensan; all of which are adjacent to Dazu County.

Baodingshan rock carvings are approximately fifteen kilometers northeast of Dazu County. There are a total of almost ten thousand figures categorized into thirteen carving groups with a strong influence of ethnic Buddhism.

Beishan rock carvings, on the other hand, are situated two kilometers northwest of Dazu County. Buddhist philosophy is reflected in each of the well-preserved statues and when it comes to elaborate and graceful craftsmanship, the ‘Oriental Venus’ or the Samantabhadra Bodhisattva stands out.

Nanshan and Shizhuanshan are both located south of Dazu County. At this location, a combination of Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian influences are being integrated making a rare piece of rock carving that stands out among others.

Shimenshan is located twenty kilometers east of Dazu County where the carvings are more of a combination of Taoist and Buddhist influence. Most statues possess inscriptions about the statues.

During the summer months, Dazu County gets quite warm that it becomes unsuitable for most tourists. Spring, autumn, and winter months are ideal times to make a visit. The rock carvings are open for viewing from 9:00am to 5:00pm.

The Jiayuguan Fort is located approximately six kilometers from Jiayuguan City of Gansu Province. The building of the Jiayuguan Fort dates back to the Ming Dynasty, and to this day, the Jiayuguan Fort is still a well-preserved symbol of a rich history.

The walls of the Jiayuguan Pass are 11.7 meters high and 733 meters in circumference. It occupies a total of approximately 33,500square meters. The gate towers of the fort are found on the eastern and western sections and both stand 17 meters high.

The Jiayuguan Fort is popular because of a legend that dates back when it was being built. The legend of the last brick remaining is about the strict compliance of the Chinese builders to not waste any bricks on building the Fort which made them have one brick left after the completion of the construction. The one remaining brick is still kept and preserved on the western gate tower of the Jiayuguan Fort.

Old building can be found outside the eastern gate tower of the fort. Similar structures like temples, pavilions, and warfare buildings can be found outside the walls. These buildings were built during the Qing Dynasty.

The overhanging great wall is one of the main attractions found in the Jiayuguan Fort. Located four miles northwest from the fort, the overhanging great wall was built in 1539 during the Ming Dynasty. Using yellow earth and local gravel, the wall was built painstakingly layer by layer. Only 832 yards of the wall remain. Parts of the wall were damaged during war and most of the sections have succumbed to the weather overtime.

Daily bus trips are available which leaves from the train station in Jiayuguan. Other transportation is also available, either by plane or by via long bus rides.

The Bund Riverfront is an attraction best viewed and visited in nice weather, daytime or nighttime. With over fifty tall buildings lit from 7:00pm to 11:00pm, nightlife in the Bund is something that you should experience while in Shanghai. Visiting the Bund riverfront during the daytime also holds a certain charm.

Walking along the Bund during the daytime, you will learn about China’s history and the development of the magnificent architecture in the past.

Most of the buildings in the Bund are for commercial purposes. National organizations, clubs, and restaurants call this home. Overall, there are ten different bank buildings along the Bund.

Two popular buildings found along the Bund are the peace hotel and the HSBC building, which is one of the most popular banks nowadays. The Bund stretches 1500 meters along the Huangpu River.

During the early mornings, tai chi enthusiasts gather around the Promenade to do their early morning exercises. Tourists are welcomed to learn and do tai chi themselves. Early to mid morning strolls along the Bund is suitable to those who don’t enjoy crowds.

Other attractions are also present along the Bund riverfront and most of them are part of Shanghai’s rich history. Some of these attractions include the Waibaidu Bridge, which is made of iron and was built in 1906. The bridge was recently repaired and reconstructed to accommodate an underground tunnel.

Most restaurants and commercial buildings are designed to overlook the river that holds a beauty during daytime and nighttime. Because the Bund riverfront is well known and is a primary commercial and business district, transportation is easy and accommodations are readily available.