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Outside of Tongling,in the southeaste part of Chizhou city, Anhui province China travel deals, lies Jiuhua Mountain. Its name literally means "Nine Brilliant Mountains," but the 100 square kilometer area actually consists of 99 peaks, with the tallest one reaching 1,341 meters. It's a lush, green mountainous area where Buddhist and Taoist monks live among the low hanging clouds and bamboo trees harmoniously with nature. Most of the Buddhist temples found here are of Mahayana Buddhism origins, with the more remote peaks belonging to the Taoist Buddhist school of thought.

In wanting to understand China more, I realized that it is necessary to explore the country's ancient past, rather than only on its recent history. How one goes about that and where one decides to start depends mostly on circumstance and luck. Thankfully there's no set way or prescribed path. It's more about being in the right place at the right time, where you accidentally stumble upon something you never knew existed. So after spending five days in Tongling, myself and other reporters from CRI were treated to an excursion through the holy area of Jiuhua Mountain, which was nice to way to end several days celebrating the 11th Annual Bronze Exhibition top 10 China tour packages.

The bus up the mountain was a careful ride which took us on a winding and twisting jouey through one of China's most sacred mountain ranges. As for its religious past, Jiuhua Mountain is known as the home to Dizang Pusa, the God of the Underworld.

Without question, Jiuhua Mountain's 99 peaks make it one of China's most amazing scenic destinations—it could easily take days to cover this vast expanse. It's a vibrant place alive with the Buddhist and Taoist monks living there among ancient temples. You'll only find vegetarian restaurants here, along with small shops selling incense, local woodwork carvings, and other souvenirs. The area also offers affordable hotels for those who want to spend more time within this tranquil sanctuary. And please be respectful, cameras are not allowed inside any of the ancient temples, nor are visitors allowed to take photos even from the outside.

Legend has it that Jiuhua Mountain became famous in the year 747 A.D., when the Chinese poet Li Bai met Kim Kiao Kak, a Korean prince who died in the mountains after seventy-five years of praying to Dizang Pusa. Li Bai's fate was quite different. He died in the nearby Yangtze River while trying to embrace the reflection of the moon, but luckily not before writing some of the finest poetry in literary history.

Another unique feature of the area is its abundance of bamboo trees. The Minyuan Garden is a place where one can absorb this natural treasure
popular China tour package, as this area consists of 160 hectares of thick green bamboo trees. Other places not to miss are the Longxi (Dragon) Stream, Ancient Phoenix Pine (over 1,000 years old), Huayan Cave, Telpher Stop, Huiju Temple, and the Green Cloud Nunnery.

After a vegetarian lunch consisting of noodles, soup, rice, boiled snails and other dishes, we descended the rainy mountain all feeling, for one reason or another, more peaceful. The area has a meditative quality to it you won't find among many mountain ranges.

One of my favorite things about living in China is discovering the surprises it has to offer. Enjoying the scenery and peacefulness of Jiuhua Mountain is something everyone should take in at least once, regardless of where you live or where you're from. For those already in China, you have no excuse; go as soon as you can.

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As an ancient custom, Nuo basically means greeting the god to exorcize the ghost of pestilence. Nuo dance refers to the dance performed at grand Nuo ceremonies. With a long history, it can be dated back to the record of "folk Nuo" in The Analects of Confucius. Nuo dance has been recognized as the living fossil in the dance history. Nuo dance of Wanzai County China travel deals originated in the Yuan Dynasty and prospered in the early Ming Dynasty. It is mainly popular in Tanbu and Zhutan Towns where the Hakkas live. Until now, the original local flavor still remains in Nuo dance.

Nuo dance of Wanzai is also called Dancing Elves and Moving the Table (as the god in Nuo dance refers to that on the table). In addition to exorcizing and catching the ghost, the performance is also intended to pray for prosperity, security, longevity, harvests, elimination of pestilence and a growing population. There are 24 performers, and all of them wear masks and ancient costumes. All of the masks are made of exquisitely-engraved camphor wood. Besides, all have to be consecrated by shamans of Huashan Denomination top China tours, known as "open light." "Open light" means that the god of Nuo recruits generals and soldiers from the afterworld so that he will have the power to exorcize the evil.

Nuo dance of Wanzai has been passed down all the way until today. It has been very popular for generations. Before the performance starts, the god of Nuo has to be invited from his temple, which is known as "out of the table." On every New Year's Eve, the front door of the temple will be wide open. Candles will be bued, firecrackers set off, and drums loudly beaten. The leader of the ceremony will carry the Buddha statue out of the shrine, wash the face with clean water and dress it with a new hat. Afterwards, the Buddha statue will be placed in an armchair and then put it back on the incense table in front of the shrine. One day later, namely, on the 2nd day of the 1st lunar month, the dancing team will carry the Nuo god to every village and the neighboring counties. Musical instruments will be played along the road.

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Commonly called "the ghost opera" or "the ghost dance", the exorcizing dance is a kind of dance originated from the ancient exorcizing culture affordable China tours. It is honored as "the living fossil of Chinese dance". The exorcizing dance derived from the totem worship of the clan society in ancient times. Originally, it was a dance believed capable of driving away ghosts performed at sacrificial exorcizing rituals. Later, the dance gradually evolved into a festive sacrificial performance normally staged between the first and 16th day of the first month on the lunar calendar. Today, the exorcizing dance is still performed in rural areas in Jinagxi, Guizhou and Yunnan etc.

The exorcizing dance in different areas has different performing styles. It can be divided into elegant and dynamic dancing schools. "The elegant exorcizing dance" features a grand scene and graceful dancing postures; "the dynamic exorcizing dance" is wonderful and magnificent, characterized by vigorous and forcible movements. While performing top 10 China tours, the exorcizing dancers usually wear masks bearing the images of mythological characters. Accompaniment instruments include drums, gongs and other percussion instruments. The dancers wear masks, donning animal skins and wielding dagger-axes and shields. They dance around and utter the sound of "nuo-nuo", symbolizing the driving away of evil ghosts and praying for peace.

The exorcizing dance had great impact on various dances of the ethnic minorities, such as the Tibetan Qiangmu Drama and the Shigong (Folk Master) Ritual Dance of the Zhuang ethnic group. These two arts absorbed some cultural elements and performing skills of the exorcizing dance. Meanwhile, the exorcizing dance also had influence on local operas, such as the "Nuoshen Tune" of Huangmei Opera. The tune is exactly originated from the exorcizing dance. The exorcizing opera is the theatrical art form derived from the dance. The exorcizing opera is characterized by wooden mask-wearing performers, who dance and sing in the roles of ghosts and spirits, presenting the stories of the immortals' life popular China tour package.

The exorcizing dance is a blend of multiple religious, folk cultures and arts. In 2006, it was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage. The age-old art still keeps developing.

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Zhangfei Temple, firstly built in the Three Kingdom Period (220 - 280), has a history of over 1,700 years. It was originally located at the foot of Fengfei Mountain, and was later moved to a new site in Yunyang County. The new Zhangfei Temple is located 32 km (19.9 miles) west of the original one, facing Yunyang County across the Yangtze River Yangtze River tour.

The temple was built to commemorate a famous general of the Shu Kingdom of the Three Kingdoms Period, Zhang Fei. It is recorded that in the year 221, Zhang Fei was going out to do battle with the troops of the Wu Kingdom. Zhang Fei, although an excellent general, had a bad habit of always whipping his soldiers. The night before he the battle, he again whipped his soldiers. Two of them rebelled against this treatment and killed him during that night. Zhang Fei was only 55 when he died. The two soldiers cut off Zhang Fei's head and planned to defect to the Wu Kingdom. They ran off to Yunyang with Zhang Fei's head, but soon leat that the Wu and Shu Kingdoms had made peace, and threw Zhang Fei's head into the Yangtze River. A fisherman found Zhang Fei's head and buried it at the foot of Fengfei Mountain affordable China tours. Local people later built a temple to commemorate the valiant general.

The new Zhangfei Temple lies against mountains and faces the Yangtze River. There are many flags bearing the Chinese character for Zhang (the suame of Zhang Fei) outside the temple. A main hall, wing halls, Taking Oath Building, Zhufeng Pavilion, and Cuckoo Pavilion are the major temple components. The buildings have white walls and overhanging roofs built of grey tiles, and most of them have been renovated many times in ancient dynasties since the temple was built. Varies construction and art styles are harmonized in the temple buildings top 10 China tour packages.

In addition to the buildings, there are many precious Chinese calligraphy works to be seen. Over 800 distinct styles of painting and calligraphy works, inscribed boards, stone tablets, and couplets from the Three Kingdoms Period to the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) can be found there. Some are works of famous artists in ancient China, such as Yan Zhenqing, Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Yue Fei, and Zheng Banqiao. Visitors can also lea more about Zhang Fei and the culture of Three Kingdoms Period from the lively statues in the temple.

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Colorful cap is part of the Uygur ethnic minority's habiliment Silk Road tours, and also one of the symbols of the minority. As early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907), most males of the Weste Regions wore a pointed-topped felt hat with a tuup edge, quite similar to the present-day "Sipianwa". By the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), owing to the influence of Arabian and Central Asian culture, men of the Uygur ethnic minority had begun to shave their heads and wear small embroidered caps. In the beginning period of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the colorful cap of the minority developed further in material and design. Leather was used in winter and damask silk in summer, with fowl feather inserted at the front. All caps for female were decorated with purl embroidery.

Through the constant innovation by the Uygur people of all places, the colorful cap has become increasingly delicate in workmanship and progressively various in styles. But the chief types are "Qiyiman" and "Badanmu", generally called "Gaba" (four-sided tiny colorful cap affordable China tours).

"Qinyiman" cap is flowery in color, and its needle work is fine and smooth. It is embroidered with chromatic threads made of silver and gold, and set with some small plastic beads of various colors. Boys and girls wearing them dance and sing under the shady grape trellis.

"Badanmu" was derived from Badanxing (prunus amygdalus top 10 China tours), which is a tree originating from Persia, characterized by its ability to blossom and bear fruit even in an arid desert. According to the character of prunus amygdalus and its meniscoid core, the highly imaginative Uygur use white silk thread, and the technique of combination of curve, straight, dots and lines, to embroider a patte of apricots crowded around by ripples and beads, symbolizing that trickling springs are nourishing fruitful trees. Such a simple and elegant "Badanmu" colorful cap is especially favored by middle-aged and old people.

There are many ways to embroider the colorful cap: silk thread plane embroidering, cross-shaped embroidering, silk thread knot embroidering, bead string embroidering, lattice embroidering, gold and silver embroidering, crochet embroidering, enlaced cloth with soft nap embroidering and integrated embroidering combined with brede, enlacing, cluster and entwining. Uygur women first embroider chromatic pattes on the four pieces of cap cover, then sew them together, fixing the lining on it and putting it on the wooden mold, and finally add the black velveteen margin. So, the dainty little colorful cap has come out.

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Dunhuang painted sculpture is an important part of Silk Road tour Dunhuang grotto art. It is the painted sculpture with Chinese characteristics that was founded on the hundreds of years of the sculpture art of China plus the absorption and integration of the essence of foreign art.

The main images of Dunhuang painted sculpture are various Buddha statues such as Sakyamuni, Maitreya and so on. Next comes the statues of Bodhisattva, for example the Goddess of Mercy and the Alimentation Bodhisattvas. There are also some statues that use Hercules and flying fairies as their subjects. Since the grottoes are cut in conglomerate which cannot be carved, the ancient craftsmen tued to the traditional method of using earth to mold statues. The main molded statues include round sculptures and relief sculptures. Round sculpture indicates the completely three-dimensional statues that are independent of any background and can be appreciated from all directions China vacation deals. This is used to make the statues of Buddha, Bodhisattva, Heavenly Kings and so on. Relief sculpture refers to the protruded statues that are made on a plane surface. This way of sculpture can be used to make the clothes, streamers and the back of the shaped ceilings and brims. The distribution of statues in the grottoes is varied according to their statuses. Mainly, there are independently designed and made single statues, the centripetal statues with Buddha sit in the center and the two sides of the statue are arranged with His follower Bodhisattva, Heavenly Kings and Hercules in symmetry and the multi-center type with several groups of statues arranged in a grotto. At present, there are more than 3000 painted sculptures, including more than 2000 round sculptures and more than 1000 relief sculptures.

Depend on their rich imagination and superb sculpture and drawing techniques, the skilful craftsman molded a few main figures top 10 China tours into several thousands of vividly shaped painted sculptures that are also colorful and lifelike. They are of very high artistic values. Dunhuang painted sculpture also provides very important objective materials for the research on the sculpture art and folk customs of China.

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Located in the north of Jiashan County, Zhejiang Province affordable China travel packages, Xitang is regarded as one of the six key old towns in the south of the Yangtze River. Absorbing the cultural spirit of the ancient town with a history of a thousand years, it has been one number of the first group of the outstanding historical and cultural town. It's distinguished by more than longevity, resiliency, and culture. With the abundant natural resources and human landscape, Xitang has a great potential in the future tourism development.

It successfully reestablishes historic links to long-neglected natural features, creating unique places of beauty for visitors and local people. It's also the birthplace of culture of Wu and Yue during the Five Dynasties Period. By and large, the ancient town is featured by its huge area and countless bridges, lanes, and ceilinged corridors. Apart from that, the beautiful Xitang also provides magnificent scenery of a small town, which without doubt could make the tourists feel quiet and cozy.

There were masts and hulls cropping up everywhere, and these ceilinged corridors are the most singular spectacle in Xitang top 10 China tours construction, which also make waters, boats and woods be integrated into the unique multi-level scenery. People are saying that these corridors was at first built to enable people and traffic to move freely by trading on boats on the both sides of the rivers. Many old mansions that have been found are all the wealth crystallizations of a hundred generations of our forebears. 、

The major difference between Xitang and other ancient towns is the ceilinged corridors nearby the street on the river. The overall length of these corridors is nearly 1 kilometer, just like the long veranda in the Summer Palace. When one travelled here, he can neither stay in the rain nor bathe in the sun's rays. You might get to view some the residential clusters when you are wandering about some small and old towns in Zhejiang or Jiangshu province if you are lucky enough.

The ground evens out in the Xitang town popular China tours. The quiet, comfortable and unpretentious atmosphere is one of the outstanding features of this ancient town. Here you would also find a large number of beautifully preserved ancient architectural complexes as well, which have a higher artistic quality and significant scientific value.

A bird's-eye view of the whole ancient town must then have offered one a veil of mist and white walls which make the scene most marvelous. At night-fall, one yellow beam from the sinking sun slanted in through the water. The old boat itself was under the guardianship of the ancient houses, ceilinged corridors and a thick screen of them altogether.

When one comes to the Xitang town, these ceilinged corridors along the street are the most intriguing sight. In ancient days, one ceiling is set up over the stony roads in front of each shop, and it also links with one another to form corridors. The entire old town with river-side scenery and folk customs is as pretty as a picture.

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When you go to a cafes in Beijing affordable China tours, the first thing you should pay attention to is a big, blue stand which is usually placed near the exit. If you cannot find it, just run away from this place, as they have not passed the standards of quality. The rest of restaurants have the B standard which still makes them good. I have never seen A standards even though they exists, small cafes are usually much cheaper and the food there is more delicious .If you want to eat really really cheap, you should go to student canteens, most of them are open for everyone ,or you should just go somewhere outside the centre.In Beijing you will find many local fast-food restaurants, which serve Chinese cuisine. The food there is much tastier than Mc Donald’s and not so bad for you.

Chinese people just love to eat meat! Sometimes there is no single dish without meat in a whole restaurant. I am a vegetarian and in the beginning it was so very difficult to find something to eat top 10 China tours, as almost nobody speaks English here. So, I was in trouble. After a while of starving to death I leaed how to say “without meat” in Chinese. It will be 不要肉or buyaorou. So it is very useful, even though there are not so many places where you will find many dishes without meat. So, be prepared to it.

If you eat together with Chinese people, you should know that there is NO YOUR PLATE, everything is COMMON. So, do not be surprise when they try to take something from your plate. I, personally, think that it is more romantic and I always feel like being a part of a big family popular China tour package. Usually, they offer many things and share them, so you will leave the cafe with your stomach stuffed.

Another important thing which I want to emphasis is about bird flu. There have been several outbreaks of bird flu in recent years, so sometimes you do not even know whether the meat is ok. I would not recommend eating chicken when the certain outbreaks occur.

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The architectural art of tall buildings was highly developed in ancient China, dating back to the Warring States Period (475-221BC). Among them, the classical Chinese Lou, which in mode Chinese refers to buildings of two or more stories, has been regarded as one type of the representative works. In ancient China, Lou means a storied building with a horizontal main ridge and usually, all-round verandas. Many such buildings also feature sloped, double-eaved roofs, and carved brackets supporting the overhanging eaves from the columns. Beijing , as the capital of Yuan, Ming and Qing three dynasties, has a classical collection of Lou, such as: Cheng Lou (Gate Tower), Jiao Lou (Coer Tower), Jian Lou (Archery Tower China best tours), Zhong Lou (Bell Tower) and Gu Lou (Drum Tower).

Tian'an men Gate Tower

Located to the north of the Tian'anmen Square, the Tian'anmen Gate (Gate of Heavenly Peace) is a vermilion building with yellow glazed tiles, glistening in the sunlight with all its beauty, splendor and grandeur.

Tian'anmen Gate was built in the 15th year (1417) of Emperor Yongle's reign in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and has a history of over 570 years. From imperial days, the yellow glaze-tiled double-eaves tower functioned as a rostrum for proclamations to the assembled masses. The tower has five doors and in front of it are seven bridges spanning a stream. Only the emperor could use the central door and bridge.

The Gate measures 43.7 meters in height and with a facade of 62.77 meters wide. This solemn architecture of national style with double eaves has 60 grand red columns, 8 ball-shaped palace lantes hanging high, white balustrade, yellow tiles, red beams and painted pillars, which in the arrangement of either colors or structures shine in its entirety, with the extraordinary beauty of harmony China tour deals .

Looking up, the four roof-ridges with an orderly array of figurines of dragons, phoenix, lions, unicos, heavenly horses, fighting bulls and other animals can be seen, which are vivid and brilliant. But under the up-tued roof-eaves, there are lightly painted graceful pictures of golden dragon and imperial seal, golden phoenix and imperial seal, dragon brocade and imperial seal, dragon phoenix and imperial seal etc., which are known as palace color pictures with a history of several hundred years.

On October 1, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong, standing on the tower, proclaimed the founding of the new China.

Jiao Lou (Coer Tower)

In the Forbidden City of Beijing, there are four so-named Jiao Lou (Coer Tower popular China tours) on the four coers, which used to be stationed by the emperor's guardsmen, for instance, the existing Southeast Jiao Lou at Dongbianmen of the Chongwenmen (Chongwen Gate) District.

Jian Lou (Archery Tower)

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), each city gate of Beijing was also guarded by a Jian Lou (Archery Tower), and two of them have been well preserved.

Zhong Lou (Bell Tower)

The Bell Tower in the city also plays a very big role in landscape. The existing Bell Tower of Beijing in the northe part of the city was built in the 18th year (1420) of the reign of Ming Emperor Chengzu. The Bell Tower was built entirely with bricks and stones. Under it is a square, towering brick platform, encircled by stone balustrades. A single-storied bell drum, which is the largest ever in China, was erected on the platform.

Gu Lou (Drum Tower)

Located to the south of the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower overlooks the busy Drum Tower Street, with a platform below and a two-storied, three-eave building on the upper level. The Drum Tower is horizontal and long in form, larger in size and elegant in style, presenting a sharp contrast to the Bell Tower which is small, vertical, plain and neat.

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Situated at the northe end of the Jingpo Lake in the southwest of Ning'an County, Heilongjiang Province affordable China tours, the Diaoshuilou Waterfall where the water cascaded off precipices in cataracts and crash into the rock below, scoured out vast pits over 70 meters wide. When in the season with abundant rainfall, its width could reach over 300 meters, and the falling head of 20 meters.

Below the waterfall is the deep pool where row on row of tiny wind waves flowed up the pool's green surface. It's called as "Black Dragon Pool" that has been made part of a beautiful park bearing the same name. Located in the Taoyuan Cave scenic area, the Black Dragon Pool is an 800 meters long and wonderful stream. The story is going about that the pool is constituted by a spring gushing naturally from undeeath the earth. The crystal clear water is somehow darkish in color. Hence the fancy name Black Dragon Pool top 10 China tours. It is also known for its camellia which the poet Guo Moruo once drew inspiration to praise its beauty.

Whenever the rainy season or flood period comes, the waterfall made a sound so much like the thunder. The currents whistled through quickly. There is a legend that a dragon lives in the pond, so Dragon Pond is named. Diaoshuilou Waterfall's a falling wall of water so awesome and powerful that you could see its mist even from several miles away. The glimmering mist of the waterfall splashed by the glittering sunshine and streaked by the golden rainbow that mutually reflects one another with the white splashes. It's the largest basalt waterfall all over the world, so that it creates lots of dramatic geological and landscape types of scenery.

On both sides of the waterfall is the sheer cliff that is particularly noted for its many picturesque rocks, often of weird-looking shapes. Standing on the cliff edge and looking out into the deep pool popular China tours, one feels as if one were falling into an endless drop. The brilliant sunlight filtered down through the trees, dappling his entire body.

Slightly opposite the waterfall on the cliff sits a traditional-style pavilion, from which tourists could gaze from a far to feast their eyes on the beautiful scene of the mysterious distant waterfall veiled in the mountain mist. In the buished mirror of the lake, mountain and groves reflect the sky on the distant horizon. All the people who have ever visited here could exclaim on its magnificent scenery.

You could see the black cliff; here you could make some echo. At Echo Wall, all of the visitors now could provide cries instead of sacrifices, hoping to hear their voices bounce back to them. It reflected the visitors' glittering multitude of laughing through the circular cliff and clearly floated down to them.

When the low-flow period in winter comes, the waterfall disappeared without leaving a trace, but you could still another splendid view. On the lava wall, visitor could find countless water-eroded caves of unequal size and the irregularities in depth. The sight is of an extraordinary kind!?

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