Shopping in Xian, China Mainland

Xian is rich in local produce with a lot of world-renowned products. Shopping in Xian now is becoming more convenient along with many shopping centers, supermarkets, shopping streets and also special shopping streets springing up in the city. Shopping is one of the interesting way to get the true chinese experience in Xian.

What to shop in Xian

These are just some of recommended local products of Xian which are very well-known.

Qin Embroidery, Xian

Qin Embroidery was originally a long established art form of Shaanxi Province; it was developed by local master embroiders on the basis of traditional Chinese embroideries. Qin embroidery is very well known for its elegant and neat needlework, finely stitched patterns positioned in proper perspective, a riot of colors and a good effect of tone and depth of the fine work.

Guangzhong Leather - Silhouette Show, Xian

Leather sihoulettes are made of cattle hide, sheepskin and donkey hide after they are oppressed, polished, carved and painted. It was originated since the Han Dynasty 206 B.C. - 220 A.D., Guangzhong leather Silhouettes have inherited the traditions of Han stone frescoes and developed the advantages of paintings of the Song Dynasty 960 - 1279. Local artisans display the figures' facial features, status, clothes and personalities through precise and meticulous carving. Guangzhong leather - Silhouette show is characterized by life-like figures, and a strong local, ethic and artistic flavor, hence it has been well received by domestic and foreign tourists. The classical works of Guangzhong leather-Silhouette show includes "Princess Wencheng Enters Tibet and Imperial Concubine Yang".

Folk Paper-cuts, the traditional art of Xian

Xian produces a wide variety of paper-cuts. Some of them are meticulously made, exquisite and delicate; some are simple, bold and unsophisticated; and the others have clear-cut lines, and exaggerative patterns. All of them have rich connotations and profound meanings, full of life interest and flavor. "Eight Immortal Cross the Sea and Rat Marries Off His Daughter" were created by folk artists Yang Xixian and Liu Xiufang, respectively, have been highly acclaimed by Chinese and foreign tourists.

Xian Jade Carving

Xian is one of the birthplaces of jade carving in China. Jade carving of Xian can be traced back to the New Stone Age, 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. Local jade carvers have carried forward and developped this traditional art. With meticulously selected Lantian jade, Shenmu agate and high-quality jade from other parts of China and the world, they have created rich and varied jade articles, which fall into five categories, i.e., figures, flowers, birds and animals,vases and ornaments. All of the jade products are beautifully sharped, exquisite, crystal-clear, glittering and bright. In particular, the jade works of Heavenly King,
Bodhisattava, lions, bracelets, bowls and drinking vessels have been well received by
tourists both at home and abroad.

Shaanxi Green Tea

Shaanxi Green Tea or Shaanxi Greenery, especially Zi Yang Fu Xi Tea is considered to be the best tea of China. Shaanxi Green Tea is mainly cultivated and produced in the southern part of shaanxi province where are one of the key tea-leaf production areas of China. Shaanxi Green Tea is famous for its lasting aftertaste, clear tea water and fragrant smell. In addition,the tea has various curative effects and very good for health.

Xian, Western Peace of Shaanxi Province, China

In the ancient time Xian was called Chang’an which means “Perpetual Peace”; it was the capital city of 13 Chinese Dynasties with in 3,100 years; Xian meaning “Western Peace” was one of the four major ancient civilization capitals. Xian is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow River Basin area of China.

Xian Capital City of Shaanxi Province is located in the central part of China, in the southern part of the Guang Zhong Plain. Qinling Mountains span from the north to the South Xian and the Weihe River is in the south of the city. The location of Xian is favorable surrounded by water and hills.

The Best Travel Time to Xian

Spring and autumn are ideal travel seasons in Xian, and the best time to travel are May, August, September, and October. A lot of indoor tourist attractions such as the Museum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Stele Forest, Shaanxi History Museum and the Great Mosque also welcome tourists in summer and winter.

The Museum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta Warriors and Horses

The Museum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta Warriors and Horses and Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang are the must see attractive places of Xian, These places are key historical monuments under the AAAA scenic areas. They have been included in the list of the World Cultural Heritages by the UNESCO.

The Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Xian were excavated in 1974, and the museum was built at the site in 1979 and it has made the city famous and Xian is best known for the Chinese Terracotta Army.

The museum has 3 pits of Terracotta Warriors and Horses, forming a huge region. The 3 pits forms are in the form of a Chinese character “品” (pin), with a total area of 22,780 square meters. More than 7,400 life-size warriors and horses, and over 130 chariots were excavated.

Pit 1 covers 14.260 sq. meters and contains more than 6,000 terracotta warriors and horses, arranged in orderly military formations. In front of the army, 3 rows of 70 warriors each make up the vanguard, which is followed by the main body of the army, 38 rows of troops.

There are also flank columns and rearguards. The array breathes the power of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s army.

Pit 2 covers 6,000 sq. meters with the large military formation of chariots, cavalrymen, archers and foot soldiers and contains 4 independent units, with more than 1,300 terracotta warriors and horses, over 80 chariots and a large number of metal of metal weapons.

Pit 3 is in the shape of “凹” (ao) covers 520 sq. meters and contains 68 pottery warriors, 4 horses and 1 chariot. Pit 3 forms an organic whole with the other 2 pits.

Chinese Terracotta Warriors and Horses

All the Terracotta Warriors and Horses are meticulously made, tall and strong. According to the legend, all of them were sculptured according the real imperial troops that protected the imperial palace of the Qin Dynasty.

The Warriors are well modeled and proportioned, and each has different features and facial expression. Uniformly strong and firm in appearance, they vary in individual aspects according to age, experience and social status. Some are generals, some are officers and the others are soldiers.

The shortest is 1.78 meters, and the highest is 1.97 meters; and the lightest is 110 kilograms, and the heaviest is 300 kilograms. The heads and hands were modeled separately and then attached and painted, showing high workmanship.

Qingdao, the City of Charm

Come back again for more information of Qingdao...

Introduction to Qingdao City of Charm

Qingdao is a wonderful coastal city that lies at the southern tip of Shandong Peninsula. Located in Jiao Zhou Bay facing the Yellow Sea, Qingdao is also a well known holiday resort in China.

The city has five urban districts and seven county-level cities under its jurisdiction with an area of 10654 square kilometers and a population of 6.84 million. The annual average temperature is 12.2C.

Before troops were garrisoned there by the imperial court of Qing in 1891, Qingdao had been a small fishing village. It became a German concession in 1897 and was occupied by Japan in 1914. The city reverted to Chinese rule in 1922, but was occupied by Japan again during the Second World War Today it is one of the most important open coastal cities and one of the independent cities with state planning and budgeting powers. It has provincial power in economic management. Its major industries include trade, light industry, tourism and oceanography research.

The uniqueness of the city consists in its architecture and an attractive urban landscape. With its wealth of natural and human resources, its wear-round schedule of tourist festivals and events, coupled with many tourist facilities and an extensive transportation network, Qingdao has become an ideal tourist destination both at home and abroad.

The city

Major tourist attractions include the Zhanqiao Pier (also know as Rainbow on the Waves),Xiaoqingdao Isle, Bathing beaches, Shilaoren (The Old Man of Stone) National Holiday Resort, International Beer City ,Ocean Park, Badaguan Scenic Area (renowned for the Architecture Museum), Zhanshan Temple, German-style Catholic Church, Christian Church, Zhongshan Park, Luxun Park, Navy Museum, Xiaoyushan Park (the most famous one of ten hill parks), Sightseeing TV Tower, various commercial centers and bazaars, etc. Indeed a popular resort ideal for sightseeing and shopping.

Attractive Places in Qingdao

These are some recommed attractive places in Qingdao...

Xiaoqingdao Isle

Xiaoqingdao Isle, which has an area of 0.0012 square kilometers, lies off Qingdao Bay. The white lighthouse on the isle is 15.5 meters high. Its light reflected on the sea makes quite a spectacle at night, known as Floating Light of the Isle.

Zhanqiao Pier

Zhanqiao Pier, built in 1891 and located in Qingdao Bay, is regarded as the symbol of Qingdao. At the southern end of the 440-metrelong pier is a typical Chinese octagonal pallion called Huilan Pavilion from which you can watch the dashing waves of the sea. At the northern end is a bank park with a flower garden. A Perfect place to enjoy the sea and relax

Luxun Park

Built in 1929, Luxun Park is located in Huiquan Bay. It got its present name in 1950 in memory of the distinguished Chinese modern writer Lu Xum. The park is a perfect combination of traditional Chinese garden art and natural beauty.

Bathing Beaches

Qingdao boasts many fine sand beaches along its long winding coast. There are altogether seven beaches in the urban area. Number One Bathing Beach, also called Huiquan Bathing Beach, is 800 meters long and is equipped with sharkproof nets and all the necessary facilities. Number Mao and other senior government officials. Number Three Bathing Eeach of 400 meters long is located on the east end of Taiping Cape near the convalescent area. Number Six Bathing Beach, also called Zhanqiao Bathing Beach, is close to the city center. Another bathing beach at the Shilaoren National Holiday Resort is as long as 2,600 meters.

Badaguan

Badguan (Eight Passes) is named after the eight passes of the Great Wall. Located in the city center, the passes are planted with trees of various blooms in different seasons, such as peaches, crabapples, pine trees and ginkpoes. This area is known for its many villas, and with more than 200 different styles of Western architecture, it is also called the Architecture Museum.

Zhongshan Park

Zhongshan Park, located on the scenic Huiquan Bay, is the largest park of the city which covers an area of 800 thousand square metres. It consists of the oriental cherry path, Chinese peony garden and other precious plant gardens. It was given its present name in 1929 in memory of Dr. Sun Yat-sen

Hill Packs

There are altogether ten hill parks in Qingdao in which you can have a bird’s eye view of the city. The green trees, the blue sea and the azure sky set off the beauty of the city.

Huiquan Square

Built in 1992, this square is situated in the middle of Wendeng Road, with an area of 13.43 hectares. The southern square has a large music fountain 100 meters long and 30 meters wide, which was built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the city. A 36.5-meter-high sculpture made of steel and glass symbolizes 365 days in a year.

The Catholic Church

Situated on Zhejiang Road, this church was originally named Saint Emil Church built by the Germans in 1934 with an area of 2,470 square meters. This grand building, which is 60 meters tall, has become an important landmark of Qingdao.

The Vhristian Church

This castle-style church, built in 1910, is made up of a bell tower and an auditorium which has a seating capacity of 1,000.

Zhanshan Temple

Situated at the foot of Zhanshan Hill and to the east of Taiping Hill, this temple was built in 1945. It has five halls and a pagoda, with an area of 20,000 square meters. The temple boasts a large collection of skillfully carved statues of Buddha and Buddhist scriptures.

Qingdao Museum

The museum has a rich collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy, poottery and porcelain, and other valuable historical relics, among which are some Paleolithic & Neolithic articles and relies and relics of Northern Wei Dynasty. All the collections here reveal the history of Qingdao.

Navy Museum

The Chinese Navy Museum is located close to Luxun Park on Xiaoqingdao Bay. Visitors are offered a rich display of naval vessels such as submarines and destroyers, weapons including state-of-the-art missiles and indoor exhibitions featuring the history of the Chinese Navy.

Marine Products Museum

Qingdao Marine Products Museum, established in 1930, lies in Luxun Park. It is compsed of an aquahibition hall shows some rare samples.

Mount Laoshan

Noted for the Highest Mountain on the Sea, Laoshan soars to 1,133 meters above sea-level, and is characterized by its precipitous cliffs and streams running through the rocks. As a Taoist sanctuary, the mountain is known as a Fairyland. It is chronicled that even Mount Taishan pales beside Mount Laoshan in the East Sea. Throughout the ages, Chinese imperial rulers have dispatched envoys to Mount Laoshan to search for the elixir of life. Men of letters also left their inscriptions here. Taoism spread to the mountain during the Western Han Dynasty and has since maintained its influence throughout the dynastic age. It is also called the Second Monastery of the Taoist Quanzhen Sect. It had nine palaces, eight temples and seventy-two convents in its heyday. The Taoist monks of Laoshan are well known. Its fantastic rocks and caves, waterfalls and the roads around its peaks are true wonders. For this reason, it is designated by the state as one of the most important scenic sport in China. There are three ways leading to the mountain with different views.

Mount Tianzhushan

Mount Tianzhushan in Pingdu city is well-known for the rare inscriptions of the Wei Dynasty. It is popular with tourists interested in Chinese calligraphy.

Chinese Dragon, the Symbol of Enlightenment

Nowadays when we are talking about animal in China someone may think about Panda, the cute Panda is the national animal of China but the symbol of Chinese spirit may not avoid Dragon which was believed to be the path into greater enlightenment.

In the Celestial Empire as China, Dragon can compare to the symbol of the Chinese race itself. Chinese population all over the world are proudly proclaim themselves as “Descendents of the Dragon”. Chinese Dragons are referred to the divine mythical creature that brings with it ultimate abundance, prosperity and good fortune.

Ancient Chinese Civilization was permeated by Dragon and it shaped Chinese culture until today. Its benevolence signifies greatness, goodness and blessings.

Chinese Dragon (龙 or Long) symbolize power, excellence, valiancy, boldness, heroism, perseverance, nobility and divinity. Dragon defeats all of the obstacles until he is success; the characteristic of dragon is energetic, decisive, optimistic, intelligent and ambitious.

Eastern Dragon VS Western Dragon

Eastern Dragons as in China have the positive energies with the good repute; Chinese Dragons were described as beautiful, friendly, and wise.

Chinese Dragons are the angels of the Orient, they love worshipped as you can see in every Chinese temples there are countless of Chinese dragons decorated in almost every parts of temple.

Temples and Shrines have been built to honor them as they control the rain, rivers, lakes, and seas. Numerous cities in China have pagodas where people burns incense and pray to dragons.

Western Dragons are totally different from Orient as they have negative energies. Western Dragons were hated by people because they were hostile, fierce, rampant, brutality, and bestial. Western Dragons are the terrifying monster that destroyed everything and eat every animal including human being so that the culture in the West and in the East are completely different as their distinguish of cultures.

Dragons in China

In China there is the Black Dragon Pool Chapel near Beijing the Capital city, this place for worship was reserved for the Empress and her court.

On the first and fifteenth of every month the special worship services took place there. Dragon Shrines and altars can still be seen in every parts China, they are usually along seashores and riverbanks as most Chinese Dragons live in the water.

Chinese people believe that Dragon brings upon the essence of life in the form of its celestial breath well-known as “sheng chi”. Dragons yield life and bestow their power in the form of the seasons, bringing water from rain, warmth from the sunshine, wind from the seas and soil from the Earth.

The forces of Mother Nature or the greatest divine force on Earth are represented by the Dragons.

Chinese Dragons symbolize the divine of protection and vigilance as it is regarded as the Supreme Being amongst all creatures in the world.

Dragons can live in the seas, fly up to the heavens and coiled up in the land in the form of mountains. It is the divine mythical animal that can ward off wandering evil spirits and protect the innocent and bestow safety to all that hold his emblem.

Chinese Dragon is the ultimate symbol of Fortunateness.

Zhangjiajie, the Foggy World, China

Zhangjiajie is the First National Forest Park of China including in a World Natural Heritage site Wulingyuan Scenic Area which is the well-known scenic spot of Zhangjiajie. Zhangjiajie is noted for the queer peaks, tranquil water and beautiful forests.

Location of Zhangjiajie, China

Zhangjiajie region is located in the North West part of Hunan Province in the South Central part of China mainland where is famous from its beautiful natural scenic surrounded by numerous of the mountains and Yangtze River pass through the north part of Province, Hunan Province was named as the most beautiful province of China.

The location of Zhangjiajie is located between the apophysis of Yungui Altiplano and the lower area of Dongting Lake at the center of Wulingyuan Scenic Area, densely covered by mountains and waters, 97 percent of the area is covered with 98 families of plants with 517 species; it is two times over the total of plants in Europe.

The total area of Zhangjiajie is 13.34 square kilometers; Zhangjiajie is not only rich of forest but also 116 types of animals living there.

Zhangjiajie’s Weather

Zhangjiajie has a humid under the central subtropical damp monsoon climate, the rain falls mostly in April – June. July – August are hot and humid.

The four different seasons are quite different, there has enough sunshine, rich of rainwater, long frost-free period and short cold period.

The average frost-free period of Zhangjiajie is about 215 – 270 days a year which is benefits the development of agriculture, forestry, husbandry and fishery. Anyway as the complex and changeable of the weather in the city drought, floods, storms, hails and other disasters also happen occasionally.

The average temperature is 6.8 degrees Celsius.

The Attractions in Zhangjiajie

There are a lot of famous Attractive places in Zhangjiajie, such as Baofeng Lake, the Huanglong Cave (The largest cave in Asia), and many beautiful waterfalls and brooks.

The most attractive scene that Zhangjiajie features is the mysterious mountain covered with dense, primeval forests. It is said that 23 species of tare animals and more than 3,000 species of plants are living in the misty world.

243 “Peak-Pillars”, each height are over 1,000 meters; they are often shrouded in mist and drizzle; these “Peak-Pillars” come together with “Peak-Forests” which are rarely found in anywhere else in the world.

Those visitors who visit the top of Tianzi Mountain will see the group of Peak-Pillars looking like soldiers in an enormous battle array.

Jiuzhaigou Valley, the Paradise

Jiuzhaigou Valley which means “Valley of Nine Villages” , which is the hometown of nine Tibetan villages; is located in Nanping County in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture about 450 Km north of Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province in south of China Mainland.

Jiuzhaigou is well-known in its many multi-level waterfalls and colorful lakes. This place is full of more than 100 beauteous lakes and what makes the lakes in Jiuzhaigou area differ from other lakes is a high concentration of calcium carbonate so that the lakes and embankments are all covered with crystals.

The water in the lake is so clear that you can see the bottom despite depths of several meters.

The main essence of Jiuzhaigou is water and there are all kinds of waters such as small ponds, calm lakes, rushing streams or magnificent waterfalls. Jiuzhaigou’s core of the scenery is waterfalls which were situated between lakes on different level with water flowing down to the cliffs covered with trees.

Location and Climate of Jiuzhaigou

The location of Jiuzhaigou is secluded from outside, the geography of Jiuzhaigou is mountainous which belongs to a carbonate barrier lake landform, high mountains and deep valleys also can be found there. Jiuzhaigou covers a vast area of 60,000 hectares with the scenic area over than 80 Kilometers long.

The main obstacle for traveling to Jiuzhaigou is the dreadful roads from Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province, China that leads to the Valley. The buses have to journey along the winding roads and that’s still ok unless include frequent landslides that may send the big rocks flying onto the rocks and if unluckily enough on to the buses and below the roads, there is the rushing Minjiang River. The drivers have to familiar with the route otherwise it’s going to be the horrible trip.

The climate in Jiuzhaigou is cool temperature, humidity and cold on the high mountain slopes and dry and cool in the valleys.

Average Temperature in summer is from 19 degrees Celsius to 22 degrees Celsius; in fall season is from 7 degrees Celsius to 18 degrees Celsius; spring season is from 9 degrees Celsius to 18 degrees Celsius and for winter is under zero. The average annual temperature is 7.2 degrees Celsius.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Jiuzhaigou was first found accidentally by woodcutters in the 1900s then became a nation nature reserve in 1978. In 1982 it became a part of the first batch of scenic areas under special nation protection and the best new scenic area in 1990. In 1992 UNESCO world heritage declared Jiuzhaigou as the world natural heritage list.

Legend

As China is the country of legends, Jiuzhaigou also the same as other places in China that has so many legend and what I would like to present here is the one I heard about…

Once upon a time, a warlike philosopher grounded a charming mirror with the wind and cloud the present it to his beloved who is Goddess Wunosemo. Unfortunately the monster meddled and the Goddess dropped the shatter broken mirror into the human world so that its became the numerous lakes in Jiuzhaigou nowadays.

Qingdao’s Information

Qingdao is located in the south of Shandong in the eastern part of China. Shandong is considered to be one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization with the history more than 5,000 years; it is the home of a large number of historical figures which are the important evident in contemporary China.

The total area of Qingdao is 10,654 Square Kilometers; it is located in the flatlands with mountains spurring up nearby. The highest area is at 1133 meters about sea level. The total coastline of the city is 730.64 kilometers and there are five significant rivers flow more than 50 kilometers pass this city.

Confucianism was the ancient religion founded by Confucius who was the great thinker, educators and statesman in Ancient China; is the pillar of traditional Chinese Culture which has brought great influence in the World.

Climate in Qingdao

You can enjoy mild summers with the average July temperature at 23.4 degree Celsius and relatively warm winters with the average January temperature at -0.7 degree Celsius.

Qingdao, the Green Island of China

Qingdao in Chinese means Green Island; it was just a small fishing town in Ancient China until in 1897 Qing Dynasty was forced to lease Qingdao to Germany for 99 years after 2 German missionaries in Shandong Province were killed.

The Germans expanded good infrastructure in Qingdao, they built a lot of typical German-style city and also expanded excellent harbor. The Germans built the rail connection to the provincial capital and piping in spring water from Laoshan.

In 1903 a beer brewery was built in Qingdao and today Qingdao becomes a center of producing beer in China.

Today’s Qingdao

You can see the mixture of ancient European and modern style architecture in Qingdao. Bada Guan (means eight passes) the area which close to No. 2 Bathing Beach has 10 streets lines with more than 100 western villas. Each street is lined with a single type of tree which is spacious and blessed with greenery. Local residents can tell what street by looking at the trees.

Qingdao nowadays becomes the major sea-spot for a lot of tourists because of the beautiful beaches; the most popular one is Huiquan Beach or the No. 1 bathing beach.

As Qingdao is the center of Chinese producing beer, Qingdao’s beer is extremely smooth and fresh and also very cheap. I recommend to take a chance to try once.