Shanghai -- China＇s Most Internationalized Metropolis

SHANGHAI was a humble fishing village in the 11th century during the Northern Song Dynasty. The area expanded into an agricultural hinterland and cotton and silk industry center during the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644）. During this period its trading potential as a deepwater port at the mouth of the Yangtze River was exploited. Shanghai became an international port and center of finance during the latter half of the 19th century. In its heyday, Shanghai was the acknowledged Eastern adventurer＇s paradise. By the 1920s it had become the point of convergence for merchants from France, Britain, Germany and the United States.     

An Undiscouered Scenic Town in Western China

WE came across Fubao (fortune and trea-sure) Town by chance during a trip to Fobao (Buddhist Treasure) Mountain in Sichuan Province. Cloaked in dense forest, watered by rivers and waterfalls, and the habitat of various wild animals, the mountain is 46 kilometers from Hejiang County, Luzhou City. At its foot nestles the small secluded town of Fubao, little changed throughout the centuries.First emerging in the late Song Dynasty, Fubao Town took shape during the Ming Dynasty.     

Gilded Copper Statue of Vajrasattva from the Yongle Reign of the Ming Dynasty

Name and Specifications: Gilded Copper Statue of Vajrasattva from the Yongle Reign (1403-1424) of the Ming Dynasty. This red copper lost-wax cast statue is 24 cm in height. On its lotus base are engraved with characters that state, "Donated during the Yongle Reign of the Great Ming Dynasty."     

New Houses in Old Quadrangles —— Nanchizi Street Renovation

NANCHIZI is a special area of Beijing. Southeast of the Forbidden City, it used to be a part of the imperial palace. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), its buildings served as government offices, and during the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911), it was the imperial storage area. Hutongs called Ciqi Ku (Porcelain Warehouse) and Denglong Xiang (Lantern Alley), reflect the history     

The Scholars

THE Scholars （Ru Lin Wai Shi） isa satirical novel about intellectuals and officials during the reigns of Emperors Kangxi （1654-1722）and Qianlong （1711-1799）of the Qing Dynasty.     

The Miao Nationality

GenesisPopulation: 7,383, 600Provinces: Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hainan, HubeiRelated to the Hmong of Southeast Asia, the Miao people lived in central China during ancient times. Their ancestors established the Three-Miao State along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River during the Zhou Dynasty.     

Stamps of New China Eastern Zhou Dynasty Bronzes

The State Postal Bureau's latest set of special stamps for 2003 features Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 B,C.) bronzes. This eight-stamp set is the third to feature this type of relic; a set issued in 1964 depicted bronzes from the Yin Dynasty (14th-11th century}, and one featuring Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century-771 B.C.) bronzes was released in 1982.The Eastern Zhou Dynasty followed the Western, and during this period, bronze vessel casting developed remarkably. Artifacts from this period include sacrificial vessels, musical instruments, utensils, weapons and tools.One of these pieces, a rectangular tray decorated with tortoise and fish patterns, dates back to the late Spring and Autumn Period     

Beijing Museum of Stone Carvings

ZHENJUE Temple, near Baishiqiao inBeijing's Haidian District, is famousfor stone carvings engraved on theexterior of its Buddha Pedestal. It hasbeen chosen as the site for the BeijingMuseum of Stone Carvings.Zhenjue Temple, also known as Wuta (FivePagodas) Temple, was built during the reign ofEmperor Yongle (1403-1425) of the Ming Dynasty,and suffered damage during the late Qing Dynasty.In 1937, an enclosing wall was built to protect itsancient pagodas.Stone carvings are currently …     

Gender Bending——Social Trends You Can Wear

PASSING for a member of the opposite sex is a tirelessly amusing trick celebrated in several art forms over many centuries and in many cultures. In 1998,Walt Disney Pictures made the animated film named Mulan based on a story from the Sui Dynasty(581-618) about a Chinese legendary heroine Hua Mulan.Mulan impersonated a man and took the place of her ill father in the ranks of the army fighting invaders from the north.For her bravery in assuming a male role,and the sacrifice she made for her father,Mulan has been honored in history.There are many such female heroines in Chinese history,fictitious and real,such as Fan Lihua of the Tang Dynasty(618-907) and Qin Liangyu of the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644) whose legends celebrate female ferocity and their awakening to inner strength and power.     

A Typical Example of a Chinese Classical Private Garden:Fisherman''''s Garden

The Fisherman's Garden was constructed during the Sung Dynasty and was rebuilt at the time of the Qing Dynasty in 1766. This garden's name came from a story which happened in the Chu Kingdom when China was split into several smaller kingdoms during the Warring States period (475-221 BC).Being a senior consultant to the King of Chu, the famous poet, writer and esthete, Qu Yuan (340-277 BC) was finally sent into exile. Before he committed suicide in a river, he met with an old fisherman who asked about the reason why he was sent into exile from the capital city for life. Qu Yuan replied:     

The First Known Chinese Woman Historian

Ban Zhao, the first known Chinese woman historian, lived during the Eastern Han Dynasty( 25-220 A.D.), and is renowned for her contribution to the completion of Han Shu( History of the Han Dynasty), which covers the entire Western Han period( 206B.C.-24A.D.). As China's first book on dynastic history, it constitutes the second volume in Twenty-Four Histories, and sets the style of writing for the rest of the dynastic annals. Han Shu consists of 120 volumes divided in to four parts: Biographies of the 12 Western Han emperors and major events during the reign of each emperor, the "Eight Tables," chronologically listing the names of princes, the emperor's in laws and the leading officials; the "The Registries," dealing with rules and laws and Biographies of 70 outstanding personalities. Of the four parts, the "Eight Tables" was compiled by Ban Zhao.     

Preserving the Past

正A comprehensive plan to protect the Great Wall was promulgated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the National Cultural Heritage Administration on January 24,underlining the importance of establishing a long-term mechanism.The Great Wall is one of the largest cultural heritage sites in the world. Measuring more than 21,100km,it was initially built during the Qin Dynasty over 2,000     

TOURISM INFORMATION

Xi'an Dayan Pagoda stands in Ci'en Temple, which is in the southern part of Xi'an. It is one of China's famous Buddhist pagodas. Ci'en Temple began to be constructed in 589, during the Sui Dynasty. Until the Tang Dynasty, Ci'en Temple had a total of 13 courtyards and 1,897 rooms. Xuan Zang, a well-known Buddhist master at the time, was invited to be the master of the temple. Construction of Dayan Pagoda, which was five stories, or 60 meters high, began in 652. It was ruined in war and rebuilt to a     

All about Beida

PEKING University (or Beijing University, widely known as Beida) was formally Jingshi Daxuetang (Metropolitan University) during the imperial Qing Dynasty. It is one of the country's oldest and most eminent institutes of higher learning, the Chinese equivalent of Harvard in the US. Cai Yuanpei (1868-1940), a former president of the university, was an educational reformer. He successfully synthesized Chinese and Western theories and     

Lijiang： Developing Unique Tourist Resources

NESTLED along the middle reaches of the Jinsha River, the westernmost headwater of the Yangtze, Lijiang has from its earliest days been the political, economic and cultural center of northwest Yunnan Province, achieving its peak of influence during the Han Dynasty （206 B.C.-A.D. 220）, when it became a major commercial link between China, India and Nepal.     

Commercial Success and Sustained Regional Culture

CHAOZHOU is the starting point of the ceramics sea trading route that flows through the old Chinese ports of Guangzhou (Guangdong Province), Yangzhou (Jiangsu Province), Wenzhou (Zhejiang Province) and Quanzhou (Fujian Province) to Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe. Chaozhou people first began to appear in Southeast Asia during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Today,     

Zaoqiang The Home of Chinese Date Trees

ZAOQIANG County was established during the early Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 23 AD), and named for its abundance of Chinese date trees. Its rich historical and cultural resources apart, Zaoqiang County is also a major base for farming, animal husbandry, and industry in Hebei Province.     

Photo News

January 11, 2013 Dancers from Hong Kong and Guangdong Province perform Qingming Riverside, a grand dance poem that depicts the lives of Bianjing residents in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Based on the painting by Zhang Zeduan (1085-1145), Along the River during the Qingming Festival, the work is directed and choreographed by Leung     

Seaside Pearl： A Modern Yet Ancient City

QINGDAO is situated on the Yellow Sea coast against a picturesque background of green mountains in southeast Shandong Province. It is a popular seaside tourist destination for people living on China's east coast. Qingdao has abundant cultural relics and famous historical sites, and is best known for its stunning seaside scenery and German architecture, built by colonizers during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).