Tongli

Situated east to the ancient canal on the bank of the Taihu Lake, Tongli is 18 kilometers from Suzhou City, and 80 kilometers from Shanghai. In ancient times, Tongli was called Fushi. It was changed to Tongli in the early years of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Tongli is famous for its large numbers of architectures built in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, small bridges and celebrities as well as persons of ideals and integrity.

In Tongli, there are 38 residential gardens, 47 temples and several hundred former residences of landowners and celebrities of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Tongli used to have more than twenty natural views, but only some remained extant. Among them, the Tuisi Garden is the representative one, which has been listed as one of the substitutes of cultural heritage in the world.

Surrounded by water on four sides, Tongli is inlaid in the area of five lakes, and is thus abundant in small bridges. The town is divided into seven islands by 15 small rivers while the 49 ancient bridges link up them to form an integral whole. Many buildings are constructed beside water; hence Tongli is reputed as Little Venice in the Oriental. It is the best-preserved ancient watery town in Jiangsu Province, and a key cultural relics site under the protection of the province. In 1995, it was listed by the provincial government as one of the first batch famous historical and cultural towns. It is one of the thirteen major scenic areas around the Taihu Lake.

Nanxun

Nanxun, situated in Huzhou City, is a famous historical and cultural town in Zhejiang Province. It is in the hinterland of the Hangjiahu Plain. It faces the Taihu Lake to the north, and borders on Jiangsu Province to the east. Nanxun is only 51 kilometers away from Suzhou. One will pass the famous Tongli Town from Nanxun to Suzhou.

It is recorded byRecords of Gardens South of the Lower Reaches of the Yangtze Riverthat Nanxun is the only town south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River with five large gardens in one town. Nanxun boasts numerous historic sites and enchanting natural landscapes, and has both historical and cultural details as well as poetic charm of watery regions south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Since ancient time, Nanxun has been a place with flourishing culture and has turned out many talents. During the Song (960-1279), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, Nanxun turned out 41 successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations.

With a history of 745 years, Nanxun has places of interests such as the Jiaye Book-Collecting Building, Liu Yong's Xiaolian Manor, Zhang Jingjiang's former residence, Zhangshiming's former residence, the Baijian Building and ancient stone bridges of the Song Dynasty.

Luzhi Town

Situated 25 kilometers southeast from Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, Luzhi Town was praised as the First Town of Chinese Watery Regions by Fei Xiaotong, vice president of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Because Lu Qiumeng, a poet named Fu Li in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), once lived there in seclusion, it was called Songjiang Fuli in ancient times. The town was renamed as Luzhi in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), after Luduan, a mysterious unicorn, which was believed to have the power of warding off evils.

Luzhi is gifted with favorable terrain and outstanding people. It faces the Wusong River to the north and the Chenghu Lake to the south, and borders on Kunshan City to the east, and Suzhou to the west. Today's Luzhi teems with lakes, rivers and bridges, luring numerous visitors with its beautiful scenery.

Luzhi has been reputed as A Land of Bridges for long. It is amazing to see so many famous small bridges span the 5.6-kilometer-long river course. In its prime it had 72.5 bridges, and now 41 remain extant. Large stone bridges with several arches, small stone bridges with only one arch, wide arch bridges, narrow flat-top bridges, sister bridges and so on. All theses bridges make Luzhi quite special as a town in watery regions.

The famous Baosheng Temple is located in the west of Luzhi. It is recorded that the temple was constructed in 503. Having a history of more than 1,480 years, it is an ancient temple in areas south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. With an area of over 100 mu (1 mu = 1/15 hectare), 5,000 rooms and 1,000 monks in its early days, the temple attracted a great number of worshippers and pilgrims. Today we can still see its large scale from the remains. Beside its large scale, the sculpture in the temple also is also known far and wide

The tomb of Mr. Fu Li is in the west yard of the temple, with the Douya Pond in front. The Qingfeng Pavilion stands in the center of the pond. There are also stone bridges and ginkgos of thousands of years old in the temple.

Tuan Cheng Fortress

About two kilometers southeast to the Xiangshan Park at the foot of the West Hill in Beijing, the Tuan Chen Fortress was first built in the 14th year (1749) of Emperor Qianlong's reign. Being the only one of its kind, the Tuan Chen Fortress is a castle-like military training compound for emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to train and inspect their troops.

The layout of the Tuan Cheng Fortress has a style of its own, with a great spectacle. From north to south are, in turn, Tuan Cheng, the drill hall, the drill ground, the Shisheng Temple Stele Pavilion, and the Pine Hall. The drill hall is a circular castle-like building, enclosed by a city moat. Two white marble bridges are over the moat, facing the city gate. The south and north side of the castle has respectively a gate with a tablet hung on it -- the north tablet reads Zhi Yu Jin Tang (will strong as the impregnable fortress), and the south one reads Wei Xuan Bi Lei (power running over rampart). Inside the castle, a circular yard measuring 1,800 square meters is in the center, with two paths for horse running up the east and west city walls to the top of the fortress. On the south and north gates are two towers of the same specifications. The south city gate tower has turned into a temporary exhibition hall, displaying historical materials of the Tuan Cheng Fortress, copies of imperial couches, battle-axes, gongs, umbrellas, fans and weapons of the Qianlong reign according to their original shape, which gives visitors a brief introduction of relevant historical facts and the development of the Tuan Chen Fortress.

A drill ground named the Peach Garden is situated to the south of the drill hall. It is said that in the twelfth year (1747) of Qianlong's reign, Sichuan ran into chaos caused by war, with local people setting up watchtowers in every strategic pass to resist the garrison of the Qing troops. To calm down the turmoil and preparing soldiers for battle against heavily armed defenders fortified in watchtowers, Emperor Qianlong duplicated several watchtowers in the Tuan Cheng Fortress and trained a special troop named Smart Scaling Ladder Troop. Later, the Tuan Cheng Fortress became the drill place of Scaling Ladder Troop and was inspected by Emperor Qianlong from time to time. The Stele Pavilion of Shisheng Temple was built to the southwest of the drill hall, with a tablet erected in the center. Inscribed by Emperor Qianlong himself and written in languages of the Han, Manchu, Mongolian and Zang, the inscriptions on the tablet recorded the cracking down of Sichuan turmoil and the development of Shisheng Temple.

Featuring a special architectural style, the Tuan Cheng Fortress is Beijing's only military training center combining city, temple, tower and drill ground into a whole set. In ancient times, emperors of past dynasties rewarded soldiers here. Nowadays, Tuan Chen has held three large martial art events, and received many martial art fans from all over the country.

Yueyang Tower

The Yueyang Tower stands on the west gate of the Yueyang city wall, looking down at the Dongting Lake, facing the Junshan Island in the distance, and linking the Yangtze River to the north and the Xiangjiang River to the south. Standing on the tower, one can gaze at the distant view of the mists and ripples of the Dongting Lake, with boats sailing on the vast lake. Yueyang Tower is listed as one of the Three Great Towers in China, along with the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan and the Prince Teng Pavilion in Nanchang.It has long enjoyed the reputation of being the "first tower under heaven", as the Dongting Lake is known as the "first water under heaven."

It is said that the site was originally an inspection platform for the general Lu Su of the Wu Kingdom (222-250AD) to train his naval troops. In the fifth year of Emperor Qingli's reign in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), Teng Zijing renovated the Yueyang Tower and invited his good friend Fan Zhongyan, a well-known writer, to compose an essay. In Fan's essay,Remarks of Yueyang Tower, he not only described the wonderful scenery, but also wrote the famous lines of one should be the first to bear hardship, and the last to enjoy comforts, indicating his concerns for the country and people. His words won the tower great fame, and have been deeply rooted in the Chinese people's mind from generation to generation. After numerous renovations,the current structure was rebuilt in 1867 in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The Yueyang Tower has its special architectural features. Its main building has three stories and is 15 meters in height, with four huge nanmu pillars supporting the whole building, twelve round log columns supporting the second floor, and another twelve catalpa pillars supporting the roof. Constructed of wood with interlocking brackets that require no nails, the main building is as steady as a monolith. Its roof looks like a general's helmet, grand and unique. On the right side of the main building is the Thrice Drunken Pavilion, named after a legend describing Immortal Lu Dongbin who got drunk here three times. On the left side is the Fairy Plum Blossom Pavilion. It is said that a flagstone was excavated during the Emperor Chongzhen's reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368-16440. The lines on the stone resemble withered plum blossoms. Those lines were regarded as hand drawings of immortals and called the pavilion Fairy Plum Blossom Pavilion. The piece of flagstone is still erected in the center of the pavilion. Housed in the tower is a wooden screen written by famous calligrapher Zhang Zhao of the Qing Dynasty. Fan Zhongyan's Remarks of Yueyang Tower are inscribed on the screen, which remind visitors of his famous lines.

Shanhaiguan Pass

Shanhaiguan Pass Known as the First Pass under Heaven, the Shanhaiguan Pass isone of the world's grandest ancient structures as well as the starting point of the Great Wall. Situated between two sheer cliffs of the Yanshan Mountains, it has been a strategic place contested by militarists since ancient times. Standing between mountain and sea, the Pass controls both land and sea passages. With Beijing, the national capital, and Shenyang, the provincial capital of Liaoning, only 400 kilometers away, the Shanhaiguan Pass has been traditionally known as"the first important pass of the Great Wall and the only pass that can lock up the two capitals". Built in tenth year of the Emperor Hong Wu's reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the city gate towers are the main sceneries in the Shanhaiguan Pass, composed of Arrow Tower, Muying Tower, Linlu Tower and Jingbian Tower. Among those towers, the most famous one is the East Gate, the tower of First Pass under Heaven. It forms a situation of Five Tigers Guarding the East Way, together with Weiyuan, Jingbian, Muying, Linlu towers. Standing on the second floor of the tower, one can have a full view of both inside and outside of the Shanhaiguan Pass.Today, the lower part of the tower has turned into a Great Wall Museum, showcasing archaeological materials, literatures, pictures and models. The city gate towers of the Shanhaiguan Pass recorded great changes seen in the past 600 years. After the founding of New China, the Pass under careful maintenance has become a favorable tourist spot and won the honors of the Nation's Model Tourist Spot, the Nation's AAAA-Class Tourist Spot and the Nation's Excellent Tourist City, owning to its typically traditional architectural style and scenery blending mountain, sea and fortress.

Changyin Pavilion

Located in the Ningshou Palace (the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity) in the Forbidden City, to the east side of Yangxing Study (Study of the Cultivation of Nature), Changyin Pavilion is best known for its Grand Theater Building. First built in 1771 in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the grand theater building is 20.71 meters in height, and 685.94 square meters in total area. It features three tiers of tilted eaves and stages, namely, Fu Stage (Happiness), Lu Stage (Fortune) and Shou Stage (Longevity), from top to the bottom.

Resembling that of Dehe Garden in the Summer Palace, the Grand Theater Building in Changyin Pavilion has trapdoors in the ceiling for fairies to descend, as well as on the floor for demons to surface. Wells and ponds were sunk under the ground stage, with machinery drawing water up to the stages when needed.

The Shou Stage is the main performing stage, with the Fu Stage and the Lu Stage seldom used except when performing dramas of gods and spirits. Opposite the stage is a two-storey building called Yueshi Building, where the emperors, empresses and imperial concubines watched the play. The Yueshi Building is surrounded by two-storey buildings respectively in the east, west and north. Female court attendants and ministers could watch the play in corridors along the side buildings. Behind the Yueshi Building is the Hall for Birthday Celebrations.

The Grand Theater Building in Changyin Pavilion is the largest in the Qing palace. In ancient China, enjoying the theater was the major entertainment in the imperial palace. Plays were put on stage during festivals like the New Year, the Beginning of Spring, the Lantern Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Seventh Evening of the Seventh Moon, the Mid-autumn Festival, the Double Ninth Festival, the Winter Solstice, the New Year's Eve, as well as important celebrations like the enthronement of the emperor and the birthday party of the emperor or the empress.

According to historical data, Empress Dowager Cixi went to see a play in the Changyin Pavilion during every festival, accompanied by the emperor, the empress, the emperor's concubines, princes, dukes and ministers. In the tenth year (1884) of Emperor Guangxu's reign, Empress Dowager Cixi celebrated her fiftieth birthday. To please her, the emperor spent 110,000 liang of silver to purchase costume and stage properties for plays held in the Changyin Pavilion.

The Erpang Palace

The site of Erpang Palace is situated in Erpang Village, also called Acheng, 15 kilometers west of the downtown Xi'an. It was the imperial palace's front hall of the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC). First built during the reign of King Huiwen, the palace was expanded during the reign of Emperor Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty.
After he unified China, Emperor Qin Shihuang ordered his men to build the Erpang Palace in Shanglin Garden south of Weihe River in 212BC. Since the project was huge, only the front hall was completed during his reign.Records of the Historianby Sima Qian described the extraordinary scale of the Erpang Palace. And, poet Du Mu of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) vividly pictured the magnificent and detailed layout of the palace in his poemthe Ode to Erpang Palace.
Though the huge project of the Erpang Palace wasted a lot of manpower and money, the second emperor of the Qin Dynasty continued with the construction after the death of Emperor Qin Shihuang. Later, Xiang Yu, prince of the Chu Kingdom, burnt down the palace and subsidiary buildings after he conquered the region where the palace was situated.
After the founding of New China, to restore the past glory of the Erpang Palace became the wish of all archeologists and architects. After careful reasoning and design of many experts, the site with a total investment of more than RMB130 million was renovated, including the Grand Palace Gate, Front Hall, Orchid Pond Palace, Palace Halls for Six Kingdoms, Long Corridor, Horizontal Bridge, Cishi Gate, Shangtian Platform, Jidi Altar and rivers. Among all the 12 renovated sites, the Orchid Pond covers more than one hundred mu (1 mu = 1/15 hectares) and the newly built Front hall is 32.85 meters high, 107 meters long and 67.7 meters wide. The height of the Front Hall is similar to the original one, but its length from west to east is 107 meters, only one sixth of that of the original one.
The site of Erpang Palace, covering an area of 23.6 square kilometers, was listed as a cultural relics preservation site of national significance by the State Council in 1961.

The Jianzhang Palace

The site of Chang'an, capital of the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-8AD), is located 5 kilometers north of today's downtown Xi'an.
After the collapse of the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC), Emperor Gaozu, first emperor of the Western Han Dynasty set up the capital in Chang'an according to the suggestion from his talented minister Zhang Liang. TheChanglePalace, theWeiyangPalaceand theJianzhangPalaceare called the Three Han Palaces inChina.
TheJianzhangPalacewas built inShanglinGardenoutside the Han Chang'an City and the construction on it started in 104BC during the reign of Emperor Wudi. The palace comprises many halls and pavilions.
Emperor Wudi also ordered the construction of theGuiPalace, theBeiPalaceand theGuangmingPalace. He constructed theJianzhangPalaceoutside western part of Chang'an City, expanded theShanglinGardenof the Qin Dynasty, excavated theKunmingLake, and built many summer or winter palaces and annexes.

The Puppet Manchurian Imperial Palace

The Puppet Manchurian Imperial Palace was where Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), lived and worked during his reign. During the Japanese occupation of Manchuria (1931-1945), Puyi was installed as the "puppet" ruler of the so-called State of Manchukuo. The Puppet Imperial Palace was built by the Japanese especially for Puyi to live and take part in political activities.
Located at No.3 Guangfu Road in the northeast corner of Changchun City in Jilin Province, the palace is surrounded by black palace walls that enclose an area of 12 hectares. It is composed of series of buildings erected in Chinese classical, European, and Japanese styles, including the Qinmin Building, Jixi Building, Tongde Hall and other subsidiary facilities.
Around the courtyards of the palace there were originally nine two-storeyed blockhouses surrounded by high walls made of concrete. The main gate of the palace was called the Laixun Gate, which was a special passageway for Puyi and commanders. The Baokang Gate in the west was the passageway for court staffs.
The Puppet Manchurian Imperial Palace was divided into two parts: inner court and outer court. The former was the living quarters of Puyi and his concubines. Its main architectures include Jixi Building on the west courtyard and Tongde Hall on the east courtyard. The outer court was where Puyi dealt with state affairs. Its main architectures include Qinmin Building, Huanyuan Building and Jiale Hall. What's more, there are gardens, man-made rockeries, a fish pond, a swimming pool, air-raid shelters, a racket court, a golf course, a hippodrome, a storeroom of books and paintings and other subsidiary facilities.
Among all buildings in the palace, the Jixi Building, Qinmin Building and Tongde Hall are the most outstanding, blending western and Chinese styles, are only two-storey and feature various designs. The Jixi Building was where Puyi and the empress Wanrong lived. On the second floor, there were Puyi's bedroom, reading room, the family hall for worshipping Buddha and the living rooms of Wanrong and concubine Tan Yuling.
The Qinmin Building was Puyi's office building. In its southeast corner is a large room, i.e. its main hall, where Puyi handled affairs of state, received foreign ambassadors and consuls, and issued certificates of appointment to and conferred orders or medals to his puppet government officials.
The Tongde Hall, built during the period from 1936 to 1938, is the largest building in the puppet palace. Japanese engineers were responsible for the design and the supervision of its construction. Its interior decoration is very gorgeous. Now, the east courtyard has been changed into a history museum while the west one has become a display hall. In the palace there stand wax statues of Emperor Puyi and some imperial concubines and display photos of the Japanese invasion and of Puyi's life.
Since Puyi was the last emperor of China, the Puppet Manchurian Imperial Palace he lived during his reign (1932-1945) is regarded as the last palace of Chinese feudal dynasties