Things to see and do China

Longmen is one of three sets of Buddhist caves in China with Yungang (Datong) and Dunhuang. These caves are the city's main attraction today. They are - not surprisingly - classified as UNESCO World Heritage. Take the time to visit them during your stay, both the site is exceptional.

History

Their construction is in fact the result of a major historical change during the period of the North and South Kingdoms. The Emperor Xiaowen of the North Wei (386-534) extended his power on the central plains and decided to transfer the capital of Datong to Luoyang. He veiled that this unique Buddhist art, developed in Datong in the Yungang caves, is perpetuated, decreing Buddhism of state religion, following the custom of the Han. These large sets of imperial caves take place on the cliff over one kilometer on both sides of the Yi River. Formerly named Yi Que (the two guard towers of the Yi River), caves were renamed Longmen (door of the Dragon) under the Sui, then southern gate of the capital, and Seat of the Dragon's Court (symbol of the Imperial Court).

The cave of Guyang was the first to be excavated in 488, opening an era of large-scale construction extending to the end of the Tang. The result is impressive: over 2,100 caves and niches, some 100,000 images and statues of Buddha, 400 performances of pagodas and 3,600 stalls and inscriptions. All survived the weather and other ravages of history, and only the obscene vandalism of some warned collectors took away fragments of the wonders of rock art during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Irony of history (and that is so much better): Caves remained virtually intact during the Cultural Revolution.

The layout of the cellars shall adopt a more or less identical pattern: an effigy of Buddha in the center surrounded by two disciples and bodhisattva. Tang's glaring and physical opulence contrasts with the starchy and statism of the North Wei figures: Longmen is a true panorama of the history of Buddhist art, of its arrival in China at the end of the Tang until the beginning of persecution against foreign religions, Buddhism in mind.

Visit

The caves are located on the west bank of the Yi River, north of the western hills along which the main structures take place. Then cross the river Yi to continue the visit of caves and the temple of the scented Hill. Here is the tour (which can only be done in this order…)

Just after the entrance, the Qianxi Temple (underground source temple) erected at the beginning of the Tang, which contains a Buddha of 7.40 m high, surrounded by two disciples, two bodhisattgo and two generals.

Binyang Caves (¶ ╩): they are in fact three caves (south, central and north), the most important of which is the center. Built under Emperor Xuanwu (500-516), in honor of his father (Emperor Xiaowen) and his mother (the Empress Wenzhao), they were conceived on the model of Lingyan Temple in Yungang (Datong).

The ensemble asked for more than 24 years of work carried out by more than 800,000 workers. At the entrance to the center cave, two Buddhism guards protect the three Buddhas: that of the Past (Mahakasyapa), Present (Sakyamuni, center) and Future (Maitreya). In the middle of the ceiling, one can see a lotus flower around which 10 apsaras fly (celestial dancers assimilated to daughters of joy).

The walls of the cave also contain four low-profile banners, which are now widely deteriorated. The third, representing two scenes from Emperor Xiaowen and Empress Wenzhao performing Buddhist rituals, is currently located at the Metropolitan Museum in New York and Kansas Nelson Art Gallery. Still visible, the first blindfold describes scenes of Buddha's life, the second of the representations of Buddhist philosophy and the fourth 10 carved Buddhist deities and flanked by two disciples and bodhisattvas. Between the central cave of Binyang and that of the south, the Yique tree with a height of 1.90 m high commemorates the construction of the Binyang caves.

Grotto to the ten thousand Buddha (Slovenia): This cubic structure of 5.90 m wide, 6.50 m deep and 5.80 m high, built in the life century, has over 15,000 Buddhist statues. In the center, the main statue is an Amitabha of 4 meters high on a pedestal shaped pedestal in eight petals (Sumeru), behind which is a bas-relief representing 54 bodhisattvas sitting on lotus leaves. On either side of Buddha there are four imposing warriors. The walls are covered with miniature representations of the main Buddha. The ceiling is decorated with a lotus flower around which an inscription indicates that the cave was completed in 680. The cave at Ten Thousand Buddhas is the only structure of Longmen with the date of construction, the destination, the names of the benefactors and the masterpieces. The cave was once flanked by two «guardian» lions who were stolen.

Grotto of the lotus flower (♀ ╩): It's one of the last caves excavated under the North Wei in 527. The high relief of the lotus flower flourishing at the center of the ceiling finally gave its name to the cave. Its provision is similar to the other Longmen structures: Buddha at the center flanked by two disciples and bodhisattgo. Its particularity lies in the treatment of the disciples who are this time bas-reliefs and not high reliefs. The walls of the cave are covered with performances of Buddha, the smallest of Longmen (2 cm at most).

Temple of the Ancestors' Cult (¶ ╩): built on a mid-height platform of the hill, it is the largest structure of Longmen, it represents Buddhist art at its peak. Wooden structures, including the roof, no longer exist today, exposing statues to the wind and rain, even if the authorities put forward front roofs on the edge of the cliff. Built in 672, the temple would have been commissioned by Empress Wu Zetian to increase his aura. It would have invested the budget for a year of beauty products to build this place. The Losana Buddha, in the center, with its 17.14 m height, is the largest statue of Longmen: Its head is 4 m long and its ears 1.90 m. Despite its gigantic proportions, inner sweetness and beauty emanate from it, producing a feeling of rare kindness and humanity in the Buddhist style. The artist would have realized a Buddha with feminine delicacy in tribute to Empress Wu Zetian. On either side of the Losana Buddha, two disciples, two bodhisattas, two celestial kings, two warriors and two apsaras, this succession form a sort of replica of the imperial court of the Tang.

Grotto of the medical pre-registration (♀ ╩): The cave dates from the life of the century. It is famous for its 140 medical formulas that adorn the entrance to the cave: an incomparable document for the history of Chinese medicine. More than a hundred of them correspond to herbal recipes and the rest to acupuncture treatment methods.

These remedies helped to treat all types of diseases including certain cancers.

Grotto of Guyang (♀ ╩): It's the oldest set of Longmen. The work began before the transfer of Datong capital to Luoyang, but its development, commissioned by Emperor Xiaowen, began in 494. The beauty of Guyang is the result of impressive imperial patronage: Following the Emperor Xiaowen, his mother and brothers, as well as his uncles, aunts and cousins and subsequent generations became important Benemen's benefactors. This natural horseshoe-shaped cave houses a statue of Sakyamuni of 4.80 m high, sitting on a podium, legs crossed and dressed in traditional kasaya (monk clothing). Buddha is surrounded by two bodhisattles preceded by a lion statue whose body seems unfinished. Of all Longmen caves, Guyang is the one with the largest number of jatakas (bas-reliefs retracing the life of Buddha). 19 of Longmen's 20 most beautiful calligraphies accompany the sculptures of the cave of Guyang.

Temple of Stone Cave (│): This is the last structure of the western hill.

Then we cross the Manshui bridge to the eastern caves. In order and by climbing the steps: the Guanyin with arms and thousand eyes, the cult of the cult of pure land, the cave of Lord Gaoping, the cave of the reading of the sutras and finally a large panoramic terrace to have an overview.

Finally, the Xiangshan Temple and the tomb of Bai Juyi closed the visit.

The Forbidden City is one of the great architectural legacies of ancient China and one of the only imperial palaces still standing in China today!

History

She served the emperors of the last two dynasties, Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911), and was built in only fourteen years between 1406 and 1420, when the second Emperor of Ming, Yongle (1360-1420) 24) moved the capital from Nankin to Beijing. The speed of building this 74-hectare set surrounded by a wide water gap of 50 meters, and a wall of 10 meters high, is quite surprising! More than 200,000 craftsmen participated in the construction and supreme sophistication of construction techniques, combining modernity (prefabrication and standardization) and tradition (aesthetic and symbolic), entered into the design of this masterpiece. The City was completely cut off from the outside world until 1924, when Puyi (1906-1967), the last of the twenty-four emperors who succeeded it, was expelled.

The palace is now one of the world's largest museums, astonishing witness to imperial golden age. It is a perfect example of Chinese classical architectural and urban aesthetic theories. This gigantic City adopts traditional rectangular form (N-S: 960 m; E-O: 750 m), preserved during multiple enlargements.

The current buildings date almost all of the eighteenth century: In 1664, the Mandchous burned the existing set to rebuild the palace of the new Qing dynasty on the ruins of the old. High quality materials from Fangshan quarries in the suburbs of Beijing for stone blocks, Sichuan, Hunan and Guizhou for wood were used in construction.

Visit

The ensemble consists of three distinct parts symmetrically taking place on a north-south axis: public buildings in front, private quarters in the center, and imperial garden in the rear. 9,999 rooms in total (not one more: According to legend, Jade emperor has a palace of 10,000 pieces in the sky, his son, the land emperor should not have that privilege).

The main entrance of the City. Wumen (not to be confused with Tian 'anmen gate, entrance of the ancient Ming City) consists of five openings, that of the center reserved for the Emperor, both of the east to the military and civilian, both from the west to the members of the imperial family.

The three palaces of the Front. On the front, a row of five marble bridges, representing the five confucian virtues (kindness, intelligence, fidelity, righteousness, respect for rites…) jammed the river to Golden Waters, and then came the gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihe Men) which leads to the great courtyard: the central esplanade, which can accommodate up to 90,000 people, where official ceremonies were held.

All around the world there are galleries with books and treasures, dishes, silks, stones and other objects… which the emperor could offer as a reward. In the middle of this esplanade is a terrace with 3 floors of white marble. Each level is surrounded by a balustrade with gurgles. On the large access stairs, the imperial emblem will be noticed in the dragons winding down.

Your steps will then lead you to the Supreme Harmony Hall (Taihe Dian) held by the two symbols of justice and imperial correctness: a solar dial on the right and a grain measure on the left.

In front of the Supreme Harmony Hall and the palace of Celestial Purity, you will see magnificent bronze turtles, symbols of peace. Within the Supreme Harmony Hall, on a seven-step stage, stands a throne; history tells us that the emperor was receiving visits by foreign envoys and presided over various ceremonies.

Just above the throne, by raising your eyes, you will see in the middle of a superb upper ceiling two golden dragons playing with a giant pearl, a motif often found in decoration on the Chinese ceramics of the time. For the anecdote, some say that the dragon represents the man constantly trying to catch the pearl, which would symbolize the woman, and play with it!

Don't forget to admire the roofs of each palace! That of the Supreme Harmony Hall is the most spectacular; its double roof covered with glazed yellow tiles is richly decorated. In order to remove evil spirits, ten fabulous creatures, including a lion, a phoenix, a dragon, a winged horse, a unicorn and an immortal, are aligned with the ends of the roofs of the roof. You will find some of these creatures, but in smaller numbers on the different roofs of the palaces of the Forbidden City.

Then you will enter the room of the Harmony of the Middle (Zhonghe Dian), where the emperor came to prepare before sitting in the room of Supreme Harmony… some sort of boudoir of the time in some way!

This hall was also used to receive ministers or other ambassadors in private, but this was mainly where the messages needed to be read in imperial temples, and that is also where the state of the seed was checked annually.

Then comes the Imperial Examinations Room or Hall of the Preserved Harmony (Baohe Dian) where exams to become "doctor" (jin shi) were held after long serving as a banquet hall.

As a general rule, no women were admitted to these halls of the outside court, where the emperor had primarily a representation role.

The three palace palaces; the interior courtyard and the imperial garden. Behind the gate of Celestial Purity (Qianqing Men), guarded by four golden bronze lions, are residential districts composed of a multitude of small halls, today showrooms of imperial treasures: to the west, the "Culture of the Spirit" (Yangxin Dian), where the emperor lived and worked (this is where the last emperor Puyi signed his declaration of abdication and recognition of the Republic in 1912); in the center, the emperor held a hearing in the Palace of Heavenly Peace (Qianqing Gong), followed by the Union of the Union and Peace (Jiaotai Dian), where the imperial unions were celebrated, and the dwelling of the empress (the Palace of Earth Peace; the Kunning Gong).

Then, to access the "Palace of Celestial Purity (Qianqing Gong), we cross a large terrace lined with cranes and turtles in bronze, symbols of immortality and longevity, and we will notice the presence of burning incenses, which are also found in the palace of summer and others." Some say that odors at the time were nauseous and were masked by burning perfumes in quantity!

This palace is the largest of the three and it was the one that hosted the nights of Emperors Ming and the first Qing. He then had a function of courtroom and banqueting (it was said that Emperor Qianlong presided over the «banquet of the ten thousand old» in 1785, which numbered more than 3,000 men aged 60 and over from all corners of the Empire). The last ceremony held there was the wedding of the last emperor Puyi in 1922.

Then comes the hall of the Union (Jiaotai Dian) or also the hall of the Powerful Fertility, conceived on a square plane which was first the hall of the Empress's throne. Then, from the reign of Qianlong, the imperial seals were preserved in this room. You can still admire them in windows. Burned in different stones, 25, they had the signature role, or rather administrative pills.

The Palace of Earth Tranquility (Kunning Gong) was the residence of the Empress under the Ming and was divided into two under the Qing; a large room serving as a sanctuary dedicated to Manchuric divinities, which demanded the offerings of flesh, and a smaller room painted in red, the Eastern Soft Pavilion, which became the bridal chamber of the Qing emperors.

The "Porte de la Paix" opens on the Imperial Garden (Yuhuayuan) in the xve century. Planted with pine and cypress, with its basins, pavilions and rocks, this garden, faithful to the philosophy of all Chinese gardens, tends to give an idealized view of nature in all its aspects: " centenary trees, rocks with tormented forms, Ten Thousand Spring stands and Thousand Autumns with round roofs like on the sky, which rest on a square basis like the Earth and reflect the harmony of the universe ". A small artificial hill stands in a corner of the garden, and it is the only place where the eyes can escape beyond the walls of the Forbidden City. At the top of this hill, a booth from where the emperor watched the moon, the 9 th day of the 9 th lunar month (day of the traditional moon festival).

At the bottom of the garden is the door of the obedient virtue (Shunzenmen), which allows access to the five kitchens of the north and the "door of the military engineer" from where we can reach the hill of coal.

On both sides of the Palais de Behind is a boondoggle of buildings intended for the hosting of the emperor, its wives and the many servants. You can visit the palace of the Lord Spring where the Empress Cixi and the Palace of the Elegances accumulated with a small theater, the Spirit Food Palace and the six palaces of the west, the Palace of Abstinence and the six palaces of the east, the palace of Tranquility and Longevity.…

Walking along the corridors and courses, you will visit temporary exhibitions in some rooms, you will undoubtedly admire the collections of paintings, ancient calligraphy, jades, bronzes, ceramics (mainly exposed in the palaces of the eastern wing). You will have to wander through this magnificent «city in the City» for a long time, to try to absorb you from its splendors… And yet, it holds so many treasures that we must return to it again and again to discover them!

The ensemble has been classified as UNESCO's human heritage since 1987.

Near the monastery, this Buddha statue, all bronze and recent invoices (1993), reaches a height of 34 m and weights 202 tons. There is a staircase of 268 steps. Once at the top, and if it is fine, we have a breathtaking view of the islands south of Tong Fuk's village.

This is the emblematic location of Shanghai and the ideal place to discover the history of the city.

A large number of buildings also deserve to be visited. Ancient palaces, large banks seats, some of the Bund buildings are mythical.

The Peace Hotel, which has just opened its doors after a long renovation period, is a masterpiece of Art Deco signed in 1929 by the most famous architectural agency of the time: Palm and Turner. The building illustrates the power of a family of entrepreneurs from Baghdad: the. Victor Sassoon, nicknamed the King of Real Estate, left behind a formidable architectural heritage. In addition to the peace hotel, which originally opened its name (the Sassoon House), it also built the Broadway Mansion, north of the Bund, the Embankment House which overlooks Suzhou River and the complex of the Jinjiang Hotel in the former French concession. The Peace Hotel will be distinguished by its large pyramid of green copper which once housed the apartments of the Sassoon family.

The Astor House, the oldest palace in Shanghai, has hosted great names such as Albert Einstein, Charlie Chaplin… Built in 1910, you can visit its corridors, borrowing its old wooden flooring over time. His ballroom hosted the first trading of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (in 1990) before it was relocated to Pudong. Deposed by the Peace Hotel in the 1920 s, he kept his charm.

Also, in the centre of the Bund throne the customs building, easily identifiable thanks to its clock tower and its Art Deco architecture of 1927, was built in replacement of a brick structure of the late th century. It is the only Bund building to have retained its function. The clock tower always walks the walk with its Westminster carillon.

Finally, on the left of the customs, is the former Bank of Hong Kong and Shanghai (HSBC) building, an imposing building with a central dome. This building, which was at the time the largest bank in Asia, is the work of the British architects'firm Palmer & Turner, craftsmen of the principal Bund buildings. The building had been requisitioned after the Communists took power to host the Shanghai City Hall, which will remain there until 1995, before moving to the modern buildings of the People's Square.

The Bank of Hong Kong and Shanghai tried to reintegrate its former head office, but in vain: the local authorities demanded such an exorbitant price that its original owner had to abandon it and finally settled at Pudong. It was the Pudong Development Bank that took over the building to make it its head office.

To see absolutely! The "Great Search" museum has been open to the public since 1979. This is the site of Xi 'an. It is also classified as UNESCO's World Heritage Site.

History

In 1974, peasants digging a well made the archeological discovery of the century: a fabulous army of 8,000 clay warriors who stand guard around the first emperor Qin Shi Huangdi. This terracotta army was called the eighth wonder of the world. The ensemble exudes incredible realism that surprises the visitor, giving the impression of being back…

At the moment, there are only three pools that have been released: the first in 1974, the second in 1980 and the third in 1994. But they are only partially. For when the opening of the pools was undertaken, the Chinese were amazed by the splendor of these statues all different and painted with finesse. But after three days paints that were so long buried did not resist air contact. The Chinese were very surprised at the disaster and stopped digging. That is why we can see many mounds where other soldiers are preserved, especially in the first pit.

It is estimated that it took thirty years of work, and more than 700,000 people to carry out the clay army, which was to accompany the emperor in his last voyage to the kingdom of the dead. Chinese archeologists believe that the three shoots discovered are part of an even larger ensemble, but excavations of the entire site will take decades (a model of the whole mausoleum allows to evaluate the scale of the site).

Visit

Hall of entry. Meet before you visit the pools in this first room. Two beautiful bronze tanks drawn by horses were found in 1980 in a wooden sarcophagus. Their scale is half the actual size. The reins are in gold and silver (the Chinese were masters of metallurgy techniques). These reduced models of real tanks represent a "comfort" tank and a "high" tank for large inspection tours of the vast kingdom. The comfort tank had warm water indoors and a cold water system for cooling during periods of high heat, some kind of air conditioning. The high tank had a dais protecting against weather, the opening and closing of which was controlled by a small joystick. They are displayed in the museum on site.

You can see photographs showing that the tank has literally been found in "thousand pieces" and that it took a very long and thorough work to the archeologists to replenish it fully. The discovery of this fabulous site is explained by photography.

Many art lovers would like to have even one of those soldiers. A Hong Kong billionaire would have offered to buy a whole soldier for 1 billion yuan. The Chinese government declined the offer.

Fosse No. 1. The first search, the most important by its size, is now protected by a structure. It is 210 m east and 60 m from north to south. It contains 6,000 warriors, engaged in battle training according to the most perfect military strategy of the day, reinforced with combat tanks drawn by horses (wooden tanks disappeared). The first rank is formed by generals and counselors and then follows four categories of soldiers: the riders, the simple infantrymen, the arkles laying a knee on the ground, and the chariots. This is distributed in 11 galleries and 38 columns. Warriors were equipped with 10,000 real weapons (now exposed separately). The steel of the arrows had undergone a kind of protective chromium that meant that the spikes reached us, without rust, still sharp.

Fosse No. 2. The second, smaller pit has about 1,000 statues. Still being excavated, it may be more striking, because we see the wooden roofs more or less slumped on the trenches and broken statues, slept, messed up… An archer, a non-commissioned officer and a general (distinguished by their hairstyles) are exposed to be seen. closely. Unfortunately, this pit has been loosely looted.

All trenches were protected by a roof roof impregnated with a conservation product. Clay statues were cooked at 900 ° C and are slightly larger than nature (approximately 1.96 m), probably to be more impressive. The faces of the faces are different from one statue to another, and show that the real army of Qin Shi Huangdi was composed of different ethnic groups (Han, Mongols, Tatares, etc.). The way of laying their long hair in different shades indicates the rank of each in the military hierarchy.

The details and diversity of faces, the folds of clothes testify to the mastery of artists, the technological knowledge of the time and the high level that Chinese art had already reached in the third century BC.

Fosse No. 3. It's the smallest of all the pools. It was discovered later, two years after the bulk of the troops. There are about 60 soldiers and a trolley. That would be the command post.

The parts discovered are likely part of a larger set. It was at the time that an emperor was buried with his often sacrificed servants and ministers. Pottery statues replace men. This army was built to accompany the first emperor Qin Shihuangdi in the kingdom of the dead.

Fosse No. 0006: In this grave, next to the emperor's tumulus, four servants and many pieces of bronze carts are found. The discovery dates from 2000, and the site has been open for only a few years.

Fosse No. 9901: No soldier in this pit near the emperor's tumulus, but what seems to be acrobats and entertainers of the monarch. In total, six characters singly different from soldiers in other pools and currently in the process of restoration, barefoot and short skirt. Many bronze objects were discovered here in 1999, including vases. The main interest of this site is that we can see archeologists at work, behind a glass.

The tour ends with a one-quarter movie shot with a panoramic camera. This film is a historical reconstruction of construction, destruction until the discovery of the army in terracotta. The film is visible in English and is very well done.

Attention: the site stores crafts and copies of statues. Prices are very unfair.

Literally «Palaces of the Eternal Harmony». It's a visit to not miss under any pretext! Located north-east of the Forbidden City, it is one of the largest, one of the most beautiful and best preserved among the temples of Beijing.

History

Formerly designed to be the palace of one of the emperor Kangxi's sons (1661-1722), Emperor Yongzheng, the building was rebuilt under the emperor Qianlong (son and successor of Yongzheng), who transformed him into a temple Tibetan where more than three hundred lamas were established responsible for studying Chinese and tattoo students. Every day there were ceremonies strongly inspired by Tibetan rites, sometimes barbarian, so we were reproducing with a doll the ritual of human sacrifice, some books even say that «red liquids were incorporated into the paste in which the doll was shaped, in order to reproduce the blood!» '. Everything was accompanied by dances executed by masked men… All this belongs to history now and you will not have the opportunity to attend such ceremonies that are no longer practiced and have been replaced by mere recitations of collective prayers around rice offerings and coins. At the fall of the last dynasty, the temple fell into ruins, and had to wait until an order was made the "national monument" to restore it… and reopen its doors in the 1980 s. Today the temple is inhabited by a community of monks, disciples of the Dalai Lama, members of the reformed Yellow Bonnets Cult (Gelukpa).

Visit

The temple consists of a succession of five courses planted with rooms of worship to the increasing importance as progress progresses northwards.

The first hall, the door of the Harmony (Yonghemen), is traditionally dedicated to Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future, which welcomes the faithful at the entrance of the temple. On both sides of Maitreya are the two pagoda of Longevity, incrusted with long-lived Buddhist symbols. Two pairs of guards protect the God of evil spirits, because according to Buddhism the Earth would be divided into four worlds protected by armed guards. Behind the screen, facing the north, is a statue of Wei Tuo, the protector of Buddhism.

Then we enter the second courtyard, the buildings that framed it are devoted to studying medicine, mathematics, eyelcerism and Buddhist philosophy. You will notice a beautiful collection of tankas (roller-colored paintings) and, at the bottom of the courtyard in the hall of the Eternal Harmony (Yonghe Dian), the three Buddhas of the present, the Past and the Future.

At the bottom of the third courtyard, the Hall of the Eternal Protection (Yongyou Dian), formerly the bedroom of Emperor Yongzheng while still only a prince, now houses three Buddha wooden Buddhas; the Longevity Buddha in the center, framed on the left by the Buddha of Medicine, and on the right by the Buddha to the roaring lion (the one who scares bad spirits).

Then we enter the fourth court. Do not forget to pause for a few moments to admire some examples of lamaic art in the side galleries, and you will discover in front of you the Salle de la Loi (Falun Dian), or take religious services on a daily basis. The architecture was developed according to the plan of a Greek cross and, by lifting your eyes, you will notice the complexity of the ceiling, unrelated to the previous flags. In the center of the hall, a huge golden statue of Tsong Kapa, the founder of the reformed Gelukpa doctrine, which instituted the abolition of marriage and hereditary mandate for its members. On the side walls of the temple, great frescoes reveal the story of Tsong Kapa, and on the wall of the Five Hundred Arhats, disciples allegedly slept in writing the sutras made by Sakyamuni.

The fifth and last courtyard reveals the Ten Thousand Bonheurs flag (Wan Fu Ge), a three-story pavilion, connected to two side pavilions by two hanging galleries. It is also called the tower of the Great Buddha, as it contains a giant statue of Maitreya. This 26 m high statue (18 m above ground and 8 m below), carved in a single trunk of santal wood from Tibet, is a gift made to Emperor Qianlong by the seventh Dalai Lama.

In the centre of the square is the magnificent Shanghai Museum: The exterior design is not necessarily a success (it looks like a bunker, even though the Shanghaiens nicknamed it "the basket"), but the collections, superbly presented, deserve to be spent a few hours.

The first Shanghai Museum was established in 1952 in the galleries of the old international concession field, today the building with a tower tower located behind the opera. The collections were then installed in the Art Deco building, which can still be seen at the corner of Henan Lu and Yan'an Donglu, before being moved to this new museum, specially built for the occasion and opened in 1995.

The current building in a ballot box consists of eleven galleries, partly funded by donations from overseas Chinese. On the ground floor is the sculpture room, a beautiful collection of 127 pieces, most of them being Buddhist sculptures of the Han Dynasty at Tang. The same floor also houses the bronzes gallery, 440 of the most beautiful pieces in the world: wine cuts, weapons, musical instruments of the periods Shang and Zhou (1480-221 BC), as well as the Spring and Autumns (772-481 BC). You can then visit the first floor of the collection of ceramics, which includes nearly 500 pieces, including the celadon of the Song dynasty and terracotta figurines covered with a layer of Polychrome polychrome ceramics. The entire panoply of the famous blue porcelain in Jindezhen ovens, under the Ming and Qing dynasties, is also in good stead. The museum also includes a room dedicated to Jade (third floor), but also to seals, calligraphy, painting (on the second floor), coins, Ming and Qing furniture (a very beautiful room), crafts of ethnic minorities (third floor).

Three rooms are also dedicated to temporary exhibitions, which are generally of very high quality.

The museum shop on the ground floor offers beautiful catalogues, postcards, but also reproductions of the quality of works. A large tea house opened its doors on the first floor of the museum, in a traditional, soft atmosphere.

The Shanghai Museum is undoubtedly the most beautiful of China, both by the quality of its collections and by its presentation. We are here far from the neon lights of the museums of the capital! Those who are not particularly fascinated by Chinese art will be seduced by these extraordinary collections. As for enthusiasts, they will have to spend long hours exploring this magnificent museum.

Here is undoubtedly one of the most interesting museums in the city. Built in 1975, it traces Hong Kong's history in several aspects: geological, economic, fauna and flora, people, customs… We will also note the screenings of small films for certain themes (in mini-cinema) which makes it a perfect place for children. Finally, some beautiful archeological and ethnographic pieces as well as old photos complement the collection. There are also reconstituted daily life scenes. An informative and playful visit for all ages.

It is now the heart of Beijing and the largest place in the world. Built between 1958 and 1960 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the People's Republic (1959), this symbolic inscription of political reality in urban space is accompanied by a grandiose architectural perspective. In the middle of its 40 hectares is the monument to the Heroes of the people, and then facing the Forbidden City stands the mausoleum of the new Emperor Mao; to the West, the People's Assembly and, to the east, the Museum of History and Revolution.

So here's a concrete mass of a Stalinist neo-classical bill designed by Soviet experts for a «1,000-year-old» regime. Once a popular arena at the gates of the Imperial Palace, this place remained a great place for the expression of the masses: demonstrations of Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution; tribute to the great leader Zhou Enlai in 1976; It is here that the students chose to scroll for democracy in 1989, or that the regime celebrated the 60 years of the People's Republic in October 2009. The place is always monitored by the police, sometimes closed to avoid mass movements at important events and anniversaries. By entering the square, you'll look for the control cameras that bordering Tian 'anmen. Make sure Tian 'anmen Square is also a popular Chinese walking place that likes to get immortalized on a photo before the impressive portrait of Mao overlooking the Tian' anmen door. The Pekinians also fly their kites, and the must of the provincial and some tourists is to come to the military ritual: every morning, at dawn, the soldiers of the People's Army hate the red flag and every evening at night it drops down.

This mythical place, around which the history of contemporary China has built, is a good starting point for visiting the Chinese capital. Take a small tour of the square before visiting the Forbidden City.

This fishing village occupies the west coast of the island. Once surrounded by salt marshes transformed into fish parks, this village does not lack charm. It is one of the last villages on Hong Kong stilts. It was built and is populated by the Premiers, the first inhabitants of Hong Kong. This community of nomadic fishing for centuries in the waters of the territory. The site is a very pleasant step for lunch. We follow the main street in the heart of the stalls of dried fish and shrimp blocks before access to Kwan Tai temple, right in Kut Hing Hou Jie. It dates back to the th century and is dedicated to the god of War and Droiture. Small altars erected along the street are dedicated to the god of the soil. This practice has been going on for 1 500 years. We turn right on this street (No. 47) to see the temple Hau Wong, dated 1699, dedicated to a hero who mortgaged the last emperor Song of the Mongols. Take right after the bridge and continue up to the roundabout of small houses. Everyone knows everyone here. Houses, which are aluminium-covered to maintain freshness, are transmitted from generation to generation.

In the heart of the skylines, close to the harbour, this large 17 hectare park offers pleasant walks along the banks, an Olympic swimming pool, tennis courts and jogging trails. This is one of the appointments of Tai-chi enthusiasts. It also attracts many of Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year (Flower Market) or the Mid-autumn festival.

The Chinese Pavilion was built at the Shanghai World Exposition (2010) by the architect and director of the He Jingtang academy of architecture. $ 220 million has been invested and the result is at least impressive (63 m high). It is a retournée pagoda that combines tradition with modernity. During the exhibition, subjects were treated around the general theme "a better city for a better life". Now converted into an art centre, it is still worth finding its place in the world of galleries and museums.

Hutong are the heart of the Chinese capital. These narrow streets, typical of the urban tradition of Beijing are some of the vibrant testimonies of the past and windows of daily life pékinoise: a mixture of old (architecture, atmosphere, gardens, temples) and modern (television antennas and perched parables on the old roofs of baked tiles, sometimes luxurious cars parked along the houses), popular (open doors on back of kitchen, old Chinese dorant in the sun, grannies m seated on mini stools, sellers at circulant auction perched on tricycles) and international (seats of Hong-Kongaises companies, karaokés and private clubs). Who did not walk in these hutong did not see the true Beijing. Most of these streets date back to the Yuan period, and the Qing and Ming dynasties perpetuated this form of urban fabric. With the opium wars and increasingly important contact with the West, a modern road gradually substituted into the traditional streets of Imperial Beijing.

Siheyuan 四合院: these traditional houses nested at the bottom of the hutong, the architecture derived from the designs introduced by Kubilai Khan, when he made Dadu (former name of Beijing) the capital of the Sino-Mongolian empire. The construction of a siheyuan is so special that it deserves some clarification. It is a single-foot house, composed of four buildings that form a closed enclosure on itself and open all on a square courtyard (hence the name "square courtyard" they are commonly given). From the outside, the often red lacquered door opens to the south through the grey walls and, after a quarrel (whose aim is to deceive the bad spirits, which, knowing that the right to be moved to them, breaks its nose over the wall), is finally between a second door in the house.

Right at the bottom of the courtyard facing south is the main building where usually the head of the family lived. In the two side buildings, the brothers and sons who had their own families were found. You could count up to six families who cohabited in a siheyuan. The fourth building opening to the north and closing the courtyard was traditionally reserved for domestic servants. In the courtyard, one or two trees, acacia, jujubier, grenadier, plum or persimmon, a grape grape or glycine, and also flowers are often noted: jasmine and peonies, and sometimes a aviary with pigeons or an aquarium.

The importance of siheyuan varies according to the social class of its inhabitants. The Chinese roofs, with nicely-spotted edges, are enough to overcome walls and form a kind of awning that can shelter the sun. Today some siheyuan, in hutong not threatened by destruction, are restored and stormed by Westerners.

Along the hutong, the small siheyuan parallel the wangfu (princely palate). Beijing included about sixty fortified palaces under the Qing, but these exuberant architectural ensembles were transformed into schools, hospitals or factories during the Cultural Revolution. These large houses placed on stone terraces were preceded by a sort of awning extending the roof, supported by columns. These are the spaces between the so-called jian columns used to measure their importance. For example, if the palaces of high-ranking princes could count up to seven jian, those of senior officials had only five or three, and most of them, only three. Today, the municipality seeks to preserve these unique legacies, despite its persistence in the rapid destruction of the old neighbourhoods to replace them with modern shops, hotels and other urbanization projects.

An example of a beautiful house to visit, if you have time: The Prince Gong Palace (Gong WangFu 恭王府), built under the Qing, which included one of the covered theatres of the capital, is open to the public every day (at No. 17 Qianhai Xijie, in the Houhai district, take bus 111). This palace has a total surface area of 32 000 m ² and was built to serve as a residence for He Shen, one of the favourites of Emperor Qianlong. Recently renovated, after being closed for many years, this palace is a small gem.

It is also in this neighbourhood that the best preserved hutong are in the capital: The entire tour of the Lacs Lakes, and east of the Tower and the Drum towers take place in the small labyrinthine alleys that deserve a long walk.

For a year or two, travel agencies have begun to exploit hutong, offering visites tours. This solution can be valid for those who do not have time to explore these neighbourhoods on foot. Independent pousse are directly offering their services on the shores of Lake Shishahai.

The lake, between large sand dunes, is formed by spring water. The dunes of Mingshashan form a spectacle that should not be missed. Especially a day of great wind when these sand hills sing, as Marco Polo had already observed. In the rising sun and above all setting, the landscape of the sand mountains is fantastic.

From here you can make camel walks in the desert of Gobi, or "surf of the sands" or paragliding from the top of the dunes. These relatively quiet activities have now added a lot of noisy quad circuits…

Huashan is one of the five sacred mountains of China. The mount is famous for its four steep granite peaks that resemble a lotus flower (hence its name that means "Mountain of Flowers"). The landscape that jalonneront your hiking is very beautiful. You climb for 7 km to reach the first peak. It takes about 4 hours. It will take you a little more than an hour to reach one of the other three peaks. The south reaches 2 200 m above sea level, but the others offer beautiful views also… and you can then join the three peaks. From northern peak a trail links summits, but there are narrow passages that can be dangerous in bad weather. Traditionally, the Chinese are leaving the evening with lanterns to get to the top of the sun, particularly famous. The sunrise is beautiful but no more. The landscapes have much more interest.

This gigantic tower dating back to 2001 and dominating the entire bay of its 338 m, encompasses the whole perspective around Macau. The site hosts a leisure and exhibition centre, a shopping centre, several restaurants and a cinema. We cannot miss this new monument, at the intersection of Avenida do Dr. Sun Yat-sen and Avenida Stanley Ho. A lift allows access to the 58 ^th floor, covered, and 61st floor open to all winds. The view of the Pearl River Delta, Macao and China, is exceptional. At the top of the tower you can walk, equipped with a harness, on the outer platform, climb the point of the tower, or make a saut leap (!).

This church is the most famous site of Macau. Its monumental facade and staircase are everything that remains of the'largest Christian monument in Asia '. Between 1602 and 1637, Jesuits assisted by Japanese Christians, fleeing from Nagasaki persecutions, built the building on one of the seven hills of Macao. This collegial church was used as an oratory at Collège Saint-Paul in 1594. They were missionaries. Consecrated in 1603, the building was very famous for its beauty, and received lavish donations from the largest kings of Europe. Matteo Ricci and many missionaries studied Chinese before leaving China offering their services to the Ming court as astrologers and mathematicians. In 1835, a fire killed the church only the monumental facade and staircase. The site was re-launched in 1991. The facade is surmounted by the Jerusalem cross. The lower niches houses bronze statues (flows to Macao in a barrel foundry). The Virgin Mary is framed of angels and flowers, the représentant representing China, and chrysanthème him in Japan. Behind the facade, you can go to the empty space that was previously the church (the location of the pillars is marked on the ground). At the bottom of the crypt, in a magnificent and clean place, the relics of the martyrs of Japan and Vietnam are preserved.

We understand why the name of the name is seen by the strange pond in the clear waters, but it is tinged with black because of the aquatic herbs that grow at the bottom. At the end of the pond, a beautiful arched bridge and a Chinese pavilion on water make up a beautiful array of mountains.