Appendix VIII　Samples of TETT

Appendix VIII　Samples of TETT

Bird's Nest

Location：O lym pic Green

Total land surface（sq.m.）：65，000－80，000

Seats：80，000 perm anent and 11，000 tem porary

O lympic events：Opening＆Closing Ceremonies，Athletics，Football final

Paralympic events：Opening and Closing Ceremonies，Athletics

“Bird's Nest”，also named the National Stadium，was themain venue of Beijing 2008 Olym pic Games.It was designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize Gainer Jacques Herzog，de Meuron and Chinese Architect Li Xinggang，shaped as a“bird's nest”，and looks like a cradle.

The National Stadium began on December 24，2003 and was completed in March，2008.The total construction cost wasmore than 2.2 billion.

The shape structure of“Bird's Nest”is a colossal saddle-shaped elliptic steel structure with 24 truss pillars in total.It is 333 meters long from north to south，294 meters wide from east to west，the highest point is68.5 meters and the lowest point is42.8 meters.It is the largest world's steel structure.The outside was covered by a sort ofmembrane，it got the demand of rain-proof，and sunshine can go through transparent roof to satisfy the demand of lawn growing.This specialmembrane can also helplighting within the stadium and effectively diminish glare and shadowing，allowing a more favorable com petition environment.

The“Bird's Nest”hosted the Opening and Closing Ceremonies，athletic events，and football final of Beijing 2008 Olympic Gameswhich was from August 8 to August 24，2008 and Beijing 2008 Paralym pics from September 6 to September 17，2008.After the Olympics，the stadium would continue to host international and dom estic sporting events，such as football.

Chengde Summer Resort

Chengde Summer Resort is located in the northern part of Chengde City，Hebei Province.Chengde Imperial Palace，also known as the Rehe Palace，iswithin the resort.The palace，covering an area of5.64 million squaremeters and including 110 buildingswith a combined floor space of 100，000 square m eters，was the place where Qing em perors spent their summer days.W ork on the palace began in 1703 and was completed in 1792.W ith a 10-kilometer-long zigzag palace wall，the resort is the largest intact im perial garden and palace in China.It was included in the UNESCO world heritage list since 1994.

The Summer Resort has a sim ple and elegant layout.Itwas built by the natural mountains and rivers and copying the landscape from the southern Jiangsu Province and outside of the Shanhaiguan.The palaces in this large-scale im perial garden were built in a style of quadruple courtyards，with blue bricks and tiles.

There are two parts in the Summer Resort—the palace itself and a scenic area.The palace was where the em peror lived，hand led state affairs and held celebrations or ceremonies.It ismade up of the Front Palace（1），the Pine Crane Tem ple（2），the Pine-Soughing Valleys（3）and the East Palace（4）.The scenic area inc ludes a Lake District，a District of Plains and a Mountainous District.The Lake District reflects the landscape of the fish-and-rice villages in the southern Jiangsu Province.The Rehe Springs are located in the northeast corner.The western part of the Plain District illustrates a grassland scene from Inner Mongolia while in the eastern part there are ancient trees like the forests of Greater Xing'an Mountain.The densely forested mountainous area is on an undulating landscape.

To the northeast of the Summer Resort is a monumental tem ple complex composed of eightouter templeswhich were built from 1713 to 1789.The tem ples are Furen Tem ple（5），Pule Tem ple（6），Anyuan Temple（7），Puning Tem ple（8），Xumi Fushou Tem ple（9），Putuo Zongcheng Tem ple（10）and Shuxiang Tem ple（11）.They were built in Han palace style and drewon the architectural styles of ethnic groups such as Mongolian，Tibetan and Ugyur.

The Pule，Puning and Xumi Fushou tem ples are themain structures of the complex.The Hall of Brightness in the Pule Temple which has a double-eave and doom roof is similar to the Hall of Prayer for Bountiful Harvests at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.In the Hall of the Bodhisattva of the Puning Tem ple there is a 22.23-meter-high Bodhisattva which has 1，000 arms and 1，000 eyes.The statue weighs 110 tons.

Dingling

Dingling consists of the underground palace and the surface structures，most of which are nowin ruin，leaving themagnificent soul tower still standing in a spacious courtyard.Each corner of the tower is a single block of stone.The rafters，beams and architraves are also carved out of stones and decorated with colorful motifs.The tower houses a large stone tablet inscribed with Wan Li's posthum ous title.

Immediately behind the tower is the burial mound encircled by a 700-meter-long brick wall.The mound is called the Precious City and directly beneath it is a m ammoth tom b—the Underground Palace，where the emperor and his two em presses were expected to live an eternal life in splendor and luxury.

The Underground Palace lies 27 metes below the surface.A flight of stone steps leads down to themain entrance，which is a richly carved gateway with a double-leafmarble door.Each leaf，4 tons in weight，hinges on an axis which is carved from the same piece ofmarble.The lower end of the axis rests in a hole on the stone doorstep and the upper end in a hole of the bronze lintel which weights ten tons.Each marble leaf，incredible，is thicker near the axis and tapers off toward themiddle of the door.This allows one person to open and c lose themassive door easily.The door was ingeniously sealed on the burial scene by a stone bar，known as the“self-acting stone”.Once put in place frominside，this boltwould prevent the door from ever being opened again.

The Underground Palace consists of three aligned vaults：the Ante-Chamber，the Sacrificial Chamber and the Burial Chamber.Each chamber is provided with an entrance gate asmassive as themain gate.

The Ante-Chamber is now bare.The Sacrificial Cham ber，flanked with an annex chamber on each side，contains three white thrones.The central one，carved with dragons in high relief on its back and sides，was for the em peror，who was flanked in death by two empresses on thrones carved with phoenixes.In front of each throne is a set of fivealtar pieces and a large blue-and-white porcelain jar still containing oil and wick in a bronze tube.This is called“everlasting lamp”which was supposed to provide“everlasting light”.M idway along the side walls are sim ple arched doorways leading into the annexes.Each annex contains a stone couch on which an empress's coffin was to rest.In the center of each couch there is a square hole in which yellowearth was placed，presenting a secret connection between the coffin and the earth.At the end of each annex is a huge gate with a self-acting stone.Beyond the gate is a vaulted passage which is blocked.It was intended for the entombment of the em presses who died after the em peror，as no one was supposed to disturb his corpse.

In the Burial Chamber，the largest part of the tomb stands three redlacquered coffins，side by side on a white marble platform.The one in themiddle is the Emperor's coffin，with the First Empress's on the left and the Second Em press's on the right.Inside each coffin there is another coffin，and thus，each im perial corpse is held in two coffins，one keptwithin the other.In the narrow spaces between the three sets of coffins are two pairs of vases and three boxeswhich originally contained a wooden im perial seal and wooden tablets recording the bestowal on the em peror of his posthumous title.There is also an iron helmet decorated with gold and jewels，a suit of mail，a sword，a bowand iron-tipped arrow s.

On either side of the coffins are 26 wooden chests that contain wooden figurines，women's head-dresses decorated with golden phoenixes and jewels，wooden seals with the posthumous titles of the em presses，jade belts，strings of jade pendants，robes，shoes and sets of gold chopsticks，spoons，cups，and wash-basins.Also on the platform were wooden models of sedan chairs，coaches，spears，bow s，arrow s，flagstaffs with silk banners and other objects used in im perial processions.

W hen the emperor's coffin was opened，a silk shroud，jade cups and jade bow ls with a gold cover were first exposed.The shroud was then carefully rolled back，revealing among other precious objects a royal crown which was the only royal crown excavated so far in China.Of Em peror Wan Li，only bones and hair remained.He wore a beard，and his long hair in a top knot was secured with long gold pins.The“dragon robe”in which he was buried is not so well preserved as a similar one buried with him.Rolls of silk，all in gorgeous patterns and many woven with gold thread，form his mattress and bedding.Both em presses'coffins contained phoenix coronets and other headdresses，bronze mirrors and gold boxes for cosm etics and toilet artic les.The coronets are of fine gold mesh with dragons and phoenixes，each adorned with more than a hundred germs and five thousand pearls.

Most of the relics（some three thousand pieces）are on display in the Dingling Museum Exhibition Hall，which has attracted millions of visitors from China and abroad since themuseum opened in 1959.

Emei Mountain

Emei Mountain lies seven kilometers southwest of Emeishan City and is one of the fourmountain ranges in China that Buddhists consider sacred.Itwas included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1996.The mountain stretches more than 200 kilometers fromsouth to north.Its main peak，Wanfo Top，is3，099 meters above sea level.Since ancient times Emei Mountain has been described as“Beauty Under Heaven”.Templeswere built as early as the Eastern Han Dynasty（25－220）and Buddhism was introduced to themountain during the Jin Dynasty.In the Ming and Qing Dynasties there were more than 150 tem ples.

A legend claims that themountain was where Samantabhadra gave lectures on Buddhism and most tem ples house a statue of Samantabhadra.The main scenic spots on themountain include the Baoguo Temple，Wannian Tem ple，Fohu Temple，Qingyin Pavilion，Heilongjiang Tunnel，Hongchun Platform，Xianfeng Tem ple（Jiulao Cave），Xixiang Pond and Golden Summit.These places are at different altitudes and have different climates.Tem peratures at the top of mountain are 15 degrees lower than at the foot.Emei Mountain is a well-known naturalmuseum with more than 3，000 specimens of plants and 2，000 types of animals including groups ofmonkeys that appear on themountain roads and fascinate the tourists.

Baoguo Tem ple sits at the foot of themountain at the entrance and exit of them ountain area.The tem ple was built during the reign ofM ing Em perorWanli（1573－1620）.About 15 kilometers from the Baoguo Temple is Wannian Temple，one of themain tem ples in themountain area.Wannian Tem ple，or the Tem ple of Samantabhadra，was known before the Ming Dynasty.It was built during the reign of Em peror Long'an of the Eastern Jin Dynasty（397－401）.It has no beams and houses a bronze statue of Buddha Samantabhadra mounted on a sixtoothed a white elephant cast in the fifth year of the Northern Song Dynasty.The statue is 7.3 meters high and weighs 62 tons.Xianfeng Temple is situated at the foot of the Jiulao Peak and the old halls were builtwith tin sheets and iron tiles.The intact hallswere rebuilt in 1779.Fohu Temple is located one kilometerwest of Baoguo Temple and at the foot of Fohu Hill.It is one of the largest tem ple in themountain area.Rebuilt in 1651，it covers an area of 13，000 square meters and is accessible from the highway.At the Golden Summit，the pinnacle of themountain area 3，065 meters above sea level，is Puguang Hall of Temple.It was constructed during the Eastern Han Dynasty and has been rebuilt several times after being struck by lightning.The Golden Summit is an ideal place to view the sunrise，the sea of clouds，the“Buddhist lights”and“Sacred lam ps”.

The Giant Buddha on the east bank of Mingjiang River in Leshan City，Sichuan Province，rests his feetwhere three rivers—the Minjiang，Qingyi and Dadu—join.The Buddha faces Emei Mountain across the river and at its back is the western slope of Lingyun Mountain.Standing at70.7 meterswith shoulders 24 meterswide，it is an im pressive sight.A water drainage system reduces erosion by rain and slow sweathering.

The statue was completed in 803.To the right of the statue a plank road with nine turns was built and it is now famous as the nine-turn plank road；it goes from the bottom to the top.

Forbidden City

Lying at the center of Beijing，the Forbidden City，called Gu Gong in Chinese，was the Im perial Palace during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.Now known as the Palace Museum，it is to the north of Tian'anmen Square.Rectangular in shape，it is the world's largest palace com plex and covers74 hectares.Surrounded by a six-m eter deep moat and a ten-meter high wall are 9，999 buildings.The wall has a gate on each side.Opposite the Tian'anmen Gate，to the north is the Gate of Devine Might（Shenw umen），which faces Jingshan Park.The distance between these two gates is 960 meters，while the distance between the gates in the east and west walls is 750 meters.There are unique and delicately structured towers on each of the four corners of the curtain wall.These afford views over both the palace and the city outside.The Forbidden City is divided into two parts.The southern section，or the Outer Court，waswhere the em peror exercised his supreme power over the nation.The northern section，or the Inner Court，was where he lived with his royal family.Until 1924 when the last em peror of China was driven from the Inner Court，fourteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty and ten em perors of the Qing Dynasty had reigned here.Having been the im perial palace for some five centuries，it houses numerous rare treasures and curiosities.Listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987，the Palace Museumis nowone of themost popular tourist attractions world-wide.

The construction of the palace com plex began in 1407，the 5 th year of the Yongle reign of the third em peror of the Ming Dynasty.It was completed fourteen years later in 1420.It was said that a million workers including one hundred thousand artisans were driven into the long-term hard labor.Stones needed were quarried from Fangshan，a suburb of Beijing.Itwas said a wellwas dug every fiftymeters along the road in order to pour water onto the road in winter to slide huge stones on ice into the city.Huge amounts of timber and othermaterials were freighted from faraway provinces.Ancient Chinese people displayed their very considerable skills in building the Forbidden City.Take the grand red city wall for exam ple.It has an 8.6 meters wide base reducing to 6.66 meterswide at the top.The angular shape of the wall totally frustrates attempts to climb it.The bricks were made from white lime and glutinous rice while the cem ent ismade from glutinous rice and egg whites.These incredible materials make the wall extraordinarily strong.

Since yellowis the sym bol of the royal family，it is the dominant color in the Forbidden City.Roofs are built with yellow glazed tiles；decorations in the palace are painted yellow；even the bricks on the ground are made yellow by a special process.However，there is one exception.W enyuange，the royal library，has a black roof.The reason is that itwas believed black represented water then and could extinguish fire.

Nowadays，the Forbidden City，or the Palace Museums，is open to tourists from home and abroad.The splendid painted decoration on these royal architectural wonders，the grand and deluxe halls with their surprisingly magnificent treasures will certainly satisfy“modern civilians”.

The GreatWall of China

The Great Wall of China was built mainly to protect the Chinese Em pire from the Mongolians and other invaders.It was first built in the 7 th century B.C.when China was still divided into many small states.The construction of the Great Wall had never ceased for nearly all the Chinese fuadal dynasties.

The GreatWall of China extends 4，000 miles westward：From the China Sea Town of Shanhaiguan to Gansu Province.

The majestic Great Wall was built with wisdom，dedication，blood，sweat and tears.It has been estimated that somewhere in the range of 2 to 3 million Chinese died as part of the centuries-long project of building the wall.

Nearly everyone has heard of the huge stone wall known as the GreatWall of China.As one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in China，the Great Wall is not just a wall，but a symbol of bravery and wisdom of Chinese people.

Guiyuan Tem ple

Chinese Buddhist tem ples are never single buildings.They always consist of a group buildings following a fundamental patter，which can，however，be modified.The main buildings and their symm etrically corresponding secondary buildings formindividual groups and courtyards.The entire temple com plex is spacious.The buildings inside the com plex are usually single-storied and themain halls are sometimes decorated with a double roof.The towers，pavilions and halls can be multi-storied structures.

The Chinese tem ple com plex has been subject to great structural changes throughout the centuries.But tem ple architects follow the basic principles of secular structures from the Tang Dynasty onwards.The complexes stand on a central axis，usually a north-south axis：east-west only as an exception.（Guiyuan Temple is just the very exception.）The main buildings are strung along this central axis，their broadest sides facing south or east.

The most im portant and most frequently presented building inside a Buddhist tem ple com plex are themain entrance gate，the bell and drum towers，the Hall of the Heavenly Kings，the Hall of the Buddha and a pagoda.

Buddhismis said to be founded in India in the 6 th century BC by Siddatha Gautama（BC 565- BC 486），the son of a nobleman and member of the Kshatriya caste near the present borders of India and Nepal.Buddhism advocates that all the people are created equal and turns against the caste system of Brahmanism，so itwas popular with the common people.

Itwas said that Buddhism was spread to China in 2 BC.At the beginning，it was only regarded as a kind of witch.About 200 AD，Chinese version of Buddhist's scriptures began to appear，and thus，Buddhist doctrines began to emerge with the traditional Chinese religious thought.From the 2nd century to the late 6 th century，the translation and research of Buddhist sects with Chinese characteristics were becoming more and more popular and many tem pleswere built，which reached its peak in Sui Dynasty（581AD- 617AD）and Tang Dynasty（618- 907）.Som e Buddhist sects with Chinese characteristics cam e into being.Buddhism exerts a great influence on Chinese philosophy，literature，art and folk customs.

What is presented before our eyes is a copper statue of a famous bodhisattva in Hynayana Buddhism.Bodhisattva is a title which is only next to Buddha.This statue is the image of Avalokitesvara，which has been popular with Chinese people or more than 1，000 years.She is called the Goddess of Mercy cordially by Chinese and is regarded as the symbol of kindness，mercy and benevolence.W hen we visit the Avalokitesvara Pavilion after a while，Iwill give a detailed introduction about her.This copper statue was sent to Guiyuan Tem ple by Taiwan Buddhists in September 1990.It shows that all Chinese，whether in themainland or in Taiwan，are eager for the reunion of the country，even including religion believers.

The building we see nowis the Buddha Hall where one certain Buddha and his two assistant bodhisattvas are worshiped.This Buddha is Amitabha Buddha.Amitabha means incomparable brightness.According to Buddhism，time and space are limitless and thus there are many Buddhas in different spaces and times.But in a certain space or in a certain period of time，there is only one certain Buddha who is in charge of instructing all living creatures.Amitabha Buddha is the Buddha who presides over the Land of Ultimate Bliss in the west，which will come in the future.Buddhist's scriptures describe the Land of Ultimate Bliss as a wonderland，in which no pain exists and the people enjoy their lives.In one word，it's very attractive.Some people will think itmust be very difficult to enter such a world.How can Igo to such a paradise？Maybe Ihave to work hard and bear a lotof sufferings.In fact，it's very easy to enter the world.He only needs often murmur“May Buddha preserve us”sincerely.It's enough.

You see，the statue in themidd le is the very Buddha.On his left is the Goddess of Mercy.On his right is the other bodhisattva who follows the Buddha.It is said that he can save all the living creatures from three kinds of terrible disasters.

Now，let's step into the Buddhist's scriptures pavilion where the scriptures of Buddhism are kept.But I'm afraid what attracts our attention at the first sightmust be this snow-white statue.It is a statue of Sakyamuni，the founder of Buddhism.This statue was carved out of a big piece of jade which is2-meter-tall and weighs 3 tons.Itwas carved by Myanmar handicraftsmen and donated to the tem ple by the Rangoon Buddhists in 1935.

Ifwe watch the statue，we may sense that the peaceful expression on the Buddha's face would bring us to a quiet and harmonious state.

The last building we will visit is the Avalokitesvara Pavilion in the north yard.W hen we entered the yard just now，we sawa statue of her.Now I'd like to introduce her carefully.

As a goddess，she swore that she would not become a Buddha until all the living creatures suffering from painswere saved.So she became a bodhisattva who ismost popular among the people and attracts themost believers of all the gods and goddesses in Buddhism.Itwas said thatone would be saved from trouble and disaster as long as he（she）chanted her name and if it was heard by her.Thus she is called Guanshiyin，which means“hearing or looking on the voices of the suffering”.Because of her kind heart and benevolence，she got another title“the Goddess of Mercy”.

According to Buddhism，bodhisattvas have no distinction of gender，that is，they are neithermale nor female，because they are immortals.But it's very strange and interesting that most of bodhisattvas were engraved or carved in the images of various kinds of men in human society.Changes didn't take place until an emperor'smother thought it was inconvenient to worship a male bodhisattva in her bedroom.From then on，the bodhisattvas began to appear before her believers in the image of a beautiful and elegant lady.

Im perial Tom bs of the Western Xia

Yuan Hao assumed the imperial title was known as the Xia Kingdom.In 1227，the Western Xia was conquered by the Yuan em peror Tai Zu（Genghis Khan）.The Western Xia had ten ruling em perors over a 190-year period.The sites of imperial mausoleums were chosen nearby at the east foot of Helan Mountain，25 kilometers west of Yinchuan City.

On the southeast corner at the foot of Helan Mountain are two large mausoleums，probably Jialing and Yulingmausoleums of Li Jiqian and Li Demin，who were posthumously designated Em peror Tai Zu and Em peror Tai Zong.The architectural arrangementof themausoleum area makes these two mausoleumsmost prominent，followed by others later.

Like other im perial tombs，the Western Xia mausoleums are composed of two architectural units，themausoleum gardens above ground and underground palaces.All themausoleum gardens face south，and their architectural forms above ground have some unique characteristics，though they are quite similar to mausoleums of the Tang and Northern Song Dynasties in Gongxian County.

Based on some excavations，each mausoleum had a unified layout，occupying an area ofmore than 100，000 square meters，surrounded by inner and outer walls.At each corner of themausoleum gardens were watchtowers，providing visual indicators of the boundaries，serving functions similar to those of watchtowers of the Imperial Palace（the Forbidden City）in Beijing.The Mausoleum gardens were organized fromsouth to north：Stone gates，tablet pavilion，outer city，inner city，hall furnished as an im perial bedroom and spiritual terrace.

In each of the four inner city walls is a gate；between the hall and terrace is an earth ridge shaped like a fish back，about50 meters long.It is the earth covering of the tomb passage.The northern tip of the ridge is the highest point of themausoleum garden，and is themound above the underground palace.The mound，also known as the spiritual terrace，can be seen fromsome distance because of its height.

The unique characteristics of the Western Xia mausoleums are clearly visible on the spiritual terraces.The mausoleum mounds of the Han，Tang and Northern Song Dynasties are generally high，squarebased packed earth moundswith tapering tops cut flat and gently sloped sides.Com pletely different，themounds of the Western Xiamausoleums look like squat Buddhist pagodas，round or octagonal and about 20 meters high.Exam ples seen today have five or seven stories，each of which is built with flying rafters overlaid with rows of tiles，richly decorated with an interspersing of glazed green tiles.

Jimei School Village

Jimei School Village is a general name for all schools and cultural institutions here.Itwas built by Mr.Tan Kah-kee in 1913.After decades of development，the village now covers a floor space area of over 100，000 square kilometers and there are more than 10，000 students in it.The higher learning institutions are Xiamen Aquatic Products College，Jimei Navigation College，and Jimei Finance and Economy Institute and Business Administration College，etc.There are also secondary specialized schools，midd le schools，primary schools，kindergartens and nurseries schools in the village.In addition to the schools metioned above，one may find here auditoriums，swimming pools，stadiums，cinemas，hospitals and navigation clubs.They are rare throughout the country for their large scales and good facilitation.

Jimei School Village，blending the Chinese architectural style with the Western one，has become a symbol of Jimei.Among the buildings with the unique style are Daonan Lou in Jimen Midd le School，Nanxun Lou in Overseas Chinese School and the Teaching Building of Navigation College.In front of Daonan Lou is the Dragon Boat Pond，800 meters long and 300 meters wide.Around it are seven pavilions of different styles，with curved eaves and carved pillars.They are called“Seven Stars Falling onto the Ground”.In themiddle of the pond stand two pavilions designed by Mr.Tan Kah-kee，which are nam ed“Lonely Star Accom panying the Moon”.Every year，during the Dragon Boat Festival，the dragon boat racing is held in the pond with shining ripples and melodious Nanqu（South Fujian Opera）accompanied by drumbeats.Several international dragon boat racings have been held here and attracted groups of tourists at home and abroad.

Jokhang Temple is the spiritual center of Tibet.Everyday pilgrims from every corner of Tibet trek a long distance to the tem ple.Some of them even progress prostrate by body length to the threshold of the temple.Pilgrims fuelm yriad of flickering butter lamps with yak butter，or honor their deities with white scarves（Kha-btags or Hada）while murmuring sacred mantras to show their pieties to the Buddha.

It lies at the center of the old Lhasa.Built in 647 by Songtsen Gam po and his two foreign wives，it has a history ofmore than 1，300 years.Itwas said that Nepal Princess Tritsun decided to build a tem ple to hold the Jowo Sakyamuni aged 12 brought by Chinese Princess Wencheng.Princess Wencheng reckoned according to Chinese astrology that the tem ple should be built on the pool where the Jokhang is now located.She contended that the poolwas a witch's heart，so the temple should be builton the pool to get rid of evils.The pool still exists under the temple.Then goatswere used as themain pack animals，as is the reason that the city is called Lhasa.The construction took 12 months.However，it was originally small and had been expanded to today's scale in later dynasties.When the Fifth Dalai Lama took reign，large-scale reconstruction and renovation had been done.The tem ple is a com bination of Han，Tibetan and Nepalese architectural techniques.Visitorswill see sphinx and other weird and sacred sculptures.

The tem ple keeps many invaluable cultural relics.The most fam ous and valuable one is the Jowo Sakyam uni aged 12，which is circum ambulated by thousands of pilgrims day and night.On his sides，there are altars of Songtsen Gam po and his two wives who introduced Buddhisminto Tibet.Them urals in them ain hall are also worth seeing，depicting the procession of PrincessW encheng arriving in Tibet and the building of the Jokhang Tem ple while other murals tell Jataka stories.Two thangkas imaging Yamantaka and Chakrasam vara from the Ming Dynasty（1368- 1644）still remain in perfect condition.The gold bumpa（a vase）upon which the reincarnations of Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama are decided，musical instruments brought into Tibet by Wencheng and other im portant stuffs are also kept here.

Every year，the Great Prayer Festival will be held in the tem ple.The rites of Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas'initiation into lamahood are also held in themonastery.

Genghis Khan，“Khan of Khans”，was the great leader of Mongolians.At the end of the 12 th century，he united Mongolian tribes and challenged other powers to expand his huge Mongolian em pire，which extended from South China to the Caspian Sea.(https://www.daowen.com)

In 1277，Khan attacked the West Xia Kingdom（presently Ningxia）and encountered strong resistance.He died of disease and age.The great em peror was later buried secretly according to Mongolian custom.It says that after the burial 2，000 men were slaughtered by some 800 soldierswho were in turn executed so that the location of the real tomb remains a secret.

Genghis Khan'sMausoleum，rebuilt in 1954 185 kilometers south of Baotou，is amausoleum，in which only his clothing is buried in memory of the great leader.The 5.5 hectares mausoleumincludes three giant yurt halls which house coffins of the Khan，his wife，his son and his generals.

There are four sacrifice ceremonies held annually to commemorate the great hero and leader of the Mongolian people.The ceremony，held on March 21st on lunar calendar，is the grandest.After the ceremony，horse racing，archery and wrestling are held as entertainment.

King Yu Temple and Tomb

This site is located four kilom eters southeast of Shaoxing.King Yu or the great Yu was believed to be the King of Xia，a Chinese dynasty from the twenty-second to the sixteenth century B.C.He was remembered for his extraordinary efforts in flood control.The tem ple which was first built in the sixth century and has since been rebuilt on many occasions is composed of Meridian Gate（W umen），Memorial Hall，and the Main Hall，all built on the same axis.Da Yu's statue stands inside them agnificent twenty-four-m eter-high Main Hall，which is double-eaved with painted ridge poles and engraved beams.The Goulou Pavilion in front of meridian Gate houses a monument，also named Goulou，which is said to have been erected by King Yu when he was taming the flood.In the Burial Stone Pavilion（Bianshiting）east of the temple is a two-meter-high cone-shaped stone believed to have been used at King Yu's funeral.King Yu's tomb sits to the left of the temple.

Lanting Pavilion

Located at the foot of Lanzhou Hill fourteen kilometers southwest of Shaoxing，this pavilion is where themaster calligrapher Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty（317- 420）w rote a famous essay about his meeting with some friends here in 353.W hile in high spirits，Wang Xizhi wrote an article called“Prologue to the Lanting Pavilion Collection”.Eminent and praiseworthy in both calligraphy and literary talent，this article became amasterpiece in these two fields.Wang Xizhi was crowned as the“sage of calligraphers”from then on and this pavilion came to prominence from this event.Now，O rchid Pavilion has been regarded as the Mecca for calligraphers.The existing garden and buildings were rebuilt in 1548.A small stream，called Curved Stream（Qushui），runs through the secluded garden，with Liushang Pavilion on its bank.Nearby，at Goose Pond（Echi），there is another pavilion which houses a stone tablet engraved with two Chinese characters：“E，Chi”，said to be in Wang Xizhi's brush writing.

Lu Xun's Former Residence

The residence，a two-storied wooden structure in the traditional style，is found at208 Lu Xun Road in Shaoxing.Lu Xun lived here until he went to study abroad.He received revolutionary soldiers and young students here from 1910 to 1912 when he returned home to teach in a local school，and itwas here that hew rote his first novel.To the east of the residence is the Three Flavor Study（Sanweishuyu），a private school that Lu Xun attended during his childhood.

The Mansion of Confucius

Located in Qufu，Shandong Province，the tourist area，which includes the Mansion，Temple and Cemetery of Confucius，enjoys a worldwide fame as a traditional Chinese cultural site.They attract numerous tourists from both home and abroad annually.In 1994，they were listed asworld cultural heritage sites.

The Mansion of Confucius is the living quarters of the first grandson of Confucius，a great philosopher，educator and a founder of Confucianism.It is also known as Master Yansheng's Mansion because in 1055，or the second year of the reign of Song Emperor Zhaozhen，Kong Zongyuan，the 46 th generation male descendant of Confuciuswas given the title“Master Yansheng”.The title was passed down to Kong Decheng，the 77 th generation male descendant of Confucius.

W ith an area of 160，000 square meters，themansion has nine courtyardswith 463 rooms along the east，west and midd le routes.The main part of themansion centers the houses along themiddle route.The first four yards contain offices and the other five serve as residences.At the rear it is a garden.The mansion storesmore than 9，000 volumes of files from 1534（the 13 th year of the reign of Ming Em peror Jiaqing）to 1948 and great quantities of rare and precious cultural and historical relics.

The Tem ple of Confucius served as a place for worshipping Confucius in various dynasties.In 478 B.C.，the second year after Confucius'death，the ruler of the State of Lu converted Confucius'form er residence，the three-room mansion，into a tem ple and made it a place for worshipping Confucius.The temple was constantly renovated and expanded to its present size by the emperors of the Western Han Dynasty and the following historical periods.It covers an area of 218，000 square meters and is 1，120 meters in length fromsouth to north.There are nine courtyards and 466 rooms along three routes in the left，right and midd le.The temple has an outer wall，with four corner towers，which shelters ancient pines.The main buildings along themidd le route are Kuiwen Pavilion，Thirteen Stele Pavilion，Xingtan Pavilion，Dacheng Hall，Hall of Confucius'W ife and Shengji Hall.Dacheng Hall stands out and is themain hall where Confucius was worshipped.

The temple houses some 2，000 tablets dating from the Western Han Dynasty rightup to the founding of the People's Republic of China.They are one of the largest collections of tablets in the country.There are now three exhibition halls displaying tablets from the Han Dynasty and Six Kingdoms ofW ei，stone statues from the Han Dynasty and calligraphic carvings on Yuhonglou tablets.The 17 tablets of the Han Dynasty are the largest collection in the country in terms of quantity reserved in one place.

The Cemetery of Confucius is about 1.5 kilometers north of Qufu and is the Confucius family cemetery.It takes up 1.998 million square meters and around it there is a seven-kilometer-long hedge.The pavilions，towers，halls and archways built in various historical periods are set in a forest.Behind the Zhushui Bridge is the graveyard，dating from the Eastern Zhou，which houses the tomb of Confucius，the tom bs of his son Kong Li and grandson Kong Ji.The tomb of Confucius is 6.2 meters high and has a circum ference of88 meters.

Mawangdui

Mawangdui is located in the eastern outskirts of Changsha，about four kilometers from the center of the city.For centuries itwas said that King Mayin of Chu of the Five Dynasties Period was buried here and hence the name“Mawangdui”.Formerly there were two earthen mounds closely linked together in the shape of a horse sadd le，thus it was also called“Ma'andui”.In some historical documents itwas called“Erfeimu”and“Shuangnvfen”.It was said that Lady Tang，themother of Liufa，Prince Din of Changsha in the early Han，and another im perial concubine，Lady Cheng，were buried here.Yet another record said that these were the tom bs of Prince Liufa and hism other Lady Tang.

The opinions about who was buried here varied widely and the truth did not come outuntil the excavations began in 1792.It turned out that there were three tombs at Mawangdui.The eastern mound was known as Tomb No.1，and the western mound as Tomb No.2.The third tomb was located to the south of Tomb No.1 and covered up by the sealing soil of the latter，so there was no visible trace of its existence.The three seals unearthed from Tomb No.2“Chancellor to the Prince of Changsha”，“State the Marquis of the Dai”and“Licang”indicate that Mawangduiwas the burial ground of Licang，chancellor to the Prince of Changsha Stare and Marquis of Dai in the early Western Han Dynasty，and his family.The historical records give Licang's death as occurring in the second year of the reign of Em press Dowager Liu.The occupant in Tomb No.3 is believed to be his son.Unearthed form the tomb was a wooden tablet inscribed with the burial date.

After careful textual research this was identified as the twelfth year of the reign of the Han Emperor Wen Di.The corpse in Tomb No.1 is that of Licang'swife，whose personal name，according to an unearthed seal，was Xingzhui.A study of the stratigraphical relation of the tom bs and the burial objects led to conclusion that Tomb No.1 dated from about the sixth decade of the second century B.C.，a little later than Tomb No.3.

The three Han tombs were immense.Tomb No.1 was preserved very well.The coffins in Tomb No.2 were mostly rotted.Most of the funeral objects were dam aged and the corpse was totally decom posed because the tomb had been robbed in the past.The construction of Tomb No.3 remained that of Tomb No.1，but itwas slightly smaller in size and there were only three steps at themouth of the pit.There were three coffins in the wooden chamber butonly a skeleton remained in the innermost coffin because the sealing was not tight enough.The funeral objects unearthed are abundant.There are paintings，books，maps，weapons，musical instrum ent，silk fabrics and so on.Both the innermost coffins of tombs No.1 and No.3 were covered by a T-shape.

Color painting on silk.The two paintings are of similar subjects.The heavenly world，human society and the nether world are depicted.The top section portrays the sun，themoon，stars，a big tree of am ythic island，celestial beings，heavenly gate guards，etc.The middle section depicts a scene of the tomb occupant offering sacrifices to gods.The bottomsection represents a giant standing on the back of a pair of big mythical fish，holding up the earth.W ell balanced and ingeniously composed，the paintings harmoniously interweave fairy tales with reality.The artistic skill of the paintings makes them masterpieces of ancient art.Judging from the shape，contentand the positionswhere the paintingswere placed in the tombs，we know that they are a kind of funeral banner called“M ingjing”.These banners were used in funeral ceremonies to usher the spirit up to heaven，reflecting the superstitious thinking of the feudal rulers.

From 1972 to early 1974，Chinese archacological workers unearthed three tombs of the Western Han Dynasty here and achieved trem endous results that attracted wide attention at hom e and abroad.They excavated more than 3，000 cultural relics and a well-preserved female corpse from the tombs.

According to the historical records，Licang died in the second year of the reign of Em press Lu.The occupants in Tomb No 3 were believed to be his son.Unearthed from the tomb was a wooden tablet with the burial bate，which reads“the first day of the second month in the twelfth year”after careful textual research.This was identified as the twelfth year of reign of the Han Em perorW enci.The corpse in Tomb No 1 was that of Licang's wife，whose personal name，according to an unearthed seal，was Xingzhui，a study of conclusion that“Tomb No 1 dates from about the 6 th dacade of the 2nd century B.C.”

A little later than Tomb No 3，Tomb No 1 is best preserved，and most of the relics showed here were excavated from this tomb.

162 wooden figurines were unearthed from Tomb No 1 and 104 from Tomb No 3，and they fall into three categories：attendants，musicians and odd-job servants.No doubt，they represent the numerous servants enslaved by themarquis of Dai，which reveals the parasitic life of the family.

Nanputuo Tem ple

Situated at the foot ofW ulao Peak on the southern end of Xiam en is Nanputuo Temple.The tem ple's Heavenly King Hall，themain prayer hall，the Hall of Great Compassion and the Shrine of Buddhist Scriptures are all graced with painted brackets.

The tem ple was first built during the Tang Dynasty（618- 907）.And rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty（1644- 1911），it is nowan im posing multi-layered trapezoidal structure that overlooks the sea.The Shrine of Buddhist Scriptures houses a huge collection of Buddhist cultural relics，including a Burmese jade carving of the Buddha and many im portant Buddhist literature.It is one of the sacred places of Buddhismin Southern Fujian.Inside the tem ple there are the Heaven King's Hall，the Daxiong Hall，the Great Com passion Hall，all ofwhich are built in an exquisite and grand style.

Enshrined in these halls are the statues of Maitreya，Sanshi Reverend Buddha，Thousand-handed Guanyin（Bodhisattva），Four Kings of Heaven，and the eighteen arhats.Although all are serious and solemn in appearance，each is distinctly different from another.The tem ple attracts a large num ber of pilgrims at home and abroad.The excellent craftsmanship of the Thousand-handed Guanyin ismarked by its one thousand hands and one thousand eyes and glistening golden color.

As to the Pavilion where Buddhist scriptures are kept，it has a rich collection of the historical articles of Buddhism，such as classics，statues of Buddhas，bronze bells from the Song Dynasty，calligraphic works and paintings from the ancient tim es.Am ong them，“Intriguing Lotus Scripture”w ritten in blood in the Wanli Period of the Ming Dynasty and the statue of Guanyin in white porcelain，a masterpiece of He Chaosong，are most valuable.

In the tem ple many inscriptions are preserved，among which the stone inscriptions written by Chen Di and Sheng Yourong in the Wanli Period of the Ming Dynasty and the one on a stone stele written by the Em peror of the Kangxi Period of Qing Dynasty are most fam ous.Behind the tem ple，inscribed on the wall of a rock is a large word“Buddha”which is 4.66 metres in height and 3.33 metres in width.And farther behind，high up on themountain stands a screen of five peaks coloured by green trees and bamboos and marked by serene valleys and rocks of pleasing shapes.They are called“Five Old Gentlemen Reaching the Clouds”，and are one of the eight grand sights of Xiamen.Coming to the top，you have not only a viewof themountain undulating in the wind，but also the viewof the sea surging in the distance.

Returnees'Hall

Walled by white stones and roofed with green tiles，the Returnees'Hall covering an area of 4，000 square metres is a typical sam ple of South Fujian constructions.As the former residence of Mr.Tan Kahkee，the building is marked by Mr.Tan's bronze standing statue in front.

At the two wings of the residence，exhibition halls were built to display Mr.Tan Kah-kee's life and achievements.The exhibition halls were in a 3-storey building with an area of 800 square meters.Articles displayed include pictures，illustrations，charts，material objects，some rare cultural relics and the only left book of Family Tree of Tan's in Jimei.These exhibits vividly presenting to the audience the whole life of Mr.Tan Kah-kee as the great leader of the patriotic overseas Chinese.It has become a certain destination for visitors to Xiamen from home and abroad.

Sanyi：From Wood Sculptures to Summer Snow

Are you interested in sculptures？Then Sanyi is the place for you！This small town in Miaoli County is famous in Taiwan for its wood carving.The people of Sanyi have been carving wood for over 400 years.The carvers there are some of the quickest and best in the world.

If you watch the carvers in Sanyi，you will see their unusual carving style.They get their ideas for what they carve from the shape of the wood.At the Museum of Wood Sculpture，you can see hundreds of examples of the Sanyi style of wood carving.

But that is not all to see and do in Sanyi.Sanyi is also known for being home formany Hakka people.Visit the town and you can enjoy many delicious Hakka food，like pickled vegetables or Lei Cha，a special Hakka tea.

The best time to visit Sanyi is early summer.That iswhen the trees are covered with white and yellow blossoms.W hen the wind blow s，the blossoms from the trees fall to the ground like snow！The beauty of“snow”falling in summer is a sight that you definitely should notmiss！

Shanghai

Located at the center of themainland's coastline，Shanghaihas long been a major hub of communications，transportation，and international exchange.The municipality covers an area of 6，341 square kilometers and has a population of more than 13.5 million.Shanghai is China's largest economic comprehensive industrial base，and a famous historical and cultural city.

The city consistently attracts investm ent and is seen as an ideal venue for business gatherings.It is also a must on any agenda during a tour of China.Shanghai has fostered a com prehensive transportation network that incorporates land，sea and air travel as well as a convenient urban transportation system.More than 300 airlines serve the city，proving direct flights to more than 20 countries and regions.The addition of the Shanghai Pudong International Airport，which went into operation in 1999，is expected to increase the annual passenger volum e to some 20 million.

Special tourist trains running between Shanghaiand the neighboring provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang and tourist bus routes along new lyconstructed expressways offer great convenience for regional travel.Shanghai has more than 400 travel agencies to assist visitors，and the 127 star-rated hotels offer a total of 40，000 guest rooms.

Visitors to Shanghai are not only dazzled by themodern metropolis and gateway to a developing China，but are also able to immerse themselves in the unique Shanghai culture，a combination of Chinese and Western elements.Colorful festivals and celebrations dot the yearly Shanghai activities calendar，such as Shanghai Nanhui Peach Blossoms Festival，Shanghai International Tea Culture Festival and Shanghai China International Art Festival.

Shanghai has also introduced special tour packages aimed at the different interests of visitors，such as bicycling tours，hiking tours，gourmet tours，rehabilitation and health care tours，study tours，Japanese young women's tours，honey moon tours，and convention and exhibition tours.

The Summer Palace—Museum of Chinese Gardening

Yiheyuan，or the Summer Palace，is the best-kept existing royal garden in Beijing.W ith a concentration of the best of ancient buildings as well as styles of gardening，it is a virtual museum of traditional Chinese gardening.

The Summer Palace was first nam ed the Garden of Clear Ripples，which was burnt down by the allied forces of Great Britain and France in 1860.Reconstruction started 25 years later and was com pleted in 1895，and the name was changed to Yiheyuan（Garden of Good Health and Harmony）.The design gives prominence to the Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake.The total area is 290 hectares，and the buildings are measured in over 3，000 bays.

Foxiang Tower and Paiyun（Dispursing Clouds）Hall rise majestically on top of the hill.O ther structures are scattered in a seemingly random way on the hill to enhance themajesty of the two main buildings.In front of the hill Kunming Lake stretches out like a mirror.There is an atmosphere of im perial dignity and an air of leisure of a garden.

It was originally named Qinzheng（Diligent in Administration）Hall.The present name came into being during the reign of Em peror Guang Xu.Itwas used by Em press Dowager Ci Xi and Em peror Guang Xu to give audiences.In 1898 Em peror Guang Xu met Kang Youwei，leader of the reformists，and appointed him a high-ranking court minister.But the reform failed in 100 days because the conservative force was too strong.

Tianjin Ancient Culture Street

Tianjin Ancient Culture Streetwith a history of 600 years，standing in the area of key section in upstream of Haihe River，is located in Nankai District of Tianjin.Covering an area of 224，200 sq meters，it used to be one of earliestwater transport docklands in Tianjin，which is one of the busiest cities of comm erce and trade in history.As a cultural precinct，Tianjin Ancient Culture Street is well known by the local and overseas tourists.The two attractions，Yuanhuangge and Tianhou Tem ple are two historic cultural relics in the list of city level ones reversed.

Tianjin Ancient Cultural Street rebuilt in 1980's is one of the great successes in the renovation and redevelopm ent.The whole block still conserved the existing urban pattern and tissue of traditional Chinese layout.The lanes and houses in the Street are almost preserved in a good condition with Tianjin local feathers.In the past time，whenever the day of the 23 rd of March in lunar calendar was coming，a great ceremony would be held here，and it is said that it is the birthday of Heaven Mother.On the ceremony，many Chinese traditional perform ances would be seen，such as Shiziw u（dancing-play as a lion），Huahanchuan（dancing with a shiplike dressing），Caigaoqiao（dancing standing on a high stick）and so on.

As the result of expanding Tianhou Tem ple，renovating Yuhuangge building and renewing the Haihelou，this streetwith fine landscape and the distinctive architectural style has been a flourish，cultural and tourist area.The new planning and design for the street had paid more attention to the waterfront connecting with surrounding around，especially the Old City in the west.

Tian'anmen Square

Tian'anmen Square is one of the largest city squares in the world.It is situated in the heart of Beijing.Tian'anmen was built in 1417 and was the entrance gate to the Forbidden City.Now the square stretches 880 meters from north to south and 500 meters from east to west.The total area is440，000 squaremeters.That's about the size of60 soccer fields，spacious enough to accommodate half a million people.

Covering over forty hectares，Tian'anmen Square must rank as the greatest public square on earth.It's a modern creation，in a city that traditionally had no squares，as classical Chinese town planning did not allow for placeswhere crow ds could gather.Tian'anmen only came into being when im perial offices were cleared from either side of the great processional way that led south from the palace to Qianm en and the Temple of Heaven.The ancient north-south axis of the city was thus destroyed，and the broad east-west thoroughfare，Chang'an Jie，that now carriesmillions of cyclists every day past the front of the Forbidden City，had the walls across its path removed.In the words of one of the architects：“The very map of Beijing was a reflection of the feudal society，and itwasmeant to demonstrate the power of the em peror.We had to transformit，and we had to make Beijing into the capital of socialist China.”The easiest approach to the square is from the south，where there's a bus terminus and a subway stop.As the square is lined with railings（for crow dcontrol），you can enter or leave only via the exits at either end or in themiddle.

Bicycles are not permitted，and the streets on either side are one way；the street on the east side is for traffic going south，the west side for northbound traffic.

Water Cube

The National Aquatics Center，also known as the Water Cube，is located on Olym pic Green，with the Bird's Nest Stadium，on Beijing's north-south axis.Itwas built as themain natatorium for 2008 Olym pic Games and became known as one of the Games'iconic structures.

Come and marvel at the Water Cube and Beijing's other ancient wonderswith an Olympic Memories Tour.

The Water Cube was designed by PTW Architects and Ove Arup.Their unique and inspired design was based on the way soap bubbles come together in a 12-or 14-sided cell structure.

The Water Cube is 177 meters square and 30 meters high，and has a capacity of17，000 seats（6，000 permanent and 11，000 tem porary for the Olympics）.During the Olympic Games，itwas themain venue for swimming，diving，synchronized swimming and water polo.It is nowa multi-functional center for sports，recreation and fitness.

Xiamen Bridge

The principal part was com pleted in April 1991.In May of this year，the bridge was open to test traffic.The former Chinese President Jiang Zemin not only inscribed the four-character title of the bridge“Xia Men Da Qiao”for it，but also came in person to cut the ribbon to inaugurate the bridge to traffic.

Consisting of themain bridge body，namely Jimei Crossroads，Gaoqi Bridge Approach and the automatic managing system，Xiamen Bridge is also the first-cross-strait bridge in China.The main bridge body is 2，070 metres long and 23.5 metres wide.The non-stop Jimei Crossroads ismade up of seven circuits.The 855-metre-long and 23.5-metre-wide Gaoqi Bridge Approach was builtby the standard of the firstclass highroad.

Yonghegong

Yonghegong（The Lama Temple）is a famous lamasery located in the northeastern partof the old city of Beijing.Itwas a palatial residence built in 1694 by Qing Em peror Kangxi for his fourth son，Prince Yongzheng who later succeeded to the throne.Thismagnificent tem ple consists of fivemain buildings lying on the north-south axis，with annex halls standing on both sides.The tem ple is listed by the Chinese Government as one of the im portant historicalm onum ents under special preservation.After the death of his father，Em peror Yongzhengmoved to the Forbidden City.The compound was closed to ordinary people and was renamed Yonghegong（the Palace of Harmony）.Green roof tiles were replaced by yellowones to suit a monarch's home.In 1744 his successor Em peror Qianlong converted the palace into a lamasery.

Several renovations have been carried out since 1949.The tem ple has taken on a new look and was reopened to the public in 1981.It is now not only a functional lama tem ple，but also a tourist attraction.

Of interest to visitors in the Lama Tem ple are the 18-metre-high Maitreya statue engraved from a 26-metre-long white sandal-wood log，“the Five Hundred Arhats Hill”made of gold，silver，copper，iron and tin，and the niche carved out of Nanm u（this kind of Phoebe Nanm u can give off a unusual scent reputed to repelmosquitoes in summer）.These three objects are accredited as the threematchlessmasterpieces in the Lama Temple.