The Great Wall
The Great Wall in north China stretches from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west traversing provinces of Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia,Shaanxi and Gansu and is 6,700 kilometers long. Hence the name "Wan Li Chang Cheng" or "the long wall of 10,000 li".

Great Wall of China, an ancient gigantic defensive project,is one of the greatest wonders of the world.According to astronauts who looked back from the moon, of all projects built by man, the Great Wall of China is the most conspicuous visible from space.

Construction of the Great Wall lasted for over 2,000 years, from the state of Chu in the seventh century BC to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and it ran through more than 20 feudal kingdoms and states ruled by dukes or princes. Excitement abounds in the origin, vicissitude and nature of the great wall of the Qin, Han, and Ming dynasties.

During the Qin, Han and Ming dynasties there was considerable construction with more than 5,000 kilometers built. If all the sections built in various historical periods were put together the Great Wall would be more than 50,000 kilometers(10,000 li) long. If building a wall which is one meter thick and five meters high with the earth and stones of the Great Wall, the wall can circle the earth.

Much of the Great Wall is like a high city wall stretching thousands of kilometers following and crossing the highest mountain peaks. Along its length there are some 100 passes and tens of thousands of watch and beacon towers. These structures and the undulating topography that the wall traverses add to its wonder. The section in Beijing's Badaling is strong and intact and is a good place to enjoy. There are also interesting sections in Jinshanling, Mutianyu, Simatai and Gubeikou. Other well known and popular spots along the wall are the Huangya Pass in Tianjin, Shanhai Pass in Heibei Province and Jiayu Pass in Gansu Province. The Great Wall is a bridge that links the Chinese people with people from other countries and regions.

The laboring people of different dynasties demonstrated their intelligence and wisdom while building this great project. They left behind a precious heritage deserving our everlasting care.

Included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1987.

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The Palace Museum in Beijing
Also known as the Imperial Palace Museum or Gugong, the Forbidden City was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties carried out their administration and lived. It lies at the center of Beijing's meridian line. The Palace Museum contains the world's largest group of intact palace structures made largely of timber.

Construction of the palace began in 1406, the fourth year of the reign of Ming Emperor Yongle, and it was completed 14 years later. In the years that followed, 24 emperors have ascended the throne and the last emperor, Fu Yi, was driven from the palace in 1924. The year after the palace was converted into a museum and opened to the public.

Covering a rectangular area of 720,000 square meters the museum stretches 960 meters from north to south and 750 meters from east to west. There are 9,999 and a half halls, towers, buildings and pavilions and a total combined floor space of 150,000 square meters. The dark red outer wall is 3,400 meters long .

The forbidden city is encircled in a 52-meter-wide, 6-meter-deep moat and a 10-meter-high, 3,400-meter-long city wall which has one gate on each side. There are four unique and delicate structured corner towers overlooking the city inside and outside on the four corners.

The Forbidden City is divided into two parts: the northern half, or the Outer Court where emperors executed their supreme power over the nation and the southern half, or the Inner Court where they lived with their royal family. Until 1924 when the last emperor in China was driven out of the Inner Court, 14 emperors of the Ming dynasty and 10 emperors of the Qing dynasty had reigned here. About 500 years being the imperial palace, it houses numerous rare treasures and curiosities. It is now listed by the UN as World Cultural Heritage in 1987 and is the hottest tourist magnets.

The structures in the palace were all built on the meridian line. The main buildings in the Outer Palace are three halls - the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Complete Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony. All of them were built on an eight-meter-high platform and they occupy a total area of 85,000 square meters. The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest of three, with a floor space of 2,377 square meters. It is 35 meters high, 63 meters long and 33.33 meters wide. The hall is the largest timber structure in the country. At the center there is a golden lacquerware throne set between two golden pillars both decorated with dragons and it was the symbol of feudal and imperial power.

Enthroning ceremonies, birthday parties, festival celebrations, ceremonies for sending forces on punitive expeditions and other important activities were held in the hall. To the north is the Hall of Complete Harmony where the emperor rested before attending important ceremonies and met people who came to pay their respects there. The Hall of Preserving Harmony at the northern end was the place where banquets were held and candidates sat the final imperial examinations.

North of the Hall of Preserving Harmony is the Inner Palace where the emperor carried out his daily work and the empress, concubines, princes and princesses lived, played and paid their respects to God. The main buildings in the Inner Palace, the Hall of Union and Peace and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. There are 12 palace courtyards on either side. There are also three gardens - Longevity Garden, kindness and Tranquility Garden and the Imperial Garden. They were the playgrounds of the imperial family.

Nowadays, it is open to tourists home and abroad as a palace museum where people can see the great traditional palace architecture, enjoy the treasures kept in the palace, and learn of the legends and anecdotes about the imperial family and the court. Splendid paintings on the royal architectures, grand and deluxe halls, and surprisingly magnificent treasures will certainly satisfy "modern civilians".

Included in the UNESCO world cultural heritage list in 1987.

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Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian
Peking Man was discovered in Zhoukoudian Village, on the Longgu Mountain, Fangshan District,50 km south-west of Beijing.The find was the only existing human fossil from this period in Beijing. The site is not only an exceptional reminder of the prehistorical human societies of the Asian continent, but also illustrates the process of evolution.

In the 1920s archaeologists discovered a complete skull of an ape-man dating back 600,000 years which was later named as Peking Man. Stone tools and evidence of Peking Man's use of fire were later found on the mountain. Studies have shown that Peking Man walked on his feet and lived 690,000 years ago. His society lived in groups in caves and survived by hunting. The group could make use of rough stone tools and knew how to use fire for heating and cooking.

The site yielded nearly 200 pieces of Peking Man fossil including six complete skulls of Peking Man, 12 skull fragments, 15 mandibles, 157 teeth and some sections of broken femur, shinbone, and upper arm hones belonging to more than 40 individuals of different ages and sexes.In addition 100,000 fragments of stone tools were found Together with sites used for fire and burnt bones and stones.

Peking Man created a unique old stone culture which had much influence to the Old Stone Culture of north China. Stone tools are the principal relics of this remote culture. Also discovered in Zhoukoudian are stone points, a new production tool then, and bone articles made and used by Peking Man. Found in the caves were such tools as the larger end of an antler that had been used as a hammer and the sharp end of an antler used as a digging tool.

The use of fire was a milestone of the development of civilization and the discovery of Peking Man has pushed back the time that man first used it by tens of thousands of years. The largest ash pile discovered in the caves is six meters thick. Fire allowed people to eat cooked food instead of raw food and promoted the development of the brain and improved health. With his rough tools and simple living conditions Peking Man created a unique and very ancient culture.

Beijing Zhoukoudian site was among the first sites in China to enter UNESCO's World Heritage List. It is also the only site in the world to yield evidence of human activity and mankind's earliest use of fire 500,000 to 600,000 years ago. Chinese scientists have excavated 26 previous sites of academic value here since the 1920s.

Included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1987

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Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang and Museum of Terra Cotta Warriors
The mausoleum, located in Lintong County, 35 kilometers east of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, is regarded as "the eighth wonder of the world" and has been listed as a world heritage site by the UNESCO in December 1987. It draws millions of visitors from home and abroad every year.

According to Records of History, Qin Shihuang started building his own tomb on Lishan Mountain soon after he came to the throne. Construction expanded after he unified China in 221 BC and involved 700,000 laborers. It was completed 38 years later.

The mausoleum has a square rammed earthen base and is still 76 meters high. The coffin and chamber of Qin Shihuang are in the center of the underground palace. The mausoleum site contains more than 400 tombs and vaults of articles buried with Qin Shihuang; they cover an area of 56.25 square kilometers. The main vaults include the Fault of the bronze carriage, the vault of horses, the vault of rare and precious birds and animals, the vault of stables and the vault of warriors and horses.

Nearly 8,000 life-sized terracotta warriors and horses along with tens of thousands of pieces of weaponry have been uncovered from three pits, where the terra-cotta warriors and horses have slept for almost 2,200 years. Many terracotta warriors wore overcoats and armatures with each having a weapon in their hands. They also wore leather waistbands, a pair of square-rimmed shoes and leggings, a typical costume about 2,200 years ago.

Over the past few years, a total of 50,000 historical and cultural relics have been unearthed. The painted and colored bronze carriage, drawn two bronze horses unearthed in 1980, is the largest and most elegant of its type discovered in China. The carriage is made of more than 3,000 parts, over 1,000 of them gold and silver.

The vaults of the terra cotta warriors and horses are 1.5 kilometers east of Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum and the first was discovered when local peasants were sinking wells during a drought in 1974. There are three vaults. Vault I is 14,260 square meters in area and contains 6,000 life-like terra cotta warriors and horses. On display are 1,000 soldiers, eight war chariots and 32 horses. Vault II, which covers an area of 6,000 square meters, contains 1,300 warriors and horses and 89 war chariots.

Life size terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations are the star features at the museum. They are replicas of what the imperial guard should look like in those days of pomp and vigor.The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century.It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China.

Unlike Vault I which contains only chariots and foot soldiers, Vault 11 houses warriors, war chariots, cavalrymen, and foot soldiers. Vault III is the headquarters of the underground army and is 376.64 square meters in area. In it there are 68 warriors, one war chariot and four horses. The figures epitomize soldiers of the Qin army.

The terracotta warriors in the museum look much the same at the first glance, because their shapes and costumes are similar in conformity with the designs for the military formations. But closer scrutiny reveals the differences in the details of their complexions, expressions, ages, hair styles and beards. Anker Joergensen, prime minister of Denmark, commented: "The terracotta warriors are so vivid and look differently from each other."

Included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1987.

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Taishan Mountain
Taishan Mountain was once called Mt. Daishan or Mt. Daizong before. It was renamed Taishan Mountain during the Spring and Autumn Period.

Mt Tai,the first of the "Five Sacred Mountains", is located in the central part of Shandong Province, within the precincts of Jinan, Licheng and Tai'an, covering an area of 426 square kilometers. Its circumference is 80 kilometers. The highest peak of this mountain range about 1545 meters above sea level, lies within Tai'an City. Mt Tai abounds in lofty peaks, deep valleys and rare cultural relics of the old days.

It lies in the civilized land of the ancient states of Qi and Lu, with the Yellow River on the north and the sea on the east. A famous saying goes, "Scaling Taishan Mountain makes one feel superior to the whole world", as it creates a feeling of regal dignity and imperial majesty. Many romantic scholars of old considered it a great treat to express their sentiments on top of Taishan Mounain.

The mountain is an early birthplace of China's ancient civilization and the area around was one of ancient China's political, economic and cultural centers.Since ancient times Taishan Mountain has been hailed as the "most sublime of the five mountains". Apart from its impressive height and ancient culture, the reason is probably that men have deliberately deified it.

Historical records show that a total of 72 emperors of bygone dynasties, from the first Qin Emperor Shihuang onward, have made sacrifices to Taishan Mountain. This association with feudalism has earned the mountain a widespread fame. Nowadays, after repeated renovations, Mt Tai has become more enchanting than ever before.

For a long time, poets, writers and artists from various historical periods went to Taishan Mountain to enjoy the beauties and elegance of Taishan abundant sources of inspiration, imaginaton and creativities and this accounts for the large quantity of precious cultural relics. After all, climbing 6000-plus steps to a height of 1400 meter above sea level can be a reinforcement of self-confidence. As Confucies once uttered the dictum stop Taishan - "The world is small".

Rain or shine all year round mountaineers carrying heavy loads of food and household items slung from the ends of shoulder poles, work their way, step by step, up the mountain, wearing flat the soles of their shoes on the rugged rocks while the stone steps shine from their sweat. It is they who have developed this remote and wild mountain and made it habitable for human beings.

Men today take an even greater interest in climbing Taishan Mountain. Taishan Mountain is approximately 20 li in height from the base to the Jade Emperor Peak. 6,700 steps lead up to a spot where hills overlap and where you find beautiful waterfalls and oddly shaped pines and cypresses. The scenery changes with each step.

Mt Tai has a lot of scenic areas and it is one of China's mountain parks and is a natural museum of history and art. They are Wangmuchi (Heavenly Queen Pool), Hongmen Gong (Red Gate Palace), Nan Tianmen (South Gate to Heaven), Bixia Ci (Azure Cloud Temple).

There are also stone carvings from various dynasties, including the Buddhist Diamond Sutra carved on a stone cliff in Jinshi Yu (Sutra Stone Valley), Which is called "The ancestor of big characters." Along its axis there are 1,800 stone sculptures including famous ones such as the Carved Road from the Qin Dynasty, the Buddhist Diamond Sutra in Sutra Stone Valley the Wordless Stone Tablet and the Scripture of Taishan Mountain History carved on Tangmo Cliff.

Taishan Mountain has 72 majestic peaks, magnificent waterfalls, centuries-old pines and cypresses and fascinating rocks. There are five tourist zones and two routes up the mountain - one in the east and one in the west. They meet and Zhongtian Gate and there are 6,293 steps in the nine kilometesr leading to the top. Scenic spots include Longtan Reservoir, Zhongtian Gate, Five Doctor Pine, Duansong Hill, 18 Turns, South Gate to Heaven, Bixia Temple, Zhanglu Terrace, Sun-Watching Peak, Moon-Watching Peak.

The four wonders of the mountain are Sun Rises from the East, Golden Belt along the Yellow River, Beautiful Sunset and the Sea of clouds. Other attractive spots are the Rare Rock Dock, Fan Cliff, Aolai Peak, Black Dragon Pool, Longevity Bridge, and the Dragon Pool Waterfall.

Running from Songshan Valley to the South Gate to heaven, on the top of Taishan Hill, is a path with 18 turns consisting of 1,580 steps. It looks just like a ladder shooting up to the heaven. Although the path is lit, le more than one kilometer long it rises 400 meters. The steps along the path are made of Tianshan schist. There is now a cable ca r from Zhongtian Gate to the top of Wangfu Hill.

Somewhere near the Shi Ba Pan there is an inscription carved on the face of a precipice, "The Spirit of China", by which, I think, is meant the pioneering spirit of the Chinese people forging ahead and scaling the heights of modernization.

Tiankuang Hall in the Daimiao Temple which is also 031 Taishan Mountain is one of the three great halls of China (the other two are the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City Beijing, and Dacheng Hall in Qufu). The 40 statues of arhat in the Thousand-Buddha Hall of the Lingyan Temple date to the Song Dynasty and are prized for their individuality and expressiveness.

The best scene is probably the sun rise. Once the sun jumps out of the horizen, it sends the first beam through the leavies of pines onto the rocks still shadowed in darkness - a magnificent scene. To see the sunrise, People climb to the summit at first light. When darkness recedes and day breaks, a ball of fire appears over the horizon. One mountain after another catches the sun's beams, until every thing comes alive. The people sing and dance and cheer, bathed in the glorious sun and embraced in the bosom of nature.

Also among the climbers are old people and children. Taishan Mountain is 2.5 billion years old. Here the old can recapture their youth while the children can steel themselves against the weather and the exertion involved in climbing.

The journal of Taishan all begins with First Gate Under Heaven (Tian Xia Di Yi Men) at the mountain base. Most of the earlier routes are quite pleasant and scenic, decorated with attractions such as Tianmu Palace and a huge reservoir. In the midway is the second gate (Zhong1 Tian1 Men4), where one take a good rest and take a picture of the famous Welcoming Pine (Yin4 Ke4 Song1). Then comes the most difficult stretch of a steep, consequtive 2000 step climb. The alternative would be taking the cable to the top. If one does face up the challenge and managed to climb through the third and the final gate Nan Tian Men, he or she can really be proud of being an overcomer.

Tai-an, the town at the bottom of the mountain, is a nice, quiet and none-expensive place for tourist to prepare for or recover from the Taishan assult.Included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1987

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Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang
The Grottoes of Dunhuang include the Mogao Grottoes, West Thousand-Buddha Cave and Yulin Grottoes. The grottoes are about 25 kilometers southeast of Dunhuang in Gansu Province and are hewn from a steep cliff at the foot of Mingsha Mountain. In places they are five stories high and their length from north to south is more than 1,600 meters.It is a 1,000-year-old ancient art gallery still living today. Each cave and each mural has its own story.

The construction of the Mogao Grottoes spanned more than a thousand years ranging from the Early Qin, Northern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Xixia and Yuan. But it was the Tang Dynasty that was really its heyday. During this period more than one thousand caves were carved.

The earliest cave was carved 1630 years ago.It is said that in 366 A.D. a monk named Yuezun saw 1000 Buddhas over the Sanwei Mountain opposite the cliff of the Mingsha Mountain, so the devout believer set to carve grottoes into the sandstone cliff and fill them with buddhist images. Thereafter people came in flocks to carve caves to express their belief in the Buddhas. Since then more and more caves have been excavated over a thousand year. In total there are 492 caves dating back to 16 dynasties including 16 Kingdoms, Northern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Xixia and Yuan.

The art of the Mogao Grottoes is composed of cave architecture, sculptures and murals.In the caves there are 45,000 square meters of murals, 2,415 color sculptures and some 4,000 celestial figures. In addition there are five timber buildings from the Tang and Song dynasties and 50,000 documents and cultural relics. The grottoes are a treasury of arts including architecture, painting and sculpture as well a treasure house of documents and cultural relics. They were listed as one of the world's cultural heritages in 1987.

Murals from various periods reflect social life, clothing, production, ancient architecture, music, dance and acrobatics and are a historical record of cultural exchanges between China and other region. The images in the grottoes are a valuable reference for the study of ancient Chinese society from the fourth century to the 14th century.

The murals of the Mogao Grottoes are of high historical and artistic value. Those from Tang Dynasty achieve the highest artistic perfection with strong figures that are well shaped and proportioned and featuring attractive lively images.

The painted statues in the Dunhuang Grottoes focus on integration of color and form leaving space for color and lines to supplement each other. Bright colors exaggerate the characteristics of the subjects.

The most impressive caves are Cave 96, 17, 130, 158, 259, 285, 200 and 428.
Included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1987.

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Huangshan is famous for its four uniques, i.e. queer pines, grotesque rocks, cloud seas, and a hot spring. The exquisite scenery varies with the various seasons. Most spectacular are blossoms in Spring, pools in Summer, forests in Autumn and snow in Winter. There is a old saying that "you have no wish to visit any other mountains after viewing the Five Mountains (Taishan Mountain in Shandong, Hengshan Mountain in Hunan, Huashan Mountain in Shaanxi, Hengshan Mountain in Shanxi and Songshan Mountain in Henan) and you do not even wish to visit them after you come back from a trip to Huangshan Mountain."

On the mountain, the peaks rise one upon another and the pines and cypresses are luxuriantly green.There are 36 huge peaks, 36 minor peaks and three main peaks, among which the lakes, brooks, deep pools and waterfalls can be found everywhere. Seventy-seven of the peaks are over 1,000 meters above sea level.

All over 1800 metres above sea level, and shrouded in clouds and mist, its main three peaks: Lotus Flower Peak, Ever Bright Peak and Celestial Peak present a scenery of boundless variety.

The summit area of Mt. Huangshan is an ideal place to view the sunrise and sunset with quite a few attractive sights gather around. Scenic spot such as Cloud Dispersing Pavilion (Pai Yun Ting), Beginning-to-Believe Peak (Shi Xin Feng) - the most elegant and refined one of the 72 peaks, Stalagmite Peak (Shi Sun Feng), and Refreshing Terrace (Qing Liang Tai). The Refreshing Terrace, for example, is the best place to view sunrise. The views around the Beginning-to-Believe Peak also feast your eyes.

Lotus Flower Peak
Situated in the centre of Huangshan, and 1886 metres above sea level, it is the highest one of Huangshan's three main peaks. Surrounded by a group of lower peaks, it looks like a lotus flower in full bloom. From the top of the peak, you can have a panoramic view of Huangshan. The summit area is only a few square metres. Standing on it, one is as if to assume the dauntless spirit of propping up the sky from falling down. Far ahead in all directions are myriad of mountains vying with one another for beauty, and streams and rivers competing to be the fastest.

Celestial Peak
Located in the south-eastern part of Huangshan, faces Lotus Peak in the west and borders Boyu Peak in the east. It is 1,829 meters above sea level and is the most precipitous peak of the mountain. The path to the top is via a vertical ladder inlaid in a precipitous cliff, and fenced in with stone posts and iron chains. The last section of the path to the top is about 30 metre long and 1 metre wide hunch-backed rocky ridge rising up from a deep ravine. Due to its riskiness, in spite of protections provided by the stone posts and iron chains it is figuratively called "Silver Carp's Back."

On the summit, there is a stone cave large enough to seat a hundred people. Near the cave entrance, lies a rock resembling "A Drunkard Immortal Reclining On His Side" who was as if assigned to guard the gate of the cave. The summit commands a distant view of misty ranges of mountains and rivers diminishing into tiny lines. Here, one is at last at "the Peak of Perfection" as the inscription on a rock close at hand reads.

Bright Summit Peak
At an elevation of 1,840, it is the second highest peak of Huangshan. Located in the central part of the mountain, it is the best place for seeing sunrise and the sea of clouds.

First Belief Peak
It is located in the eastern part of Huangshan, and 1668 metres above sea level. The peak is famous for exquisite rocks and graceful pines. With its three sides being precipitous and fathomless cliffs, First Belief Peak, flanked by Rising Peak and Stalagmite Peak as Fairy Bridge spans the summit. A poetic inscription on a rock there reads "you are a lone climber from a freezing river."

Huangshan is famous for its spectacular rocky peaks, oddly shaped pines, crystal-clear mountain springs and sea of clouds with the highest peak - Lotus Flower Peak (Lianhua Feng) at 1864m, followed by Bright Summit Peak (Guangming Ding) and Celestial Peak (Tiandu Feng). The unpredictable natural scenery lures countless painters and poets seeking tranquility and inspiration.

Apart from the spectacular rocky peaks there are strangely shaped pines, crystal clear mountain springs and seas of cloud. In the valleys there are Huangshan Pines, a tree unique to the mountain. Thousands of the pines are 100 or more years old and 31 are well known with names such as the Guest-Greeting Pine, Guest- Sending off Pine and Lying Dragon Pine. There are 120 sites with spectacular rock formations. The rocks come in a variety of shapes and the big ones make rock forests while the small ones are exquisite. The peaks and dense forests in the deep valleys give rise to seas of cloud and plentiful rainfall. The springs on the mountain are clear and the water is good for drinking and bathing.

The mountain has a rich history. A legend claims that Emperor Xuanyuan cultivated himself into an immortal on the mountain. Tang Xuanzong, a Taoist, renamed it Huangshan Mountain in 747 and during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) the noted traveler and geographer Xu Make inspected it twice.

Huangshan Mountain is a natural zoo and botanical garden supporting 1,452 varieties of plants and 552 types of animals. Forest coverage is as high as 56 percent.

The long history and rich culture of the mountain can be seen in the 200 surviving temples, pavilions, pagodas, zig-zag passages, ancient bridges and stone sculptures.

There are hotels and sanatoriums at the base of the mountain and at the top which can now be reached by cable way.

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Jiuzhaigou is well-known for its network of alpine lakes, spectacular waterfalls and wonderful vegetation. There are, for instance, 108 terraced lakes in the midst of great mountains where the valleys echo with the roar of cataracts and Cliffside springs. The place, therefore, has always enjoyed the reputation of being a "Wonderland on Earth". It abounds in virgin forests and rare flowers and grasses. Besides, in the vast primeval forests there are all kinds of rare birds and animals.Some 140 bird species also inhabit the valley, as well as a number of endangered plant and animal species, including the panda (a tare animal not to be found elsewhere in the world) and the Sichuan takin.

The mountains, lakes, natural primeval forest and unique scenes make Jiuzhaigou a fairyland. Mountains ranging 1,980 to about 3,100 meters in height are covered by a variety of trees and plants such as green conifers, luxuriant broadleaf trees and colorful rare flowers and grasses. Scenes change according to the season and the area is particularly colorful in autumn when the wind makes kilometers of tree belt along the lake undulate like a sea wave. Waterfalls, lakes, springs, rivers and shoals add to the color and the green trees, red leaves, snowy peaks and blue skies are reflected from lakes and rivers. Trees grow in the water and flowers blossom in the middle of lakes.

There are six scenic spots-Changhai, Jianyan, Nuorilang, Shuzheng, Zharu and Heihai. The area is well known both at home and abroad for its natural scenery which includes snowy peaks, double waterfalls, colorful forests and green sea. Tibetan customs are another attraction.

At the Shuzheng Scenic Spot there are 40 lakes and they extend five kilometers along a valley. The spot is a central point in Jiuzhaigou's landscape and covers an area of three square kilometers. The lakes vary in color according to their depths, residues and scenery around them. Reed Lake is an ideal habitat for birds, Spark Lake appears to move while the jade-like Rhinoceros Lake is a good place for rowing, swimming and rafting. There are also the Shuzheng Waterfalls which have a backdrop of trees.

Nuorilang Scenic Area extends from the Nuorilang Waterfalls to Zhuhai, an area of three square kilometers. The 320-meter-wide Nuorilang Waterfall drops 20 meters and is the widest highland waterfall in the country; it is the symbol of Jiuzhaigou. Other places of interest include the quiet and mirror like Jinghai Lake, the 310-meter-wide Pearl Beach Waterfall and the Five-Color Lake which has a richly colored underwater landscape.

The Sword-Shaped Rock Scenic Area contains Goose Lake, Suspended Springs, Sword Rock, snow-covered Mountains and primeval forests. Sometimes you can see giant pandas. There is also the 17.8-kilometer Zechawa Ravine, the longest and highest in Jiuzhaigou. At the end of it is the eight kilometer-long Changhai Lake, the largest in the area. In Haizi there is the Five-Color Pond, the brightest lake in Jiuzhaigou.

Included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1992.

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A spectacular area stretching over more than 26,000 hectares in China's Hunan Province, the site is distinguished by more than 3,000 narrow sandstone pillars and peaks (over 1,000 rise at least 200 meters), which look like bamboo shoots: spectacular and grotesque, lofty and elegant. It is a real wonder to have such a large forest of natural peaks on the several hundred-meter-thick quartz and sandstone base.

Between the peaks lie ravines and gorges with streams, pools and waterfalls, some 40 caves, as well as two large natural bridges. All these peaks and mysterious deep valleys or grottos join together to offer tourists fantastic views.

Dense forests covering over 90 percent of the scenic area grow rare species of trees and inhabited by rare species of birds and animals. There are also streams, brooks, springs, lakes and waterfalls.

Zhangjiajie lies at the center of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area and is 13.34 square kilometers in area. Zhangjiajie, in particular, is rich in forest resources, featuring both virgin and artificial secondary forests. It is home to some 3,000 species of high-grade plants of which 35 are rare species under state protection. There are also 116 types of animals living in Zhangjiajie, the first national park in China.

Surface erosion by water has resulted in a basin surrounded by cliffs. Forest coverage in the area is as high as 97.7 percent and there are several thousand different shaped peaks. The area is a natural maze with its unique and wild surroundings and there are now five itineraries to 80 scenic spots. Yellow Lion Village is 1,200 meters above sea level and sits on a plateau at the top of several cliffs. It covers an area of 20 hectares and from a distance it seems like a squatting male lion.

Heicongnao Stone Peak, at the northern end of the plateau, is covered by pine trees, some of which are dozens of meters high and with trunks so thick that two people could not encircle them with outstretched arms; the are part of a dense primeval forest. One the more popular trips in Zhangjiajie is the Golden Whip Stream itinerary. The stream zig-zags for more than 20 kilometers through an area bordered by cliffs and is known as "a natural gallery of mountain and river pictures." Standing at 1,334 meters above sea level the highest peak is called Rabbits Watch the Moon. Stands of dove trees make the peak a good place to appreciate nature.

Suoxi Valley, in the west of Cili County, is about 200 square kilometers in area. The creek flows from east to west through a scenic area which is thought of as a natural greenhouse. The area has unique geological and topographical features and the bottom of the valley is yellow-green or dark green shale while the upper part is made up of a 600 meter thick dark red or gray mixture of quartzite and thin sandy shale. This is one of the factors which makes walking in the valley like a visit to an art gallery. There is also the Yellow Dragon Cave which has four levels and interesting scenery.

Tianzi Mountain is in Sangzhi County and covers an area of 93 square kilometers. Kunlun Peak, the main peak, is 1,262 meters above sea level. The more interesting topographic features are found half way up the mountain and include waterfalls, the Bridge of Heaven, karst caves, rock peaks and stone forests. Six main tourist districts have been developed- Shijiayan, Chapan Tower, Laochang House, Fengxi Hill, Yellow Dragon Springs and Kunlun Peak. The subtropical dense broadleaf forests are the home of rare fauna and flora and there are 84 sites for viewing nature. Other natural scenes include mist and clouds, sunsets and evenings with a bright moon and winter snow.

Wulingyuan is being developed into a comprehensive tourist area for sightseeing, exploration, scientific research, recuperation and vacations.

Included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1992.

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In addition to its mountain landscape, diverse forest ecosystems can be found, as well as spectacular limestone formations, waterfalls and hot springs. The area also has a population of endangered animals, including the giant panda and the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys.

Huanglong Scenic area has two parts: Huanglong and Muni Gorge. Huang Long includes Huang Long Valley, Danyun Gorge, Snow Treasure Peak, while Muni Gorge comprises two scenic spots the Zhaga Waterfall and the Erdao Lake. The special character of the area which extends over 700 square kilometers results from formations of talpatate which give a special color to ponds and beaches. With a background and of high mountains, snow covered peaks, valleys, waterfalls, lakes and forests, these talpatate scenes are quite spectacular.

Huang Long wins its fame for its magic landscape of lime formations, made up of 3400 multi-colored and uniquely-sized ponds, interlace along the valley. These amazing ponds are paved with golden lime deposit and cover nearly a half a square. Not to be excluded there are also five waterfalls, four stalactite caves and three ancient temples, and all in the same valley, which looks like a dragon surging down from snowcapped peaks of Mt. Minshan.

The scenic area provides a variety unique and wild scenery such as the Huanglong (Yellow Dragon) Ravine, at foot of the Xuebao Peak in the Minsha Mountain; it is 3.6 kilometers long and 30-170 meters wide. The section from the Fuyuan Bridge at the entrance to the Yuyu Pond is 3,160-3,574 meters above sea level and its surface is a thick layer of light yellow talpatate. In the sunshine, the ravine looks like a golden dragon winding its way through the forest.

In the ravine there are a variety of talpatate scenes, talpatate ponds, beaches, waterfalls, caves and dykes but the colorful talpatate ponds are the most attractive; they come in different shapes, sizes and colors and there are 3,400 of them in eight groups.

Other attractions are Huang Long Temple (Yellow Dragon Temple),Colored Terrace-Ponds, Huang Long Cave (Yellow Dragon Cave) etc. With so many wonderful views gathered in one place, Huang Long is not only the treasure of China, but also the treasure of the world.

Included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1992.

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Construction began in 1703 under the rule of Emperor Kang Xi and was completed in 1792 under the rule of Emperor Qian Long. It covers an area of 5.64 million square meters and includes 110 buildings with a combined floor space of 100,000 square meters. There is a 10-kilometer-long zig-zag palace wall and the resort is the largest intact imperial garden and palace wall.

The Rehe (Jehol), the shortest river in the world, only 14.7 kilometers long, runs through the resort. The gardens are superbly designed to take in the very best of various styled gardens.

Temples of various architectural styles and imperial gardens blend harmoniously into a landscape of lakes, pastureland and forests. In addition to its aesthetic interest, the Mountain Resort is a rare historic vestige of the final development of feudal society in China.

The Mountain Resort has a simple and elegant layout. It was built by the natural mountains and rivers and copying the landscape from southern Jiangsu Province and outside of the Shanhaiguan. The palaces in this large-scale imperial garden were built in a style of quadruple courtyards, with blue bricks and tiles.

It is a vast complex of palaces and administrative and ceremonial buildings. There are two parts to the summer resort - the palace itself and a scenic area. The palace was where the emperor lived, handled state affairs and held celebrations or ceremonies. It is made up of the Main Palace, the Crane Temple, Wanhe Songfeng and the East Palace.

The scenic area includes a Lake District, a District of Plains and a Mountainous District. The Lake District reflects the landscape of the fish-and-rice villages in 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 Xingan Mountain. The densely forested mountainous area is on an undulating landscape.

To the northeast of the Mountain Resort is a monumental temple complex composed of eight outer temples. They are Furen Temple, Fushang Temple (which has been damaged), Pule Temple, Anyuan Temple, Tuning Temple, Xumi Fushou Temple, Putuo Zongcheng Temple and Shuxiang Temple. They were built in Han palace style and drew on the architectural styles of ethnic groups such as Mongolian, Tibetan and Ugyur.

The Pule, Puning and Xumi Fushou temples are the main 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 Temple there is a 22.23-meter-high Bodhisattva which has 1,000 arms and 1,000 eyes. The statue weighs 110 tons and is the highest and largest wood statue in the world. Putuo Zongcheng Temple was modeled on the Potala Palace in Lhasa and is famous as Lesser Potala.

The Temple of the Potarak Doctrine (Putuozongshengmiao), occupying an area of 220,000 square meters, is by far the largest of all temples in the area. With rows of buildings rising at different levels from the south upwards, the temple is a copy of the Dalai Lama's Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet.

Included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1994.

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A grand building complex with 9 courtyards caThe Temple of Confucius and the Mansion of Confucius are located in Qufu, Shandong Province. Qufu is the hometown of Confucius, the great philosopher, statesman, educator and the father of Confucianism in ancient China. They are cultural sites and attract tourists from both China and abroad.me into being. The total 466 halls, pavilions, chambers and rooms were separated by 3 major gateways starting from the entrance. It measures over 1km from north to south and occupies an area of 22O,OOO square metres.

The Mansion of Confucius lies next to the Temple of Confucius. After several times of enlargement and renovation, now it covers more than 160,OOO square metres, with 463 halls, chambers and rooms. 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 46th generation male descendant of Confucius was given the title "Master Yansheng." The title was passed down to Kong Decheng, the 77th generation male descendant of Confucius. Built on an area of 160,000 square meters, the mansion has nine courtyards with 463 rooms along the east, west and middle mutes. The houses along the middle route are the main part of the mansion. The first four yards contain offices and the other five serve as residences. At the rear is a garden. The mansion stores more than 9,000 volumes of files from 1534 (the 13th year of the reign of Ming Emperor Jiaqing) to 1948 and great quantifies of rare and precious cultural and historical relics.

The Temple of Confucius was, in various dynasties, a place for worshipping Confucius. In 478 BC, the second year after Confucius' death, the ruler of the State of Lu converted the three-room Confucius' former mansion into a temple and this became a place for worshipping Confucius. The temple was constantly renovated and expanded to its present size by emperors of the Western Han Dynasty and following historical periods. It covers an area of 218,000 square meters and is 1,120 meters in length from south to north. There are nine courtyards and 466 rooms along three routes in the left, right and middle. The temple has an outer wall, with four corner towers, which shelters ancient pines. The main buildings along the middle route are Kuiwen Pavilion, Thirteen Stele Pavilion, Xingtan Pavilion, Dacheng Hall, Hall of Confucius' Wife and Shengji Hall. Dacheng hall stands out and is the main hall where Confucius was worshipped.

The temple houses some 2,000 tablets dating from the Western Han Dynasty fright up to the founding of New 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 of Wei, stone statues from the Han Dynasty and calligraphic carvings on Yuhonglou tablets. The 17 tablets of Han Dynasty are the largest collection in the country by the 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 tombs of his son Kong Li and grandson Kong Ji. The tomb of Confucius is 6.2 meters high and has a circumference of 88 meters.

Included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1994.

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Wudangshan stretches 400 kilometres and covers an area of more than 30 square kilometres. Wudang Mountain's beautiful scenery of tranquil valleys juxtaposed with precipitous peaks offers three main areas of interest to travellers :Ancient Taoist temple complex, Wudang kung fu, Spectacular natural scenery.

Tianzhu (Column) Peak, the main peak, rises 1,612 meters above sea level, like a column supporting the sky, and is famous for its uniqueness, silence and beauty. Clustering around it are numerous strikingly outstanding peaks and exotic sceneries as if "ten thousands peaks are paying their homage". Its scenic spots include 72 peaks, 36 rocky cliff, 24 streams, 3 pools, 9 wells, and 10 lakes. Wudang Mountain, well-covered with vegetation, has a rich resources of plants; 600 of the 1,800 medicinal herbs recorded in "Compendium of Materia Medica" compiled by the Ming Dynasty pharmacist Li Shizhen are chosen from Wudang Mountain. Therefore the mountain is also known as a "natural herbary".

On the mountain there are several thousand cultural relics from the Yuan, Ming and other historical periods as well as a huge Taoist architectural complex. The solemn ancient buildings are well ordered, symmetrical and are spaced so that an echo occurs between them. The complex was started in 1412, the 10th year of the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty, and was completed 12 years later. It extends 70 kilometers from Jingle Palace in Gujunzhou City to Golden Hall at the top of Tianzhu Peak.

There are eight palaces, two Taoist temples, 36 nunneries, 72 temples on cliffs, 39 bridges, 12 pavilions and 10 ancestral temples. The main tourist spots are Xuanyue Gate, Yuanhe Taoist Temple, Yuzhen Palace, Yuxu Palace, Mozhen Well, Fuzhen Taoist Temple, Zixiao Palace, Southern Rock, Taihe Palace and Golden Hall. Two of them, Zixiao Palace and Golden Hall have been placed under state protection.

Zixiao Palace is one of the buildings that is still intact and is located at the foot of Zhanqi Peak which is northeast of Tianzhu Peak. It was built in 1413, the 11th year of the reign of the Ming Emperor Yongle. The palace includes the Dongtian Gate, Dragon and Tiger Hall, Xunbei Stele Pavilion, Shifangzhang, Zixiao Hall and Parents Hall. The five-bay Zixiao Hall, the main building, was built on a three-level terrace; it is double-eaved, nine-ridged and has green tiles and red walls.

The Golden Hall, or Golden Crown, is situated on top of Tianzhu Peak and was built in 1-I16, the 14th Year of the reign of the Ming Emperor Yongle. It is 5.54 meters high, 5.8 meters wide and 4.2 meters long and imitates the appearance of a timber structure. The tiles, rafters, ridgepoles, beams and gates are bronze and it was built on a granite base; it weighs more than 80 tons. Its double eaves rise up and on the ridges there are immortals and animals. The hall demonstrates well-developed artistic skills in casting, decorating and gold-plating and it is one of the best known Taoist buildings on the mountain.

Before you enter the hall you have to pass through Zijin City which has a city wall 1.5 kilometers long, built from 500-kilogram rectangular stone slabs. The wall has four carved gates. Golden Hall is the best place to view the sunrise in the Morning and the sea of clouds in the evening.

Included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1994.

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Potala Palace in Lhasa
Situated on Hongshan Mountain in Lhasa, the capital city of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Potala Palace is 3,700 meters above sea level.The Potala Palace on the top of the Potala Hill is the symbol of Lhasa. It is 117 meters tall and 4O meters wide and has towering buildings with golden roofs and a group of huge castle palaces.

In the seventh century, King Songtsan Gambo of the Tubo Dynasty had the princesses of Nepal and Tang emperor as his concubines. To mark the marriage, he built the 999-room palace which covers an area of 410,000 square meters and has a floor space of 130,000 square meters.It is built on the Red Mountain in the centre of the Lhasa valley. The palace is the quintessence of ancient Tibetan architecture and is listed as a world culture heritage site.

The complex is divided into two sections, the Red palace and the White Palace for the color of their walls. The former is for religious use while the latter served as the living quarters for succeeding Dalai Lamas and was a place for them to handle political affairs. The Red Palace houses eight funerary stupas of Dalai Lamas coy crud in sheets of gold. The 13-story main building is 115.703 meters high. Five of the palaces have gilded bronze tiles and are considered holy palaces on highland.

The red one is consists of the Hall of the Buddha, the Scripture Hall and the Memorial Hall, each with a dozen or scores of rooms. The Hall of the Buddha houses gold traced portraits of Sakyamuni and deceased Dalai Lamas: the Scripture Hall keeps in it a large number of early copies of Buddhist sutras and the Memorial Hall contains stupas of the 13 late Dalai Lamas.The White Palace consists of offices, dormitories, a Buddhist official seminary and a printing house.

The palace was designed and built to take best advantage of the sunlight on the plateau and in its wide and solid foundations there are tunnels and vents. Each hall or bedroom has a skylight to allow daylight and fresh air in. The columns and beams of the palace are carved while the walls are painted with colorful murals. Since ancient times, Tibetans have painted their timber and pottery articles and the murals in the Potala Palace total some 2,500 square meters.

Tangka or Buddhist scroll paintings are usually done on cotton and some are patchwork or embroideries. Tibetan ones are painted on cotton cloth. As with paintings, Tangka are based on different theme such as Buddhas and historical figures, as well as history, medicine, architecture and arts. The paintings are usually in vivid colors.

Potala Palace houses many iron, bronze, gold and silver articles, such as weapons, from the Tubo Kingdom. There are also sacrificial articles from the same period and leather, textile, paper, porcelain and carved stone goods as well as gems, seals and the golden documents issued by emperors to the Dalai Lamas.

Potala Palace is also a world of murals, which are painted in hundreds of halls and corridors. It is a huge treasure house for materials and articles of Tibetan history, religion, culture and arts. In 1961 Potala Palace was listed a national cultural site under state protection. The palace was repaired in 1989 with funds provided by the central government.

Included in UNESC world heritage list, 1994.

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The first Buddhist temple in China was built here in Sichuan Province in the 1st century A.D. in the beautiful surroundings of the summit of Mount Emei. In the Ming and Qing dynasties there were more than 150 temples.

A legend claims that the mountain was where Samantabhadra gave lectures on Buddhism and most temples house a statue of Samantabhadra. The main scenic spots on the mountain include the Baoguo Temple, Wannian Temple, Fohu Temple, Qingyin Pavilion, Heilongjiang Tunnel, Hongchun Platform, Xianfeng Temple (Jiulao Cave), Xixiang Pond and Golden Summit. These places are at different altitudes and have different climates. Temperatures at the top of mountain are 15 degrees lower than at the foot. The mountain which supports more than 3,000 varieties of plants and many animals is an important scenic area.

Baoguo Temple sits at the foot of the mountain at the entrance and exit of the mountain area. The temple was built during the reign of Ming Emperor Wanli (1573-1620). About 15 kilometers from the Baoguo Temple is Wannian Temple, one of the main temples in the mountain area. Wannian Temple, or the Temple of Samantabhadra as it was known before the Ming Dynasty, was built during the reign of Emperor Long'an of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (397-401). It has no beams and houses a bronze statue of Buddha Samantabhadra mounted on a six-toothed white elephant cast in 980, the fifth year of the Northern Song Dynasty. The statue is 7.3 meters high and weighs 62 tons.

Temple is situated at the foot of the Jiulao Peak and the old halls were built with tin sheets and iron tiles. The intact halls were rebuilt in 1779, the 44th year of the reign of the Qing Emperor Qianlong. At the foot of Fohu Hill, Fohu Temple is located one kilometer west of Baoguo Temple and is one of the largest in the mountain area. It was rebuilt in 1651, the eighth year of the reign of Qing Emperor Shunzhi. It covers an area of 13,000 square meters and is accessible from the highway. At the Golden Summit, the pinnacle of the mountain area 3,065 meters above sea level, is Puguang Hall or 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 lamps." Emei Mountain is a well-known natural museum with more than 3000 specimens of plants and 2,000 types of animals including groups of monkeys that appear on the mountain roads and fascinate the tourists. Mount Emei is also notable for its exceptionally diverse vegetation, ranging from subtropical to subalpine pine forests. Some of the trees there are more than 1,000 years old.

The most remarkable is the Giant Buddha of Leshan, on the east bank Minjiang River in Leshan City, carved out of a hillside in the 8th century and looking down on the confluence of three rivers the Minjiang, Qingyi and Dadu and at its back is the western slope of Lingyun Mountain. It is the largest Buddha in the world.Standing at 70.7 meters with shoulders 24 meters wide it is an impressive sight. A water drainage system reduces erosion by rain and slows weathering.

The statue was begun in 713 and completed in 803, the 19th year of the reign of the Tang Emperor Dezhong. To the right of the statue a plank road with turns was built and it is now famous as the nine-turn plank road; it goes from bottom to the top.

Included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1996.
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Lushan Mountain
Lushan Mountain is located in the southern part of Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province, on the bank of Poyang Lake. It is one of China's famous mountains and covers an area of 302 square kilometers. The mountain is a well-known scenic area, summer resort and place for patients to recuperate. Dahanyang Peak, the highest peak, rises 1,474 meters above sea level. The mountain boasts in imposing and magnificent peaks, unique waterfalls, and historical sites as well as a ganging sea of clouds and a warm and comfortable climate.

On December 6,1996, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Landscape in the World Heritage List and gave the following remarks: "with its peculiar style in historic remains, which is melted with remarkable natural beauty, Mt Lushan has formed a highly- aesthetically-valued cultural view closely relevant to the sprit of the Chinese people and their cultural life".

The main scenic spots on the mountain include the Peak of the Five Old Men, ThreeStep Spring, Hanpo Pass, Lulin Lake, Great Tianchi Lake, Flowerpath, Ruqin Lake, Jingxiu Valley, Immortal's Cavern, Lesser Tianchi Lake, Donglin Temple, White Deer Cave Academy Lushan Botanical Gardens and Lushan Museum.

Guling Town, the center of the scenic area, is a unique city on the mountain. At an altitude of 1,167 meters, it is surrounded on three sides by mountains. To its north is Scissors Pass. A mountain highway leads to the various scenic spots from the city. The 1,211meter-high Hanpo Pass lies between the Peak of the Five Old Men and Jiuqi Peak.

Poyang Lake is in the south of Hanpo Peak and its extensive surface is dotted with thousands of boats. Hanpo Pavilion is an ideal place to view the sunrise. To the east of Three-Step Spring is the Peak of the Five Old Men where a waterfall cascades from rock to rock in a total drop of 300 meters. West of Guling is the Flowerpath where the noted poet of the Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi, wrote poems expressing his admiration of the peach blossoms. Donglin Temple on the northwest slope of the mountain is the birthplace of the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism. White Deer Cave Academy is in a valley at the foot of the Peak of the Five Old Men and was one of the earliest institutes of higher learning in ancient China. The Greater and Lesser Tianchi Lakes are beautiful scenic spots on the mountain and contain water all the year round.

The Greater Tianchi Lake is an ideal place to view a sunset and enjoy the Yangtze River while the Lesser Tianchi Lake is a good place to enjoy the beauty of the Poyang Lake. Trees surround Lushan Museum on the northern bank of Lulin Lake; it houses ancient Chinese bronzes, pottery from different historical periods, calligraphic works from Tang Dynasty and paintings from Ming and Qing dynasties. The Lushan Botanical Gardens are in a valley to the east of the mountain. At an altitude of 1,000 to 1,300 meters, they are sub-highland botanical gardens and were founded in 1934. The gardens cover an area of three square kilometers, grow more than 3,400 kinds of plants and preserve 100,000 plant samples.

Everyone is greeted everywhere with reddish cliffs, verdant dales, overhanging rocks and thunderous cataracts.In the depths of centuries-old forests are tucked famous scenic spots and historic place, with its splendid landscape of mountains and waters, is now a world-renowned summer resort.

Mt Lushan bristles with lofty peaks in an infinite variety of forms. Some rise sheer from the ground while others look dangerously steep or elegant. Of the over 90 major peaks there, the highest, known as Dahanyang, is more than l,500 meters above sea level. For grotesqueness in shape, however, one has to look to Wulao Peak, one of the most magnificent sights across the land.

The bestknown, perhaps, is the ever-changing mist that wraps up the mountain all the year round. In a poem devoted to the misty Lushan Tang Bohu,the celebrated Ming Dynasty painter and calligrapher wrote, "Mt Kuanglu, shrouded in dense fog, rises beyond the highest heavens" . And no wonder Su Dongpo, a brilliant poet of the Song Dynasty should have queried in one of his poems: "How could one tell what Mt Lushan really looks like when one is in the midst of the mountain all along?"

In addition to hundreds of natural tourism sights, the Lushan Mountain also has over 200 newly-discovered geological remains of scientific importance.

Include in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1996.

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