China Cultural Chronicles June 13, 2012
Way down in Kokomo, or is it up in Kokomo
If you don’t want to travel to Beijing because you don’t think China has a bumping night life you should book your tickets because Beijing is a city that harder than New York. It is a city filled with numerous Beijing tours, tourist destinations during the day and some of the best clubs in the world at night. Personally my favorite club Kokomo resides in SanLiTun which is just one of Beijing’s popular night districts for foreigners and Chinese citizens alike. Kokomo is located on the 4th and 5th floors of TongLi Studios, the 5th floor is the best because it is a roof terrace with a view of Beijing and if your into football (soccer) at tables on the dance floor or even on top of the tables if you want to dance to the music while you root for your team. It is a Caribbean themed night club but that doesn’t stop them from playing popular music from around the world. It makes sense that they play a variety of music to because Kokomo attracts people from all over the world. Walking onto the rooftop terrace is like walking into a world fair convention but everyone is there to have a good time.
Also located below Kokomo is China Doll which is more of a Chinese techno club that is always packed and it is catered to
the techno and dub-step crowd. Also across the way is a very ritzy bar called The Roof Top. However the drinks are a bit more expensive at China Doll and The Roof Top. I find that Kokomo has the best drinks and the most reasonable price. However any of the clubs in SanLiTun are an awesome start to your first weekend in Beijing. Kokomo is also open in the early evening if you are not a late night party animal. My favorite part is that it hosts a myriad of events such as Fire Poi performers who are spectacular to watch. So if you are looking for a place to just have a beer with friends, dance the night away or have a random encounter with strangers from all over the world SanLiTun’s Kokomo is the place to be. So what are you waiting for? Grab your friends and book your Beijing Flights today! As the BeachBoys sing in there song Kokomo “Everybody knows, a little place like Kokomo. Now if you wanna go. And get away from it all. Go down to Kokomo”
- Tourism needs to be endowed with soul of culture
Traveling the famous mountains and great waters, people may be moved by their beauty and remarkableness for some time but as time goes by, these impressions will fade.
But why are some places attractive and unforgettable forever? That is because the soul of culture exists in them.
To people who have visited Hunan, it is evocative that "a city became famous for a person; a spectacular place became famous for a travel notes and a spirit was handed down because of a poem." The ancient city of Fenghuang became famous owing to Shen Congwen, a Chinese writer.
The "Peach Garden," wrote by Tao Yuanming, an ancient Chinese poet, gave Wulingyuan district another name, "a land of idyllic beauty," and the famous words that "a leader should plan and worry ahead of the people and enjoy the fruits after the people" in the "Remarks of Yueyang Tower, " wrote by Fan Zhongyan, an ancient Chinese writer, has been remembered and mentioned over the centuries. Standing by the Orange Beach in the center of the Xiangjiang River, people can see the red all over the mountains and plains from northern side.
The experience of visitors made it clear that culture is the main reason for people to remember those fascinating places forever. The culture is the soul of tourism and tourism is the carrier of culture. Without the soul of culture, the tourism will lack the inherent meanings and the tourist economy will lack the follow-up power. Some places are very interested in developing the tourism but use wrong methods and make efforts to raise the ticket prices, counterfeit antiques and cultural relics and make up amazing stories.
As a new cultural and economic form, the essence of the cultural tourism is to make culture a living soul. Today, people showed strong demand for culture since the food and clothing have met their demand. The cultural tourism has become a pattern of cultural consumption. It will lose the opportunity if people are failed to see the trend but it also would be wasted if people misunderstand the true meaning of cultural tourism and transform and upgrade it at random.
As a country of 5,000 years of civilization, China has many regions and places enjoying a long history and unique culture. In recent years, many ground-breaking exploration and practice have been formed.
For example, in addition to the beautiful sceneries described by Zhu Ziqing, a Chinese writer, the Shangyu city of Zhejiang also is famous for the Butterfly Lovers. Moreover, the Shangyu city became "the city of filial piety culture in China" owing to Shun Emperor of ancient times and Cao E, a filial daughter in the Han period, and a peculiarly prominent part in the history of education thanks to Jing Hengyi, Xia Gaizun, Zhu Ziqing, Zhu Guangqian and Feng Zikai.
In recent years, Shangyu city, which is located on the south bank of Hangzhou and between Hangzhou and Ningbo, has figured out the unique cultural context and actively built the Shangyu core circle of culture and tourism, driving the development of "cultural tourism" forward. The practice has proved that many places must have their special conditions and advantages to make culture the soul of tourism and even the soul of development. The key is to activate the culture and make it the breath and blood of our times.
Any place will become famous and popular and has strong follow-up power once it has its unique cultural brand and mark.
- The thousand-year-old Tibetan paper
The 62-year-old Ciren Duojie, an inheritor of Tibetan papermaking technology, is drying the pulp. [CNS Photo / Li Lin]
More than 1,300 years ago, when the Princess Wencheng of Tang Dynasty went to Tibet to get married, she also brought the papermaking technology from the central plain area to this plateau. After years of study, innovation and inheritance, the Tibetan paper was born.
Since the main material for making the Tibetan paper is "wolf poisonous weeds"- the root of Chinese plant stellera, the paper has some toxicity and is resistant to bugs' biting. It has incredible durability, and is easy to preserve and hardly get rotten. In the past, the Tibetan paper was mainly used to print religion related books and as the writing material for Buddhist scriptures. Nowadays, it's often used to make Tibetan paper notebooks, photo albums, lanterns and so on. This unique technology has been listed in the first batch of National Intangible Culture Heritage Directory in 2006.
- Tibet hosts first intangible cultural heritage achievement exhibition
Exhited photos display traditional Tibetan paper-making techniques at the first Tibet intangible cultural heritage achievement exhibition in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. [Photo/China Tibet Online]
The first Tibet intangible cultural heritage achievement exhibition is scheduled to be held from June 9 to 15 in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
The exhibition adopted various exhibiting methods, such as the artwork exhibition, technique demonstration as well as singing and dancing performances.
A total of 42 intangible cultural heritage items have been at display, inclusive of 18 handicraft items, 5 Tibetan medicine items, 6 Thangka items and 13 traditional art performance items.
Nearly 300 inheritors and folk artists took part in the exhibition.
- Foreigners to tell their Beijing stories
Beijing has launched a competition that gives foreigners an opportunity to tell their stories in the city.
There're more than 200,000 foreigners in Beijing, more than 1 percent of the city's total populations. The total number of inbound tourists is 5.2 millions in 2011, up 6.2 percent year on year.
The foreigners who work, live, and travel in the city have become the important witnesses and participants of Beijing's development.
The competition invites the foreigners to tell their different feelings to promote the exchange between Beijing and the world.
- Beijing's park life - The Temple of Heaven
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下载安装Flash播放器In places, the Chinese capital's lack of colour puts the beige in Beijing. It's not the greenest of cities, but at least it has a multitude of parks to offer solace to the soul. Whether you're looking for a sense of community or a respite from the urban rush, you can find it in one of Beijing's parks. Parks are perfect places to be alone, or with family, friends or lovers.
CRI's William Wang strolls along countless quiet pathways in order to tell you about Beijing's unmissables.
Mystical sounds of the cucurbit flute at twilight in the Temple of Heaven Park.
The Temple of Heaven Park
A man screams in the distance. A long, sorrowful bellow. Then there's silence. Minutes later a woman's shriek can be heard coming from another direction. Two women playing cucurbit flutes barely pause before continuing their sad and strange song.
Everyday, busloads of tourists follow tour guide's waving flags towards the Temple of Heaven's central focus. They chatter across the echo wall and briefly peruse the other structures before being whisked off to Beijing's other must-sees. They may snap the requisite photo of the temple's circular rooftop, but they do miss one of the best places to take in Beijing local culture.
The 267 hectare park is large enough to avoid crowding. A massive network of geometrically planned pathways, it offers walkers and runners countless routes, while tai chi practitioners stake out their spots amongst the trees.
A woman stretches out on the Temple of Heaven's Danbei Bridge.
4000 ancient cypresses are laid out in tight rows that on one hand feel a bit claustrophobic, but on the other hand provide a sharp contrast with the spacious Danbei Bridge area where people stretch out on its expansive stone walkway.
Those looking to experience nature will have to look elsewhere. But despite Confucius's influences of order and symmetry, the park is far from manicured. Boxed in between the fences and corridors, there is a feeling of restlessness. The cypress trees may be trapped in rows, but their knotted gnarled branches battle for space, pushing in all directions.
Like other parks, you have dancers, musicians and men slamming down their cards in an effort to break the table. Mornings in the Temple of Heaven Park are particularly bright and bustling. Singsong, synchronized exercises and all sorts of wholesome activities fill the pockets of space.
Women explore their feral side at the Temple of Heaven Park.
But once the sun slinks beyond the cypress trees, a personality unique to the Temple of Heaven crawls out of the shadows.
The first sign is when the kites in the sky transform into twinkling LEDs surrounded by darkness. The second sign is men and women releasing guttural screams at the top of their lungs. This is apparently done for health reasons. Although it may help those individuals deal with their daily pressures, park visitors should take care not to get stressed upon hearing the ominous cries.
Some ghostly characters rhythmically stroll past while emitting the nasal sounds of Peking Opera, oblivious to the activities and individuals around them. Large groups of people may be seen intensely clapping their hands in unison for bizarrely long periods of time, echoing the words of the eminent leader. Casual observers are forewarned not to join in for fear of falling into a trance and repeating cryptic syllables of uncertain meaning.
Lanterns at twilight at the Temple of Heaven Park.
If those scenes put you on edge, you can head to the Long Corridor where groups of people gather to belt out some karaoke. Or at the east gate, ballroom dancers cut a rug to Chinese pop classics. Particularly after dusk, the Temple of Heaven Park bears witness to the usual activities, as well as the unexpected.
Location: Yongdingmen East Street (S gate), or go to Tiantan East Gate subway station.
Admission: 15 yuan for park entrance. Does not include entry to temples.
Opening hours: 6am-9pm
Tai chi at dusk at the Temple of Heaven Park.
- Heap of Glory 2
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Tashilhunpo Monastery is one of the Six Big Monasteries of Gelugpa (or Yellow Hat Sect) in Tibet. Also called the Heap of Glory, the monastery is located at the foot of Drolmari (Tara's Mountain), Shigatse. Founded by the First Dailai Lama in 1447, the monastery's structure was expanded by the Fourth and successive Panchen Lamas. Tashilhunpo Monastery covers an area of nearly 300,000 square meters (3,229,279 sq. ft.). The main structures found in the Tashilhunpo Monastery are The Maitreya Chapel, The Panchen Lama's Palace and The Kelsang Temple. Tashilhunpo is the seat of the Panchen Lama since the Fourth Panchen Lama took charge in the monastery, and there are now nearly 800 lamas.
Standing on the entrance of Tashilhunpo, visitors can see the grand buildings with golden roofs and white walls. The remarkable Thangka Wall which is nine floors high was built by the First Dalai Lama in 1468. The wall displays the images of Buddha on the 14th, 15th and 16th of May every year following the Tibetan Lunar Calendar. The images are so humongous that one can easily see it in Shigatse City. Visitors can find The Maitreya Chapel by strolling into the monastery on the west side of Tashilhunpo. One can find the biggest statue of a sitting Maitreya Buddha inside the chapel. The statue stands 26.2 meters (86 ft) high and is decorated with gold, copper, pearl, amber, coral, diamond and other precious stones. The statue was handcrafted by 900 craftsmen in 9 years. The chapel has been divided into five floors. Visitors can tour the upper floors of the chapel using a wooden staircase to see the statue more clearly and appreciate the superb skill of the Tibetans. - Heap of Glory 1
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Tashilhunpo Monastery is one of the Six Big Monasteries of Gelugpa (or Yellow Hat Sect) in Tibet. Also called the Heap of Glory, the monastery is located at the foot of Drolmari (Tara's Mountain), Shigatse. Founded by the First Dailai Lama in 1447, the monastery's structure was expanded by the Fourth and successive Panchen Lamas. Tashilhunpo Monastery covers an area of nearly 300,000 square meters (3,229,279 sq. ft.). The main structures found in the Tashilhunpo Monastery are The Maitreya Chapel, The Panchen Lama's Palace and The Kelsang Temple. Tashilhunpo is the seat of the Panchen Lama since the Fourth Panchen Lama took charge in the monastery, and there are now nearly 800 lamas.
Standing on the entrance of Tashilhunpo, visitors can see the grand buildings with golden roofs and white walls. The remarkable Thangka Wall which is nine floors high was built by the First Dalai Lama in 1468. The wall displays the images of Buddha on the 14th, 15th and 16th of May every year following the Tibetan Lunar Calendar. The images are so humongous that one can easily see it in Shigatse City. Visitors can find The Maitreya Chapel by strolling into the monastery on the west side of Tashilhunpo. One can find the biggest statue of a sitting Maitreya Buddha inside the chapel. The statue stands 26.2 meters (86 ft) high and is decorated with gold, copper, pearl, amber, coral, diamond and other precious stones. The statue was handcrafted by 900 craftsmen in 9 years. The chapel has been divided into five floors. Visitors can tour the upper floors of the chapel using a wooden staircase to see the statue more clearly and appreciate the superb skill of the Tibetans. - CN-626484 from yuanzhm, in China, on 12 June 2012
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Postcard CN-626484, received through Postcrossing.
Zenhai Tower (or Five Stories Pagoda), in Guanzhou - Blue impression over the Li river (Sons et Lumières)
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Wonderful light show of Yangshuo gathering more than 600 dancers.
www.guilin-yangshuo-guide.com/yangshuo-light-show.html - Since your own manifest intrinsic awareness is just this, how can you say that you cannot find your own mind?
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Self Liberation through Seeing with Naked Awareness by Padmasambhava
- Le toit du monde en panoramique
- Pour le plaisir des yeux
- #3092
- Forbidden City
- Travel rush expected over Dragon Boat Festival holiday
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下载安装Flash播放器China's Ministry of Railways said Tuesday that the country's railways are expected to transport 24.4 million passengers during the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival holiday, marking an increase of 1.15 million year on year.
The daily average passenger flow is estimated to reach 6.1 million during the holiday that runs from June 22 to 24, according to the ministry.
To ease transportation pressures, 925 pairs of bullet trains will travel nationwide during the travel rush, the ministry said.
The Dragon Boat Festival, also called Duanwu Festival, is traditionally celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.
The festival commemorates the famous ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan. Chinese people prepare and eat Zong Zi, drink realgar wine and race dragon boats on that day.
The festival falls on June 23 this year.
- Tibetan Landscapes
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Like to see the pictures as LARGE as your screen? Just click on this Slideshow : www.flickr.com/photos/reurinkjan/sets/72157627765541022/s...
The plateau is a high-altitude arid steppe interspersed with mountain ranges and large brackish lakes. Annual precipitation ranges from 100 mm to 300 mm and falls mainly as hailstorms. The southern and eastern edges of the steppe have grasslands which can sustainably support populations of nomadic herdsmen, although frost occurs for six months of the year. Permafrost occurs over extensive parts of the plateau. Proceeding to the north and northwest, the plateau becomes progressively higher, colder and drier, until reaching the remote Changthang region in the northwestern part of the plateau. Here the average altitude exceeds 5,000 meters (16,500 feet) and year-round temperatures average −4 °C, dipping to −40 °C in winter. As a result of this extremely inhospitable environment, the Changthang region (together with the adjoining Kekexili region) is the least populated region in Asia, and the third least populated area in the world after Antarctica and northern Greenland. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Plateau
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