China Cultural Chronicles December 12, 2012
- Hall of Abstinence II (B)
etherflyer has added a photo to the pool:
According to Sino Hotel Guide:
The Hall of Abstinence is located near the western entrance of the Temple of Heaven. It is encircled by two walls. The Inner wall is called Brick City, and the outer wall is called the Purple Wall. To further ensure the safety of the emperor, a moat was built to surround the Purple Wall.
A bell tower, two stone pavilions and a beamless hall are the main structures here. The bell tower is in the northeast corner of the Hall of Abstinence. Before each ceremony. bells would be struck when the emperor left for the Circular Altar Mound and would not stop until the emperor arrived, After the ceremony, the bells would be struck again.
Of the two stone pavilions, the right pavilion kept time while the left one has a bronze plate with the word "fasting" engraved on it as a constant reminder to the emperor to observe fasting rules. The beamless hall was one of the most famous buildings in Beijing. A blue-tiled roof atop the hall symbolized that the emperor must always acknowledge the Supremacy of the Heavenly Emperor.
Before each ceremony, emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties held a three-day fast during Spring, Summer and Winter. The emperors spent two days fasting in the Forbidden City and completed the three-day fast in the Hall of Abstinence.
During the three days, the emperor could not drink wine. He could only eat vegetables, but not garlic or onions. The emperor couldn't have any entertainment, nor could he handle any state affairs. Also, he had to be away from women. Naturally, such restrictions could be difficult for any emperor who was accustomed to all these luxuries.
This High Dynamic Range 360° panorama was stitched from 63 bracketed photographs with PTGUI Pro, tone-mapped with Photomatix, and touched up in Aperture.
Original size:18200 × 9100 (165.6 MP; 175.86 MB).
Location: Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China - Hall of Abstinence II (A)
etherflyer has added a photo to the pool:
According to Sino Hotel Guide:
The Hall of Abstinence is located near the western entrance of the Temple of Heaven. It is encircled by two walls. The Inner wall is called Brick City, and the outer wall is called the Purple Wall. To further ensure the safety of the emperor, a moat was built to surround the Purple Wall.
A bell tower, two stone pavilions and a beamless hall are the main structures here. The bell tower is in the northeast corner of the Hall of Abstinence. Before each ceremony. bells would be struck when the emperor left for the Circular Altar Mound and would not stop until the emperor arrived, After the ceremony, the bells would be struck again.
Of the two stone pavilions, the right pavilion kept time while the left one has a bronze plate with the word "fasting" engraved on it as a constant reminder to the emperor to observe fasting rules. The beamless hall was one of the most famous buildings in Beijing. A blue-tiled roof atop the hall symbolized that the emperor must always acknowledge the Supremacy of the Heavenly Emperor.
Before each ceremony, emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties held a three-day fast during Spring, Summer and Winter. The emperors spent two days fasting in the Forbidden City and completed the three-day fast in the Hall of Abstinence.
During the three days, the emperor could not drink wine. He could only eat vegetables, but not garlic or onions. The emperor couldn't have any entertainment, nor could he handle any state affairs. Also, he had to be away from women. Naturally, such restrictions could be difficult for any emperor who was accustomed to all these luxuries.
This High Dynamic Range 360° panorama was stitched from 63 bracketed photographs with PTGUI Pro, tone-mapped with Photomatix, and touched up in Aperture.
Original size:18200 × 9100 (165.6 MP; 175.86 MB).
Location: Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China - Chinese railway station
- Huang village
- Langmusi 郎木寺
- Never give up
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Teen demonstrator makes a peace sign from candlelights after a vigil honoring Tibetan self-immolators, Nov. 2012 in Tibetan Children's Village, Naddi Himachal.
- Tianpingshan park,Suzhou
- Tianpingshan park,Suzhou
- Domesticated yaks, Tibet 2012
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Domesticated yaks have been kept for thousands of years, primarily for their milk, fibre and meat, and as beasts of burden. Their dried droppings are an important fuel, used all over Tibet, and is often the only fuel available on the high treeless Tibetan Plateau. Yaks transport goods across mountain passes for local farmers and traders as well as for climbing and trekking expeditions. "Only one thing makes it hard to use yaks for long journeys in barren regions. They will not eat grain, which could be carried on the journey. They will starve unless they can be brought to a place where there is grass. They also are used to draw ploughs. Yak's milk is often processed to a cheese called chhurpi in Tibetan and Nepali languages, and byaslag in Mongolia. Butter made of Yak's milk is an ingredient of the butter tea that Tibetans consume in large quantities, and is also used in lamps and made into butter sculptures used in religious festivities. Yaks grunt, and unlike cattle are not known to produce the characteristic bovine lowing (mooing) sound.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yak - Weishan Lake – Largest freshwater lake in N. China
Weishan Lake, located in Weishan County, Jining city, Shandong Province, is one of the six largest freshwater lakes in China. Covering an area of more than 1,260 square kilometers, the resort also prides itself on its cultural relics such as ancient temples and pavilions. [Photo/China.org.cn]
- Beautiful rime in Jilin
The small rime island in Fengman District, Jilin City, China's Jilin Province, attracts a great number of visitors on Dec. 8, 2012. Rime, also known as "snow willow" or "tree hanging," is a kind of phenomenon where winter fog condenses on tree branches and leaves to form individual white ice crystals. The freezing temperatures and warm water in Jilin contribute to the formation of the unique phenomenon. The rime in Jilin is one of the Four Natural Wonders of China, and the other three are the Mountains and Water of Guilin, Stone Forest of Yunnan and Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. [Photo/China.org.cn]
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