The Qingming Festival (simplified Chinese: 清明节; traditional Chinese: 清明節; pinyin: Qīngmíngjié, Ching Ming Festival in Hong Kong, Vietnamese language: Tết Thanh Minh), Clear Bright Festival, Ancestors Day or Tomb Sweeping Day is a traditional Chinese festival on the 104th day after the winter solstice (or the 15th day from the Spring Equinox), usually occurring around April 5 of the Gregorian calendar (see Chinese calendar). Astronomically it is also a solar term (See Qingming). The Qingming festival falls on the first day of the fifth solar term, named Qingming. Its name denotes a time for people to go outside and enjoy the greenery of springtime (踏青 Tàqīng, “treading on the greenery”) and tend to the graves of departed ones.

Here’s a article from global times, may help you better understanding this particular festival and give a suggestion to plan your Qingming Festival holiday.

The Tomb Sweeping Festival is not only an occasion to commemorate death, but a happy break for those who remain alive. Apart from the obligatory visitation of the burial grounds of deceased family and friends, having a good plan for the break is also necessary. Lifestyle has advice for those who need a simple, short-term escape from Beijing.

Hongluo Temple

Hongluo Temple

If you want to find a place to relax and have no intention of exhausting yourself with physical exercise, during your vacation, you may wish to consider Hongluo Temple. Located in Huairou district, 55 miles from Beijing, the temple grounds occupy around 800 hectares, making it the biggest Buddhist forest in northern China. The temple was originally built by a monk named Fo Tudeng in 338 AD, the first acknowledged teacher of Buddhism in China.

Now the temple has become one of the most popular national scenic spots; visitors include the emperor Kang Xi, who stopped by during his travels in 1694. The temple is also an ideal Qingming escape because here one can burn joss sticks at the altar in tribute to the deceased. Within the temple, visitors can appreciate the soothing atmosphere of birds singing, streams flowing and flower blossoming; don’t forget to pause and appreciate the wisteria growing here has blossomed every year, for 800 years, in April. For more flowers, step out to Hongluo Mountain to the north, where lilacs, roses and peonies flourish.

Address: No. 2 Hongluo East Road, Huairou District 怀柔区红螺东路2号

Tel: 6068-1175

Directions: Take bus No. 936 from Dongzhimen station to Hong Luo temple.

Ling Mountain

For mountain hiking fans who do want to take the chance to get off their bums, the holiday is a good chance to head for Ling Mountain in the western suburbs of the city. Located at the northwestern side of Mentougou, it is 122 kilometers away from the city center. Ling Mountain is the highest in Beijing’s vicinity, at 2,303 meters, and is home to up to 1,000 types of wild plants, making it a paradise for animals such as peccary, rabbits, fox, goats and domesticated yak.

Ling Mountain is also abundant with old historical remains like broken cave temples and beacon towers, making it great for exploring. With everything from these historical remains to plants that grow in both tropical and fridge zones, this mountain is like a museum of natural history, luring campers who like to call the area “little Tibet.” Take note, however: this adventurers’ paradise is also fraught with risks, and every year climbers lose their way and die of hypothermia or expo-sure. Be careful, or it’ll be your grave they’re sweeping next year.

Address: Ling Mountain scenic spot, Mentougou District 门头沟区灵山景区

Tel: 6182-7994

Directions: Take bus No. 929 branch line from Pingguoyuan subway station to Shuang Tang Jian.

Shuanglongshan forest park

If the Ling Mountain is too wild and Hong Luo Temple too “popular,” the natural middle ground can be found at Shuanglongshan forest park, Changping District, 50 miles from the city center. Get close to nature while enjoying a variety of activities, including fruit and vegetable picking in the eco-environmental center and learning from guides how to survive in the wilderness.

For something you generally cannot do within the city limits, go chase a mountain chicken (an actual activity) at one of the local chicken farms in an amusing diversion to get slackers to shake a leg and get some exercise. If chasing birds is too active for you, how about collecting their eggs? These particular chickens subsist on bugs and worms they find in the mountains, rather than chickenfeed; as a result, their eggs appear greener than what you’d pick up in the grocery store.

There’s nothing like pursuing wild fowl to rally the appetite, so at the end of the day, tuck into appetizing farmhouse dishes served in the Shuanglongshan folk-custom vacation village, made with local mountain ingredients. It may be basic fare, but for urbanites who subsist on greasy food every day, a healthy change is a big holiday pursuit indeed.

Address: 3 kilometers west of Duijiuyu village, east of Changling town, Changping District 昌平长陵镇碓臼峪风景区门前往西3公里

Tel: 8972-2163

Directions: Take bus No. 345, 845 or 919 to Changping District, and change to bus No. 5 to Shuanglongshan.

Source: Global Times

Forget Valentine’s Day. For romance lovers in the capital, it may be just as well that this most manufactured of Western holidays was eclipsed by the Spring Festival – on a day like that, family responsibility totally trumps affairs of the heart. But worry not frustrated lovers – this year, you get a go around! No need to fork out big bucks in a fancy hotel for a meal with prices involving eights and nines, no need to pay 10 times the price for roses and those strange cuddly animals. A perfect romantic evening can be had for the price of a cab – or if you’re really cheap – a subway ticket.

Red light district

The Lantern Festival is actually the most romantic traditional holiday in China, and we have those ancient Confucians to thank for that. In feudal society, young women were not allowed to go out freely, but on this day they were allowed to hang out with friends, and Lantern appreciation activities also gave them a chance to socialize.

Therefore, both then and now, single women and men take this opportunity to get to know each other better. Of course, nowadays, this traditional activity is gradually losing its romantic element as young women and men have the freedom to go dating on any day. But it seems that with this independence, young people eschew traditional activities, and head back home for one last night with their family.

Instead, this year what could be more romantic than a walk in one of Beijing’s parks among the beautifully decorated red lanterns – other connotations not withstanding. The sky will light up with the last of the year’s firework displays, sure to set any heart aflutter. And for singletons, it still may be a good place to catch an admiring glance or two.

Do any of Beijing’s young couples intend to have a romantic evening on Lantern Festival? Are they even aware of the traditional meaning of the event?

Yes…

“I’d like to stay with my girlfriend on that day,” Liao Kai, a young man who has been in a relationship with his girlfriend for two years told Lifestyle, “although I’ve sent a bunch of flowers to her, I think I’d better spend the day with her, like go out and eat something to make up for Valentine’s Day.”

No…

“Generally speaking, I’d like to spend it with my family,” said a traditional boy named Zhang Yi, “the Lantern Festival is included in the Spring Festival and I have no idea about the traditional Chinese romantic story on that day. But I did spend half of Valentine’s Day with my girlfriend and went back to my grandma’s in the evening to eat supper with my relatives.”

Other voices – bring the tradition back

“I think it is a byproduct of globalization that we lost many of our good traditions nowadays, not only the Lantern Festival but also some others,” Liu Yuehua, a 25-year-old girl said. “The young people have so many Western-style festivals because they think it’s fashionable. But we should not lose our tradition since it represents China and it’s unique.”

“I didn’t know about that,” said Edward, an English teacher in Beijing. “But I think it’s cool, I’ve hardly seen my girlfriend since the holiday began. I think they should promote this as a romantic holiday; I’d far rather do something like this than spend Valentine’s Day in an overpriced restaurant or bar. It’s a shame people in China don’t seem aware of it.”

Have you ever heard of Hutong in Beijing? Are you interested in Beijing Hutong? I’d like to recommended this essay from Brendan Forde, CRI.

Like many foreigners in Beijing, I have enjoyed exploring the hutong neighborhoods. Respectfully and unobtrusively walking down the alleyways, one can get a real feel of old Beijing.

The hutong are synonymous with Beijing, an integral part of Beijing as much as Tian’anmen Square or Beihai Park. They are some of the most fascinating parts of this great city and I have spent many happy hours exploring them. In my opinion, the hutong constitute some of the most important areas of Beijing’s historical and cultural heritage.

So, I was devastated to stumble across a recently demolished hutong near Deshengmen, the other day. The scene resembled the aftermath of an earthquake. Piles of bricks and broken cement competed for space with rubbish and other artifacts, all the detritus of society. Punctuating this scene were walls, painted white, occasionally rising from the carnage.

For some reason, these walls were spared from destruction. Also spared were the trees that formerly inhabited the courtyards of this hutong. For generations, these trees provided shade and entertainment to the residents, yet now they were made silent witnesses to the destruction before them. Surveying this scene, my strongest reaction was not one of outrage at the loss of historical structures, or anger at the wanton disregard for heritage, but rather a feeling of sorrow and mourning at what had truly been lost, a vibrant community.

I can understand the value of development and the need for urban renewal is self evident, but I cannot understand why the hutong neighborhoods are being obliterated. Not only are the hutong significant culturally and historically, they are also living, breathing, vibrant community. Anyone who has even casually passed through these can plainly see and feel the lively community atmosphere.

One can see commerce of all types, bustling small businesses and the elderly enjoying recreation. But most important are the personal interactions between the residents that even the most unobservant visitor cannot miss. Everyone seems to know each other; passing individuals will exchange greetings, or stop at length for a chat. This intimate atmosphere can be found nowhere else in the city.

Yet, as Oscar Wilde once opined: “These days, men know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” Land values and development are fuelling the destruction of the hutong. Mere monetary value is far from the most important measure, for there are intangible cultural and historical values, as well as the important community values.

However, these values are being sacrificed in favor of rapid urban development. The hutong are important historical assets to Beijing. Unlike other points of interest, such as the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven or the Summer Palace, the hutong represent the history of the people of Beijing.

It is my firm hope that more visitors, especially Chinese visitors, explore the less tourism-oriented hutong, to experience the hutong life. The greater the understanding and appreciation of these communities, the greater the public will to prevent their eradication.

To conclude, another Wilde quote: “Experience is the name we give our mistakes.” Let us not allow the loss of the hutong become another chapter in the history of this city.

As one of the ancient capital cities of China, Zhengzhou has a vast historical and cultural heritage. With more than 2,000 historic sites spread across the city, the capital of the central province of Henan has proved a hugely alluring destination for both domestic and overseas tourists.

Monks practice kungfu at the renowned Shaolin Temple. [Photo: China Daily]

Martial Arts

The most famous tourism attraction in Zhengzhou is its Shaolin Temple. It is a Buddhist temple built on the Songshan Mountain in Dengfeng, 70 km away from downtown Zhengzhou. The Shaolin temple was founded in 495 AD by an emperor of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) and was intended to accommodate the Indian dhyana master, Batuo, who had traveled to China to teach Buddhism.

In 527 AD, the 28th patriarch of Buddhism Bodhidharma arrived at the temple and introduced Chan Buddhism, which later became the dominant sect in Chinese Buddhism.

During its history of more than 1,500 years, the temple has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. Most of the current buildings were constructed during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The main buildings include the Shanmen Gate, the Bodhidharma Pavilion, as well as the Baiyi, Dizang and Qianfo Palace Halls.

According to legend, Hui Ke, a student of Bodhidharma and the second patriarch of the Chinese Chan Buddhism sect, once stood in front of the pavilion to wait for his teacher whilst the heavy snow piled to his knees.

Inside the temple, there are more than 400 stone inscriptions, written by Tang Dynasty literary figures and their successors. Kangxi, the second Qing emperor, wrote the calligraphic inscription: “Shaolin Temple”, which still hangs on the Shanmen Gate to this day.

For most people, the Shaolin Temple is better known for its association with Chinese martial arts or kungfu, rather than for its link to Chan Buddhism. Yet the two are frequently combined. Practicing kungfu is a way of practicing Chan, many believe, saying: “Kungfu is the materialization of Chan, while Chan is the spirit of kungfu”.

Many tourists are drawn to the temple by its great influence on Buddhism and the martial arts, including visits from a number of celebrities, ranging from the NBA star, Shaquille O’Neal, to the former president of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

Historic spots

In addition to the Shaolin Temple, Zhengzhou also has many other historic sites, each representing different aspects of different times and cultural occurrences. The most highly recommended are:

The Stellar Observatory

The stellar observatory is located in Dengfeng. About 700 years ago, during the early days of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the famous astronomer and mathematician, Guo Shoujing, built the observatory. It is the oldest observatory in China and one of the earliest astronomical observatories still in existence anywhere in the world. In 1280, Guo formulated the most advanced calendar of the time – the Shoushili Calendar.

Songyang College

Songyang College was built in 484 AD at the southern foot of Songshan Mountain. It is among the four most prestigious ancient Chinese colleges and is well known for its Neo-Confucianism practices. Several masters of Neo-Confucianism in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) lectured there, including Chen Hao, Chen Yi, Sima Guang, Fan Zhongyan and Zhu Xi. The college has two of the oldest cypress trees in China, dating back over 4,000 years.

Kangbaiwan’s Mansions

Kangbaiwan’s (Kang is the family name and “baiwan” means millionaire) Mansions are located in Gongyi, 82 km from Zhengzhou. The whole manor house area consists of 19 buildings, covering a total space of 64,300 sq m. It is a typical example of the feudalism stronghold architecture, common on the Loess plateau in northern China, during the 17th and 18th centuries. Its stone, wood and brick carvings throughout the mansion are of particular artistic value.

Du Fu’s Home Place

The famous Tang Dynasty poet, Du Fu, was born in Gongyi, an area under the direct jurisdiction of Zhengzhou. The ancestral hall of Du Fu was located here. Its actual date of construction is unknown and the hall has been restored many times since the days of the Qing Dynasty.

Grotto Temple

The Gongyi Grotto Temple was first established in the Northern Wei Dynasty. It now comprises five caves, one shrine, 255 small alcoves, three large cliff-face Buddha statues, 7,743 Buddhist statues and more than 200 stone inscriptions. The adornments on both sides of the cave gate are very rare in terms of their compact design, lifelike shapes and sleek lines, making them highly distinctive relics.

Song Mausoleum

The Song Mausoleum is located in Gongyi. It is the largest group of royal tombs in central China. The Song Mausoleum has over 200 tombs. It is 15 km long from north to south and 10 km wide from east to west. The stone sculptures of people and animals in the Song Tomb are the only existing group of Song Dynasty statues in China, making them valuable relics.

Cultural tour

As Zhengzhou has such a proliferation of cultural relics, the local government has been working hard to establish them as ideal attractions for contemporary tourists. The following are some of the projects that should be high on any visitor’s “must-see” list.

Huangdi’s Home Place

Huangdi, also known as the “Yellow Emperor”, was born in Zhengzhou. Huangdi and another tribal ruler, Yandi, are believed to be the co-founders of the Chinese nation and civilization. The local government has built a scenic shrine in Huangdi’s hometown, allowing Chinese visitors to worship their ancestor. The shrine includes five separate areas: Chinese Surname Square, the ancestral hall of Huangdi, the birthplace of Huangdi – Xuanyuan Mound, an art exhibition zone and the treasure tripod zone.

Wen Temple

The Wen Temple, also known as the Confucian Temple, was first built during the time of the Eastern Han Dynasty. It was originally a place where students studied the Confucian classics. During the Ming Dynasty, its name was changed to Wen (Literacy) Temple. The major shrine of the Wen Temple features a Xieshan-style roof, with nine ridges.

Yellow River Scenic Area

The Yellow River scenic area is a national AAAA scenic spot, covering 17 sq km. In 1987, the local government began work on two statues of Yangdi and Huangdi by the river. The two statues, which were only completed in 2007, both now stand 106 meters high.

The Shaolin Music Show

This outdoor performance consists of five segments – music of water, wood, wind, light and stone. This impressive show combines martial arts with the modern lighting and audio techniques, as well as the choral singing of Shaolin monks. A number of celebrities, including the president of the International Olympics Committee, Jacques Rogge, and the president of Singapore, S.R. Nathan, have visited the show and subsequently spoken very highly of it.

The Ancient Buildings of the Songshan Mountain

The group of ancient buildings on Songshan Mountain is the subject of a UN World Cultural Heritage application. These buildings bore witness to a number of now extinct traditions, including sacrificial ceremonies. They were also home to educational facilities in former times.

Yellow River scenic area [Photo: China Daily]

Source: China Daily

Do the Chinese celebrate Christmas in China? Well, the answer to this question is both YES and NO.

If you walked around a major Chinese city 20 years ago, you probably wouldn’t have seen many signs of Christmas. This is because Christmas is a Christian holiday and not many Chinese people are Christian. However, if you were to visit those same Chinese cities today, you’d see signs of Christmas everywhere you looked! On the Avenue of Eternal Peace in Beijing, China, there are Christmas displays everywhere. Many Chinese people celebrate by decorating their houses with Christmas trees, cooking and eating special foods, and spending time with family and friends.

Steps:
1. Make paper lanterns to decorate your house.

2. Set up a Tree of Light, or Christmas tree, and adorn it with paper chains, paper flowers and paper lanterns. These trees are usually artificial.

3. Help your children hang muslin stockings to be filled with small presents.

4. Expect Dun Che Lao Ren, or Christmas Old Man, to visit.

5. Participate in local festivals (like Hong Kong’s Ta Chiu festival), which happen in many parts of China. They may or may not be directly associated with Christmas.

6. Go to church if this religious tradition is an important part of your Christmas celebration. Midnight Mass is popular with the small Catholic population.

7. Prepare for the Chinese New Year, officially called the Spring Festival, which marks the beginning of the new Chinese calendar year.

8. Buy your children new clothes and toys for the occasion.

9. Understand that it’s appropriate to honor your ancestors during the New Year’s celebration; hang portraits in your home of relatives from past generations.

10. Display bowls of oranges and tangerines, which symbolize wealth and good fortune.

Tips:
Give friends and relatives red envelopes containing lucky money as a gift for the Chinese New Year.
Only a small part of the Chinese population is Christian, as Christianity is not an officially sanctioned religion in China.

Have you ever heard of Nanluoguxiang in Beijing? Here is an article about it:

Nanluoguxiang authorities say they want more entertainment companies on the famous street.

The managers of Nanluoguxiang, one of Beijing’s most popular streets with a 742-year history, plan to restrict the number of bars and cafes in the popular tourist precinct.

Yu Yongjun, vice-director of the municipal government’s Jiaodaokou office in charge of the street, said it wants to work with rich entertainment companies to turn the street in an area promoting popular culture.

“All businesses in Nanluoguxiang contribute a total of no more than 500,000 yuan in tax every year,” Yu said.

“There are more than 120 shops registered in this area, but they are all family businesses. To play up the cultural aspect of the area, we would prefer to cooperate with entertainment companies and performance theaters with a strong cultural background.”

“We will use a total of 13 million yuan to develop the quality and diversity of culture represented by the street by 2011,” he said.

The street is a popular destination for Chinese and foreign visitors for its local flavor and traditional Beijing architecture. Many artist and performers are also drawn to the area because of its proximity to creative institutions, such as the Central Academy of Drama.

Yu said the street once housed construction businesses, and that printing stores, restaurants and pubs opened from 2006 onwards.

However, Nanluoguxiang store owners were concerned about the changes.

“The rent for a 30-sq-m shop was 1,000 yuan per month back in 2005, but now I have to pay more than 10,000 yuan. The rent has been raised by 10 times, which makes my business tougher,” said Yin Qi, owner of Chinese painting shop Color Together.

In addition, Yin was concerned about the taste of new customers and the future of his store if local authority used the street to promote popular culture.

“There are more visitors coming to my shop now, but fewer of them can understand my products than before. The increase of customers doesn’t bring in any new buyers,” he said.

“I mainly relay on my regular customers to maintain my business, and I am worried that I could even lose them if Nanluoguxiang changes to a so-called culture featured street without the traditional Chinese art elements.”

Customers were also concerned that further development would cost them more money and that the street would lose its local charm.

“I have seen it become more commercialized since I started hanging out with friends here about five years ago,” Yoewi, a 25-year-old visitor from Holland said.

In the spirit of the Global Times’ recent “Seven Deadly Sins of Foreigners”, we opted to give foreigners a chance to publicly whinge about their lives, fully cognizant of the oft-stated response to such complaints: If you don’t like it here, why don’t you go home?

There’s never an easy answer. Some people are fugitives (literally) from their home countries. Some are dodging the tax man. Some are just too socially awkward to survive in the West. Regardless, no one lives here without formulating an opinion. Here’s a smattering of your fellow expatriates’ deepest thoughts.

What is your opinion of the average Chinese person?

“There is no average Chinese person,” and “Average people, Chinese or not, are nothing but average,” were

but two responses we received waxing philosophical on averageness and what, in retrospect, could have been a betterphrased question.

“The thing I really can’t bear about the average Chinese person is the lack of creativity,” Celia, 22, from France told us. “The girls are sweet, the guys can be annoying,” an anonymous respondent offered, reminding us that we foreigners aren’t always so creative in our assessments either.

Bridget, 36, from the US, o¡ ered a more in-depth analysis of a relatively superficial query. “I think there’s a gap between the people who are older and who lived through the Cultural Revolution and the younger generation,” she said. “They older folk tend to be more cautious and a little stuck in old ways of thought. The youth push ahead—they could do amazing things if and when they figure out how to channel the energy they are generating.”

What do you find most irritating about life in China?

Let us guess. Spitting?

“I came to China in a container, I really don’t remember when. But I could live without the spitting on the subway and buses.” Yes, Austin, 22, from Norway, who appears to be implying that he came here as a stowaway, would appreciate it if you would swallow that hot loogie you just hornked up from the depths of your infected lungs.

Hampus, 25, from Sweden, stated simply that China is “too crowded.” Well, it’s only the most populous nation in the world, and the only nation that controls how many children you’re allowed to have. They’re doing their best, Hampus. Take a deep breath.

“My Chinese friends told me if I dislike anything in China I should go home,” one anonymous contributor said. “Unfortunately, I can’t afford a ticket as my Chinese boss hasn’t paidn me in six months. I am tempted to confront him but fear deportation.” Wow, buddy, sounds like you have everything to lose except the cajones necessary to stand up to your boss. Those appear to be long gone.

“Failure to move away from top of escalators in a timely fashion,” was yet another complaint we received. True. People have been killed in escalatorrelated accidents for just this reason. Thanks for bringing it up in what was supposed to be a light-hearted survey.

“I’ll always be a foreigner no matter what I do,” Jeffrey, 29, from the US fretted. Short of extensive plastic surgery and a residency permit, this is true. Meanwhile, Carlos, 28, from the UK, finds other foreigners the most irritating thing about China, saying that “expats who strut about with a sense of entitlement and who are basically considered losers in their own countries” are what really gets under his skin. Of course, this does not apply to him.

If you had the power to change China, what would you change fi rst?

“I would make it bigger and provide more space for renewable agriculture. Also I would ban rice and force everyone to eat potatoes as they need less water to grow.” Ah, the dangers inherent in asking someone if they could change the world. Give a man an inch and he’ll force you to eat potatoes forever. Not encourage, force.

And he’s not the only one who suggested enlarging the country, which makes us wonder if some sort of landfill lobbyists didn’t skew the results of this highly scientific survey.

Get rid of “asshole racist morons,” one respondent suggested, “but I’d change that everywhere.” We can hardly argue with that, but is it realistic? It may be more feasible to fi rst tackle smaller nuisances, as suggested by yet another anonymous source: “I would ban the playing of noisy music inside and outside stores. Those who played me the theme from Titanic, Kenny G, etc. would be imprisoned with hard labor.”

We’d agree, because nothing turns our stomachs like a little Kenny G, but that attitude directly butts heads with Tony Dice’s reminder that “If you don’t let your critics speak, you end up looking sad and weak.” We’d say more, but we can’t. Really. We tried.

Stepping into the west entrance of Donjiaominxiang, it’s hard to connect this place with the word hutong. Common hutongs are narrow, with little vegetation but many restaurants and stores. Here, however, it’s so wide as to be a proper, tree-lined road.

Dongjiaominxiang is often called the longest hutong in Beijing, stretching 1.5 kilometers from west to east. Walking slowly and distractedly, it can take two hours to stroll the length of the street, so bicycles are advised for those who want to reduce their time spent moseying. Century-old, western-style buildings conspicuously stand out between newer, imposing government offices.

Dongjiaominxiang served as Beijing’s diplomatic center for over 700 years, since the Yuan Dynasty. The area accommodated a series of foreign dignitaries, most notably Marco Polo, who mentioned the lane several times in his book of travels.

In 1900, the 55-day battle that took place between the Boxers, who wished to purge the city of foreign influences, and foreign delegates who barricaded themselves in the Legation, ended with the arrival of assistance from the Eight-Nation Alliance. The following Treaty of Xinchou (the International Protocol of 1901), designated Dongjiaominxiang as an embassy zone protected by walls 6 meters tall. Chinese were not allowed to come near, which was considered a particular humiliation at that time. Even the roads around the embassies, which previously were collectively labeled as Dongjiangmixiang, were referred to by their English names.

After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, the area continued to serve as an embassy zone, with many new diplomatic buildings constructed. Some of the original structures have been well preserved and re-purposed, such as the former Japanese embassy (now the Beijing Municipal People’s Government building), the Germany embassy (now a general clothing store) and the Italian embassy (now the Foreign Friendship Association, which serves to build international bridges of communication and cooperation). Other non-diplomatic buildings on the street continue to betray the foreign influence behind their structures.

You may take a look at some Beijing tours we provide.

Source：Global Times

Buddhism was introduced to China from India, the religion has seen many ups and downs. The temples across this city have borne witness to these changes. The smell of incense can easily lead visitors to the Lama Temple (Yonghegong), Guangji Temple, and Fayuan Temple, among others.

Of these, the Lama Temple is the best known. It is here that Beijingers come to pray for good fortune. You can smell the rich thick scent of Tibetan incense, composed of sandalwood and sapan wood. The intoxicating smell emerging from the many incense shops inside the temple and at the street’s entrance, fills the air.

The faithful believe that air is a spiritual, not material, substance and a medium for offering gifts to the gods.

After offering worship, devotees stick the joss in large bronze burners, green with age and filled with incense ash. The smoke from these joss sticks and their sweet fragrance is the densest during the Spring Festival.

It starts on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Carrying giant incense sticks, devotees begin queuing up from 6 in the morning even though the temple gates open only after 8:30 am, so they can be among the first to light the oil lamp at the foot of the sacred Buddha.

The frigid winter air does nothing to stop the smell of incense from the centuries-old lamasery from radiating to the whole city. It is reported that nearly 10,000 people visited the temple in just an hour on the first day of 2009.

The second peak at the temple comes with the Laba Festival that falls on the eighth day of the 12th lunar month (mid-January to mid-February) – the day Sakyamuni, founder of Buddhism, achieved immortality. Each year, crowds of people head to the fogbound temple on that day for a bowl of Laba porridge made with nuts and dry fruits.

Burning a stick of incense, some seek blessings for a baby, some for a good marriage, and others for a promising future. It is important to come back to redeem a vow, if the wish comes true.

Five months ago, the city saw another boom in incense burning, as the temple flooded with hundreds of high school students from all over the nation praying for admission to the college of their choice.

Countless joss sticks were burnt, with carts shuttling in and out every few minutes, wheeling piles of incense ash from the giant burners.

Outside, in the main courtyard, tourists attempt to throw coins into a tall bronze vessel covered with elaborate markings. The belief is that if the coins land inside the vessel, it signals good fortune.

Source: China Daily

Compared with private gardens, royal gardens have the following characteristics:

1. They are very big, taking real mountains and real waters as the main factors for constructing gardens. Therefore, they pay greater attention to site selection, and their technique of building the garden is close to a realistic painting.

2. Royal gardens have a wider scope of scenic area, with more scenic spots and richer landscape.

3. The content of function and scale of activity are much richer and grander than private gardens. Almost all of them have palaces attached to them, located at the main entrances to the garden and used for holding court. There are also residential halls within the garden.

4. They stress a beautiful and imposing style to play up the royal atmosphere. Their appearance is quite solemn, different from the light and beautiful style of areas south of the Yangtze River.

The extant royal gardens are in the vicinity of Beijing. The Summer Palace is one of the most famous ones.

Summer Palace

The Summer Palace in northwest Beijing was built in the 15th year (1750) of Qing Emperor Gaozong. It was twice destroyed by the Anglo-French Allied Forces and the Eight-Power Allied Forces in the 19th and the turn of the 20th century, but was rebuilt and remains well preserved.

（Source: chinaculture.org）