Tourism boosts in E China's Zhoucun during

Tourism boosts in E China's Zhoucun during 

People visit a scenic resort in the Zhoucun District of Zibo City in east China's Shandong Province, April 30, 2013. Tourism boosted in Zhoucun during the three-day public holiday celebrating the upcoming international workers' day on May 1. The scenic resort in Zhoucun opened to the public free of charge since March 2011. (Xinhua/Dong Naide)

A visitor walks past posters promoting sesame cakes in the Zhoucun District of Zibo City in east China's Shandong Province, April 30, 2013. Tourism boosted in Zhoucun during the three-day public holiday celebrating the upcoming international workers' day on May 1. The scenic resort in Zhoucun opened to the public free of charge since March 2011. (Xinhua/Dong Naide)

People visit a scenic resort in the Zhoucun District of Zibo City in east China's Shandong Province, April 30, 2013. Tourism boosted in Zhoucun during the three-day public holiday celebrating the upcoming international workers' day on May 1. The scenic resort in Zhoucun opened to the public free of charge since March 2011. (Xinhua/Dong Naide)

A craftsman engraves patterns onto porcelain pieces in the Zhoucun District of Zibo City in east China's Shandong Province, April 30, 2013. Tourism boosted in Zhoucun during the three-day public holiday celebrating the upcoming international workers' day on May 1. The scenic resort in Zhoucun opened to the public free of charge since March 2011. (Xinhua/Dong Naide)

Read More

tourism and best panorama in china natural

tourism and best panorama in china natural

 

paradise door

Read More

Shanghai, China

The first day in Shanghai.

From the first moment in Shanghai I had a feeling that I was surrounded by endless construction sites. The area where we were staying looked like an anthill; we were surrounded by a crowd of people, heavy traffic, and scooters that were all over the place, even on the sidewalks.

We went to sleep without any strength left. In the morning, while cursing at the damned alarm clock, we barely woke up at 4pm local time. The weather outside was foggy (we couldn't tell if it was due to smog or heavy clouds). It didn't change in the evening either, but we still had to go shooting. We crawled out to the street where the first communication problem was waiting for us: taxi drivers stationed near our hotel didn't understand where we needed to go or pretended not to understand. In the end we had to go by foot. Past three or four blocks we realized that we wouldn't make it to the embankment before sunset. Dima managed to catch a taxi, and we had a fast and cheap trip to our destination.

We chose a little square where we unpacked our equipment and launched the helicopter. Dima suggested a very busy place for the evening and night shooting - the area around big flowerbed near the television tower. It was a heavy traffic area (with very lively crossroad), not to mention the square was surrounded by an overpass with the crowd of local people and tourists. There were too many people. At that point we couldn't find a better place and had to launch our helicopter.

It was getting dark fast. The helicopter flew up into Shanghai evening sky, and Dima kept saying that television tower refused to fit into the frame. It was a very crucial moment, not only because we were launching the helicopter over our heads, but the altitude was higher than 200 meters. And, finally, Dima said that everything worked out. The flying altitude was 270 meters. For a night flight it was so awesome! 

It made me realize that Shanghai was a very difficult place for taking pictures with a radio-controlled helicopter. There were too many high-rise buildings. Some were higher than 400 meters. But locals were very friendly: they seemed to be interested in what we were doing and even took some pictures with us. We weren't bothered by police. We had everything to continue our work.

Shanghai. Day two.

Elated by our yesterday's success of high altitude flight, we decided to raise the bar and launch the helicopter in the middle of a small park that was surrounded by high-rise buildings; but a guard came up to us and ordered us with gestures to stop the launch.

At first we pretended not to understand him, then we showed him our photos and explained that all we wanted to do was to take some pictures, and then, suddenly, Dima noticed radio-controlled helicopters inside one of kiosks not far from our starting point. Dima went up to the kiosk window and pointed to the helicopters, implying that we were trying to fly the same thing that was sold there. I couldn't understand the logic of that one minute pantomime, but the guard seemed to understand him and started consulting someone on the radio transmitter. After finished his conversation, he shook his head, but with less confidence than when we first met. I smiled and made a waving motion so he would step away from our launching point. He decided not to resist and joined the rest of the observing crowd gathered around us.

Generally speaking, Chinese were very curious, just like little children. Wherever we decided to launch our helicopter, we were momentarily surrounded by a small crowd of people. But if we didn't ask them to move they would get in our way: they would push us aside or try to look into the monitor, standing right in front of us.

Nothing interesting happened that day. Except, maybe, when a guard (or policeman, one couldn't tell by their uniform) approached us on the embankment and forbid us to launch the helicopter. I played dumb and ignored his request. He consulted someone on the radio transmitter, and in the end allowed us to launch the helicopter. After we landed our helicopter and showed him some of the pictures, we parted as friends.

When we finished shooting on the embankment, we headed towards the park. I asked Dima, "Where are we running?"

"We won't make it in time! It's getting dark very fast!  I can hardly see anything!"

"Dima, would you mind taking off your sunglasses?!"

" :)))))))"

During our second night flight we beat a new high altitude record - 300 meters above the ground.

Our stay in Shanghai was coming to an end, but it seemed we were able to show the most interesting places in the center of the city, that convey the atmosphere of an ultra-modern metropolitan city.

And now a few facts about Shanghai:

---

Not many cities can boast as many records as Shanghai, China's largest city, the world's most densely-populated metropolis, and the largest seaport on the planet. 

Shanghai's lands have been inhabited from ancient times: people who lived here were engaged in agriculture, fishing and salt production. The land had been passed from one dynasty to another, until this fishing village, with its favorable location on the Yangtze River near the East China Sea, was given an official status in year 751.  

During the centuries of Shanghai's history, the city has seen both peacetime and war: it was invaded and bombed, and then, with new powers, it was restored again. But only in 1992 Shanghai entered a fast development phase, which allowed it to become the leading city in the country, and then in the whole world. And now it's one of the world's major financial centers, the core of China's political intrigues, and, at the same time, the cradle of modern Chinese cinema and theater.

Despite the fact that the city is full of ancient temples and cozy side streets with houses built in the beginning of the last century, the first real symbol of Shanghai is the urban landscape. Modern buildings have a unique architecture, and the shape of their upper floors resemble flying saucers. One of the most amusing creations is a pedestrian ring-bridge built in Pudong district in 2012. You can go up as high as 6 meters above the ground by using stairs or escalators, and the pedestrian part of the bridge is so wide that you can line up 15 people in a row. In the evening the bridge has a very beautiful illumination.

Another most important Shanghai landmark is the Bund, a waterfront area on a plot of 1.5 kilometers with 52 buildings of different styles, from Gothic to Art Deco. Because of that it's often called "the museum of world architecture." Since 2003 it also houses Aurora Plaza, a beautiful 185-meter tower on the other side of the river. At night it turns into a huge screen broadcasting various videos that can be seen from the promenade: from commercials to news reports. 

There are more than 80 buildings higher than 170 meters in Shanghai. The most famous skyscraper, which ends up in any album of Shanghai photos, is a 492-meter high World Financial Center. It is crowned with a strange trapezium-shaped window intended to reduce air resistance. Initially, the window was round, but some people thought it was associated with the sun on the flag of Japan. As a result, the circle turned into trapezium, and building started to look like a giant beer bottle opener. Nowadays it's the highest building in the city, although it's threatened to be overshadowed by another 632-meter high skyscraper that is being built in the Pudong district with a predictable name Shanghai. 

Read More

Guilin National Park, China best panorama

Guilin National Park, China 

Guilin is one of the most interesting cities in China. It is famous for its wonderful natural monuments and situated on the bank of Lijiang river in the Southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Guilin's beauty inspired people to give very poetic names to some of the local places of interest, such as Seven Stars Park, Reed Flute Cave, Folded Brocade Hill, and Green Lotus Peak. These are just a few of Guilin's sights. 

 

Guilin's history dates back more than 2000 years ago and it's a city where natural monuments intertwine with man-made structures. In the center of Guilin there is a 152-meter high Solitary Beauty Peak (Duxiu Feng) with 300 steps leading to its summit. There are also ruins of a royal complex that dates back to Ming dynasty and further to the south there is Elephant Trunk Hill, that got its name due to its resemblance to an elephant that drinks water.

Lijiang river flowing through the city is very pure and transparent. In the middle of the river stands Wave Subduing Hill (Fubo Shan) with a Buddhist temple at the top. It houses unique objects, such as a 2.5 ton bell and a kettle which can be used to cook food for one thousand people.

Guilin's name is translated from Chinese as "Cassia Tree Forest".   Its limestone pillars look like a giant stone forest. 

Long time ago limestone stratum that makes up the hills was accumulated at the bottom of the ancient sea. Several millions of years later this part of Earth's crust went up due to large earthquakes. Subsequently heavy showers and snow befell on this region, eroding the bedrock that was already weakened by cracks and ruptures. Later the upper limestone stratum fell off, exposing spired limestone trunks, which are considered by modern scientists as exemplary ancient karstic rocks. Nowadays limestone pillars of China's mountains are stretched from the South Central China to the northern parts of Vietnam. Cliffs, which sometimes can rise 100 meters above their base, stand almost vertically and pressed against each other. You can see Guilin's austere ridge tops for kilometers and kilometers away. 

You can assume that nothing can grow on a bald cliff. But Guilin's mountains are the most picturesque mountains in the world. The whole mountain ridge is covered with vines and small trees clinging to rocky slopes. During orchid blooming season you can see a variety of multicolored flower islands light up on the slopes. Hazy mountains and still waters of Li River have a magical aura that inspired painters and poets throughout centuries. 

Guilin's unusual, and, in the literal sense of the word, unearthly landscape was chosen as one of the shooting areas for Star Wars. Episode III. Revenge of the Sith.

And now let me turn the floor over to Satislav Sedov, who will share some of his impressions about the trip.

---

We had to face our first serious challenge even before we arrived to Guilin. The fact is that new air transportation rules stipulate that you can't transport lithium batteries in the luggage. After we checked-in they put our suitcases through an X-ray machine and asked us to take out the batteries. Dima and I gathered all our batteries, put them in one bag, and went to get through the security screening. As expected, there were some complications during the screening: according to new rules you can't transport even one battery of such capacity, and we had 16 of them in our bag.

Katerina, our guide, switched on her "I can persuade anyone" mode, I took out my phone with new panoramic photos of China and, somehow, we managed to convince the security guys to let us on the plane with our batteries.  Katya asked me to pack everything quickly before someone from the upper management saw our "goods".

Having assembled the helicopter on the move, we decided to take some mountain pictures right on the road. As a result we have very interesting "hedgehogs" on our photos. During these test launches in Guilin, Dima and I realized that we would have to take pictures from a very high altitude, because low altitude photos couldn't show all the beauty around us.

The next day we arrived to the boat station. And there we almost fell victim to an old tradition of screwing over Caucasian tourists to pay double for outgoing boat freight. Our driver, a local girl, suggested that we take her friends' boat, which was cheaper, and something unimaginable happened after that. An old lady who worked as a boat rental agent suddenly stopped being all nice and turned into an old hag: she started spouting bitter curses against the girl, and it seemed like she was about to clutch at her face.  Such intrusive service made us really uncomfortable, so we decided to go along with girl's suggestion and hire her friends; at the end of her performance, the old hag shouted out some ridiculous price with zero profit to her business. Apparently out of principle.

Later that day we were on a boat, sailing up the river. I should tell a few words about those boats. The vessel is made of strapped sewer pipes of large diameter with both ends curved slightly upwards. In the middle there is a shed with shade for passengers. In the stern there is a motor unit: a mower engine with a long shaft and a propeller on the end.

The vibrations and noise the vessel produced while moving was very high, while the speed could be compared to a snail's pace. These boats seemed like they would do quite well for our purposes, because the bow had enough space for launching and landing our helicopter.

Sailing slowly up the river, we pulled in to the shore at several key locations. Chinese gave each mountain a name, which, more or less, reflected their shape. Sometimes, when we couldn't reach the land, we launched the helicopter right from the boat. Our equipment worked like a clock, and thanks to that I had an opportunity to beat my own record at high altitude flying with camera several times. I reached the mark of 524 meters. We decided not to go higher, because the haze in the valley started to conceal the landscape's details.

We finished shooting Guilin in the province capital under the same name. There are two pagodas in the center of the city, they are symbols of this place: The Sun Pagoda and the Moon Pagoda. There is a bridge leading to one of them, and an underground tunnel leading to the other.  Unfortunately, we couldn't shoot the tunnel from our helicopter, but you can see pagodas in a very good detail.

Read More

With Surf Like Turf, Huge Algae Bloom Befouls China Coast

Tourists playing Wednesday along the shore in Qingdao, which has been hit with a near-record bloom of green, stringy algae the Chinese call “sea lettuce.

BEIJING — In what has become an annual summer scourge, the coastal Chinese city of Qingdao has been hit by a near-record algae bloom that has left its popular beaches fouled with a green, stringy muck.

Multimedia

Green Algae Hits Chinese City

Enlarge This Image

Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

An algae-covered public beach in Qingdao, China, on Thursday.

Enlarge This Image

The New York Times

Qingdao’s algae is generally harmless to humans, but not marine life.

The State Oceanic Administration said an area larger than Connecticut had been affected by the mat of “sea lettuce,” as it is known in Chinese, which is generally harmless to humans but chokes off marine life and invariably chases away tourists as it begins to rot.

Some beachgoers appeared to be amused by the outbreak, at least according to the Chinese news media, which in recent days have featured images of swimmers lounging on bright green beds of algae, tossing it around with glee or piling it atop of one another as if it were sand.

Local officials, however, are less enthusiastic. Last month, they declared a “large-scale algae disaster,” sending hundreds of boats and bulldozers to clean up the waters off Qingdao, a former German concession in Shandong Province that is famous for its beer and beaches. As of Monday, about 19,800 tons of the algae had been cleared, the Qingdao government said. While valued for its nutrition — or as an ingredient in fertilizers and biomass energy production — algae in large quantities can prove dangerous as it decomposes, producing toxic hydrogen sulfide gas. It also smells like rotten eggs.

The green tide, spread over 7,500 square miles, is thought to be twice the size of an outbreak in 2008 that threatened sailing events during the Beijing Olympics, which took place near Qingdao. Officials deployed boats, helicopters and 10,000 workers to keep the waters clear for the competition.

The cleanup costs were later estimated at more than $30 million. Abalone, clam and sea cucumber farms suffered more than $100 million in damage, according to a 2011 study by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences. A 2009 outbreak was bigger.

Although biologists are at a loss to explain the most recent algae bloom, scientists suspect it is connected to pollution and increased seaweed farming in the province just south of Shandong. While similar green tides have been reported around the world, the annual bloom in the Yellow Sea is considered the largest, growing to an estimated million tons of biomass each year.

The green tides were first reported in Qingdao in 2007. A central factor is the high supply of nutrients from agricultural runoff and wastewater. But those pollutants have been in the Yellow Sea for decades, leading scientists to look for new triggers.

A group of researchers believe that the algae that washes up around Qingdao originates farther south in seaweed farms along the coast of Jiangsu Province. The farms grow porphyra, known as nori in Japanese cuisine, on large rafts in coastal waters. The rafts attract a kind of algae called Ulva prolifera, and when the farmers clean them off each spring they spread the algae out into the Yellow Sea, where it finds nutrients and warm conditions ideal for blooming.

“It feeds off those nutrients and grows bigger and bigger, and eventually you can see it from satellites,” said John Keesing, a scientist at the Csiro Division of Marine and Atmospheric Research in Australia who is studying the green tide with Chinese researchers. “The currents gently move the algae in a northeastern direction out into the center of the Yellow Sea. You get a huge amount, and eventually it starts to wash on shore.”

While farmers have long grown seaweed along the Jiangsu coast, the rafts expanded much farther offshore starting in 2006, which may have contributed to the recent blooms, according to an article published by Dr. Keesing and his colleagues. The answer to curtailing the blooms may lie in disposing of the algae that clogs the nori rafts on land.

“We haven’t suggested people stop growing porphyra, but proper husbandry methods to prevent much of the waste algae from going into sea, that’s probably the only preventive measure that could be deployed,” he said.

Read More

China Weekend Breaks Amazes You with Contrasts

You can call China a country of contrasts and you can well defend it. As your flight to china hits the tarmac you will open your eyes to a slew of contrasts; glittering cities in the heart of quaint countryside, and cutting age technology coexists with firm believe in tradition. If contrasts are something that entices you, China Weekend Breaks are godsend opportunities for you.

The country called China shows to the world that how a country can develop and prosper without denouncing its age old traditions. The country may have built a world class city like Shanghai but has also preserved the Great Wall of China. This most populous country in the world is hard to explore in few days. The tourists with short time on their disposal should concentrate over its major cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

Apart from its spanking new cities, the country allows you to come across important landmarks that are internationally acclaimed. Thing about the history and legends of the forbidden city or great awestruck at the great wall, steal some moments of luxury in Hainan island or visit the Buddhist Shrines of Tibet you will be spoilt for during your China sojourn.

Avail an air ticket to china from uk airports and get to know the country that seamlessly combines old with new.

Read More

Best places in China for Tourism

Best places in China for Tourism

What are the best place for travelling in China ?

Beijing

The Beijing TourBeijing the capital of the Republic of China, the country’s political, cultural and international exchange center, a vibrant modern metropolis. Beijing is China’s six ancient city Xi’an, Luoyang, Kaifeng, Nanjing, Hangzhou one. It served as the capital of the dynasty, such as gold (AD 1115 – AD 1234), (1279 -1368), Ming (1368 -1644), Qin (1644 AD – 1911 AD).
The most popular attractions in Beijing:
Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs, Hutong, Lama Temple, Beihai Park, Beijing Capital Museum, Yaxiu market and more … Top Tourist Chinese

2. Travel in Shanghai

Shanghai TourAs, the largest city in China, Shanghai is located in the eastern part of China, facing the East China Sea. Shanghai is divided into two parts: Pudong (east of Huangpu River) and Puxi (Huangpu River west). Pudong New Development Zone. Shanghai has two airports – Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. Shanghai Pudong International Airport to meet, while the Hongqiao international flights, domestic flights.

Famous attractions in Shanghai:
Shanghai Bund, Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Xintiandi, Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Huangpu River and more … top

3. Travel in Xi’an

Xi’an TourXi’an, also known as Chang is the largest city in northwest China. It served as the nation’s capital of 13 dynasties such as Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC – 771 BC), Qin (221 – 206 BC), Western Han Dynasty (206 BC – 24 AD), Tang (618 – 907) more than in 1000. It is a famous historical significance.
Popular attractions in Xi’an:
Banpo Museum, Terracotta Army, Huaqing Hot Spring, Ancient City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Shaanxi History Museum, Xi’an Forest of Stone Tablets Museum and Grand Mosque, forest …

source

4. tourism in Guilin

The Lijiang , Guilin has gained fame in many domestic and foreign specialty scenery: green the mountians, unique rockeries, clear water, caves, stone shape. Many ethnic minorities who live here, including the Zhuang, Yao, Hui, Miao, Mu Lao, Mao Nan, Dong. They add multi-colored city’s cultural life.
Famous scenic spots in Guilin:
Lijiang River in Guilin, Reed Flute Cave, Elephant Trunk Hill, Seven Star Park, Fubo Hill, Solitary Beauty Peak Hill, Guilin Longji terraced fields, Longsheng, Guilin Lipu County affluent hole.

read more about Tourism http://marketingtochina.com/how-to-attract-chinese-tourists/

5. Yangtze River so nice

The Changjiang TourYangtze, River cruise should be on the list for those seeking a romantic escape and their families or friends traveling. Yangtze River winds its way through the mountains and the city from the west into the eastern part of the East China Sea near Shanghai, with a total length of more than 6300 kilometers, ranking third in the world, only than the Nile, the Amazon short.
Along the Yangtze River’s famous attractions:
Chongqing, Fengdu, Wanxian, Baoshizhai Shennong Streem, Small Three Gorges, the Three Gorges, the Three Gorges Dam in Yichang City, Wuhan City. Top

6. Travel to Lhasa, Tibet

The Tibet Lhasa Tour Tibet, is a place where the high plateau from around the world and the amazing Himalayas winding mountain lonely. In today’s information age, people can easily get with jet aircraft, highways, now even trains mysterious place! Lhasa, Tibet’s political and cultural capital. Lhasa in Tibet, “the land of God. There are many scenic spots and historical sites in Lhasa, Tibet.
Tibet’s famous attractions:
Potala Palace, Drepung, Sera and Ganden, Jokhang Temple most worth visiting Nobulingka. Shigatse is Tibet’s second largest city. Xigaze Prefecture of Tibet “real estate to implement the dream. Tashilhunpo Monastery is one of the main historical attractions. Hill. Mount Kailash in western Tibet, is sacred to Hinduism and Buddhism. Top

7. Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan

Jiuzhaigou in the northwest of Sichuan Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Nanping, Songpan, Ping Wu counties border area mountain depths Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan TourSituated, is a fairyland named after the nine village valley, this is the place to live nine Tibetan villages. About 50 km long valley. In 1992, it was listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage List.
Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan Popular attractions:
Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, Mount Qingcheng and Dujiangyan, Mount Emei, Leshan Giant Buddha, Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, Huanglong.

source :

8. Lijiang, Yunnan

Located in southern China’s Yunnan Province, Lijiang, Yunnan

This is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. It has 1,300 years of history. Lijiang Naxi people live. It is under the administration of the Naxi Autonomous County.

It stands on a plateau 2,600 meters above sea level. It is well known, the natural scenery and green vegetation.

It Yulong Snow Mountain in the background. history.
Popular atractions in Lijiang, Yunnan:
The ancient city of Lijiang, Yulong Snow Mountain, Tiger Leaping Gorge.

The natural combination of natural beauty of the old town.

9. Hunan Zhangjiajie

Zhangjiajie, Hunan City is located in the west of Hunan Province mountians. Management of Zhangjiajie City, a district called Wulingyuan District, located in the Wulingyuan Scenic Area. Wulingyuan scenic area is divided into three parts: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianzi Mountain.

Most of the tourists live in the center of Wulingyuan Scenic Spot. In December 1992, Wulingyuan was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Popular attractions in Zhangjiajie, Hunan:
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianzi Mountain, Suoxiyu, nature reserve. Top

10. China’s Silk Road

Thousand years of history in China TourThe Silk Road Silk Road. In fact, it started from Chang’an (now Xi’an in Shaanxi Province) in the east and west extends to Italy. Famous sites along the Silk Road in China:

Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and the experience of the ancient Silk Road, and then extended to the Pamirs, and further extended to Central and West Asia. Finally, there is the silk road met the east bank of the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe.

Silk Road, the total length of more than in China.

Read More