Harbin Sun Island Park (哈尔滨市太阳岛公园) is a natural landscape park set on an island in the middle of the Songhua River in Northern China. It is across the river from Harbin town centre. It is a peaceful place for a walk during summer. However it is during winter that the island really comes alive. Sun Island is the site of Harbin International Snow and Ice festival. This is the worlds largest such festival and runs for one month in late winter each year. Tourists from all over China and abroad, flock to the island to view the amazing ice and snow sculptures. At night the sculpture takes on a new life as coloured lights, built into the ice, come on, turning the island into a surreal display. The display is well worth braving the harsh Manchurian winter where the temperature routinely drops to -20ºC or even -30ºC.
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor in Xi'an, Shaanxi province of China is better known by the common name "The Terracotta Warriors" or "Terracotta Army." These clay soldiers are just one part of a much larger complex that made up the tomb for the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty of China, Qin Shi Huang. It was Qin Shi Huang who first conquered and unified the kingdoms to create China in the year 221 BC. Thus he is styled as the first emperor of China. The terracotta soldiers date to just after the time his death, 210 BC. They were discovered by some workmen in 1974, who were digging a well. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits. Many believe that this is just part of the full wonders of the tomb. The main tomb lies behind the warriors. Under a large mound of earth is the location thought to be the resting place of the emperor. The mount remains unexcavated and archaeologists hope that it is still intact. If so, the treasures found within will be amazing. However, there are no plans to open the main tomb. The Chinese believe that we do not have the technology perfected yet to preserve any artefacts found and so it is best to leave the site undisturbed for later generations to explore.
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor in Xi'an, Shaanxi province of China is better known by the common name "The Terracotta Warriors" or "Terracotta Army." These clay soldiers are just one part of a much larger complex that made up the tomb for the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty of China, Qin Shi Huang. It was Qin Shi Huang who first conquered and unified the kingdoms to create China in the year 221 BC. Thus he is styled as the first emperor of China. The terracotta soldiers date to just after the time his death, 210 BC. They were discovered by some workmen in 1974, who were digging a well. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits. Many believe that this is just part of the full wonders of the tomb. The main tomb lies behind the warriors. Under a large mound of earth is the location thought to be the resting place of the emperor. The mount remains unexcavated and archaeologists hope that it is still intact. If so, the treasures found within will be amazing. However, there are no plans to open the main tomb. The Chinese believe that we do not have the technology perfected yet to preserve any artefacts found and so it is best to leave the site undisturbed for later generations to explore.
The Small Three Gorges is an off shoot of the famous Yangtze River Three Gorges. Set on the Daning River (大宁河), a tributary of the Yangtze, the Small Three Gorges runs from Wushan city, north to Dacheng ancient town. The Daning River splits from the Yangtze just after the Wu Gorge of the Three Gorges.
An extrordinary collection of some Buddhist 50,000 stone carvings cut into the living hill side. The earilest carvings date to the 7th century but most of the work is 9th and 10 century. This site was little known to the world and so well protected from the events of recent history.
An ancient water town near to Suzhou city in Jiangsu province, China.
A massive waterfall some 77.8 metres high and 101 metres wide set among forest covered mountains and caves.
The Dragons Palace, or Long Gong, is a network of water filled caves in Anshun Prefecture of Guizhou. The system is open to the public who can take small boats deep under the ground and view the strange and wonderful rock formations found there.