Discover China

Songshan is considered to be the central sacred mountain of China. At the foot of this 1500 metre high mountain, close to the city of Dengfeng in Henan province and spread over a 40 square-kilometre circle, stand eight clusters of buildings and sites. These buildings are reflections of different ways of perceiving the centre of heaven and earth and the power of the mountain as a centre for religious devotion. Find out more about this amazing World Heritage listed location by watching the online videos of the CNTV Journeys in Time six-part Series: Mount Songshan.

I enjoyed a visit to the Songshan Shaolin Temple and its ancient pagoda forest as part of my travels through Anhui, Henan and Zhejiang provinces in 2009 (see story and pictures).

Surrounded by mountains that reach into the heavens and rivers that flow through mist-shrouded valleys, ancient Chinese artists’ efforts to capture the beauty of their homeland culminated in the masterpieces that many today know as Chinese landscape painting. For fans of these works of art who also want to experience the beauty of nature for themselves, East China’s Jiangxi province offers a range of mountains, rivers and waterways that bring an important part of the Chinese aesthetic to life.

The China Daily article On high ground profiles three of Jiangxi’s natural attractions that have been given UNESCO World Heritage listing for their natural beauty and cultural significance – Lushan National Park, Mount Sanqingshan National Park and Mount Longhu.

After three years of renovation, an ancient street in Ningbo city in eastern China has opened to welcome visitors from home and around for an authentic experience of traditional local culture. Find out more in the CNTV Culture Express story Taste old flavor of Ningbo.

In 2008 I had the pleasure of visiting the White Horse Temple in Luoyang in central China’s Henan Province (see story and pictures). With over 1900 years of history, White Horse Temple is described as the cradle of Buddhism in China.

Over the next eight years, the temple will be expanded into an 87 hectare cultural park, the largest in China, with an International Temples Zone showcasing 10 exotic shrines from foreign countries. One can already be visited – an Indian shrine opened in May 2010. Two more will open shortly – a Thai shrine built in the 1990s is being expanded and will open in April, and a Myanmar Buddhist garden will be created in April.

Find out more in the China Daily article ‘Cradle of Chinese Buddhism’ embraces world.

The renowned world heritage site Mogao Grottoes in northwest China’s Gansu province has reported record high visitor numbers for 2011. One of the country’s three major Buddhist art treasures, the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang received 680,000 tourists in 2011, up 23.6 percent from 550,000 in 2010. The 1,600-year-old Mogao Grottoes, or the Ancient Caves of 1,000 Buddhas, became China’s first UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. It has more than 2,000 colored sculptures and 45,000 square meters of frescoes in over 700 caves spread across about 1,600 meters along a hill. Find out more in the CNTV Travel story World heritage Mogao Grottoes receives record visitors in 2011.