February 6th, 2012 / Author: Bruce Boyes
Tonight, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and the last day of the Spring Festival, is China’s traditional Lantern Festival. And the festive atmosphere is building right now, with lanterns and firecrackers lighting up the night skies in an incredible spectacle. The CNTV story Lanterns light up the night across China introduces the different ways in which the Lantern Festival is celebrated in different parts of the country.
February 6th, 2012 / Author: Bruce Boyes
China is the “country of the dragon”, with the dragon featuring prominently in Chinese mythology and folklore. The Shenzhen Daily article Country of the dragon introduces some fascinating places where you can learn about this aspect of Chinese history in the Year of the Dragon – Longmen Grottoes in Henan, Longji Terrace, Guangxi and Huanglong, Sichuan. I visited the amazing Longmen Grottoes during my trip to Luoyang in Henan Province in 2008 (see the story and pictures).
February 6th, 2012 / Author: Bruce Boyes
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).
Tags: Buddhism, Buddhist Caves, CNTV, Dengfeng, Henan, Journeys in Time, Mount Song, Shaolin, Shaolin Temple, Songshan, Temples, UNESCO, White Horse Temple, World Heritage
Posted in China Travel, Chinese History, My China Trips | Comments Off on Journeys in Time six-part Series: Songshan
February 6th, 2012 / Author: Bruce Boyes
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.
Tags: Art, China Daily, Chinese Art, Jiangxi, Lushan, Lushan National Park, Mount Longhu, Mount Sanqingshan, Mount Sanqingshan National Park, UNESCO, World Heritage
Posted in China Travel | Comments Off on Experience World Heritage natural beauty in East China’s Jiangxi province
January 31st, 2012 / Author: Bruce Boyes
The oldest and most important festival in China is the Spring Festival, which marks the start of a new year on the lunar calendar. This year the Lunar New Year day was 23 January, and introduced the Year of the Dragon. Find out more in the CNTV Special Feature 2012 Spring Festival which includes online videos of the spectacular Spring Festival Gala.
Happy New Year from discoverchina.info!