Discover China

Located in the northwest of China, Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi Province, is one of the oldest cities in China with more than 3,100 years of history. The ancient walled city is home to the famous terracotta warriors and also has many other historical relics and attractive natural scenery. Find our more in the Shenzhen Daily article Xi’an: Experience Chinese culture in ancient capital.

China’s long and complex history has given rise to a range of different architectural styles. They not only fuse cultures’ structural and decorative forms, but are also influenced by Chinese concepts such as feng shui and yin and yang. The Shenzhen Daily presents the ten best examples of Chinese architecture in this series of articles:

• Ten best examples of Chinese architecture (I) – Kaiping diaolou and Wang Family Compound
• Ten best examples of Chinese architecture (II) – Imperial Prime Minister’s Palace, Fujian tulou and Qiao Family Compound
• Ten best examples of Chinese architecture (III) – Dayi Liu Manor, Hongcun Village and Xidi Village
• Ten best examples of Chinese architecture (IV) – Kang Baiwan Manor and Yulin Manor of Jiang Yaozu

I had the pleasure of visiting the Hongcun and Xidi ancient villages on my trip to Henan, Anhui and Zhejiang in 2009.

The Xi’an Horticultural Expo opens on 28 April and concludes on 22 October 2011. A large number of cities and organisations from China and abroad will participate in this major event which is expected to attract 12 million visitors. The expo’s theme is “Eternal peace & harmony between nature & mankind, nurturing the future earth – a city for nature, co-existing in peace”.

The expo is located on Guangyun Lake and covers a total area of 418 hectares, and is based on a pattern of “two circles, two axes, and five groups”. “Five groups” includes Chang’an Park, Creativity Park, Five-Continent Park, Sci-tech Park and Experience Park. The main buildings include Chang’an Tower, Greenhouse, Theme Pavilion and the Guangyun Entrance. The Five Major Horticultural Scenic Spots are the Chang’an Flower Valley, Colorful Plants from Qinling Mountains, Flowers along the Silk Road, Overseas Collections and Flower Rainbow over the Ba River. The Three Characteristic Zones refers to Romance by the Ba River, Southeast Asian Street and European Avenue.

Archeologists in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province are about to open an ancient tomb in a southern suburb of Xi’an that dates back some 2,000 years. Find out more in the CNTV story 2000-Year-Old West Han Tomb Opened.

At 2,155 meters above sea level, the peak of the rugged Huashan range is the highest of the five sacred mountain groups in China. But it is not just the altitude that makes the mountains in Huayin, Shaanxi province stand out, it is more about the Huashan’s importance in human history stretching back thousands of years. Read more in the China Daily article Haunting beauty of the Huashan.