Posts Tagged ‘Sichuan’

Quiet rural breaks

Saturday, April 7th, 2012

Why not take a trip to some small towns far from the big cities and enjoy a slow, relaxed way of life? The Shenzhen Daily features some quiet rural places with few visitors and a great environment for slowing down:

Exploring the country of the dragon in the Year of the Dragon

Monday, February 6th, 2012

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).

Captive-bred Pandas Return to the Wild

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

108 pandas bred in captivity are being released into natural habitat in southwest China´s Sichuan Province. It is a major step toward returning the endangered animals into the wild. The pandas, ages two to four, are being released into the “Panda Valley”, 134 hectares of enclosed forest and part of the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Release Research Center. Find out more in the CNTV Special Feature Captive-bred Pandas Return to the Wild.

Jiuzhaigou Ice Waterfall Tourism Festival

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

Jiuzhaigou, or “the Valley of Nine Villages,” in Sichuan Province has been a National Park for three decades. Tourists celebrate Jiuzhaigou for its dazzling lakes and mountains of stunning multi-colored foliage, but the heavenly expanse of wilderness is not deserted throughout the winter season. A new attraction has opened – the “Ice Waterfall Tourism Festival”. Waterfalls turn into elaborate ice sculptures as the mercury falls, and stunning trails wind into thickly forested hills. A photography exhibition and forum on tourism are also being held. Find out more in the CNTV Culture Express story Ice Waterfall Tourism Festival hails Jiuzhaigou.

Ten best examples of Chinese architecture

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

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:

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