Water Cube

A semi-transparent "cube", with "bubbles" spread out all over its surface, is a shape very similar to the structure of "H2O", the outlook for the National Swimming Center at the 2008 Olympic Games. After the games, it will become a recreational water park open to the publicIn Chinese culture, water is an important natural element. It creates a calming atmosphere and inspires happiness. Taking full consideration of the functions of water in recreation and bodybuilding, designers have explored many ways for people of different age groups to appreciate its function. The design is called "Water Cube". Many creative designs have been employed in the creation of the swimming pools at the swimming center. Other high-tech facilities including optical devices used to define positions of athletes, and multiple-angle, three-dimensional screening systems are provided to help spectators enjoy competitions.The National Swimming Center, one of the three landmark buildings for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, is located inside the Beijing Olympic Park. Covering a total floor space of 50,000 square meters, it has 17,000 seats. The project costs about US$100 million. The center will be a venue for swimming, diving, synchronized swimming and water-polo games during the period of the Olympic Games. After the games, the center will become a large water recreational center open to the public. In January 2003, Beijing started to solicit design schemes for the National Swimming Center. The international competition settled on "Water Cube" as the winning scheme. It is designed by the design consortium consisting of the China State Construction Engineering Corporation, China State Construction International (Shenzhen) Design Co Ltd, PTW Architects (Australia) and Ove Arup (Australia). The National Swimming Center will be the only landmark Olympic venue that is constructed by donations from compatriots from Overseas

Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest/Olympic Stadium)

Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest/Olympic Stadium) The Beijing National Stadium, also known as the bird's nest will be the main track and field stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics and will be host to the Opening and Closing ceremonies. In 2002 Government officials engaged architects worldwide in a design competition. Pritzker Prize-winning architects Herzog & de Meuron collaborated with ArupSport and China Architecture Design & Research Group to win the competition. The stadium will seat as many as 100,000 spectators during the Olympics, but this will be reduced to 80,000 after the games. It has replaced the original intended venue of the Guangdong Olympic Stadium. The stadium is 330 metres long by 220 metres wide, and is 69.2 metres tall. The 250,000 square metre (gross floor area) stadium is to be built with 36 km of unwrapped steel, with a combined weight of 45,000 tonnes. The stadium will cost up to 3.5 billion yuan (422,873,850 USD/ 325,395,593 EUR). The ground was broken in December 2003, and construction started in March 2004, but was halted by the high construction cost in August 2004. In the new design, the roof of the stadium had been omitted from the design. Experts say that this will make the stadium safer, whilst reducing construction costs. The construction of the Olympic buildings will continue once again in the beginning of 2005. In depth The stadium's appearance is one of synergy, with no distinction made between the facade and the superstructure. The structural elements mutually support each other and converge into a grid-like formation - almost like a bird's nest with its interwoven twigs. The spatial effect of the stadium is novel and radical, yet simple and of an almost archaic immediacy, thus creating a unique historical landmark for the Olympics of 2008. The stadium was conceived as a large collective vessel, which makes a distinctive and unmistakable impression both from a distance and when seen from up close. It meets all the functional and technical requirements of an Olympic National Stadium, but without communicating the insistent sameness of technocratic architecture dominated by large spans and digital screens. Visitors walk through this formation and enter the spacious ambulatory that runs full circle around the stands. From there, one can survey the circulation of the entire area including the stairs that access the three tiers of the stands. Functioning like an arcade or a concourse, the lobby is a covered urban space with restaurants and stores that invite visitors to stroll around. Just as birds stuff the spaces between the woven twigs of their nests with a soft filler, the spaces in the structure of the stadium will be filled with inflated ETFE cushions. Originally, on the roof, the cushions were to be mounted on the outside of the structure to make the roof completely weatherproof, but the roof has been omitted from the design in 2004. While the rain was to be collected for rainwater recuperation, the sunlight was to filter through the translucent roof, providing the lawn with essential ultraviolet radiation. On the facade, the inflated cushions will be mounted on the inside of the structure where necessary, e.g. to provide wind protection. Since all of the facilities --

restaurants, suites, shops and restrooms -- are all self-contained units, it is possible to do largely without a solid, enclosed facade. This allows for natural ventilation of the stadium, which is the most important aspect of the stadium's sustainable design. The sliding roof was an integral part of the stadium structure. When it was to be closed, it would have converted the stadium into a covered arena; however, the sliding roof was eliminated in an effort to cut costs and increase overall safety of the radical new structure. Beijing National Stadium Bird's Nest/Olympic Stadium Facility statistics Location Beijing Broke ground Dec 2003 Opened Unknown Closed N/A Demolished N/A Owner Surface Grass Construction cost 3.5 billion yuan Architect Herzog & de Meuron ArupSport CAG Tenants Seating capacity 91,000 (80,000 Post Olympics)

The Great Wall of China

It is in the north of China, and if you are in Beijing

you can go to Badaling Hill to see one part of the great building.It is i the borth of beijing,about 18kilometers away from the city center. A Chinese saying goes like that, "you are not a real hero until you have climbed the Great Wall". The Great Wall, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was enlisted in the World Heritage in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, it winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus stretching approximately 6,700 kilometers from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2000 years, some sections are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance. The wall was originally built in the Spring/Autumn Period, and Warring States Period as a defensive fortification. It went through constant extensions and repairs in later dynasties. In fact, it began as independent walls for different states when it was first built, and did not become the "Great" wall until the Qin Dynasty. The First Emperor succeeded in his effort to have the walls joined together to fend off the invasions from the Huns in the north after the unification of China. Since then, the wall has served as a monument of the Chinese nation throughout history. However, the wall we see today, starting from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west, was mostly built during the Ming Dynasty. The wall is complemented by defensive fighting stations, to which wall defenders may retreat if overwhelmed. Each tower has unique and restricted stairways and entries to confuse attackers. Barracks and administrative centers are located at larger intervals. In addition to the usual military weapons of the period, specialized wall defense weapons were used. The construction of the wall, drew heavily on the local resources for construction materials, was carried out in line with the local conditions under the management of contract and responsibility system. A great army of manpower, composed of soldiers, prisoners, and local people, built the wall. The construction result demonstrates the manifestation of the wisdom and tenacity of the Chinese people. The wall has long been incorporated into Chinese mythology and popular symbolism. The most beautiful of several legends is about the collapse of a section of the wall caused by Meng Jiangnu, who cried bitterly over the death of her husband in the construction of the wall. This legend has been spread widely through textbooks, folk songs and traditional operas. 参考资料：copied from the internet pages partly

West Lake (杭州西湖）

West Lake "West Lake" redirects here. For other uses, see West Lake (disambiguation). This article is about the West Lake in Hangzhou, China. For the lake by the same name (and same characters) in Japan, see Saiko, Yamanashi. West LakeWest Lake (Chinese: 西湖; pinyin: Xī Hú) is a famous fresh water lake located in central Hangzhou, in Zhejiang province of eastern China. The lake is divided by three causeways called su di (苏堤) , bai di (白堤), and yanggong di (杨公堤). The name "West Lake" (Xi Hu) is also used by a large number of lakes in China and surrounding countries (with 800 West Lakes in China according to Lonely Planet). However, the lake in Hangzhou is the most famous of these, and the terms "West Lake" and "Xi Hu" generally refers to this lake. History One of the major attractions in West Lake: Three Pools Mirroring the Moon islandIn middle of the Tang Dynasty Zhenyuan era (785-804), poet Bai Juyi came to Hangzhou as governor. Already an accomplished poet, his deeds at Hangzhou made him a great governor. He realised that the farmland nearby depended on the water of West Lake, but due to negligence of former governors, the old dyke had collapsed, the water level of West Lake dried out, and the local farmers suffered severe drought. He ordered the construction of a stronger and taller dyke, with a dam to control the flow of water, and thus solved the drought problem. The livelihood of local people of Hangzhou improved over the following years. Now that Bai Juji had more leisure time to enjoy the beauty of West Lake, he visited West Lake almost every day. He ordered the construction of a causeway connecting the Broken Bridge with the Solitary Hill, to facilitate walking on foot, instead of depending on boat. Then he planted peach trees and willows trees along the dyke, making it a beautiful landmark of West Lake. This causeway was later named Bai Di Causeway in Bai Juyi's honour. Over two hundred years later, in the beginning of Song Dynasty's Yuanyou era (1086-1094), another great poet, Su Shi (Su Dongpo), came to Hangzhou as governor. By that time, the farmers suffered drought again, due to overgrowth of the weeds at the bottom of the lake clogging the irrigation ducts. He ordered dredging of the lake and piled up all the mud into another causeway, in the style of Bai Causeway, but much wider and nearly three times as long, he also planted willow trees along its banks. This causeway was later named after him as the Su Causeway. There are six bridges along the 2.6 km Su Causeway. "Spring Dawn on the Su Causeway" is one of the attractions at the West Lake. Ten Scenes of West Lake View of the West Lake from a row boatThe Ten Scenes of West Lake (西湖十景), each marked by a stela with the name written in the calligraphy of the Emperor Qianlong Emperor, are: Spring Dawn on the Su Causeway (苏堤春晓) Orioles Singing in the Willows (柳浪闻莺) Viewing Fish at Flower Pond (花港观鱼) Winery Yard and Lotus Pool (曲苑风荷) Evening Bell Ringing at the Nanping Hill (南屏晚钟) Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake (平湖秋月) Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow (雷峰夕照) Three Pools Mirroring the Moon (三潭印月) Lingering Snow on Broken Bridge (断桥残雪) Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds (双峰插云) - The "Jungfrau of West Lake" Other attractions Yue Fei Memorial HallOther attractions include: Yue-Wang Miao, the tomb and memorial hall to Yue Fei. Lingyin Temple, a Buddhist monastory and surrounding hills and gardens. Longjing tea farms, a rea renowned for the quality of its tea leaves. Galloping Tiger Spring, a spring famous for its water. Tomb of Su Xiao Xiao, a famous courtesan. Tomb of Wu Song, famous for slaying a tiger; destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, and rebuilt in 2004 West Lake in culture Classical Chinese buildings inside the West LakeThe West Lake is said to be the incarnation of Xi Shi, one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Hence, since ancient times, the West Lake was associated with a large number of romatic poets, profound philosophers, national heroes and heroines. Eastern Jin Dynasty philosopher Ge Hong practiced Taoism in the Ge Mountain, and wrote his great philosophical work: Bao Pu Zhi (抱朴子). Tang Dynasty poet Luo Binwang reclused in Lingyin Temple Tang Dynasty poet-governor Bai Juyi built the first causeway, which the Bai Causeway. Song Dynasty poet-governor Su Dongpo, dredged the lake and built up the Su Causeway, made it into another beautiful landmark of West Lake. He also invented a special recipe for preparing pork: the Dongpo Pork. Dongpo Pork is on the menu of every restaurant in Hangzhou Song Dynasty national hero Yue Fei was buried near the West Lake Lotus in the Breeze at the Winding CourtyardThe great Ming Dynasty essayist Zhang Dai, wrote a number great essays about the West Lake in Reminiscence and Dream of Tao'an (陶庵梦忆), and a whole book: Search for West Lake in Dreams (西湖梦寻). The West Lake has been famous for its exquisite beauty for more than one thousand years. Hangzhou will be the site for the 2006 World Leisure Expo.

中国杭州 天堂美景 旅游圣地 Holy Land tourism

The fairyland filled with poetic dreams（Jiuzhaigou of China )九寨沟

The paradise of mankind endowed by nature（九寨沟）---China

Jiuzhaigou, reputed as a "fairyland", is situated in the central south part of the Jiuzhaigou county of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province, China, being a tributary of the Baishuihe River on the Jialingjiang River of the Changjiang water system. It is so named because the scenic area consists of nine Tibetan villages , namely, the Heye Village, the Shuzheng Village and the Zezhawa Village. With an elevation of 2000-3100m above sea level, the scenic area enjoys pleasant climate and beautiful colours all the year round, being one of the world's famous scenic areas with the best tourist environment.
The Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area was listed into the world Nature Heritage Catalog in 1992, approved as a man-and-biosphere reserve in the world in 1997,evaluated as one of the first 4A state level sceneries in China in 2000, and awarded the certificate of Sustainable 21st Century Tourism in February, 2001.It Is one of the excellent scenic spots in China, one of the 40 best scenic spots in the country, a provincial and prefectural civilized unit and the advanced unit in comprehensive management, and the head of the 3 tourist creams in Sichuan province.
The winning of the certificate of the “Green Globe 21” has proved that Jiuzhaigou is taking a strategy of sustainable development in ecological tourism. At present when resources are short, Jiuzhaigou, with its concept of green tourism and daily perfected service facilities, has become a splendid pearl of world tourism. Jiuzhaigou, the fairyland filled with poetic dreams, is the paradise of mankind endowed by nature, and our spiritual home in return to nature.

Huangshan of China(中国黄山）

Of all the notable mountains in China, Mount Huangshan, to be found in the south of Anhui province, is probably the most famous. Originally known as Mt. Yishan it was renamed Mt. Huangshan in 747 AD in recognition of the legendary Huang Di, who was the reputed ancestor of the Chinese people and who made magic pills for immortality here.
　　Wu yue is the collective name given to China's most important mountains, namely Mt. Taishan in Shandong Province, Mt. Huashan in Shaanxi Province, Mt. Hengshan in Shanxi Province, Mt. Songshan in Henan Province and Mt. Hengshan in Hunan Province. It is said that you won't want to visit any other mountains after seeing wu yue but you won't wish to see even wu yue after returning from Mt. Huangshan. This saying may give you some idea of the beauty and uniqueness of Mt. Huangshan. Together with the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and the Great Wall, Mt. Huangshan has become one of the great symbols of China.
　　Mt. Huangshan can boast not only of its magnificence but also its abundant resources and great variety of zoological species, for which it has been listed as a World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site.