Month: January 2019

Reed Flute Cave

If you book the ticket of the Reed Flute Cave online, you should book it before 16:00 p.m. The price is still a bit expensive, the fare is 84 Yuan/person.

Reed Flute Cave is in the urban area, but it still has some distance from the Guilin city center. Don’t worry about it as the transportation is convenient. It costs around 28 yuan from the bus station by taking a taxi to arrive there. There is not much feeling for the cave, but the Reed Flute is still pretty good. After all, there is not much to be worth visiting in downtown Guilin, except these beautiful caves. The favorite point of the Reed Flute Cave is that the scenic spot is to ensure the safety of everyone. It will organize visitors to visit the caves at the same time, and will be accompanied by a super-sound guide lady, so you can have a clear understanding of the formation and shape of the cave. The shape of the stone looks strange, and it requires your imagination.

For a person who has never seen a stone stalactite before, it still feels very magical when visiting the Reed Flute Cave. The overall tour time is about 60 minutes, and the whole tour will offer the explanation by the tour guide. Each stone will be given a myth and legend, and some stalactites are quite similar. The Crystal Palace is the shooting place of the Journey to the West. The place is really big. The landscape is still very good. You can use your imagination to see many different landscapes. There is a large open space in the cave that looks quite shocking, and it is the place where tourist must go to. There is a turtle in the cave. It is said that the turtle has lived for 1200 years.

Longmen Grottoes

Longmen Grottoes is one of the four major caves in China and it has a long history. It has been experienced by many dynasties and has been created intermittently for more than 500 years. There are more than 97,000 Buddha statues. With the Yi River as the boundary, the grottoes are divided into two parts: Xishan and Dongshan. The Dongshan Grottoes are mostly the works of the Tang Dynasty, while the Xishan Grottoes were excavated in the Northern Dynasties and the Sui and Tang Dynasties. The Longmen Grottoes is the most classic spot in Luoyang. The Xishan Grottoes are the most essential part of the Longmen Grottoes, including the Lushena Buddha statues of Fengxian Temple and the “Longmen 20 Pieces” in Guyang Cave. The Luoyang Peony Flower Festival will be held from April 1st to May 10th every year.

Official Phone o the Longmen Grottoes: 0379-65980972

Time reference for visiting: more than 3 hours

Transportation to the Longmen Grottoes:

Train: Take the train to Longmen Grottoes, usually arrive at Luoyang Station or Luoyang Longmen Station, then transfer to the bus or taxi.

1) Luoyang Station:

Take bus No. 81 directly: Get on at Luoyang Station (West Square) and get off at Longmen Grotto Station.

2) Luoyang Longmen Station:

Walk to Tongqu Road, Houzhanmen Street East Station, take the No. 67 or 71 bus, get off at Longmen Grotto Station, the fare is 1 yuan/person. Then take a taxi to the Longmen Grottoes.

Traffic in the scenic area:

Battery car: In addition to walking, visitors can also choose a battery car in the scenic area to visit.

Cruise: Cruise service is available in the scenic area. Line: Xishan Fengxiansi Wharf – Dongshan Baiyuan Wharf, the whole journey takes about 15 minutes.

Tickets:

Ordinary ticket: 90 RMB (from Monday – Sunday during January 1st – December 31st)

Opening hours

08:00-18:00; stop ticketing time: 17:00 (from Monday – Sunday during February 1st – March 31st, October 8th – October 31st)

08:00-18:30; stop ticketing time: 17:30 (April 1 – October 7)

08:00-17:00; stop ticketing time: 16:00 (from Monday – Sunday during November 1st – January 31st of the following year)

Shaanxi History Museum

The overall architectural style is the imitation of the Tang style. The correct way to have better experience in the museum should be to understand the collection of the museum through text, video and audio firstly, with a preliminary perceptual knowledge, and pieces of rough or exquisite old objects to linger in the vast history, savor carefully and watch quietly.

During the summer vacation, there are so many people in the Shaanxi History Museum. In fact, there are so many treasures in the Treasure Hall, and it is worth the price of the ticket. The official public number can be reserve ticket free of charge, but it is necessary to make a reservation in advance for a long time. Or you can buy tickets for the Treasure Hall in advance, which costs 30 yuan, you can enter the hall directly after the ticket is collected on the same day, which is greatly reducing the queue time.

There are seven halls in Shaanxi History Museum, of which from the first to third exhibition halls are the basic halls, the fourth exhibition hall is the Datang Treasure Hall, which requires 30-yuan ticket; the fifth exhibition hall is the Tang Dynasty murals treasure museum, which requires 300-yuan ticket; and the 6th and 7th are temporary exhibition halls. The general order of visit is 1-2-3-4. It takes at least 3 hours to visit all the halls there.

Shaanxi History Museum originally had more than 370,000 publicity collections, and now has more than 1.7 million publicity collections in the promotional halls. The collections of Shaanxi History Museum are from simple stone tools used in the initial stage of ancient humans to various living utensils in the society more than 1400 years ago. After you have finished your visit there, you can’t help but sigh for the quaint vicissitudes of the Shang and Zhou dynasty bronze wares, the splendid appearances of the pottery in the past dynasties, and the exquisiteness of the Han and Tang golden tools. Well, it is a place that it is worth to come again and again.

Ancient City Wall

There are now 19 locations that can climb the Ancient City Walls, so everyone can climb the wall at the location which is near the place you stay. AnYoung Gate is very close to the train station, with the distance of 1 bus station, although there is Liberation Gate near the train station from where you can go to the city, in China too close to the train station, it is very crowded, so it is not recommended for you to climb the city wall from the Liberation Gate. Another important factor is that AnYoung Gate is very convenient to enter the subway station, and travel will be more convenient. There are a lot of hotels to choose from, and overall it is very ideal as a place to stay. You can refer to it.

The Ancient city wall opens at 8:00 in the morning. After boarding the city wall, of course, you can rent the bicycle, with the price of 45 Yuan per person, and 90 Yuan for two persons. (both take 2 hours, and it is 14 kilometers away, and you can finish the ride normally). And everybody needs to count cash and avoid unnecessary trouble before rending the bicycles. It’s really exciting to drive on the ancient city wall. And it is too wide there. And you will admire the wisdom and labor of the ancients. And two hours are quite abundant to circle around the Ancient City Wall, and even you are a girl, you still don’t need worry about it. Just safely wander around the ancient city and enjoy the beauty of the ancient city.

Here is one thing need to keep in mind that although you can climb the city wall at every location, it only has performances at the South Gate, which is Yongning Gate.

Just as we have mentioned that the city wall can be used for tourists to climb, can ride a bicycle, and there are seats for people to take a nap when they feel tired. The moat has been repaired and greened, together with the city wall constitutes a three-dimensional park around the city.

Jinli Old Street

Jinli was once one of the oldest and most commercial streets in the history of West Sichuan. It was famous all over the country during the Qin and Han Dynasties. At present, Jinli covers an area of more than 30,000 square meters, with a construction area of 14,000 square meters. The total length of the street is 550 meters. Taking western Sichuan folk houses in the late Ming and early qing dynasties as the outer coat, the culture of The Three Kingdoms and Chengdu folk customs as the connotation, it integrates tourism shopping, leisure and entertainment as a whole.

The Jinli Old Street is very similar to Kuanzhai Alley, it is very recommended to visit. It is a popular spot in Chengdu that should be included in your Chengdu itinerary, and it is part of the Chengdu Wuhou Temple Museum. At dusk, Jinli will light up and has a charm, which is very suitable for taking pictures. In Jinli, not to eat snacks is the biggest regret. The famous and delicious snacks include noodles, beef coke cake, sugar and oil fruit and so on. There is also a shop that sells fried stinky tofu and artichokes, which is also a famous snack in Sichuan.

A string of red lanterns, makes Jinli charming, and it is worthwhile to go shopping, tasting a variety of snacks, which are full of Chengdu flavor. As an ancient relic hidden in the center of Chengdu, the Jinli Ancient Street now seems to have restored the prosperity and bustling of the year. The architectural style of Chuanxi iss displayed here. Although it has been commercialized, in ancient times, the meaning of the existence of Jinli Old Street is also for economic trade.

Jinli, in addition to integrate the life feelings of Chengdu, it also shows the bright and long history, rich folk customs and honest folkway to the traveler. Walking through the Jinli Old Street, it is not only the opening of the ancient town tour, but also the cultural experience of the southwest Sichuan and Chongqing.

Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park

Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park has a total of 4 observation decks, the second one is the largest, and it is suitable for watching the sunrise; and the fourth one is the most beautiful, which is suitable for watching the sunset. The first one and the third one the overtype. If you are unfortunate to meet the situation that the sun just goes into the dark cloud when you arrive at the second viewing platform, there will be no sunshine, and the Danxia landform lost color. But at the end of the third viewing platform, the sun will shine out and you can quickly reach the fourth viewing platform, where paragliding, hot air balloons, and helicopters can be experienced on the fourth viewing platform.

The sunset is infinitely good and there are many people. On the plank road, the commanding heights of the viewing platform are all full of people. You can squeeze hard on the plank road and stand at the high point and look at the gorgeous Danxia, as ​​this scenery is really very beautiful. The opposite side of the mountain is brilliant, and the saturation contrast just like the PS. Visitors who are sure to take a glider should have a better visual experience.

The setting sun of Danxia landforms is not good, the mountains are too high, and they are all blocked. It is not as wide as the sea level. If you want to see the sunrise, you can go there earlier, as there are also many people in the morning. The ticket office at the entrance still is lined up long queues. After entering the park, just go straight to the 2nd observation deck, and arrive at the highest point of the observation deck at 6:10 a.m., to wait for the sunrise. The sun at sunrise is still glaring, but it is really beautiful.

When the Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park is under the scorching sun, the color of the light and shadow is like a panoramic oil painting. When it is under the light of the rising sun, it seems to be wearing an orange coat, sparkling with different colors, and the colorful light and shadow transforms.

Norbulingka

Norbulingka means “baby garden” in Tibetan language. It is the summer palace of the Dalai and Lama (the Potala Palace is the Winter Palace). Some people also call it “the Summer Palace of Lhasa.” The garden is very distinctive, and it has the shadow of Tibetan culture and also absorbs the traditional methods of gardening in the interior. There is a new palace inside, and its architecture, murals and decorations are the integration of the essence of Tibet’s major temples, palaces and buildings. It can be said that visiting the new palace is like browsing the entire Tibetan building. There are hundreds of plants in the Norbulingka, including many famous flowers such as Tibetan hydrangea, so it is also known as the Plateau Botanical Garden. During the festival, special activities such as Tibetan opera performances can be seen. Tibetans will sit in Norbulingka with tents and food, and chat with friends and family.

Official telephone number of the Norbulingka: 0891-6826274

Time reference for visiting: 1-3 hours

How to go to Norbulingka: Take bus No. 2, No. 14 and get off at Norbulingka South Station.

Tickets: 80 RMB during the peak season; 60 RMB during off-season (during Monday-Sunday from January 1 to December 31)

Opening hours: 09:00-18:00 (summer), 09:30-17:30 (winter) (during Monday-Sunday from January 1 to December 31)

As Norbulingka is the summer palace of the Potala Palace, there is basically no tour group in it. And there is no photographing in it. Except for the Chinese words in door and the entrance of the temples, all the introductions are Tibetan. If you are lucky enough, there will be a fire-fighting patrol of Tibetans who see you don’t understand and take the initiative to ask if you need to explain it. Inside Norbulingka, there are the last Dalai’s living quarters and some collectibles, with blocks of brick-like turquoise red coral set on the stool.

Shanghai Xintiandi

Some people say that Shanghai Xintiandi is like Beijing Sanlitun. It seems that there is such a point, but it is more formal than Beijing Sanlitun, as Shanghai Xintiandi is full of petty bourgeoisie.

When you get off the subway, you can walk to Xintiandi. The first thing you will see is STARBUCKS. There are a lot of people at the entrance of the store. From time to time, you will see a few foreigners wearing suits, who are very handsome, carrying a briefcase, well dressed, wearing a watch on the wrist. Because their temperament is too elegant, you will be completely attracted by them, and this scene brings a big city workplace atmosphere to tourists who have just arrived in Shanghai.

Xintiandi is based on Shanghai’s unique Shikumen old building. It is an urban tourist attraction with Shanghai’s historical and cultural features and the integration of Chinese and Western features. Xintiandi has fewer shops, most of which are coffee shops and western restaurants. The level of consumption here can be summarized in the simplest sentence. Just drinking coffee, Starbucks may be a cheaper coffee shop here. After entering into Xintiandi, you won’t find any coffee shop cheaper than Starbucks. And the western food will be more expensive in Xintiandi.

When you first arrive in Shanghai, and stroll around the Xintiandi, you will feel it still very sensational. In terms of the architectural style, the old Shiku industrial style is a good place to take pictures. Going to the end of Xintiandi, there will be such an alley on both sides. If you come here at night, the photo taken here will be better.

The construction of Xintiandi is tidier than Tianzifang, because many of them are rebuilt later. Although they are less old, they are also amazing in terms of architecture. If you like taking photos and enjoy fashionable life, Shanghai Xintiandi is a good place for you to have a visit.

Humble Administrator Garden

Without viewing garden, it feels like you have never been to Suzhou. Humble Administrator Garde is very delicate in structure and architecture. The details are hidden in the meaning you don’t know. You must once again sigh the wisdom of the ancestors. Modern people are far worse than the ancestors.

Going to an experience hall in the garden, you will hear the tour guide said that there is an embroidered embroidery which is worthy 500,000 RMB. If you are curious, just follow the tour guide entering into it to have a look. Then there are some instructors who are introducing some things about the garden, and they are interesting.

The Humble Administrator’s Garden is the first of all gardens in China. It is said that other gardens are built on the basis of it. After many generations of garden owners, Wang Xianchen of the Ming Dynasty bought this land and built it, and invited the famous Wen Zhengming talented person to be responsible for the design. It is said that because his landscape painting is good, it is not surprising that you will feel the exquisiteness when visiting the garden. Although the ancients did not learn architecture design, they were so good when they transformed the encyclopedic mind into actual works.

The commentator said that you can understand it if you understand it. If you don’t know anything, you really think Humble Administrator’s Garden is just a garden. If you have no cultural knowledge here, you maybe don’t know the history behind the garden. The only thing you think about it is “nothing to go around.” If you want to have a good feeling, it is highly suggested that you spend half a day to view the charm of the garden. This is a place that requires patience, even a second visit, if you still have the opportunity to come over.

Tips: When taking photos of Humble Administrator’s Garden, in addition to avoiding the crowd, you must also learn to use the front scenery reasonably. The photos taken then can be at least hierarchical, virtual and real, full of space and dreams.

Hutong Alleyways

The simple alley has not been transformed and is the most authentic face. There are a lot of famous Hutongs in Beijing, such as Maoer Hutong, Bean Hutong, South Downs Hutong, and so on. While shopping, you can also just pass through the alley and go to Shichahai. There is a bright red five-star red flag in the hutong. This is the atmosphere of the festival. This is the feeling of the country and the family. There are many stalls in the hutong that sell candied haws. Come to Beijing, and the candied haws should also be tasted.

If you must feel the Hutong tour, don’t choose an electric car, as before you get on the car, you are told to have one-and-a-half-hour tour time. After a while, the car will take you to a small courtyard and visit at your own expense! And the explanation is also very boring, just is according to the text, the sound is still very small! Be sure to choose the rickshaw driver with qualification certificate!

Sitting on a tricycle, walking down the street, there is really special flavor. As a native of old Beijing, the driver has the pride of the Son of Heaven, and he will tell you the history and culture of Hutong from the past to present. It is true that people living under the imperial city are really good at talking. The hutong tour in the tricycle vision, the old house, the introduction of the Beijing dialect with Beijing accent, all make your trip there enjoyable. In addition to the scenery there, there is more mood.

It seems that every hutong is similar when you are experiencing the Beijing hutong, but in fact it is very different, it is very interesting to stroll. Hutong Tour has a self-funded project, that is sitting in a rickshaw by costing 120 Yuan per person. You can just walk by yourself, go to the depths of the hutong to feel the taste of old Beijing, it is really very special. Going to Beijing, I don’t rent a rickshaw to swim in a hutong, I don’t know how to taste Beijing.