Discover China

Datong – a city steeped in history and culture

Bruce Boyes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:14:58 +0000

Located on the northeastern edge of the Loess Plateau, Datong in Shanxi province is the site of some of the earliest settlements of Chinese civilization. Find out more about Datong and three of its key attractions – Yungang Grottoes, Hengshan Mountain and Pagoda of Fogong Temple – in the China Daily article Height of art.

Photo gallery – ancient water town of Nanxun

Bruce Boyes — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:07:04 +0000

Nanxun Town (南浔镇) is an ancient water town located in Eastern China’s Zhejiang province. It is one of the most well-preserved ancient towns in the region and is known for its cultural heritage – you can explore it in the China Daily photo gallery The water township of Nanxun.

For insights into some other ancient Chinese water towns see Shaoxing – the Venice of China and 1,000 year-old Zhujiajiao water town.

Origins of China’s Grand Canal

Bruce Boyes — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 23:53:19 +0000

In the China Daily article Flow of history Chitralekha Basu and Song Wenwei travel to Yangzhou, looking for the origins of the ancient Grand Canal – the world’s longest man-made watercourse.

Yinxu’s Archeological Museum and ancient palaces

Bruce Boyes — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 23:47:51 +0000

The China Daily article Brazen heights provides a fascinating insight into the Yinxu palaces of late Shang Dynasty (16th-11th century BC) and this ancient kingdom and its society. Yinxu is located in Anyang city in Henan province. The treasure-filled Yinxu’s Archeological Museum is built under the earth, so as to not tamper with the natural landscape above it.

Art museum exhibition highlights Shenzhen’s spiritual symbol

Bruce Boyes — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 23:47:34 +0000

Shenzhen’s Guan Shanyue Art Museum is holding an exhibition of art related to the ox — the city’s spiritual symbol. The pioneering, hard-working and self-sacrificing spirit of the ox represents the spirit of entrepreneurial pioneers in Shenzhen. Find out more in the Shenzhen Daily article Art museum highlighting the ox.

China celebrates Qingming Festival

Bruce Boyes — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 04:49:52 +0000

China has celebrated the Qingming Festival, when it’s traditional for people to pay tribute to their ancestors and the heroes who died serving their country.

In central China’s Henan Province holiday makers enjoyed some of these varied traditions at the 2012 Kaifeng Qingming Culture Festival. Kaifeng is closely linked to Qingming Festival, with the famous ancient painting “The Riverside Scene at the Qingming Festival” capturing life in the Northern Song capital of Bianjing, which is today’s Kaifeng.

In the Qingming River Garden, the bustling scene depicted on the scroll painting comes to life. There is also a model of the scene in the excellent Henan Museum in Zhengzhou which I visited on my trip to Beijing, Tianjin, and Zhengzhou in December 2010 – January 2011.

Explore China’s famous mountains

Bruce Boyes — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 04:15:11 +0000

Spring is an ideal time to climb mountains in China, with warm weather and lush vegetation. For hikers who want to explore some famous mountains and experience Chinese history and culture, the Shenzhen Daily features some destination peaks in the articles Explore China’s famous mountains and Explore China’s famous mountains (II). I visited one of these peaks, the spectacular Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), during my trip to Henan, Anhui, and Zhejiang Provinces in 2009.

Quiet rural breaks

Bruce Boyes — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 04:04:16 +0000

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:

Wuhan-Shenzhen high-speed rail starts operation

Bruce Boyes — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 03:54:45 +0000

The new high speed rail service between Wuhan and Shenzhen has commenced, with the entire trip taking only 4 hours and 13 minutes. The new line connects Wuhan to Guangzhou and Guangzhou to Shenzhen, and departs from the Shenzhen North Railway Station where there is a direct connection with the Shenzhen Metro. It makes it easy to visit Wuhan from Shenzhen, as well as other major places of interest such as Changsha.

Shanghai Temples

Bruce Boyes — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 03:30:42 +0000

The next destination in James Baquet’s excellent series of Shenzhen Daily articles on Chinese temples and halls is Shanghai:

For previous articles in James Baquet’s series on Chinese temples and halls see Temples of Putuo Mountain and Ningbo, Hangzhou’s Jingci Temple and Exploring Shenzhen’s Temples.