-
Dongguan Grand Mosque
About one-third of Xīníng’s population is Muslim and there are more than 80 mosques across the city. But this is the big one. In fact, it’s one of the largest mosques in China. Friday lunchtime prayers regularly attract 50,000 worshippers who spill out onto the streets before and a
-
Ganden Sumtseling Gompa
About an hour’s walk north of town is this 300-year-old Tibetan monastery complex with around 600 monks. Extensive rebuilding has robbed the monastery of some of its charm, but it remains the most important in southwest China and is definitely worth the visit. Bus 3 runs here from
-
Lamma Winds
Standing in elegant contrast to that carbon-dioxide-belching, coal-fired power station, Lamma’s giant wind turbine, dramatically positioned atop the ridge just southeast of Tai Peng old village, makes a stirring sight (although in reality it is something of a white elephant generat
-
Id Kah Mosque
The yellow-tiled Id Kah Mosque, which dates from 1442, is the spiritual and physical heart of the city. Enormous (its the largest mosque in China), its courtyard and gardens can hold 20,000 people during the annual Qurban Baiyram. Also known as Eid, or Id, celebrations they fall in
-
Qiāng Watchtowers
The 30m- to 60m-high ancient stone towers scattered throughout the villages overlooking the Dàdù River were built by the Qiāng between 700 and 1200 years ago. Some enterprising families have opened theirs up to those travellers (¥10 to ¥20) who are willing to climb log ladders 6m u
-
Milarepas Cave
The only cultural sight close to Nyalam is Milarepa’s Cave. Most people can safely skip the chapel without disappointment, though the views of the surrounding valley are pleasant. Milarepa was a famous Buddhist mystic and composer of songs who lived in the late 11th and early 12th
-
Guānlù
Around 8km west of Yīxiàn and further along the road beyond Nánpíng, this small village’s drawcard sights are the fabulous households (八大家, Bādàjiā) of eight rich brothers. Each Qing-dynasty residence shares similar elegant Huīzhōu features, with light wells, interior courtyards, h
-
Rock Carvings
By far the most significant sight in Hèlán Shān are the ancient rock carvings, thought to date back 10,000 years. There are more than 2000 pictographs depicting animals, hunting scenes and faces, including one (so local guides like to claim) of an alien, and they are the last remna
-
Everest Base Camp
Endowed with springs, Everest Base Camp (5150m) was first used by the 1924 British Everest expedition. Tourists are not allowed to visit the expedition tents a few hundred metres away but you can clamber up the small hill festooned with prayer flags for great views of the star attr
-
West Garden Temple
This magnficient temple, with its mustard-yellow walls and gracefully curved eaves, was burnt to the ground during the Taiping Rebellion and rebuilt in the late 19th century. Greeting you as you enter the stunning Arhat Hall (罗汉堂; Luóhàn Táng ) is an amazing four-faced and thousand
-
Ba Jin’s Former Residence
This charming little pebble-dash residence with a delightful garden wouldn’t look out of place in a leafy London suburb. Its where the acclaimed author Ba Jin (1904–2005) lived from 1955 to the mid-1990s. Ba was the author of dozens of novels and short stories (the most famous is F
-
Khalsa Diwan Sikh Temple
Sitting quietly between a busy road and a cemetery is Hong Kong’s largest Sikh temple, a descendant of a small original built in 1901 by Sikh members of the British army. The temple welcomes people of any faith, caste or colour to join in their services. Sunday prayer (9am to 1.30p
-
Gyantse Dzong
The main reason to make the 20-minute climb to the top of the Gyantse Dzong is for the fabulous views of the Pelkor Chöde Monastery and Gyantses whitewashed old town below. Entry to the dzong is via a gate just north of the main roundabout. Vehicles can drive about halfway to the t
-
Dōngshān
Tree-lined Xinhepu Lu (新河浦路), Xuguyuan Lu (恤孤院路) and Peizheng Lu (培正路) in the historic Dōngshān area offer a welcome respite from the city. There are schools and churches raised by American missionaries in the 1900s, and exquisite villas commissioned by overseas Chinese and militar
-
Kerti Gompa
Rising up on the Sìchuān side of White Dragon River is this monastery – otherwise dubbed the Sìchuān Monastery – built in 1413, home to around 700 monks, and composed of five temples and colleges. Try your luck catching a glimpse of student monks in class by visiting the monastery
-
Wēibǎo Shān
Eminently worthy Wēibǎo Shān, about 10km south of Wēishān, has a relatively easy hike to its peak at around 2500m. During the Ming and Qing dynasties it was the zenith of China’s Taoism, and you’ll find some superb Taoist murals; the most significant are at Wéncháng Gōng (文昌宫, Wénc
-
Military Museum
Military enthusiasts may get a rush at this hulking monolith of a building topped with a communist star. Cold War–era fighters, tanks and surface-to-air missiles muster below, while upstairs bristles with more weaponry. The Hall of Agrarian Revolutionary War and the Hall of the War
-
Little Goose Pagoda
The Little Goose Pagoda is in the pleasant grounds of Jiànfú Temple. The top of the pagoda was shaken off by an earthquake in the middle of the 16th century, but the rest of the 43m-high structure is intact. Jiànfú Temple was originally built in AD 684 to bless the afterlife of the
-
Abchi Lhakhang
Back in the lower courtyard is the monasterys main protector chapel, which houses an impressive bronze statue of the protector Abchi Chudu next to the pelt of a snow leopard. Also look out for the pair of yak horns on the pillar, after which Drigung is said to be named (a dri is a
-
Tiānmén Mountain
Visible from anywhere in Zhāngjiājiè city, this distinctive mountain range features Tiānmén Dòng (天门洞), a prominent keyhole cut through the mountainside. The 7km-long Tiānmén Mountain Cable Car (天门山索道; Tiānmén Shān Suǒdào) is Asias longest, and takes half an hour to hoist you up. T
Total
2381 -travel
FirstPage PreviousPage NextPage LastPage CurrentPage:
91/120 20-travel/Page GoTo Page:
