-
Dǒngjiādù Cathedral
Just outside the Old Town and once known as St Francis Xavier Church, this magnificent whitewashed cathedral is Shànghǎi’s oldest church, built by Spanish Jesuits in 1853. A splendid sight, the church was located within a famously Catholic area of Shànghǎi and is generally open if
-
Huàchéng Sì
The largest, most elaborate temple in town has ornately carved dragons serve as handrails up the main steps. The eaves and beams of the buildings are painted in every colour imaginable and the icing on the cake is the three huge golden bodhisattvas that greet visitors: each one sit
-
Maoist Slogans
Chuāndǐxià is also a museum of Maoist graffiti and slogans, especially up the incline among the better-preserved houses. Look for the very clear, red-painted slogan just past the Landlord’s Courtyard (the village’s principal courtyard), which reads: 用毛泽东思想武装我们的头脑 (yòng Máozédōng sī
-
Signal Hill Garden & Blackhead Point Tower
The views from the top of this knoll are quite spectacular, and if it were the 1900s the ships in the harbour might be returning your gaze – a copper ball in the handsome Edwardian-style tower was dropped at 1pm daily so seafarers could adjust their chronometers. The garden is perc
-
Spirit Way
The road leading to the Ming Tombs is a 7km stretch called Spirit Way. Commencing from the south with a triumphal triple archway, known as the Great Palace Gate , the path passes through Stele Pavilion (碑亭), which contains a giant bìxì (mythical tortoise-like dragon) bearing the l
-
Precious Belt Bridge
Straddling the Grand Canal southeast of Sūzhōu, and boasting 53 arches, the highly impressive Precious Belt Bridge is thought to be a Tang-dynasty construction. It’s a 40-minute bike ride. Head south on Renmin Lu, past the south moat, then left at the TV towers, and the bridge will
-
Murray House
Across the bay from Stanley Main St stands this three-storey colonnaded affair. Built in 1846 as officers’ quarters, it took pride of place in Central, on the spot where the Bank of China Tower now stands, for almost 150 years until 1982. It was re-erected here stone by stone and o
-
China Great Wall Museum
Included in the ticket price to the Bādálǐng section of the Great Wall is entrance to this museum, which offers a comprehensive history of the Wall from its origins as an earthen embankment in the far-off Qin dynasty (221–206 BC), to the Ming-era battlements you see today. It’s a g
-
Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum
Don’t expect a terracotta army, but for those interested in the area’s ancient history, this is a significant burial vault dating from the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25–220). The tomb consists of four barrel-vaulted brick chambers set around a domed central chamber. It’s encased in a
-
Huìjì Temple
A steep but beautifully shaded half-hour climb leads to Huìjì Temple, one of the highest points on the island. Watch pilgrims stop every three steps to either bow or kneel in supplication. The less devout can take a cable car ( 索道; suǒdào; one-way/return ¥30/50; 6.40am-5pm) from th
-
Round Altar
The Round Altar is all about the number nine. Odd numbers were considered heavenly in imperial China and nine is the highest single-digit odd number. This white marble structure dates back to 1540 and is arranged in three tiers, with the top tier containing nine rings of stones, ar
-
Qīngyán
With its winding, stone-flagged streets and restored city walls, Qīngyán makes a pleasant diversion from modern Guìyáng. A former Ming-era military outpost dating back to 1378, Qīngyán was once a traffic hub between the southwest provinces, leaving the village with Taoist temples a
-
Kamikaze Caves
The three so-called Kamikaze Caves (神風洞), grottoes measuring 10m wide and 30m deep, were built by the occupying Japanese forces to house motorboats wired with explosives to disrupt Allied shipping during WWII. They were never used. Youll pass the caves when entering Sok Kwu Wan fro
-
Wénchāng Pavilion
Restored pavilion thats a popular hangout for the locals.
-
Wēnbó Hú
A long boardwalk takes visitors through a lava field dotted with ponds and informative interpretive boards explaining lava-related phenomenon such as fissures and, of course, the fields itself. The boardwalk ends at a small dock where you transfer to a boat for a slow putter down a
-
TCG Nordica
TCG Nordica is best described as a gallery-exhibition hall-cultural centre. Live jazz and dance, photo exhibitions, an English corner on Mondays (a good opportunity to meet some locals) are all staged here and theres even a relaxing restaurant with Scandinavian and Chinese food (di
-
Harbin New Synagogue
This synagogue was built in 1921 by the citys Jewish community, the vast majority of whom had emigrated from Russia. Restored and converted into a museum in 2004, the 1st floor is an art gallery with pictures and photos of old Harbin. The 2nd and 3rd floors feature photos and exhib
-
Deep Water Bay
A quiet little inlet with a beach flanked by shade trees, Deep Water Bay is a few kilometres northwest of Repulse Bay. There are a handful of places to eat and have a drink, and some barbecue pits at the southern end of the beach. If you want a dip in the water, this spot is usuall
-
Hé Xiāngníng Art Gallery
The esoteric permanent collection here features Japanese-influenced Chinese water paintings by He Xiangning (1878–1972), the late master of modern Chinese art and well-known revolutionary. These are complemented by temporary exhibits that range from avant-garde Chinese art to Weste
-
Museum to Commemorate US Aggression
With everything from statistics to shells, this comprehensive museum offers Chinese and North Korean perspectives – they won it! – on the war with the US-led UN forces (1950–53). There are good English captions here. The adjacent North Korean War Memorial Column was built 53m high,
Total
2381 -travel
FirstPage PreviousPage NextPage LastPage CurrentPage:
67/120 20-travel/Page GoTo Page:
