Place Names in Chinese (Pin-Yin)

The Ming Tombs are a collection of mausoleums built by emperors of the Ming dynasty. They lie within the ChangPing District of BeiJing Municipality, 40 kilometers (25 miles) north-northwest of Beijing city center. The site was chosen based on the principles of Feng Shui by the third Ming emperor, YongLe. Construction began after completion of the Imperial Palace (Forbidden City) in 1420. Subsequent emperors placed their tombs in the same valley; 13 in total. The siting of the Ming dynasty imperial tombs was carefully chosen according to Feng Shui principles. A key guide is that bad spirits and cold winds from the north must be deflected; therefore, an arc-shaped valley area at the foot of the JunDu Mountains was selected. This 40 square kilometer area, enclosed by mountains in a pristine, quiet valley with dark earth and tranquil water became the necropolis of the Ming dynasty. A 7 kilometer (4 mile) path named the Spirit Way, or Sacred Way, leads into the complex, lined with statues of guardian animals and officials, with a front memorial gate consisting of three arches called the Great Red Gate; constructed in 1540, it is one of the biggest stone archways in China. Further in, lies the ShenGong ShengDe Stele Pavilion with a 50 tonne stone statue of BiXi carrying a memorial tablet. Four white marble HuaBiao (pillars of glory) are positioned at each corner of the pavilion; at the top of each is a mythical beast. Then come two pillars on each side of the path, whose surfaces are carved with a cloud design, and tops are shaped like a cylinder; these are of a traditional design and were originally beacons to guide the soul of the deceased, The path leads to 18 pairs of stone statues of mythical animals, which are all sculpted from single blocks; these are all larger than life size. After, the path leads to a three-arched gate known as the Dragon and Phoenix Gate. Two of the mausoleums are open to visitors, but it is the beauty of the valley, with orchards, and the sheer scale of the area used for the tombs, that make this a nice day out in the countryside.

Despite its northern location, Beijing, the blue sky city, is one of the sunniest places in China and, in summer, also one of the hottest. Although around 1,000 miles north of Shanghai, and some 2,000 miles north of Hong Kong and tropical Hainan, Beijing is hotter through the summer months (mid-may to mid-September). Generally a dry heat, tropical thunderstorms can appear on occasion, and with night time temperatures in the 70s you'll be dancing in the rain ;) Excursion ideas : the in-the-mountains Buddhist temples of JieTaiSi and TanZheSi (bus, from the western end of metro line 1), the coastal city of TianJin (train), the beach at BeiDaiHe (train) and the nearby eastern end of the Great Wall (QinHuangDao), the imperial summer resort of ChengDe (combine with a visit to Simatai / JinShanLing Great Wall; coach or train), LongQing Gorge (LongQing Xia), the Spirit Way and general countryside at the Ming Tombs. TianJin can be a day trip as it is connected by high-speed rail, but two days would be great too. For ChengDe or BeiDaiHe, two or three days is best. Remember to take your passport in order to check in to a hotel. Or (more locally) visit the beach / pool at ChaoYang Park. Also, consider the Summer Palace (YiHeYuan), YuanMingYuan (the 'old' / original Summer Palace), BeiHai and JingShan Parks, the Ethic Culture Park (MinZu), the Olympic Forest Park, and these places in the Western Hills: XiangShan Park, Beijing Botanical Garden, BaDaChu (Eight Great (Buddhist) Sites area).

With Chinese Street View ...

With ABingYOLO ... The grand Ethnic Night at the South Garden of the Chinese Ethnic Culture Park in Beijing is an extraordinary carnival combining world-class performances, digital light shows, intangible cultural heritage, lanterns, and ethnic fairs! Spanning an area of approximately 100,000 square meters, the park hosts over a hundred fantastic performances, with global cuisines and cultural heritage, and creative markets offering endless enjoyment. Centered around ethnic culture and infused with elements of the Silk Road, the event invites a Broadway director team from the United States to showcase vibrant ethnic customs. Breaking traditional performance boundaries, the park creates a moving performance scene across the entire area, allowing visitors to encounter breathtaking shows as they explore. Address: South Garden, Chinese Ethnic Culture Park, No. 1 MinZu Yuan Road, ChaoYang District, BeiJing Dates: January 18 - March 31 2025, 16:30 - 22:00 pm.

In October 2008. Places visited include Green Lake Park in KunMing, the Stone Forest at ShiLin, and DaLi old town.

Two films; sweet rice dumplings further down. Chicken and cilantro, pan fried ... Chicken and cilantro dumplings（makes 60 dumplings） ingredients： dough： all purpose flour or dumpling flour 400g a little bit more than 2.5 cups salt：1g 1/4 teaspoon room temperature water ： 240g a little bit less than a cup fillings： cilantro：150g chicken thigh：500g regular soy sauce：16g 1 tablespoon ginger paste：3g 1/2 teaspoon egg white ：1 white pepper powder ：1g 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder：1g 1/4 teaspoon 2 green onions chopped salt：4g 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil ：4g 1 teaspoon for frying ： oil 12g 1 tablespoon water 60g 1/4 cup杯 cook for 5-6 minutes Sweet rice dumplings fillings： roasted black sesame seeds： 80g pecans or other nuts 30g sugar：80g 1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter: 60g 1/4 cup water：30g 2 tablespoons wrap: glutinous rice flour：250g 2 cups boiling water：140 g 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon room temperature water：70g 1/4 cup and 2 teaspoons to boil the sweet dumplings： boiling water 800g 3 cups and 1/4 cup arrowroot starch or lotus root starch or corn starch 22 g 2 tablespoons water 125g 1/2 cup fermented sweet rice：1/3 cup sweetened osmanthus sauce ：2 tablespoons Bonus film : soup dumplings ...

September 31st, 2010.

How we are brain-washed by propaganda / told what we believe. How war is peace, and aggression is the face being punched. With Daniel Dumbrill and Brian Berletic ... On Thailand ... On Cuba and China ...