New Yuanming Palace

Built in the same size of the burned Yuanming Palace in Beijing, the New Yuanming Palace in Zhuhai is to memorize the prosperity of the Old Yuanming Palace. Lying at the foot of the Stone Forest Mountain of Zhuhai, the New Yuanming Palace covers an area of 1.39 square kilometers (343.5 acres). Being built and opened to the public in 1997, it reproduces 18 scenic spots of Old Summer Palace in the same size. Although the total area is just 1/6 of the original Old Summer Palace, the concentrated historical garden attracts millions of visitors every year. This palace was praised as the Provincial Patriotism Education Base; and in 2000 it was evaluated as the National AAAA Tourist Area.

Generally speaking, the buildings of New Yuanming Palace consist of three parts: the imperial garden of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, the classical garden of Southern China, and the Western building. The first part in the middle is the main structure of the garden. The palatial constructions were the places where the emperors held court. They were built by using colourful drawings and glazed tiles. The buildings around Fuhai Lake comprise the second part. The third part is in the western section of the garden. In order to satisfy the different interests of visitors, it was built with Gothic architecture and the fountains of ancient Rome. All these ingenious buildings in the garden were surrounded by over 500 varieties of plants, forming beautiful scenery.

In addition to its buildings, the New Yuanming Palace attracts tourists from all over the world with its various performances. Marked by the culture and art of the Ming and Qing dynasties, over 30 daily performances are given in different places. Additionally, a Dreamy Water City was built in 2001 to the west of the New Yuanming Palace. The water city is exceptional for its subject-greenness, leisure and passion- and for its portrayal of the cultural atmosphere of ancient Egypt.

Souvenirs can be purchased on the shopping street, which was modeled after the shopping street in Old Summer Palace, where the emperors tasted the daily life of common people. In the street here, the visitors can see row upon row of stores, restaurants, hotels and tea houses. Walking among actors appearing as the wagoner, the maid of honor and the odd-job man, visitors can have some personal experience of the customs in the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are many fineries and dapper handicrafts sold in the street.

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Nanhua Temple

Nanhua Temple is a Buddhist monastery of the Chan School - one of Five Great Schools of Buddhism, where the 6th Patriarch of the Chan School of Buddhism - the Great Master Hui Neng - once dwelled and spoke the Dharma. It is located 25 km southeast of Shaoguan, China in the town of Caoxi, within Qujiang District. The temple covers an area of more than 42.5 hectares (105 acres). It consists of a set of magnificent Buddhist buildings, including the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Grand Hall, Sutra Depository, Sixth Ancestor Hall, Lingzhao Pagoda and 690 Buddhist statu                        

Nanhua temple was founded during the time of the North-South Dynasties in 502 AD by an Indian monk named Zhiyao Sanzang who originally named the site Baolin Temple. It received its present name in 968 during Song Dynasty. Most of the buildings were renovated in 1934 as the original temple was damaged several times. The new one preserves the distinctive characteristics of Chinese ancient architecture and the buildings are rhythmically arrayed along the central axis. With a history of over 1,500 years, the temple contains many national treasures, including the Da Zang Sutra, decree and cassock of a thousand years ago.

The majestic Hall of Heavenly Kings was originally built in 1474 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The statue of Maitreya is enshrined in the hall and the mighty statues of the four Heavenly Kings holding religious objects stand on both sides of the statue of Maitreya. Behind the hall is a three-storey bell tower which was constructed in 1301 of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). On top of the bell tower, there hangs a brass bell from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). The massive bell is 2.75 meters (9 feet) high with a diameter of 1.8 meters (5.9 feet).

The Grand Hall, constructed in 1306 during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), stands in the center of the temple. Covered by glazed tiles, the grandiosity of the building is inferior to none in the Buddhist constructions of Guangdong Province. The sublime statues of Sakyamuni, Medicine Buddha and Amitabha are situated in the sacrarium of the hall. The gilded figures are all over 8.3 meters (27 feet) high, giving a feeling of loftiness and magnificence. Besides, there are about 500 fine clay sculptures of Buddhist arhats inside the hall. With a wavy sea sculpted out of clay as the background, the clay sculptures mix with the lofty mountains and seas, expressing profound Buddhist meaning.

The temple holds many precious cultural relics; the most precious being the statue of Hui Neng, which is worshiped in the Sixth Ancestor Hall. There are 360 Buddhist arhats figures which are the only Chinese wooden carvings preserved from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). It is notable that the lifelike figures have been made by highly-skilled carvers and each of them has a distinct sitting posture, representing the different characters of the arhats. Some were engraved with epigraphs which are of high value.

The rare cassock trimmed with dainty embroidery of over 1,000 Buddhist figures is also worth mentioning. Those one thousand figures were embroidered on a piece of apricot silk and their images were so distinct that people could see their hair clearly. . According to the experts from Guangdong Provincial Museum, this robe was given to Hui neng by an emperor of Tang Dynasty. Many of the valuable cultural relics being kept in the temple are national treasure and significant in the study of Chinese architecture, sculpture, painting and Buddhism.

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Danxia Mountain------"Redstone Park of China"

Situated in Renhua County, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) from Shaoguan City, Danxia Mountain is a world famous AAAA National Tourist Spot and National Geological Park of China. With a nick name of "Redstone Park of China", Danxia Mountain is characterized by the red steep cliffs with precipitous landform of even peak, sheer body and flat valleys. In geography, the name of "Danxia Landform" refers to the sort of landform similar to the Danxia Mountain.

The Danxia Mountain area is the largest Danxia landform in the world, covering 215 square kilometres. It is characterized by its magnificence, trill, rareness, beauty, seclusion, wideness and deepness. The whole scenery park is dotted with numerous spots of scenic beauty such as nature-formed stone walls, pillars, arches, and bridges. Danxia Mountain is therefore paralleled with Guilin as the top scenes in China.

The enchanting mountain has a rich variety of plants due to the moderate subtropical climate and the yearly monsoons that provide plenty of rainfall. There are twenty-eight ancient trees over one hundred years old, with fourteen of them having survived for more than three centuries. These ancient Danxia Phoenix Trees are native to this area and are the most distinguished species of the mountain. Of the ten varieties, four of them are extremely rare. One such variety of the Phoenix Trees has been named the 'Dharma Orchid'. It was discovered in 1987, and only two of them have existed in the world. When flowering season arrives, the sweet scent of the orchid tree lingers in the mountain and visitors swarm to its attraction.

The Danxia Mountain consists of many other wonderful scenic spots, including Zhanglao Peak, Yangyuan Hill, Xianglong Lake and Jin River. At the foot of Zhanglao Peak, there is a grotto temple that was built during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The Biezhuan Temple, which lies in the middle of the Zhanglao Peak, is one of the ten most notable temples of Guangdong. Yangyuan Hill and Zhanglao Peak face each other across a river. The hill is renowned for the marvelous Yangyuan Stone, which looks like a male genital. The Xianglong Lake (Flying Dragon Lake) sits to the south of Zhanglao Peak, named so because the lake resembles a flying dragon. The Jin River features charming waterside scenery and wonderful aquatic programs, such as swimming, boating and yachting.

Countless cliff tombs and cliff coffins of times long ago were left by our ancestors who inhabited the mountain. In addition, the mountain has been a busy place for Buddhism activities since the Sui (581-618) and Tang Dynasties (618-907). In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the mountain prospered and more than eighty temples were built. A great number of poems, carvings and inscriptions praising the bewitching scenery were left behind by writers, poets and painters throughout past dynasties.

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Lianzhou Underground River

Located in Dadong village, about 26 kilometers northeast of Lianzhou city, Lianzhou Underground River is Famous for its subtropical karst (dissolved rock) cave and the underground river flowing inside it. Lianzhou Underground River scenic area is a well known summer resort boasting stunning landscapes, moderate temperatures and fresh air throughout the year.

Lianzhou Underground River hides amid a giant Karst cave consisting of three layers. Going along the zigzag and undulating path on the first layer, one could see various configurations of stalactites: Milei Buddha, Guangong, Mengjiangnv, and other lifelike animals as well as vivid characters in the legends.  Layer upon layer stalactite is like terraced fields winding in the two banks of Xianrenhe River with beautiful and zigzag shape. The landscape is very similar to Huanglong (yellow dragon) in Sichuan Province).

Then walk down the lower layer, visitors can see an underground river endlessly extending to the cave. If you go ahead by boat along the dark river, you can see the zigzagging riverway widening one moment, narrowing the next. The narrowest place is just 1.6 meters, and you can touch the stalactite if you raise your hands. On the way, you will pass through Xiangjiao Valley, Lianhua Valley and Longmen Valley, and appreciate the various configurations of stalactites on both sides. Some is like waterfall hanging up in the sky; some is like lush and green mountain forest; some is like flyer and beats. The whole journey is last for 1.500 meters and through four peaks.

Seen from below, the roof of the cave resembles the immense night sky, while the light reflecting off the stone curtains is just like millions of stars sparkling in the sky; a truly breathtaking sight.

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Sanpai Yao Village

Liannan Yao Autonomous county has been called "little Guilin" where the aboriginal Yao people still keep their traditional lifestyle. About 11 kilometers (7 miles) south of the Liannan County situated in the Sanpai Village situates the Sanpai Yao Village. This Yao Village is a vivacious scenic resort comprehensively reflecting the history, culture, art, customs, architecture, costumes and folk entertainment of the Yao ethnic minority.

Nestled at the foot of the gorgeous Sanpai Mountain, the rows of houses in the Yao Village rise with the slope. Often, the roofs of the houses in the front rows are level with the floors of the houses in the back rows. The houses are connected together by corridors and lanes, forming the typical architectural layout of Yao villages.

The Yao people retain a traditional way of living by do weaving, embroidery and agricultural production. To see how they live, visitors are able to enter their rooms. There antique and unique stilt-houses, also known as pile dwellings, can be seen in the village. There are bamboo pipes hanging in the midair which resemble spider webs. They are the water pipes used by local people. Still, there exist a number of original breweries, bean curd mills, oil mills and granaries. Brick, tile and the ancient houses represent the age-old life style of the Yao nationality.

In the spectacular village, tourists can visit the traditional Yao breweries and have a taste of the fragrant rice wine and the lighter wines which are peculiar to the Yao nationality. In the antique oil mills, oil made by the indigenous methods is a popular performance. Learning to make wine and bean curd are also recommended as special experiences. There are also many workshops producing various local folk craftworks, including beautiful Yao ethnic costumes, ingenious embroideries, fine curios and local specialties.

In the evening, visitors are usually invited to join a camping fire program with Nan Yao traditional dancing and singing performance. Tourists to the Yao Village will also have the chance to know the wedding and funeral customs of the natives. The passionate Yao people will present wonderful folk singing and dancing to their visitors and amuse with them in the auditorium.

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Yinna Mountain

Yinna Mountain is located in Yanyang Town, about 46 kilometers (29 miles) from downtown Meizhou. Marked by lofty mountains, majestic peaks, rare stones, emerald like waterfalls and drifting clouds, Yinna Mountain is considered as one of the three most famous mountains of Guangdong Province.

Yinna Mountain has a height of 1,300 meters. At the back of the mountain there are five main peaks that stand together, resembling five fingers surrounded by dense mist surging up from below, with clouds wafting in the air. That is called five-finger peak of Mei peak. It is 1,297 meters above sea level. You can see Meizhou and Chaozhou clearly on the top when it is a clear day.

Among many temples located in Yinna Mountain, the most famous is called Lingguang Temple, which literally means the Temple of Divine Light. Lingguan Temple was sits at the foot of the Yinna Mountain. Reputed as one of the four notable temples of Guangdong, Lingguang Temple has been in existence for more than 1,200 years, having been built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). In 1385 of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the temple was enlarged and got its present name. This majestic temple contains Buddhist buildings, including the Grand Hall, Arhat Hall, Kwan-yin Hall, the bell tower, the drum tower, and other subsidiary structures.

There are “three attractions” in the temple. The first attraction is “a living cypress and a dead cypress”.  Two cypresses which are 1,100 years old stand in front of the temple, one has been dead for 300 years but it is not rotten and stands upright with the other branchy one shoulder by shoulder. The second attraction is pineapple-shaped roof. The roof of the main hall was made into a helical sunk panel by over 1,000 rectangular timbers and the roof has a function like a ventilator (only two buildings have this functions and the other is Temple of Heaven in Beijing). The third attraction is that there are lush growths of trees at the back of the main hall but there are no fallen leaves on the roof. It is still a mystery.

Moving onwards from the Lingguang Temple, you will reach the highest peak with an elevation of 1,297 meters (4,255 feet). A building has been constructed here, to provide an excellent place for watching the fascinating sea of clouds. If you arrive here before dawn, you will see and marvel at the spectacular view of the sunrise.

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Lianfang Tower

Meizhou City is situated in the northeast of Guangdong Province. It was the residence of Hakka people after they moved from Central China to this region in Qin (221BC-206BC) and Han dynasties (206BC-220AD). It is also the hometown of many oversea Chinese. As a result of that, there are a lot of buildings with a combined style of traditional Hakka architecture with western buildings. Lianfang Tower is one of them.

Lianfang Tower is a two-story folk dwelling which perfectly combines the traditional Hakka architecture with western buildings. Located in Baigong Town, Meizhou City - a famous hometown of overseas Chinese this building was built by oversea Chinese in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The inner part was constructed according to the structure of traditional besieged tower, Weiwu, but the outer wall was designed to be the western style.

Covering an area of about 0.3 hectare (0.74 acre), it is about 100 meters (328 feet) long and 40 to 50 meters (131 to 164 feet) wide. The 15-meter (49 feet) high structure above the front door took the shape of a bell tower, and the whole architecture looks like a magnificent castle. The outer wall of Lianfang Tower was designed to be the western style and the building is characterized by vivid and beautiful embossments of tigers, leopards and deer. The two-story brick structure has a main gate and two side doors; all of the gates, windows and walls were engraved with exquisite carvings of animals, flowers and plants.

Lianfang Tower can be reputed as the most luxurious Weiwu, and to a certain degree, it is more like a museum of Chinese and western folk art. The imposing tower consists of over 100 rooms, which are perfectly constructed according to the structure of Weiwu, or "Round House".  Weiwu, a traditional besieged tower, is a kind of vernacular dwelling of the Hakkas inhabited by the whole clan. The Weiwu of Meizhou City is considered as one of the five most distinctive folk dwelling houses of China along with Beijing's Courtyard and Shaanxi's Cave Dwellings. Weiwu is always constructed into a square or a circular form, resembling a castle which surrounds the main residential buildings. Seen from a lower place, the Weiwu arose in folds, looking like a gigantic dragon entwining in hillside. Therefore, Weiwu is also called 'Round Dragon House'. The Weiwu of Meizhou City is highly artistic with unique design, delicate constructions and fine decorations and paintings.

Lianfang Tower serves as an elaborate work of architecture in the 1930s since the interior decorations are of high artistic workmanship. The various grand pillars, staircase and the corners of each room are painted with flowers, birds, dragons and phoenixes, and the gilt windows are all richly carved. The halls are separated from each other by well-engraved Chinese screens. The spacious balcony in the center of the construction commands a fine view of the Lianfang Tower and the Baigong Town.

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