China Travel and China Tours

Mogao Grottoes China

websitecoo@hotmail.com (chinatravel) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 03:07:53 +0800

About Mogao Grottoes history:The grotto was first chiseled in 366 AD. According to legend, this area was marshland over 1000 years ago. A monk called Yue Zun dreamed of 1000 golden Buddhas when he was traveling home across this region and he decided to turned his dream into reality.

Over the next 1000 years, 16 dynasties rose and fell; artists of each period contributed. The construction work was completed during the Yuan dynasty and since ever, the grottos have stood there through natural erosion and war flames for hundreds of years. Today, 492 caves are still standing. Altogether there are 2,000 statues and over 45,000 separate murals.

In addition, murals of Buddha, Bodhisattva, kings of the paradise, mighty fighters, minor thousand-Buddha, and flying Buddhist angels, with the background of mountains and rivers, beatify the mystic grottos into an Buddhist world with wind blowing and clouds floating.

In fact, the Mogao Grottos value themselves more than art as most murals reflect the lives of those times. For example, there is a mural showing a scene of robbers robbing a foreign businessman. This picture has revealed the contact between China and the world.

Yang Rou Pao Mo Xian Food

websitecoo@hotmail.com (chinatravel) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:56:39 +0800

Yang Rou Pao Mo is a type of mutton stew. Some People believe there are two things that you must do when you visit Xi`an: one thing is visiting the terra cotta warriors and another is to taste Yang Rou Pao Mo. It has become very popular as a dish for entertaining foreign visitors. In 1983, the dish was moved from the restaurant to the national banquet, and in 1993, Chinese traditional painting master Huang Zhou wrote an inscription mainly describes its appetizing taste. Because of this the Yang Rou Pao Mo becomes more and more famous. If you come here to taste it first, you do not eat too much because it is very filling.

Raw materials:
Fresh mutton 750g, flour 350g, yeast powder, agalic, yellow daylily, rice noodle, scallion, ginger, pepper, aniseed, caraway, chilli sauce, refined salt, monosodium glutamate.

How to make Yang rou pao mo:
1. Put agalic, yellow daylily and rice noodles into a laver, dip into cold water for half an hour.

Beijing China Travel Guide

websitecoo@hotmail.com (chinatravel) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 09:33:00 +0800

About Beijing:Beijing (北京 Běijīng) is the capital of the most populous country in the world, the People's Republic of China. It was also the seat of the Ming and Qing dynasty emperors until the formation of a republic in 1911. Beijing is the political, educational and cultural centre of the country and as such it is rich in historical sites and important government and cultural institutions.The city is well known for its flatness and regular construction. There are only three hills to be found in the city limits (in Jingshan Park to the north of the famous Forbidden City). Like the configuration of the Forbidden City, Beijing has concentric "ring roads", which are actually rectangular, that go around the metropolis.

Beijing Transportation
Taxi:

Foreign visitors to Beijing can usually afford to take a taxi everywhere they want to go. The price ranges from 10 - 35 RMB for most destinations. Airport can set you back up to 140 RMB. Still, when you convert it back into local currency is still cheaper than most places in the world. The main problem is communication. Be prepared to have your destination written in Chinese characters to hand to the driver. English is almost non-existent and even place names all have their own unique Chinese name.

Qianxian Guo Kui Xian Food

websitecoo@hotmail.com (chinatravel) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 02:54:39 +0800

About of Guo Kui:Guo Kui is a sort of Chinese sandwich or Kebab, but with different style of fillings from its western or Muslim counterpart. Any speical Guo Kui restaurant or even little food stand by the roadside may prepare a great variety of Guo Kui, filled with sliced chicken, beef, steamed pork, pork lungs or vegetables. The traditional Guo Kui restaurant of Old Chenghua is one of them. Moreover, the ox-tail soup in this restaurant is also very special. Although this restaurant sells traditional snacks, the clean and transparent dinning tables and white wallpaper in it seem also quite refreshing and fashionable.

Guo Kui, a well-known snack In Qianxian County, Is thick in the middle and thin on the verge with designs of the wheel on the surface. It is crisp and tasty and is always a good present for friends and relatives. When it is made, the wheat flour is mixed with a minimum amount of water and then baked over low flame so that it is easy to be stored and handy to take because it contains very little moisture. That is why it is often the custom of the local people of Shaanxi to travel with it as their food. Guo Kui Is one of the "Ten Strange Features" In Central Shaanxi and It Is often described as big as a lid of a wok.

The history of Guokui:
It was said that when built the Qianling mausoleum, emperor Gaozong confiscate a great number of craftsmen and labors. At that time, there was a guy named Dongwa, he lost his mother when he was very young, so he and his father depended on each other since his was a little boy. He was a very clever, industrious and guileless guy, and was highly praised by his neighbors. Unfortunately, one day, his father got disease, Dongwa worked very hard every day. He not only had to work outside, but also took care of his father. Day after day, Dongwa cooked very well. On the project of building Qianlin mausoluem, Dongwa went to work instead of his father. Because of too many people

Tibet China Travel Guide

websitecoo@hotmail.com (chinatravel) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 03:28:24 +0800

About Tibet Travel:Tibet is located at the Southwest part of China, the capital city is Lhasa. It is bordered on the south by Burma, India, Bhutan and Nepal, on the north by Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Qinghai province, and on the east by Sichuan and Yunnan Province. Located on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau and with an average altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level, Tibet is regarded as the roof of the world and the Third pole of the Globe. Tibet is encompassed by some of the world's highest mountains: The Himalayas to the south, the Karakoram to the west, and the Kunlun to the north are the dream lands of so many adventurers and mountaineers.

Tibet is blessed with an incredible topography dotted with numerous holy lakes, beautiful prairies, snowcapped peaks, towering Himalayas and it is hallowed by snow-white Khatag(Hada), religious sites, monasteries and palaces. Because of its special landscape and unique cultural traditions, more and more people dream to visit this mysterious Buddhist kingdom.

History of Tibet:Tibet an history, as it has been recorded, is particularly focused on the history of Buddhism in Tibet. This is partly due to the pivotal role this religion has played in the development of Tibetan, Mongol, and Manchu cultures, and partly because almost all native historians of the country were Buddhist monks.
Tibet is situated between the two ancient civilizations of China and India, separated from the former by the mountain ranges to the east of the Tibetan Plateau and from the latter by the towering Himalayas. Tibet is nicknamed "the roof of the world" or "the land of snows".The Tibetan language and its dialects are classified as members of the Tibeto-Burman language family.

Tibet Travel: What to see
1. See Temples and monasteries. Tibet is noted for the 'Buddhist Kingdom of Snow Land' for its over 1700 temples or monasteries, where about 40% people of the provincial population live there and most believe in

Potala Palace Tibet China

websitecoo@hotmail.com (chinatravel) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 00:18:02 +0800

Today the Potala Palace history has been converted into a museum by the Chinese.The building measures 400 metres east-west and 350 metres north-south, with sloping stone walls averaging 3 m. thick, and 5 m. (more than 16 ft) thick at the base, and with copper poured into the foundations to help proof it against earthquakes.Thirteen stories of buildings – containing over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues – soar 117 metres (384 ft) on top of Marpo Ri, the "Red Hill", rising more than 300 m (about 1,000 ft) in total above the valley floor.Tradition has it that the three main hills of Lhasa represent the "Three Protectors of Tibet."

The western part of the platform is White Palace. Going into the lobby of White Palace, you will see a small and steep wooden ladder. Please note, you must go up via the side ladders of either side, the middle ladder is to be used only by Dalai Lama and the minister of Ch'ing Dynasty in Tibet.

On the lobby wall, there's drawing of the scene of the story of the princess Wencheng entering Tibet. The south of lobby is the law book sealed by the Fifth Dalai Lama. This law book is very precious and it is a historical clue of studying the Tibetan history in 17th century.

Total Solar Eclipse of 22nd July 2009 in China

websitecoo@hotmail.com (chinatravel) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:53:52 +0800

The total solar eclipse of 22nd July 2009 will be the longest eclipse of the 21st Century being 6 minutes 38 seconds at the point of maximum eclipse. According to the report, this coming total solar eclipse will provide the best observation condition. The entire eclipse line will be more than 10,000 km long and about 250 km wide. About 400 million people will be lucky enough to witness this rare astronomy phenomenon. At about 8:00 AM on 22nd July, 2009, the moon will gradually move over the sun; while the most brilliant total solar eclipse will occur at about 9:00 AM and will last for nearly six minutes.

Despite centuries of scientific understanding of astronomy, a solar eclipse remains one of the most profoundly thrilling mysteries of the natural world. According to ancient Chinese lore, a great dragon devours the sun, plunging the world into darkness unless drums are banged and great noise made to frighten the dragon away.

As the moon moves over the sun, as the dragon approaches from the west, the world darkens and cools suddenly, the birds are hushed, the stars glitter in the suddenly unnatural sky until a silver glow reappears as light and life returns to the world. Not only is totality awesome, but just before and after the solar eclipse there are other phenomena to be seen, such as the sun's corona or luminous atmosphere, and sometimes solar flares, as well as "Baily's beads" - spots of light around the edge of the sun caused by mountains on the moon and which lead to the "diamond ring effect" in the instants immediately before and after totality.

Qishan Noodles with Mashed Meat

websitecoo@hotmail.com (chinatravel) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:16:51 +0800

Qishan noodles with mashed meat originated In Qishan County, hence the name Qishan noodles. Qishan noodles have a long history and they are famous snacks in xi'an. They became well-known as early as the Qing Dynasty. The noodles must be hand-made of good wheat flour. The Ingredients in them Include pork shreds, day lily, egg, wood fungus, and bean curd which are flavored with a variety of spices. The noodles must be made from light purified flour. They are thin, pliable, smooth, hot, watery, greasy, sour, spicy and savory. Qishan noodles with High carbohydrate, high saturated fatty acid, and high nutritive value.

The history of Qishan noodles with mashed meat Xian Food:
Qishan County lives in the east part of Baoji, it was famous for high-quality wheat, and the most famous food is Qishan noodles with mashed meat.

Xian Hyatt Regency Hotel

websitecoo@hotmail.com (chinatravel) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 04:01:53 +0800

No158, East Street, Beilin District, Xi'an, China 710001

Tel : +86-029-87691234 Fax : +86-029-87277650

Xian Hyatt Regency Hotel More Xian Hotels

The Hyatt Regency hotel is Located in the business and shopping district, the hotel is only five minutes drive from the railway station and fifty minutes away from the airport. The hotel has over 400 comfortable guestrooms and suites and is the only five-star hotel centrally located within the Xian city walls. The restaurant in the hotel offers delicious international cuisine. Alternative meeting rooms are available, from small meeting rooms to seminar rooms. A full secretarial service can also be provided for guest use. The hotel recreation facilities are fully equipped with the latest gymnasium, aerobics, and massage, whirlpool, sauna and cold plunge pool facilities. A tennis court is also available

Xian Hyatt Regency Hotel Tips:

The room price is quoted in USD. After you submit your booking form, our memo table will show you the total room price in USD, and which is the figure you need pay for the room.

China Flights Booking FAQs

websitecoo@hotmail.com (chinatravel) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 03:31:49 +0800

1. What is the airport tax in China? Does the price include the airport tax?

Airport tax (which is called airport construction fee in China) is of 50 yuan (about US$6) per airport for flying within China, 90 yuan (about US$11) for international departure, (including flying to Hong Kong or Macau from mainland China). It is HK$50 (around US$6.5) if you depart from Hong Kong airport. This fee will be charged at the time when purchasing the flight tickets.

2. E-tickets in China

1.Most major airlines in China are now able to issue E-tickets but not all of them.

2.E-tickets are more common to flights between larger cities than those on lesser routes.

3. Foreign traveler holding electronic ticket need only show their passports to board the plane but need to ensure that the name on the e-ticket is exactly the same as the name on the passport.

4. A confirmation code will be issued for each e-ticket.