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The reason why Lhasa has the reputation of “holy land” is related to the Jokhang Temp. Jokhang Temple has a history of more than 1300 years, and has the supreme status in Tibetan Buddhism. Dazhao temple is the most splendid building in the Tibetan period, and also the earliest wooden structure in Tibet.

The Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), was characterized by economic prosperity and great progress in politics. During this time, China was considered the cultural and political center of the world. King Songtsem Gampo (617 – 650, the 33rd king of Tibet) was the leader of the Tubo (or Tibetan) Kingdom. He actively promoted Buddhism in that region and under his reign, Tibet achieved great progress in social innovation and realized the integration for the first time. In order to promote friendly relationships with the neighboring countries, he successively married Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal and Princess Wen Cheng of the Tang Dynasty. When the two wives arrived there, each brought a statue of Jowo Sakyamuni. During this time, most people lived in tents and there were few palaces. To house the Buddha brought by Princess Wen Cheng, King Songtsem Gampo constructed the Little Jokhang. Jealous of her, Princess Burikuti asked Gampo to build a Jokhang for her as well. Therefore, in 647 the giant complex was built.

The Jokhang Temple was built on the former site of a lake. According to the legend, the lake site was chosen after many failed attempts to build a temple in the region. Prior to this, every time a monastery was built, it would collapse. Confused by this phenomenon, Princess Bhrikuti turned to Wen Cheng for help. Being a learned woman, Wen Cheng told the Princess that the geography of Tibet was very much like a hag, with the lake at the heart. In order to build the monastery, Wen Cheng advised they must demolish the hag by filling and leveling the lake using 1,000 goats to carry soil from a mountain far away. When the construction work was done, it was called Ra-Sa-Vphrul-Snang (‘ra’ meaning goat and ‘sa’ meaning earth in Tibetan) to commemorate those goats.

Whether the legend is true or not, the Jokhang Temple brought Buddhism into this land and became an inseparable part of Tibetan history and culture. The city of Ra-Sa grew around the temple and over time, become known as Lhasa, a holy land.

Jokhang Temple integrates the architectural styles of Tibet, Tang Dynasty, Nepal and India, and becomes the eternal model of Tibetan religious architecture. The temple is surrounded by incense all day long. The faithful worship left deep marks on the bluestone floor in front of the gate.

Located at the foot of Tatipu Hill in the northern suburb of Lhasa City, Sera Monastery  is one of three famous monasteries in the city along with the Drepung Monastery and the Ganden Monastery. There are tens of thousands of Vajra and Buddha statues in sera temple, mostly made in Tibet. There are also many bronze Buddhas brought from the mainland or India. A large number of original color murals are preserved on the four walls of the main hall and the zacang scripture hall. The most famous statue is the “horse headed King Ming” in the hall. The monastery is magnificent and covers an area of 114,946 square meters. Its main buildings are the Coqen Hall, Zhacang and Kamcun. Scriptures written in gold powder, fine statues, scent cloth and unparalleled murals can be found in these halls. Colorful debates on Buddhist doctrines are held here and these employ a style distinctive from those at Lhasa’s other famous monasteries.

The Coqen Hall, which was built in 1710, is a four-storey building in the northeast area of the monastery. This main assembly hall where various rituals are held is supported by 125 pillars of varying heights and covers about 2,000 square meters (0.5 acre). It consists of five chapels which give honor to the Maitreya, Sakyamuni, Arhats, Tsong Khapa, and Kwan-yin with one thousand hands and eleven faces. The delicate Gangyur of Tripitaka in Tibetan is the proudest possession of the monastery which now holds 105 out of the original 108 volumes. These priceless volumes, the earliest sutras printed by engraving in China, were presented as a gift to Jamchen Chojey by Chengzhu, a Ming Dynasty Emperor.

Zhacang, which means Buddhist College in Tibetan, acts as the arena for the monks to study the Buddhist Classics. There are three Zhacangs in the monastery: Me Zhacang, Je Zhacang and Ngaba Zhacang. The oldest of these, the Me Zhacang, was built in 1419 during the Ming Dynasty and features a well-preserved fresco. In the Je Zhacang the Hayagriva displayed is extremely famous throughout Tibet. The Ngaba Zhacang is the smallest and newest arena where one of its founders, Jamchen Chojey, is worshipped.

The early buildings are centered on mazacang and abazacang, and then have the scale of today after the renovation and expansion of previous dynasties, so there is no overall plan in the plane layout. However, the buildings of sera temple are dense but not crowded, miscellaneous but not disordered. They are adapted to local conditions and the main body is prominent, which reflects the unique style of the Gelug temple. It is a religious city.

Everest is the main peak of the Himalayas and the highest mountain in the world. It is located on the border between China and Nepal and is the highest peak in the world.

Mt. Everest is a giant pyramid, majestic and towering, with extremely steep terrain and complex environment. The Himalayan area where Everest is located was originally an ocean. In the long geological time, a large amount of gravel and sediment were washed from the land and accumulated in the Himalayan area, forming a marine sedimentary rock layer with a thickness of more than 30000 meters. Later, because of the strong orogeny, the Himalayas region was squeezed and uplifted violently. It is estimated that the average increase is about 20-30 meters every 10000 years. Up to now, the Himalayas is still in the process of rising, rising by 7 cm every 100 years.

Its Tibetan meaning of ‘Goddess the Third’ adds more mysterious color and magic power to the subject. As a result, it has intrigued all kinds of people since it was first discovered. Pilgrims trek long distances to present a pious worship, climbing enthusiasts run great risks to challenge its high altitude and the common visitors also yearn for a reverent look at this holy peak.

As the supreme point of the world, Mt. Qomolangma is also blessed with many extreme wonders. The top part of the mountain is covered with snow all the year round. When the glaring sun shines on the mountain, the peak is just like a white pyramid miraculously transformed by the Goddess, leading us to imagine her semblance further. More often than not, the thick freely moving clouds and fogs, seeming as if a flag with the mast of the peak was swinging, will shroud the peak. This peculiar phenomenon is known as ‘Flag Cloud’. An additional wonder generated here are the bright glaciers, where ices are formed into various shapes like bridges, pagodas and others. You can also find miles of efflorescent rock physiognomy there, such as stalagmites, stelae, stone sword, and stone pagodas. The climbing pathfinders call this splendor at such high attitude ‘the Largest Park on the High Mountain’.

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Tientsin Eye, also known as the Tianjin Eye, is a Ferris wheel as tall as 120 meters. Tianjin Eye is also the No. 1 Ferris wheel in Asia, the only Ferris wheel built above a bridge and the tenth tallest Ferris wheel in the world. You can ride Tianjin Eye to enjoy the scenery of Tianjin or appreciate Tianjin Eye from afar on Jingang Bridge which is also enjoyable.

Tianjin eye is a national 4A level scenic spot in Hebei District of Tianjin (funded by the government of Hebei District of Tianjin). It is the first Ferris wheel in Asia. It is a Ferris wheel with river crossing construction and bridge wheel integration. It has both sightseeing and transportation functions.

Except for riding Ferris wheel, looking at Tianjin Eye from afar and taking photos are also good choices. This Ferris wheel is like an eye when looking from afar and this is how Tianjin Eye is named. The best place for that is Jingang Bridge, about 800 meters (900 yards) south of Tientsin Eye. When standing on the bridge, Tianjin Eye surrounded by beautiful buildings on the bank of Hai River appears before your eyes. It’s best to come at night when Tianjin Eye and Hai River interact with each other under the illumination of lights and you can see a totally different Tianjin here.

The ferris wheel is equipped with 48 transparent cockpits, each of which can hold 8 people. There are air conditioners and fans in the cabin to adjust the temperature, which can be used for 384 people to visit at the same time. The time when the ferris wheel rotates for one circle will be affected by the number of passengers and the weather change, and it will be kept between 20 and 40 minutes. Each cabin of the ferris wheel of Yongle bridge in Tianjin covers an area of about 12 square meters, which can be used by 8 people at the same time. It is understood that 48 cockpits will rotate at a constant speed driven by electric power, and it will take about 30 minutes to rotate a circle. It can be used for 300-400 people to visit at the same time. The diameter of the ferris wheel is 110 meters, so the technical content of its rotating shaft is very high. The rotating shaft of Tianjin eye is made in Germany. The ferris wheel has passed the strength tests of compression resistance, seepage resistance, bending resistance and frost resistance.

Panshan scenic spot, located in Tianjin, covers an area of 106 square kilometers and is also known as the “The First Mountain East of Beijing”. It is a tourist and leisure resort that combines natural landscape with scenic spots, Buddhism culture and royal culture. It is listed as one of the top fifteen mountains in China.

The mountain acquired its present name, early in the Eastern Han (25-220). Taizong, the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), was prodigal of his praise of its scenery on his chance visit when he led the army in a campaign. Seventy-two temples, thirteen pagodas and numerous Xanadus and towers were built on the mountain in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Qianlong, a brilliant and wise Qing Dynasty emperor was so impressed that he made thirty or so visits and wrote 1366 poems to express his admiration of the area. In the first half of the twentieth century, the whole resort all fell to ruin due to hostilities and neglect. It has undergone a process of restoration since the 1990s and is now regaining its fame.

It is famous for jade pine trees, strange and astonishing peaks, clear waters, grotesquely shaped rocks and clusters of ancient temples. On its top, numerous pines hide the sky from view and block out the sunshine. Rugged rocks in a variety of shapes, some of which resemble a toad, a general or a boa, will greet you in the middle of the mountain. At its foot, clear water splashes on the rocks. The mountain consists of five peaks, with the main one, Guayue (Moon Hanging) Peak. Although Guayue Peak is only 2,835 feet(864 meters ) above sea level, to the north it is possible to see a section of the Great Wall while to the west Mt Taihang can be seen.

From the Wei State during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280) onwards, emperors enthusiastically commissioned the building of temples, towers and Xanadus resulting in over 160 such sites. There are four main temples: Tiancheng Temple (God Proposing Temple), Yunzhao Temple (Cloud-Hiding Temple), Wanfo Temple (Ten Thousand-Buddha Temple) and Wansong Temple (Ten Thousand-Pine Temple). Tiancheng Temple built in the Tang Dynasty, was enlarged and repaired in the Ming and the Qing dynasties. To the east of this temple stands the Ancient Dagoba. As the biggest tower in this mountain, it has thirteen floors. The roof of the Yunzhao Temple was golden yellow, a color that normally was only allowed to be used on imperial buildings. By granting permission for this, Emperor Qianlong demonstrated his approval and admiration of the mountain. Wanfo Temple (Ten Thousand-Buddha Temple) has 10,960 small Buddha statues.

Dabei temple is located in Tianjin, China. It is the largest Buddhist temple in Tianjin, covering an area of 42000 square meters. Dabei temple was built in Shunzhi period of Qing Dynasty. At present, Dabei temple is a cultural relic protection unit and special protection level historical style building in Tianjin, and also one of the national key Buddhist temples in Han area.

The present temple, covering an area of 10.38 acres (about 42,000 square meters), is composed of two parts: the West Temple and the East Temple. The west one was built in 1669 in the Qing Dynasty, while the east called New Temple was built in 1942 by the Master Monk Tan Xu.

The West Temple is the site of Tianjin Buddhist Institute, including the Buddhism Scripture Chanting Hall and Buddhist Abbot Hall. And the main part of the Dabei Buddhist Temple is a series of Buddhist architecture in the East Temple – the Dabei Hall, Grand Hall, Hall of Heavenly Kings (Tianwang Hall) and Hall of Earth Treasure Bodhisattva (Dizang Hall).

Among those, the Grand Hall lies in the center, featuring hundreds of statues made in Chinese ancient times with bronze, iron, wood and stone. Demonstrating the care and the precision of the sculptors, the statues are exquisite and artistic. Included are statues of Sakyamuni, Kwan-yin of One Thousand Hands, Maitreya and the Eighteen Arhats of the Buddha.

Dabei Hall enshrines the statue of Kwan-yin. This statue of Kwan-yin is very special with 24 arms and a pair of eyes which can perceive the front as well as both the left and the right. The wall inside Dabei Hall is painted with colorful murals, describing the life experiences of Sakyamuni.

The Hall of Heavenly Kings houses the statue of Buddha Maitreya, namely Future Buddha in the center. The statues of the four Heavenly Kings stand on the two sides, symbolizing favorable weather for the crops. The Hall of Earth Treasure Bodhisattva honors Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and many hierarchs.

Tianjin Dabei Buddhist Temple once housed an invaluable Buddhist treasure – a piece of head bone relics of Xuanzang, an eminent monk in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). In 1956, the Buddhist relic was sent to India as a gift to embody the friendship between India and China. Now, without the top treasure, the temple is still very popular among disciples and visitors, especially on Buddhist festivals. In addition, various tasty vegetarian foods are available there.

Yungang Grottoes punctuate the north cliff of Wuzhou Mountain, Datong.  Yungang Grottoes graphically tell the story of past glory. Yungang Grottoes are magnificent and colorful, which can be regarded as the top of Chinese stone carving art in the 5th century AD and the treasure house of ancient Chinese carving art. Yungang Grottoes of Datong is deemed as the Three Largest and Most Famous Grottoes Clusters together with Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang, and Longmen Grottoes of Henan. Located at the southern foot of Wuzhou Mountain, the grotto area was excavated along the mountain, imposingly stretching 1 kilometer with rich contents. Covering over 18,000 square meters engraving area, there are existing 45 main caves, 209 subsidiary caves, more than 1,100 niches, and more than 51,000 stone statues, among which the largest statue measures 17 meters and the smallest only 2 centimeters. One of the largest stone caving art treasury famous both home and abroad, the Yungang Grottoes was inscribed as a key cultural relic under the state protection in 1961, a world heritage site in 2001, and a 5A national Scenic Area in 2007.

Yungang Grottoes is hailed as a Miracle in Chinese Art with its time-honored history, large scale, rich contents and superb carvings. The whole Yungang Grottoes is grand and dignified with prominent themes, and can be divided into three parts, the eastern, central and western, and the niches are densely distributed like a honeycomb. The eastern part takes pagodas as the principal thing; hence its name pagoda caves. Each of all grottoes in central part can be parted with a front room and back room; each grotto houses a Buddha, and basso-relievo covers cave walls and roofs. In western part, small grottoes and niches are in the majority and were built in later Northern Wei Dynasty.

Started in 450, the grottoes is a relic of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). Absorbing Indian Gandhara Buddhist art, the sculptures here developed traditional Chinese art melded with social features of the time.

During the reign of Emperor Xiao Wen a monk named Tanyao took charge of the construction of Yungang Grottoes. The largest cave is No.6, which is 20 meters (65.6 foot) high, standing a 15-meter (49.2-foot)-high pagoda-like column decorated with Buddha statues and designs. On the four sides of the tower pillar, and on the east, south and west walls of the cave, 33 embossed panels depict the story of Saykamuni.

Zhangbi Ancient Fortress is a rare ancient castle in China, which integrates military, production, astrology and religious activities. It is located in Jiexiu city, Shanxi province, around 140 kilometers southwest of Taiyuan and 40 kilometers southwest of Pingyao Ancient Town. With an area of only 120,000 square meters, Zhangbi Ancient Fortress is also called a miniature castle. The entire fortress was constructed based on Chinese astrology.

Zhangbi Ancient Fortress, 1,020 meters (3,346 feet) above sea level, is surrounded by gullies on three sides, and a mountain on the fourth side. It has 10-meter (33 feet) tall walls on the outside, making it easy to defend but hard to attack. In addition, the ancient fortress is full of underground tunnels, like cobwebs, extending in all directions and cleverly connected to the buildings above ground. The tunnels, about 2 meters (2 yards) high and 1.5 meters (1.6 yards) wide, have been explored for about 1,500 meters (1,640 yards). There are still 8,500 meters (9,300 yards) to be explored, for a total length of about 10,000 meters (11,000 yards). There are mangers, granaries and slaughter houses as well as dozens of covert entrances hidden above ground or under the foundations of folk dwellings. Villagers could easily reach the tunnels quickly for protection when enemies invaded. The tunnels could accommodate 30,000 people and you can visit the tunnels and experience the wisdom of the ancients here.

Many religious relics of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism have been found in this area. They are mainly distributed around the northern and southern gates of Zhangbi Ancient Fortress. Kong Wang Memorial Temple is a memorial temple used to worship Kong Wang, the first of the Han people to achieve enlightenment through Buddhism.

In Kong Wang Memorial Temple, there is a statue of Kong Wang Buddha and many murals which tell how Kong Wang became a Buddha. In addition, there are two rare colored glaze steles in front of the temple. Zhen Wu Temple is a Taoist temple mainly used to worship Zhen Wu, a deity of the north who watches over water and soldiers. There is also the Songzi Avalokitesvara Palace where people pray for the good fortune of their children, the Kuixing Building where people offer prayers for good grades in school, the Guanyu Temple where people pray for security and the Caishen Temple where people pray for wealth.

Kaiping Diaolou, located in Kaiping City, Guangdong Province, is a special type of Chinese vernacular architecture. It is a multi-storey tower building integrating defense, residence and Chinese and Western architectural arts. It is characterized by a combination of Chinese and Western dwellings, with various styles such as ancient Greece, ancient Rome and Islam.

Kaiping Diaolou is the most typical representative of the characteristics of Chinese overseas Chinese culture. Overseas Chinese are the disseminators of culture. The integration and collision of Chinese and foreign cultures are the inevitable outcome of its development. The cultural conflicts it brings are bound to touch all aspects and all classes of Chinese traditional society, which is also the common law of the world’s immigrant culture. This kind of cultural conflict and blend is very externalized in Kaiping. It still keeps its own tradition, and the local buildings with the integration of Chinese and Western architectural culture are few in the countryside, mainly in the counties and towns.

The earliest preserved villages were constructed in the 14th century, and the diaolous were initially built in the 16th century. Originally, it was built to protect the residents against intrusion and forays by local bandits. In the 1920s and 1930s, the Diaolou reached its peak, with over 3,000 diaolous scattered around the whole Kaiping area. About 1,830 well-preserved diaolous remain.

Kaiping has long been a major hometown for immigrants, many of whom brought the ideas and architectural styles of the West to the city. The diaolous primarily use the Romanesque, Islamic, Baroque and Rococo architectural styles and decorative forms. They were mainly made of reinforced concrete, which was rare in Asia in the 1920s and 1930s. On the exterior, the buildings are typically western; but inside everything, from the frescos to the utensils, are of traditional Chinese style.

The local Diaolou is made of stone, compressed earth, bricks or concrete. Despite the distinct differences in building materials, architectural styles and decorative forms, all of the diaolous share some common features. The windows and doors are very narrow and small. Diaolous on the top floor, with embrasures in the four cardinal directions, provide excellent views of the surrounding area.

Kaiping Diaolou and Villages is also an example of the incorporation of the natural and cultural landscape. In spite of importing the western architectural style, the buildings still maintain a harmonious relationship with the surrounding rural landscape. The unique scene is spectacular.

Folk Culture Villages is the world’s largest and most comprehensive miniature park, reproducing nearly 100 famous tourist attractions in China and 25 full-scale ethnic villages. There, one can have a thorough lesson on the 5,000 years of Chinese history and appreciate beautiful landscapes from throughout the country in one day.

There are 82 detailed miniatures of famous sites from around the country. Most of them are scaled down at a ratio of 1:15. Over 50,000 vivid tiny clay figures are placed around the sites, as if they have been living there for years. Besides the historical and scenic spots, you can find many folk houses here, where folk celebrations, songs, and dances are performed. There is also a business block near the gate of the theme park, following antique styles with workshops of traditional handicrafts and snacks.

In addition to the largest Han nationality, there are 55 ethnic minorities in China, distributed in many regions of the country. It is almost impossible to admire the architecture, folk activities and snacks of most ethnic minorities on a day trip. Folk Culture Village in the splendid western China will help you realize this dream. Twenty-five unique villages of 22 ethnic minorities were reproduced there in a 1: 1 ratio. There, you can not only see the houses of ethnic minorities, but also participate in their fun festivals.

The village of Bouyei, is a wonderful stone world with simple furniture, such as tables, stoves, and basins all made of stones. Dai people mainly inhabit Yunnan Province, where the climate is suitable for growing bamboo. You may call their village ‘a bamboo garden’ for most parts of their houses, such as girders, tiles, and roofs are made of this green plant. They live in stilt houses supported by wooden stocks. The main living quarters are on the second storey, and the floor is covered with flakes of bamboo. Mongol is generally known as ‘a tribe on horseback’ because of their nomadic living habits. Mongols live in yurts, which are not only cool in summer but also warm in winter, and easy to set up or dismantle.