The Forbidden City at the center of Beijing, called Gu Gong in Chinese, was the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Now known as the Palace Museum, it is to the north of Tiananmen Square. Rectangular in shape, it is the world's largest palace complex and covers 74 hectares. It is surrounded by a six meter deep moat and a ten meter high wall and there are 9,999 buildings.

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The Terra Cotta Warriors were created by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang di pronounced - Chin Shi Huang di. This amazing but megalomaniac man conquered and united China from a collection of warring states to become its First Emperor. He built the Great Wall and amassed great works of art. Obsessed with a quest for the secret of immortality, 70,000 workers built his tomb said to be filled with legendary treasures. His 3000 wives and concubines followed him to the grave. Over 8000 fantastic life-size clay warriors protected his tomb. The Famous Terracotta Army - is now referred to as the eighth wonder of the ancient world.

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Great Wall of China was first built in the 7th century B.C. when China was still divided into many small states. After the unification of China in 221 B.C., the first emperor of Qin Dynasty (you must have heard of his teracotta army) linked the walls of the three states in the north and formed the first "Wan Li Chang Cheng" (ten thousand li Great Wall, li is a Chinese length unit, 2 li = 1 km). Since then, the Great Wall was rebuilt, modified or extended throughout Chinese history for over 2,000 years. Most of the Great Wall we see today was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In some areas, two walls built in two different dynasties can be seen running side by side.

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The Barkor Bazaar is the most widely visited pilgrimage site in Tibet. Lying at the center of the "Old City" of Lhasa, it is the circumambulation path around the Jokhang, the main cathedral of all of Tibet, with origins in the Tibet's Imperial Period (from the 7th to the 9th Century CE). For the past several hundred years, the Barkor has been a vibrant market, pilgimage site and residential center. The circular Barkor path ranges about 1 km in length, completely encircling the Jokhang and passes by numerous shops, stalls, sidewalk vendors and temples. The Barkor is itself surrounded by traditional Tibetan residential buildings.

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Potala Palace Originally built by King Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century, Potala Palace is located on the Red Hill of Lhasa, Tibet. Destroyed by lightning and war, Potala Palace had been rebuilt by the Fifth Dalai Lama in 1645. Since then, Potala Palace has become the seat of Dalai Lamas and also the political center of Tibet. The thirteenth Dalai Lama extended it to the present size, 117 meters (384 ft) in height and 360 meters (1,180 ft) in width, covering an area of more than 130, 000 sq meters (about 32 acres). Mainly comprised by the White Palace (administerial building) and the Red Palace (religious building), Potala Palace is famous for its grand buildings, complicated constructions, devotional atmosphere and splendid artworks.

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Tibetan Prayer Wheels are cylindrical wheels filled with rolls of paper that are printed with mantras (sacred syllables) and prayers. Larger prayer wheels line walls of shrines, monasteries, and chötens (Buddhist monuments). Smaller hand-held prayer wheels are most often used by the elderly. Devotees spin the prayer wheels in a clockwise direction with their right hand and hold a mala (prayer beads) in their left while reciting mantras and prayers.

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Tibetan Prayer Flags are inscribed with auspicious symbols, prayers, and mantras. Derived from Bön, Tibet's pre-Buddhist religion, prayer flags are seen wherever Tibetan Buddhism or Bön have spread. Traditionally, prayer flags are fastened to eaves, sewn onto ropes to be displayed horizontally, or fastened to wooden poles for vertical display. It is believed that these flags are a means to create an auspicious environment and accumulate positive karma by having blessed prayers and mantras blown from the top of houses, monasteries, or mountain passes. The colors of the flags symbolize the five elements: yellow/earth, white/water, red/fire, blue/wind, and green/space.

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 The Choudan Orphanage in Lhasa, Tibet supplies all of the food, heat, shelter, clothing as well as tuition for schooling for 64 children ranging in age from 4 years old to 18. Many of the children have never had any other family. This orphanage operates solely on Non-Governmental funding. The monthly financial requirement of $700.00 for all of the 64 children is by USA standards astonishingly meager. Considering that the yearly average income in Tibet is 4,270 yuan or U$ 610/person, the $700.00 is an extraordinary sum for them to find each month.                                                                                                              

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Giant Panda Research Center The giant pandas are not only a Chinese national treasure but are also beloved by people the world over. They are found only in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. In total there are fewer than 1000, of which 80% are distributed within the territory of Sichuan province. Therefore, when visitors from home and abroad come to Chengdu, Sichuan Province one of their main objectives will be to see the giant pandas for themselves. Located just 10km (6miles) away from downtown Chengdu, the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center has been created and imitates the pandas' natural habitat in order that they might have a the best possible environment for rearing and breeding. The Center cares also for other rare and endangered wild animals. The Research Center covers an area of 92 acres, 96% of which is verdure. Giant pandas, lesser pandas, black-necked cranes, white storks as well as over 20 species of rare animals are fed and bred there throughout the year. Verdant bamboo, bright flowers, fresh air, a natural hill scene and a beautiful artificial view are merged ingeniously at the base.

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Songtsam Lama Temple Built by the 5th Dalai Lama in 1681, the temple is the largest Tibetan Buddhist lamasery in Yunnan. It was almost completely destroyed during the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966 - 1976), but has since been reconstructed, and today, Songzanlin Monastery houses 800 monks and lamas. Constructed in the style of Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, the spiritual complex resides on top of a hill and consist of the Zhacang and Jikang lamaseries.                     

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Jorkang Temple   Included on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2000 as part of the Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple is located in central Lhasa in Tibet. With an area of 25,100 square meters (about six acres), it is the ultimate pilgrimage destination for Tibetan Pilgrims.

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Sera Monastery  It is one of three famous monasteries in Lhasa along with the Drepung Monastery and the Ganden Monastery. The Sera Monastery is dedicated to the Gelugpa or Yellow Hat Sect, a branch of Tibetan Buddhism, founded by Tsong Khapa. Jamchen Chojey, one of Tsong Khapa's disciples built the monastery in 1419 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The monastery was named Sera which means wild rose in the Tibetan language, because the hill behind it was covered with wild roses in bloom when the monastery was built.                                                                                                     

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Shangri-La   Zhongdian County was renamed Shangri-La County in 2001 by Chinese authorities after the fictional land of Shangri-La in the novel "Lost Horizon". Previously the county was called Zhongdian, among Chinese, and Gyalthang, among Tibetans. The capital of the county is also known as Shangri-La, before 2001 it was named Jiantang Town. James Hilton was inspired by the Shangri-La of the Tibetan Buddhist Scriptures, where human beings, animals, and nature lived in harmony under the rule of a Tibetan Monastery.

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Tibetan Traditional Hospital     Originally built in 1916, Mentsekhang (also called 'Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute' at that time) was the place of research for Tibetan medicine and calendar calculations for the former Tibetan local government. After a large expansion in 1980, Mentsekhang became the center for the treatment, training, research and production of Tibetan medicine. Covering an area of more than 40,000 sq meters (about 10 acres) and with a staff of 450, Mentsekhang is also the biggest Tibetan traditional hospital in Tibet. The hospital focuses on the research of Tibetan traditional medicine. Tibetan doctors believe that human bodies have close relationship to weather. Beautiful thangkas hanging on the wall are used to depict the system of Tibetan medicine while training doctors-to-be. The statues of the Medicine Buddha also can be seen by visitors. Many unique vessels as well as herbs and ores which are used as materials of traditional medicine are also on exhibition. In the hospital, visitors can try to understand the mysticism of Tibetan traditional medicine.

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Lijiang has the best preserved ancient town in China - the Old Town which has been listed in the World Cultural Heritages by UNESCO in 1997. The Old Town was once the center of Lijiang and continues to maintain the original flavor of the local lifestyle, the typical groups of buildings and the profound cultural heritage of the region. When wandering along Square Street or any other streets in the Old Town, you will be struck by the peaceful surroundings. From enjoying the sight of the setting sun from historic hotels to local farmsteads, there are many favorable things here for travelers. Naturally, there are a number of tour destinations to enhance your visit as well.                                                                                                                          

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Naxi     China officially recognizes 55 ethnic minorities. The people of the Naxi ethnic minority mostly live in the Naxi Autonomous County in Lijiang, Yunnan Province, while the rest live in Sichuan and Tibet. Their population is 308,893 according to the 2000 census.  According to historical documents, the forefathers of the Naxi people were closely related to a tribe called "Maoniu Yi" in the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220), "Mosha Yi" in the Jin Dynasty (265-420) and "Moxie Yi" in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). In the name Naxi (also spelled Nakhi), Na means senior and honored and Xi means people. Before the foundation of modern China in 1949, most of the Naxi held the faiths of Dongba Jiao, believing that all have spirits and those spirits could never die.

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Jade Dragon Snow Mountain     (Yulong Mountain) is the southernmost glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. Consisting of 13 peaks, among which Shanzidou is the highest one with an altitude of 5,600 meters (18,360 feet), Jade Dragon Snow Mountain stretches a length of 35 kilometers (22 miles) and a width of 20 kilometers (13 miles). Looking from Lijiang Old Town in the south which is 15 kilometers (nine miles) away, the snow-covered and fog-enlaced mountain resembles a jade dragon lying in the clouds, hence, the name Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

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Cave of the Heavenly Master Temple  This cave and nearby temple is where ancient hermits and masters had medi­tated. It is said that the Yellow Emperor had practiced in these caves and transmit­ted many secret methods of practice. Also, Lao Tse is said to have practiced and written some of his famous Tao Te Ching here.

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Mt. Huashan   is known as 'The Number One Precipitous Mountain under Heaven'. It is one of the five sacred mountains in China. From a distance the five peaks seem to form the shape of a 'flower' (hua in Chinese), hence the name 'Huashan'. It is famous for its natural vistas of steep and narrow paths, precipitous crags, and a high mountain range. It is home to several influential Taoist temples where emperors of past dynasties made pilgrimages, making Mt. Huashan the holy land of Taoism.

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Tsampa is a Tibetan staple foodstuff particularly prominent in the central part of the country. It is roasted flour, usually barley flour and sometimes also wheat flour or rice flour. It is usually mixed with the salty Tibetan Yak butter tea.

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Yak Butter Tea  is another Tibetan food staple. Made from yak butter and salted black tea churned together, it resembles broth. The female yak (dri) provides rich milk from which butter, yogurt, and various dried cheeses are derived.                         

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Jiaozi Dumpling    were so named because they were horn shaped. The Chinese for "horn" is jiǎo (角), and jiaozi was originally written with the Chinese character for "horn", but later it was replaced by a specific character 饺, which has the food radical on the left and the phonetic component jiāo on the right. According to folk tales, jiaozi were invented by Zhang Zhongjing, one of the greatest practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine in history. They were originally named because they were used to treat frostbitten ears.

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BWCAW-   The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a mouthful for a name but worth every word. One million acres of hundreds of inter-connecting lakes and streams in Northeastern Minnesota, USA. It was designated a "wilderness" in 1978 and set aside as a non-motorized canoe (and very limited hiking) area. The BWCAW sits alongside of the Canadian Quetico Provincial Park, another one million acres set aside for wilderness canoeing. We live here and present our "Qigong Women in the Wilderness" weeklong workshop/retreat here.

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Fragrant Hills Park  The park was first built in 1186 in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) and later extended to a large scale in the Yuan and Ming dynasties. In 1745, Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) ordered the addition of many new halls, pavilions and gardens and gave it a new name, Jingyi Garden (Garden of Tranquility and Pleasure). Unfortunately, in 1860 and 1900 after the Summer Palace and the Yuanming Yuan (the Old Summer Palace) were set on fire, lots of relics in the Fragrant Hills were damaged by foreign troops. Since 1949, with a half-century's restoration and development by Chinese government, Fragrant Hills Park has been recognized as one of the ten most famous parks in Beijing.

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The Summer Palace  The Summer Palace has a history of over 850 years - an imperial garden has existed here since 1150. Early in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), an imperial palace named 'Golden Hill Palace' was built on the present site of the Summer Palace. The history of the gardens at the New Summer Palace dates back to the Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan. To improve Beijing's water supply, he ordered the construction of canals transporting water from the Western Hills to an enlarged lake, now known as the Summer Palace's Kunming Lake. This lake was to serve as a reservoir for Beijing - a function that it still performs today.

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Sichuan Opera (Chuan Ju) originated at the end of the Ming (1368-1644) and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). With immigrants flooding into Sichuan, different dramas were brought in to blend with the local dialect, customs, folk music and dances. Gradually, brisk humorous Sichuan Opera, reflecting Sichuan culture, came into being. Face changing is the highlight of Sichuan Opera. It is said that ancient people painted their faces to drive away wild animals. Sichuan Opera absorbs this ancient skill and perfects it into an art. There are three types of face changes. The Wiping Mask routine, the Blowing Mask routine which works with powder cosmetics, such as gold, silver, and ink powders and the Pulling Mask routine which is the most complicated.

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QingYang Gong, (Green Sheep Temple) a Taoist temple built during the Eastern Han dynasty. Variously called the Green Ram or Grey Sheep Temple, this is a square building with a round dome, illustrating the Chinese belief that "the sky is round and the earth is square". There are eight pillars within which symbolize the eight trigrams.

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Tiger Leaping Gorge   is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northwest of Lijiang Old Town lying between Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Xueshan) and Haba Snow Mountain (Haba Xueshan) is Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Gorge), which is believed to be the deepest gorge in the world. From the top of the gorge you look down the steeply angled (70-90 degrees) mountain sides to the rushing Golden Sands (Jingsha) River with its 18 frothing rapids more than 200 meters (about 700 feet) below. This is a great sightseeing stop with enormous photo opportunities. Bring your camera, wear skid proof shoes, and be prepared to be astonished.

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Weibao Mountain (Mt. Towering Treasures) is located in the south of Weishan County about 70 km. north of Dali. The mountain looks like a crouching lion who turns its head back and looks at the county seat and the belt-like Guajiang River in the mist. Weibao Mountain was the place where Xinuluo, the head of Mengshe Zhao during the early Nanzhao period, rose to power, and it was also an important Daoist mountain in Yunnan. Undulating and magnificent hills are covered with dense forests and there are more than 20 temples scattered over the mountain.

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Mount Qingcheng 65km west of Chengdu, Qingchengshan Mountain (Qingchengshan) is one of the ancient cradles of Daoism. The mountain has numerous Daoist temples and sites along the paths to its peak. The area is green all year round and is known for its secluded tranquility. Mt. Qingcheng is located at the Dujiangyan scenery spot of Chengdu, Sichuan province. It is a famous mountain of Taoism. Surrounded by countless peaks and densely covered by ancient trees whose branches reaching the sky, the mountain was named "Mt. Qingcheng" (Green Town in Chinese). The mountain includes two parts-the anterior Mt. Qingcheng and the posterior Mt. Qingcheng. The anterior mountain is famous for its beautiful scenery and numerous cultural and historic sites; while the posterior mountain is noted for its paradisiacal scenery, primitive and brilliant, gorgeous and mysterious. With its annually average temperature of 15 centigrade, Mt. Qingcheng belongs to humid subtropical monsoon climate. It is reputed as "Dong Tian Fu Di" (means wonderful mountain and happy place), "the fairyland on earth".  
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Tianshi Cave, About halfway up Mount Qincheng sits Tianshi Cave (Tianshi Dong) the major temple and school of Zhang Daolin, a famous Daoist master who taught here and contributed greatly to spreading Daoism in China. The present Tianshi Cave buildings were built at the end of the Qing Dynasty. According to legend, in the Eastern Han dynasty, Zhang Daolin had been here for preaching. In the Three Kings Palace, the main hall of the Tianshi Cave, the stone inscriptions of three kings of Tang dynasty were laid. The palace contains wood and stone tablets of past dynasties. The most famous include the Tang Xuanzong's imperial decree and Yuefei's handwriting of Zhu Geliang's Chushibiao. .

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Yunnan   (Beautiful Clouds in the South) Province is the most southwest region of China bordering the countries of Vietnam, Laos, and Burma. Within these borders, Yunnan has a diverse topography that ranges from alpine mountain ranges to tropical rainforests and the greatest number of plant species in China (more than 18,000) as well as an incredible array of animals, including the Asian elephant and the protected Yunnan golden monkey. There is even a rainforest in the area known as Xishuangbanna where you will find many rare and endangered species of plants and animals.

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Bai ethnic group. The main distribution of the Bai people is in the Dali Bai Autonomous County of Yunnan Province, together with Lijiang, Kunming, Yuanjiang, Guizhou and so on. According to the census taken in 2000, the Bai ethnic group numbered some 1,858,063 individuals. The Bai people favor white clothes and decorations. White in Chinese is pronounced 'Bai', so maybe this is where their name derives from. Women in Dali traditionally wear a white coat trimmed with a black or purple collar, blue loose trousers; embroider shoes, silver bracelets and ear rings.

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Lhasa, sometimes spelled Lasa, is the traditional capital of Tibet and the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Lhasa is located at the foot of Mount Gephel. The city is the traditional seat of the Dalai Lama and the Potala and Norbulingka palaces and in Tibetan Buddhism is regarded as the holiest centre in Tibet. The city is home to about 255,000 inhabitants and, at an altitude of approximately 3,650 m (11,975 ft), is one of the highest cities in the world. Lhasa literally means "place of the gods", although ancient Tibetan documents and inscriptions demonstrate that the place was called Rasa, which means "goat's place", until the early 7th century.

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 Yuyuan Bazaar (also known as the Yu Garden Market) is located next to the Yuyuan Garden. Originally there was just a temple (the City God Temple) that built in the 15th Century. Today the area is also home to a lively market that specializes in traditional Chinese arts and crafts. Over 100 years ago there was an increase in pilgrims who came to worship at the temple. As a result businesses and peddlers began to open up shops in the immediate area to cater to these pilgrims. Since that time this market has continued to grown in importance. Today you can find more than 100 different shops and restaurants in the immediate area. It is a place where locals and tourists go to find unique items to purchase and grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants. If you come to study and learn Chinese in Shanghai, stop by the Yuyuan Bazaar to learn and experience a little of the Chinese culture. If you have questions about how to get to the Yuyuan Bazaar, just ask the staff at the Chinese language school in Shanghai.

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Yuyuan Garden is centrally located in the downtown area of Shanghai. Today it is considered to be the finest example of the classical garden style used in Shanghai. The Yuyuan Garden was built in the mid 1500's during the Ming Dynasty. The Yuyuan Gardens are actually a combination of gardens laid out in an intricate manner along with a series of buildings and courtyards. If you want to see classical Chinese gardens, then a stop at the Yuyuan Garden is a must.

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Old City God's Temple is a major yet relatively inactive, Taoist temple in Shanghai. It is located in the area south of Yan'an Road on the Fangbang Zhong Road. During the Ming Dynasty, Zhangshouyue, the head of Shanghai County, dedicated a temple to the local city god. Since then, the City God's Temple has been destroyed several times and the current temple was built in 1926. During the the war of resistance against Japanese invasion during World War II, local merchants built a new City God's Temple in the Foreign Concession

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Shanghai Museum    As a museum of ancient Chinese art, Shanghai Museum possesses a collection of 120,000 precious works of art. Its rich and high-quality collection of ancient Chinese bronze, ceramics, painting and calligraphy is specially celebrated in the world. Founded and first open to the public in the building previously of the horseracing club at 325 W. Nanjing Road in 1952 and then moved into the former Zhonghui Building at 16 S. Henan Road in 1959, the museum developed very quickly in aspects of acquisition, conservation, research, exhibition, education and cultural exchanges with other institutes. In 1992, the Shanghai municipal government allocated to the Museum a piece of land at the very center of the city, the People's Square, as its new site. The whole construction took three years, from August 1993 to its inauguration on October 12th, 1996. The 29.5 meters high new building has a construction space of 39,200 square meters. Its unique architectural form of a round top with a square base, symbolizing the ancient Chinese philosophy that the square earth is under the round sky, is a distinguished architectural combination of traditional feature and modern spirit. The present Shanghai Museum has eleven galleries and three special temporary exhibition halls.

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Chengdu's history can be traced back to 2,400 years ago when the first emperor built his capital here and named the city. Through thousands of years its original name has been kept and its position as the capital and as the significant center of politics, commerce and military of the Sichuan area (once called Shu) has remained unchanged. Since before the Han (206B.C.-220) and Tang (618-907) Dynasties, its ( the Shu Dynasty) handicraft industry flourished, Chengdu has been famous for its brocades and embroideries. Shu embroideries still enjoy a high reputation for their bright colors and delicate designs, ranking among the four main embroideries in China. Chengdu was the place where the bronze culture, an indispensable part of ancient Chinese culture, originated, the place where the Southern Silk Road started, and the place where the earliest paper currency, Jiaozi (not the dumpling!), was first printed. It is listed among the first 24 state-approved historical and cultural cities and owns 23 state and provincial cultural relic units.

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Dalai Lama     In Tibetan Buddhism, the successive Dalai Lamas form a lineage of allegedly reborn magistrates which traces back to 1391. They are of the Gelug sect of Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhists believe the Dalai Lama to be one of innumerable incarnations of Avalokiteśvara ("Chenrezig"  in Tibetan), the bodhisattva of compassion. Between the 17th century and 1959, the Dalai Lama was the head of the Tibetan government, administering a large portion of the country from the capital Lhasa. He is often styled "His Holiness" (HH) before his title. The Dalai Lama is often thought to be the head of the Gelug sect, but this position officially belongs to the Ganden Tripa (Tibetans call the Dalai Lama by the name of Gyalwa Rinpoche ( meaning "Precious Victor," or Yishin Norbu  meaning "Wish-fulfilling Jewel". The 14th (and current) Dalai Lama was awarded the USA's Congressional Gold Medal on October 17, 2007.

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Xian, the eternal city, records the great changes of the Chinese nation just like a living history book. Called Chang'an in ancient times, Xian is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow River Basin area of the country. During Xian's 3,100 year development, 13 dynasties such as Western Zhou (11th century BC - 771 BC), Qin (221 BC - 206 BC), Western Han (206 BC - 24 AD) and Tang (618 - 907) placed their capitals here. So far, Xian enjoys equal fame with Athens, Cairo, and Rome as one of the four major ancient civilization capitals.

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The Bell Tower  in Xi'an is situated in the very heart of the city and at the junction of four main roads. The original city Bell Tower was situated to the west of this site and the present construction was built in 1582 and restored in 1739. There is a huge bell hanging on the roof of the tower which was traditionally used to tell the time by and there are other, smaller bells on exhibit in the tower too.

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Drum Tower. This is a smaller building, situated in a lively street which is filled with street traders and hawkers. This tower marks the entrance to the city's Muslim Quarter which is a lovely area to wander and observe. the felling here is almost of a "city within a city" and the streets around this district heading up to the Mosque are like a small village crammed with people selling all kinds of weird and wonderful things.

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Chinese Time Zones    with its large territory, China spans five time zones. For the past few decades, however, the geographical region of China, which includes mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, has been in the same time zone which is eight hours ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+8). Although all jurisdictions within the region are placed under the same time zone, due to historical and political reasons different jurisdictions keep their own time standard and have their own names. In mainland China, which is under the administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the time standard is called the Beijing Time or Chinese Standard Time. A summer daylight saving time was observed from 1986 through 1991, but no longer observed.