Tag: construction

Forbidden City

Forbidden City

The purple forbidden city contains the imperial palaces of the ming and qing dynasties.Twenty-four emperors,14 in the ming and 10 in the qing dynasties ruled from here.the last dynasty collapsed during the 1911 Revolution,but the last emperor puyi continued to live in the inner palace until 1924,when he was thrown out of the palace by the troops of General Feng yuxiang.After that,the palace was opened to the public as the palace museum and it was no longer forbidden to the common people.Do you know why it is called the purple forbidden city?let me tell you the reason.According to a Chinese legend,the heavenly king lived in the purple palace.the ancient Chinese emperors belivevd that they were the sons of heaven and the imperial residence was the cosmic center,so it should be off-limits for the common people.Moreover,the forbidden city,living in the center of the city,represented the purple constellation,the brightest one in the culmination.Hence the name,the purple forbidden city.

The Forbidden city covers and area of 72 hectares.it is rectangular in shape,961 meters long from north ot south and 753 metress wide from east to west.How many rooms are there in the forbidden city?good question!suppose you were born in one of the rooms and you wanted to stay in a different room every night.you would be 27 years old at the end of your experience.to be exact,it is said there are 9999.5 rooms in the whole complex.Almost Beijing Tour must visit the Forbidden City during the City tour.

The large scale construction of the palace extended from 1406 to 1420.what does that mean?it means the forbidden city was built 70 years before Columbus discovered America,140 years before the birth of William Shakespeare,the great engish playwright.it involved approximately 1000,000 workers including 100,000 artisans.the timber needed for the construction was brought mostly from southwest provinces such as Sichuan,hunan and guizhou,while most of the stones were quarried from the district of fangshan-a suburpan area of Beijing.There are some interesting stories about the transportation of the stones.i will tell you more about it later during our visit.

The imperial palace is surrounded by a 10 metre high wall,and further encircled by a 52 metre wide,3800 metre long moat.on the wall are four gates,each with a tower above them,and on the four corners of the wal stand four watch towers,each with three roofs and 72 roofridges.they are masterpieces of ancient Chinese architecture.

The construction of the grand walls showed the wisdom of the ancientartisans.As you can see,the wall is not straight upward like the ones we see today,it is ladder shaped,in fact,the bottom is 2 meters wider than the top,making it stronger,and more difficult for attempts to climb over the wall.the bricks on the wall were made from special materials in Shandong province and shipped all the way north to Beijing,via the great canal,this canal lies in the eastern part of china linking Beijing and famous southern city Hangzhou.Mkade partly of hite lime and glutinous rice,the bricks were dense,strong and smooth,In addition,a mixture of glutinous rice juice and egg whites were used as glue to cement the stone sabs and the bricks together.Look at the wall,can you imagine they are nearly 600 years old?the walls are made up of 20 million bricks,each one weighs about 24KG.it was truly a difficult job to build the wall,let alone the whole complex.

The building in the forbidden city are arranged symmetrically.along the central axis are three big halls,namely the hall of supreme harmony,the hall of complete harmony and the hall of preserying harmony.they make up the main part of the front area known as the quter court where the emperors attended state affairs.Behind the three big halls lay the living quarters of the imperial family,which consist mainly of the palace of heavenly purity,the palace of earthly tranquility,the hall of union and peace,six eastern halls and six western halls.If you only have one day,and want to visit it,you can choose the Beijing Coach Tour,Beijing coach tour only one day tour to visit the whole sightseeing tour around Beijing.

New Delhi – It's Worth the Visit

New Delhi – It's Worth the Visit

The capital city of India has myriad surprises in store to quench the tourists’ thirst for something unique and different. Right from historical monuments like Qutab Minar, Red Fort, Purana Qila, Humayun Tomb to the beautiful surroundings in and around the India Gate, administrative buildings, real estate examples, shopping centres and more, New Delhi has everything.
With the Commonwealth Games approaching round the corner, City Reviews – New Delhi are filled up with information about the developments taking place to beautify the city, the construction of sports complexes, renovation of monuments, and related paraphernalia. These city reviews on New Delhi also serve as genuine information material for tourists who are completely new to the capital. Tourists can collect the A-Z of information about New Delhi such as tourist spots, cheap and best shopping areas, good restaurants, hotel accommodations, nightlife, and more. So, if you are visiting the capital for the first time, read the city reviews and take delight in exploring and feasting your eyes.
New Delhi is the shoppers’ paradise. There are a number of areas for shopping in New Delhi. For fashionable attire and footwear, you can opt for Sarojini Nagar and Lajpat Nagar markets. Those who love art and crafts of different states can visit the emporia at Baba Khadag Singh Marg. If you love pottery, paintings, shawls, Crafts Museum on Mathura Road is your ultimate option. Besides Sunder Nagar, Chandni Chowk, Dilli Haat, Janpath, Palika Bazaar, and Khan Market, there are countless malls where you can get products of leading brands. Once you are done with the shopping, dining in the restaurants in Delhi will give you a different feel. When it comes to taste and variety, restaurants in New Delhi cater to the taste buds of all.
Another aspect that needs special mention about New Delhi is its nightlife. The rocking crowd of Delhi enjoys life to the fullest, partying throughout the night during weekends. Djinns, Buzz, Geoffrey’s, India International Centre, Windsor Place, Cavalry Bar, Civil Lines, Rick’s, Blues, Gola, Tuskers, India Habitat Centre, Golden Dragon are few of the most happening joints of Nightlife in New Delhi.

Adventure Vacations for Family

Adventure Vacations for Family

Christmas and New Year holidays inculcate a strange joy and gladness in everyone’s heart. Everyone has its own special plans to farewell the exciting year and gaily welcome the newer one. Mostly the holiday plans comprise spending good time with loved ones. As there are different types of people in the world, there are surely different kinds of families across the globe and every family has its own unique way of planning and celebrating holidays. Some of them opt for home-cooked food with cozy parties, some love to go out and sing and dance and then there is one kind which loves to go for skiing, rock-climbing, fishing, kayaking, the name itself is sufficient to arouse their goose bumps.

Adventure outings or sports are really an awesome way for families to have fun-filled time together and to strengthen the bonds of affection among themselves. If tired of same monotonous vacation ideas or you are that die-hard adventure lover who would do anything to go for snowboarding and kayaking instead of sitting idle at home during holiday time, and then here is a list of few adventure ideas for that ideal vacation with your loved ones!

Go Kayaking

Well, one adventure sport which is becoming really popular all these days is kayaking which somewhat resembles canoeing. The only difference between both of them is in their canoe’s construction along with seating arrangement of person. Kayaking is simply a treasure of breath-taking adventure and can be thoroughly enjoyed by adventure lover families. This is hugely enjoyed by swimmers however non-swimmers can have the same pleasure through it with the help of life jackets.

Suggested Destinations: Picturesque Vancouver islands are simply great for Kayaking. Johnstone Strait, Washington’s San Juan Islands, Maine or tropical coastlines of Nicoya Peninsula are few places which can prove to be really fabulous for kayaking exploration. Moreover, the high cost attached to the vacation can be compensated by booking cheap flights to any of these spots.
Go Hiking

Hiking involves climbing through the rocks and hills with a backpack. Well, how can one neglect hiking sprees while experiencing the bounties of Mother Nature? Hiking lets you feel those charismatic hills and dazzling waterfalls. Hiking can turn out to be a real fun, however be very careful while selecting your destination and also don’t forget to consider physical strength of all of your family members.
Suggested Destinations: California’s High Sierra is simply an incredible hiking destination. Also, Lake Tahoe, Mount Lassen, Patagonia in South America are some of the other hiking destinations that are simply amazing while considering hiking vacations.

Camping

Heave a tent along the banks of some quiet and serene river, indulge in swimming or fishing during day time, cook a delicious meal by the riverside, and affectionately hold your loved ones during the night while sitting and chatting at the bonfire flames. Camping is a fabulous way to have that fun enriched vacation with your family.

Suggested Destination: There are plenty of options, so select the one that suits you. North America is one such continent which presents some of the best camping vacations. Nothing can beat the Flat Tops at Colorado or Philip Edward Island. Big Sur, Aloha Lakes and Channel Islands in California can also not be neglected when planning a camping vacation.

Adding to it, one can also indulge in other adventure activities like river crossing, sailing, river rafting, skiing or snowboarding. Simply make up your mind about the most suitable activity along with the most convenient destination. You can save a lot by purchasing cheap air tickets or inexpensive airfares. So, get ready for that adventure enriched vacation this holiday season!

Isla Mujeres: Explore This Majestic Island

Isla Mujeres: Explore This Majestic Island

You would thoroughly enjoy your vacation in Isla Mujeres. There are various tourist attractions available here like sightseeing, snorkeling, scuba diving, and swimming. You could make the most of the island’s stunning white sand beaches as well as its serene atmosphere. If you are searching for a romantic site to rekindle your romance, then this island is the right choice. Mexico also boasts of first-class accommodations like the Grupo Mayan hotels and resorts. The Grupo Mayan employees were trained to serve you well. The following are several places that you should go to when you are on a holiday in this island:
1. Contoy Island. This island is actually a bird sanctuary and is a great way to take pleasure in the magnificence of nature. Contoy Island also possesses a beautiful lookout tower that offers a picturesque view. There are tours available here but then you need to book early because they only allow a restricted number of guests.
2. Dolphin Discovery. This is an astonishing yet educational experience. Dolphin Discovery makes sure that it would be safe and fun for each guest, even for those who do not know how to swim. They provide life jackets as well as a certified lifeguard to look after their visitors. You would be able to touch, kiss, and swim with dolphins here. You would also get to see manta rays, monkeys, macaws, bull sharks, and toucans in this wonderful place.
3. El Garrafon Marine Park. You would get to enjoy swimming and snorkeling here because of its gentle currents. If you are not interested with those activities, you could even go kayaking or take a swim in their infinity pool. The food here is also fantastic and you should prepare to be impressed by the view that could be seen from their chief restaurant.
4. Turtle Farm. This is also called Tortugranja by the locals and it is among the major attractions in the island. Annually, particularly between May to September, the turtles bury their eggs in the fine sand until the eggs have hatched. The turtle farm protects the turtles’ from hunters and wild predators. The small turtles are only released in the wild once they are tough enough to live by themselves. The practice of releasing the little turtles is carried out by local kids as well as by visitors of the farm.
5. Punta Sur Sculpture Park. This lovely park was launched back in 2001. There were around 23 artists who worked together in the construction of this park. Different from common art galleries, the artists’ masterpieces are placed outside, where you would be able to admire them along with the clear waters of the stunning Mexican Caribbean.
You would be immediately delighted once you step foot on Isla Mujeres. You would be able to take part in some exciting water activities, see the dreamy sunsets, as well as its fantastic beaches. For the top accommodation in Mexico, have a look into the Grupo Mayan hotels and resorts. You would love your stay at any Grupo Mayan hotel or resort for they provide premier services. Your vacation at Isla Mujeres could also prove to be your most romantic and exciting one yet.