What to Expect
The newly-built Daoying Park, just south of the pagodas, is considered one of the best places to take pictures of the stately Chongsheng Three Pagodas. Bring lunch and a blanket to have a picnic in the sight of the breathtaking beauty of the skyline. Or try to position yourself and your camera to make best use of the Juying Chi, or Reflection Pond, behind the pagodas for great, symmetrical pictures. Either way, make sure to bring your camera with you on your visit since the best part of the pagodas is the pictures they create.

Nearby on the marble street, there are plenty of workshops and craft shops selling a variety of marble and brick-painting memorabilia and keepsakes. A large number of pictures, postcards and statues of the pagodas, especially, are available here for souvenirs.

Average Costs
The admission fee for going to the Chongsheng Three Pagodas site itself costs 120 yen, but the pagodas are best enjoyed in conjunction with a tour of other historically important sites. There are walking tours of Dali that will take you past the three pagodas, as well as a number of other historical Dali attractions for as little as 160 yen a person.

Hours of Operation
The pagodas are open to the public from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and an average visit is about two hours. When visiting at night, the pagodas are lit up to create an illumination skyline.

What to Expect
The gentle climate of Sanxingdui and surrounding cities makes touring to the Sanxing Dui Museum enjoyable anytime of the year. However, the most ideal time is September through November and March through May when temperatures are moderate. With beautiful surrounding features such as grasslands, lakes, hills, and gardens, beautiful scenery will add to the great climate to enhance the experience tourists receive when visiting the Sanxing Dui Museum.

Average Costs
Admission to the museum is 80 Yuan, an equivalent to $11.72 United States dollars. This is an inexpensive cost to view ancient display and ruins of former China culture.

Hours of Operation
There is a wide array of hours offered to view the displays at Sanxing Dui Museum. The current hours are 8:30 to 17:30. It is suggested that tourists, especially first time visitors, allow three to four hours to have the proper amount of time to enjoy the displays the museum has to offer.

How to Get to the Museum
The museum is located in the northeast of Sanxingdui display site. This museum is west of major city Guanghan and north of Chengdu. Tourist travel is normally reached by bus. Almost all bus stations in China offer a route to reach the Sanxing Dui Museum.

What To Expect
When you visit Ling yin Temple you can expect to see beautiful landscape, gorgeous buildings and exquisite statues. As one of the largest temples in China there is no shortage of great historical and religious displays for you to see, least of which is the Hall of Heavenly Kings. This is the formal entrance hall of the temple. The ceiling in this hall is decorated with superb phoenixes and dragons. The main statue in The Hall of heavenly Kings is the Maitreya Buddha, more commonly known to Americans as the Laughing Buddha.

Another great part of Ling yin is the Grand Hall of the Great Sage. This hall houses the largest wooden statue of Buddha in China. Here you can also see a multitude of carved Buddhist personalities. Further up the hill from these halls are the Hall of the Medicine Buddha, the Sutra Library, and the Huayan Hall. The library houses no major statues and isn’t currently open for worship, though the others are open and definitely worth seeing.

There is also the Hall of Five Hundred Ar hats, which is a must see. This is currently the tallest solid bronze work in the whole world.

How to Get There
You can take tourism buses 1, 2, and 4 from the city to get to Ling yin Temple easily.

What It Costs
The average cost of visiting Ling yin temple is about 30 CNY. It’s hours of operation are from five in the mourning until six in the evening.

Hours of Operation
Ancient Culture Street (Gu Wenhua Jie) – China’s hours vary by each shop. Visitors should arrive from late morning to early afternoon to catch the maximum number of open shops. If planning to visit other locations, arrive as early as possible for maximum enjoyment. If visiting the nearby Confucius Temple (Wen miao), it’s hours are: Sunday-Saturday-9am-5pm.

Admission Cost
Admission to Ancient Culture Street is free; however, anything bought in the shops will cost money as well as any food offered. Admission to the Confucius Temple is RMB4 per person. The Tianhuo Temple (Tianhou gong), located on Ancient Culture Street offers free admission as well.

How to Get There
Ancient Culture Street (Gu Wenhua Jie) – China is located in the northeast corner of the city of Tianjin. The most reliable modes of transport to Ancient Culture Street are the railway system or by taking a taxi. From the railway station you can take a taxi to Ancient Culture Street, or it is also possible to walk there. It is located on Wenhua street (Wenhua jie), and a very short walk east from the Confucius Temple.

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The area is divided into six areas and you can plan around these so you can explore and enjoy this magnificent and lavish traditional Chinese garden:

Not to be Missed Sights

• Grand Rockery – made of huangshi stone that features winding caves, cliffs and gorges. This area also contains the Sansui Hall.
• Heralding Spring Hall (Dianchun) – this hall served as the base of the Society of Little Swords from September 1853 to February 1855. The hall is reflective of China’s unique architectural designs.
• Inner Garden – includes more rockeries, beautiful ponds, pavilions and towers with intricate windows.
• Jade Magnificence Hall (Yuhua) – furnished with rosewood pieces from the Ming Dynasty.
• Lotus Pool – with a zigzag bridge and mid-lake pavilion.
• Ten Thousand-Flower Tower

One of the highlights also includes the Jade Exquisite, which is considered one of the three famous jade stones in whole region of East China.

The garden also recently developed a shopping bazaar has which feature China’s best silks, jewelries and other trinkets. This is a great opportunity for bargain hunters as the products are locally made and the sellers are more than eager to sell their goods to patrons.

How to Get There
If you are taking public transportation, these bus routes can take you there: 11, 26, 64, 730, 962, 980, and 932.

Hours of Operation

The Garden is open from 8:30 to 5:00 p.m.

Admission fee is 40 CYN from April 1 to June 30 and September 1 to November 30. For the rest of the month, it is 30 CYN.

• There are many access routes throughout Beijing.
• From the north-western 3rd Ring Road, travel north past Suzhou Bridge.
• From the north western 4th Ring Road, head north past Sihai Bridge.
• Also, if you are traveling on the 5th Ring Road, go through Zhongguancun/Beiqing Road exit.
• If needed, public transportation will be available.

What can you expect? Well, there are many beautiful landscapes and ancient pieces of art displayed for observation. The Summer Palace is readily distinguished as one of the most classical and beautiful gardens in the world. Three quarters of the area surrounding the Summer Palace is water.

The palace is separated into four areas. Each area varies in its design and uniqueness. There are many winding paths and scenic spots that are perfect for picnics. The main palace buildings can be seen through the east palace gate. The lake opens up on the eastern bank of the Summer Palace, giving an amazing view across the waters. Off to the west, there are six pristine bridges that can be completely viewed in all their beauty.

Palace Costs
From November 1st to March 31st the entry cost is CNY 25.
From April 1st to October 31st the entry cost is CNY 35.

The Hours of Operation
From November 1st to March 31st the palace hours are 07:00 to 17:00.
From April 1st to October 31st the palace hours are 06:30 to 18:00.

• The Mutianyu Great Wall is famous for the breath-taking beautiful scenery
• It is surrounded by ancient pine trees, some over 300 years old
• You can find natural spring water at the foot of the wall
• One section of the wall rises with a gradient of nearly 90 degrees on bare rock

What to Expect
This section of the wall is steeper and more challenging to ascend than most tourist sections of the wall. It can be scaled either by a cable car ride or by climbing the more than 1,400 steps to the top. To make your way back down, check out the wheeled toboggan ride down from the wall on a winding metal track.

Recommended time for a visit is two and a half hours

How to Get There
1. Take the No. 6 Tourist Bus at the Xuanwumen Gate or the Dong Si Shi Tiao stop on public holidays.

2. Take No.916 or No.936 bus at Dongzhimen Gate, get off at Huairou Longshan Hotel (Huairou International Conference Center) and take a mini-bus to the wall.

3. During National Holidays, you can take a train at Xizhimen Gate Train Station and get off at Beizhai Train Station, and take a Tourist Mini-Bus to the wall.

Average Costs
Admission Fee: CNY 40
Cable Fee (Optional) Single Trip: CNY 35
Round Trip: CNY 50
Slideway Fee (Optional) CNY 55

Hours of Operation
07:30 to 17:20

After your visit to Mutianyu Great Wall, visit its namesake village for a breathtaking view of rural China.

What to Expect
The temple area is located in an oasis of nature in bustling Beijing, a beautiful park filled with six hundred year old cypress trees, as well as juniper and scholar trees. This urban forest is nearly as impressive as the temple itself. Once you enter the temple grounds, expect to pay an entrance fee of between 30 and 35 Yuan depending upon the season. Inside the temple gates there is much to see.
Most visitors go immediately to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. The hall is built on a foundation of marble, and its entire 38-meter, three level height was constructed without a single nail.

Another important site at the Temple of Heaven is the Circular Altar, where the emperor would go each year on the winter solstice to offer sacrifices to heaven and pray for a bountiful harvest in the year to come. This ritual was practiced by emperors for over 600 years, up through the beginning of the 20th century.

Hours of Operation
An average visitor to the Temple of Heaven could expect to spend between one and a half and two hours touring the area. It can get very crowded during the popular tourist months, so it is a good idea to go early in the day to avoid the tourist crowds and heat. The park opens at 6:00 A.M. and closes at 8:00 P.M. Early visitors might be lucky enough to see residents doing their morning Tai Chi in the park that surrounds the temple.

Only the “Pu Yi Tan” Taoists and their close relatives were allowed in the temple. This changed in 1934, the government granted access to the public on the Chinese New Year.

Temple Hours
The temple is open from: 07:00 – 17:30 daily
The office is open from: 08:00 – 17:30 daily
The Good Wish Garden is open from: 09:00 – 16:30 daily

Cost
There is no cost to worship and visit the Wong Tai Sin Temple. However, a donation is recommended. The donation will go to the Sik Sik Yuen which is a religious charitable organization. Sik Sik Yuen manages the temple and offers services to the community.

What to Check Out

• Archives Hall (General Office) was created to keep the teachings of Wong Tai Sin. It is the general office where people can donate and inquire about the temple.
• The Main Altar: the altar contains the God Wong Tai Sin, beautiful paintings and writings of the teachings of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. Wong Tai Sin’s story is engraved inside the altar.
• Three Saints Hall is located next to the Main Altar. The three saints are:
  the famous goddess of the Chinese society, Kwun Yam, the General Kwan and the Taoist monk, Fairy Lui.
• The Earth Wall stands for the element earth and was built in 1938. Visitors are awed by the double turquoise roof. The Ji Fun inscriptions are painted red on the wall.
• Po Chai Hall (also called Medical Block): Those interested in free medical consultations and herbal medicines must go to the Po Chai Hall.
• Memorial Hall is where the spirit tablets of the “Pu Yi Tan” Taoist members are kept.
• Bronze Pavilion is the private study of Wong Tai Sin.
• Confucian Hall is dedicated to Confucius, Master K’ung, and seventy two of his disciples.
• Nine Dragon Wall is a replica for the popular Nine Dragon Wall at the Peihai Park in Beijing.
• Yuk Yik Fountain has 7 beautiful lotuses.
• Good Wish Garden has pavilions of a variety of shapes two ponds and an artificial waterfall. It is a replica of the Summer Palace in Beijing.
• Yue Heung Shrine is a hexagonal building for the Buddha of Lighting Lamp.

What does the terracotta army comprise?

The army is formed by figures which vary in height and are all life-like and life-sized. The tallest of them are the Generals. The army includes warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians. Currently it’s estimated that the army comprises over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses most of all still buried in the pits.

History

The emperor buried his army with him with the only purpose to serve him in the after life to rule another empire. It’s estimated that Shi Huang Di’s army was buried in 209-210 BC.

The emperor’s necropolis was built to serve as an imperial palace, complete with office, halls, walls and entrances. It is believed that the craftsmen working on the complex were all buried alive when they completed the necropolis in order to not divulge any secrets.

Studies have shows that most likely 8 head moulds were used and then clay was used to give them the individual features. After the figures were done, they were places in the pits in practice military formation according to rank and duty.

There is evidence of a big fire that burned the wooden structure of the tomb. According to the historical records, General Xiang Yu raided the tomb not long after the emperor’s death. Legend say the fire lasted for three months. Because of the incident only one statue remained intact. But despite the fire, much of the army survived in various stages of preservation.

Museum of Qin Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses

The army in the three pits which form the museum is located outside the Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum. The museum covers 16,300 sq m / 4 acres. The largest pit is Pit 1 and it was opened for the public in 1979. The first pit contains soldiers and chariots. Pit 2 comprises over a thousand warriors and 90 chariots. The last one comprises only 68 warriors, a war chariot and four horses. Most of the clay figurines discovered in the pits have been restored to their former grandeur.

Opening Hours

The museum is opened daily from 8 AM to 6 PM

Admission Fees

High Season (Mar 1 to Nov 30): 90 Yuan
Low Season (Dec 1 to Feb 28/29): 65 Yuan