China is truly blessed with both cultural and natural heritages of outstanding universal venue that attract millions of visitors every year. And the list of these treasures is so large that a post or two will not cover them all. So far, we have introduced four heritages, including the Great Wall of China, and the Mogao Grottoes, Mount Taishan and Old Town Lijiang introduced in our previous post, and now, it’s high time to introduce other places of immense significance in China, hoping that readers will appreciate what this mysterious and wise country has preserved for centuries.
Suzhou Gardens
The Jiangsu Province in east China is where one of the country’s cultural and historical cities is located, the vibrant Suzhou, renowned around the world for its dozens of enchanting gardens that have a history of more than 2,500 years. ‘Haven on Earth,’ these exquisite gardens are a truly unique expression of China’s ancient architecture and arts, and a wonderful place to gain understanding of the country’s culture.
The story goes that the earliest gardens belonged to the King of Wu, who ruled in the 6th century B.C. More gardens were built in the centuries that followed and have survived to the present, keeping their elegance and beauty. Yet, among the many gardens, there are four that have been declared masterpieces: they include the picture-perfect Canglang Pavilion (Song dynasty), the Zhuozheng Garden (Ming dinasty), the fascinating Lion Forest (Yuan dynasty) and the Liu Yuan of the Qing dynasty.
Recently, a museum established inside the Zhuozheng Garden with a mission to commemorate the 2,500th anniversary year of Suzhou, consisting of four halls that feature exhibitions introducing the ancient history of the gardens, their current conditions and the technology of building gardens. With beauty beyond imagination, Suzhou Gardens never fail to amaze!
Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area
Also called ‘World Wonder’ and ‘Fairy Land on Earth,’ Huanglong was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. Ideally nestled in the north-west part of Sichaun province, this is a magical landscape of limestone formations, featuring a lake system (some 3,400) at the foot of Mt. Yucui. Limension sandbars, exquisite travertine ponds (some 2,300), undulating ravines, spectacular waterfalls and majestic beaches, pristine unspoiled forests, and stunning snow clad mountains is what makes Huanglong a scenic and attractive treasure, found nowhere else on Earth! The area is inhabited by several species of endangered animals, including the giant panda and the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys.
Huanglong is a place where you will surely keep asking: ‘Are we there yet?’ The main body of the area starts from the Huanglong Ancient Temple in the south, making its way to the Xishen Cave Waterfall in the north, totaling a length of around 2.5 kilometers. The most remarkable scene in this miracle is, however, the magnificent Huanglong Valley (Yellow Dragon Valley), where a variety of calcareous deposits reflect a golden color in the sunlight, making it look like an immense golden dragon. If you do not believe in what you read and saw, put China on your agenda to see this dreamscape destination and make memories of a lifetime!
