Tours in China 中國30天走透透 2010

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Traveling 30 days in China, except the Jiangnan (means South of Yangtze River) tour, our tours were DIY (do it yourself).

1. Jiangnan tour $99 江南七日遊, $2000 購物
---Spring time, the best time to see Jiangnan...
2. Ancient central China tour 河南中原七日遊
---鄭州, 黃河, 祭祀黃帝, 殷墟遗址, 洛陽牡丹, 周天子駕六, 古墓, 白馬寺, 龍門石窟,
---漢光武帝墓, 北宋皇陵, 少林寺, 潞簡王陵, 岳飛廟, 包公祠, 開封府, 大相國寺, 清明上河園...
---No other tourists at Song Emperor tombs except us, but...
3. Fujian tour 廈門，鼓浪嶼, 胡里山炮台, 福建土樓, 泉州, 開元寺, 清源山老君岩
---The best way to see Tulou is to hire a Tulou resident as tour guide...
4. Guangdong tour 廣東中山, 高州, 信宜, 天馬山
---山青水秀 ecological living unbelievable...

Our China Tour is from April 4 to May 5. Below, we will post some attractions(some are usually not visited by big tour groups): 黃河黃帝故里, 殷墟遺址, 漢光武帝墓, 洛陽, 宋仁宗宋真宗陵墓, 福建土樓, 廈門鼓浪嶼, 蘇州無錫杭州, 信宜大圍村. Others not posted, one can see the pictures below:
Click to see Zhengzhou Museum 鄭州博物館 pictures
Click to see Shaolin Temple 少林寺 登封 鞏義 鄭州 pictures
Click to see 清明上河園 Song Time Theme Park pictures
Click to see 潞簡王陵,岳飛廟,袁世凱墓 pictures
Click to see 包公祠,開封府,大相國寺,鐵塔 pictures
Click to see Henan Food 河南食物 中州飯店 pictures
Click too see my tour videos

Yellow River 黃河 黃帝故里

Yellow River is called "the cradle of Chinese civilization", as its basin is the birthplace of the Chinese civilizations and Yellow Emperor.黃河中游因河段流經黃土高原，支流帶入大量泥沙，使黃河成為世界上含沙量最高的河流。黃河被稱爲中華文明的母親河。公元前2000多年華夏族在黃河領域的中原地區形成、繁衍。
(2017-4-10) 新的考古證據顯示中華文明起源 「不在黃河在長江」, 炎黃二帝只是傳說中的人物, See my History & Genetics Blogs.
The entrance of Yellow River and huge statues of Yellow and Yan Emperors, Zhenzhou:
鄭州黃河風景區入口，炎黃二帝巨塑:


A day after ceremony of Yellow Emperor at city of Xinzheng 新鄭市祭黃帝(三月初三):

-黃河,祭黃帝 Yellow River Yellow Emperor Album

Ancient Capital Ruin Yinxu 殷墟遺址

At the beginning of the 14th century B.C.E. Shang Dynasty established its capital on the banks of the Huan River 洹河, known as Yin, which served 255 years for 12 kings in 8 generations. It is one of the oldest and largest archeological sites of Chinese historical capitals that provided hard evidences compared to historic writings. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the city of Anyang of Henan province and is famous as the original source of oracle bones and oracle bone script, the earliest recorded form of Chinese writing. 殷墟是中國商代晚期的都城遺址，年代約為公元前14世紀末至前11世紀中葉，位於河南安陽市西北殷都區的小屯村，橫跨洹河兩岸。20世紀初，因盜掘甲骨而發現，1928年正式開始考古發掘。殷墟是中國歷史上第一個文獻可考、並為考古學和甲骨文所證實的都城遺址。

婦好墓:

甲骨文: Oldest library and librarian. Compare oracle bone scripts and modern Chinese:
-殷墟 Yinxu Album

Han Guangwu Empeor 漢光武帝

Emperor Guangwu, Liu Xiu, was the restorer or founder of the Later Han or Eastern Han Dynasty. In AD 25, he established his capital in Luoyang. Also fairly unique among emperors in Chinese history was his combination of decisiveness and mercy.
漢光武帝劉秀, 東漢的開國皇帝, 定都洛陽。關於劉秀的墓地選址有一個傳說, 一般人們都會把墓地選在依山傍水之處的高處，可以極目遠眺，可是劉秀的墓地偏偏選在黃河水中央，不但是極低之地，還是水流湍急的黃河故道中間。後來由於黃河改道北移，劉秀的墳就留在邙山與黃河之間了。距今已有近2000年的歷史, 位於河南省孟津縣白河鄉鐵榭村, 墓上千株已有 1000 多年樹齡的松柏環繞著高大的墳塋，是唯一座保存最完整的、從未被盜過的王陵。墓外邊的一家特色的羊肉湯館，喝羊肉湯吃燒餅、烙饃也是不錯的。
-漢光武帝 Album

“生在蘇杭，葬在北邙”，這句流傳在民間的俗語，被眾多的古墓所證實。 據考證，洛陽的古墓群葬有五萬多座，其中王陵就有的數十處，再加上知名人士、達官貴人的陵園，走在洛陽城外古墓處處可見，高大的墳塋坐落在每一條道路邊，真的可以說是入眼即是古墓。 因此，洛陽的盜墓業也十分興旺。

為什麼把劉秀埋到黃河底呢? 據說是因為劉秀的兒子脾氣很倔，喜歡和父親唱對台戲，劉秀讓他往東他往西，讓他攆狗他追雞。劉秀死的時候對他說：”你把我埋到黃河底吧。“劉秀的本意是兒子總和他對著幹，這樣一來，正好實現了自己葬在北邙的願望。可是這一次劉秀想錯了。他兒子想：自己和父親對抗了一輩子，沒有聽過一次話，就听一回吧。果然在滾滾黃河之中，為他已故的父皇修建了一座水中冥城。

還好由於黃河改道北移，劉秀的墳就留在邙山與黃河之間了。 請看邙山,黃河古道:
Yellow River was here before it changed course and moved north. Emperor Guangwu's tomb was built on the bottom of the river. Now it is located between Mang Mountain and Yellow River.

Ancient Capitol Luoyang 洛陽

The origin of the name "Luoyang" is the city's location to the north side ("yang") of the Luo River, and at the intersection of the Luo and Yi rivers. The greater Luoyang area has been sacred ground since the late Neolithic and it was considered to be the geographical center of China. Xia Dynasty (夏 2070 BCE), Shang Dynasty (商 1600 BCE), Western Zhou (Chengzhou 成周-陪都 1046 BCE ), Eastern Zhou (東周 771 BCE), and Eastern Han (東漢 25 AD) built their capitals here. 洛陽地處洛水之北，水之北乃謂「陽」，因境內有伊、洛兩水，也稱「伊洛」。洛陽建成歷史有4000多年，自夏商周漢以來曾有13個朝代在此定都, 古代伏羲、女媧、黃帝、堯、舜、禹等神話傳說多傳於此。
Zhou Emperor riding 6 horses 周王城天子駕六:
-天子駕六、古墓、關林 Album
White Horse Temple 洛陽白馬寺, 白馬寺紫荆花:
-白馬寺 Album
Longmen Grotto 龍門石窟 a UNESCO World Heritage Site:

-龍門石窟 Album
Louyang peonies 洛陽牡丹花, 4月中洛陽竟然下雪: Luoyang Snowing Leaving 洛陽下雪 Album

洛陽看花雪紛紛，路上行人欲斷魂, 借問牡丹何處有，洛神遙指溫室中。
-洛陽牡丹 Album

Song Emperors 宋仁宗,宋真宗陵墓

There were no other tourists visiting these 2 tombs except us. However, many local people using the first tomb site to fly kites because it is located in downtown of the city of 鞏義 and free admission. The 2nd tomb (the father emperor) is located outside the city and not quite renovated yet, though one needs to pay to get in, including a parking ticket charged by a local farmer that our driver was not too happy about it. Since no one else around, we tried to climb up to the top of the tomb, however, there were many thorned plants preventing us getting there.
除了我們沒有其他遊客來這兩個墳墓。然而，許多當地人使用第一個墓（宋仁宗）來放風箏，因為它位於鞏義市中心和免費入場。第二個墓（父親宋真宗）是位於城外, 還沒有修好，但需要付費才能進入，當地農民收停車費，我們的司機是不太高興。由於周圍沒有其他人，我們試圖爬上墳墓的頂端，然而，有許多帶刺的植物阻止我們到達那裡。
仁宗是真宗的第六子, 即位時由劉太后垂簾聽政, 他的生母是李宸妃，民間流傳有「狸貓換太子」的故事就是指他。真宗賄賂宰相, 偽造“天書”以封禪泰山, 轟轟烈烈造假活動得以完美收場，舉國上下對他再沒說二話。 他是著名諺語「書中自有黃金屋，書中自有顏如玉」的作者。
Watch below video to see the difference between the 2 tomb sites:

-宋仁宗,宋真宗 Song Emperor Tombs Album

Fujian Tulou 福建土樓

Fujian Tulou is the most extraordinary type of Chinese rural dwellings of the Hakka and others in the mountainous areas in southwestern Fujian, China. They were mostly built between the 12th and the 20th centuries and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 福建土樓總數約三千餘座，形如天外飛碟，散布在青山綠水之間, 主要分布地區以中國福建西南山區。福建土樓是世界獨一無二的大型民居形式，被稱為中國傳統民居的瑰寶。
Our tour guide is the resident of 南靖縣的「四菜一湯」田螺坑土樓. There was no waiting in line or walking for us. We parked our car inside Tulou in front of her house. Then we went to see「東倒西歪」的裕昌樓 and 塔下村. Paying her a little bit more, she drove us to the next county 永定縣「土樓之王」的承啟樓 which was not on original schedule.


-福建土樓 Fujian Tulou Album
請看 Xiamen Gulangyu 廈門鼓浪嶼 Album