About China and Travel Tips

Archive for June, 2010

This article is about the Shanghai travel and you can find some useful information in it if you are planning your Shanghai travel now.

The Old City God’s Temple :

Old City God’s Temple (Laochenghuangmiao) 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 (between Lianyun Road and West Jinling Road).
That area is now a highrise residence building. The “former” temple is known as the Old City God’s Temple. The Old City God’s Temple and the enclose Yuyuan are not only famous tourist sites but also popular shopping attractions. There are boutiques, shops selling local specialties, as well as large jewelry stores, department stores and fabulous local snack restaurants to be found here. (info for your China travel and vacations)

Yuyuan Garden:

Yuyuan Garden is northeast of the Old Town. A high official had it designed in the Suzhou style as a private garden and built from 1559– 1577. Later, it was restored several times. In spite of its relatively small area of two hectares it seems considerably larger due to the skillful arrangement of 30 different landscape scenes.

The garden consists of an inner and an outer section. The inner garden, neiyuan, is in the southern part and substantially smaller than the outer one, but then, it is more impressive and romantic, if it is possible to visit it in the early moring hours in order to enjoy it alone. An excellent calligrapher displays his work in one of the halls.

the outer part is in the north and contains numberous halls, pavilions and lakes. In 1853, the Pavilion of Spring in the northeast was the seat of the Xiaodao Hui, the Society of Little Swords, tho led an uprishing against Qing rule and occupied Shanghai for 17 months. Today, weapons and coins made by the Xiaodao Hui society, among other objects, are exhibited in this hall. (info for your China vacations and tours)

A man-made, 11-m-high hill bounds the garden in the northwest. Huxin Ting teahouse is a favorite with the citizens of Shanghai. It is in the southwest, outside of the garden grounds, a two-story building resting on posts in the middle of a pond and connected to the shore by a ‘Zigzag Bridge’

The bond:

Its famous riverside avenue (formerly called the Bund), with its park-like green areas and tall buildings, is Shanghai’s landmark. Here, the visitor stands in front of magnificent buildings in the art nouveau style that once housed the clubs, banks, companies and hotels of the foreign rulers. Today, the Sailors’ Club and the managements of several state institutions have been installed there. The eastern side of Zhongshanlu installed there. The eastern side of Zgongshanlu borders directly onthe Huanpu Jiang river. A broad view of the river can be had from there. (info for your China vacations and trips)

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The malfunctioning of your old baggage will be sure to happen sooner or later. It \’s just a matter of time. Pray that it does not happen while you are charging around in a crowded street or on a flight of stairs or while you\’re on track to catch a plane.

If your prayer has not been answered and an unfortunate incident does happen, take a deep breath and calm your nerves down. Have a calm mind and concentration to effectively deal with the malfunction of your baggage.

First, you must understand that your luggage needs to be retired off after many years of service. If you\’ve seen the phenomenon of spreading worn edges and were listening to the sounds of wailing metal for some time, it\’s time to put the poor luggage down.

These are the signs of baggage ready to die and needs to be put to rest soon. Do not wait for your luggage to play up while you are using it. If so, you may end up buying a brand new luggage at the airport for an exorbitant price or have to wrap your luggage in a plastic bag as a desperate measure.

Luggage malfunction occurs in many different ways and each case requires a unique solution. Here are some of the problems that may cause damage to baggage and a list of creative ways you can use in dealing with them.

Zippers that are open. This is a common problem, if you tend to over pack. Many travelers to save on the number of bags they need, tend to pack too much into a bag and the zip will weaken. By over packing the capacity of the bag, you will cause zipper over-stretching, and it will eventually break.

So if you do it often enough and you will get a broken zipper. If this happens and you do not have the luxury of time or money to buy a new bag, use packing tape to close bag. Wrap your luggage, horizontally and vertically. If you make a pretty solid job, It\’ll buy you enough time to get home without losing your bag or its contents.

Stuck handle. This applies to both new and old baggage. For some reason, mechanical, the retractable handle either fails to retract, or remains in an out position. If the handle can not be removed, you can use the handle that\’s fixed (not retractable) of the luggage and carry it with you. But if your luggage has got tires, you can then use an umbrella to take the place of the retractable handle socket and attach the J-shaped umbrella grip to the bags set handle.

Now, if the retractable handle is locked in a drawn out position, you should check your luggage in, because that protruding handle of your luggage may be too long to fit in the overhead compartment of the aircraft.

A tire missing. If your baggage lost a tire and there is no way to replace it, remove the tires. It is in order to restore the balance to rather lopsided luggage. Baggage will easily fall over and the final result will you bending over many times to pull it back upright. So you better keep it well balanced to prevent back pain later.

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Ethnic Recipes are cultural or regional ways of cooking authentic cuisine. Cooking Chinese foods are considered healthy and a balanced way of having ancient Chinese culture.

Ethnic recipes originated from different cultural diversities of each country. It is a way of learning traditional meals in terms of food preparation, dietary habits, food symbolism and rituals.

Most Chinese dishes combine a mixture of ingredients and a balance of elements in its flavors, colors, aroma, textures and food preparations. It is a noted and regarded great combination of dishes.

The usual meal that comprises Chinese ethnic dishes would include a cup of steamed rice, mixed vegetables, fried, steamed dish or soup. It even has four major Chinese cooking styles like Beijing Cuisine, Cantonese, Szechwan and Hunan also incorporate mixing of dishes.

A good Chinese cooking practice can be distinguished by their seasoning blends, temperature control and meticulous cutting of ingredients. For best results, parboiling and partial frying are the techniques used by Chinese for centuries already.

In a family meal, eating rice two to three times a day is basic. Two cups of long grain white rice is cooked with 3 cups water for just 20 minutes, done usually in four servings.

For rice porridge or congee, combining 8 cups of water and 1 cup of short grain rice will make out a commonly eaten breakfast. You can bring it to a boil, cover it in low fire and allow it to simmer for 1 ½ hours. Stirring is important every now and then in order to keep it from sticking in the pan. Veggies, dried fruits, meat, scallions, gingers and nuts can be added on top in order to spice up the recipe.

A combination of tea in every meal is a must. It is the most-loved beverage of Chinese individuals. Social gatherings would not be complete without a cup of hot tea. Oolong, black and green tea are the 3 popular varieties in China. Oolong is brown pale tea as compared to fresh peaches. Black tea has a more strong taste. Green tea has a light and fresh flavor. It comes in loose form and it is often drank without sugar or milk. Drinking tea lowers the risk of cholesterol, prevents cancer and heart diseases.

Some Chinese ethnic recipes are as follows:

Soups and Appetizers

A clear soup serves as a drink during meals; it is a way to warm up people during the winter time. Their soup is usually served in large bowls, for dinner or banquet. On the other hand, dimsum as an appetizer is served during the mid-mornings or afternoon and can be as a late night snack. Dimsum samples include wonton, egg rolls, dumplings, shrimp balls and pastries. To enjoy delicious soups and dims sum samples, you can try these recipes:

Wonton Recipe – Ingredients:

o Minced pound pork ½ lb.
o Minced fresh mushrooms ¼ lb.
o ¼ tsp. salt
o 1 tbsp. minced scallion
o 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
o 1 pc. egg yolk
o Peanut oil
o Wanton squares

Method:

o Using a bowl, mix pork, mushrooms, salt, scallions, pepper and egg yolk.
o Put a 1/2 tsp mixture at the center of won ton square and fold a corner to make triangles.
o Pull the corner bottom and overlap the tips pinching together.
o Fry in hot oil and drain.
o Serve with ketchup or mustard with a horseradish. It can make 120 pieces.

Main Dish

A main dish usually consists of meats or fish and vegetables. Fresh vegetables are important. It should be cooked quickly in order to retain its color and crispness. The dish below is good for 4 persons.

Almond Chicken Recipe
Ingredients:

o 1 ½ lbs. chicken breasts
o 1 tsp. honey
o 1 tbsp. cornstarch
o 12 ounces pea pods
o 3 tbsp. soy sauce
o ¼ cup vegetable oil
o 3 to 4 tbsp. Water
o 1 tsp. ginger
o 1 cup natural whole almonds
o 1/3 cup sherry

Method:

o Cut chicken breasts in ½ inch cube.
o Mix ginger, cornstarch, and honey. Blend soy sauce and sherry in water.
o Heat oil in a wok on medium heat.
o Add almonds and chicken. Cook for 3 minutes.
o Pour sherry mixture until sauce thickens and add pea pods. Stir fry and glazed.

This article is about the Beijing travel and Lama temple. You can find some useful information in it if you are planning your Beijing travel now.

Lama Temple (Yonghegong) :
This Lama Temple was built as a mansion for Emperor Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty when he was a prince. In 1744, the temple was converted into a lamasery and the home of larger numbers of monks from Mongolia and Tibet. The lamasery has five halls. The prayer halls contain many superb statues including the 23-meter-high Maitreya, caved from a white sandalwood tree brought from Tibet, as well as Tibetan sculptures and a great copper cauldron.

The Yonghe Temple, also known as the “Palace of Peace and Harmony Lama Temple”, the “Yonghe Lamasery”, or – popularly – the “Lama Temple” is a temple and monastery of the Geluk School of Tibetan Buddhism located in the northeastern part of Beijing, China. It is one of the largest and most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world. The building and the artworks of the temple combine Han Chinese and Tibetan styles. ( info for your China vacations and China travel)

The Lama temple is a famous lamasery located in the northeastern part of the old city of beijing. it was a palatial residence built in 1694 by qing emperor kangxi for his fourth son, prince yongzheng who later succeeded to the throne. this magnificent temple consists of five main buildings lying on the?north-south axis, with annex halls standing on both sides. the temple is listed by the chinese government as one of the important historical monuments under special preservation. after the death of his father, emperor yongzheng moved to the forbidden city. the compound was closed to ordinary people and was renamed yonghegong (the palace of harmony). green roof tiles were replaced by yellow ones to suit a monarch’s home. in 1744 his successor emperor qianlong converted the palace into a lamasery.( info for your China vacations and tours)

The Lama Temple includes five buildings and three courtyards. The buildings here imitated the style of Han, Manchu, Inner Mongolia, and Tibet. The whole building complex can be divided into three parts- east part, middle part and west part. The middle part is on the axle line. From south to north lie the Arch Courtyard (Pailou Yuan), the Gate of Zhaotai (Zhaotai Men), the Hall of Heavenly Kings (Tianwang Dian), the Hall of Harmony and Peace (Yonghegong Dian), the Hall of Blessing (Yongyou Dian) , the Hall of Dharma Wheel (Falun Dian), the Ten-Thousand-Happiness Pavilion (Wanfu Ge), and so on.There are “three bests” in Lama Temple. The first to be mentioned is the statue of Maitreya in the Ten- Thousand-Happiness Pavilion (Wanfu Ge). The statue of Maitreya was carved out of a single trunk of white sandalwood. It is 26m high, 8m in diameter, 18m above the ground and 8m underground. According to historical record, it was a gift for Emperor Qianlong from the 17th Dalai Lama. The second “best” is the big sculpture of “Five Hundred Arhats Mountain” in the Hall of Dharma Wheel (Falun Dian). The sculptured mountain is carved out of black sandalwood with 500 arhats, and cast in gold, silver, copper, iron and tin. All 500 uniquely styled arhats are vividly carved and exquisitely engraved. The sculpture is of very high value due to the excellent craftsmanship. The last one is the Golden Niche which was made of nanmu. All of those make the Lama Temple mystical and attract more people. ( info for your China vacations and trips)

To get here, you can take the Line 13, 62, 116 or 807 city buses. The subway is also a good option. It can take you to the station named “Lama Temple Station” and this station is very close to the Lama Temple. The price for the entrance ticket is 25 rmb for one person and you can get a 50% off if you can show them your student ID. Office hours: 9:00 – 17:00. Some tips here: You can bargain when shopping in the Lama Temple. The incense here is very good and you can buy some if you want.

Copyright belongs to Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM .  You can find more information about china travel, lhasa travel guide and travel tips from our web site.
NOTE: Permission is granted by the copyright owner to disseminate this article in whole or in part provided credit is given to the author (with a link to the article’s source URL Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM ) and this NOTE is not removed.

Why pay hundreds of dollars for a plane ticket if you do not have to? There are many credit cards that offer tons of frequent flyer miles just for signing up (and sometimes meeting a spending threshold). Even after the annual fees that are common in these days, travelers still come out far ahead with these credit cards.

Airline-specific cards

1. American Express Gold Delta Skymiles

This card awards 20,000 bonus miles after your first purchase. You can add up to two additional card holders for an extra bonus of 2500 miles per approved cardholder. The $95 annual fee waived the first year. If you keep your card, you will receive a $99 ticket each year at renewal. The card also provides a Skymile per dollar spent.

* Annual fee: $0 the first year, $95 after

* Mileage Bonus: 20000 to 25000

* Additional benefits: No seat restrictions or blackout dates on Delta or Northwest when using the \”Pay with Miles\” feature, a mil per dollar spent

2. U.S. Airways Premier World MasterCard

This card gives 12,500 miles after your first purchase and 12,500 more miles after spending $750 in the first 90 days as a cardholder, for a total of 25,000 miles. It is enough for one price ticket. The card has several benefits including a free day passes to U.S. Airways the club (exclusive, fancy waiting area), early boarding and two discounted companion ticket per year. The annual fee is $89 and U.S. Airways\’ award travel booking fee is $25, which means that you can get a plane ticket that you might have spent $400 on for only $114.

* Annual fee: $89

* Mileage Bonus: 25 000

* Miles needed for a free domestic ticket: 20 000

* Fees associated with the free tickets: $25 booking fee

* Additional benefits: A free day pass to the U.S. Airways club, early boarding and two discounted companion tickets per year, and a mil per dollar spent

3. United Mileage Plus Visa

This card rewards you with 30,000 miles after you spend $50, which is more than enough for a round trip economy tickets in North America. The card has a $ 60 annual fee. Additional benefits include regular one mil per dollar spent, a seat upgrade certificate and a $25 certificate to a United ticket.

* Annual fee: $60

* Mileage Bonus: 30 000

* Miles needed for a free domestic ticket: 25 000

* Fees associated with the free tickets: $25 handling fee

* Additional Features: One mile per dollar spent, over and upgrade certificates

These are not the only cards worth checking out. Alaska / The Horizon \’s Visa Signature card can get you a free flight in exchange for a $ 75 annual fee. American Express Jet Blue\’s card you get 10 000 True Blue points, with a $40 annual fee. The credit card associated with Continental and American each have a $ 85 annual fee and the price enough miles for free tickets. And Spirit Airlines flies only a few routes in the U.S., but Free Spirit Onyx World Mastercard announces an astounding three free flights if you take flights with fewer than 1250 miles during off-peak times.

Any short-Airline

1. Chase Sapphire Premier

Popular Personal Finance Blog My Money Blog recommends Chase Sapphire Premier credit cards as an easy way to earn frequent flyer miles. If you usually add about $1,000 a month on a credit card, you should have no trouble meeting the demand for this card to spend $3000 in three months to earn 25,000 bonus points, which can be redeemed for a ticket worth as much as $312.50. If you want a more expensive ticket, you only need to pay the difference. The card also offers points equivalent to 1% back on all purchases in addition to several other high-end perks.

* Annual fee: $0 the first year, $85 after

* Mileage bonus: varies

* Miles needed for a free domestic ticket: varies

* Fees associated with the free tickets: no booking fee if done online, $ 20 per phone

* Additional benefits: points worth 1% back on daily expenses

* Total cost for a ticket: as little as $ 0

2. American Express Starwood Preferred Guest

This credit card offers 10 000 Star Points after your first purchase, which can be redeemed for a ticket worth up to $150 The card has no annual fee the first year and a $45 per year fee thereafter. If you prefer, you can redeem your points for a stay.

* Annual fee: $0 the first year, $5 then

* Mileage bonus: varies

* Miles needed for a free domestic ticket: varies

* Fees associated with the free tickets: no booking fee

* Total cost for a ticket: as little as $0

The Bottom Line

No matter which card you choose, be sure to allow 8-12 weeks for mileage to add your frequent flyer account. Sometimes the wait will be shorter, but you have to do some advance planning if you want to use miles for a particular trip. Read the fine print carefully to ensure that you understand the card\’s fees and conditions for earning miles and check the target airline reward ticket policy. Do not be surprised if you still have to pay some small tax and fees, such as $2.50 per flight segment September 11 security fee. And of course, always remember to pay the card balance in full and on time. (For more, check out Credit Card Perks you never knew you had.)

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