The Forbidden City

In the middle of Beijing, China, a palace that has been standing for about 600 years is found surrounded by a moat that is more than two miles long. This fantastic building has been home to twenty-four Chinese emperors in 491 years and has 9,999 rooms. It is known as the Forbidden City.

The construction of the palace began in 1406 when the third Ming Emperor moved China's capital to Beijing. It took nearly 14 years to complete, but when it was finished it was the pride of China. The Forbidden City covers an area of about 7,800,000 sq feet and was home to the Ming and Quing Dynasties.

The Forbidden City, named that because citizens were forbidden to enter, can be divided into two sections: the Inner Court and the Outer Court. The Inner Court included the Emperor and his family's living quarters and the Outer Court was used for ceremonial purposes. When you enter through the Meridian Gate, you come across the Inner Golden Water River. There are five bridges that go over the river and each one was meant for specific people. The two outer bridges, known as the High Ranking Officials Bridges, were for officials ranking above the third grade. The next two bridges in were for members of the imperial house and are known as the Nobles Bridges. The center bridge is for the Emperor only and is called the Imperial Bridge.

After crossing the river and the Gate of Supreme Harmony, you find yourself in perhaps the most well-known part of the Forbidden City: the Hall of Supreme Harmony Square. This building is the oldest standing wooden building in China. During the Ming Dynasty the Hall was used as a court and to discuss important affairs. During the Qing Dynasty the building was used for coronations, investitures, and imperial weddings instead of for trials and discussions. Today the Hall of Supreme Harmony Square is visited by thousands of people each year.

The Forbidden City is the oldest standing structure in China and has been home to many emperors over the years. Though it is no longer used for royalty, it is still visited by many tourists who wish to experience a little of China's unique and diverse history. I hope that you learned something new about this well-known city in a city after reading this blog. Thanks for following us on our journey across Asia!

~Emily

If you are interested in learning more about this ancient city, check out some of these links:

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing/forbidden.htm

http://www.thebeijingguide.com/forbidden_city/index.html

Chinese Superstitions By: Clare

In China, superstitions were always a part of life. Although these traditions aren't still practiced all over China many families still believe and follow the superstitions as they believe that they are a part of their ancestry and culture.

The Chinese New Year is a time of celebration of the new year but it is also a time for the Chinese to make sure that the next year brings in lots of good luck, wealth and fortune. This is the time of year that all Chinese follow ancient traditions or superstitions. To welcome the new year and send out the old year families shoot of fire crackers and by opening all of the doors and windows on midnight. The Chinese believe that what you do on the Chinese New Year will reflect your life for the rest of the year. Some examples are, are not eating meat on the new year for this means you will have a happy life, only eating non cut noodles means you will have a long life as well. Plants are a symbol of rebirth and growth so they are often kept around the house during new years. Cleaning the house is said to be very bad on new years day as it is said that it will sweep away good fortune. This is why many all cleaning is done before new years and all cleaning supplies are put away. After New Years day floors may be swept but the dust must not be taken out for five days. All dirt must never be taken out the front door.

Also on the Chinese New Year foul language must not be spoken and any words sounding like death or meaning death should not be said either. Ghost stores or memories from the past year should not be said either as a way to look towards the future. Crying on new years day can mean that you will cry for the rest of the year and loaning money or having debt on this day is believed to mean that you will be loaning money for the rest of the year.

Although this seems like a lot to go by Chinese people believe strongly in their culture, pride, and heritage and hope that it will be passed down through good will and fortune to generations to come.

Another way that Chinese people practice superstitions is through their houses. These believes are carried through out the year instead of just the time around New Years. Feng shui is the relationship between nature and ourselves to live in harmony. This is usually shown by the placement of furniture, walls and windows. Feng shui translated means wind-water. Feng shui is all about the flow and movement of good positive energy. Some examples of good feng shui are having your beds back to the door, not having the staircase face directly out the main door, and having live plants in every room. Not everyone in China believes in feng shui but many people still do.


There are many other superstitions that are still around today in China about getting married, having a baby, the times in which things are done in a day and lucky numbers and colors. Many people no not believe in every superstition around the world but some like to practice the ones that tie themselves and their family back to their ancestors and create strong bonds for the future. I believe that as China becomes more modernized that these superstitions will gradually go away but if you look hard enough you will still be able to find them.


For more information go to:
http://www.chinatownconnection.com/chinese-superstitions.htm or
http://fengshui.about.com/od/thebasics/qt/fengshui.htm

How a bed can be placed in a room according to feng shui.









A Chinese New Year celebration.

The Geisha

Hey! It's Elise agian, and I would like to tell you about the Geisha.

The Geisha's are traditional Japense performers, typically women, who entertain people. These women perform many traditional

Adventure In The Himalayas

Hey it's Elise! Hows it going? I'm here to tell you all about a place I'd love to visit in Southwestern China; the Himalayas! Here in the Himalayas, it's very cold. The Himalays countain some of the tallest mountains in the world. Including Mt. Everest. They also pass through six countries; China, Nepal, India, Afghanistan, Buhtan, and Pakistan. Also, some of the worlds major rivers begen here, such as the Indus, Ganges, Yangtze, and Brahmapurtra. It's odd to think that the Himalayas are the tallest mountains, even though they are one of the youngest mountain ranges in the world. The Himalayas also get violent storms during the winter seasons, making it harder then usual to get to the tp of Everst. The first group to get to the top of the mountain, was Andrzej Zawada, Leszek Cichy, and Krzystof Wielicki.

Yuo might be wondering; why would anyone in their right mind want to go to the Himalayas? Well, one answer might be that some people just like to hike and reach great hieghts, defeat what poeple think is possible. Another one is that some people might just be crazy. The first answer is what I think is why I am here, but you never know.

Form more information about the Himalayas, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Everest

The Potala Palace

Hey it's Emily here to tell you about a site in western China that I would LOVE to visit! The city of Lhasa is located in southwestern China near the Himalayas. The Potala Palace is one of the many old palaces and monastries in Lhasa. This palace was built by King Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century but was partially ruined by war. In 1654, the Fifth Dalai Lama rebuilt the palace so that it resembles the original design. Since then, the palace has "become the seat of the Dalai Lamas and also the political center of Tibet." Each Dalai Lama has added on to the original building a little during their lifetime and now the Potala Palace covers more than 32 acres.


There are two main buildings in the Palace, the White Palace and the Red Palace. The White Palace is located just west of the main courtyard and is the winter home of the Dalai Lamas. Since sun shines into the many rooms all year round, it is the ideal place for the Lamas to relax and meditate. The Great East Hall on the fourth floor is the largest hall in the White Palace.


The Red Palace is located in the center of the Palace and was built after the death of the Fifth Dalai Lama. Its walls were painted red to symbolize stateliness and power. This part of the Palace is known for its religious statues, stupas, and cultural artifacts.

I would love to visit the Potala Palace because it is a beautiful place filled with old artifacts and living history. I am interested in the culture of China because of its many religions and art and I think the Potala Palace sounds like the perfect place to experience the best of Western China's history.

Here's a link to the site I used for information:

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/lhasa/potala.htm

Xishuangbanna Ziran Baohuqu

Hi, it's Clare here and i just found out about an awesome place in Western China that I can't wait to visit. It's called Xishuangbanna Ziran Baohuqu, a nature resevere by Jingjong. It covers more than 770 miles of land. This area is a perfect place for many species of plants and animals. Inside the nature reserve is a full rainforest with a perfectly balanced ecosystem. Since the rainforest is protected many rare species of birds and plants thrive there. Even out of the rainforest there are many different kinds of animals, like elephants, tigers and gibbons. Xishuangbanna Ziran Baohuqu is also the largest nature reserve in China. I can't wait to visit all of the elephants! Thanks for reading!

* Clare

For more information go to:

http://www.gochinatravel.com/n1548c418.aspx

The Geography of East Asia

Hey it's Emily and Clare here! This time our team is traveling across Eastern Asia, which includes countries like China and North and South Korea. East Asia has many different landforms such as plains, mountains, and plateaus. In this entry we're going to try and describe a few of the many landforms and rivers.


The Himalayas are the highest mountains in the world and are located in the southern part of East Asia. Mt. Everest is located in this mountain range and is the highest mountain in the world at about five and a half miles high! Mt. Fuji is located in Japan and is about two and a third miles high. Other mountain ranges include the Altay Shan, Tian Shan, Altun Shan, and Kunlun Shan. Though these aren't as high, they are still a magnificent sight to see.


There are two main deserts in East Asia. They are the Taklimakan and the Gobi. The Taklimakan Desert is located in western China between the Tian Shan and the Kunlun Shan mountain ranges. The Gobi desert is located in southern Mongolia and is the northernmost desert in the world.


The Plateau of Tibet was formed at the same time that the Himalayas were formed. When the Indian subcontinent collided with Asia, the land buckled and formed the Himalayas and the Plateau of Tibet. This large area of elevated level land is located between the Himalayas and the Kunlun Shan and is often called the "roof of the world."


There are two major plains in Eastern Asia and they are both located in China. The North China Plain is located on the eastern coast of China by the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea. The Manchurian Plain is located in northeastern China near the Sea of Japan. These plains are essential for farming in China.


There are many water features in Eastern Asia. The two major rivers are the Chang and Huang, both also located in China. The Chang River is deep enough for cargo boats to navigate on and so it is often used for transporting goods. More than 100 million people live on the banks of the Huang River because it runs through the North China Plain, the most fertile area in China and the best place for farming. Both rivers are important to East Asia.


East Asia is surrounded by many seas and oceans. These are the South China Sea, East China Sea, Yellow Sea, Sea of Japan, and the Pacific Ocean. The Korean peninsula separates the Yellow Sea from the Sea of Japan. Many people live on the coasts of these seas because the climate is good and there is fertile land in some parts.


We've learned so much already about the geography of East Asia and can't wait to learn more and share it with you. Thanks for reading!


~Clare and Emily



Want to learn more about the geography of East Asia? Check out these sites!http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/webcourse/key_points/kp_intro.htm



http://www.ask.com/bar?q=geography+of+east+asia&page=1&qsrc=2106&ab=5&u=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FGeography_of_Asia



http://www.ask.com/bar?q=geography+of+east+asia&page=1&qsrc=2106&ab=6&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amicuss.net%2Fdohs%2Fgeo2_2610%2Fmod6%2Freadings%2Fm6_1a.html


Mt. Fuji in Japan







Chang River

Gobi Desert