back next 1     Shanghai, Forbidden City, Great Wall, China Photos Imagetripping sells beautiful framed distintive images of Shanghai, Forbidden City, Great Wall, China. The Bund in Shanghai. The Bund stretches over 1,100 meters along the west bank of Huangpu River, beginning at Yan'an Road in the south and ending at Waibaidu Bridge. It was initially the settlement of the British and American. However, it was towards the end of 19th and beginning of 20th century that saw the building boom and subsequently the rising of this area as the financial hub. Being representative of old Shanghai, many architecture in western styles can be found in the Bund. 52 buildings in different kinds of styles such as English classic style, English Neo-classical style, gothic architectures and so on are arranged along the road. Being the offices of many internationally known companies, these constructions used to be the offices of banks, consulates and the chamber of commerce in 1930s. Pudong in Shanghai. Pudong New Area lies on the eastern bank of Huangpu River. Skyscrapers are springing up all over the area. Major scenic spots include the Oriental Pearl Tower, Jinmao Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, Century Park, Ocean Aquarium-the biggest of its kind in Asia, the Science and Technology Museum, Century Boulevard and many historical sites like Zhang Wentian's residence. Aurora Plaza is a 185 m high skyscraper in the Pudong financial district of Shanghai, China, that was completed in 2003. It is one of the more recognisable of the smaller towers in the Pudong skyline, due to its curved sleek facade, its large "AURORA" logo and a large video screen projected onto the front of the building at night. More on old vs new Shanghai. Tomorrow Square,is the fifth tallest building in Shanghai, China. It is located in the Puxi district, close to People's Square. It is about 285 m (934 ft) tall and has 55 floors. The Shanghai Museum, established in 1952, is as well-known as the Museum of Ancient Chinese Art. It was relocated twice prior to finding a permanent home in 1996 at its present location, south of the People's Plaza. More than 120,000 precious and rare works of art in 21 categories make it the most remarkable cultural institution in the city. Designed inshape of an ancient bronze tripod cooking vessel called a ding, Shanghai Museum is said that the inspiration for the design comes specifically from Da Ke Ding on exhibit inside. Yuyuan Garden Yuyuan is a distinguished classical garden in South China, built during the Jiajing Period of the Ming Dynasty with more than 400 years of history. It is near to the City God Temple in the northeast corner of the old city area. The Lantern Festival and Shanghai International Tourism Festival are the busiest time. Floats, colorful lanterns and folk performances always attract parades of people. Images in and around Beijing. Great Wall of China at Badaling Badaling section of Ming Dynasty, located in Yanqing County, Beijing, is one part of Chinese ancient military fortification system and a very important gateway of the Ming Wall. This section is very steep and elevated. This is the main wall artery to go to Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Zhangjiakou. Imperial Summer Palace Imperial Summer Palace is located 10 km NW of Beijing. The Court Area, located to the northeast of Kunming Lake, was the place where Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) handled state affairs Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square Tiananmen, or Gate of Heavenly Peace. It is widely used as a national symbol. First built during the Ming Dynasty in 1420, Tiananmen is often referred to as the front entrance to the Forbidden City. However, the Meridian Gate is the first entrance to the Forbidden City proper, while Tiananmen was the entrance to the Imperial City, within which the Forbidden City was located. Tiananmen is located to the north of Tiananmen Square, across the street from the plaza from Chang'an Avenue. Monument to the People's Heroes is located in the plaza. Meridian Gate- Forbidden City. The gate (also called Five-Phoenix Tower) consists of a platform terrace and gate towers. There are three arched entrances in the front and another two, one on each wing of the platform. The central arch was used only by the emperor. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, grand ceremonies, like announcing the new calendar for the coming year, were held here. Bells and drums were kept on the terrace, and when emperors arrived for sacrificial ceremonies, the bell would be sounded. Now Meridian Gate is used as an important exhibition hall in the Forbidden City. Hall of Central Harmony The Hall was mainly used as a resting place for the emperor before attending important ceremonies in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Here, emperors would also prepare the elegies before sacrificial ceremonies and the traditional examining of the seeds and farming tools before going to the Altar of Agriculture. The furnishings inside are very simple. The main furnishing is a throne, around which four censers are placed. Hall of Supreme Harmony The Gate of Supreme Harmony lies on a white-marble base and covers 1,300 square meters (0.32 acres). There are two side entrances, Zhaode Gate on the east, and Zhendu Gate on the west. In front of the main Gate is a square of about 26,000 square meters, with an inner ‘Golden River’ flowing from west to east. Four bronze vats and a pair of lions stand on the two sides. In the Ming and early Qing Dynasty, this was the place where the emperor dealt with national affairs everyday morning. Some useful China travel resources are: Palace Museum-Forbidden City Site Travel China Guide Site