Your English really is noticeably improving, Billy. Great pictures, as always!

The temple is simple because it was built to honor the woman's chastity and filial piety.

Bao Clan Temple

Carved brick front wall

The Hall of DunBen

The hall

Nice Billy, thanks. :)
The Chinese have always been noted for elegantly simple solutions, which makes me wonder if this is their solution for handicapped (wheelchair) access.
Here, we'd have to have a $million federal project to achieve the same end.

The temple gate

Any average part has its unique characteristics.

Beautiful rafters and beams. Unfortunately, no the wonderful tradditional Chinese architectures are buliding in China now.

The inscription was written by Zhu Xi, a famous philosopher in Song Dynasty. The words are Zhong (loyalty), Xiao (filial piety), Lian (probity) and Jie (chastity. Jie has many meanings, I don't know what it is better here). The words educate the clan families to abide by the ethics.

Billy. Thank you thank you thank you for letting me travel with you on your journeys. I am awed at the wonderful pictures and the evocative descriptions you share with all of us. Please, continue.

To my fellow vicarious adventurers: am I the only one that wishes Billy had this? I would be willing to kick in some $$ for the effort. Of course, Billy, your vote counts too. Plus, you'll need the minimum hardware as well. I don't know what all is involved, but I see your pictures and wonder what it would be like to see more. This does some of that.

I am always astounded at what can be expressed in so few, yet elegant, written characters.

What do these philosophical characters say to us, Billy?

What do the Zhu Xi inscriptions say, Billy?

Thank you Billy. I especially love the curves and timbers.

The elephants in the rafters are a nice touch.

Billy, your photos are really wonderful. Thank you.

The Great Wall
 

The Great Wall of China was built over 2,000 years ago, by Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China during the Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty (221 B.C - 206 B.C.). In Chinese the wall is called "Wan-Li Qang-Qeng" which means 10,000-Li Long Wall (10,000 Li = about 5,000 km).

After subjugating and uniting China from seven Warring States, the emperor connected and extended four old fortification walls along the north of China that originated about 700 B.C. (over 2500 years ago). Armies were stationed along the wall as a first line of defense against the invading nomadic Hsiung Nu tribes north of China (the Huns). Signal fires from the Wall provided early warning of an attack.

The Great Wall is one of the largest building construction projects ever completed. It stretches across the mountains of northern China, winding north and northwest of Beijing. It is constructed of masonry, rocks and packed-earth. It was over 5,000 km (=10,000 Li) long. Its thickness ranged from about 4.5 to 9 meters (15 to 30 feet) and was up to 7.5 meters (25 feet) tall.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Great Wall was enlarged to 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles) and renovated over a 200 year period, with watch-towers and cannons added.

The Great Wall can be seen from Earth orbit, but, contrary to legend, is not visible from the moon, according to astronauts Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell, and Jim Irwin.

The Great Wall like a long dragon in the north China. What I saw is the First Compass in Shanhaiguan, Qinhuangdao, HeBei.

The South Gate of the ShanHaiGuan.

First Pass Under Heaven
The five huge Chinese characters, "Tian Xia Di Yi Guan," mean, "First Pass under Heaven" with each character on the plaque measuring about 5 feet from top to bottom.

The two-story tower of the Pass

The tower was rebuilt in 1990s, so it looks very new and beautiful.

The View of the mordern City from the wall.

Cool, Billy. Thanks. :biggrin:

Those are great Billy!
My husband has been invited back to China for the second time, and will be going over at the end of October.
He climbed up the Great Wall when he was there before, and when he got to the top he got a "hero card" for making it. It cracked me up.

Once again, lovely pictures Billy! We have missed you here!

Muying Tower

The side wall of the tower

JingBian Tower

Stairs

very nice billy!

I hope I'm able to communicate this effectively...

Billy, is there an engineering (as opposed to aesthetic) reason for the upturned corners on Chinese temples? Is is some sort of strength or drainage enhancement, or is it done just because it looks cool?

Although roofs may seem insignificant, they are a very important part of Chinese architecture. Roofs not only protected residences from the elements but also had deeper meanings. For example, the Buddhist curved their temple roofs because they believed that the shape helped ward off evil spirits. The roof of the temple is made of glazed ceramic tiles and has an overhanging eave, distinguished by a graceful upward slope. The intricate fit of merging rafters forms the complex arc at which the roof curves. The Chinese also used this concept in the construction of elaborate roofs on expensive homes. The building materials used to cover the ridge and gutters improved, over time, from regular mud to the earth tiles. They plastered the floors and walls with a combination of lime and sand, giving them a hard and smooth surface. They also made the north walls of their homes thicker to protect and insulate from the strong and cold winds. Perhaps one of the most important architectural advancement was the invention of corbel brackets (known as "dugong" in Chinese) placed on column heads which support the projecting eaves. Later, these became a unique feature to the classical Chinese architecture.

I read some materials about it, I cant remember the reasons. Or you check by google.

Splode I read or heard some where that the up turned roof corners were to keep 'evil spirits away , like what superbaton said ,

There're no final theory to explain the large and curved roofs of Chinese buildings in engineering,according to a popular viewpoint,"large" is to protect buildings from the eroding of rainwater and "curved" is to get more daylight. The curved roofs can be found in models(crockery) of buildings of 2000 years ago,I think no one could know the reason exactly before the next important archaeological discovering :headshake

The Wang's House
 

Wang is a rich businessman in Shanhaiguan in Qing Dynasty. The house is close to the First Pass Under Heaven.

Chen Yuanyuan, the pretty woman, was famous in Chines history. They told me that the drawing only shows her 60% beauty.

The bed of the first son is the most wonderful in the beds of the Children.

The smoking bed

The GuZheng.

The Root Carvering

There is a small collection room for the Chinese traddtional art and crafts.

Siliver Ring

They collected the old clothes. The first is for baby.

It is hard to see people having these clothes now.

Some funneral houses sell the clothes for the dead people now.

Wow, I'd love to have that root carving. :mg:

Those are exactly the sorts of notions I was looking for, Xker. Thanks.

Rationally, I like Xker's explanations; aesthetically, I prefer the keeping away of evil spirits part.

Billy is back
 

Last Sunday I went to the Labor Park in Dalian, Liaoning, China. The spring is coming in the following pix.

Football & TV Tower

Can you play the football?

I don't know the names of flowers.

In Chinese the peach blossom means romance.

Yellow, Yellow, & Yellow

Red

More in next time if I go to see the cherry blossom.

Welcome back, Billy. :D
Missed you and your pictures.

If you are able to, I'd like to see a Frappr pin in China.

I think the yellow is Forsythia, but I'm clueless on the rest. Great to hear from you again, Billy. We always enjoy your pictures.

welcome back!

What's inside the soccer ball (football) building?

You are right. It is a Exhibition Room.
There are different footballs in downtown. I will take for you if I talk arround one day.