The Cellar
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Billy 06-08-2006 12:04 AM
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galley

Billy 06-08-2006 12:06 AM
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soldiers

Ibby 06-08-2006 05:31 AM
Wow, great pictures, Billy. I never got a chance to visit that part of China while I lived there... Though I'm not sure how warm the welcome would have been.

Billy 06-08-2006 11:48 PM
The Great Wall of Hushan
 
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Hushan means Mout Tiger. Based on the lastest research, the Ming Dynasty Great Wall starts from Hushan. The outer side is the North Korea.

Billy 06-08-2006 11:52 PM
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The wall was reconstructed on the original site.

Billy 06-08-2006 11:54 PM
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The highest watchtower

Billy 06-08-2006 11:58 PM
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Fin Island, including 7 small islands, is donated by Chinese goverment. Now N Korea plant for reserving state commissariat.

Billy 06-09-2006 12:04 AM
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You can see that the army are working there by hand.

Ibby 06-09-2006 03:53 AM
Man, Hushan is another place I really wanted to visit.

If I ever get around to it, i'll post the pictures I took last week at the national cultural... somethingorother.

xoxoxoBruce 06-09-2006 07:02 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy
Fin Island, including 7 small islands, is donated by Chinese goverment. Now N Korea plant for reserving state commissariat.
What is that, Billy? What were the soldiers building? :confused:

Beestie 06-09-2006 09:08 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce
What is that, Billy? What were the soldiers building? :confused:
Well, since UT yanked me out of the CIA closet, I suppose I can lend a hand....

My sources on the ground indicate it is a manufacturing operation. Now let's have a look see.... Whaaaat are you guys makin over there????


hello: login langley!
id: beestie
pw: *********
drone: charliedavidroger %recon%
gps: ******** *** ********
cdr: %zoom% %saycheese% %zoom% %saycheese% %zoom% %saycheese%

Well, I'll be a sonofa...

Trilby 06-09-2006 09:38 AM
Great pics as always, Billy. Thanks for sharing them. The weather looks pretty overcast and gloomy--is that typical?

Griff 06-09-2006 10:52 AM
Well done, Beestie.:rotflol:

xoxoxoBruce 06-09-2006 10:32 PM
It's amazing what Beestie can do with his connections. :lol:

Billy 07-17-2006 08:32 PM
YuanMingYuan Park
 
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All the park was destroyed by the American and English United Army in 1860. So it is a ruin park today.

It includes three parks: QiChunYuan (Garden of Blossoming Spring), Changchunyuan(Garden of Eternal Spring) and Yuanmingyuan (Garden of Perfect Splendor).


Palace Gates of Qichunyuan:
In 1987, two new gates-the outer and inner gates-sere built, together with palace walls and side gates. They now serve as the main gates to the whole park.

Billy 07-17-2006 08:37 PM
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From July 18 to August 20, it is the Lotus Festival this year.

Billy 07-17-2006 08:41 PM
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Inner Gate

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Qichunyuan(Garden of Blossoming Spring)

Situated to the south of Yuanmingyuan and Changchunyuan, this was originally a small garden presented to Prince Yunxiang, thirteenth son of Emperor Kangxi. It was expanded during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng. The next emperor, Qianlong, presented the garden to Fu Heng, Grand Academician and Minister of State. In 1770, Qichunyuan took its present name, and was incorporated into Yuanmingyuan. A supervisor was appointed to manage the garden, but large-scale renovation and expansion were not initiated until 1795. In 1805, Emperor Jiaqing composed 30 poems to celebrate the over ten scenic spots. With its new palace gate finished in 1809, the garden reached its prime by 1814.

In 1821, the eastern part of the garden was renovated for the empress dowagers and imperial consorts, while the western part was taken by Emperor Daoguang, then Xianfeng.

In 1860 when the Qing Empire was defeated in the Opium War, the garden suffered severe damage at the hands of the Ango-French Forces. Only a few buildings, such as Zhuangyan Fajie (Realm of the Solemn Dharma), the Huiji (Enlightened Benevolence) Temple, Lumanxuan (Chamber of Overflowing Greenness) and the palace gates, survived the fire. It was renamed Wanchunyuan (Garden of a Thousand Springtimes) when Emperor Tongzhi had some buildings repaired. But the whole garden was once again destroyed in 1900 by the Eight-Power Allied Forces. Today, of this exquisite imperial garden once so highly eulogized, only but a dozen or so ravaged rooms of the Zhengjue (Enlightenment) Temple lie there, in silent testimony.

In 1986, Yuanmingyuan Park staff cleared and revitalized the hills and water system of Qichunyuan. So far, a few sights, such as the new palace gates, the Jianbi Pavilion (Pavilion in a Blue Mirror), the Haoran (Noble Spirit)Pavilion, and Xianren Chenglu (Platform of Immortal Receiving Heavenly Dew) have been restored.

Billy 07-17-2006 08:47 PM
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Jianbi Pavilion (Pavilion in a Blue Mirror)

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This pavilion was originally built around 1811. Tall, spacious, and with four sides, it commanded a beautiful view from the center of a lake. The present one was restored in 1993, covering a floor space of 256 square meters.

Billy 07-17-2006 08:53 PM
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Remnants of a Stone Bridge

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The remnants lie to the north of the Janbi Pavilion. In its prime, the three gardens of Yuanmingyuan boasted 200 bridges of different styles and materials. But only the remnants of this single-arch stone bridge remain to this day.

footfootfoot 07-17-2006 08:54 PM
Thanks Billy,Those are great.

Hey Beestie, Can you tell me who keeps calling and hanging up without leaving a message? Thx.

Billy 07-17-2006 08:58 PM
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The ruin bridge reminds most people about the history.

Billy 07-17-2006 09:04 PM
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Xianren Chenglu (Platform of Immortal Receiving Heavenly Dew)

Quote:
This vista was located on a hill on the western side of the lake containing the Fenglin Islet. According to legend, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (reigning 140-87 BC) longed for an eternal life. When he heard that swallowing jade powder mixed with heavenly dew could help him attain his desire, he ordered the making of a bronze immortal holding a plate at the Jianzhang Temple in Xi'an. A bronze statue of the same kind was erected at Qichunyuan during Emperor Jiaqing['s reign, which disappeared when the garden was destroyed. Today, standing in its place is a sculpture of black marble carved in 1989, its size and style designed in accordance with a picture preserved by the Qing court.
Haoran (Noble Spirit) Pavilion

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This pavilion is located on a small island to the north of the Fenglin Islet. Built before 1781, the four-sided pavilion had a double-eaved roof. The present one is a hexagonal structure with double eaves, completed in 1992.

Billy 07-17-2006 09:08 PM
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Lotus Lake

Billy 07-17-2006 09:12 PM
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More lotus

Billy 07-17-2006 09:18 PM
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Hanjingtang (Tripataka Hall)

Billy 07-17-2006 09:22 PM
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The building was very huge.

Billy 07-17-2006 09:27 PM
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The force destroyed our building, cluture and history.

Billy 07-17-2006 09:30 PM
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The Wing

Billy 07-17-2006 09:39 PM
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Building ruin

Billy 07-17-2006 09:43 PM
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The carving skills are wonderful.

Ibby 07-17-2006 09:43 PM
Niiiice place... I love lotuses.

Billy 07-17-2006 09:49 PM
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When can the emperors come again?

Billy 07-17-2006 09:54 PM
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Rockwork

Billy 07-17-2006 09:58 PM
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Shizilin (Lion Grove Garden)

Quote:
This garden on the northern bank of East Lake in Changchunyuan includes the Congfang Pavilion built in 1747(12th year of Emperor Qianlon's reign) in the west and the Lion Grove Garden completed in 1772 in the east.Lion Grove Garden took after the shape and design of its famous namesake in Suzhou.More than ten pavilions and architectural structure dotted the scenery,which was renowned for its bizarre-shaped stones sculpted by skillful artisansfrom Suzhou.Emperor Qianlong composed poems on on ten occasions on the theme of "Sixteen Sights in Lion Grove Garden;"and these poems were inscribed on horizontal boards or stone tablets.
The dilapidated arch of the Rainbow Bridge recently restored in its original site

Billy 07-17-2006 10:00 PM
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Recently restored Watergate on its original site

Billy 07-17-2006 10:05 PM
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Located to the eat of Haiyantang, and at the meeting point of the north-south axis of Changchunyuan and the east-west axis of the European Palaces, this site was the most spectacular scene of Western-style fountains in the garden, where the British envoy George Macartney visited in 1793.

Dashuifa, facing south, was a group of fountains with a shrine-shaped structure in the background. In an oval pond was a hunting scene: a deer, whose horns sprayed water, was chased by a group of hounds, whose mouths shot water in the direction of their prey-with 13-layer fountain pyramids on both sides, this presented a magnificent display. To the south of Dashuifa was Guan Shuifa, which consisted of a throne facing north for the emperor to admire the Grand Waterworks, and a carved, curving stone screen. These two structures were both built around 1759.

Yuangyingguan, to the north of Dashuifa, was a large building in the shape of a Western bell tower, built in 1783. The doors and windows were inlaid with 1,206 pieces of glass. The building was supported by over ten tall, White marble pillars, among which the most beautiful were the two supporting the central arched gate. They were both carved in detail from top to bottom in patterns of hanging grapes with life-like vines and leaves.

Much weathered after more than a century, the surviving carved pillars, stone shrine and screen still look distinctive and impressive. This site is a must-see for visitors.
Ruins of Dashuifa

Billy 07-17-2006 10:10 PM
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I knew Yuanmingyuan from the Yuanyingguan picture in my history in elementary school.

Billy 07-17-2006 10:16 PM
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Dashuifa

Billy 07-17-2006 10:20 PM
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Present-day ruins of Dashuifa and Yuanyingguan

Present-day ruins of Guan Shuifa

Billy 07-17-2006 10:25 PM
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Present-day ruins of Dashuifa and Yuanyingguan

Billy 07-17-2006 10:31 PM
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Yuanyingguan

Billy 07-17-2006 10:36 PM
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Haiyantang (Hall of National Peace)

Quote:
Built in 1759, and located to the east of Fangwaiguan, the largest European-style garden in Yuanmingyuan-Haiyantang-consisted of a main building and an H-shaped water tower behind it. The two-storied main building faces west, with 11 rooms on each floor. The gate of the building was flanked by a pair of water channels with steps leading down to a large fountain. On the V-shaped platform around the pond stood 12 bronze statues with animal heads and human bodies, the animals being those representing the 12 Earthly branches. Every two hours water was sprayed out successively from each animal's mouth. Thus the fountain was also called the "Water Clock."

Behind the main building was the H-shaped reservoir flanked to the north and south by two small fountains. It fed all the fountains around this area. At its east and west ends were waterwheel houses. Below the terrace in the middle was the reservoir with tin walls and a high base, known as the "tin sea." It held over 160 cubic meters of water. In its early days, water was brought up by man-powered dragon-phoenix waterwheels designed by Michael Benoist. Three or four years later a pulley system was used to haul up water in big jars.
The ruined Haiyantang

Billy 07-17-2006 10:42 PM
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Base of the reservoir in the water tower

Billy 07-17-2006 10:45 PM
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Hanantang

Billy 07-17-2006 10:49 PM
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Haiantang

Billy 07-17-2006 10:53 PM
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Shell-like carving

Billy 07-17-2006 10:58 PM
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Fangwaiguan (Belvedere)

Quote:
Fangwaiguan was a two-storied European palace. Built in 1759, it faced south, sitting to the east of Xieqiqu. Outside, a pair of the second floor to the ground. The ceilings and walls on the two floors were covered with a Western-style landscape painting. On the eastern and western walls of the second floor hung four glass screens, each holding a figure painting on silk painted by J.Denis Attiret. There were three rooms on the first floor. In the central room stood a large mirror, on a wall in the west room hung a Western-style tapestry with patterns designed by Giussepe Castiglione; in the east room stood a Western-style mirror, reflecting the Dragon-Phoenix Fountain outside. It is said that this building used to be the place of worship for a Uygur concubine in favor with Emperor Qianlong. There were also a pair of round, white marble tablets, both 1.3m in diameter, bearing inscriptions in Arabic, one saying: Ottoman loves Allah, and allah loves Ottoman; and the other: Ali loves Allah, and Allah loves Ali. The tablets disappeared, leaving only photographs taken early in this century. Beyond the bridge in the southeast of Fangwaiguan was a Western-style octagonal pavilion.
The Labyrinth

Quote:
Located to the north of Xieqiqu, the Labyrinth was an imitation of a Eupopean-style maze. In the center was a high, round-based Western-style pavilion, surrounded by layers of 1.2m-high brick walls that formed rectangles. The Labyrinth stretched 89m from north to south, 59m from east to west, the length of its walls totaling over 1,6000m. It was said that the emperor used to hold a lantern party in the Labyrinth on the evening of the Mid-autumn Festival (the 15th day of the eighth Chinese lunar month). The palace maids would run between the walls, carrying lotus lanterns made of yellow silk-the first to reach the pavilion in the center would get an award from the emperor. Thus the Labyrinth was also known as "Garden of Yellow Flowers." The Labyrinth was restored in 1989, with the pavilion built of white marble.

Billy 07-17-2006 11:55 PM
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Xieqiqu (Harmonious Wonder)

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Located in the southwest corner of Xiyanglou, Xieqiqu was an architectural group with the first European-style fountain. The main building had three stories, with three rooms on the top floor, and seven on each of the lower two floor, and seven on each of the lower two floors. It was connected by a pair of curving verandahs at both sides with twin tow-storied octagonal buildings in front, which served as orchestras. To the south was a large fountain in the shape of a flowering Chinese crabapple, with bronze water jets in the shapes of rams and ducks, and Western-style stone fish. To the north of the main building was a small fountain in the shape of a chrysanthemum. The fountains were fed from the Water Pavilion (a water tower) to the northwest of Xieqiqu, where water was drawn up by a mule-drawn waterwheel to the cistern at the top of the pavilion and flowed down through a copper pipe to the jets.

Billy 07-18-2006 12:02 AM
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Some of the remains of the stone sculptures in Xieqiqu

Happy Monkey 07-18-2006 05:34 AM
Wow, that is some gorgeous stonework.

xoxoxoBruce 07-18-2006 08:21 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy
All the park was destroyed by the American and English United Army in 1860. So it is a ruin park today.
No Americans, Billy.
Quote:
In 1860, during the Second Opium War, the British and French expeditionary forces looted the Old Summer Palace. Later, on October 18 1860, the British general Lord Elgin - with protestations from the French (who in fact began the looting) - purposely ordered to set fire to the huge complex which burned to the ground. It took 3,500 British troops to set the entire place ablaze and took three whole days to burn. More than 300 eunuchs and palace maids were burned to death. Elgin intended the destruction of the palace as a way to punish the Emperor and the Qing Government, in retaliation for the imprisonment, torture, and murder of over 20 western prisoners of war, among them two British envoys who had been under protection of a flag of truce and a correspondent for The Times. It is believed that some died by the death by a thousand cuts . The burning of the Gardens of Perfect Brightness is still a very sensitive issue in China today.

Happy Monkey 07-18-2006 09:21 AM
Lord Elgin, as in the Elgin Marbles? Man, he cut a swath through foreign stonework, didn't he?

Billy 07-18-2006 07:22 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce
No Americans, Billy.
On the introduction in the park, I heard American force also joined the robbery.

Ibby 07-18-2006 11:27 PM
No offence, billy, but that's exactly the kind of thing they would tell you.

Beestie 07-20-2006 01:37 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by footfootfoot
Thanks Billy,Those are great.

Hey Beestie, Can you tell me who keeps calling and hanging up without leaving a message? Thx.
Absoutely. I asked my sources over in NSA since they are all set up to eavesdrop and trace but they were too busy recording 5exChat so I called my go to guy over in the Department of [CODE 7 - Beestie - report to my office NOW and bring your keys and access cards - BIGBOY] who takes care of *cough* those types of things.

Apparently, its some guy in Georgia who's been looking for you for quite a while. I'll have more info later but its the guy who made the first post on this site.

BigV 07-20-2006 01:54 PM
SCF, please. This isn't my monitor.

Very, very funnyfunnyfunny, Beestie. As usual. : props:

footfootfoot 07-21-2006 04:30 AM
Ha! I Love it.

xoxoxoBruce 07-21-2006 08:56 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy
On the introduction in the park, I heard American force also joined the robbery.
I checked several sites in China and can't find any mention of Americans until the 1908 "Boxer Rebellion", in relation to Yuanmingyuan Park.

Quote:
The force destroyed our building, cluture and history.
Just the building(s), Billy. The great, long history of China can not be destroyed, neither can the culture, although we had a hand in making some history and altering the culture a little.

Outsiders can't take away your culture....only Chinese can do that. :D

Billy 09-11-2006 08:48 PM
Mt. Huashan
 
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One friend of mine sent the photos. I am not sure if I can post in this thread, but I want to share with you guys.

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As one of the five best-known mountains in China, Mt. Huashan is located to the south of Huayin city, 120 kilometers east of Xian, in Shaanxi province, with an elevation of 2200 meters above sea level. In ancient times, Mt. Huashan was called Mt. Taihuashan. Seen from afar, the five peaks looks like five petals of a flower. Hence its name, Mt. Huashan (= five flowers). Today, it is listed as one of the renowned national scenic spots.

Mt. Huashan is famous for its breath-taking cliffs. Along the 12-kilometer-long winding path up to the top are awe-inspiring precipices, looking into which will take your breath away. Among the five peaks, East Peak (Facing Sun Peak), West Peak (Lotus Peak) and South Peak (Dropping Goose Peak) are comparatively high. Standing at the top of East Peak, one can enjoy the rising sun early in the morning. West Peak, in resemblance to a lotus flower, is the most graceful peak in Mt. Huashan. In addition, there are Middle Peak (Jade Maiden Peak) and North Peak (Clouds Stand). The middle peak got its name because of a story telling that once a young lady rode a white horse among the mountains. North Peak, like a flat platform in the clouds, is the place where the story Capturing Mt. Huashan Wisely took place.

Mt. Huashan boasts a lot of places of interest. Here and there stand Buddhist and Taoist temples, pavilions and buildings as well as sculptures and engravings. Of the ruins, Yuquan (Jade Spring), Zhenwu Palace, and Jintian Palace are, comparatively speaking, famous. Xiyue Temple, seven kilometers north of Mt. Huashan is the place where people of ancient times paid tribute to the Mt. Huashan God.

Billy 09-11-2006 08:49 PM
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Along the cliff of South Peak is a planked path equipped with an iron chain, with the help of which, adventurers can walk on the frightful path. There is a giant rock in front of Cuiyun Palace on West Peak. As it takes the shape of a lotus flower, the mountain is also called Lotus Peak. As legend has it, Chen Xiang, a filial young man, once split the mountain and rescued his mother out of it. Now a crack can be witnessed in a giant rock beside Cuiyun Palace as if an axe made it. Thus, the rock is called 'Axe-splitting Rock,' beside which is a huge axe with a long handle. The northwest side of the peak is called Fatal Cliff for it is as steep as if it was cut by a sharp sword.

North Peak, with cliffs on three sides, has only one road leading to the south. From here one goes south to Ca'er Precipice, the fourth most dangerous place along the only path in Mt. Huashan. The cliff path is less than 30 centimeters wide, and faces such a deep valley that the tourists have to edge along carefully. Then one comes to Sky-leading Ladder, Sun and Moon Precipice and the well-known Blue Dragon Mountain.

East Peak, with a rising-sun platform favorable for viewing the morning sun, is also called Facing Sun Peak. As the sun emerges from the sea of clouds, one cannot help but show great admiration.


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