Lhasa means “sacred land” in Tibetan, and Potala Palace, the architectural wonder in the center of Lhasa, is the symbol of that sacred land. When the thirty-third King of Tibet, Soongtsan Gampo, was married in 641 to Princess Wen Cheng of the Tang Dynasty, he had 999 houses built on Hongshan Hill for his bride, as well as the red building at the top of the hill. The Buddhists later named it Potala Palace, meaning the sacred land of Buddhism.
　　
　　Ravaged by lightning, fire, and war, the original palace was severely damaged. In the restored palace we see today, the white buildings on either side, called the White Palace, were built three hundred years ago by the fifth Dalai Lama as living quarters. The central building, called the Red Palace, was built by the disciple of the fifth Dalai Lama and contains mourning halls and libraries.
　　
　　Potala Palace was constructed on the hill site. Surrounded by a wall three meters high, the thirteen-story palace is 110 meters tall and has over ten thousand pillars; its 90,000 square meters of floor space was built on an area of 102, 880 square meters.
　　
　　
　　Sunlight Hall in Potala Palace is flooded with sunlight throughout the year. Eastern Sunlight Hall was the residence of the Thirteen Dalai Lama, and Western Sunlight Hall was lived in by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. Now these luxurious halls house valuable peals, jewels, and antiques.
　　
　　
　　Mural art is an intrinsic part of the architecture of Potala Palace. Every room, no matter how small, is decorated with colorful, vivid murals. The 698 murals along the painted second-floor corridor are the most extraordinary, depicting Buddhist stories and the unique scenery, customs, and legends of ancient Tibet.

The Potala Palace is always my dream, her awfulness, mystery, sanctity,pageantry and wonderful artical excelling nature. I wish I could drive there by myself to show my sincere desire!

Lying in China's southeast hilly area, mountains and hills make up the vast majority of Fujian's territory, while only narrow strips of the east seaside are plains. Fujian's coastline is long and zigzag with numerous offshore islands. Most of its rivers empty into the sea separately. Fujian is endowed with sub-tropical humid climate, and rich forest resources and mineral deposits which mainly include iron, coal, manganese and graphite.

Light industry is Fujian's major industrial branch. Key industrial products comprise electronics, light industrial products, foodstuff, aquatic products in the coastal area, and raw materials, timber products, chemicals in the hinterland. Its foodstuff, canned food, leather shoos, arts and crafts, watches, timber processing and electronics industries hold a significant position in China. The coastal area is renowned for fishing industry. Main farm produce includes rice, sugarcanes, tea and tropical fruits. Fujian has the largest output of Longan fruit in China.

Railway is its mainstay of transportation, while highway and coastal shipping also play an important role. Xiamen is a major seaport and Nanping is the center of Min River shipping.

As one of the locations of China Special Economic Zone, and separated with Taiwan by only the straits, Fujian has the unique advantages to carry out overseas economic and technical cooperations by utilizing their capital and technology.

Fujian abounds in tropical natural tourist resources. The famous scenic spots and historical sites comprise the Wuyi Mountain, Qinyuan Mountain, Gulangyu and Wanshi Mountain. Its main traditional specialties are Wulong Tea, oranges of Zhangzhou, Longan of Jinjiang, boodiless lacquerware of Fuzhou, stone carving of Shoushan and woodcarving of Quanzhou.

Chongqing is a port city with the largest municipal area and population in China. It is situated in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers in southwest China. With an area of 82,400 square kilometers (31, 800 square miles), Chongqing shares borders with the provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Shaanxi. Besides the Han who form the majority of its total population of 30.9 million, numerous ethnic groups reside in Chongqing, including Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Qiang, You and Tujia.

Since its founding 3,000 years ago, Chongqing has been called Jiangzhou, Yuzhou, and Gongzhou, before getting its present name nearly 800 years ago. Since the Qin Dynasty (22 BC-206 BC), many dynasties have set up administrative institutions that have endowed the city with brilliant cultures. Perched beside the Yangtze, the "Golden River," Chongqing symbolizes Yangtze River civilizations and is the cradle of Bayu culture.

Today, Chongqing is a modern city, China's fourth municipality after Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin. Within its borders Chongqing encompasses a wealth of water reserves, mineral resources, dense forests, and abundant flora and fauna. The focal point of the unique Yangtze Three Gorges Dam, Chongqing is a tourist attraction as well as a commercial city.

Chongqing attracts visitors from home and abroad for its cultural heritage and other tourist attractions. The city is the starting point for the Yangtze River Cruise, which explores the stunning scenery of the Three Gorges. Other attractions include the Dazu Grottoes , valuable works of art carved during the Ninth Century, Gold Buddhist Mountain, a rich repository of diverse animals and plants; and Fishing Town, one of three ancient battlefields in China. Ancient Ci Qi Kou village lures tourists to linger in its streets to buy handicraft souvenirs.

Chongqing is famous for its hot Sichuan cuisine and world-famous hotpot dishes. Street vendors as well as restaurants feature exciting spicy delicacies for the adventurous.

Servicing western China, Chongqing provides convenient water, land, and air transportation. Hundreds of star-ranked hotels provide excellent facilities and services. Chongqing is ready to be the pilot in the Western China Development to usher in more investors and visitors.

Chinese calligraphy (Brush calligraphy) is an art unique to Asian cultures. Shu (calligraphy), Hua (painting), Qin (a string musical instrument), and Qi (a strategic boardgame) are the four basic skills and disciplines of the Chinese literati.

Regarded as the most abstract and sublime form of art in Chinese culture, "Shu Fa" (calligraphy) is often thought to be most revealing of one's personality. During the imperial era, calligraphy was used as an important criterion for selection of executives to the Imperial court. Unlike other visual art techniques, all calligraphy strokes are permanent and incorrigible, demanding careful planning and confident execution. Such are the skills required for an administrator / executive. While one has to conform to the defined structure of words, the expression can be extremely creative. To exercise humanistic imagination and touch under the faceless laws and regulations is also a virtue well appreciated.

By controlling the concentration of ink, the thickness and adsorptivity of the paper, and the flexibility of the brush, the artist is free to produce an infinite variety of styles and forms. In contrast to western calligraphy, diffusing ink blots and dry brush strokes are viewed as a natural impromptu expression rather than a fault. While western calligraphy often pursue font-like uniformity, homogeneity of characters in one size is only a craft. To the artist, calligraphy is a mental exercise that coordinates the mind and the body to choose the best styling in expressing the content of the passage. It is a most relaxing yet highly disciplined exercise indeed for one's physical and spiritual well being. Historically, many calligraphy artists were well-known for their longevity.

Brush calligraphy is not only loved and practiced by Chinese. Koreans and Japanese equally adore calligraphy as an important treasure of their heritage. Many Japanese schools still have the tradition of having a student contest of writing big characters during beginning of a new school year. A biannual gathering commemorating the Lanting Xu by Wang Xi Zhi (The most famous Chinese calligrapher in Jin dynasty, ) is said to be held ceremonially in Japan. There is a national award of Wang Xi Zhi prize for the best calligraphy artist. Not too long ago, Korean government officials were required to excel in calligraphy. The office of Okinawa governor still displays a large screen of Chinese calligraphy as a dominating decor.

In the West, Picasso and Matisse are two artists who openly declared the influence by Chinese calligraphy on their works.

Beijing, a municipality directly under the Central Government is the capital of the People's Republic of China and the country's political, economic, cultural and transportation center as well as a famous historic city. Geographically located in the northwest part of the North China Plain, and covering an area of 16,800square km. Beijing is the second largest city in China with a population of more than 11 million. It has a semi-humid continental climate in the warm temperate zone. With an annual average temperature of 12 degrees Centigrade and rainfall of 641 millimetres, Beijing is neither cold in winter nor very hot in summer. The best seasons in Beijing are Spring and Autumn. Beijing is indeed an ideal place to visit all round the year.

Beijing is the political center of China where the Party's Central Committee, the State Council, ministries and commissions under the government, and more than 140 foreign embassies are located. It is also an international exchange center.

Beijing is an economic center of China Being one of the biggest industrial bases in China, Beijing's industrial production is the second largest in value among all Chinese cities. An industrial system with iron and steel, coal, machinery, chemical and petroleum, textiles, electronics and other industries as its mainstays has already taken shape. Beijing's arts and crafts are famous for their long history, great variety, and superb workmanship. The most popular ones among them are cloisonne, ivory carving, jadeware, carved lacquer ware, snuff bottles, silk flowers and Beijing's embroidery etc.

As the country's center of culture, education, science and technology Beijing has more than forty state scientific research institutions, over thirty universities and the greatest number of professional and technical personnel.

In Beijing, there are numerous museums and libraries with the largest collection of books in china. Beijing also serves as a center for international exchange in culture, science and technology.

It is a hub of communications, with good railroad and air links with all parts of China, as well as with major cities of the world, thus facilitating the rapid development of tourism as an important industry in Beijing.

Beijing is an ancient city with a long cultural history. The four feudal dynasties--Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing had all set up their capital here. That's why it became a most concentrated place of the country's scenic spots and historical sites. Among them, the best known are the Palace Museum, the Summer Palace, the Great Wall and the Temple of Heaven.

Beijing aims to develop into a modern international metropolis.

How to wear Qipao(Cheongsam)

As for daily casual wear, in summer, you can choose some thin fabrics such as pure cotton delaine printed with little flowers, sack and yarn cloth, silk, and poplin.

In spring and winter, there is chemical fiber or blended cloth like gleaming silk and thinner woolen cloth.

If for formal affairs like ceremonies or performances, in summer, you should select pure silk crape de Chine, thin silk, which are soft, light and cool since it won't stick to your body.

For spring and winter, satin and velour are the best: tapis, treasures, crape and spun gold damask.

For wearing a Qipao / Cheongsam pay attention to the whole appearance: Hairstyle, jewelry, stockings, and shoes should match to the design and colour of the Qipao / Cheongsam and should be presented as an unit.

Getting the best fit

The Qipao / Cheongsam is normally designed to flatter the feminine body. But not everyone has the figure of a model. How then should you choose a Qipao / Cheongsam that would accentuate your assets and hide your fatal flaws? The following guidelines may help you make the right choice. 

For short women, avoid boxy cuts with shoulder pads as they weigh you down. Too long a dress will also have the reverse effect and make you look shorter.

Women with broad shoulders should avoid shoulder pads as they will make them look top-heavy. Instead, opt for softer fabrics like silk to soften the silhouette.

Skinny women can go for brocade which can give more form and curves to their body structure. A brocade is a heavy silk fabric with a raised design on it, often sewn on with gold or silver threads.

For those with flabby arms, choose a Qipao / Cheongsam with three-quarter sleeves to hide the excess flesh.

Women with short necks should pick a Qipao / Cheongsam with a lower collar so that it helps make the neck look longer. On the other hand, women with longer necks can look stunning in a Qipao cut with a high collar.

For those who are disproportionate in shape, with either a heavy top or a heavy bottom, wear Cheongsam separates.

Top-heavy women should avoid big, contrasting prints on the Qipao top. Choose a simple one-colour top.

A straight-cut skirt with a side slit is ideal for women who have large bottoms.