2019 Beijing Wall Calendar

Massive colorful halls. Sweeping pointed eaves. Elaborate colorful woodwork and detailed stone carvings. Buddhist. Taoist. Traditional Chinese. Islamic. Peaceful meditative sanctuaries. Fragrant smoky air. These are just a few ways to describe the magnificent and diverse temples of Beijing that … Continued

Xihuangsi – Western Yellow Temple

Many of the Beijing temples I’ve visited are now museums or significant historical sites. However, the Western Yellow Temple is an active lamasery. The emperor built Xihuangsi in the 17th century to honor the visit of the Panchen Lama to … Continued

Poly Art Museum

posted in: Adventure, China, Museum, Photography | 0

The Poly Group is one of the largest entertainment companies in China owning theaters and other amusements all around the country. It is also a major collector of Ancient Chinese artifacts, particularly bronzes. To showcase this collection, the Poly Group’s … Continued

Yunju Temple

The Fangshan District of Beijing is rich with history! In addition to the Peking Man Site, my recent trip to the southwestern district of Beijing included a visit to the Yunju Temple. A temple has been on this site for … Continued

Yungang Grottoes

Carved in stone outside Datong to the west sit hundreds of Buddhas at Yungang Grottoes. This UNESCO World Heritage site is the fourth of China’s Buddhist grottoes and the last one for me to visit. Bucket list item complete! Granted … Continued

Tours of the Summer Palace

On my first visit to the Summer Palace four years ago, I declared that I wanted one. After recently visiting twice in the past month, I have to say that sentiment hasn’t changed. It is a magnificent complex of Chinese … Continued

The crown jewel of Buddhist grottoes – the Mogao Caves

The main draw for Dunhuang and why the town gets any real attention is because of the Mogao Caves, a series of ancient grottoes that have been preserved by the desert with a brilliant collection of statuary and frescoes that … Continued

Everybody wasn’t kung fu fighting

At nearby Songshan is another famous temple, the Shaolin Temple – home of kung fu. Before heading back to Hefei, we journeyed to this beautiful place hoping to see some awesome monks practicing the true arts of kung fu. We … Continued

A little out of place

So, Hefei has a walking street just as any big city should. Last Saturday, Aaron and I met there for pizza at Pizza Hut and boy was it yummy. Anyway, this walking street is typical of any walking street with all … Continued

%d bloggers like this: