Three Gorges Dam -----the Largest Dam

Brief Introduction

The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in Yiling District, Yichang, Hubei province, China. The Three Gorges Dam is the world's largest power station in terms of installed capacity (22,500 MW). Being the world's largest hydropower project, this dam has created many "Firsts" such as the most efficient dam in flood control, the most difficult construction work and the largest migration project in the world.

Achievements and Controversies

Except for a ship lift, the dam project was completed and fully functional as of July 4, 2012, when the last of the main water turbines in the underground plant began production. As well as producing electricity, the dam is intended to increase the Yangtze River's shipping capacity and reduce the potential for floods downstream by providing flood storage space. The Chinese government regards the project as a historic engineering, social and economic success, with the design of state-of-the-art large turbines, and a move toward limiting greenhouse gas emissions. However, the dam flooded archaeological and cultural sites and displaced some 1.3 million people, and is causing significant ecological changes, including an increased risk of landslides. The dam has been a controversial topic both domestically and abroad.

Three Gorges Dam Travel

The Three Gorges Tourist Area was officially opened to the public in 1997, covering an area of 15.28 square meters. It contains five parks. They are Three Gorges Exhibition Hall, Tanziling Park, 185 Park, Jinba Park and Interception Memorial Park. Based on the world’s largest hydro junction project, the tourist area reveals the culture of the project and water conservancy in an all-round way. It provides a combination of multi-functional service of sight-seeing, science and education, entertainment, refreshment, perfectly combining modern project with natural scenery and human landscape. Therefore, it is a traveling paradise that tourists from home and abroad long to go.

Standing at the top of the Dam which is 185 meters above sea level, you can marvel at the flood discharge downwards in a close distance. Feeling the tremendous force growling under the feet is more direct and magnificent. In the meantime, contrasted with the near overwhelming backwash, the river surface far away is quiet and peaceful. All of a sudden, the tourists may feel the gorgeous blend of vitality and serenity.

If it is good weather, a colorful rainbow will appear in the water fog above the flood. Gentle wind present by the river soothes the soul and the lullaby murmured by the backwash calm the heart. All the feelings, exited or surprised, proud or exhilarated are all mingle with the span of water. Maybe only after you roaming in the hug of the Dam can one genuinely feel the line "Should the goddess be not ill today, she will marvel at the world’s new array".

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Guiyuan Buddhist Temple (Temple of Original Purity)

Guiyuan Buddhist Temple is a Buddhist temple located on Cuiwei Rd., Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. Covering an area of about 46,900 square meters (approx. 55,812 square yards), Guiyuan Buddhist Temple is one of the four best temples in Wuhan. The temple was originally established in 1658 in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and initially built on the site of Wuzhangpu Kuiyuan in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The word 'Guiyuan' originates from a sutra, meaning to surpass the circumscription of existence and extinguishment, to return to purity and tranquility.

 

Though it is a construction of a Buddhist temple, it is also in a garden style. The distribution is compact, and the design is delicate. The temple is even interspersed by kiosks and parterres. The temple has three distinct courtyards. The central yard possesses a free-life pond with a bell tower and drum tower on both sides. The Weituo Hall is located in the center with the Great Buddha's Hall several steps ahead. The wing-rooms of the hall function as living rooms and the abstinence dining hall, while the meditation room sits at the back. In the south yard, 500 lifelike Arhat sculptures are enshrined in the Hall of Arhats. The superb manufacturing technique and distinctive styles of the sculptures make them extremely precious.

The eastern courtyard is the entrance of the temple, in which a large apricot colored door opens towards the east, indicating the importance of forming kind relationships and saving all human beings from sufferings. On the lintel of the door, a tablet is hanging with the name of the temple written on it.

After entering the temple, you can see the northern courtyard to your right, in which the Amitabha, Kwan-yin Bodhisattva, and Dashizhi Bodhisattva are worshipped. Collectively they are called the “three western saints”. The Wenshu Bodhisattva and Puxian Bodhisattva are also worshipped. The Sutra Collection Pavilion in the courtyard has a rich collection of cultural relics of Buddhism, figures of Buddha, religious paraphernalia, stone carvings, paintings, calligraphies, and books from abroad.

In the southern courtyard, the most famous hall is the Lohan Hall. It is also one of the five best Lohan halls in China. The 500 Lohans here are vivid and lively just like real people. They are all identical in size. What is most amazing is that one can never find two Lohans with the same appearance or expression. They are all totally different from each other. Counting Lohans in the courtyard forms an interesting custom in Wuhan. It is said that one can know the disasters and fortunes in the present year by counting the Lohans.

Guiyuan Temple was in fashion for a time although its history was shorter than White Horse Temple, the best Buddhist temple in China. It is famous not only for spreading Buddhism throughout the whole country, but also for perfect architecture, excellent sculpture and rich collections of Buddhist doctrine.

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Yellow Crane Tower -----'The First Scenery under Heaven'

Yellow Crane Tower stands on Sheshan (Snake Hill), at the bank of Yangtze River in Wuchang District, Wuhan, in Hubei province of central China. Enjoying the fame of 'The First Scenery under Heaven', it is one of the most renowned towers south of the Yangtze River. It is incredibly beautiful and its cultural significance led to its being made the symbol of Wuhan city. Thus it goes without saying that it is one of Hubei's most popular tourist attractions.

According to legend, Yellow Crane Tower was built by the family of an old pothouse owner living in Wuhan City long ago, named Old Xin. One day, a shabbily dressed Taoist priest came to the pothouse and asked for some wine. Old Xin paid no attention to him, but his son was very kind and gave the Taoist some wine without asking for money. The Taoist priest visited the pothouse regularly for half a year when one day the Taoist said to the son that in order to repay his kindness, he would like to draw a crane on the wall of the pothouse, which would dance at his request. When people in the city heard of this, they flocked to the pothouse to see the dancing crane. The Xin family soon became rich and they built the tower as a symbol of gratitude to the Taoist priest.

The Yellow Crane Tower has a very long and complicated history. It was first built in 223, during the Three Kingdoms Period (220 - 280). Due to the ideal location, it was built by Sun Quan (182 - 252, King of Wu) as a watchtower for his army. After hundreds of years, its military function was gradually forgotten and the tower was enjoyed mainly as a picturesque location. The current structure, however, was rebuilt in 1981 at a one kilometre distance from the original site, and bears little resemblance to the historical Yellow Crane Tower.

During the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), many popular poems were written in praise of the tower. It was these poems that made the Tower so renowned and induced for people to visit. The tower had different architectural features in different dynasties. However the tower which stands today is based on the one designed during the Qing Dynasty. It stands 51.4 meters (about 168 feet) high and has five floors. The appearance of the tower is the same regardless of the direction it is viewed from. The roof is covered by 100,000 yellow glazed tiles. With yellow upturned eaves, each floor seems to have been designed to resemble a yellow crane spreading its wings to fly.

The Yellow Crane Tower offers visitors an abundance of things to see. The exhibit on each floor has a theme, for example, the theme of the first floor is about legend. On the wall, there is a nine-meter (about 30 feet) long and six-meter (about 20 feet) wide painted porcelain picture which depicts clouds, rivers and cranes to represent a romantic mood in the heaven. The third floor mainly shows poems written to praise the tower in different dynasties. On top of the tower, visitors are treated to a fabulous panoramic view of the Yangtze River, its bridge and the surrounding buildings in Wuhan City. Outside the tower, there are bronze yellow cranes, memorial gateways and pavilions.

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Shennongjia Forest Zone

Shennongjia Forestry District is located in the northwest of Hubei province, which is bounded by Mountains series. Legend has it that in ancient times Shennongshi once tasted many kinds of herbs to find out the ones of medical value and used them to cure people of different diseases; because of the lofty mountains and hazardous passes, he built ladders for people to gather medicine herbs... Later, people named the place Shennongjia to commemorate Shennongshi.

Shennongjia Forestry Zone is a county-level administrative unit (a "forestry district") in northwestern Hubei province, China, directly subordinated to the provincial government. With an area of 3,253 square kilometers (about 803,833 acres), Shennongjia contains four towns, four villages, one national forest park and one national natural reserve area. Because of its marvelous natural scenery, rare foliages, endangered animals and famous legends such as the mysterious "Wild Man" (Chinese Yeti) said to be found in the mountains, the forest zone has attracted many tourists every year, amongst them researchers and scientists.

Shennong Peak, 3,105 meters in altitude, is named "the first peak of Central China ". The inner part of mountain area is covered by dense woods which seem to be isolated from the outer world. Not only is the scene of primitive society preserved well, but also the source of plants and animals is rich. In 1990, Shennongjia is listed as a member of Man and Biosphere Program by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In 1995, Shennongjia is also listed as "biodiversity conservation demonstration" by WWF.

The most peculiar species founded in the forest zone are certainly the "white animals". The first albino animal spotted in the scenic area was a white bear, which looks like a giant panda in white skin. White monkeys, white roes, white deer, white squirrels, white snakes, white crows and even white toads have also been gradually discovered by scientists. Aside from the endangered animals, Shennongjia is a natural garden for herbal medicines as well. More than two thousand kinds of precious herbs like Jiaogulan and actinidia can be easily found in the Shennongjia Forest Zone.

The Wild Man of Shennongjia is a mysterious figure as famous as Nessie and UFOs. The records of the Wild Man appear many times in ancient Chinese books, and since the 1970s, many people have declared that they had spotted The Wild Man. They are described to be ape-like, about two meters (6 ft.) high, covered by red or brown hair and can move very fast while standing erect. There have been many research studies held, which have yielded some evidence of the creature, such as the footprints and hair of The Wild Man. It is believed by many people that The Wild Man is an ancient species just like the giant panda and the golden haired monkey. Recently, some hikers and visitors also announced their sightings of The Wild Man. But to this day, no Wild Man has yet been caught.

Tip: The forest zone is very large, so people who wants visit there had better find a guide and renting a car is another good choice. In addition, tourists will probably want to pack their raincoat and some plastic bags so that they can keep their clothes and camera dry. It's usually very cold in the night, so you'd better pack more clothes; wear boots and trousers in the forest so that you can prevent bites from mosquitoes and other insects.

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Wudang Martial Arts (Wudang Kungfu)

Wudang Mountain wushu, noted for its exercise of the internal organs and breathing techniques, developed along with Wudang Mountain Taoism. Taoist priests put equal emphasis on religious practice and promotion of the health. Wudang Martial Arts were created in the early years of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) by a Taoist named Zhang Sanfeng. It combines the essence of the Book of Changes and the Tao Teh King (Daodejing) of Laozi (an ancient well-known philosopher). Originated in Mt. Wudang, a Taoist holy land, it is of great value to fitness and body-building. By now, it has become popular in China and worldwide, as a kind of fitness sport.

Wudang Kungfu is one important style or family of Chinese Martial Arts. It contains profound Chinese philosophical theories, combining the traditional concepts of Taiji (Tai Chi), Yin and Yang, Wu Xing (Five Elements), and the Ba Gua (Eight Trigrams) into boxing theories, boxing skills, exercises and attack strategies, all derived by studying the laws of life and nature. Wudang Kungfu (neijia quan internal boxing) is featured by overcoming motion with stillness. The opponent will be laid down the moment he attacks. It is apparently different from Shaolin which is classified into external type boxing. Internal Gongfu was created by Zhang San-feng, a famous Taoist in the Song Dynasty.

Tai Ji is originated from Infinity. It is the basis for all movement and stillness. It is the originator of the Two Extremes (Yin and Yang). Tai Ji was formed from Infinity by separating Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are the equal and opposite pair. Sometimes Yin stands for female and Yang stands for male. In Tai Ji, Yin represents stillness and Yang represents movement. The working of the universe is based upon Yin and Yang. In Tai Ji, there is stillness in movement and movement in stillness. The two are interconnected and should not be separated. Internal power is through control of the mind. Concentration of mind moves the internal energy prior to any external movement.

Taijiquan is a stepping-stone to Daoism. In Daoism, one has to train one's behaviour and mind. It is important to keep a peaceful mind. Through meditation, combining Yin and Yang, and stillness in movement, the internal power will flow through the whole body achieving the ultimate aim.

Qigong is an ancient Chinese practice for cultivating the body energy, for the benefits of the physical body, mind and spirituality. Qigong practices are varied. They include hard and soft qigong, healing qigong, and general toning qigong. Wudang Qigong is an "earlier heaven" method based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) principles and teachings. Qigong is a good practice for everyone, at any age to keep healthy in both body and mind. The ancient practitioners took back heart and will, and stabilised the jing and nurtured the qi; made the qi of the breath like the wind and the the qi of real yang like the fire. In practising and heating, they transformed jing to qi, and qi to shen; let energy concentrate, and united with the nature of Dao.

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Wudang Mountains

The Wudang Mountains consist of a small mountain range in the northwestern part of Hubei, China, just south of Shiyan. It is also called Taihe and Xuanyue Mountain. They are home to a famous complex of Taoist temples and monasteries associated with the god Xuan Wu. The Wudang Mountains are renowned for the practice of Taichi and Taoism as the Taoist counterpart to the Shaolin Monastery, which is affiliated with Chinese Chán Buddhism. In 1994, the Ancient Building Complex on the mountain was included on the World Heritage List by UNESCO. Besides, the mountain is said to be the birthplace of the famous Chinese Wudang Martial Arts.

History

Construction of the Ancient Building Complex started in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). During the reign of Emperor Taizong , the Five Dragon Ancestral Temple was built on Wudang Mountain. In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), about 33 palaces and structures including the Yuxu Palace, the Grand Purple Cloud Palace, the Yuzhen Palace and the Palace of Harmony were built. Then the grand and magnificent building complex was formed. At present, the extant building complex includes the Palace of Harmony, the Grand Purple Cloud Palace, the South Cliff Palace, the Yuzhen Palace, relics of the Yuxu Palace and the Five Dragon Ancestral Temple, Xuanyue Gate (a huge archway) and the Fuzhen Temple.

Ancient Buildings

The ancient buildings in Wudang Mountain, great in size and beautiful in artistic design, built on steep hills or in sharp cliffs to achieve a harmonious unity between buildings and nature, have been praised as the ultimate showcase of China's ancient buildings and approved World Cultural Legacy.

The Golden Palace of on the top of Heavenly Pillar Peak is the essence and symbol of Wudang Mountain, the sign of Wudang Taoism coming to the highest peak under the support of the imperial families. Standing in front of Golden Palace, you can have a panoramic view of the beautiful scene of Wudang Mountain, as far as 400 kilometers away. All the peaks are stopping at the static moment, just like raged waves, which wonderfully advertises the holy prestige and lofty imperial power. Meanwhile, you can also view many fantastic natural astronomical phenomena and learn many widespread fairy tales.

Situated on the south section of Tianzhu Peak, the Palace of Harmony is composed of the Golden Palace (Golden Peak), the Forbidden City and the Gutong Hall. The Golden Palace is the most celebrated. Constructed of bronze, the palace is about four meters (13 feet) long, three meters (10 feet) wide and six meters (20 feet) high. In the hall stands the statue of Emperor Zhenwu in the shrine with Golden Boy and Jade Girl, and two generals of Fire and Water attending him on the left and right. It is said that the statue of Emperor Zhenwu is about ten tons (22,046 pounds). Above the shrine is hung a golden plaque with four Chinese characters 'Jin', 'Guang', 'Miao' and 'Xiang' written by Kangxi, an emperor in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Through the ages, the palace still presents its glamour and grandiosity.

Located below Zhanqi Peak, the Grand Purple Cloud Palace is the most magnificent and best-preserved Taoist building on Wudang Mountain. Covering an area of 6,850 square meters (two acres), the palace consists of the Dragon and Tiger Hall, the Stele Pavilion, the Shifang Hall, the Parents' Hall, the Grand Hall of Purple Cloud Palace and other buildings. Covered with blue glazed tiles and yellow and blue carvings on the roof, the Grand Hall is the most representative wooden structure on the mountain. In the hall is worshipped the sculpture of Emperor Jade which was made by a Ming Dynasty artisan.

Association with Wudang Martial Arts

According to legend, Zhang Sanfeng, is the originator of Wudangquan generally and Taijiquan specifically. He was said to be inspired by a fight he witnessed between a pied magpie (also said to be a white crane) and a viper. From the early 20th century, Taijiquan, Xingyiquan and Baguazhang have been considered Wudang styles, following Sun Lutang. Following this classification the national martial arts tournament of the Central Guoshu Institute held in 1928 separated the participants into "Shaolin" and "Wudang".

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