Peking Roast Duck--World Gourmet

Beijing Roast duck is a local flavor of Beijing. It has a high reputation all over the world! Tasting the roast duck is a must thing for Visitors who come to Beijing. Beijing Roast Duck, a wolrd Gourmet. Climbing the Great Wall, enjoying Beijing Opera and savoring Beijing Duck are the three "musts" for those who visit Beijing for the first time.

The history

The history of the Roast Duck can be traced back to Yuan Dynasty(1206-1368)when it was listed among the imperial dishes in the Complete Recipes for Dishes and Beverages, written in 1330 by Hu Sihui, an inspector of the imperial kitchen. In the early 15th century, when the Ming Dynasty capital was shifted from Nanjing to Beijing, roast duck remained one of the famous dishes on imperial court menus. Then, Beijing Roast Duck comes up. During the Qianlong period (1736-1796), The roast duck is more and more popular. To satisfy the growing demand for roast duck, and also with an eye on the profits,many roast duck restaurants opened. So it also become people's favorite dish.

Cooking

Making Beijing duck needs special high skills. Crispy Beijing duck turns out brilliantly glossy after it is well roasted. The ripe duck is lacquered with  molasses, pumped wity air, filled with boiling water, dried and then roasted over a boiling fruitwood fire. The result, force-fed or not is delicious.The duck is served in stages. First comes boneless meat and crispy skin with a side dish of shallots, plum sauce and crepes, then duck soup made of bones and all the other parts except the quack.


How to eat

The unique delicacy of Beijing roast duck comes from the way it being roasted and the way it being eaten. Sit in the restaurant, seeing the cook chopping the whole duck into small pieces; one can't wait to taste this famous dish in China. The cuisine would come to your table with thin and small slices well-placed in the plate, together with condiments like sauce, pancake and so on. So, never miss the Beijing roast duck when tours in Beijing China.

There are three ways to eat Beijing Roast Duck:

1 Use the chopsticks to get some sweet sauce on the lotus leaf-made cake, then place several slice of roast duck on it, covered with green onions, cucumber or carrot, roll the leaf and one can eat directly. This is the most common way of eating roast duck.

2 Mashed Garlic, soy sauce, radish and other condiments. Garlic can cut the grease ; dip the roast duck piece into garlic, soy sauce, with a trace of spicy flavor offered.

3 Some people don't like the flavor of garlic or onions. They prefer the crispy duck skin by dipping the slice into sugar. This method is suitable for lady and children.

 It is said that the roast duck has a  high nutritious value. Many proffesional people acknowledge it. Beijing Roast Duck, a China traditional dish, a world gourmet! When you make a tour to China,remember to have a try!

Four Wonders of Mt. Huangshan--China Mountain Wonder

Huangshan,also called Yellow Mountain is one of the ten most important scenic spot and history sites in China. Its scenery amazes most of the tourists. As an old saying said” There is no need to visit any other mountains after tour Huangshan”. Legendary pines, oddly-shaped rocks, sea of clouds and hot springs are four wonders of Huangshan.

Legendary Pines

The Yellow Mountain stretches for hundreds of miles .The legendary pines can be seen everywhere on Mt. Huangshan. It is a wonder of Yellow Mountain. People will be amazed by their vitality and strength. It takes root in the crevices and grows with great vigor.  Many pines grow branches on one side only. The pines grow very slowly due to the poor soil and climatic conditions. A tree less than 3 meters (9.84feet) high may have grown for over one hundred years or even several hundred years.  Every pine is unique. Guest-Greeting Pine (in front of the stone lion of the Jade Screen Pavilion in the Jade Screen Scenic Area), Guest-Goodbye Pine (to the right of the Jade Screen Pavilion), Phoenix Pine at the Sky Sea, Chessboard Pine at Pingtian Stone Bridge, Cushion Pine at Lotus Valley, Kylin Pine between Bei Hai Hotel and the Refreshing Terrace, Black Tiger Pine and Sea Exploring Pine are among the most famous ones.

Oddly-shaped Rocks

The rocks of Huangshan are famous for its odd shapes. It looks like a man or animal?  Spectacular stony peaks will inspire people’s imagination. Some look like human beings, birds, animals or many other objects. Something that makes the stones even more fascinating is that they assume varied shapes when seen from different angles. Each of stone has its own fantastic legend.

Sea of Clouds

Mt. Huangshan is regarded as the hometown of the cloud and mist since the ancient time. It is a cloud fairy land in every seasons, but the Winter is the best season for this spectacle. The seas of clouds are divided into East Sea, South Sea, West Sea, North Sea and Sky Sea according to their different locations. If you climb up the Lotus Peak, the Heaven Capital Peak and the Bright Peak, you will find yourself above the level of the clouds and they appear as a sea beneath you. Peaks, large and small, hide and reappear in the boundless waves of clouds. The Bright Peak and the Heavenly Capital Peak looks like isolated islands engulfed the sea.
 The sunrise in Huangshan is a must-see. The cloud sea seems more vivid and colorful in the sunshine. They are changing forever, from being like a mirror when all is calm to rolling waves when the wind is strong. At sunrise or sunset, the glistening clouds assume every hue from red to purple. People cannot help marveling at this gift from the God! They will be struck by the beauty when the clouds gush between the peaks like a raging river while the red leaves flutter delicately in the breeze in autumn, when all the red leaves are floating on the white clouds.

Hot springs

Hot springs on Yellow Mountain is also very popular. It must be a good way for you to bathe, enjoy, relax and refresh in the hot springs. Running out of the Purple Peak of 850 meters (2, 789 feet), the hot spring in Mt. Huangshan is the first stop following the entrance. Legend has it that Huang Di, the ancestor of the Chinese nation, bathed here 49 days before he ascended to heaven and became immortal. Apart from the spectacles we have mentioned, there are still three large waterfalls that are well worth a visit.

Skiing enthusiasts make a wedding ceremony on ic

Harbin is a fabulous ice and snow city in winter China. Many tourists from around the world come to Harbin to enjoy the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival every year. Harbin is a wonderful place where people can enjoy the most recreational winter activities and experience the most forms of entertainment, such as winter swimming, ice hockey, soccer match on snow land, alpine skiing invitational tournament, ice sculpture competition, International ice sculpture competition, speed skating, poetry competition, photograph exhibition, wedding ceremony on ice…

One of the most popular and unique winter activities is the wedding ceremony on ice. Here are the new couples'wedding on the ice.

Attractions about Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival

    Harbin is known as one of the birthplaces of the world ice and snow culture. Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival has been celebrated annually since 1985. It officially starts January 5 and lasts one month.
Giant ice sculptures exhibitions, ice carving activities, skiing adventure, sledding, winter swimming, wedding ceremony on ice…all the winter activities will be held here. Harbin, the place where you can have a wonderful winter holiday! The highlights during the festival are the following places.

                            
Sun Island

    Across the River Songhua, which can be reached by cable car, by horse, or by simply walking across the frozen river, lies Sun Island. It is the center of the fabulous "White Snow Carving Gala", and features enormous "Snow" carvings. In winter, tourists from all over the world will gather here to start their skiing tour. Make snow men, take the sleds draw by the horses or dogs, go sled sailing, participate in the Snow Sculpture Faire... lots of activities you can join.

 
Ice Lantern Art Fair

Harbin is the home of the Ice Lantern Art. It has been successfully held in Zhaolin Park in Harbin since in 1963. This ice lantern art fair is now the biggest and oldest one of its kind, and the largest outdoor ice lantern art fair with the classic traditional programs. The materials of the lantern are provided from the ice in the Songhua River. The artists from all over the world will display you myriad fantastic lanterns before you! Ice building, ice sculptures, ice waterfalls, ice sliding boards, ice calligraphy, ice miniature gardens, ice flowers, ice mountains...form a wonder garden here, wherever you move, what come into your sight is the diverse beautiful lanterns.

If you are lucky, you may participate in the international sculpture competition in Zhaolin Park. But in a word, visit the Ice Lantern Fair, don’t miss it during your Harbin trip.

Ice and Snow World

With various themes every year, Ice and Snow World has been reputed as the Ice Disneyland of the world. It combines snow with sightseeing, entertainment, and participation. In the Ice and Snow World garden, you will enjoy over 2,000 scenic points or sights, join many activities, admire the most beautiful, most grand and most charming ice and snow wonders. Drink in the ice bars, visit the ice inns or hotels, play golf or football games on the snow ground, and go ice rock-climbing or treasure hunting in the ice labyrinth.... Visit there at night, you will see an ice fairyland decorating with colorful lights. At that time, your dreams of the ice and snow will come true there.

Harbin Winter Swimming--dare to Challenge it?

Do you dare to challenge it? Like swim in the icy water?

  On January 2nd, some winter swimming enthusiasts who weren’t afraid of minus 20 degrees temperatures went winter swimming in the cold weather to greet the arrival of the New Year in the Songhua River of the ice city Harbin.

   

  Harbin is an ice city in China. Winter swimming is a very popular sport in Harbin, especially during the International Ice and Snow Festival.  The Swimmer in the icy water in winter while the other people admire them, wearing thick clothes. Combining bodybuilding and performance, winter swimming is, in a sense, a combat against the chilly weather. Maybe the water on your body will freeze in less than second. Therefore, many tourists consider it as an incredible sport by brave people. Dare to challenge it?

Harbin Winter Activities

Harbin is the ice and snow city in China. The best time to visit it is in winter. There are various kinds of fun activities during your Harbin winter holiday, such as winter swimming in Songhua River, ice skating, sledding… Of course the biggest attraction in winter Harbin is the Snow and ice Festival and the Disney Ice Lantern Park at Zhaolin Park. Snow carving and ice and snow recreations are world famous.

  Harbin Ice and Snow World is a fascinating winter wonderland containing 160,000 cubic meters of ice and 120,000 of snow. With more than 2000 ice and snow art sculptures on display, this park is a must-see destination for any visitor when they go to Harbin.  Sports and activities such as skiing, ice-skating, riding snow scooters, snow slides, snow football, snowball fights, golf lessons on the snow, ice climbing and even the chance to experience outer space. The most exciting and scary activity on offer is a 200 meter long slide. The best time to participate in the activities is at night when special shows and performances are represented.

   The second biggest winter attraction in Harbin is the Disney themed Harbin Ice Lantern Park. The park includes all the famous Disney characters such as Mickey and Friends, the Little Mermaid, the Disney Princess, Pinocchio and Winnie the Pooh. The park is spectacular for both adults and children alike.

Chinese Most Traditional Art-- Chinese Stone Carving

The history of Chinese Stone Carving can be traced to 1,200,000 years ago (Neolithic Age). It is the most traditional art forms in the human history, and also one brilliant page in Chinese cultural and civilization history. Chinese Stone carving has been prosperous from generation to generation. It was considered as a group of carving and sculpture. It means using different kinds of hard materials that can be carved to create various artistic images or shape. The stone carving can reflect the social life and express the the Artists’ aesthetic sense or an ideal art.

Materials and Process Procedures

The materials of the sculpture should be solid and can resist corrosion or weathering. Many of it are stone, wood, jade, plaster, resin, clay… The Chinese stone carving consists of various kinds. The followings are the general processing procedures: choosing the materials first, then model making, blanks forming, product shaping, polishing, cleaning, product assembling, inspection and packing. With the development of the society, the stone carving can be processed by machines. However, the traditional processing tool is by hand.

Styles

 Engraved with different delicate pictures or images, Chinese Stone Carving was classified to many types, such as blue stone carving, marble stone carving, jade carving, steatite carving, smoky quartz sculpture, Colored stone carving, Pebbles carving... The blue stone carving in Huian, Fujian is famous for its building decoration and stone lions. The stone lions have a good reputation in Southeast Asia. The marble stone carving in Yunnan is very wonderful. The different patterns on it are vivid and lifelike. The jade carving in Quyang,Hebei was used to palace decoration in Ming and Qing Dynasties. And now it is used to decorate the public or the memorial buildings, such as the Great Hall of the People, the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall. In Liaoning and Shandong province, Steatite carving features the lovely animal stone carving. The skills of the stone carving are intaglio, sculptural relief...

Masterpieces of Chinese Stone Carvings

   Chinese Stone carving are widely used in people’s life. Many people are fond of jade. The jade is a typical craft of stone carving. The traditional jade has a collections value and a fabulous economic value. It is very popular in China. One of the most important and artistic things of it is the pictures, images or letters on the stone carving. The shape of the stone carving are various, stone carving buildings, bridge, grottos, tombs, palace, temples, Buddha, statues, towers, tables… The famous masterpieces of Chinese Stone Carving are Dunhuang Mogao Grottos in Gansu, Yungang Grotto in Shanxi, Longmen Grotto in Henan, The Terracotta Warriors in Shaanxi, Summer Palace and the Forbidden City in Beijing, Leshan Giant Buddha in Sichuan… all of which are the famous tourist attractions in China. China Stone Carving Art Festival is celebrated every year. It indicates the rapid development of Chinese Stone carving, even the culture and art.