Chinese language - Relic Hall of Chinese Buddhism Books

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Relic Hall of Chinese Buddhism Books

Fayuan Buddhist Temple
The Relic Hall of Chinese Buddhism Books, located insideFayuanBuddhist Temple with a long-standing history of 1,300 years in Beijing, is a museum of religious relics founded in 1980.

The Hall has collected 2,100 items of relics, including 34 pieces of Class One Relics. In theDabei(infinite mercy) Hall behind the main hall of the Temple is the Show Room of Different Editions of the Buddhist Sacred Literature through the Ages. On display are the scriptures handwritten by the
people in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the scriptures written by the people in the Five Dynasties (907-960), the edition ofKaibaozang(name of Buddhist scripture),Sixizang(name of Buddhist scripture),Qishazang(name of Buddhist scripture) of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the edition
ofZhaochengzang(name of Buddhist scripture) of the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), the edition ofPuningzang(name of Buddhist scripture) of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the edition ofNanzang(name of Buddhist scripture),Beizang(name of Buddhist scripture) andJiaxingzang(name of Buddhist scripture) and the
only edition ofWulinzang(name of Buddhist scripture) of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in the world with a part missing, and the edition ofLongzang(name of Buddhist scripture) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Also on display are theBeiyescripture (Buddhist scripture written on thetalipot palm) in
Sanskrit and the scriptures in the writing of ethnic minority groups such asXixia,Huihu,Dai, Tibet and Mongolian. On the second floor of theCangjinglou(a building for storing Buddhist scriptures) are the precious collection of theBeizang,Jiaxingzangand theLongzangof the Qing Dynasty as well as the
rubbings of the Tripitaka in Tibetan writing and the complete Fangshan Stone Scripture (Buddhist scripture inscribed on stone found at Fangshan on the suburbs of Beijing). On the first floor is the Show Room of Buddha Statues through the Ages. Facing the entrance is a 7.4-meter long sleeping
Buddha, the longest wood sleeping Buddha in Beijing left from the Ming Dynasty. On both sides are shown a potteryChuang(a pillar inscribed with Buddha's name of Buddha's scriptures) and a pottery pagoda unearthed from a Liao (916-1125) pagoda in Fangshan in 1977. If the Liao pagoda, a 21.3 meter
high 13-storeyed octagon solid brick pagoda, had not fallen all of a sudden because it had been out of repairs through the ages, the pottery pagoda and the potteryChuanginside it could not have been discovered by chance. TheChuangis a very special relic not only because it was wrapped inside the
Liao pagoda but also because it was made of pottery and in a round shape instead of stone and octagon shape as generalChuangsare. Around the Show Room are shown the Buddha statues left from the East Han Dynasty (25-220), Three Kingdoms (220-280), Northern Wei (386-534), Sui Dynasty (581-618), Tang
Dynasty (618-907), Five Dynasties (907-960), Song Dynasty (960-1279), Liao Dynasty (916-1125), Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) with different materials, such as bronze, iron, stone, wood, clay, brick, pottery, porcelain,
ivory, and colored glaze. The most precious of these Buddha statues are the arhat from the Song Dynasty, the BronzeGuanyin(Goddess of Mercy) from the Yuan Dynasty, the tri-colored glazed porcelainGuanyinand the cast-bronzeGuanyinwith one thousand hands and one thousand eyes from the Ming Dynasty.
The Buddha statues left from different dynasties and made with different materials, a superb collection of beautiful exhibits in one hall, are of great artistic value.

The Hall held a Show of Fangshan Stone Scripture Rubbings in Tokyo jointly with the Japanese Buddhism University in October 1987 and delivered a special academic lecture. The important achievements of the scientific researches of the Hall have proved that the stone inscription of the Liao and Jin
dynasties is based on the reproduction ofQidanzangas the originalQidanzangwas lost long ago. The Hall has published 12 volumes of inscribed scriptures left from Liao and Jin dynasties with photo-offset process.

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HSK - Taiwan Provincial Museum

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Library>Museum>History

Taiwan Provincial Museum

www.ntm.gov.tw

Located in the Taipei Park, the Taiwan Provincial Museum, the oldest museum in Taiwan, was built in 1908. It was previously situated at the current site of the president's office, and moved to the present site in 1915.

Before 1937, the Museum had a collection of over 13,000 cultural relics. By 1945, the number had declined to 8,834, including 1,740 items related to history, 1,085 items related to the Gaoshan ethnic minority, 740 items from the Malay Peninsula and Indonesia, 1,615 geological minerals, 3,138
animal specimens, 396 plant specimens and 120 other items. Now the cultural relics in the Museum amount to 40,000 items.

The Museum has six exhibition halls, namely the Exhibition Hall of Taiwan Aboriginal Culture, the Exhibition Hall of Exotic Cultures, the Exhibition Hall of Animal Specimens, the Exhibition Hall of Plant Specimens, the Exhibition Hall of Evolution, and the Exhibition Hall of Ocean Life-form.

Periodical publications of the Museum includeMuseum Quarterly,Museum Annual,the Journal of Conchology, and so on.

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Chinese Pinyin - The History Museum of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

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Library>Museum>History

The History Museum of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

http://tptg.longhoo.net/index.htm

Located in the eastern part of the Zhanyuan Garden, the History Museum of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (Taiping Tianguo) was completed in 1956. At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang built and bestowed the Zhanyuan garden to his brave and loyal general. In 1853, after
Taiping Heavenly Kingdom chose Nanjing as its capital, the garden was the residence of East King of the Kingdom. In 1864, the garden was demolished in warfare, and soon rebuilt in 1865 and 1903.

The History Museum of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom displays 1657 cultural relics. 42 of the relics are of the first grade, including imperial robe of Heavenly King of the Kingdom, and the imperial seal.

The specialized library in the Museum has a collection of more than 8,000 volumes of monographs and local works written in Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, over 200 letters of celebrities in the reigns of Xianfeng and Tongzhi, more than 5,000 photographic plates of cultural relics and reliques of Taiping
Heavenly Kingdom, and so on.

The four exhibition halls of the museum are devoted to the intriguing and turbulent history concerning this movement. The documents room houses an interesting collection of documents, books and artefacts related to the Kingdom including army maps, Taiping coins, scrolls of Taiping laws and
weapons. Besides roadshows every year, the Museum also holds many temporary exhibitions with various contents.

The Museum has publications ofArts of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom,A Collection of Materials Related to Taiping Heavenly Kingdom,Selected Compilation of Wu Xun's Archives, and so on.

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Pnyin - Liangxiang and Qiba

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Library>Culture ABC>Opera>Introduction

Liangxiang and Qiba

Liangxiangmeans striking a pose on the stage. In Peking Opera, before they appear on or leave the stage, the leading actors are supposed to make a statue-like pose to show their mental spirit.

Qiba(setting off for battle) got its name because it was first used in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) operaOne Thousand Pieces of Gold. It is usually used in performances such as fully armed soldiers setting off for battle in the old days. It concentrates fundamental actions and dancing skills in
order to demonstrate the prowess of generals and soldiers.

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Learn Mandarin online - Chinese Photographers Association

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Library>Institutions>Social Groups

Chinese Photographers Association

http://www.cpanet.cn/cms/

Address: No 61, Hongxing Alley, Dongdan, Beijing

Post Code: 100005

Tel: (86-10) 65131859

The Chinese Photographers' Association was established in December of 1956. It now has 4,146 members. Its subordinated organs include a gallery, the China Photography Correspondence College and the Photographic Theory Research Center. It publishes the magazines Chinese Photography (quarterly) and
Popular Photography (monthly) and a newspaper,Chinese Photography.

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Chinese Online Class - Gebao ju

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Library>China ABC>Fauna Flora>Introduction and Regulations>Class I Plants>Angiosperm

Gebao ju

It belongs to the Compositae Family, with the Latin name ofTugarinovia mongolica.

It is a kind of perennial herb. The top of the root is covered with many layers of dead stipe fiber that looks like cotton wool. It doesn't bear any terrestrial stems. The keratinous leaves are oblong, oval or elliptic, about 3 to 15 centimeters in length. They are pinnately lobed, partite or
completely segmented. It's dioecious, and the capitula of the staminiferous plant are small. The corolla of the floweret is tubular, white, and cracked into 5 parts, with pink or pale purple anthers. The bottom of the floweret bears threadlike long tails. The capitula of the female plant are
bigger. The corolla of the floweret is also tubular, white, and cracked into 5 parts, with 5 staminodes. Its elliptic angiocarp is 8 to 10 millimeters long, covered with thick villoses.

Gebao ju is a sort of strong xerophyte, mainly seen on desert steppes or desert belts, with an annual precipitation of 80 to 250 millimeters. It usually grows on the top of lithic monadnocks or gravel sloping fields 1,000-1,200 meters above sea level, forming small regional communities. It
blossoms and fructifies from May to June.

It's only distributed in the north of Uranchabu, Bayanzhuo'er, and the west ofIh-Juleagues of Inner Mongolia and some desert steppes and desert belts adjoining to Mongolia. It's an endemic species of plantage on the Inner Mongolia Plateau and of significant value for scientific research.

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HSK Exam - Qinghai Aweto

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Library>China ABC>Geography>Local Products

Qinghai Aweto

Qinghai Aweto is mainly produced on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in Qinghai Province. It is a very precious Chinese traditional medicinal plant, and also a unique life form of both animal- and plant-like conformation. As early as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it enjoyed world reputation and was
exported to a number of neighboring countries like Japan and some Southeast Asian countries. It is renowned as China's legendary treasure. At present, aweto is still one main export commodity in Qinghai, and has great demand in the Southeast Asian, Japan, American and Hong Kong as well as Macao
markets.

Aweto is composed of the larva and sporophore growing on the top of the head. The larva is 3-5 cm long, 0.3-0.8 cm thick with yellowish brown and coarse surface, has segments with several annular marks and 8 pairs of feet present at the abdomen with the middle 4 pairs more prominent, and is
brittle in texture. The sporophore is slender-clavate, longer then the larva, deep brown, with longitudinal striae, and its top is elliptical, enlarged, with numerous protruding granular peritheciums, and soft and tough in texture. Aweto is sweet in taste, warm in nature, and attributive to lung
and kidney channels.

Aweto helps invigoratethe lung andthe kidney and supplement essence,improve inspiration to relieve dyspnea, eliminate phlegm and stop bleeding. Besides, it can also be used as tonics for the aged and the diseased.

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Chinese Online Class - Liaohe River

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Library>China ABC>Geography>Rivers & Lakes

Liaohe River

Being one of the largest rivers in northern China, the Liaohe River is called the Mother River by people in Liaoning Province. Originated in Qilaotu Mountain in Heibei Province, it flows 1,394 kilometers through Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces, and at last empties into the
Bohai Sea, with a drainage area of 201,600 square kilometers.

The upper reaches of the river stretch 882 kilometers, running through loess hills; the middle reaches stretch 210 kilometers, to the Stone Buddha Temple; and the lower reaches have 302 kilometers.

The river abounds in precipitation rainfall especially in summer, which often causes serious floods in the lower reaches. Besides, the most challenging engineering aspect of taming the Liaohe River is the control of the exceptionally high sediment load that the river carries in its lower reaches,
with 20.98 million tons of sediment on the average entering the river channel annually, only next to the Yellow River and the Haihe River.

In recent years, the water quality of Liaohe River is quite bad on the whole and the river system is heavily polluted. The major pollution indicators are ammonia nitrogen, total mercury, volatile phenols and permanganate index. After several years of treatment since 1993, the monitoring data
showed some progress. In the eight local cities of the river valley, six sewage treatment plants with a total daily treatment capacity of 1.07 million tons were established. Industrial pollution sources of the river valley basically reached the emission standard.

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Chinese Speaking - Shennongjia National Natural Reserve

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Library>China ABC>Fauna Flora>Nature Reserves

Shennongjia National Natural Reserve

Located in the juncture of three counties of Badong, Xingshan and Fangxian, Hubei Province, the southwest of Shennongjia National Nature Reserve is on the border of Xiangfan City, Yichang City and Wanxian County respectively. The Reserve was established in 1982 with a total area of 70,467
hectares. The Reserve encompasses three vertical vegetation zones namely subtropical, warm temperate and cold temperate; hence, it is an ideal place for ecological research on biodiversity, typicality and natural transition of vegetation. Shennongjia National Nature Reserve was accepted by the
International Man and Biosphere Reserve Network of UNESCO in 1990.

Climate

The Reserve lies in the transitional zone of northern subtropical to mid subtropical. It is cool, moist and rainy. Its average temperature is 7.9℃with the extreme high temperature of 36.4℃and lowest temperature of 17.7℃below zero. Its yearly precipitation averages 1,440 millimeters. July and
August are rainy seasons. Generally speaking, it is in the glacier period from the end of September to the next April and is covered with hails all year round. Complicated terrain, plenty of rain, big relative height difference and other reasons make the Reserve a mysterious place.

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Chinese Pinyin - Indo-pacific Hump-backed Dolphin

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Library>China ABC>Fauna Flora>Introduction and Regulations>Class I Animals>Mammalia

Indo-pacific Hump-backed Dolphin

Also known as the Chinese White Dolphin, the Speckled Dolphin, or the Pink Dolphin, it belongs to the Platanistidae family of Cetacea order. Its Latin scientific name is Sousa chinensis, and English name is Indo-pacific Hump-backed Dolphin.

The whole body of the adult ones is milky white, so it gets the name White Fin. Both the belly and tail are pink. Many anomalous grayish black spots are spreading on the back, body sides, dorsal fin, fin limb back and tail fin back. Its body back is gray, and the belly is in lighter color.

They frequently take a rest and gather in offshore beach of estuarine, and prey on fishes along sea area with reefs. Mostly 3 to 7 heads form a group. Sometimes they leave ocean and go against the river up to tens of kilometers to chase fish.

In China,it is mainly distributed in southeast coastal regions, Xiamen City of Fujian Province, Zhujiang of Guangdong Province and surrounding sea areas of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It belongs to rare marine animals and has been listed in Appendix I ofInternational Trade Convention
on Endangered Wild Animal and Plant Species. It is the mascot on the event of Hong Kong's returning to China in 1997. In Xiamen City of Fujian Province, a nature reserve for White Fin at national level has been established; in Zhujiang Estuarine of Guangdong Province, a nature reserve for White
Fin at provincial level has also been established; and Hong Kong SAR government has established a nature reserve for it in Hong Kong, too.

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Chinese Speaking - Golden Monkey

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Library>China ABC>Fauna Flora>Introduction and Regulations>Class I Animals>Mammalia

Golden Monkey

With the aliases of Snub-nosed Monkey and Gold-threaded Monkey, it belongs to the Cercopithecidae family of Primates order. Its scientific name is Pygathrix roxellanae (Latin), or Chinese snub-nosed monkey, or golden monkey (English).

The body length of the male is 52 to 78 centimeters and the length of the tail is 57 to 80 centimeters, weighing about 17 kilograms. The female is smaller and weighs about 8 kilograms. Due to protuberant mouth and obliquely upward nostrils, it is also called Snub-nosed Monkey. Its cheek is azure.
The male monkey, from nape to tail dock, has light taupe coat hair mixed with golden long hair up to 30 centimeters in length and with flamboyant color. The female has no golden long hair.

Inhabiting in mixed broadleaf-conifer forests and coniferous forests at an elevation of 1,500 to 3,500 meters, it dwells on trees, seldom going down to the ground. It moves about in daytime, usually in groups of as many as 100 to 200 heads, or 20 to 30 heads. Its food scope is wide, feeding on
young leaves, plumules and inflorescence, and once in a while preying on young birds, bird ova and insects, etc. Its oestrum is from August to October and the littering period is from March to May. Gestation period of female lasts 193 to 203 days with one baby each time. The suckling period is 5
to 6 months. Generally the female grows to sexual maturity at the age of 4 to 6. Under breeding condition, it has a lifespan of 20 to 25 years.

Golden Monkey is endemic to China with a small quantity, mainly distributed in Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi provinces and Shennongjia mountainous area of Hubei Province.

It has been listed in Appendix I ofInternational Trade Convention on Endangered Wild Animal and Plant Species.

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Learn Chinese - Hockey

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|Home|News Center|Cultural Olympics|City of Beijing|Sports Tradition|China Impression|

Hockey

( 2008-07-10 )

Venue: Hockey Field, Olympic Green

Time: Aug 10 - 23

Hockey is the oldest known ball and stick game. Records exist of it having been played in Persia in 2000 BC. The name hockey probably derives from the French hocquet, or shepherd!s crook, and refers to the crooked stick which is used to hit a small ball.

The game became more organised late in the 19th century and became an Olympic sport in 1908. Until the 1970s, the game at international level was mainly played on natural grass, but has become an even more exciting and Skilful India dominated the sport for three decades, winning all six Olympic
gold medals and 30 consecutive games from 1928 to 1956.

The first Balbir Singh, who was followed by four more players of the same name who also played for victorious Indian teams, scored five goals in a 6-1 gold-medal victory over the Netherlands in Helsinki in 1952.

　 Emblems More

* Dancing Beijing -- Beijing 2008 Olympic Emblem

============================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================

* Beijing Paralympics Emblem ( 07-10 )
* Environmental Emblem of Beijing 2008 ( 07-10 )
* Emblem of the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay ( 07-10 )
* Emblem of the Beijing 2008 OYC ( 07-10 )
* Emblem of the Beijing Olympic Cultural Festival ( 07-10 )

News More

* Illustrated Olympic giant panda story comes out
* Ten recommended Beijing shopping streets
* Let the fashion parade begin
* Chinese soprano holds solo concert in Greece
* Int'l sand sculpture festival in Italy highlights Beijing Olympics

Meet in Beijing More

* Dance Along the River during the Qingming Festival
* Concert by Macao Chinese Orchestra
* Kataklo Athletic Dance Theatre
* UK Contemporary Exhibition
* The Russia Star Ballet

Olympic on Beijing's Axis

　 Online Tour

============================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================

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Constructed by .cn
Copyright 2003 Ministry of Culture, P.R.China. All rights reserved

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Pnyin - Shanxi Province

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Library>China ABC>Geography>Introduction

Shanxi Province

Geography

Shanxi (literally, west of mountain) is named after its location in the west of the Taihang Mountain Range. It is situated 34"35"-40"45" north latitude and 110"15"-114"32" east longitude with an area of 156,300 square kilometers. It is bounded by the North China Plain in the east and the middle
Yellow River in the west. Mountains cover 67.5% of Shanxi Province, and its highlands, hills and basins stand at about 1,000 meters or more above sea level, sloping from northeast to southwest.

Climate

Shanxi has a continental monsoonal climate with distinctive seasons. It has cold winters but mild summers, with a mean annual temperature of 6oC to 14oC. The greater part of the province has a mean annual precipitation of 400-650 mm, increasing gradually from northwest to southeast.

Administrative Division and Population

It is divided into 1 district, 10 prefecture-level cities, 12 county-level cities and 85 counties, with a population of 32.97 million as of 2000, mainly including ethnic groups of Han, Hui, Mongolian and Manchu.

Food

Daoxiao Mian (Knife-Pared Noodles), Shaomai (steamed dumplings with the dough gathered at the top), and Youmian (Naked Oats Noodles), etc.

Special Local Products

The traditional specialties are Fen wine, Zhuyeqing wine, Qingxu vinegar and Changzhi ginseng.

Culture

Shanxi Bangzi (a kind of opera in Shanxi), Huagu (Flower Drum), and Yangge (popular rural folk dance), etc.

Brief Introduction

Shanxi, Jin for short, is situated on the middle segment of the Yellow River. The land of Shanxi is one of the origins of Chinese civilization, exhibiting evidence of human settlement over a million years ago. Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor), a famous legendary hero, apparently sojourned in Shanxi,
and the earliest rulers, Yao, Shun and Yu, all founded their capitals there. Datong, known as Pingcheng in ancient times, was the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) and famous throughout the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-581). During the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907)
Dynasties, Shanxi became very prosperous. In the past, Shanxi people were once called the Chinese Jews, indicating that they were people of wisdom. The long history of Shanxi has provided the province with a rich and colorful cultural heritage.

The basins here are the main agricultural region. The most important products are wheat, corn, cotton and peanut. Shanxi is the base of coal industry. The produces of heavy machinery and textile are very important in the whole country. Also, there is iron and steel, electric power, chemical
industry, textile and food. The communication is mainly railway. And the highway here is convenient, too.

There are abundant historic reserves in Shanxi, including Wutai Mountain, Hengshan Mountain, the Jin Ancestral Hall in Taiyuan, the Yungan Grottos in Datong, the Shuanglin Temple in Pingyao, the Hanging Temple in Hunyuan, and the Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River.

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Chinese Character - Dancing Beijing -- Beijing 2008 Olympic Emblem

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|Home|News Center|Cultural Olympics|City of Beijing|Sports Tradition|China Impression|








Dancing Beijing -- Beijing 2008 Olympic Emblem

( 2008-07-10 )



The emblem of Beijing 2008 Olympic, officially entitled "Chinese Seal, Dancing Beijing” has a single Chinese character on a traditional red Chinese seal.



With inspiration from the traditional Chinese art form - calligraphic art, the character "Jing" (the latter of the city's name which also means "capital") is developed into the form of a dancing human being, reflecting the ideal of a "New Olympics". The words "Beijing 2008", also resembling the
vivid shapes of Chinese characters in handwriting, are written below, voicing in concise strokes of the countless feelings Chinese people possess towards the Olympics.

"Dancing Beijing" serves as the city's foremost appearance. It is an image that shows the eastern ways of thinking and the nation's lasting appeal embodied in the Chinese characters. It is an expression that conveys the unique cultural quality and elegance of Chinese civilization.

"Dancing Beijing" is the city's signature -- Jing. The ancient art of calligraphy expresses the grace and character of the Chinese and the charm and beauty of their traditions. The image of Beijing's Olympics, inspired by the ancient figure for Beijing, turns the city into a dancing athlete in the
graceful sweep of the calligrapher's hand.

"Dancing Beijing" is the color of China -- the red, which is the most significant color in Chinese culture's symbol of luck, of celebration and of new beginnings. Red, symbol of vitality, is intensively used in the emblem, hushing the passion up to a new level. The depth of its meaning equals the
depth of its beauty. It carries Chinese people's longing for luck and happiness and their explanation of life.

"Dancing Beijing", in the form of the dragon, extends the totem of the Chinese nation. Its graceful curves are like the body of a wriggling dragon, relating the past and future of one same civilization; they are like rivers, carrying the century-old history and the nation's pride; they are like
veins, pulsing with vitality of life.

"Dancing Beijing" represents the spirit of the individual. The form of a running human being stands for the beauty and magnificence of life. It is the symbol for every Olympian, every performer, every volunteer and every spectator. Arms flung wide, it invites all people and the world to share in
the city's history, beauty, energy, and its future.

The intrinsic values of sports - athlete-centered and people-oriented - are well defined and upgraded in an artistic way in “Dancing Beijing." It captures the soul of a city in transformation and its motion conveys a message of hope, joy, and unity. It is a celebration of "peace, friendship and
progress of mankind."





　 Emblems More









* Dancing Beijing -- Beijing 2008 Olympic Emblem



============================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================


* Beijing Paralympics Emblem ( 07-10 )
* Environmental Emblem of Beijing 2008 ( 07-10 )
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Chinese Character - Sichuan Province

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Library>China ABC>Geography>Introduction







Sichuan Province




Geography



Sichuan, in China's western hinterland, covers most of the Sichuan Basin. Surrounded by mountains, it is situated at 26'03"-34'20" north latitude and 97'22"-110'10" east longitude with an area of 567,000 square kilometers, accounting for 5.1% of China's total area. Sichuan is high in the west and
low in the east in terms of topography. Generally speaking, the western part is plateaus and mountainous regions some 4,000 meters above sea level, while the eastern part features basin and hilly land with an elevation between 1,000 and 3,000 meters.

Climate

The climate in Sichuan is vastly different between its eastern and western parts. The Sichuan Basin has a humid sub-tropical monsoonal climate, with mild winters, hot summers, long frost-free period, plentiful rainfall and mist, high humidity, and less sunshine. Its average temperature in July,
the hottest month, is 25-29oC; in January, the coldest month, 3-8oC. The Western Sichuan Plateau with its plateau climate has lower temperature and less rainfall than the Sichuan Basin, both of which differ again in the southern and northern sections of the plateau.

Administrative Division and Population

It is divided into 5 districts, 3 autonomous prefectures, 13 prefecture-level cities, 18 county-level cities, 124 counties, and 3 autonomous counties, with a population of 83.29 million as of 2000.

Food

Sichuan Cuisine, one of the Eight Great Cuisines in China, emphasizes the use of chili, red hot peppers and garlic. Typical menu items are: Hot Pot, Smoked Duck, Kung Pao Chicken, Twice Cooked Pork, Mapo Tofu. Shuizhu Niurou (steamed beef with a variety of seasonings and spices), Yuxiang Rousi (a
roast pork dish cooked with bamboo shoots, mushrooms), Zhangcha Duck (salted, smoked duck), etc.

Culture

Chuanju (Sichuan Opera), Xieju (comic opera)

Brief Introduction

Sichuan Province, Shu for short, is located in southwest China, with Chengdu as its capital city. Sichuan, generally classified as a rice region, abounds in agricultural products. It is listed as one of China's major producers of rice, wheat, cotton, rapeseeds, raw silk, oil-bearing crops, meat,
and fruit, and also holds a significant place in production of medicinal herbs, pigs and cattle. Sichuan's major industrial products are metals, coal, petroleum, machinery, electric power, well salt, chemicals, electronics, textiles and foodstuff etc.

Sichuan is known as the "Land of Abundance" and has three places listed as the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, namely the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, the Huanglong Scenic Area, and Emei Mountain including the Leshan Giant Buddha. Visitors to this province can experience a wide variety of
beautiful landscapes including plateaus, mountains, ravines, basins, hills, plains, rivers, lakes, hot springs, waterfalls and limestone caves. Most of the rivers in Sichuan belong to the Yangtze River system.

Sichuan is gifted with lush mountains and exquisite waters, and abounds in historical and cultural resources. Its main scenic spots and historical sites include Emei Mountain, Qingcheng Mountain, and Long Valley, the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Leshan Giant Buddha, and Jiuzhaigou (Nine-Village
Valley). The Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan is home to the Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base, one of the most important centers in the world for the captive conservation of the Giant Panda.

As one of the largest provinces, Sichuan has more than 15 minority groups living with the Han people. Among these are the Yi, Hui, Tibetan and Miao peoples. Each of these minorities has its own charm, ethnic style and folk custom. Some of the ethical festivals like Leshan Great Buddha
International Tourist Festival, Southland Ice and Snow Festival, Liangshan Yi Minority Torch Festival and Zigong Lantern Festival have become Sichuan's unique tourist resources.











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