World on my postcards

  Shangri-La is the "Eden in dream". Since it first appeared in British novelist James Hilton's  Lost Horizon  in the 1939, it has been associated with the mystique of a place which could not possibly exist here on Earth. In Tibetan,Shangri-La means the "sun and moon in heart", an ideal home only found in heaven.

 Potala palace is a winter palace that is a symbol of Tibetan Bud dhism.  The beauty and originality of the architecture of these three sites, their rich ornamentation and harmonious integration in a striking landscape, add to their historic and religious interest. I

 Literally from chinese Wuhan means 'fighting Han people'.In the late 19th century, it was the most prosperous city in the central part of the country. Now it is a cultural and educational center and a transportation hub.

 My favorite animals are pandas! They are so cute. I wish one day to see them in real life and maybe even cuddle with them :D  Giant pandas are solitary. They have a highly developed sense of smell that males use to avoid each other and to find females for mating in the spring. After a five-month pregnancy, females give birth to a cub or two, though they cannot care for both twins. The blind infants weigh only 5 ounces (142 grams) at birth and cannot crawl until they reach three months of age. They are born white, and develop their much loved coloring later. There are only about 1,000 giant pandas left in the wild. Perhaps 100 pandas live in zoos, where they are always among the most popular attractions. Much of what we know about pandas comes from study of these zoo animals, because their wild cousins are so rare and elusive. And the back of the card is also very beautiful!

 One Thousand Hands Buddha is a superior, spiritually healing Qigong method.  This Qigong form was inspired by the symbolic positioning of Buddha’s fingers, referred to as “mudras” by Buddhists.  It is a method that produces calmness and keeps the heart from “galloping away”, leading the practitioner into a state of silence and peace, a little at a time.  This meditative Qigong form alleviates suffering, fortifies energy, calms the heart and helps the spirit attain wisdom. The method also helps fight stress and strengthens the memory.

 The Ruins of St. Paul's stands adjacent to the famous Mount Fortress and Macau Museum. The front façade and the grand stone stairs are the only remains of the greatest church.   First constructed in 1580, St. Paul's Church caught fires in 1595 and 1601. However, reconstruction started in 1602 soon after the church was burnt down. Completed in 1637, the church became the biggest Catholic Church in East Asia at that time.   Unfortunately, a violent typhoon hit Macau in 1835 and the church caught fire for the third time leaving its glory a history. According to historical materials, St Paul's Church, built with white stones, had a grand vaulted roof. It had three magnificently decorated halls.

 The Maonan ethnic minority lives mostly in Huanjiang County of Guangxi Province, especially in the three regions of Shangnan, Zhongnan, and Xianan. They have a relatively smaller population of 107,166 than many other ethnic groups in China. They mainly live on agriculture. They utilize each inch of farming land to increase the yields and gradually they have rich experience of growing crops. Handicraft industries also play a considerable role in their economy. Maonan are proud of their beef cattle, which sells well in South China. The Maonan ethnic minority likes to build houses, tables, utensils with stone, as well as sculpture. The most famous may be the chiseled works on the tumulus groups. It is really amazing that dexterous stonecutters can create so many lively sculptures of flowers, birds, fish, insects, and people without drawing or drafting them first.

The Li ethnic minority lives mainly in the Li and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, in the centre and south of Hainan Province, with a small number of them mixed with the Han people. They had been a branch of the ancient Baiyue groups who had a close relationship with such present ethnic minorities as Buyi, Dong, Dai, Shui and Zhuang. According to historical records, they have been on Hainan Island for over three thousand years. Li is derived from their pronunciation of 'mountains'. Today they have a large population of 1,247,814.   Language : Their language, with diverse dialects, belongs to the Zhuang-Dong group of the Sino-Tibetan phylum. Because of long association with the Han people, some of the Li can also speak Chinese. In 1957, they created the written form of their language based on Roman script.   Religion : They believe all things have spirits and in some places, there are still relics of totem adoration; they all respect seniors and ancestors, and duri...

 Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, enjoys great fame among tourists not only because the region features a consistently warm climate, but also thanks to its wonderful vistas and landscapes. Among the most dramatic of these attractions is the Stone Forest (Shilin), known since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.) as the 'First Wonder of the World.' It  is in Lunan Yi Nationality Autonomous County. It covers an area of 400 square kilometers  and includes both large and small stone forests, as well as many other scenic spots. An old local saying says that 'If you have visited Kunming without seeing the Stone Forest, you have wasted your time.' Truly, the site is one of the most important attractions of Yunnan. Walking through the site, visitors marvel at the natural stone masterpieces and are bewitched by the intricate formations. The magnificent, strange and steep landscape creates countless labyrinthine vistas, including: Major Stone Forest, Mi...