:x: Welcome :x:
A beginning, a middle, and an end.
And although it is hard...
They continued to persist and turned into nobles when the younger generations look back in history...
August 29, 2007
/8:56:00 PM
Final Submission!!!
/8:13:00 PM
A zoom-in map on Fa Xian's Journey:
His Journey:
In about A.D. 399, Faxian, a Buddhist monk, began an overland journey from China to India. the route he took crisscrossed the famous Silk Road trade routes. Faxian did not go west for riches. Instead, he was on a search to learn more about the most important part of his life—the religion of Buddhism. Faxian set out for India because it was the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama(Buddha).
Buddhism is based on the teachings of Buddha. When Faxian became a monk, Faxian recognized that the Buddhist monastic rules (the Vinaya) available in China at the time were incomplete and confused and thus vowed to journey to India to search for Vinaya texts.
He left the city of Changan in the year 399 CE, and travelled west to Dunhuang, where he stayed for several weeks. The governor of Dunhuang provided him with the support to cross the desert.
On the other side of the desert Faxian stayed in Khotan for three months. He was particularly impressed with the number of monasteries in Khotan, and the commitment of its Buddhist monks and lay-people. Leaving Khotan, he travelled to Gandhara, and then travelled into northern India, which was at that time under Gupta rule. He confirmed that Khotan was Mahayana Buddhist during that period.
Faxian wrote: "The country is prosperous and the people are numerous; without exception they have faith in the Dharma and they entertain one another with religious music. The community of monks numbers several tens of thousands and they belong mostly to the Mahayana."
Faxian visited many places in India. He saw where Buddha was born and where Buddha gave his first sermon. Faxian also met and lived with some of India's Buddhist monks. During his time with the monks, Faxian studied Indian writings about Buddhism.
He had traveled to approximately thirty kingdoms in fifteen years, and was the first Chinese Buddhist monk to successfully journey to India and return with Buddhist scriptures. He kept a journal of his entire journey. Historians now use this journal to learn more about India in the fifth century. On his journey home Faxian took back many Buddhist writings. He spent the rest of his life translating them into Chinese.
Original Source from: http://www.bookrags.com/Faxian
The Map Of Silk Road:
The Map Of Fa Xian's Journey: 
His Journey:
In about A.D. 399, Faxian, a Buddhist monk, began an overland journey from China to India. the route he took crisscrossed the famous Silk Road trade routes. Faxian did not go west for riches. Instead, he was on a search to learn more about the most important part of his life—the religion of Buddhism. Faxian set out for India because it was the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama(Buddha).
Buddhism is based on the teachings of Buddha. When Faxian became a monk, Faxian recognized that the Buddhist monastic rules (the Vinaya) available in China at the time were incomplete and confused and thus vowed to journey to India to search for Vinaya texts.
He left the city of Changan in the year 399 CE, and travelled west to Dunhuang, where he stayed for several weeks. The governor of Dunhuang provided him with the support to cross the desert.
On the other side of the desert Faxian stayed in Khotan for three months. He was particularly impressed with the number of monasteries in Khotan, and the commitment of its Buddhist monks and lay-people. Leaving Khotan, he travelled to Gandhara, and then travelled into northern India, which was at that time under Gupta rule. He confirmed that Khotan was Mahayana Buddhist during that period.
Faxian wrote: "The country is prosperous and the people are numerous; without exception they have faith in the Dharma and they entertain one another with religious music. The community of monks numbers several tens of thousands and they belong mostly to the Mahayana."
Faxian visited many places in India. He saw where Buddha was born and where Buddha gave his first sermon. Faxian also met and lived with some of India's Buddhist monks. During his time with the monks, Faxian studied Indian writings about Buddhism.
He had traveled to approximately thirty kingdoms in fifteen years, and was the first Chinese Buddhist monk to successfully journey to India and return with Buddhist scriptures. He kept a journal of his entire journey. Historians now use this journal to learn more about India in the fifth century. On his journey home Faxian took back many Buddhist writings. He spent the rest of his life translating them into Chinese.
Original Source from: http://www.bookrags.com/Faxian
/8:00:00 PM
Fa Xian's account :
During his visit to Bengal, Fa Xian is believed to have travelled eastward along the course of the Ganges river, and during his journey, he came across Buddhist stupas and monks at several places. In a place named Tamralipti, Fa Xian spent two years, and visited twenty-two monasteries, inhabited by monks who lived in accordance with the Buddhist Vinaya.
Archaeological evidences also support Fa Xian's account about the blooming state of Buddhism in the Gupta period. An inscription found at Gunaigarh near Comilla, bearing the year 188 of the Gupta era (corresponding to 506 or 507 of the Christian era), records a gift of land by Maharaja Vainya Gupta in favour of the Buddhist Avaivarttika Sangha of the Mahayana sect. The Sangha, founded by the Acharya Shantideva and housed in a monastery called Ashrama Vihara, was dedicated to Avalokiteshvara. The inscription also refers to other Buddhist monasteries, one of which was known as Raja Vihara, which literally translates into Royal Vihara. Two Buddhist sculptures, a standing image of the Buddha found at Biharail in Rajshahi district and a gold-plated bronze image of Manjushri discovered at Balai Dhap mound at Mahasthana in Bogra, also bear testimony to the flourishing state of Buddhism during the rule of the Gupta kings.
Both the Hinayana and Mahayana sects of Buddhism prospered during the Gupta Dynasty. Some Buddhist inscriptions, seals, images and manuscripts in Gupta characters, discovered at various archaeological excavations sites, testify to the thriving state of the early Hinayana schools, namely, the Sarvastivadins, the Sammatiyas and Sthavirvadins. Gradually, Hinayana lost its hold, and Mahayana took ascendancy over Hinayana. Mahayana, with its ultra-altruistic principles, its scope for devotion and worship, and its opening of the state of Bodhisattvahood began to capture the imagination of common people, and acquired the status of an important religious movement. As Mahayana grew popular, Bodhisattvas such as Manjusri, Avalokitesvara and the goddess Prajnaparamita rose to occupy important positions. The Adi Buddha and Amitabha Buddha also received special attention. Worship of Bodhisattva images along with the image of the Buddha turned into a common practice. The Mahayanists are said to have revered the Prajna texts just as the Hinayanists revered their Vinaya and Abhidharma books. The Mahayanists are also said to have practised spells for religious purposes.
Fa Xian visited India in the 5th century, and found that some of the old Buddhist centres like Kapilavastu and Saraswati were in a neglected and ruinous state, while Pataliputra, Mathura, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Nalanda were flourishing as active centres of Buddhism. The great monastery of Nalanda, which was founded by Kumara Gupta Mahendraditya, rose to prominence in the Gupta period and in course of time turned into a university and became the greatest centre of Buddhist learning in Asia. From an early date, the Buddhists of Bengal were closely linked with this great institution, although it was situated in Magadha.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Juicy Bits:
Prior to Hiuen Tsang's visit to Nalanda, Acharya Dharmapala had been the high priest of its monastery. He was succeeded by his disciple Acharya shilabhadra, a scion(heir) of a Brahmana king of Samatata. It was under Silabhadra's guidance that Hiuen Tsang studied Buddhist philosophy, including the vedas and Sangkhya Shastras, for five years. Not only scholars from Bengal but also its kings, the Guptas, the Palas etc., contributed to the development of the great institutions at Nalanda.
/7:25:00 PM
When Fa Xian visited India, it was the period of India Golden Age.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Golden Age of India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Golden Age of India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Golden Age of India occurs under the rule of the Gupta Dynasty (320 - 550 CE) The Gupta established a strong central government which also allowed a degree of local control. Gupta society was ordered in accordance with Hindu beliefs. This included a strict caste system. The peace and prosperity created under Gupta leadership enabled the pursuit of scientific and artistic endeavors. Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, and Chandragupta II were the most notable rulers of the Gupta dynasty.The decimal numeral system, including the concept of zero, was invented in India during this period.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Picture from: http://www.southasianmedia.net/
/5:31:00 PM
The Silk Road
These exchanges were significant not only for the development and flowering of the great civilizations of China, ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India and Rome but also helped to lay the foundations of our modern world. Silk road is a translation from the German Seidenstraße, the term first used by German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen in the 19th century.
The continental Silk Road diverges into northern and southern routes as it extends from the commercial centers of North China, the northern route passing through the Bulgar–Kypchak zone to Eastern Europe and the Crimean peninsula, and from there across the Black Sea, Marmara Sea and the Balkans to Venice; the southern route passing through Turkestan–Khorasan into Mesopotamia and Anatolia, and then through Antioch in Southern Anatolia into the Mediterranean Sea or through the Levant into Egypt and North Africa.
The last missing railroad link on the Silk Road was completed in 1992, when the international railway communication Almaty–Urumqi opened.
The Silk Road on the Sea extends from South China, present-day Philippines, Brunei, Siam, Malacca, Ceylon, India, Persia, Egypt, Italy, Portugal and Sweden. On August 7 2005 it was reported that the Antiquity and Monument Office of Hong Kong was planning to propose the Silk Road on the Sea as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Silk Road and its names:
Traditional Chinese: 絲綢之路
Simplified Chinese: 丝绸之路
pinyin: sīchóu zhī lù
Persian راه ابریشم
Râh-e Abrisham
Turkish: İpekyolu
Kyrgyz: Жибек жолу (Ğibek ğolu)
Hungarian: Selyemút
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This particular road was an interconnected series of routes through Southern Asia traversed by caravan and ocean vessel, and connecting Chang'an (today's Xi'an), China, with Antioch, Asia Minor, as well as other points. Its length carries over 8,000 km (5,000 miles) long. Its influence carried over into Japan and Korea.
The Silk Road in the 1st century.
The Silk Road in the 1st century.
These exchanges were significant not only for the development and flowering of the great civilizations of China, ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India and Rome but also helped to lay the foundations of our modern world. Silk road is a translation from the German Seidenstraße, the term first used by German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen in the 19th century.
The continental Silk Road diverges into northern and southern routes as it extends from the commercial centers of North China, the northern route passing through the Bulgar–Kypchak zone to Eastern Europe and the Crimean peninsula, and from there across the Black Sea, Marmara Sea and the Balkans to Venice; the southern route passing through Turkestan–Khorasan into Mesopotamia and Anatolia, and then through Antioch in Southern Anatolia into the Mediterranean Sea or through the Levant into Egypt and North Africa.
The last missing railroad link on the Silk Road was completed in 1992, when the international railway communication Almaty–Urumqi opened.
The Silk Road on the Sea extends from South China, present-day Philippines, Brunei, Siam, Malacca, Ceylon, India, Persia, Egypt, Italy, Portugal and Sweden. On August 7 2005 it was reported that the Antiquity and Monument Office of Hong Kong was planning to propose the Silk Road on the Sea as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
/4:29:00 PM
Geography Of India
Location:
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan
Geographic coordinates:
20 00 N, 77 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 3,287,590 sq km
land: 2,973,190 sq km
water: 314,400 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than one-third the size of the US
Land boundaries:
total: 14,103 km
border countries: Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km
Coastline:
7,000 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
Terrain:
upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m
Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 54.4% permanent crops: 2.74% other: 42.86% (2001)
Irrigated land:
590,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Location:
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan
Geographic coordinates:
20 00 N, 77 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 3,287,590 sq km
land: 2,973,190 sq km
water: 314,400 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than one-third the size of the US
Land boundaries:
total: 14,103 km
border countries: Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km
Coastline:
7,000 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
Terrain:
upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m
Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 54.4% permanent crops: 2.74% other: 42.86% (2001)
Irrigated land:
590,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
- droughts
- flash floods
- widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains
- severe thunderstorms
- earthquakes
People Of India:
Population:
1,080,264,388 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 31.2% (male 173,634,432/female 163,932,475)
Population:
1,080,264,388 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 31.2% (male 173,634,432/female 163,932,475)
15-64 years: 63.9% (male 356,932,082/female 333,283,590)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 26,542,025/female 25,939,784)
Median age:
total: 24.66 years male: 24.64 years female: 24.67 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.4% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
22.32 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
8.28 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 56.29 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 56.86 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 55.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.35 years
male: 63.57 years
female: 65.16 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.78 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.9% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
5.1 million (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
310,000 (2001 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis
animal contact disease: rabies (2004)
Nationality:
noun: Indian(s)
adjective: Indian
Ethnic groups:
Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)
Religions:
Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)
Median age:
total: 24.66 years male: 24.64 years female: 24.67 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.4% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
22.32 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
8.28 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 56.29 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 56.86 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 55.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.35 years
male: 63.57 years
female: 65.16 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.78 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.9% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
5.1 million (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
310,000 (2001 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis
animal contact disease: rabies (2004)
Nationality:
noun: Indian(s)
adjective: Indian
Ethnic groups:
Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)
Religions:
Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)
Languages:
- English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication
- Hindi is the national language
- Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Transportation in India:
- Waterways
- Pipelines
- Ports & Harbors
- Merchant Marines
- Heliports
- Airports
/4:20:00 PM
Place Of Interest in India: Patna
Patna is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar, and one of the oldest regularly inhabited places in the world.
The modern city of Patna lies on the southern bank of the Ganges, as it flows past with the combined waters of the rivers Ghagra, Son and Gandak. At the point where the city is located, the sacred Ganges looks more sea than river: mighty, wide and interminably.
An energetic city of 1,800,000 people, the city is approximately 25 km long and 9 km to 10 km wide.
The Buddhist and Jain pilgrim centres of Vaishali, Rajgir or Rajgriha, Nalanda, Bodhgaya, and Pawapuri are all nearby. Patna is a sacred city for Sikhs also. The tenth and last "human" guru, Guru Gobind Singh, was born here. It is the best gateway for all the places on this circuit. The monuments in and around the city take one down the history to its glorious past.
The walled old area, called Patna City by the locals, is also a major trading centre.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Geography:
Patna is located on the south bank of the Ganges River. Patna has a very long riverline, and it is surrounded on three sides by rivers—the Ganga, Sone, and Poonpun. Just to the north of Patna across the river Ganga flows the river Gandak making it a unique place having four largish rivers in its vicinity. It is the largest riverine city in the world. a historical city on the banks of Ganges was nomenclatured by princess Sarika, daughter of king Patliputra.
The bridge over the river Ganga, named after Mohandas Gandhi, is 5850m long is said to be the longest single river bridge in the world.
Altitude: 53 meters
Temperature: Summer 43 °C to 21 °C, Winter 20 °C to 5 °C
Rainfall (average): 1,200 mm
Temperature: Summer 43 °C to 21 °C, Winter 20 °C to 5 °C
Rainfall (average): 1,200 mm
August 28, 2007
/3:47:00 PM
Geography Of China (World's fourth largest country) :
Location:
Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam
Geographic coordinates:
35 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 9,596,960 sq km land: 9,326,410 sq km water: 270,550 sq km
Land boundaries:
total: 22,117 km
Location:
Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam
Geographic coordinates:
35 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 9,596,960 sq km land: 9,326,410 sq km water: 270,550 sq km
Land boundaries:
total: 22,117 km
border countries: Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km, India 3,380 km, Kazakhstan 1,533 km, North Korea 1,416 km, Kyrgyzstan 858 km, Laos 423 km, Mongolia 4,677 km, Nepal 1,236 km, Pakistan 523 km, Russia (northeast) 3,605 km, Russia (northwest) 40 km, Tajikistan 414 km, Vietnam 1,281 km regional borders: Hong Kong 30 km, Macau 0.34 km
Coastline:
14,500 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
Terrain:
mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m
Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest)
Land use:
arable land: 15.4%
permanent crops: 1.25%
other: 83.35% (2001)
Irrigated land: 525,800 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
- frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts)
- damaging floods
- tsunamis
- earthquakes
- droughts
- land subsidence
Environment - current issues:
- Air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide particulates) from reliance on coal produces acid rain
- water shortages, particularly in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes
- deforestation
- estimated loss of one-fifth of agricultural land since 1949 to soil erosion and economic development
- desertification
- trade in endangered species
People In India:
Population:
1,306,313,812 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.4% (male 148,134,928/female 131,045,415)
15-64 years: 71% (male 477,182,072/female 450,664,933)
65 years and over: 7.6% (male 47,400,282/female 51,886,182)
Median age:
total: 32.26 years
male: 31.87 years
female: 32.67 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.58% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
13.14 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
6.94 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.27 years
male: 70.65 years
female: 74.09 years (2005 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Chinese (singular and plural) adjective: Chinese
Ethnic groups:
Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%
Religions:
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Muslim 1%-2%, Christian 3%-4% note: officially atheist (2002 est.)
Languages:
Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)
August 27, 2007
/8:13:00 PM
Chang'an (Present day Xi'an)
Location of Xi'an
Coordinates: 34°16′N, 108°54′E
City: Shaanxi
Mayor: Chen Baogen
Geography:
Xi'an lies on the "Guanzhong Plain" in the central part of China with the average elevation of 400 meters above sea level.The annual temperature here averages 1.3 degree centigrade and its annual precipitation is 1100 millimeters.
Xi'an is subdivided into 13 districts.Xi'an is nested between a flood plain created by the eight surrounding rivers and streams, most of which have been too polluted to be used as sources of fresh water. The city borders the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains to the south, and the banks of Wei River to the north. Hua Shan (华山), one of the four sacred Taoist mountains, is located 100 km away to the east of the city.
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/wilson/ant304/biography/arybios98/smithbio.html
Location of Xi'an
Coordinates: 34°16′N, 108°54′E
City: Shaanxi
Mayor: Chen Baogen
Geography:
Xi'an lies on the "Guanzhong Plain" in the central part of China with the average elevation of 400 meters above sea level.The annual temperature here averages 1.3 degree centigrade and its annual precipitation is 1100 millimeters.
Xi'an is subdivided into 13 districts.Xi'an is nested between a flood plain created by the eight surrounding rivers and streams, most of which have been too polluted to be used as sources of fresh water. The city borders the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains to the south, and the banks of Wei River to the north. Hua Shan (华山), one of the four sacred Taoist mountains, is located 100 km away to the east of the city.
Transportation:
- Public Transport
There are more than 200 bus routes in Xi'an. - Subway
A subway project is in course of construction, designed 7 lines, the first route will be completed by 2011.
- Train
Xi'an Railway Station is the major railway station in the city. Others include Xi'an West, Xi'an East, Sanmincun, Fangzhicheng railway stations. Xi'an North Railway Station is under construction. Xi'an railway station is one of the 6 main transport centres in China. - Airport
Xi'an Xianyang International Airport is the major airport serving the city. It is the largest airport in the northwest region of China. It is outside of the city to the northwest, between Xi'an and Xiangyang.
Place of interest: Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum
Location:
The tomb of Qin Shi Huang is located in the eastern suburbs of Lintong County, 35 kilometers (22 miles) east of Xian: on the Lishan Mountain in the south and overlooking the Wei River towards north. The lay of the land from Lishan to Mount Hua is shaped dragon-like according to traditional Chinese geomancy. The imperial tomb is at the eye of the dragon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pictures:
Layout Of Place:
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/wilson/ant304/biography/arybios98/smithbio.html
August 14, 2007
/8:56:00 AM
(Dunhuang,敦煌,Dūnhuáng),which has a population of 100 000 is a city in Jiuquan,China. It is sited in an oasis,an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, usually surrounding a spring or similar water source.
Dunhuang was made a prefecture by Emperor Han Wudi in 117 BC, and it was a major point of interchange between China and the outside world during the Han and Tang dynasties. Located near the historic junction of the northern and southern Silk Roads, it was a town of military importance.Dunhuang is mentioned as part of the homeland of the Yuezhi or 'Rouzhi' 月氏 in the Shiji 史記, but this mention has also been identified with an unrelated toponym, Dunhong,a mountain of the Tian Shan range.
Buddhist monks at Dunhuang collected scriptures from the west, and many pilgrims passed through the area, painting murals inside the Mogao Caves or "Caves of a Thousand Buddhas" for centuries. A small number of Christian artifacts , testimony to the wide variety of people who made their way along the silk road have also been found in the caves. Today, the site is an important tourist attraction and the subject of an ongoing archaeological project. A large number of manuscripts and artefacts retrieved at Dunhuang have been digitized and made publicly available via the International Dunhuang Project.
Dunhuang's city centre is highly developed, including much commercial activity and many hotels. Materials related to the caves and the history of the regon were sold in Bookshops and other souvenir shops. A night market is held in the city centre, popular with tourists. Many souvenir items are sold in the night market located , including items like jade, jewelry, scrolls, hanging and small sculptures. A Central Asian dessert or sweet is also sold, consisting of a large, sweet confection made with nuts and dried fruit, sliced into the portion desired by the customer.
Dunhuang was made a prefecture by Emperor Han Wudi in 117 BC, and it was a major point of interchange between China and the outside world during the Han and Tang dynasties. Located near the historic junction of the northern and southern Silk Roads, it was a town of military importance.Dunhuang is mentioned as part of the homeland of the Yuezhi or 'Rouzhi' 月氏 in the Shiji 史記, but this mention has also been identified with an unrelated toponym, Dunhong,a mountain of the Tian Shan range.
Buddhist monks at Dunhuang collected scriptures from the west, and many pilgrims passed through the area, painting murals inside the Mogao Caves or "Caves of a Thousand Buddhas" for centuries. A small number of Christian artifacts , testimony to the wide variety of people who made their way along the silk road have also been found in the caves. Today, the site is an important tourist attraction and the subject of an ongoing archaeological project. A large number of manuscripts and artefacts retrieved at Dunhuang have been digitized and made publicly available via the International Dunhuang Project.
Dunhuang's city centre is highly developed, including much commercial activity and many hotels. Materials related to the caves and the history of the regon were sold in Bookshops and other souvenir shops. A night market is held in the city centre, popular with tourists. Many souvenir items are sold in the night market located , including items like jade, jewelry, scrolls, hanging and small sculptures. A Central Asian dessert or sweet is also sold, consisting of a large, sweet confection made with nuts and dried fruit, sliced into the portion desired by the customer.
:x: Profile :x:
*Group Leader* :
Ming Kit
*Group Members*:
.Kare Rou
.Sher Lyn
.Yan Jie
School: TKGS
Ming Kit
*Group Members*:
.Kare Rou
.Sher Lyn
.Yan Jie
School: TKGS
