Speak Chinese - Yongding Gate

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Yongding Gate

( 2008-07-08 )

Yongding Gate has a very long history. It was first built in the thirty-second year of Ming Dynasty Emperor Jiajing's reign, in 1552. While Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was sitting on the throne, additions were added to the gate, making it the largest and most important of the
seven gates that stand outside of Beijing city.

Yongding Gate was the first pass through which one could enter Beijing in the Ming and Qing dynasties. On the east of the gate is the Temple of Heaven, and on the west the Ancestral Farm Altar, giving the first impression of symmetrical architecture.

In 1957, Yongding Gate was completely demolished, breaking the long arrow of historic monuments running along Beijing's central axis. As a city famous for its cultural legacy, the broken axis provided an incomplete view of Beijing's history.

In September of 2004 a new Yongding Gate was erected in the original site to repair the broken central line. Almost half a century after its collapse, the gate fully stands up to its reputation and importance as the towering southern structure overlooking the southern portion of Beijing's 7.8
kilometer long central axis.

With its repair, as well as large-scale renovation and reconstruction work on many of old Beijing's historic landmarks, the city is slowly re-dotting its map with these cultural monuments.

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Chinese Character - Two-man tug-of-war

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Two-man tug-of-war

( 2008-07-08 )

In this version of tug-of-war, two ends of a rope are tied together to form a great loop. Each of the two competitors harnesses himself or herself to the rope, passing it between the legs and up over the shoulders. Then, facing in opposite directions, the two struggle forward on their hands and
knees, each trying to pull the other over a middle line.

　 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

* Museums to exhibit 1,000 national treasures
* Creating new rituals, Beijing style
* Marine mural unveiled in capital
* Illustrated Olympic giant panda story comes out
* Ten recommended Beijing shopping streets

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

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

| About us | E-mail | Contact |

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

Learn Chinese, Chinese School, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet

Chinese Studies - Transportation Tips

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Transportation Tips

( 2008-06-27 )

Beijing has an extensive public transportation network. Subway and City Rail with high speed trains running at intervals of 3 to 5 minutes are the fastest public transportation in the city. There are more than 60 thousand taxis in the city. Public buses are the cheapest means of transportation
which cover the entire city.

Taxi

In addition to buses, the subway and city light rail, taxis are widely available in Beijing. Taxis are called "chu zu che" in Beijing; the phrase "da di" is commonly used to mean "take a taxi."

The most common taxi cars in Beijing are Hyundai ELANTRA, Volkswagen Jetta and Citroen FUKANG or Elysee. ELANTRA cars are new and usually green, red, blue and purple on yellow background. Each taxi in Beijing has a sign upon the roof reading TAXI and a red sign can be seen behind the front window
when it is ready to serve you.

All taxis have price labels on both side windows near the back seats. The charge starts from RMB 10 yuan for the first 3 kilometers, and RMB 2 yuan for each kilometer and each 5 minute waiting period after that. If you ride between 23:00 and 5:00, the meter automatically charges you extra 20%.
Furthermore, toll fees and parking fees go to the passenger; a "return ride" fee is charged if the ride is over 15 kilometers.

Don't forget to take an invoice as you leave the taxi. This will help you identify the taxi if you've left items in the car or if you've encountered any problems.

Bus

The starting fare of public buses is 1 yuan in the city and 2 yuan in the suburb areas. Fixed price at RMB 1 is charged for most public buses in the city; there are also some charged by distance, i.e. RMB 1 for a ride within 12 (including 12) kilometers, and RMB 0.5 is accumulated for every
additional 5 kilometers.

It is also a good idea to buy a Public Transportation Card which charges a starting fare of 40 cents per trip. You need to pay a deposit of 20 yuan and prepay a certain amount to use the Public Transportation Card just like any Beijing citizen. When you leave Beijing, just return the Card at any
card sale counter and the deposit will be refunded to you. The Public Transportation Card can also be used in Subway and City Rails but no discount on the ticket fares will be given.

Bus information hotline: 96166

Subway

Currently, there are 5 lines of subway including Line 1, Line 2, Line 5, Line 13, and Batong Line. Ticket Price: RMB 2 yuan. The transfer between each two lines is free of charge.

It is also planed that by 2008 the Olympic Games, Line 10 Part I and Airport line will be built; by the end of 2012 Line 10 Part II, Line 4, 6, 8, 9, Yizhuang Line, Daxing Line and Shunyi Line, a total distance of 407 km, shall be finished; by the end of 2015, another 5 lines including Line 7, 14,
Datai Line, Changping Line, and Fangshan Line, a total distance of 561km, shall be finished too.

　 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

* Museums to exhibit 1,000 national treasures
* Creating new rituals, Beijing style
* Marine mural unveiled in capital
* Illustrated Olympic giant panda story comes out
* Ten recommended Beijing shopping streets

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

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

| About us | E-mail | Contact |

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

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Learn mandarin - Dancing with Body, Soul and Mind

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Dancing with Body, Soul and Mind

The first Beijing International Dance Festival is being held at the Tianqiao Theater of Beijing from May 9 to 25. It’s a festival to showcase Chinese and international modern dance. The festival features a broad range of both China-based and international dance companies, including Hong Kong
City Contemporary Dance Company, Guangdong Modern Dance Company, Battery Dance Company from the U.S. and Tanztheater Staatstheater Braunschweig from Germany.

Modern dance in China has gained momentum only in recent decades. Meanwhile, this serious theatrical dance form featuring creative free body movements has a history of more than a hundred years in the West.

The beginnings of modern dance

Developed in the 20th century, primarily in the United States and Germany, modern dance resembles modern art and music in being experimental and iconoclastic. Its pioneers were Isadora Duncan, Loie Fuller, and Ruth St. Denis in the United States, Rudolf von Laban and Mary Wigman in Germany. Each
rebelled against the rigid formalism, artifice, and superficiality of classical academic ballet and against the banality of show dancing. Each sought to inspire audiences to a new awareness of inner or outer realities, a goal shared by all subsequent modern dancers.

Isadora Duncan shocked or delighted audiences by baring her body and soul in what she called “free dance.” Wearing only a simple tunic like the Greek vase figures that inspired many of her dances, she weaved and whirled in flowing natural movements that emanated, she said, from the solar
plexus. She aimed to idealize abstractly the emotions induced by the music that was her motivating force, daringly chosen from the works of serious composers including Beethoven, Wagner, and Gluck. Although Duncan established schools and had many imitators, her improvisational technique was too
personalized to be carried on by direct successors.

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Chinese Mandarin - Ancient Coins 1

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Ancient Coins 1

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Chinese School - Illustration

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Learn Chinese online - Items on Display (I)

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