The characters Bai Ma Guan Fort are inscribed on a stone tablet above the arch. The tablet is somewhat different from those found at other forts, in that the 4 characters are arranged vertically in 2 lines: ‘Bai Ma’ (meaning ‘white horse’) on the right and ‘Guan Bao’ (meaning ‘pass’) on the left.

Baimaguan Fort history

Baimaguan Fort was built during the period of the Yongle emperor between 1402 and 1424 of the Ming Dynasty. The fort consisted of 500 guards and beacon towers, and along with Qiangzilu Fort and Gubeikou Fort, these fortifications offered additional defence along China’s northern front in the face of ever-increasing Mongol attacks.

Baimaguan Fort today

Today, little of the original structure at Baimaguan Fort has remained except for the south gate – an arched gate, 120 meters wide and 80 meters deep. What is left of the Great Wall at Baimaguan Fort is not repaired and hard to access, built on steep mountain cliffs.

According to local legends, a fierce white hose lived in the region. One day, Yang Yanzhou (who lived between 958 and 1014) a famous Song Dynasty general, tamed the horse and from then on rode the horse into battle.

The general left the horse on the Great Wall to trick invading Liao soldiers into thinking Yanzhou and his army were waiting for them. A statue of the white horse now stands by the gate.

Getting to Baimaguan Fort

The Baimaguan Fort’s remains are on the east bank of the Baimaguan River. County level road X008 follows the Baimaguan River through the mountains about 20 km south to Miyun Reservoir. A further 30 km south on prefecture level roads is Miyun Town.

Baimaguan is 100 km north of central Beijing (almost 2 hours by taxi) or 50 km north of Miyun (1 hour by taxi). You can also take bus 980 at Dongzhimen to Miyun and then a Fanzipai bus, getting off at Baimaguan.

The Baima Pass section of the Great Wall is between the Mutianyu and Gubeikou sections.

In fact, Beihai Park has served as a haven for every Chinese royal family since its founding, including the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties through to 1911.

Beihai Park history

Spanning more than 69 hectares, Beihai Park contains numerous historical structures and was considered at one time to be the ‘nucleus’ of Beijing. The gardens were originally built in the 11th century to imitate the renowned scenic spots of various regions of China. The most famous aspects of Beihai Park are Qionghua Island with its iconic white 17th century dagoba, Tuancheng Island, and the north bank containing the Five-Dragon Pavilions.

Behai Park is rich with references to Chinese mythology, particularly as relates to the fairyland mountains of Penlai, Yingzhou and Fangzhang on which its structure is based. Many Chinese emperors have built their palaces in accordance with these fairytales as they are supposed to guarantee immortality.

Beihai Park today

Today, visitors to Beihai Park can enjoy not only its expansive grounds but its many Buddhist temples, exhibitions, royal residences and halls. You can also find Taihu rocks shipped from the Henan province alongside a range of art collections that includes jade jars from the Yuan dynasty to 495 steles inscribed from trees hundreds of years old.

Free to enjoy, Beihai Park is an unmissable spot to explore centuries-worth of Chinese imperial history through stunning examples of architecture.

Getting to Beihai Park

Located just a 10 minute walk northeast of the Forbidden City in Beijing’s centre, Beihai Park is easily found on foot, crossing over a footbridge to reach it from either Zhishanmen Street or Gulai Hall. Be prepared to walk around the 68 hectare park when you arrive.

The buildings which can be seen today at Chaotian Gong were actually constructed in the nineteenth century and now house a museum. This museum holds an interesting collection which includes fragments of the porcelain pagoda, the fifteenth century Ming Dynasty monument destroyed during the course of the Taiping Rebellion.

History of Chaotian Gong

The palace is located on Ye Mountain, which was, between the Spring and Autumn Period (722-481 BC) a site for metal casting during the ancient time of State of Wu during the Zhou dynasty, and then The Imperial Centre University, which was then called Zongmingguan, which was located there during the Song dynasty.

Later, Chaotian Palace (also known as Mingtian Palace), was built there as a Taoist Temple during the era of Southern Wu, the Kingdom of Wu, which marked the end of the Tang dynasty. The palace was then reconstructed as Chaotian Palace by the Hongwu Emperor during the early Ming dynasty, in the late 14th century, and was used for members of royalty for ‘veneration of ancestors.’

The complex burnt down during the Taiping Rebellion during the Qing dynasty. The existing buildings on the site were built from 1866 to 1870 when Nanking Academy moved to the site.

During the Republic of China rule, Chaotian Gong became ‘The Examination Yuan’, a Capital High Court, the Ministry of Education, as well as the Nanjing Branch of the Palace Museum.

Under the rule of the People’s Republic of China, it became the Nanjing Municipal Museum.

Chaotian Gong Today

Today, the Chaotian Palace area is the largest preserved traditional Chinese architectural complex in Jiangnan.

Visitors can enjoy wandering around the combination of ancient and more modern architecture which characterise the modern-day palace and grounds. There is a huge display of over 100,000 treasures and artefacts available within the museum, with English-language audio guides available for free from reception.

The museum is divided into different departments, with various clothes, jewels, and ornaments used by the royal family being exhibited alongside pottery, tools, weapons, and furniture.

For those who wish to deepen their knowledge of history and warfare in the area, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Museum is nearby.

Getting to Chaotian Gong

From the centre of Nanjing, the complex is reachable in around 20 minutes by car, via 王府大街 (Wangfujing Street). By foot, it takes just over an hour via the same route.

History of Diaoyu Fortress

The death of Mongol leader Möngke Khan during the siege of Diaoyucheng resulted in the immediate withdrawal of Mongol troops from Syria and East Asia. Although the Mongols and the Southern Song were united in their fight to bring down the Jurchen Jin dynasty, their pact broke immediately afterwards, and the Mongols launched an aggressive war against the tenacious Southern Song that lasted for more than a third of the 13th century.

The ancient Diaoyu covers an area of 2.94 square kilometres. Situated on a hill surrounded by water on three sides, it is located about five kilometres east of Hechuan, Chongqing, near the confluence of the Qu, Fu, and Jialing rivers.

As it contains many historical sites such as a naval wharf, drilling grounds, watch towers, and a fortification with built-in cannons, Diaoyu was placed on the World Cultural Heritage Tentative List.

Diaoyu Fortress Today

The main sites worth looking at contain the gate, the palace, the military camp, and water army wharf. Other scenic sites in the area include the Diaoyutai Islands, Huguo Temple, and Xuanfo Temple. Furthermore, there are poems, reliefs, and inscriptions about with information about the site’s culture and history.

It is well worth hiring an English-speaking guide for the most immersive and thorough experience possible. Visit the nearby historic fishing town too: known as Diao Yu Cheng, it is a site with historic, cultural, and national significance in accompaniment with the other beautiful sites in the area.

Getting to Diaoyu Fortress

It takes just ninety minutes from the downtown city centre of Chongqing to reach the Diaoyu Fortress. Travelling on Yu Wu Expressway is a good option. It will take you through 5 very long tunnels that pass through the mountains, from where you can view Bei Bei Town, the Fishing Terrace, Three Saints Cliff, Bei Wen Quan, Sleeping Buddha, Thousand Buddha Cliff Zhong Yi Ci, and Jin Yu Shan.

Emei Shan has resultantly been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996, with UNESCO describing it as “one of the four holy lands of Chinese Buddhism”.

Emei Shan history

A medicinal plant farmer built the first Buddhist temple near Jinding summit in the 1st century AD, although the slopes of Emei Shan have been inhabited for around 10,000 years. In the 3rd century, the Puxian form Buddhism devoted to Bodhisattva became dominant on the mountain, leading to a Chinese monk called Huichi to built a temple at the foot of the Guanxinpo Terrace.

During the mid-9th century, the Song Emperor Zhao Kuangyin sent Buddhist monks to India who were allowed to build temples on Mount Emei. Ever since, Mount Emei has been one of the holiest Buddhist sites and has brought pilgrims to the mountain for thousands of years.

Emei Shan today

Today, hikers tend to spend three days exploring the historical and natural wonders of Emei Shan. Amongst the highlights of the tour is the oldest surviving temple building on the mountain, Wannian Si. Built in 1611, it contains a famed golden statue of the Buddhist enlightener Puxian.

Visitors also clamour to see the beautiful Qingyin Ge, the vast Ming dynasty bell of the temple of Baonguo Si – said to the audible for 10 miles – and, of course, the stunning views from the Golden Summit which rises to over 10,000 feet.

Emei Shan is also noted for its rich range of plants and animals at the eastern edge of the Himalayan highlands. It’s worth mentioning the monkeys found at Emei Shan which are known for their aggressive behaviour.

Getting to Emei Shan

The town of Emei is the transport hub and lies 6.5km east of the park entrance. Most buses terminate at Emei Shan central station, directly opposite Emei Railway Station. The High-Speed Train Station is the closest to Baoguo Village, around 4km away.

A taxi from Emei town to Baoguo Village is about ¥25. Local bus 8 connects the Emei town train station with the park entrance. You can get the cable car up the mountain, stopping at various sites upwards.

The cannons of Fortaleza do Monte, which can still be seen there today, were used on only one occasion in 1622, in which they defeated the Dutch. Fortaleza do Monte later became the home of the first Portuguese community in Macau.

History of Fortaleza do Monte

Fortaleza do Monte forms an important part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the ‘Historic Centre of Macau.’

Built between 1617 and 1626 in the military centre of Macau, the Fortress is located on the 52m tall Mount Hill, which is directly east of the Ruins of St. Paul’s.

It was constructed to protect the properties of the (primarily Portuguese) Jesuits in Macau, especially from pirates.

Later, it was taken over by the Portuguese colonial governor and other relevant authorities as part of Macau’s defence. Indeed, the fort proved crucial in successfully holding off the attempted Dutch invasion of Macau in 1622.

The fort is around 8,000 square metres in size, and has 32 muzzle-loading cannons placed around its walls, with two corners of the south-eastern fort wall built up with two small watchtowers.

It has served as the first residence of the Governors of Macau (in 1623 and in 1740), as the base for two companies of the Portuguese Prince Regent Battalion to act as police force (1810 to 1841), as a weather observatory for the Meteorological Department of Portuguese Macau (1966 to 1996), and now as the Museum of Macau (1998 to present day.)

The fort remained a restricted military site until 1965 when the barracks in the fort were converted into a weather observatory which was then opened to the public.

Fortaleza do Monte Today

Today, visitors can climb Mount Hill and enjoy the views of the city of Macau from its balustrades. There are also a number of old cannons for those who wish to engage with the history of the site.

For more in-depth information about Macau as a Portuguese colony territory, the Macau Museum is housed within the same building.

Getting to Fortaleza do Monte

Walking from Senado is recommended so you can enjoy the ruins of Senazo Plaza, the ruins of St. Paul, and a number of restaurants and tourist shops. From the Plaza itself, Fortaleza do Monte is a 400m walk.

There are public and private shuttle buses available to Senado. From the Macau Ferry Terminal, they suggest you can simply catch a free Grand Lisboa shuttle that will take you to the centre of Senado.

There is also a number of public buses – 3, 3A, 10, and 10A – from the Macau Ferry Terminal which go to Senado.

In 1996, the Giant Buddha of Leshan became a UNESCO World Heritage site together with the Mount Emei Scenic Area, and so is featured as one of our top ten Tourist Attractions of China.

Giant Buddha of Leshan history

At an incredible height of 230 feet, the Giant Buddha of Leshan was originally created by a monk called Haitong to oversee passing ships travelling along the Qingyi, Min and Dadu rivers beneath it. After trouble finding funding, the Giant Buddha of Leshan was finally completed in around 803 AD, although Haitong did not live to see his masterpiece completed.

By the time of the Song Dynasty in the medieval period, the Giant Buddha of Leshan was already covered in moss and its pavilion had crumbled. Nonetheless, since then many Buddhist temples and structures have been built around the Giant Buddha of Leshan, transforming the area into one of China’s most important centres of Buddhism.

Giant Buddha of Leshan today

Today, the Giant Buddha of Leshan continues to sit proudly within it’s rocky seat, draped in lush greenery. Visitors can take the steep stairs down to the Giant Buddha of Leshan’s enormous feet, sail by in a boat or cross the Haoshang Bridge to catch a good view of this magnificent site. Be aware, the area gets pretty crowded after 10am in the morning, so get there early to enjoy the best views.

Getting to the Giant Buddha of Leshan

Leshan Giant Buddha is located in central Leshan city, about 140km from Chengdu downtown in north, 150 kilometres to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and 45 kilometres from Mount Emei in south.

You can get the high speed train there: there are about 30 high speed trains departing from Chengdu East Railway Station to Leshan Railway Station each day, some of which stop at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. The earliest train usually departs around 6:30am and only takes about 1 hour to get to Leshan.