# Nanjing, Suzhou, Hongkong, Xi'an, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Stockholm and some other Chinese cities



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Let's start with Nanjing.

Quite unknown, tourists rather skip this city when coming to China but with a lot of interesting histroricla places to see, such as Sun Yatsen's mausoleum, a holocaust memorial site reminding us of the 1937 massacre, some temples geradens, a huge city wall, an old ancient city district and - would you believe it? - China's "oldest modern 5star" hotel dating back from 1983....it's worth a visit

With its broad alleys a typical laid back Chinese city, quite different and more conservative as fahsionous Shanghai or cosmopolitan Beijing.

Leaving the train, coming from Shanghai









in front of the train station


















some information from wiki:
Nanjing is the capital of China's Jiangsu Province, and a city with a prominent place in Chinese history and culture. Nanjing (literally: 'Southern capital') served as the capital of China during several historical periods and is listed as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. Nanjing was the capital of the Republic of China (ROC) before the Chinese Civil War. 










btw, Nanjing, formerly China's capitla city as mnetioned above means "South Capital" whereas Beijing translate into "North Capital"










typical 1990s housing...


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

first sight, the "Water Town", old city district








because of crap quality (handycam, meanwhole i bought a real camera...) only a few pics








meanwhile an disneyland-like entertainment district with KFS and Mc Donalds








...nothing unusual in China...


























bamboo dustbin


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

a brief look at the downtown...








Nanjing has a population of about 7.6 miliion inhabitants








but this figure also includes huge portions from the countryside








Chinese cities ain't all that big as one might suggest...








nevertheless, Nanjing has a big skyline







#but quite humble compared to Shanghai, Hongkong or Beijing








the forementioned Jinling hotel, first skyscraper in Nanjing, completed in 1983


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

some facts from wiki:

The Yangtze River flows past the west side of Nanjing City, while the Ningzheng Ridge surrounds the north, east and south side of the city. The city is 300 kilometers (186 mi) west of Shanghai, 1,200 kilometers (746 mi) south of Beijing, and 1,400 kilometers (870 mi) east of Chongqing.

Nanjing has a humid subtropical climate and is under the influence of the East Asia Monsoon. Seasons are distinct in Nanjing, with usually hot summers and plenty of rainfall throughout the year.










The average high temperature in January is 7 °C (45 °F) while the average low is −1 °C (30.2 °F); the average high in July is 32 °C (90 °F) with an average low of 25 °C (77 °F).[2] The highest recorded temperature is 43 °C (109 °F) (July 13, 1934), and the lowest −16.9 °C (2 °F) (Jan 6, 1955). On average it rains 117 days out of the year,










Nanjing was one of the earliest established cities in the southern China area. According to the legend, Fu Chai, the Lord of the State of Wu, founded the first city, Yecheng (冶城) in today's Nanjing area in 495 BC. Later in 473 BC, The State of Yue conquered Wu and constructed the city of Yuecheng (越城) on the outskirts of the present-day Zhonghua Gate. In 333 BC, after eliminating the State of Yue, the State of Chu built Jinling Yi (金陵邑) in the northwestern part of present-day Nanjing. Since then, the city has been capital of the Chinese empire several times and experienced numerous destructions and reconstructions.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

that's where the construction workers live








that's where tourists live


















and that's where the "Nanjing-ese" live


----------



## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Interesting thread - very nice photos  will be great one; thanks kay:


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

we are on our leaving town









for Sun Yatsen memorial and the the "purple mountains"









but first a short look at some ancient gardens


















and the old city wall with Zhonghua gate









a look to the left...










and the right...









the wall dates back to the early Ming dynasty (14th century). It took 21 years for the project, which involved 200,000 laborers to move 7 million cubic meters of earth.









meanwhile it is surrounded by Nanjing outskirts


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

time to visit Nanjing most famous sight: Sun Yatsen's memorial








it is located within the piurple mountains, 








a scenic forested area just next to the ncity surrounded by pancake-flat countryside








it was the first time since 6 months I was able to breathe clean air again!








approaching the memorial site 



we are not the only one to do so...


















here we are...



























a look over my shoulder









Sun Yatsen himself








a chinese revolutionary and political leader, almost as famopus and bewondered like Mao Tse Tung of the old Chinese generation








but - take note - a liberal and democrat








on a mission impossible trying to unify China after the fall of the empire in 1911








against all internal forces (communists, traditionals) and external forces (Japan, the West). 








by the way i forgot about the photos








this is near the memorial entering the Purple Mountains protected area









way too much photos...it's better I stop now...


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

* sorry wrong [email protected], please move to "urban showcase" - thanks*


----------



## oliver999 (Aug 4, 2006)

please continue


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

aha...?


----------



## iloveasia (Dec 20, 2007)

Lovely photos i enjoyed looking at them and reading the information


----------



## Rekarte (Mar 28, 2008)

Good Photos!
Great cities chineses!


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

iloveasia said:


> Lovely photos i enjoyed looking at them and reading the information


thanks. are you from Asia?


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

weiter gehts




























seems to have become a popular sport in China. I think it's originally from New Zealand



























sponsored by Lucky Strike


















Linggu temple from Lingan dynasty - 6th century. Gosh! During this time noting happened in Europah



















8 storey building


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

some pictures from the holocaust memorial site

...without any comments...if you want some more information on this --> www.google.de


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

on to


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

the next


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

page


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

library


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

some "one-touch" - pics from the city itself


----------



## Epi (Jul 21, 2006)

Nice pics! 

I like how you took a picture of the entrance to the Sun Yat Sen memorial which has a 'no photos inside' sign, and then next you had a photo of the inside.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

another part of the city wall 










Nanjing is situated near a huge lake


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

last few pics from Nanjing


----------



## madridhere (Oct 10, 2005)

Great pictures. The library is awesome.Thanks.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

thanks
actually it's not a library but an archive mentioning every dead in the massacre


----------



## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Awesome photos once again; i will wait for the new updates


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

some pics from Hong Kong, Victoria Island

Midlands


















Zoo


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

going down










Central Business District


















I like it!


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

much better quality, it was my girl-friends camera



















what i like about Hong Kong...









are these narrow lanes and up and downs...









in contrast to the boring broad boulevards which often characterize Chinese cities









you never look straight ahead for more than 100 meters









the road turns









and the scenery changes









with some surprises


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

"Main Street"


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

the new harbour


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

skyline


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

so many reacts! please do not overburden me
christos greece, you want some more Hongkong pics via PM?:banana:


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

such as these


on Kowloon, Mainland, opposite Vicotria Island


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

next page?


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

next page!

Kowloon (meaning 9 dragons in Cantonese), Nathan Street










a bit touristy hassle









but a great place to visit









crowded, loud, high, decrepit buildings from the 1960s









this is how I always imagined Hongkong to be









not as chic as Victoria Island...









but who cares?


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

noch einige weitere klein- und mittelständische Unternehmen


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

inside a park









a lady rushes









and at least walking is allowed


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

some other useful recommendations...


















Mong Kok - wellknown for its advertising and neon lights. You have certainly seen it before.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

test


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

1









2









3


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

back at Victoria Island


----------



## Ni3lS (Jun 29, 2007)

Very nice pics. Your commentary is fun to read too. You seem to know China very well


----------



## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

This is a great photo thread! Love the gritty Honkers shots! Keep it up!


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

thanks guys, let's finish Hongkong today


look outside the window









some nightlife









yyyyes, you're right, it's my shitty little handycam again


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

nightlife









a bit "ballermann"-like


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

HSBD tower. Erected in 1985 and "only" 180 meters high, it is one of the finest examples of modern architecture


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

what's that?


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

it's the world biggest Buddha statue


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

...Tian Tan buddha on Lantau island

lookout









facts: 8 mio. Euro, 270 steps to climb, finished in 1993









the mountain in the backgorund is about 900 meters high, 2nd highest in HK









although the busy airport is located on Lantau island









it's a relaxed and scenic spot


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

next page?


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

some nice temples nearby









and money generating souvenir hell's ghetto


















time to say good-bye


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

some no-city photos:


















taking the gondola









down to the coast









where the airport is located


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

pedestrian walkway under construction


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

random photos


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Wanghsi Yuan = Net master's garden:dunno::dunno::dunno::dunno:


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Coke with whipped cream (again: :dunno










time to say good bye


----------



## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

I like this pic^


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

time to put up the next pictures

next photogrpahs will be from Hangzhou


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Hangzhou is a city about 200km south of Shanghai with a population of 6.6 millions inhabitants, which comprises a very large area of about 17.000 square kilometres. i think the city itself has about 2 million inhabitants


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Hangzhou is the place where the emperor's channel start which connected the city with Beijing about 1500km north

Hangzhou is an old city and can be regarded as a cradle of Chinese civilization. People settled here round 4700 years ago during the Liangzhu era.

In the Song dynasty it was the empire's capital and the world's biggest city with a population of more than 1 million people. Marco Polo called it the "richest and most beutiful city in the world". Just for the record: Marco Polo's hometown was Venice, Europes biggest city which merely counted about 50.000 inhabitants.

Nowadays you do not recognize not very much of the city's history at first sight.










It's a bustling Chinese city as others



















with some fine modern buildings


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

but it still is a main tourist attraction for visitors


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

mainly because of it's Xi Hu, the "West Lake"


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

we were a bit unlucky with the weather but equipped with an umbrella the lake revealed its own charme


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

i hop i do not crash your browser


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

next page?


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

some more pics from near the shoreline


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

next day the weather was better and we explored the lake


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

best way to explore the lake is taking a ride by boat



















some nice temple on the horizon









on a lotus-shaped island


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

The monatery's name is Ganden Thubchen Choekhorling, or somehow more simple: Litang Chöde. It was built in the 16th century and represented a center of armed resistance to the Chinese resistance. Just in 1957, the Maoist army "liberated the town and its monastery










I annot say how many monks are living there...









...we were lucky enough to witnes a Buddhist procession when we came there


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

some views of Litang


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

the mountain in the background is roughly 5400 meters high









stupas


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

old city district


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

some more locals


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

outside temperature was 13 degrees - in mid august









it was windy...


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

last pics for today:


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

*This forum requires that you wait 30 seconds between posts. Please try again in 9 seconds*


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

today's contribution shows a typical small and obscure Chinese town. It is Qiaotou, pop. perhaps about 10.000, located in Yunnan province amidst breathtaking scenery. The town on the contrary is not as impressive but interesting to see for people who either never been in China or never left the big megacities










Shanghai and Hongkong is very far. The main street.










No tourists around.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Strange architecture #1









#2









The town is located on 18oom above sealevel surrounded by 5000+m mountain ranges. A long and winding road leads up to a 3500m pass to the Tibetan plateau. Gosh, what a beautiful speck of this earth...


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Qiaotou's proud: the supermarket. The offer was quite lame, though...










The alternative: the local market


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Scenery near Qiaotou










On the way to Zhongdian, which already is located on the forementioned Tibetan plateau


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

The worlds steepest gorge is not too far away as well.
Looking 900m down, the overall incline is 3300m









unfortunately obscured by clouds...


----------



## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Very nice photos from that place in the last photos


----------



## Hidden Dragon (Oct 20, 2004)

Very good! I'd like to see more.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Zhongdian will be the next stop of our trip through Northwestern Yunnan along the border to Tibet.

First of all a map of the town's locations

(wikipedia)


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Shangri Lah or Zhongdian has become a popular tourist destination.


Go there before everybody else does.


The town is located on 3200meters above sea level. In contrast to Dali (2ooom) and Lijiang (2500m) it has a distincitve Tibetan appeal.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

some impressions from the central monastery


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

lmaa


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

...


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Zhongdian. Narrow lanes in the old town district


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

...


----------



## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

It's a very interesting thread. But one thing I don't understand...what has Stockholm to do with China...?


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

...


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Zhoingdian was renamed to "Shangri Lah" in 1996, because scientists had done some research work on where the lost paradise of Shangrilah was located and finally found, that is was located just next to the obscure town of Zhongdian. This is the official government's version.


Actually it was a clever marketing campaign to lure tourists further north on their route from Dali and Lijiang.



Back then, Lijiang was a shithole with unpaved roads and no proper accomodation.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

It is famous for its monasteries. The biggest one is located some km outside of the town and will be shown later


The town has about 50,000 inhabitants.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

why do the postsshow up in the wrong order???


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

well, since nobody seems to care about it I show some Zhongdian's pciture without any great explanations in loose order:

City roofs displaying Tibetan architecture


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Zhongdian, city monastery


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Zhongdian, view across the town


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Zhongdian


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Zhongdian. Touristy shops in the old city district


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Zhongdian. Street views


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Commercial break.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Zhongdian. Local people during a procession at the central market square..


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Zhongdian. The cental market square.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

More locals.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Zhongdian. New town.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Zhongdian. New town, main square.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

The mountains in the background are about 4000 meters high









Most parts of the town got restored for tourists...









A LOT OF SHOPS AGAIN...


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Some are still under construction


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

2 pics of a restored temple...


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

3 more pics









looking to the mountains west. Two gondolas path the way









You can visit a nice temple, some waterfalls, rocks and about 5 millions Chinese tourists there.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Some pics from bigger cities, you might heard of.
After visiting Kangding, Litang, Zhongdian, Lijiang and Dali, our trip ended in Kunming.









We spent only one night there, so the pics are not very spectacular









Actually, after touring the lovely countryside, Kunming was nothing special to us.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

A modern Chinese city with its broad boulevards, rapidly changing, but almost no historic architecture









The 2 mosques in the inner city district displayed some 1990s bathroom tile architecture. This was taken a stone throw away.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Sorry, no real slkyline pics...


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

In October we visited Xinjiang, the westernmost province of China, a very differentpart of China with its Arab-looking people who prey to Allah and eat Shish kebab.

The next pics give a short impression on how Urumqi looks like









Because of some politic turmoil a few months before we only spent very little time there









Boring picture? Scary picture! The whole city seemd to be evacuated at that time with only some soldiers marching on the street. This was taken in the afternoon.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Another surprise: Urumqi has its own nightlife district. The proof on the following pics:


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

...and at last some pics form Urumchi emerging skyline. *Sorry for bad quality, as you can see, this was taken from inside the car.* 

The skyline has developed quickly within the last 10 years. The black-white triangle shaped building right ahead in the foreground finished in 1995 used to be the highest building by far then.was


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Inner city


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Near the railway station.









It took 43 hours by train back to Shanghai (3ooo km)


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

As announced in the title some pictures of Xian on the next pages.

Near the railway station, our first impression of the city.









The railway station is located at the edge of the ancient city district, which is encircled by the old city wall









...and that's where we went first.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

View from the city wall









The city wall can be easily done by bicycle. 'It takes 14km to go all around


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Since it is a very special Chinese city (which modern and big Chinese city has a fully existing and totally restored city wall...?) some brief facts about Xi'an.










Nowaday just provincial capital of Shaanxi province, Xi'an can still count on being one of the oldest cities in Chinese history and being a proud member of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China beside Beijing, Nanjing and Luoyan


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

The city has more than 3,100 years of history, and was known as Chang'an before hte Ming dynasty started in the 14th century










From wiki


> Xi'an became a cultural and political center of China in 11th century BCE with the founding of the Zhou Dynasty. The capital of Zhou was established in Fēng (沣/灃) and Hào (镐/鎬), both located just west of contemporary Xi'an. Following the Warring States Period, China was unified under the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) for the first time, with the capital located at Xianyang (咸阳), just northwest from modern Xi'an. The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of the Terracotta Army and his mausoleum just east of Xi'an almost immediately upon his ascension to the throne.













> In 202 BCE, the founding emperor Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty established his capital in Chang'an County; (...) he original Xi'an city wall was started in 194 BCE and took 4 years to finish. Upon completion, the wall measured 25.7 km (15.97 mi) in length and 12–16 m (39.37–52.49 ft) in thickness at the base, enclosing an area of 36 km2 (13.90 sq mi). In the year 190, amidst uprisings and rebellions just prior to the Three Kingdoms Period, a powerful warlord named Dong Zhuo moved the court from Luoyang to Chang'an in a bid to avoid a coalition of other powerful warlords against him.














> Following several hundred years of unrest, Sui Dynasty united China again in 582. (...) In the 7th century, Xi'an was the largest city in the world


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

> Construction of the Da Yan Pagoda (大雁塔, Great Wild Goose Pagoda) began in 652. This pagoda was 64 m (209.97 ft) in height, and was built to store the translations of Buddhist sutras obtained from India by the Xuan Zang. In 707, construction of the Xiao Yan Pagoda (小雁塔, Little Wild Goose Pagoda) began, and measured 45 m (147.64 ft) tall at the time of completion. The massive 1556 Shaanxi earthquake eventually damaged the tower and reduced its height to 43.4 m (142.39 ft).














> Chang'an was devastated at the end of the Tang Dynasty in 904. Residents were forced to move to the new capital city in Luoyang. Only a small area in the city continued to be occupied thereafter. During the Ming Dynasty, a new wall was constructed in 1370 and remains intact to this day. The wall measures 11.9 km in circumference, 12 m (39.37 ft) in height, and 15–18 m (49.21–59.06 ft) in thickness at the base; a moat was also built outside the walls. The new wall and moat would protect a much smaller city of 12 km².














> In October 1911, during the revolution in which the Qing Dynasty was overthrown, the Manchus living in the north-eastern zone within the city walls were massacred.[4] In 1936, the Xi'an Incident took place inside the city walls during the Chinese Civil War. The incident brought the Kuomintang (KMT) and Communist Party of China to a truce to in order to concentrate on fighting against the Japanese Invasion.


----------



## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Those recent photos are really great :cheers:


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Back to the present tense: air quality was so-so...









Like every other Chinese city, Xi'an has its down sides in terms of modern architecture...









But this will not keep you from enjoying it


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

It has a very unique appeal, totally different from e.g. Shanghai









Especially within the city walls...









Again, the busy railway station...


----------



## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Beautiful cities and pictures! Didn't know Stockholm was in China though.


----------



## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great updates from China :cheers:


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Thx, so lets continue with some more "normal photos" (my camera just doesnt produce anyting abnormal and I do not have the imte for photoshopping)


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

*Wuxi*

Wuxi rhymes with Sushi and is one of this cities only few people outside China ever heard of, unless you are not involved into automotive business and had a business trip. The city is located in the gigantic Nanjing-Shanghai-Suzhou-Hangyhou-CottonEyeJoe metropolitan area which has about 40 million inhabitants. Also wuxis population easily exceed one million but it is dwarfed in size of importance of its neighbouring cities. In China it is popular for a lot of automotive suppliers being based here.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

the city is not as ugly as the first photo implies. Wuxi boasts a huge park with pagoda temples and shares a border with the shallow Tai Hu lake where tourists casn relax at a recreational area


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

you can easily escape the notorious Chinese crowds


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

This is Wuxis skyline in the distance


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

So lets return to the city centre and enjoy the rest of these wonderful panoramas taken from the 50th floors of Kwempinski Hotels, the cities highest building!


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

I hope the damn page doesnt run, otherwise I will get kicked for these ugly píctures:lol:


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

*Harbin*

Okay something nicer and completely different, Harbin, the "Russian" city in Chinas extreme north.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Some more hotelroom views but much nicer to watch


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Harbin is Chinas coldest province capital. Outside temperature was about minus 20 degrees.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

A close up


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Harbin is a very young city by Chinese standards.
The region of Harbin was still largely rural until the 1800s. There were only over ten villages and about 30,000 people in Harbin region by the end of the 19th century.
The modern city of Harbin originated in 1898 from a small village.[4] The city was established by a Polish engineer Adam Szydłowski following the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway (KVZhD) financed by the Russian Empire.[5] Chinese Eastern Railway is an extension of the Trans-Siberian Railway, shortcutting substantially the distance from Chita to Vladivostok and creating a link to the port city of Dalny (Dalian) and the Russian Naval Base Port Arthur. During the Russo-Japanese War (1904-5), Harbin was a base for Russian military operations in Northeastern China.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

today it has in total 5 million inhabitants making it the 10th populous city in China
]


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

...


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

123


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

This is Harbins skyline. This photo was taken exactly one year ago.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Near the city center...


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

...the first Russian buildings erected in the early 20th century appear


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Harbin isnt exactly what one would call a nice city. Most of its attractivness is packed into two pedestrian walkways in the city centre


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

...but its Russian architecture alone makes it worth visiting it!


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

This Russian appeal you will never find anywhere else in China


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Final pic for today:


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Some more pics from Harbins pedestrian walkway


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Russian restaurant










and some facades


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## chewisky (Jul 9, 2011)

Nice pic~~~
Have you ever been to Nanchang?


----------



## andyvia (Oct 21, 2011)

Rarely seen Harbin photos on here. Thanks for posting them.


----------



## andyvia (Oct 21, 2011)

Rinchinlhumbe said:


> today it has in total 5 million inhabitants making it the 10th populous city in China.


5 million people in the city urban area cannot make it the tenth largest city in China IMHO. I'm sure that Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, HK, Chongqing, Wuhan, Tianjin, Chengdu, Nanjing and Hangzhou are all bigger. That's already 11. Maybe Xi'an, Zhengzhou, Shenyang, Qingdao and Changsha are bigger too.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

thx for commenting

according to the English wiki its the 10th biggest city

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbin

I also doubt this. Maybe Hangzhou is smaller, HK can be excluded. It is difficult to define the population size of a Chinese city as most cities occupy an area equal the size of a small country. Chongqing should be the worlds biggest city with over 30 million inhabitants, but its are expanse is the same of Austria. Try to imagine Austria being a city state called Vienna...


----------



## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Really very nice photos for sure from these cities; thanks


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

some more: German bar


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

just two blocks away some modern highrises


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

I wonder how this city loked 10 or 20 years ago


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

another very "European" looking place, a big square in the city center with an Orthodox church


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

like everything else in this area it was constructed about 100 years ago


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

That said, Harbin is a young city. It was founded in 18989 when the Russian armz had occupied the north of China and extended the railway into what now is known as the Chinese province of Heilongjiang


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

It remained Russian until the Japanese occupied the city in 1932. When the Japanese surrendered in WW2 in 1945 the city was returned back to China although Russian troops there for some years


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

given the temeperature the only way to cope was to keep moving. No rest, no break in the small teahouse or souvenir shop. Just keep moving, moving at any price. 










I was stupid enough to put off my gloves for a few seconds This was a tragic mistake...










fortunately it was not all about standing still in order to take photographs


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

there were also opportunities to go sled riding or even downhill skiing
of course the vertical drop was not as spectacular, maybe some 30m. But a welcome diversion in China


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

A short interruption for Harbin. 

Next city I am going to show is quite similar to Harbin, at least in two respects: a very young city founded in the late 19th century plus a huge portion of colonial buildings










Its "Qingdao". The most German city in the world.










Most major German towns got bombed in WW2 and in case the Allies had mercy or done their job inefficiently, the German themselves destroyed a lot of their charming architecutre in the 1950s and 1960s "Wirtschaftswunder" by replacing old timber houses with disgusting cardboard boxes.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Qingdao, however is different. There were a lot of problems in China in the 20th century but Qingdaos architecture was mostly not affected. Even better, the Chinese soon realized the German talent for engineering and kept everything like it was. The sewage systems, streets and houses still date from the early 20th century, at least in the ancient German district.










This German area is quite spread out occuping two hills close to 100 meters high. A bizarre place, a mixture of Stuttgart 2012 and Leipzig in 1990. Most of the buildings remain unrestored and give this place a East German, DDR-like charm. WOW.










Qingdao is Germany being conserved for over 100 years, a living museum. For me it is one of the most interesting cities in China.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

It however still is a Chinese citiy. At least 90 percent of it look like that. This was taken in the outskirts near our hotel










There was an amazingly big nightlife district near to it. As you might know, Chinese are not so into Western nightlife and Qingdao cannot be compared to Beijing or Shanghai anyway










2.5 million people life in the city center alone. It is still growing and expanding at a high pace. A new economical area including an ultramodern skyline is currently being constructed. This is the "ancient" skyline, mostly done in the 1990s


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Qingdao derives its charme from its location next to the sea.










It has six beaches to offer which are excelllent by Chinese standards (otherwise avoid Chinese beaches except the ones in Southern Hainan)










Lets get back to the German area
This was the German city council between 1898 and 1920


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

The church, erected in 1911. We will get there later










While I guide you through the old town some facts about the Germans.










After Germany had become a belated superpower in the late 19th century, it soon realized that it was in urgent need to acquire some colonies abroad like its neighbours. Qingdao was nothing special, just a small fishing village on the Chinese coast.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

but it was enough to satisfy the nationalist pride of the German population and was regarded as a strategically important: a natural harbour close to Beijing










The Germans never made it far from Qingdao in China. As long as the time being, Qingdao was a tiny German outpost , comparable to places like Macao or Gibraltar.










The Germans still have a very good image among the local population. The reason is clear: the archtiecture is still omnipresent, the infrastructure is still functioning.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

but the purges remain invisibile. Germany did not treat its people much better than its English or French counterparts. It was one of the nations brutally fighting against the Boxer uprising in 1901.










After having lost the WW1 things got even worse when the Japanese took over the city and claimed it to be Japanese. As you might know Japanese and Chinese are not the best friends in history, mildly speaking...










Qingdao finally became a Chinese city after WW2 and is now firmly integrated into the Peoples Republic and has become a typically Chinese city


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

We spent three days there in October 2010 and enjoyed very wonderful. This btw was done for a TV commercial











the first day we spent almost entirely doing photographs in the German district


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

this is one of 2 Qingdaos major hills










the small shops and markets are typically Chinese










I think this was the German governors residence


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

finally, some "no-comment" - pics from the church

1









2









3









4


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

5










6










7










8


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

some more pictures from Qingdaos German district (no comments, I am too lazy)


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

123


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

German Japanese restaurant










the German governors palace, now accomodating a museum and the aforementioned Ratskeller restaurant










a lof old black and whites from Qingdaos German period


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

inside the museum


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

German neocoloinalist architecture


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

beautiful shots....kay:


----------



## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Once again interesting and very nice photos, well done :cheers:


----------



## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Qingdao is beautiful! Looks very European, especially German.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

thx for commenting.

some updates will follow immediately ....


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

and now as indiscated in the title, some photos from Stockholm


----------



## balthazar (Jul 19, 2007)

^^very beautiful!


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Stockholm was founded in the Tang dynasty in the 8th century. First a small fishers village, it soon developed to an important trading post. Later during the Ming period, the Chinese emperor chose his summer residence to be located here.










The city is still renowned for its temperate climate and good air quality.










Like with most major Chinese cities, huge investments have helped to develop the infrastructure. A metro and expressways divide the city centre which is scattered across several islands.










Shopping opportunities are abundant - global chains like H/M and IKEA have settled down here early. We were not keen on shopping though prefered to rent some camels in order to visit the pyramids which are located not too far away from the city centre, right next to Taj Mahal.

Unfortunately my camera was broken when I visited this wonderful ancient Chinese city, therefore this photos are a ripoff of Tysklandssplikt taken from the "Rate the skyline" section. Skull!


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

*Now lets continue with Qingdao*
some more German architecture, only the red star reminds of China.










This is how Qingdao looks at night - dark, like in most places around the world. Sorry for this crappy quality, dont know whats wrong with my camera...



















A look across the bay.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Next morning was bright and clear, we decided to head onto the beach










there was a long not-German-but-rather-Chinese-looking pier where this photo was taken from. You see Qs "old" skyline in the distance.










Qingdaos corniche, with the ancient German "Kurhaus"


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Now there is a cafe located inside.










A short glimpse at the beach










Accurate and impressive construction also here.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

qingdao has six beaches in total. 










This is beach "1", the most popular, always crowded during the Golden Week in early October.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

look quite similar, dont they?


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

old vs new










the waterfront










and the old skyline in detail


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

look to the German district









some more new buildings


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

close-up










these buildings are located within the German district









boats


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

more German architecture next to the former "Main Street" a broad avenue situated in the "valley" not far from the seashore. The old railway station is located here - and still functioning










Weird architecture: old Germany, not-so-old-old China and new China in the background










Very popular amongst photographers: another German church


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

But the 1980s and 1990s proved to be difficult for Chinese heavy industry.










But the city has also an history beoynd steel processing and coal mining. Shenyang was first used by the Manchu people as their capital in the 17th century and is today the biggest city in the Northeast.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

This square you have also seen on the previous pictures is Shenyangs central plaza










As in Chengdu, they still have a Mao Zedong mamorial standing here, although nobody seems to care about it anymore.










Some Japanese and russian buildings line the square, a reminder of the past.
With the building of the South Manchurian Railway, Shenyang became a Russian stronghold, which occupied it after the Boxer Rebellion. During the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), it was the site of the fierce "Battle of Mukden" from on 19 February 1905 – 10 March 1905.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

The Japanese came back in 1931 as they invaded China and built the Manchuko in North Eastern Chinas dongbei region. This was also the time when Shenzangs heavy industry was developed










Soviet forces occupied Shenyang in ealry August 1945 on the surrender of Japan. The Soviets were replace by Nationalist Chinese, who were flown in on U.S. transport planes. During the Chinese Civil War, Shenyang remained a Kuomintang stronghold from until1948, although the Chinese communists controlled the surrounding countryside.










Despite all this bloodshed, Shenyang has continuously managed to grow in a major industrial town of 6 million inhabitants.


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

some shots taken on a taxi ride fomr the city center to Beihe Park, one of Shenyangs main attractions


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

this creek must be Bei He, the white river










the entrance gate


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Theres a large historical tomb fomr the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) located in the parc










The park is huge, around 3 sqkm, thus bigger than the entire state of Monaco


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

It was established back in 1927, just before the Japanese arrived










It includes Zhaoling, the tomb of the second Qing emperor. The construction of the tomb took place between 1643 and 1651


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Today it is a vast area of parkland, pines with some lakes and temples dotted in


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

It was very calm and quiet during our vist on a Friday afternoon. Quite unusual for such a big Chinese city


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

*and now back to Qindgao...*


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

this German church I had shown on previous pictures










this photo could also have been taken in Germany


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

we didnt go inside as in the other Protestant church located on the opposite hill...










but went to the narrow lanes in the district apart from the sea shore


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

this area was less developed and looked even a bit "slummy" which is quite unusual given the generally well - organized design of Chinese cities










this mixture of architectonic styles from Bismarcks, Mao Zedongs and Hu Jintaos era was nevertheless fascinating


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

we are still near the city center










there was a gib market near this area


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

buildings in this area were constructed in the 1920/30s after the Germans had left










we slowly approach the hill where the German district is located


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

a market seeling all kinds of food










you find markets like this in all Chinese cities


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

some more pictures before we move on


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

this area has an almost "East German DDR" appeal


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

last pics for today










taken on the peninsula









on Qingdaos "corniche"


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

:yawn:not enough reacts!

lets quickly get rid of the last photographs

HARBIN, last part


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

...and the last batch for *Qingdao*


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)




----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

done - thx for watching - bye


----------



## Rinchinlhumbe (Dec 20, 2008)

Random pcitures from Ningbo (Zhejiang province). It is a traditional port city and was declared as one of the first special economy zones in the 1980s. Meanwhile it heas grown to a big city of 4 million inhabitants. There are still some nice spots in the city center with ancient buildings. Unfortunately I only got to see some out of my taxi, because I visited Ningbo though a hasty business trip.










All these pictures were taken near the major bus stop










Although surely not represenetative, they give a good impression about a typically hectic and vibrant Chinese port city










I am afraid thats all I have to offer about Ningbo - and China as a whole. because I now live and work in Germany again.


----------



## andyvia (Oct 21, 2011)

I thought you were to visit the whole country so we would have chance to visit with you together. Whatever this is a very good thread and thanks for your sharing.


----------

