Amazing Tourist and Trucking place in China to visit -- "Shanxi"

Shanxi province is a beautiful place in China. It looks fantastic and truly amazing on these photos. Shanxi Province got its name due to its location to the west of Taihang Mountain. Shanxi neighbored on Hebei, Henan, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia & Autonomous Region. It is located to the east of the Yellow River, and is also known as Hedong. Shanxi belonged to Jin State in Spring and Autumn Period, so it is abbreviated in Jin. Shanxi occupies an area of 156,000 square kilometers and has a population of over 32 million, including its minority ethnic population. Its capital is Taiyuan City.

Being at a high altitude, Shanxi Province has a cold and dry climate and has an annual rainfall of between 400-600 millimeters. The province is also frequently plagued by sandstorms, especially in the spring, so it is often useful to bring along both sunglasses and a hat when visiting. Generally speaking, the province’s climate is the best between May and October. Shanxi is one of the birth places of Chinese civilizations with a long history and traditional culture. As early as one hundred million years ago, the ancestors of the Chinese lived and propagated in this region. Legend tells us that the Yellow Emperor, founder of the Chinese nation, once lived in Shanxi for a certain period. Today, many Neolithic sites from that period can still be seen dotted across the vast expanse of the province.

Shaanxi is also abundant in natural beauty beyond its rich historical legacy. As one of the five best-known mountains in China, Mt. Huashan, 120 kilometers east of Xian, is famous for its breath-taking cliffs and awe-inspiring landscape. The Hukou Waterfall on Yellow River, the second biggest one in China, is very overbearing and magnificent. And Moutain Lishan and the nearby Huaqing Hot Springs  are very attractive. Their beautiful legends will bring you into a moving love story between emperor Xuanzong and a beauty named Yang Yuhuan. Shaanxi is both a base area of Chinese new-democratic revolution and a place with unique folk customs. The loud resounding Shaanxi opera, the joyous clattering of gongs and drums, the exquisite cut – paper art and the peasants’ paintings full of a rich flavor of life attract more and more tourists’ attention from home and abroad.

 

Watch the Video of Shanxi China province

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Burj al-Arab Hotel - The tourist magnet of Dubai

Burj al-Arab was the dream of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, which turned out to be a physical reality years later in Dubai. The tower that resembles the sail of dhow, became the world's tallest hotel with the height of 321m in 1999, and the iconic tower of Dubai. The construction took 6 years (1994-1999).

Burj al-Arab Hotel - The tourist magnet of Dubai

They say, Burj al-Arab was the dream of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, which turned out to be a physical reality years later in Dubai. The tower that resembles the sail of dhow, became the world's tallest hotel with the height of 321m in 1999, and the iconic tower of Dubai. The construction took 6 years (1994-1999).
 
The marketing technique of self-declaring the 7 star title has worked very well. Burj al-Arab became one of the most wanted destinations, and not only in the United Arab Emirates. To keep objectivity, the hotel is officially 5 star deluxe. The service and the unseen luxury definitely makes it stand out of the other 5 star hotels. The service includes private chauffeur with Rolls Royce or BMW 7, private reception desk every floor, helicopter pad (helicopter trips to the center of Dubai or to the Dubai International Airport), restaurant located 200m above the sea level, with amezing view on the city. The hotel offers free entry to the Wild-Wadi Water Park as well.
 
Celebrities appear daily at this hotel, Andre Agassi had a tennis game with Roger Federer on the helipad, and Ronan Keating made his video clip at the same place. Burj al-Arab stands on an artificial island which is linked to Jumeirah by a private bridge.
 
Burj al-Arab has the most luxurious interior imaginable. Khuan Chew, Design Principal of KCA International was responsible for the interior design. The most expensive materials were used throughout the building. There is no exact data about the cost of the hotel, but rumours say that the return of investment could be 100 years, although the nights at Burj al-Arab start at $1000. The Royal Suite costs $28000 per night.
 
There are 202 duplex suites in the hotel, the smallest suite starts at 169 m², and the largest is 780 m². Each suite has floor to the ceiling windows with spectacular views on the Persian Gulf. Every suite has sumptuous living and dining area, and office facilities. They are equipped with 42 inch Plasma screen TV, and everything is automated and can be controlled via remote. The list goes on, like 13 pillows to choose from and similar thoughtful care for the guests.
 
There is huge variety of brilliant, elegant restaurants that offer much more than the average. Al Mahara (The Oyster) let you enjoy your meal next to a large circle aquarium. The Skyview Bar leaves you with an unforgettable experience drinking coctails -made by Rikard Lindqvist (mixologist) from Sweden- 200 m above the sea-level. If that is not enough, there are 8 more restaurants to choose from.
 
Trick to get in for free:

There is an entry fee to the hotel if you just want to see it from the inside, which is about ~50 euros. Although there is a trick that might help you get in without payment. Make a reservation on the phone for any restaurant in Burj al-Arab, you will get a reservation number which you have to show at the front gate. When you get inside to the hotel, just avoid the restaurant. Make sure you dont give your real phone number to them.
 
The Tower of the Arabs from an exact angle (sailing into the city of Dubai) can be viewed as a Christian symbol, the cross. It is still widely disputed, wether the British architects made it intentionally, or this is only a harmless coincidence. As United Arab Emirates is an Islamic country, such symbol would not make the locals happy, as Burj al-Arab is the iconic tower of their country, that represents their dream of the modern Dubai.

Burj al-Arab was the first hotel to self-declare the 7-star title, but soon another hotel appeared in the United Arab Emirates, the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. While Burj al-Arab lies on a small artificial island, Emirates Palace is surrounded by a spectacular garden with multiple swimming pools and amezing fountains. The hotel kept the traditional arabic architectural style.

A quick video tour in one of the suites of Burj al-Arab. All of the suites have two storeys, and all include such comfortable thing as the luggage room. There are kitchens in the suites as well, but they are rarely used. All the suites have amazing views either on Dubai or on the sea.

Celebrities appear daily at this hotel, Andre Agassi had a tennis game with Roger Federer on the helipad, and Ronan Keating made his video clip at the same place. Burj al-Arab stands on an artificial island which is linked to Jumeirah by a private bridge.

Burj al-Arab has the most luxurious interior imaginable. Khuan Chew, Design Principal of KCA International was responsible for the interior design. The most expensive materials were used throughout the building. There is no exact data about the cost of the hotel, but rumours say that the return of investment could be 100 years, although the nights at Burj al-Arab start at $1000. The Royal Suite costs $28000 per night.

There are 202 duplex suites in the hotel, the smallest suite starts at 169 m², and the largest is 780 m². Each suite has floor to the ceiling windows with spectacular views on the Persian Gulf. Every suite has sumptuous living and dining area, and office facilities. They are equipped with 42 inch Plasma screen TV, and everything is automated and can be controlled via remote. The list goes on, like 13 pillows to choose from and similar thoughtful care for the guests.

There is huge variety of brilliant, elegant restaurants that offer much more than the average. Al Mahara (The Oyster) let you enjoy your meal next to a large circle aquarium. The Skyview Bar leaves you with an unforgettable experience drinking coctails -made by Rikard Lindqvist (mixologist) from Sweden- 200 m above the sea-level. If that is not enough, there are 8 more restaurants to choose from. 

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Great 9 Wonders in Dubai Constructions

Dubai became World's Richest and Tourist place in the World.Dubai is the richest place in the world.Now Dubai having more multiplexing and luxurious hotels and places to live.

Dubai’s crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and his team of advisors know full well that Dubai’s oil reserves are finite and may well run dry by 2030. As a result, tourism and commercial development is slated to replace black gold as the main engine of the economy. Here then are 8 structural wonders that will change Dubai forever.

The 9 major wonders in Dubai are Constructions.They are:

1.Hydropolis – First Underwater Luxury Resort

    About the size of London’s Hyde Park and some 66 feet beneath the Persian Gulf, the reinforced concrete and steel multi-star hotel off Jumeira Beach will employ Plexiglass walls and a bubble-dome ceiling to allow guests to view marine life. “Sea-view room” anyone?

The hotel will feature 220 suites at a cost of £300 million ($594.34 million) and will be built entirely in Germany, with assembly in Dubai. After several long delays, Hydropolis is set to welcome guests by 2009.

2.Burj Dubai – World’s Tallest Building

    With construction that began in September 2004, the Burj Dubai, with 2009 as the inaugural date, is already the tallest man-made building on Earth. With a spectacular design inspired by the indigenous desert flowers that often appear as decorative patterns in Islamic architecture, the total cost of the super skyscraper is going to be close to $4.1 billion. When completed it will have used 330,000 cubic meters of concrete, 39,000 metric tons of steel and 142,000 sqm of glass.

3.The Palm Islands

    The three largest artificial islands in the world are in Dubai, nestled in the Persian Gulf. Named Palm Jumeirah, the Palm Jebel Ali and the Palm Deira, they will add 520 km of beaches to the city and will include residential pockets, as well as leisure and entertainment centers.

    Palm Jumeirah consists of a trunk, a crown with 17 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island. Expected to be ready by mid 2008, Palm Jebel Ali is slightly bigger and should be able to accommodate 1.7 million people by 2020. The largest of them all, Palm Deira, is expected to be finished in 2015.

4.The World Archipelago

    After the construction of three decorative artificial islands, how will Dubai up the ante even further? Well, an archipelago dubbed The World will replicate the world atlas and will include some 300 islands that will be primarily built using sand dredged from the sea bottom.

    The total development cost is going to be close to $14 billion. No surprise then that the islands, which range from 250,000 to 900,000 square feet, are being sold to developers for prices that reportedly start at $6.85 million.

    Distance between the islands is going to be around 100m and travel should only be available by boat. With more than 60% of the islands sold by January 2008, there are bound to be some super yachts on the premises sometime in the near future.

5.Wind-powered rotating skyscraper

    Dr. David Fisher is the man behind Dynamic Architecture, the firm that will build the 420 meters (1,378 feet) high wind-powered rotating skyscraper in Dubai. There will be 48 wind turbines installed between each floor (which actually rotates independently) with the express aim of making the entire structure self-sufficient from an energy standpoint.

    Instead of traditional ground-up construction, the plan here is to have a nearby factory prefab each floor in segments. The hope is to switch on the turbines by 2010.

6.The UAE spaceport

    With an estimated price tag of at least $265 million, the world’s first spaceport will fall inside the border of a nearby emirate, Ras Al-Khaimah. A quick drive from Dubai, America’s Space Adventures are the wacky developers behind the high profile project slated to target the most affluent tourists. Early renderings indicate that the spaceport will feature a triangular runway (call it a launchpad if you like) and domed passenger terminals.

7.Burj-Al-Arab

 The Burj Al-Arab is named as “Tower of the Arabs” in Arabic. It is a luxury hotel in Dubai, in the largest city of the United Arab Emirates, which is marketed as “the world’s first seven-star hotel”.In english “Burj Al Arab” means The Arabian Tower. Burj Al Arab was one of the most expensive buildings ever built. At night, it offers an unforgettable sight, surrounded by choreographed color sculptures of water and fire. This all-suite hotel reflects the finest that the world has to offer
.

8.Dubai Sports City

    Dubai Sports City is the world’s first purpose-built sports city. Dubai Sports city will incorporate state-of-the-art sporting venues and academies along with residential and commercial developments.
    Dubai Sports City offer a world class venue for sports events and activities at all levels with a residential lifestyle unrivalled in the region and possibly the world.

9.DubaiLand

    Dubailand is a part of Dubai Holding. Dubailand is an entertainment complex which is under development in Dubai. Dubailand is a tourism, real estate, hospitality, entertainment, leisure and retail mega project.
    Development of Dubailand is divided into six theme worlds. The development is expected to be a full featured city. It is being managed by Dubai Government’s Dubai Development and Investment Authority and is being built to secure Dubai as the premier tourist destination for the Middle East.

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World's Biggest Dam-Three Gorges-China

The Three Gorges Dam is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world. It is located in the middle of the tree gorges on the Yangtze River, the third longest in the world, in the Hubei Province of China. The Yangtze River Dam was approved by the Chinese government in 1992. However, construction didn’t begin until 1994. It is scheduled to be completed by 2009. The $25 billion project is being internationally funded by companies, export credit agencies, and banks from Canada, Switzerland, Germany, France, Sweden, and Brazil. Controversy about the project arises from human rights issues (as many as 1.3-1.9 million people have been forced to relocate) and environmental impacts. 

The Chinese Government has four goals for the Three Gorges Dam project:
1. Flood Control: The history of the Yangtze River includes sing millions of dollars in damages. The dam will reduce the impacts of flooding since it will have a flood control capacity of 22.15 billion cubic meters.

2. Power Generation: The use of hydroelectric turbine generators will reduce China’s dependency on coal, a hydro carbon that produces greenhouse gases. The Three Gorges Dam will produce about 84.6 billion kilowatt hours of clean energy annually.

3. Navigation: The presence of the dam, the reservoir, and the ship locks will allow large ships to travel up and downstream for the first time. Ships from Chongquing will be able to transport goods all the way to the sea at Shanghai.

4. Tourism: Since the Three Gorges Dam Project is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, it is expected to be popular among tourists visiting China.

Travel tips:

The dam is by far the worlds largest in both size and hydroelectric power generation. Its an astonishing engineer feat.

You see the Three Gorges Dam up close - and pass through its incredibly large locks in your ship. The Three Gorges Dam is a Hillman Wonder Bronze Medal winner.

Unfortunately, from the tourists perspective, it is raising the river water level behind it so high that formerly breathtaking rapid currents of the Yangtze River are all but disappearing. And, the water is permanently inundating some scenic and cultural riverside attractions (and forced over a million people to relocate).

However, much of the stunning natural beauty of the sheer gorges remain. And, the visit to the new dam and its locks have substantially added to the cruises appeal.

 On balance, the Yangtze River cruise is still so exceptional that the sightseeing lossesthe dam caused should definitely not discourage travelers from making the voyage. Think of the marble statue Venus de Milo. She lost her arms but still is an object of beauty.

Recommended Tours:   Yangtze River Cruise Ships

                                       Yangtze River Cruise Tour

 

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