2010夏---中国

YunGang Grottoes @ Datong

YuGang Grottoes is one of the three biggest Grottoes in China.The other two are DunHuang Grottoes and LongMen Grottoes. It was built during the Bei Wei Dynasty and took about 50 years, and 40,000 people to finish. The cave art combines traditional Chinese art form with foreign influence, particularly Greek and India. So the Budda actually looks a little bit like mixed of Chinese and Mid Easterner with high nose and deep eyes.

The biggest Budda in YuGang Grottoes

Quanjude with family and friends

Established in 1864, QuanJuDe Peking Duck is definitely the must go place if you visit Beijing. Though it may not be the best place for roast duck, it will serve you an unique experience with duck. Pinghan doesn't really like this place because other than roast duck, the other dishes sucks and the price is a little bit high.

GuGong with Dad and Pinghan

If you can only visit one place in Beijing, it should be the Forbidden City (GuGong). It is lying at the center of Beijing. It was the Imperial Palace during Ming and Qing Dynasty. Now it is the world's largest palace complex with approximately 9,000 rooms inside. You need at least one day to see all of them.

@Beijing with Pengpeng and Feifei.

Pengpeng's new car, yay! He drove us to my College (Beijing Normal University) that night. It has changed so much that I can hardly tell the name of most buildings. But the unchanged is the familiar smell in the air, the young spirit, energy and of course the beautiful girls everywhere.

@Beijing with Ning and Tim

One day in Beijing is really too short. Nevertheless, Back Lake(Houhai) is definitely the place we don't want to miss!!

Shanghai Expo

The family of Haibao

The only Pavilion we went is the Urbanian Pavilion because it is the only Pavilion that had no lines. Surprisingly, it is quite interesting and worth seeing!!!

Taiwan Pavilion

From the outside, the Taiwan Pavilion is really not that eye catching.

ChengHuangMiao

it not only refers to large temple complex, but also the traditional district of commercial. .It is the oldest city area in ShangHai. There are over a hundred stores and shop here

Song Qingling Memorial Residence @ Shanghai

This is Song Qingling long-term life place. She had lived there since 1948. It covers 4,330 square meters and is a really quiet and elegant place located on Huaihai Road.

Shanghai Xin Tian Di

It is a fashionable pedestrian street composed of Shikumen and modern architecture style. It retains the antique walls, tiles and exterior of the Shikumen housing of old Shanghai. On the other hand, its interior embodies a totally different world of international gallery, bars and cafes, boutiques or theme restaurants. When you walk into Xin Tian Di, you will get the taste both of Shanghai in the 1920's and the sonic modern lifestyle of urbanites of the 21st century.

@Cheng Huang Miao with Xiaobai, Rachel, Feifei and Xiao zhu

Escape from New York City - Bar Harbor in Maine

To escape from the heat wave in New York City, the best way is to go far far north - Maine, where lobsters are born, blueberries are planted and happiness is produced.

逃離紐約的酷熱,最好的方法就是一路向北啦!

來到美國緯度第二偏北的緬因州(最北的是阿拉斯加),

這裡是龍蝦.藍莓的產地,幸福也隨之而來!

Upon arriving in Maine, there is a giant lobster ardently greeting us (to eat them).

一來到緬因州,一隻大龍蝦展開雙手迎接著我們來吃它 XD

We can't help but have two of them. They are pretty fresh, but the best is not yet to come.

情不自禁地吃了兩隻小龍蝦,但是最好的還在後頭呢!

To explore the hometown of lobster, it is essential to take a good rest. We stay at a log cabin which is embraced by woods. It is very quiet and cheap so that it also attracts a bunch of bugs vacationing here.

為了好好探索龍蝦的故鄉,充足的休息是必要的.我們住在了一間小木屋式的旅館,可能因為便宜.乾淨.安靜,蟲子們也都來此度假 XD

To discover the place where lobsters live, we go to kayak. It is a pity that our camera is not with us while we are kayaking. Kayaking is really an exercise with a lot of fun. It is a good exercise that couples can learn how to coordinate, and can enjoy the scenery of ocean and mountains.

睡飽之後,要划獨木舟出海找龍蝦囉!

獨木舟真的是項好活動,可以讓一起划船的人體會

十年修得同船渡,百年修得共枕眠 的精神

After going ashore, we get to Acadia National Park which is enriched by granite cliffs side by side with sand and cobblestone beaches. Glacier-carved mountains rise from the sea and cup deep lakes in their valleys.

上岸之後,我們到了Acadia國家公園,公園以花崗岩峭壁以及鵝卵石沙灘聞名,冰河切割而成的高山從海洋升起,擁抱湖泊在其懷中

From the mountain, we overlook the beautiful bay named Frenchman bay. Once upon a time, a French, Samuel Champlain, made the first important contribution to the historical record of Mount Desert Island. He led the expedition that landed on Mt. Desert on September 5, 1604 and wrote in his journal, "The mountain summits are all bare and rocky...I name it Isles des Monts Desert." Champlain's visit to Acadia 16 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock destined this land to become known as New France before it became New England.

從山上眺望法國人海灣.從前一位法國探險家造訪並記錄下了這裡的美景,他的到訪比英國人早了16年,也為這塊土地留了新法國的名號

Be immersed in the woods and feel the quiet.

沉浸山林及寧靜之中

Still lake reminds us of peaceful mind. The lake is like the mind of the national park. Although there are many visitors coming and going, the lake is never affected. It keeps calm all the time.

平靜的湖泊藏於喧囂之中,不論四季更迭.人事變遷,依然不改本性,恬淡自得.

菩提本無樹,明鏡亦非臺,本來無一物,何處惹塵埃

The bay at nightfall.

Twilight at sunset lights up the sea.

落日餘暉中,我們乘著快艇環遊海灣

The last stop is the light house on the bay,

which is not only the stop for traveler, but also the stop for seals.

海灣,最後一個景點 - 燈塔,燈塔周圍,許多海豹也休息著,觀賞著從陸地上來的訪客

Dining in the Vacationland State, Maine, is to be continued.

Escape from New York City - Castle on the Hudson

The Blog starts with escaping from the hustle and bustle of New York City.

Hop on a train heading to the upper reaches of the Hudson River.

One the way, the river is always along with us,

which is like that the river has been along with history.

After thirty minutes north of Manhattan, we arrive in Tarrytown.

Walk along the path through the woods as well as history.

The castle towers on the top of the mountain,

and stands time and tide.

The story of the castle begins shortly before the turn of the 20th century,

when General Howard Carroll purchased the land as home for his growing family.

Carrollcliffe, the name appropriately given to Caroll's castle on the cliff,

was built in two stages between 1897 and 1910,

and was designed by a prominent New York architect Henry Kilburn.

The castle served as the family dining room during peace time, and as a sighting and listening post for use by the Tarrytown Civil Defense to monitor air traffic in the area during World War II.

Surprisingly, after the war, it was turned into the headquarter of an investment counseling firm.

Nowadays, the castle has become a hotel entertaining people.

People sometimes also entertain it.

By the decoration of the castle, we feel majestic.

Playing the chess is like living a life.

The leisure in the castle is to plant and swim.

To dine at the castle's restaurant, people need to be dressed up.

With respect to the food, it is to be continued.