The Great Wall
by Photographer Name, used under CC BY-ND
by Photographer Name, used under CC BY-ND
Famous Chinese Buildings & Structures
Eleonora Markosyan
Great Wall
by Chun@Vancouver, used under CC BY-ND |
The Great Wall of ChinaThe Great Wall of China, one of the most recognizable symbols in history, was originally thought of by the first Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang (c. 259-210 B.C.) to prevent intruders from entering the Chinese Empire. It consists of numerous walls that run parallel to each other and it is one of the most extensive projects ever completed (Staff). Many emperors after Qin Shi Huang elongated the Wall and made it as far as possible. The section of the wall that is the best preserved is the side that was build during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) (Staff).
Considered one of the seven wonders of the world, The Great Wall travels through China's mountains for about 4,500 miles (that beats the distance from California to New York by around 1,000 miles!)(Unknown). It is also 25 feet tall and 15-30 feet wide. (2012). The Great Wall did not really stop invaders from entering China like it was originally planned to do; however; it served more as a psychological barrier to the Chinese people and the rest of the world. The Great Wall symbolizes the countries amazing strength and endurance (2012). This video contains brief facts about the Great Wall. |
China World Trade Center
The China World Trade Center (CWTC), one of the largest buildings in Beijing, took 25 years to finish. The construction began in February in 1985 and was not completed until 2010. The building reaches up 330 meters and has 14 components to it. This includes hotels, shopping malls, offices, apartments, and an exhibition hall (2006).
The CWTC is widely known as "The Place Where China Meets the World" because of its large market commercial developments. They are also known for keeping their reputation internationally and have won many awards in the past couple of years. |
The picture on the left shows the composition of all of the buildings that are part of the China World Trade Center. As you can see, there are many offices, hotels, and a couple of apartments, shopping malls, and more.
China World Hotel (platinum five-star): This luxurious hotel, that is not too far from the airport, has refurbished suites and 716 guestrooms. The hotel is the "political and commercial center of Beijing" and has a very high status around the city (2006). China World Summit (five-star): The summit is an incredible place to host government conferences and business meetings. It is located at the very top of the World Tower and has a full range of bars, lounges, private areas, and restaurants (2006). China World Apartments: These two 30 story towers have been recently renovated to provide a different kind of living (2006). China World Mall: This is the very first mall that features brand shops and high-end merchandise. It was opened in August 1990 and it is a famous shopping center in Beijing (2006). China World Exhibition Hall: This hall is ideal for anyone's exhibitions. There were more than 600 exhibitions that were held in the Exhibition hall, from domestic to international exhibitions (2006). |
Oriental Pearl TowerThe Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower stands at 468 meters and is the fourth tallest building in Asia. It is adjacent to the Huangpu River and is across from the Bund which is famous for its intricate and different architectural style (TimeZoneOne).
The tower was constructed started on July 30th, 1991 and ended three years later on October 1st, 1994. There are six main parts to the Tower: the three columns, and the three spheres. The first sphere is called the bottom ball, the second sphere is called the upper ball, and the third sphere is called the space capsule. This Tower also has a transparent panorama elevator that gives off an amazing view of Shanghai. This was the first transparent lift ever to be built in the world (Attractions). Inside the Tower, there are many tourist sightseeing floors. The Oriental Pearl Science Fantasy World: This is located in the first sphere and has entertainment for all ages. It includes a Journey Through the Forest, a Trip to the South Pole, a Disney Theatre, a Hot Air Balloon, and much more (Attractions). Shanghai Municipal History Museum: This museum is at the Tower's end and features the development of Shanghai over the course of history. Tourists can learn about Shanghai's history through a wide display of valuable relics, documents, pictures, etc. (Attractions). Aerial Sightseeing Corridor: This is located at the second sphere and was only officially opened until May 1, 2009. It gives visitors a view of the Huangpu River through the glass under their feet (Attractions). Revolving Restaurant: This restaurant is 267 meters off the ground. Those who eat at this restaurant get a spectacular view of Shanghai and also get to enjoy the ride because the restaurant revolves once every two hours (Attractions). |
Terra-Cotta Warriors
Tarracotta Army
by Picturegraphy, used under CC BY-ND |
In 1974, Chinese workers made a discovery of terracotta figures. These figures, now known as Terracotta Warriors, were all found ready for battle in three pits near X'ian in China's Shaanxi Province. All of these warriors were found one mile from the grave of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's, the first emperor of China (Jarus).
The first pit that was found ran for four acres. In this pit, the Terracotta Warriors are lined up in an actual army. This pit contains 6,000 warriors and horses. The second pit is located farther up north and is smaller than the first pit. In here, there are four army's; however, there are many pieces of pottery and horses. The third vault is out west away from the second pit and covers a much smaller area than either of the other two vaults. There are four horses and some pieces of pottery. The warriors in this vault are not known as fighters because they did not have blades (Jarus). There were four pits that were found, but the fourth one was unfinished. All in all, these figures were found to have been created to be the Emperor's soldiers in the afterlife(Travel). |
Tarracotta Army
by archer10 (Dennis) , used under CC BY-ND |
References:
About CWTC. (2006, January 1). Retrieved December 5, 2014, from http://www.cwtc.com/cwtc/world/eworld.jsp
Attractions, S. (2008, January 1). Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower. Retrieved December 9, 2014, from
http://www.shanghaihighlights.com/shanghai-sightseeing/oriental-pearl-tv-tower.html
Jarus, B. (2012, December 13). Terracotta Warriors: An Army for the Afterlife. Retrieved December 9, 2014, from
http://www.livescience.com/25510-terracotta-warriors.htm
SOM : China World Trade Center. (2011, January 1). Retrieved December 8, 2014, from
http://www.som.com/projects/china_world_trade_center
Staff, H. (2010, June 12). Great Wall of China. Retrieved December 7, 2014, from http://www.history.com/topics/great-wall-of-china
TimeZoneOne. Facts and visitor information on the Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower » The World Federation of Great Towers. (2012,
January 1). Retrieved December 9, 2014, from http://www.great-towers.com/towers/oriental-pearl-radio-tv-tower/
Travel.Terracotta warriors Xi'an city China terracotta worriers. (2005, January 1). Retrieved December 9, 2014, from
http://www.great-wallofchina.com/terracotta-warriors.html
(2012, January 1). Great Wall of China facts. Retrieved December 7, 2014, from http://www.great-wallofchina.com/the-great-wall-of-china-
facts-for-kids.html
About CWTC. (2006, January 1). Retrieved December 5, 2014, from http://www.cwtc.com/cwtc/world/eworld.jsp
Attractions, S. (2008, January 1). Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower. Retrieved December 9, 2014, from
http://www.shanghaihighlights.com/shanghai-sightseeing/oriental-pearl-tv-tower.html
Jarus, B. (2012, December 13). Terracotta Warriors: An Army for the Afterlife. Retrieved December 9, 2014, from
http://www.livescience.com/25510-terracotta-warriors.htm
SOM : China World Trade Center. (2011, January 1). Retrieved December 8, 2014, from
http://www.som.com/projects/china_world_trade_center
Staff, H. (2010, June 12). Great Wall of China. Retrieved December 7, 2014, from http://www.history.com/topics/great-wall-of-china
TimeZoneOne. Facts and visitor information on the Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower » The World Federation of Great Towers. (2012,
January 1). Retrieved December 9, 2014, from http://www.great-towers.com/towers/oriental-pearl-radio-tv-tower/
Travel.Terracotta warriors Xi'an city China terracotta worriers. (2005, January 1). Retrieved December 9, 2014, from
http://www.great-wallofchina.com/terracotta-warriors.html
(2012, January 1). Great Wall of China facts. Retrieved December 7, 2014, from http://www.great-wallofchina.com/the-great-wall-of-china-
facts-for-kids.html