Suzhou is a lovely city located on the shores of the Lake Taihu and on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It is located in the Jiangsu region which is part of the Yangtze river delta. The city is known for its meticulously designed pagodas and beautiful gardens and has been a popular tourist destination. Right from the Song Dynasty, the city has been an important center for silk and still continues to be so.

There are a number of place to visit here and you just never run out of places. The twin pagodas, The Hanshan temple and the Confucian temple are all lovely pagodas that depict the Chinese architecture at its best. The Huqiu Tower that was constructed in the year 960 by the Song Dynasty rulers still stands tall elegantly at 45 meters. Check out the beauty of the classical gardens in  some of which are even a thousand year old. An evening walk along the cobbled Ping Jiang road that is over a 1100 years old  and checking out some souvenirs in the lovely shops that dot the roadsides can be very memorable.

(Image courtesy of d’n'c)

Being a rich resource of cultural and creative industry, Xicheng, is one of the districts in Beijing, China. The district houses many religions including Buddhism, Taoism, Islam and Christianity. Temples and churches are traditionally well maintained and the sacred places have separate events to be conducted for their Gods. White Cloud Temple is one of the oldest Taoist temples in the town and Guanghua Temple for the Chinese Buddhists.

Some of the most beautiful gardens in the world can be found in this calm district along with the Beijing Zoo, famous for Panda bear breeding. Preserving history has been one of the important goals of the Xicheng inhabitants, and it is no wonder that there are good number of museums like Capital Museum and Xu Beihong Museum where invaluable artifacts and other paintings of ancient China are showcased. Recreation theatres and huge malls, for shopping traditional as well as modern clothing and other items are also part of the fun city.

(Image courtesy of dbaron)

The Macau palace

Macau or Macao is one of the special administrative regions of China and lies pretty much near Hong Kong. Macau was a territory of Portugal until 1999 and is considered to be the Las Vegas of Asia.  With ferry services operating between Macau and Hong Kong, its easier for tourists to travel from Hong Kong to Macau.

Though known as the gambling capital of Asia, Macau is nothing less than spectacular when it comes to cultural attractions as the fusion of the European and the Chinese cultures has rendered the region very beautiful. There are a number of churches, fortresses and temples with both the Chinese and the Portuguese confluence. Taipa village and Coloane village are some of the colonial-era fishing villages that have a number of colonial-era shops selling souvenirs. Macau also has a number of museums where you could check out some of the beautiful artifacts and if history is not your thing, then you should probably check out the Macau tower for some breathtaking views and the Fisherman’s Wharf for some adventure sports.

(Image courtesy of  xiquinhosilva)