China Great Wall

China Great Wall ToursBy [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Max_Bellamy]Max Bellamy
The Great Wall of China, one of the most appealing attractions of China and one of the greatest wonders of the world, was constructed by the Vassal states under Zhou Dynasty for defense purposes. The construction began during 7th century B.C. and was completed between the 14th and 17th centuries. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized the Great Wall of China as the World Heritage in 1987.
Once the state of Qin was unified with China, China joined all the walls to impede invaders from northern China and extended them to more than 10000 li, which is equal to 5000 kilometers. Like a Chinese holistic dragon with a zigzag shape, the Great Wall of China stretches across mountains, plateaus, deserts, rivers and grasslands with a length of almost 6,700 kilometers. It is over 2000 years old and runs from East China to West China. Unfortunately, portions of the wall are in ruins due to lack of interest on the part of the Chinese Government. This magnificent piece of Chinese history touches the provinces of Shanhaiguan Pass, Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu and finally ends in Jiayuguan Pass.
China tour operators like Beijingguide.com, Chinahiking.com, and Orientaltravel.com etc various tours to the Great Wall of China at discount prices and outstanding services. Tourists stay at the beautiful places near the wall like Jinshanling and Simatai, where there are restaurants, guest houses, shops and transportation agencies. The entire Great Wall of China can be broadly divided into four popular sites namely Badaling, Mutianya, Simatai and Shixiaguan. Of these, Simatai is the steeper portion of the Wall. Generally May and October are ideal months for touring. [http://www.e-chinatours.com]China Tours provides detailed information on China Bicycle Tours, China Great Wall Tours, China Guided Tours, China Tour Operators and more. China Tours is affiliated with [http://www.i-ChinaTravel.com]China Travel Services.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Max_Bellamy http://EzineArticles.com/?China-Great-Wall-Tours&id=206679

Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost five centuries, it served as the home of the Emperor and his household, and the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government.
Built from 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms[1] and covers 720,000 square metres. The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture,[2] and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987,[2] and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
Since 1924, the Forbidden City has been under the charge of the Palace Museum, whose extensive collection of artwork and artefacts were built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Part of the museum's former collection is now located in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Both museums descend from the same institution, but were split after the Chinese Civil War.

Source : wikipedia.org

2008 Olympic Games

Author: James William Smith
The Games of the XXIX Olympiad are now less than a year away, with the opening ceremonies scheduled to begin in the host city of Beijing, China on August 8, 2008. The Olympic games will be held between August 8, 2008 and August 24, 2008 in Beijing and surrounding cities. The games will feature three hundred two events covering twenty eight sports.

Nine new Olympic events are scheduled to be held in 2008. There will be two new events in cycling, and women will compete in the 3000m steeplechase for the first time. In addition, marathon swimming events for men and women, will be added to the swimming competition. Team events in table tennis will replace the doubles events.

Since December, 2003, Beijing has been preparing for the arrival of the Olympic games with the construction of thirty one venues. The most prominent venues are the Beijing National Stadium and Beijing National Aquatics Centre. Other important venues include the Olympic Green Convention Centre, Olympic Green, Beijing National Indoor Stadium, and Beijing Wukesong Cultural And Sports Center.

The opening and closing ceremonies and some of the athletic events (including soccer) will be held in the newly constructed Beijing National Stadium which is also known as “The Birds Nest”. The nickname for the structure is due to its design which appears to be a birds nest sitting on top of a concrete structure. The stadium will seat over eighty thousand people for the games and ceremonies.

The Beijing National Aquatics Centre is also known as the “Water Cube.” The “Water Cube” will be the venue for swimming and diving for the Games. The Beijing National Aquatics Center is an award winning venue for the 2008 Olympic Games. It was recognized by Popular Science in 2006, for “ Best of What’s New in Engineering”, and in 2004 it achieved an award for “Most Accomplished Work (Atmosphere section) “ by Venice Biennale.

The structure of the Water Cube is based on unique, lightweight, construction from panels of a form of Teflon, that allows more light and heat penetration than glass and transforms the building into an energy-efficient greenhouse-like environment. Indeed, solar energy will also be used to heat the swimming pools, which are designed to reuse double-filtered, backwashed pool water that's usually dumped as waste.

Excess rainwater will also be collected and stored in subterranean tanks and used to fill the pools. The Centre is shaped like a square box with interior designs that are carved out of a cluster of foam bubbles. The overall design makes the Centre appear like a cube of water bubbles.

In addition to the venues, the environment will certainly be a factor in the 2008 Olympic Games. The air pollution in China is at least two to three times higher than what is deemed safe by the World Heath Organization. Endurance sports may see a decline in overall performance due to air pollution and the August heat in Beijing. In fact, athletes from several countries already have indicated that they will arrive immediately prior to the games to limit their exposure to the negative air quality in Beijing.

Politics always plays a role in the Olympic Games, and 2008 will not be an exception especially since China is the host country. Already, there are several groups that are making news protesting Chinese violations of human rights and free speech as follows:

“Human Rights Watch “and “Amnesty International” both have released reports that denounce China as failing to honor its Olympic obligations on human rights.

“The Committee to Protect Journalists” said China was still impeding foreign journalists and jailing domestic ones, despite promises to allow reporting.

“Reporters Without Borders” managed to stage a protest in Beijing, only to see the police briefly detain the foreign journalists covering it.

With human rights and free speech problematic issues for China, these type of protests will only grow stronger as the Olympic Games approach.

The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China are destined to have the excitement of world class summer sports competition, the showmanship of the opening and closing ceremonies, award winning venues, new competitive Olympic events, human rights politics, and the conflict between man and his environment.

The Olympic torch arrives at Beijing National Stadium on August 8, 2008. Mark that date on your calendar, because the Games of the XXIX Olympiad may well be a show you don’t want to miss.

http://www.eworldvu.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/2008-olympic-games-229693.html
About the Author:James William Smith has worked in senior management positions for some of the largest financial services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. Mr. Smith has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Boston College. He enjoys writing articles on political, national, and world events. Visit his website at http://www.eworldvu.com