China Travel Guide

Why do Chinese prefer drinking hot water? To answer that, we have to go back to 20000 years ago~ Therefore, drinking hot water was only a habit formed in last century.

Luoyang, one of the Four Holy Cities in the world, is the oldest capital city in China. It had been the home for over a hundred Chinese emperors. Along the Luohe River are ancient ruins of Erlitou in the Xia Dynasty, Yanshi in the Shang Dynasty, Imperial City in Eastern Zhou Dynasty, Old Capital of Han and Wei Dynasties, and Old Luoyang in Sui and Tang Dynasties silently telling the long-gone past of Luoyang.  Luoyang City Summary of Luoyang City Located in west Luoyang, Luoyang is one of the four holy cities in the  world (the other  three being Jerusalem, Mecca, and Athens) and one of the starting points of Silk Road. It has Luo River in the south, hereby the name Luoyang (south of the Luo River). Since the Xia Dynasty, the first dynasty in China, about 13 orthodox dynasties established their capital here, making Luoyang one of China's greatest ancient capitals. The only Empress of China, Wu Zetian, set her capital here and renamed the place as Divine Capital. Luoyang is also a p

Empress Dowager Cixi (Nov.29, 1835-Nov.15, 1908), a concubine of Xianfeng Emperor and mother of Tongzhi Emperor, is an essential political figure in the late Qing Dynasty and the actual ruler of Qing court. She held power for 47 years, during which she launched two coups, set up two crowns, and promoted the social transformation three times. Only three years after her death, the game-changing Xinhai Revolution broke out, and China was dragged into the modern age. Quick Facts about Empress Dowager Cixi Name: Yehe Nara Xingzhen  Other Titles: Xiaoqinxian Empress, Empress Dowager Cixi (慈禧太后) Nationality: Manchu Born on: Nov.29, 1835 (Oct.10 in Chinese lunar calendar) Empress Dowager Cixi Died on: Nov.15, 1908 (aged 72, Oct.22 in Chinese lunar calendar) Zodiac: Goat Spouse: Xianfeng Emperor Child: Emperor Tongzhi Sister: Yehe Nara Wanzhen (biological mother of Emperor Guangxu) Religion: Tibetan Buddhism Burial: Ding Mausoleum, Eastern Qing tombs Concubinage  Cixi was born in a Manchu arist

Wu Zetian (624 - 705) is an outstanding politician in the Tang Dynasty, the founding monarch of Wuzhou age (690 - 705), the only orthodox female empress in Chinese history. She was an extraordinary woman, talented, intelligent, and ruthless in the ruling. She rose step by step from a nameless person in the royal court to an intimidating ruler and grabbed the Li family's power. Some people may judge here, but what we can’t deny is that Wu Zetian was a female hero who dared to challenge the patrilineal society and proved to be a brilliant empress. Quick Facts about Wu Zetian Wu Zetian is the only legitimatized Empress in Chinese history.  Wu Zetian Wu Zetian established her dynasty - the Zhou dynasty. Wu Zetian came to the throne when she was 67, making her the oldest person ever be crowned. Wu Zetian was one of the longest-lived monarchs (82 years old) in Chinese history.  Wu Zetian had two husbands, Tang Gaozong Li Zhi and his father, Tang Taizong Li Shimin. Wu Zetian deposed her s