Korean Folk Village, Yongin, South Korea

The Korean Folk Village in Yongin City is the largest of its kind in South Korea. It has reproduced over 260 traditional houses reminiscent of the late Chosun Dynasty and has recreated the life of Korean people through the exhibition of various household goods and workshop items. Photos from my Feb 2010 visit…

There should be daily cultural performance in most of the months, except during winters, which unfortunately was the time I paid the visit. The exhibits were amusing enough though; and the place was pretty scenic itself.

Torture-tools which are often seen in Korean historical dramas

The village is also a popular place for shooting historical dramas/movies. Previously filmed here include popular dramas Iljimae, Painter of The Wind, and movie Hwang Jini etc. In fact there was a KBS crew filming during my visit; not sure for what production though as the security was pretty tight.

Oil rig turns hotel & scuba diving centre in Malaysia

Seaventures Dive Resort in Sabah, Malaysia, is a hotel and scuba diving centre which was transformed from an old oil rig.

I have never heard of the resort (until very recently) despite being a Malaysian. Not surprising though… the place is not catered for common folks, but for diving enthusiast after all. Photos from Seaventures’ official website.



The resort is located near Sipadan, a world’s famous dive site at the Celebes Sea which borders Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Top 10 Chinese Tourist Cities

China Radio International, with support from the National Tourism Administration, has organised an online poll to pick the Top 10 Chinese Tourist Cities. More than five million votes were cast, and the winning cities were announced in early December. Below are some intros of the 10 destinations in none particular order…
Luoyang, Henan Province

Massive Boddhisatvas in the Longmen Grottoes. Image by Ishai Bar

Luoyang lies in the west of Henan, crossing two banks of the middle reach of Yellow River and is one of China’s Four Great Ancient Capitals. Its famous heritage sites include the Longmen Grottoes and the White Horse Temple. The city is also famous as a cultivation centre for peony, one of China’s famous emblems.
Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

Muslims praying at Id Kah Mosque, one of the largest in China. Image by Preston Rhea

At the western end of China’s Silk Road, Kashgar has been the stopping-off point for travellers for at least 2,000 years. This oasis surrounded by the arid Pamir Plateau and snow-capped mountains now boasts a population of 340,000, high-rises and highways, but its exotic pleasures remain.
Harbin, Heilongjiang Province

Harbin International Snow and Ice Festivals. Image by Harry Alverson

Harbin is well-known for its beautiful ice sculptures in winter and plays an important part in China’s trade with Russia. It’s one of the earliest cities to introduce western commerce and welcome European immigrants, and the it’s also famous for its western style architecture and cityscape decorations.
Sanya, Hainan Province

Beach, sunshine and blue sea in Sanya. Image by Dale Preston

Sanya is the southernmost city of China, at the tip of Hainan Island. Dubbed as China’s Hawaii, Sanya is famous for its picturesque coast, sparkling sea and soft sands. It has became a popular romantic getaway in recent years.
Xi’an, Shaanxi Province

Ancient architecture meets modern capitalism. Image by CRI

Known as Chang’an in ancient times, Xi’an is one of China’s Four Great Ancient Capitals. It served 12 imperial dynasties for over a thousand years. The city houses many cultural relics, museums, and historical sites, including the famous Terracotta Warriors. Xi’an has re-emerged as an important industrial, educational and research centre of the central-northwest region since the 1990s.
Jinan, Shandong Province

Baotu Spring. Image by Bruce McAdam

Located in the mid west of Shandong, Jinan is an old city with a history of some 2,000 years. The city’s highlights are its numerous springs. Marco Polo once visited Jinan and left words of praise for this city: “The Baotu Spring, Daming Lake and the Thousand Buddha Mountain decorate Jinan as a Garden City.”
Huangshan, Anhui Province

Landscape of Mount Huangshan. Image by Chi King

Huangshan is named after the mountain range which covers much of the city’s vast geographic expanse. The area is well known for its scenery, sunsets, granite peaks, pine trees, and views of the clouds from above. It’s a frequent subject of traditional Chinese paintings and literature, as well as modern photography.
Lijiang, Yunnan Province

Canal and building in Lijiang Old Town. Image by Luis Franco

Lijiang is a famous historical city which prides itself with age-old town, imposing mountains, and virtuous folk traditions. The Lijiang Old Town is famous for its orderly system of waterways and bridges, and also its unique style of culture and architecture which differ from other ancient Chinese cities.
Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province

Sunset at West Lake. Image by Jacob Ehnmark

Located on the lower reaches of the Qiantang River and only half an hour’s drive from Shanghai, Hangzhou is endowed with beautiful gardens and waters, and has been one of the most renowned and prosperous cities of China for much of the last 1,000 years, with the West Lake the most well-known location.
Suzhou, Jiangsu Province

Water sightseeing at Riverside District. Image by D. Fukagawa

There is a popular saying in China “In Heaven there is paradise; on Earth, there is Suzhou and Hangzhou.” Located on on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake, the city is sometimes dubbed the “Venice of the East” for its canals and stone bridges. It’s also known for its silk industry.
With references from CRI and Wikipedia entries for respective cities.

China’s Mount Emei in snow

Photos of Mount Emei in snow. Located in China’s Sichuan Province, Mt Emei is one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism; and it’s designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its cultural significance. Seems like it’s turning into a winter resort too in in recent years. Image by Chinanews [Cn]…

Hong Kong Wong Tai Sin Temple

Revisiting Wong Tai Sin Temple after three years. WTS is one of the most iconic temples in Hong Kong, famed for “answering” the prayers among believers. A few extra attractions have been added to the temple compound since my 2007 visit, and there’s a lot more worshippers and tourists at the Taoist temple this time…

Temple meets skyscrapers

Statues of Chinese zodiacs

Workers have to constantly collect the incense sticks from the main altar as the space would run out fast with the large number of worshippers…

Stone lions – Guardians which can often be found in Chinese temples.

Garden and pond

Lotus flowers

Clay sculpture park in China

A clay sculpture park built to simulate the scene of renowned Chinese scroll painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival (清明上河图) was officially opened in Changzhuang Township, Tangshan City of north China’s Hebei Province last Friday.

The original (5.28 metre long) scroll painting by Zhang Zeduan portrayed the life of people preparing for the Qingming (tomb sweeping) Festival during the Song Dynasty (960-1729). You can check the art piece at Wiki. News image by Xinhuanet.