China's National Museum Reopens to Visitors for Free

National Museum of China reopened to the public in Beijing after renovation and provided free admissions to visitors starting March 27th, 2011.

    

                       The appearance of China's National Museum                             

The new-renovated interior of the museum

Started in March 2007, the renovation work takes four yours in improving the equipment and decoration, during which the museum was partly closed. Now the national museum has been expanded to nearly 200 square meters and holds 49 exhibition rooms, reportedly making it the largest museum in the world.

Recent Essential Exhibitions

To celebrate the reopening, the National Museum had well-prepared seven exhibitions for visitors: Road to Renaissance, Ancient Bronze Artworks, Art of Ancient Chinese Buddha Statues, Chinese Porcelains, and other three exhibitions displaying elaborate paintings of reputable painters Pan Tianshou, Li Keran and Huang Zhou. Each exhibition was themed on a special topic, demonstrated with hundreds of precious cultural relics.

        
Road to Renaissance (China Space Exploration)               

 An aged man gazing at a porcelain artiwork

        
An exquisite Buddha statue on display          
 

Students photoing Houmuwu Ding, the world's heavist bronze ware

A young lady is appreaciating a refined porcelain articraft on show.

Museum Entrance Notice

Though it is free to visit the museum, visitors need to get free-admission tickets to enter the national museum. At the meantime, considering to protect these cultural relics, the operating committee of the museum has planned to limit the daily number of visitors to only 8,000. Thus it would be better for visitors to get to get a free-admissions in advance to ensure a smooth visiting. 

Museum Visiting Tips

The museum also suggests that visitors should arrange their visiting on weekdays, to aviod the predictable pushing crowds on weekends and public holidays such as Qingming Festival, Labor's Day and so on.

Background Knowledge of China's National Museum

Museum History

As a landmark of Beijing, National Museum of China lies at estern side of Tiananmen Square. It was first founded in July 1912 as a histroy museum, and then it was renamed National Museum of China in February 28th, 2003. With dozens of years' development, the museum has become the largest museum in China and in the world, with a fine collection of 1,000,000 pieces of relics and artistic works. No wonder it is called as a treasure house of Chinese arts and history.

The most known collected pieces include: Houmuwu Ding (also called Simuwu Ding, the earliest bronze ware discovered in China and the heaviest bronze ware in the world), Siyangfang Zun (a ancient quadrate bronze vessel decorated with four sheeps), Jin Lv Yu Yi (a suit of jade pieces tied together with gold wire) and Tangsancai pottery (tri-coloured glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty).

Open Time

8:30 - 16:30 (Last Entry at 15:00) for March 1 - June 30
8:00 - 18:00 (Last Entry at 17:00) for July 1 - August 31
8:30 - 16:30 (Last Entry at 15:00) for September 1 - October 31
9:00 - 16:00 (Last Entry at 15:00) for November 1 - February 29

Address

No. 16, East Chang'an Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, China

How to get National Museum of China

By Bus: you can take No. 1, 2, 10, 20, 37, 52, 54, 120, 728, 802 buses to Tian'anmen Square and then walk to the museum.

By Subway: you can the No.1 subway line to the Tian'anmen Square and the museum is at the east of the square.

By taxi: there are thousands of taxis in Beijing and they can take you to the museum from any corners of the capital.

Useful Links

Customize a Beijing Tour to enjoy the national treasures displayed at the China's National Museum.

Beijing Tours

What to see in Beijing

(Pics source: People's Daily)

Best China Spring Travel Destinations

Spring, a season that everything comes back to life again after the harsh winter, is the right time for you to see the thriving nature and enjoy outdoor activities. No idea about your spring travel in China? Here China Odyssey Tours recommends a list of best China spring travel destinations for you.

No.1 Guizhou

Why to recommend: seas of rape-seed flowers, diversified minority cultures.

Beautiful sunset at the endless seas of rape seed flowers in Guizhou.

Colorful as their gorgeous costumes,  the romance of Guizhou's minority people is reputable.

Relatively unknown to foreign tourists, Guizhou is a hidden world with amazing natural beauty and diversified minority cultures. For its natural beauty, the famous Huanguoshu Waterfall, fabulous Dragon Palace Cave, the beautiful Malinghe Canyon, plus the endless seas of rape-seed flowers in spring, make more than just proving samples. Moreover, Guizhou offers you an ideal place to appreciate flavored minority cultures of China which have been kept unchanged and untouched for centuries. Take a spring tour to Guizhou, you can personally see their colorful clothes, try some culinary delights and take part in their traditional festivals (Sister's Meal Festival on April 17; Siyueba Festival on May 10), which makes a pleasant contrast to modern city life.
Suggested Guizhou spring tour: 5 Days Guizhou Highlights Tour

No. 2 Yangtze Cruise

Why to recommend: Cruise along China's mother river at a lower price with less crowds.

Steep gorges, limpid waters and thriving groves and blooming flowers make the spring cruise a worthwhile.

Taiji, the ancient Chinese martial art, provides you a nice & healthy activity onboard.

As commented by many, a China tour would not be complete without a Yangtze River Cruise. Spring is a relatively low season of the Yangtze Cruise, which means better prices and less tourist crowds. But the scenery is no means of lowering down of the landscapes.
Taking a cruise on the Yangtze, the world's third longest river, you will see intact countryside life and the amazing natural beauty of Three Gorges that have inspired Chinese poets and novelists for years; visit the mysterious Fengdu Ghost City, paddle through Lesser Three Gorges, explore the world-famous Three Gorges Dam in close.
Take a Yangtze Cruise now!

No.3 Yunnan

Why to recommend: a land of flowers; a place of brilliant ethnic cultures.
Known as China's Spring City, Kunming, the capital of  Yunnan, has a comfortable temperature all year around which make it possible for its prosperity in flowers and other plants. Thus a stroll in the flower market will get you the splendor of Yunnan color.
Various appalling flowers are not the only that Yunnan people take great pride in. As home to 25 minority groups, Yunnan also boasts unrivaled sources for precious ethnic cultures. The minority people scatter here and there all over Yunnan: some dwelling remote near sacred mountains like Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and  great rivers gorges like Tiger Leaping Gorge; some living in ancient towns like Dali and Lijiang where their traditions have kept for hundreds of years. Differing from eath other, the ethnic cultures in Yunnan are really something not to be missed.
While spring might not be a good time to visit the reputed Shangri-la because the weather there is still rather cold. The other parts of Yunnan will definitely prepare you a nice spring travel.
Recommended Yunnan spring tour: 8 Days Yunnan Minority Culture Tour

No. 4 Huangshan

Why to recommend: the most beautiful mountain in China; enchanting countryside views
With the misty beauty and ethereal verve, Mt. Huangshan never ceases to bestow the inspiration on poets, painters and photographers. It is the model of Chinese ink paintings; the steep mountains, venerable pine trees, ocean-like layered clouds and multi-shaped rocks come alive right before your eyes.
Not far from Huangshan city, there survives two World Heritage listed ancient villages which are well preserved as they are centuries ago, along with the folk's custom and life styles. The village planning, courtyard design, decoration and furnishing make them the top level of housing and residential environment construction in China.
Recommended Huangshan spring tour: 3 Days Huangshan and Surrounding Area Tour

No.4 Guilin

Why to recommend: the finest scenery under Heaven; a paradise for outdoor activities

On sunny spring days, Guilin shows her extraordinary karst landscape with no reserve.  

While on rainy days, Li River cruise takes you traveling into a fairyland.

Spring might be the very season that Guilin shows her amazing karst landscape whole-heartedly. With drizzles floating in the fresh air, the picturesque Li River flows with elegance and soaring peaks & pinnacles on the riversides are entwined with thin mists, like a child hiding and propping out all at a sudden. Taking a Li River Cruise, with limpid waters, thriving groves, rustic views of rice paddies, water buffaloes and people farming or fishing, you feel like you are traveling in a Chinese painting. A fairyland could the exact words to describe the scene.
Besides, if weather permits, roaming the famous West Street, rafting along Yulong River, climbing up Elephant Trunk Hill, cycling along the peaceful countryside roads, flying kites on city plazas, and other outdoor fun will make your tour in Guilin a memorable and enjoyable one.
Recommended Guilin spring tour:4 Days Guilin Spring Tour

No.5 Suzhou and Hangzhou

Why to recommend: the so-called paradise on the earth; nice weather in spring.

Just as there is a paradise in Heaven, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth. This is an old saying which describes the lasting charms of the two cities. The spring weather of the two cities is usually good and the temperature swings are rather small. So it is wise to visit the two in spring.
In Suzhou, you can take a leisurely walk along the winding corridors in a classical garden, unfetter your thoughts with the wonderful constructing wonders and changing views, listen to traditional music and find yourself a oasis from the hustle city; while touring Hangzhou, you could take a boat paddling on the picturesque West Lake, pay a visit to the ancient Lingyin Temple, sip some fragrant Chinese tea on a tea farm and enjoy the colorful nightlife of Hangzhou. You will surely be pleased with the leisurable atmosphere of the cities.
Recommended Suzhou and Hangzhou spring tour: 8 Days East China Water Tour
Of course, if you have other plans to travel China in spring, you can customize a China Tour that catering your every requirement.

China Travel Tips - Necessary Travel Documents

• A passport, valid for at least 6 month after your visit to China and the necessary visa or permits if you are traveling with our program. The visa should be approved prior to entering China and a permit for Tibet must be obtained 15 days before entering Tibet. If you only plan to travel and stay in Hong Kong you are exempt from applying for a China visa.
• Most people only need to apply for a single –entry visa, which is usually valid for 3 months after the issuing date and will permit you to stay in China for a maximum of 30 days.
• You need permits to go to Tibet. If you only go to Lhasa, a Tibet permit will be sufficient but, if you want to go further to the "unopened" areas, you also need an Alien's travel permit issued by the PSB of Tibet.
• If you are to travel to Tibet, you are required to provide a doctor's certificate stating that you are fit to travel and your blood pressure and heart condition are normal in case that the very high altitude have the possible effects on you.
• We suggest you take your medical record with you in case that you need it in the event of an emergency, and please also take with you your doctor's name, address and phone number, emergency contact name and phone number, and your insurance company's name, address and phone number.

Useful China Travel Tips -- Proper Protocol & Etiquette

 Proper Protocol & Etiquette

China is a large country with a very long history and unique culture. It is these reasons that make it such a draw to visitors, but there are some things that must be kept in mind when visiting China. China opened up to the outside world only three decades ago and has witnessed dramatic changes in those thirty years, but because China was closed to outsiders for centuries, its cultural is unique and most Chinese people are only familiar with their own culture and do not understand other cultures. Visitors must keep this in mind when visiting China. The old expression "When in Rome do as the Romans do" is a great way to look at China and its cultures and traditions. China is an amazing and diverse country which never fails to enchant visitors. It is important to remember that their culture is ancient and unique. Being flexible will help immensely.

Modesty:
Chinese people are inherently shy and modest. They do not display emotion and feelings in public and find speaking bluntly unnerving. Most couples never even hold hands when walking in public. For the most part, Chinese people never hug or kiss in public. The most public display seen when saying hello or goodbye is generally a handshake. It is not uncommon to see two females, or even two males walking down the street hand in hand. Most visitors to China cannot understand it and assume they are a couple. This is not the case, in China only truly close friends hold hands, but two friends of the opposite sex cannot hold hands. Please keep this in mind when traveling with your significant other, or boy/girlfriend. More and more people are accepting of it, but not everyone is yet.

Patience:
Sometimes decisions that would be made easily and instantly elsewhere, can sometimes take quite a while in China. Everyone feels they must make absolutely sure that everyone involved is truly happy with the decision and not just being friendly. It is Chinese culture and sometimes requires patience.

Face:
The concept of "Face" in China is extremely strong. "Keeping face" is of extreme importance and "losing face" in public is unacceptable and can usually end in a fight. It is important to never embarrass shame, yell at, or demean a Chinese person. Losing face is considered unacceptable and if you make someone lose face, you will never get what you want, and may get something you don't want.

Humor:
Chinese people like people the world over love to laugh and Chinese people have excellent senses of humor, but sexual and political subjects are strictly avoided.

Getting stared at:
In many parts of China, people have never seen a Westerner outside of movies and television, so when traveling to more underdeveloped areas, chances are you will get stared at. Although sometimes uncomfortable, it is nothing more than harmless curiosity.

Photo taking:
It is considered extremely rude to take photos of people without their consent. In some of the more touristy areas, the locals have gotten used to it, but it is still a good idea to get permission before taking a photo. Gesture with your camera with a big smile on your face will usually get you the photo you want. If using a digital camera show them the photo you just took. This works well particularly with children who will find seeing themselves in the photo very exciting and many others will then pose for you to be able to see themselves in your camera.

Tibetan etiquette:
Tibet has very unique rules of etiquette, you can see China Odyssey Tours'Tibet page to get more information on Tibetan etiquette, or click here for Tibetan Etiquette.

China is an amazing country with sites, culture and traditions which cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. China warmly welcomes overseas visitors and the government is working hard to improve and increase tourism facilities. Visitors to this country rarely failed to be completely bowled over by it. It is important to remember that China is not a "Western" country and that it has its own unique traditions and etiquette. Try to respect those traditions and be flexible and you will have a truly unforgettable time in the remarkable country of China.

Support Heart to Heart Shanghai

The Parent Organization of Pudong Yew Chung International School of Shanghai organizes an annual gala dinner in support of Heart to Heart Shanghai, a non-profit outreach organization that founds surgeries for needy Chinese children with congenital heart defects. Our company was one of the sponsorship to the Y.C.I.S. Pudong 3^rd Charity Gala Dinner.


Our company Tang Dynasty Tours Co., Ltd had some business acchivements in the past few years, but we never forget where we made money from and we also know a lot of non-profit chrity organization need to help. Therefore, our partner Y.C.I.S. announces they would have a charity gala dinner to donate the money for Heart to Heart Shanghai on November 13^th, 2010, and we definitely sponsor them to do this such meaningful thing.


Heart to Heart Shanghai is a Shanghai based non-profit community outreach organization composed of expatriate volunteers who donate their time and money to entertain and give support to children who are undergoing heart surgery at the various hospitals we work with.

Let the team spirit soar, China Odyssey Tours 2011 team building

Guilin was usually moistly and rainy in the winter, but yesterday we finally had a shinny and warm day. Our company held the outdoor activities for all of our staffs at Seven Star Park. The significance of these outdoor activities was trying to improve our team spirit and provide us a chance to know better about our colleagues from other departments.

All of us were divided into 4 teams to play the outdoor games, and following was one of our teams.


This game was kind of funny. We had to transfer the people to next site of the net, but cannot touch the net, just imagine this was a net with high voltage and one pane for one person only.


Next, we had another kind of same game, transfer the teammate to another site on the line without touch. The funny thing was a teammate said: “I know everyone’s weight better after played these two games.”


The shiniest point of these outdoor activities was this game. First of all, everyone put mountain climbing equipments on, such as ropes, seat belts and pulley. Then, we have to cross over the trees and some obstacles. Check this out, she was scared and screaming, but actually she was really enjoyed this game.


It looked so easy, doesn’t it? But you would not think so when you were standing on it. This game had three different levels for different age’s people. We were playing medium level; there had more difficult level for those professional people and rookie level for the kids. Therefore, if you were travelling with your family, here was a good place to visit.


This was team was the first team finished all of the team games. After all, we knew our staffs pretty much better than before and we all had fun. Besides, we experienced this new place and the team games were definitely fit to family, so we absolutely recommended this place to all of our customers.

Beijing Harbin Christmas vacation (cont.), Day6

We had really fun at Yabuli Ski Field, but we had to enjoy all of places today because today was the last day of the trip. We were going to visit the Dragon Tower, St. Sophia Church in the morning, and then we got free time to shop around on the most bustling street, Harbin Central Street.

The Dragon Tower is Heilongjiang Broadcast and TV Tower, 336 meters high, ranks the second highest in the world and highest in Asia.



St. Sophia Cathedral in Harbin is located in Harbin City, Heilongjiang song on the 1st Century Avenue North, Far East’s largest Orthodox Church; Qualcomm 53.35 meters high, covers an area of 721 square meters, and is the Byzantine-style architecture typical representative. In November 1996, was listed as national key units to be protected; in June 1997, St. Sofia church repaired and renamed the Building Museum in Harbin.


Year in 1903, with the railway was opened to traffic in the Middle East, Russia in eastern Siberia; the Fourth Infantry Division also invaded Harbin. Tsarist Russia in order to stabilize the morale of soldiers away from home, in 1907 started the construction of St. Sofia church, the entire wooden structure was a church built for the army infantry division of the church.


The picture is the Harbin Central Street and this is longest walkway in China. The street was built at the end of the last century.


Harbin Central Street measures 1.450 meters from Jingwei Street in the south to the Flood Control Monument on the riverbank in the north, and each one of the tiles cost $1.


You can find a lot of classic brands on the street, such as Hugo Boss, Louis Vuitton, etc. Beside, here have many Harbin local foods and definitely worthy to try. We spent last few hours on this street before we were leaving Harbin. At the night, we took train from Harbin to Beijing, and then transferred to Guilin in Day 7. In this harvest trip, we got a lot of new and useful information to extend and improve our travel plans. In addition, all of our department staffs had wonderful trip and we definitely enjoyed it.

Beijing Harbin Christmas vacation (cont.), Day5

Today we got up at 05:00, but every one was exciting because we were going to Yabuli to skiing. And this was a most shinny point in this trip. It is pity if you do not go skiing when you visit Harbin because this sport is fully of challenge, excitement, endurance and relaxation. There are many excellent world-class ski resorts near Harbin are available for the skiing enthusiasts.


Yabuli Ski Resort consists of Alpine Skiing Area and Tourism Skiing Area, covering 22.55 square kilometers. In the Alpine Skiing Area, there are Ski fields, 9 ski trails for alpine skiing, 7 ski trails for cross country skiing, 6 cable car systems and platforms respectively.
 

Besides, there is an all-weather mock skiing park with stainless steel ski trail introduced from German, this trail has a total length of 2,680m, and 570m in height and 48 curves is found there.


At the same time, there are 3 ski fields for the beginners, one night hill for adults, one skiing entertainment area for children, and the Tianyin Lake Ice Fairyland.
 

Are you ready to Ski?

Beijing Harbin Christmas vacation (cont.), Day4

Today is 4th day of the trip; we took train for all night long from Beijing to Harbin. Then we arrived Harbin Station at 08:00, the picture was taken at Harbin Station. Harbin was -16℃ to -26℃, it was seriously cold, and it was snowing.

We were going to the Harbin Polar Land, Tigers Park and Zhaolin Park.
 

After a little break, we went to the Harbin Polar Land to watch whale show, sea lion show and other Arctic animals.
 

Check this out, the whale was blowing a bubble for welcome us to Harbin.


Harbin Polar Land also has two polar bears, they were so cute.


 

We were standing between the Arctic and South Pole.


In the Harbin Tigers Park, there have many different types of tigers and lions and all of those tigers and lions were scarce and national protected animals.


Here was Zhaolin Park, located in the central area of the city and faces the beautiful Songhua River, built in 1906, it has a long history.  Here have a lot of ice sculptures, and each one made by hand. Let’s see this pretty ice house.

Beijing Harbin Christmas vacation (cont.), Day3

After climbed the Mutianyu Great Wall, some of us were still exacting in the hotel last night. Today we were going to visited Forbidden City, Beijing local alley (Hutong).

Forbidden City is one of most famous and popular place in China for travelers, our company also had a lot of customers wanted to visit here. Beijing local alley (Hutong) is also a popular in Beijing; you can see and experience the real local life right here. Therefore, we came here to experience, study and find out more interesting things for our customers

Alright, sunrise means a new day is beginning. Here is the Tiananmen Square, which is the largest square in the world.


Here is the front gate of Forbidden City; we call it as Meridian Gate.


The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. Built in 1406 to 1402, the complex consists of 980 buildings with 8707bays of rooms and covers 7,800,000 sq ft. For almost five hundred years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.

The picture is just a corner of Forbidden City.


Forbidden City has three most famous main halls for three different types of significance; storage Kings’ Family Tree, office, wedding ceremony. The picture is one of these three main halls; can you guess what is for?


We were sitting on the branch in Forbidden City. Do we look like students?


Here is one of most famous and popular Hutong, we call it as South Luoguxiang. Have you ever seen this kind of TV?


Here is a naturally skating field; a lot of local people are skating here.


We were eating “shuan yang rou” for dinner. It is Chinese Mongolian hotpot, and it is a very popular Chinese dish, especially in Beijing, and is primarily eaten in winter, when cold winds blow down from Mongolia. “Yangrou” is Mandarin for lamb; the favored meat for this dish, “shuan” can be roughly translated as “to swish”.

Beijing Harbin Christmas vacation (D1-D2), marketing department

On the December 26th, China Odyssey Tours offered our marketing department to have Beijing and Harbin 8 days trip for vacation and also study. We were trying to find out the better and new hotels, resturants and travel plans to our customers.

Day 1, we spent all day long on the train from Guilin to Beijing, we had a lot of funs and laughs on the trian.

Day 2, we went to the Mutianyu Great Wall at Huairou Distrit , almost 78km from Beijing downtown. Here was the picture we were getting ready to climb the Mutianyu Great Wall, let see how funny our poses are.

 

We were taking a short break on the Mutianyu Great Wall, and took a picture with this friendly strange guy.


Quietly Mutianyu Great Wall in the winter. Thanks god, we had great sunshine and whether.
 

This is a Chinese resturant which our customers usually been to, it is near to Mutianyu Great Wall.
 

Yummy, what an attractive Chinese style vegetable dish!
 

One of famous Chinese food in western countries, Kung Pao Chicken
 

Here was a wasted elementary school, but now they re-built to a vacation hotel.
 

Nobody was watching this group of sheep, t   hey were just walking across the street.
 

Can you actually recognize they were posing COT?
COT = China Odyssey Tours.
 

China Odyssey Tours, Marketing Department