Gloria's Musing ~ Just back from my amazing journey to China......

Sorry for being MIA as I was in China for a week. It was an incredible experience! I traveled with a small group to Beijing, Xian, Hangzhou and finally to the international city of Shanghai.  China is a unique country with its centuries-old culture, historic architecture and resilient people. For the next few days, I'll try to share some of my experiences and pictures of my trip of a lifetime!

National Day and Golden Week in China - October 1-7, 2013

The word National Day, appeared in Chinese language as early as in the Western Jin Dynasty (265 - 316 AD). In ancient China, it usually fell on the day when the emperor ascended the throne or was born. Nowadays, it is celebrated on October 1st every year to commemorate the founding of People’s Republic of China. On that day, lots of large-scaled activities are held nationwide. Besides, the seven-day holiday from Oct. 1st to 7th is the so-called "Golden Week”, during which more and more Chinese people go traveling around the country. 

Meet the new baby pandas at the Chengdu Breeding and Research Base in Sichuan

Baby pandas are just the cutest!  So what's better than one baby panda?

Fourteen, of course!

Call us to arrange a tour to Chengdu and visit the pandas!

Call us at 866-992-4462 

www.chinadiscoverytours.com

More info and pictures:

http://news.sky.com/story/1145832/baby-pandas-first-photgraphs-released

Typhoon Usagi

The harshest storm to reach the Western Pacific this year, Typhoon Usagi hit Hong Kong on Sunday, canceling more than 370 flights and shutting down one of the world's busiest sea ports.

More than 80,000 people have been evacuated to safety in the Fujian province and 50,000 disaster-relief staff are being sent to help, according to Xinhua news agency.

Read on:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24193201

China's National Flower - the Peony or the Plum Blossom

The peony, along with the plum blossom, are two traditional floral symbols of China. In 1903, the Qing Dynasty declared the peony as the national flower. Currently, the Republic of China designates the plum blossom as the national flower, while the People's Republic of China has no legally designated national flower. In 1994, the peony was proposed as the national flower after a nation-wide poll, but the National People's Congress failed to ratify the selection. In 2003, another selection process has begun, but to date, no choice has been made.

Seasonal Cuisines of Suzhou

When seasons change in Suzhou, so does the cuisine......

More info:
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/Feature/ideal/The-season-for-Suzhou/shdaily.shtml

Giant Pandas of China