Photo Tour with RIA Novosti: China

China is a country of deep traditions that have shaped Chinese life and society over many centuries. It has something for everyone: tea connoisseurs, history and art buffs, nephrite collectors. Take a photo tour with RIA Novosti through Shanghai and other Chinese cities.

One of the biggest commercial centers in the world, Shanghai is the most dynamic city in the world’s most rapidly developing nation.

The Ghost City of Fengdu is a popular stop on cruises down the Yangtze River. According to Chinese legend, Fengdu is the home of the devil. Good spirits go to heaven, evil spirits to Fengdu. Towering over the city is Mount Ming Shan, reputed to be the home of the tianzi, a Chinese word for emperor that translates as Son of Heaven.

Nanjing Road, Shanghai’s main shopping street, leads to the huge People’s Square (Renmin), and is home to the Grand Theater and the Shanghai Museum.

Yufosi Buddha Temple is another of the Shanghai’s main attractions. Founded in 1882, it features two nephrite statues of Buddha made in Burma: a sitting Buddha (1.95 meters, 3 tons), and a smaller reclining Buddha statue. There is also a large reclining Buddha of marble, a gift from Singapore.

Shanghai was among the first cities in China to come into contact with European culture.

In early March, tourists come to Yuyuan Province to admire the blossoming sakura trees.

Vendor at Yufosi Buddha Temple.

Ghost City of Fengdu.

The “city in the mountains”, Cohngqing[BG2] , draws tourists with its rich culture and history. Currently the city is hosting a production of “Impression Wulung” by the director Zhang Yimou, the director of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

Performing Zhang Yimou’s “Impression Wulung.”

The famous Yu Garden bazaar in Shanghai’s Old City.

The Huangpu River embankment, or Bund, is the most popular tourist destination in Shanghai. The best way to see the city is from a riverboat, travelling down the Huangpu to where it meets the Yangtze.

China has a long and uninterrupted history. It was one of the most advanced world powers until the 19th century and the main cultural center of East Asia. China is the birthplace of many inventions that changed the course of human history, including the Four Great Inventions – paper, the compass, gunpowder, and book printing.

Giant panda at the zoo of Cohngqing.