West Lake in China, Zhejiang

 China - Zhejiang  Comments Off
May 262013
 

Introduction :
The West Lake is also known in by the Chinese as Xi Hu is located in the historical region of Hangzhou which is the capital city of Zhejiang province in China. The West Lake was considered by the Chinese for thousands of years as a water wonderland and is the most well known lake in the whole of China. It is also the source of inspiration in the design of Chinese gardens as well as playing an influential part in the design of Japanese and Korea gardens. The West Lake is so popular and well known among the Chinese that it has appeared various times on the notes of Chinese currency. Famous poets and painters often include the West Lake in their poems and art works and the natural scenic beauty was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011. The total area of the West Lake is 6.5 square kilometres with an average depth of 2.27 metres.

One of the signature scenery views of the West Lake
One of the signature scenery views of the West Lake
Image attribution to serapio @ Flickr

The Five Pavilion Bridge
The Five Pavilion Bridge
Image attribution to thewamphyri @ Flickr

The Bao Chu Pagoda was built centuries ago
The Bao Chu Pagoda was built centuries ago
Image attribution to jaaronfarr @ Flickr

Beautiful reflections from the surroundings on the water
Beautiful reflections from the surroundings on the water
Image attribution to pondspider @ Flickr

History :
The earliest name of the West Lake was known as the Wulin Water is part of the Qiantang River. The first true emperor of Chinese, Qin Shi Huang also visited the lake and moored the boat personally to a stone known as the Qin Shi Huang mooring stone today. During the Sui Dynasty’s engineering reforms, the West Lake was connected to the major rivers of China and tourism has since flourished as early as 610 AD. The cultural landscape of the lake took shape during the Five Dynasties period where the Wuyue Kingdom founded various Buddhist and Taoist temples and pagodas around the lake and during the Southern Song Dynasty, Hangzhou was made the capital of the kingdom making the west Lake the most popular attraction in the city. Famous Italian explorer Marco Polo once complimented that the Hangzhou city with the West Lake was the most splendid heavenly city in the world.

Lotus around the West Lake
Lotus around the West Lake
Image attribution to pedronet @ Flickr

Traditional rounded gateway around the West Lake
Traditional rounded gateway around the West Lake
Image attribution to Greudin @ Wiki

Sunset at the West Lake
Sunset at the West Lake
Image attribution to blese @ Flickr

Beautiful lights on the lake at night time
Beautiful lights on the lake at night time
Image attribution to kycheng @ Flickr

Getting there :
The nearest international airport to the attraction is the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport which is around 27 km east of Hangzhou City and a 1 hour ride away from the West Lake.

Death Valley National Park in USA, California

 USA - California  Comments Off
May 092013
 

Introduction :
The Death Valley National Park is located in the state of California and small portions of it in Nevada in USA. The Death Valley National Park is a place of many extremes with its harsh landscapes of desert, sand dunes and steep mountain ranges. The world highest temperature of 56.7 deg celsius was recorded right at the Death Valley National Park together with the lowest elevation in North America at Badwater Basin. A geological phenomenon can also be seen at the Racetrack Playa where rocks move in long tracks along the valley floor without any human intervention. The national park measures 13630 square km in area with the Death Valley itself measuring over 210 km long.

One of the many finely craved gates around the area
The Devil’s Golf Course located in the Mojave Desert
Image attribution to gabri_micha @ Flickr

One of the many finely craved gates around the area
Road towards the Telescope and Wildrose peaks
Image attribution to adombrowski @ Flickr

The overall harsh landscape of the Death Valley National Park
The overall harsh landscape of the Death Valley National Park
Image attribution to adombrowski @ Flickr

An abandoned gold mine left during the California gold rush
An abandoned gold mine left during the California gold rush
Image attribution to maveric149 @ wiki

History :
The native American cultures were believed to have been living in the area for the last 10,000 years and traces of human existence were proven up to 3000 BC with the petroglyphs above Mesquite Springs. The California Gold Rush brought the first Europeans to the Death Valley where mines and wagons can still be found today. Tourism began in the 1920s and the region was declared as a national monument in 1933 before its expansion into a national park in 1994.

The overall harsh landscape of the Death Valley National Park
Proof of human existence at the Mesquite Springs
Image attribution to Complex01 @ wiki

The Racetrack Playa is known for its geological phenomenon of moving stones
The Racetrack Playa is known for its geological phenomenon of moving stones
Image attribution to sarahkatrina @ Flickr

The Badwater Basin is the lowest point in the whole of North America
The Badwater Basin is the lowest point in the whole of North America
Image attribution to will1972 @ Flickr

Abandoned radiator tank in the desert
Abandoned radiator tank in the desert

Getting there :
The nearest airport to the Death Valley National Park is the McCarran International Airport (LAS) which is the principal airport serving the state of Las Vegas and is approximately 260 km away from the center of the national park.

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park in Japan, Central Honshu

 Japan - Central Honshu  Comments Off
May 012013
 

Introduction :
The Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park is located in the Yamanashi, Shizuoka and Kanagawa Prefectures in Central Honshu of Japan. The national ark covers 1227 square kilometres in area with its points of interest dispersed into 4 different areas which are the Mount Fuji area, Hakone area, Izu Peninsula and the Izu Islands. The Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park is the most visited national park in the whole of Japan due to its ease of accessibility from Toyko and a variety of geographic features, scenic mountains and lakes.

Mount Fuji and the five lakes
Mount Fuji and the five lakes
Image attribution to NNE @ Wiki

OThe Shiraito Falls is scared to the Fuji cult
The Shiraito Falls is scared to the Fuji cult
Image attribution to fisheystream @ Flickr

The Aokigahra Forest also known as the Sea of Trees
The Aokigahra Forest also known as the Sea of Trees
Image attribution to lumen850 @ Flickr

Some attractions :
Mount Fuji – Highest mountain in Japan at 3776 metres with an attractive snow capped peak. Mountain Fuji is one of the “Three Holy Mountains” of Japan and perhaps the most famous landmark that represents Japan.

Fuji Five Lakes – Namely Lake Kawaguchi, Motosu, Saiko, Shoji and Yamanaka located at the base of Mount Fuji formed by previous eruptions. This area is also famous for its udon noodles.

Shiraito Falls – A sacred falls under the Fuji cult and is protected as a Japanese Natural Monument.

Aokigahara Forest – Also known as the Sea of Trees, Aokigahara is a 35 square kilometres forest that lies at the northwest base of Mount Fuji. While it is a popular tourism spot, it is also the most popular place of suicides in Japan and the 2nd most popular in the World.

Owakudani – Known as the “Great boiling Valley” , the Owakudani is a volcani valley with active sulphur vents and hot springs. Eggs boiled in the valley turns black and is a local speciality there. Eating one of them is said to add seven years to your longevity, but it capped at 2 maximum with a third highly unadvised.

Izu Islands – Group of volcanic islands with beautiful scenic trails with the largest of them being Izu Oshima

The Owakudani is famous for its boiled eggs that turns the outside to black
The Owakudani is famous for its boiled eggs that turns the outside to black
Image attribution to eeems @ Flickr

Winter at Lake Kawaguchiko
Winter at Lake Kawaguchiko
Image attribution to ChrisMoore @ Wiki

Bontanical gardens of wetlands at Hakone
Botanical gardens of wetlands at Hakone
Image attribution to NEON @ Wiki

History -
The national park was established on February 1936 and was one of the first four national parks in Japan. In 1950, the Izu islands were also added to the park from which it got its present name Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Most of the travel within the park is dominated by Mount Fuji which can be seen from almost anywhere. The name of Mount Fuji is said to originated from a 10th century Japanese tale that came from the word Immortal fushi and also the image of abundant soldiers (shi ji). Actual sources is still unclear to date.

Winter at Lake Kawaguchiko
View of Mount Fuji and surroundings from Motohakone
Image attribution to ChrisMoore @ Wiki

Lake Ashi from Mount Komagatake
Lake Ashi from Mount Komagatake
Image attribution to E64 @ Wiki

Lake Ashi from Mount Komagatake
Trail in Izu Oshima with lava flows from 1986 eruption of Mount Mihara
Image attribution to Donners @ Wiki

Lake Ashi from Mount Komagatake
Mount Oomuro is an inactive volcano with a height of 580 metres

Getting there -
The nearest international airport to the Fuji Hakone Izu national park is the Tokyo International Airport (HND) which is also known as the Haneda Airport and serves the Greater Toyko Area of Japan. From Tokyo, it is easily accessible to the national park by shuttle bus or tram with a distance of less than 100 km

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