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Dàtóng Great Wall
The Great Wall near Dàtóng is far less spectacular than the restored sections found near Běijīng. Its Ming bricks – too useful for local farmers to leave alone – have all but disappeared, leaving only rammed earthen mounds, parts of which have crumbled away into nothing.
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Kūnqǔ Opera Museum
Down a warren of narrow lanes, the small Kūnqǔ Opera Museum is dedicated to kūnqǔ, the opera style of the region. The beautiful old theatre houses a stage, musical instruments, costumes and photos of famous performers. It also puts on regular performances of kūnqǔ .
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Nánchéng Mosque
Originally built more than 400 years ago, this mosque was ripped down in 1997 in order to build a larger version, which looks vaguely like a bad Las Vegas casino. And sadly, that’s now about it for the area’s once-thriving Muslim neighbourhood (torn down in toto in 2007).
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Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts
With its striking triangular atrium and an exterior Meccano-like frame (a work of art in itself), the academy building (1985) is a Wan Chai landmark and an important venue for music, dance and scholarship. Check out their online event calendar for exhibits and performances.
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Hong Kong Observatory
This lovely historic monument, built in 1883, is sadly not open to the public, except for two days in March every year (see website for dates). It continues to monitor Hong Kong’s weather and sends out those frightening signals when a typhoon is heading for the territory.
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Dradun Gompa
The Sakayapa-school Dradun Gompa in Zhongba is worth the short stroll, especially for the remarkable Cultural Revolution–era newspapers still defacing religious murals in a side chapel of chörtens. The severed heads of goats and yaks dangle from a nearby roadside chörten.
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Memorial Garden to the Martyrs
East of the Institute on Zhongshan Sanlu, the garden commemorates those killed on 13 December 1927 under the orders of Chiang Kaishek. The massacre occurred when a small group of workers, led by the CCP, were gunned down by Kuomintang forces. Over 5000 lives were lost.
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Wángfǔ Pool
In a quiet alleyway off busy, walking street Furong Jie (turn right at the police stand), the neighbourhood comes to bathe and soak in this spring-fed pool. Its a brisk 18 degrees C year round, so indulge in frequent barbecue and beer breaks at one of the nearby stands.
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Yan Family Garden
This beautiful complex in the northwest corner of the village dates to the Ming dynasty and was once the home of a former magistrate. The garden, with its rockeries and a meandering lake, is divided into five sections by walls, with each section designed to invoke a season.
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Qīngyáng Temple
Located alongside Culture Park , this is Chéngdū’s oldest and most extensive Taoist temple. Qīngyáng, or Green Ram, Temple dates from the Zhou dynasty, although most of what you see is Qing. A highlight is the unusually squat, eight-sided pagoda, built without bolts or pegs.
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Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture
The Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture houses displays on Naxi dress and culture, Dōngbā script, Lìjiāngs old town and the dubious claim that the region is the real Shangri-la. It is at the Black Dragon Pool Parks northern entrance, and is worth a visit if you have the time.
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Government Headquarters
South of the Church of St Lawrence is the headquarters of the Macau SAR government. This pillared, rose-coloured building with two stories and three wings was built in 1849 for a Portuguese noble. It’s open to the public two days a year, usually in September or October.
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Jangchub Semkye Ling
The green-roofed, Chinese-style Jangchub Semkye Ling to the east houses a host of bodhisattvas around a statue of Marmedze on a lotus plinth, with a 3-D wooden mandala to the side. Look for the sacred stone to the left. Take a torch to see the Central Asian-style murals.
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Guǎnghuì Temple
Nothing remains of this temple except Huá Pagoda (华塔, Huá Tā), dating from around 800 AD. Its an unusual Indian-style pagoda decorated with lions, elephants, sea creatures and púsà (Bodhisattvas; those worthy of nirvana who remain on earth to help others attain enlightenment).
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Central Plaza
Central Plaza, Hong Kong’s third-tallest building, looks garish with its glass skin of three colours – gold, silver and terracotta. But it provides direct connection to Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre and Wan Chai MTR station through an elevated pedestrian footbridge.
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Biru’s Skull Wall
Making up the southern part of a half-open courtyard in the monastery, this wall looks like any other Tibetan mani wall from a distance. But as you approach it you realise that instead of being made of engraved prayer stones, it’s made of hundreds and hundreds of human skulls.
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Bānruò Temple
One of the largest Buddhist temples in northeast China, Bānruò is a lively place of worship for locals and pilgrims alike. After touring the inner grounds, wander the back alleys to observe the merchants peddling all manner of charms, statues, shrines and incense to the faithful.
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Fùjiāzhuāng Beach
Fùjiāzhuāng is a popular beach set in a deep bay. Junks float just offshore, small broken islands dot the horizon, and loads of families come here for no other reason than to have fun. Bus 5 leaves from Jiefang Lu (¥1, 20 to 30 minutes) and drops you off across from the beach.
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Stele
Just to the left of the Ütses main entrance is a stele dating from 779. The elegant Tibetan script carved on its surface proclaims Buddhism as the state religion of Tibet by order of King Trisong Detsen. The entryways are flanked by two ancient stone lions and two elephants.
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Sānyà Market #1
Sānyà’s most popular market practically writhes with life – vendors hawking cheap jewellery, frozen fruit treats and women’s underwear, teenage tourists jostling to play rickety arcade games, old women pushing through the crowds with pails of crabs. Things really heat up after dark
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