I walk alone in the suburb alley. I bring the cakes and pastries for the grandmother to taste....

White horse makes its way towards the west. Tangseng in its back followed his three disciples.

I have a little donkey that I never ride. One day prompted by a sudden impulse, I rode it to a local market...

                          CITIES OF CHINA

Situated in the central plain, Luoyang is known as "the Gravity Center of China" and "the Hinterland of Nine Divisions". Luoyang is one of the most important places of origin of the Huaxia civilization. Luoyang is also one of the seven major ancient capitals in Chinese history. Luoyang was the earliest capital city with the longest time of being capital in China's history.

Suzhou, located in the south of Jiangsu Province, is a famous historical and cultural city with many beautiful ancient gardens. It is called “Su” for short, and also called “Gusu”."Gusu"is famous for its beautiful scenic spots.

As a comprehensive industrial city in Shandong province, Qingdao is one of China’s trading ports to the outside world. It is also a noted convalescent and summer resort.

Located in Liaoning province, Dalian is a famous port in the northern China and also a well-known industrial and tourist city.

Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, is situated in the central Tibet. It is the provincial heart of politics, economy, culture, religion and transportation. This ancient city, with a history of over 1 300 years, was liberated peacefully in 1951. With an altitude around 3 500 m, it is located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The city is sunny all year round, so the city is reputed as a “city of sunshine”.

Taiwan Island is the largest island in China. It is situated on the continental shelf along the southeast coast of China.At the center of the west Pacific’s sea-route,Taiwan serves as the hub connecting China and other countries in the Pacific region.

Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, is a new industrial base and scientific and educational center in China. It is the hub of communications between eastern and western China and is an important city in Northwest China.

Kaifeng City is both a pivotal industrial and commercial center and a cultural and educational center. Formerly named Bianliang, Kaifeng is one of the major seven ancient capitals in China.

Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang Province. It is a world-famous tourist destination, a city with long history and profound culture, and also one of the seven ancient capitals in China.Hangzhou has a long history,and extensive cultural heritages.

Sima Guang (1019－1086) was a statesman and historian of the Northern Song Dynasty.The most extraordinary achievement of Sima Guang was compiling the Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government.The book is a comprehensive history of China in chronological style,the material was very detailed, and the words were exquisite and fluent. This book became the model for later chronicle history books, and is a precious cultural inheritance of ancient China.

In 1368, Zhu Yuanzhang proclaimed himself emperor. He was historically known as Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty in Nanjing. Emperor Taizu set up six offices and a new institution of spies to strengthen the centralization of authority and the imperial power. The emperor made a thorough overhaul of the existing laws, and thus laid a good foundation for the rule of the Ming Dynasty.

Wen Tianxiang, was a renowned minister in history. He was captured by Yuan army and spent three years as a prisoner in Dadu.He would rather die than surrender. Wen Tianxiang died in 1283 at the age of 47.

Li Shizhen was a well-known medical specialist and pharmacologist.He spent 30 years on his book, titled Bencao Gangmu.It was the most scientific description of traditional Chinese medicine of its time, and is still used today. It has been translated into several major languages.

To prevent revolt against the central authority,emperor Taizu took back the military power from his ministers at a banquet. This incident is referred to as “Relieving the Generals of Their CommandsataFeast”.

Introduction: 

King Ying Zheng (259－210 BC) embarked on a campaign of expansion.Qin united the whole of China in 221 BC.Ying Zheng is known historically as Qinshihuang. Qinshihuang ended the long divided situation, and established the first united multi-ethnic feudal country on Chinese soil.

Zhuge Liang (181－234), who named himself Kongnorth,for the dream of a Ming and Wo Long, was an outstanding statesman and strategist. In the eyes of the Chinese people, Zhuge Liang is the incarnation of wit, and his stories are wide spread.

Cao Cao (155－220), who named himself Mengde,was an outstanding statesman,strategist and man of letters of the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Cao Cao put down all the warlords one after another in the north after the Battle of Guandu in 200 and ended the fissioning condition in North China. This not only was advantageous to the social economy restoration in the Central Plains, also built the foundation for the subsequent Western Jin Dynasty as a unified nation.

After the uprising led by Chen Sheng and Wu Guang failed, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu continued to lead peasants against the Qin Dynasty. From 206 BC, Xiang Yu and Liu Bang fought for rule of the empire for nearly four years, in what historians call “the War between Chu and Han”. Finally,Liu Bang established the Han Dynasty, and is known as Hangaozu.