The Forbidden City (Imperial Palace) was home to fourteen emperors of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and ten emperors of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).



Forbidden City, Beijing

► Day 6: January 6th, 2016 - One Photo Upload a Day.
✈ Project 366 - Daily Travel Photos.

Listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987, the Palace Museum is located in the centre of Beijing, on the northern side of Tiananmen Square.

Probably photographed by every tourist visiting the Chinese capital, but few will get down on their hands and knees to find an angle like this; then wait for people walking through the frame to create a balance.

 http://tnot.es/TravelPics

Located about 100km west of Shanghai, Suzhou is famous for its canals, bridges and classical gardens; collectively an UNESCO World Heritage Site.



Suzhou Canals, China

► Day 4: January 4th, 2016 - One Photo Upload a Day.
✈ Project 366 - Daily Travel Photos.

With the Yangtze River Delta to the north-east and surrounded by lakes, it's not surprising Suzhou is often called 'Venice of the East'.

There's even a Grand Canal running through Suzhou, north to south, connecting Beijing with Hangzhou.

While many tourists might choose the easy option and take a boat tour on the Weichang River, it's easy enough to walk around on foot and discover the quiet backwaters of this 2,500 year-old city; founded in 514 BC as Helü, in the Kingdom of Wu.

An old Chinese proverb says, "In heaven there is paradise, on earth there are Hangzhou and Suzhou."

http://tnot.es/TravelPics

Do you like showing your photography off to the world? Have you taken a quality picture of New Year celebrations in Asian culture over the last decade? Then the Asia Society would like to see it.



You need to join the Asia Society Flickr Group to enter - before midnight EST on February 21st, 2010.

Taking great pictures of fireworks is not the easiest thing in the world, but thankfully that's not the only images allowed to enter. Nor does the picture have to be taken in Asia.

Whether it's praying, eating, or playing, photos may be of anything related to an Asian celebration of New Year; from preparing for the event with decorations and food, to people actively enjoying the traditional Asian New Year celebrations.



Asia Society.

I'm often wary when asked to look at a blog by someone whose main aim is to sell hotel bookings. But I do always look at all links submitted to Travel Notes (eventually).

I was pleasantly surprised with the blog from Asia Hotels.

Instead of blog entries describing different hotels, there's actually some very useful and interesting articles for travellers wishing to visit Asia and in need of some ideas. So good, that we've added the Asia Hotels newsfeed; for our visitors to reach in a click, from our Travel News page.

Some of the recent entries that you might find interesting are: Best Beaches in Asia, Three Cheapest Cities For Shopaholics (one of them was not in Asia); and Guide to Taj Mahal (they did slip an hotel link in this one).

Blog posts only started in July, 2007 so let's hope they have a lot more new material to add and don't give up when the comments don't flood in.

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