Temple of Heaven: A Beautiful Place in Beiging, China.

The Temple of Heaven Park is located in the Chongwen District, Beijing. Originally, this was the place where emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) held the Heaven Worship Ceremony. It is China's largest and most representative existing masterpiece among China’s ancient sacrificial buildings. First built in 1420, the 18th year of the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), it was enlarged and rebuilt during the reigns of the Ming emperor Jiajing and the Qing emperor Qianlong. In 1988, the Temple of Heaven was opened to the public as a park, showing ancient philosophy, history and religion. Its grand architectural style and profound cultural connotation give an insight into the practices of the ancient Eastern civilization.

Covering an area of 2,700,000 square meters (3,529,412 square yards), the Temple of Heaven is larger than the Forbidden City. As the 'Sons of Heaven’, Chinese emperors were precluded from building a dwelling for themselves that was greater than the earthly residence dedicated to Heaven hence the difference in overall size of the two complexes. The temple is enclosed by a long wall. The northern part within the wall is semicircular symbolizing the heavens and the southern part is square symbolizing the earth. The northern part is higher than the southern part. This design shows that the heaven is high and the earth is low and the design reflected an ancient Chinese thought of 'the heaven is round and the earth is square'.

The Temple is divided by two encircling walls into an inner part and outer part. The main buildings lie at the south and north ends of the middle axis of the inner part. The most magnificent buildings are the Circular Mound Altar (Huanqiutan), the Imperial Vault of Heaven (Huangqiongyu) and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest (Qiniandian) from south to north.

Today’s Temple of Heaven There are over 60,000 varieties of tree. The most famous tree is the grandfather tree - a 500-year-old Nine-Dragon Cypress with branches like nine dragons winding with each other. These trees create a quiet environment and an ideal resort for the locals to do their morning exercise. Residents living near the Temple of Heaven enjoy many activities here, such as running, cycling, singing, dancing, playing chess, flying kites, etc. You can become involved personally in these activities and experience the leisure pursuits of local people.

Forbidden City: The lost City in China.

Lying at the city center and called Gu Gong in Chinese, it was the imperial palace for twenty-four emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was first built throughout 14 years during the reign of Emperor Chengzu  in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Ancient Chinese Astronomers believed that the Purple Star (Polaris) was in the center of heaven and the Heavenly Emperor lived in the Purple Palace. The Palace for the emperor on earth was so called the Purple City. It was forbidden to enter without special permission of the emperor. Hence its name 'The Purple Forbidden City', usually 'The Forbidden City'

Now known as the Palace Museum, it is to the north of Tianmmen Square. Rectangular in shape, it is the world's largest palace complex and covers 74 hectares. Surrounded by a 52-meter-wide moat and a 10-meter-high wall are more than 8,700 rooms. The wall has a gate on each side. Opposite the Tiananmen Gate, to the north is the Gate of Divine Might (Shenwumen), which faces Jingshan Park. The distance between these two gates is 960 meters, while the distance between the east and west gates is 750 meters. There are unique and delicately structured towers on each of the four corners of the curtain wall. These afford views over both the palace and the city outside.

It is divided into two parts. The southern section, or the Outer Court was where the emperor exercised his supreme power over the nation. The northern section, or the Inner Court was where he lived with his royal family. Until 1924 when the last emperor of China was driven from the Inner Court, fourteen emperors of the Ming dynasty and ten emperors of the Qing dynasty had reigned here. Having been the imperial palace for some five centuries, it houses numerous rare treasures and curiosities. Listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987, the Palace Museum is now one of the most popular tourist attractions world-wide.

Construction of the palace complex began in 1407, the 5th year of the Yongle reign of the third emperor (Emperor Chengzu, Zhu Di) of the Ming dynasty. It was completed fourteen years later in 1420, and then the capital city was moved from Nanjing to Beijing the next year. It was said that a million workers including one hundred thousand artisans were driven into the  long-term hard labor. Stone needed was quarried from Fangshan District. It was said a well was dug every fifty meters along the road in order to pour water onto the road in winter to slide huge stones on ice into the city. Huge amounts of timber and other materials were freighted from faraway provinces.

Ancient Chinese people displayed their very considerable skills in building it. Take the grand red city wall for example. It has an 8.6 meters wide base reducing to 6.66 meters wide at the top. The angular shape of the wall totally frustrates attempts to climb it. The bricks were made from white lime and glutinous rice while the cement is made from glutinous rice and egg whites. These incredible materials make the wall extraordinarily strong.

Nowadays, it is open to tourists from home and abroad. Splendid painted decoration on these royal architectural wonders, the grand and deluxe halls, with their surprisingly magnificent treasures will certainly satisfy 'modern civilians'.

Cormorants are good sized birds who enjoy diving underwater in search of fish. Fishermen use the cormorants to catch the fish and return them to the boat. Usually fishermen seem to be more sun-tanned. The fisherman drive the birds into the water where they dive below the surface in search of fish. When the birds catch a fish they return to the boat and the fisherman removes the fish from their throat and places it in the basket. The secret is that the fisherman places a cord around the bird's neck to keep the bird from swallowing the fish.

You will see buffalos gazing along the river bank or patrolling on the fields. They seem to be indispensable friends of peasants, especially for kids.

 Yellow Cloth ShoalBoating downstream southward from the Mural Hill about 500 meters, peaks become steep and the river become wide and quiet. A huge yellow flagstone lying under the limpid waters can easily be seen. It is like a cloth piece and people called it Yellow Cloth Shoal. There are seven green peaks standing nearby. A legend goes that the seven peaks are fairy girls from the heaven who took baths in the river. Enthralled by the charming scene, they stayed here and become into the peaks. With verdant bamboos, the green peaks under the blue sky reflected on the quiet waters create a spectacular scene. Sometimes, people doubt they see boats floating on hill tops. Many Chinese paintings and poems present this charming scene and tourists run out of their films for it.

- See more at: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangxi/guilin/li_river.htm#sthash.lwBFfwV3.dpuf

Fisherman and CormorantsCormorants are good sized birds who enjoy diving underwater in search of fish. Fishermen use the cormorants to catch the fish and return them to the boat. Usually fishermen seem to be more sun-tanned. The fisherman drive the birds into the water where they dive below the surface in search of fish. When the birds catch a fish they return to the boat and the fisherman removes the fish from their throat and places it in the basket. The secret is that the fisherman places a cord around the bird's neck to keep the bird from swallowing the fish.

You will see buffalos gazing along the river bank or patrolling on the fields. They seem to be indispensable friends of peasants, especially for kids.

 Yellow Cloth ShoalBoating downstream southward from the Mural Hill about 500 meters, peaks become steep and the river become wide and quiet. A huge yellow flagstone lying under the limpid waters can easily be seen. It is like a cloth piece and people called it Yellow Cloth Shoal. There are seven green peaks standing nearby. A legend goes that the seven peaks are fairy girls from the heaven who took baths in the river. Enthralled by the charming scene, they stayed here and become into the peaks. With verdant bamboos, the green peaks under the blue sky reflected on the quiet waters create a spectacular scene. Sometimes, people doubt they see boats floating on hill tops. Many Chinese paintings and poems present this charming scene and tourists run out of their films for it.

- See more at: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangxi/guilin/li_river.htm#sthash.lwBFfwV3.dpuf

Fisherman and CormorantsCormorants are good sized birds who enjoy diving underwater in search of fish. Fishermen use the cormorants to catch the fish and return them to the boat. Usually fishermen seem to be more sun-tanned. The fisherman drive the birds into the water where they dive below the surface in search of fish. When the birds catch a fish they return to the boat and the fisherman removes the fish from their throat and places it in the basket. The secret is that the fisherman places a cord around the bird's neck to keep the bird from swallowing the fish.

You will see buffalos gazing along the river bank or patrolling on the fields. They seem to be indispensable friends of peasants, especially for kids.

 Yellow Cloth ShoalBoating downstream southward from the Mural Hill about 500 meters, peaks become steep and the river become wide and quiet. A huge yellow flagstone lying under the limpid waters can easily be seen. It is like a cloth piece and people called it Yellow Cloth Shoal. There are seven green peaks standing nearby. A legend goes that the seven peaks are fairy girls from the heaven who took baths in the river. Enthralled by the charming scene, they stayed here and become into the peaks. With verdant bamboos, the green peaks under the blue sky reflected on the quiet waters create a spectacular scene. Sometimes, people doubt they see boats floating on hill tops. Many Chinese paintings and poems present this charming scene and tourists run out of their films for it.

- See more at: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangxi/guilin/li_river.htm#sthash.lwBFfwV3.dpuf

Fisherman and CormorantsCormorants are good sized birds who enjoy diving underwater in search of fish. Fishermen use the cormorants to catch the fish and return them to the boat. Usually fishermen seem to be more sun-tanned. The fisherman drive the birds into the water where they dive below the surface in search of fish. When the birds catch a fish they return to the boat and the fisherman removes the fish from their throat and places it in the basket. The secret is that the fisherman places a cord around the bird's neck to keep the bird from swallowing the fish.

You will see buffalos gazing along the river bank or patrolling on the fields. They seem to be indispensable friends of peasants, especially for kids.

 Yellow Cloth ShoalBoating downstream southward from the Mural Hill about 500 meters, peaks become steep and the river become wide and quiet. A huge yellow flagstone lying under the limpid waters can easily be seen. It is like a cloth piece and people called it Yellow Cloth Shoal. There are seven green peaks standing nearby. A legend goes that the seven peaks are fairy girls from the heaven who took baths in the river. Enthralled by the charming scene, they stayed here and become into the peaks. With verdant bamboos, the green peaks under the blue sky reflected on the quiet waters create a spectacular scene. Sometimes, people doubt they see boats floating on hill tops. Many Chinese paintings and poems present this charming scene and tourists run out of their films for it.

- See more at: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangxi/guilin/li_river.htm#sthash.lwBFfwV3.dpuf

Fisherman and CormorantsCormorants are good sized birds who enjoy diving underwater in search of fish. Fishermen use the cormorants to catch the fish and return them to the boat. Usually fishermen seem to be more sun-tanned. The fisherman drive the birds into the water where they dive below the surface in search of fish. When the birds catch a fish they return to the boat and the fisherman removes the fish from their throat and places it in the basket. The secret is that the fisherman places a cord around the bird's neck to keep the bird from swallowing the fish.

You will see buffalos gazing along the river bank or patrolling on the fields. They seem to be indispensable friends of peasants, especially for kids.

 Yellow Cloth ShoalBoating downstream southward from the Mural Hill about 500 meters, peaks become steep and the river become wide and quiet. A huge yellow flagstone lying under the limpid waters can easily be seen. It is like a cloth piece and people called it Yellow Cloth Shoal. There are seven green peaks standing nearby. A legend goes that the seven peaks are fairy girls from the heaven who took baths in the river. Enthralled by the charming scene, they stayed here and become into the peaks. With verdant bamboos, the green peaks under the blue sky reflected on the quiet waters create a spectacular scene. Sometimes, people doubt they see boats floating on hill tops. Many Chinese paintings and poems present this charming scene and tourists run out of their films for it.

- See more at: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangxi/guilin/li_river.htm#sthash.lwBFfwV3.dpuf

Li River cruise: A magnificent natural beauty in China

The Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is the centerpiece of any trip to northeastern Guangxi Province. Gorgeous Karst peaks give you surprises at each bend of the limpid river under the blue sky. Water buffalo patrol the fields, peasants reap rice paddies, school kids and fisherman float by on bamboo rafts. With its breathtaking scenery and taste of a life far removed from the concrete metropolis, the scenery along the river become one of China's top tourist destinations.

The trip starts from the dock south of Liberation Bridge in Guilin downtown area. Otherwise some agencies will transport tourists to take a one-hour bus ride to the Bamboo River Dock (Zhujiang Dock) or the Millstone Hill Dock to start the cruise from its essential part. The river trip is over 83 kilometers (52 miles) long and is estimated to take four to five hours. The eye-feasting landscape and country scenery will never disappoint you.

The river generally has three sections. Various attractions like peaks and villages along the river have interesting descriptive names, which calls for much of your imagination to see what it is like. Listening to tour guide's legendary stories about the attractions is a delightful experience when you are appreciating the landscapes. Most are mystical fairy and love stories. The following Introduction to the attractions are presented in order of location along the river. You can also refer to the river Map on the right. Now start our impressive Li River trip from section to section.

Elephant Trunk Hill

Situated majestically on the western bank of the river, the hill resembles an elephant sucking water from the river with its long trunk. It is supposed to be the landmark of Guilin landscape, which you can find on travel brochures or books. The most impressive is said to be the water reflection of a moon-like cave when the moonlight sprinkles over the river, hence the name 'Moon over the Water'.

Pagoda Hill

A few minutes down from the Elephant Hill on the west bank is a small hill topped with a pagoda. The hexagonal pagoda is called Longevity Buddha Pagoda (Shoufo Ta) dating from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is said the second floor has stone Buddha figurines on display and the hill is compassed in Chuanshan Park. In autumn, the hill illuminated with red maples is very charming.

Daxu Town 

Perching on the northern bank of Li River, the ancient town keeps in its antique style from the  Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). A flagging street, lined with old residences, shops and stalls, runs two kilometers along the river bank through the town. Some well-preserved residences hidden behind the street door may give you surprises you when you occasionally explore further into a shop. These are quarters for businessmen in the past times. Have a try on various dumping snacks on the stalls or peddle cars along the street. Some will surprise you with both its taste and cheap price. People in the town are very kind to tourists. Further to south, there is a single-arched bridge in the town named Longevity Bridge. The town is really a sight off-the-beaten track. Opposite the town on the other side of the river, a millstone-like rock with the running waters creates the scene of Grinding Grain.
 

Crown Cave (Guanyan) 

A crown-like crag earns the hill its name. What makes the hill a worthy stop for both river cruise tourists and those arrive from Guilin City by bus tour is its twelve kilometer long water-eroded cave. It is a wonderland of various stalactite, stone pillars and rock formations in the cave. Since it is open to tourists in 1995, illuminating lights, sound control tour guide system and escalators are equipped in the scenic area and sightseeing cars and boats enable visitors to tour inside the cave. The government plan to build this site as an all-round tourist area including cave visiting, country sightseeing and ethnic minority exploration. It is estimated to become an important excursion site along the the river. Tourists can stay in the hotels and villas in the scenic area.

Half-Side Ferry (Ban Bian Du) 

Not very far from the Crown Cave on the western bank, a huge rock descends into the river and cuts off a footpath by the water edge. Villagers have to take a ferry to reach the other side and continue the way. So, this spot gets its name Half-Side Ferry (for usually ferry means to transport people by boat across a body of water and reach the opposite bank)

From Yangdi to Xingping 

Down stream from Yangdi to Xingping, the river passes an endless procession of distinct peaks and bamboo groves and the stunning landscape. This part is the highlight of the cruise. Pinnacled peaks pop up and surprise visitors at each bend of the river. Water buffalos patrol on the fields; ducks paddle in the waters; peasants reap paddies in front of village houses; fishermen use the cormorants to catch the fish and return them to the boat and kids go home singing songs. All these create an idyllic and beautiful scene of the life removed from concrete cities.

A reputed attraction is Mural Hill, a 100-meter-high cliff face, which has been weathered and has stratified rock surface in various shades of colors. It is rumored that the colors present nine horses and a person who can identify them out is considered smart. Legendary stories are given to hill rocks and peaks and it is a delightful experience to appreciate the stunning landscape while listening to tour guide's interpretation of the stories behind it.

YangshuoLi River cruise makes the small town known to foreigners. The town is very small that everyone will know you after one month. Located some 90 kilometers south of Guilin City, this town is the downstream end of the cruise but not the least. The enchanting fairyland of Yangshuo is renowned as the best in Guilin.

When the cruise ends in Yangshuo, tourists will disembark at the Shuidongmen Dock near the Green Lotus Peak or Fu'an Dock near the Schoolboy Hill. Walking to the famous West Street is a great choice if you disembark from the Shuidongmen Dock. The West Street lined with western cafes, restaurants and hotels is a wonderful place for people who want to explore Chinese life.

Enchanting scenery

Yangshuo is a great place for hikes and cycling excursions. There's no doubt that taking a close-up exploration to the country villages, you will have a taste of the rural life. One thing surprised us is the one-hour bamboo raft trip along Yulonghe River. We didn't expect the scenery to be such a paradise. - See more at: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangxi/guilin/li_river.htm#sthash.lwBFfwV3.dpuf

Nil Giri, Bandarban: A Natural beauty in Bangladesh

Nil Giri is the highest hill resort of Bangladesh with amazing natural beauty. This Resort is located 47 km South-East of Bandarban town on Chimbuk Range at a height of 2400 feet from sea level. It has a high class residential accommodation that makes a difference.  This beautiful resort in the top of the mountain maintain by the Bangladesh Army.

You will be amazed when you see that the cloudy sky often kisses the peak of the hill. Gentle breeze was blowing down the hill side and thin clouds were hanging around on their way to casual fly. Dimmed through the clouds, silver moon light was rolling down the folds and slopes.  It is Imagine the scene! Clouds are playing with you and you can touch them! This is the most attractive place of Bangladesh for those who love hills and clouds.

Way to go:

 
It is 47 KM away from Bandarban. If you get on a Bus from Dhaka at around 10 o’clock you will reach Bandarban at dawn. For better freedom one can rent a microbus or car from Dhaka. To save time you can reach Cox’s Bazaar by air for onwards move to Nilgiri by bus or rent a car. You have to stay at Bandarban hotel and next day you can move to Nilgiri.

Hotel, Motel and Rest House:

 
The accommodation in Nilgiri, in fact, makes its difference. Good hotels are there at Bandarban city too. Accommodation and food for 3 days will cost near tk 10000. Conveyance will depend on means you choose from tk 7000 minimum to maximum tk 11000 if you go by plane to Chittagong. Army man can get special priority for the lodge and cottages. But if it is not booked by any army and the lodge may vacant any day, you can reserve it. But it is so scarce happening. Most of the time Nilgiri remains booked. So try to contact the authority before three month to stay here. The tent is ready for you for short notice but you know it is a busy tourist’s spot. So book this before you get there.

Food:

 
Nilgiri is mainly a rest house. It has a clean and healthy restaurant. So don’t worry about stomach! Rice, beef, mutton are prepared in bamboo without water is really mouth-watering. Every meal cost is about 200-500 BDT. They can provide various types of taste food.

Great Wall: A magnificent place for the Tourist in Beiging, China

The Great Wall of China is a series of fortification made of stone, brick, wood, and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of CHINA in part to protect the Chinese Empire or its prototypical states against intrusions by various nomadic groups or military incursions by various warlike peoples or forces. Several walls were being built as early as the 7th century BC these, later joined together and made bigger and stronger, are now collectively referred to as the Great Wall. Especially famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of china Named Quin Shi Hung. 

 

A comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced technologies, has concluded that the Ming walls measure 8,850 kilometer (5,500 mile). This is made up of 6,259 kilometer (3,889 mile) sections of actual wall, 359 km (223 mi) of trenches and 2,232 kilometer (1,387 mile) of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers. Another archaeological survey found that the entire wall with all of its branches measure out to be 21,196 kilometer (13,171 mile)

 

Quin Shi Hung conquered all opposing states and unified China in 221 BC, establishing the Quin Dynasty. Intending to impose centralized rule and prevent the resurgence of feudal lords, he ordered the destruction of the wall sections that divided his empire along the former state borders. To position the empire against the Xingnu people from the north, he ordered the building of new walls to connect the remaining fortifications along the empire's northern frontier. Transporting the large quantity of materials required for construction was difficult, so builders always tried to use local resources. Stones from the mountains were used over mountain ranges, while rammed earth was used for construction in the plains. There are no surviving historical records indicating the exact length and course of the Quin Dynasty walls. Most of the ancient walls have eroded away over the centuries, and very few sections remain today. The human cost of the construction is unknown, but it has been estimated by some authors that hundreds of thousands, if not up to a million, workers died building the Quin wall. The Lio Jin and Yuan dynasties, who ruled Northern China throughout most of the 10th–13th centuries, constructed defensive walls in the 12th century

The Great Wall concept was revived again during the Ming Dinasty in the 14th century, and following the Ming army's defeat by the Oirats in the Battle. The Ming had failed to gain a clear upper hand over the Mongolian tribes after successive battles, and the long-drawn conflict was taking a toll on the empire. The Ming adopted a new strategy to keep the nomadic tribes out by constructing walls along the northern border of China. Acknowledging the Mongol control established in the ordos desert, the wall followed the desert's southern edge instead of incorporating the bend of the yellow river.

Towards the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Great Wall helped defend the empire against the Manchu invasions that began around 1600. Even after the loss of all of Liodong, the Ming army held the heavily fortified Shanhaiguan pass, preventing the Manchus from conquering the Chinese heartland. The Manchus were finally able to cross the Great Wall in 1644, after Beijing had already fallen to Li Zicheng's rebels. Before this time, the Manchus had crossed the Great Wall multiple times to raid, but this time it was for conquest. The gates at Shanhaiguan were opened by the commanding Ming general Wu Sangui on May 25 who formed an alliance with the Manchus, hoping to use the Manchus to expel the rebels from Beijing. The Manchus quickly seized Beijing, and defeated both the rebel-founded Shun Dynasty.

 

Under Quin rule, China's borders extended beyond the walls and Mongolia was annexed into the empire, so constructions on the Great Wall were discontinued. On the other hand, the so-called Willow Palisade, following a line similar to that of the Ming Liaodong Wall, was constructed by the Quin rulers in Manchuria. Its purpose, however, was not defense but rather migration control.

Humayun's Tomb: A great architecture by Mughals in India

Humayun's Tomb is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun in Delhi, India. The tomb was commissioned by Humayun's first wife Bega Begum in 1569-70, and designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, a Persian architect chosen by Bega Begum.

It was the first garden-tomb on the Indian Subcontinent and is located in Nizamuddin east in Delhi, India, close to the Dina-panah citadel also known as Old Fort, that Humayun founded in 1533. It was also the first structure to use red sandstone at such a scale. The tomb was declared a World heritage site by UNESCO  in 1993, and since then has undergone extensive restoration work, which is complete. Besides the main tomb enclosure of Humayun, several smaller monuments dot the pathway leading up to it, from the main entrance in the West, including one that even pre-dates the main tomb itself, by twenty years; it is the tomb complex of Afghan noble in sher shah suri's, Isha khan niyazi who fought against the  the Mughals, constructed in 1547 CE.

The complex encompasses the main tomb of the Emperor Humayun, which houses the graves of Bega Begum herself, Hamida Begum, and also Dara Shikoh, great-great-grandson of Humayun and son of the later Emperor Shah Jahan, as well as numerous other subsequent Mughals. It represented a leap in  Mughals architecture and together with its accomplished garden, typical of Persian garden, but never seen before in India, it set a precedent for subsequent Mughal architecture. It is seen as a clear departure from the fairly modest mausoleum of his father, the first Mughal Emperor Babar, called Bagh-e-Babar (Gardens of Babur) in Kabul. Though the latter was the first Emperor to start the tradition of being buried in a paradise Garden. Modeled on Gur E Amir, the tomb of his ancestor and Asia's conqueror Timur in samarkand, it created a precedent for future Mughal architecture of royal mausolea, which reached its zenith with the Taj Mahal, at India.

The site was chosen on the banks of Yamuna river, due to its proximity to Nizamuddin dargah, the mausoleum of the celebrated Sufi saint of Delhi,Nizamuddin Awliah who was much revered by the rulers of Delhi, and whose residence, Chilla Nizamuddin Auliya lies just north-east of the tomb.

Darjeeling: Full of the natural beauty in India

So fancying a trip to Darjeeling? You must be lured by the dazzling snow peaks of Kanchenjunga that overlook the hill town, the beautiful tea gardens on the slopes of rolling hills, the waterfalls, orchids, pines & rhododendrons, the cute Himalayan toy train negotiating its way through the mountains.... and you want to combine all that with great sightseeing tours, food, shopping and other exciting activities. Right? 

 

 

Yes, it's all possible in Darjeeling, a gem of a place which is known for its youthful vibe with modern as well as colonial charm. Excited? Well, there are couple of things you should ensure in order to fulfil your expectations. 

Darjeeling is a popular hill-station in the Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Mahabharata range or lesser Himalayas, Darjeeling offers ethereal views of the majestic Himalayas, especially that of Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain peak. Darjeeling has been honoured with the title of ‘The Queen of the hills’ and it rightly deserves so for its scenic and pristine environment. Crowned by majestic Himalayas, this beautiful hill-station has been blessed with bountiful nature and salubrious climate.

When not rapt in its scenic splendor, one can explore the colonial mansions, old churches, Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples. Also, not to miss are the botanical gardens and a zoo where one can get a glimpse of high-altitude animals and birds like snow leopards and red pandas.

Darjeeling is surrounded by vast expanses of lush green tea gardens. Tea plantations not only add to the beauty of this hilly town but have also popularised Darjeeling world-over. Darjeeling tea is world-famous for its unique aromatic flavour. So much so that tea industry, along with timber and tourism industries, forms the backbone of Darjeeling’s economy. What dazzles Darjeeling more on world tourism map, besides its magnificent beauty, is its age-old Toy Train.

Christened as Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, this narrow gauge steam engine train chugs its way uphill, providing an important transport link to the various parts of the Himalayan hills and offering breath-taking views all along. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is now recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Darjeeling.

And this is not all! Darjeeling is said to be a paradise for trekkers and the adventurous. For those interested in shopping, there is a lot to choose from Tibetan and Sikkimese handicrafts.

Darjeeling is best visited in summers to beat the heat of the plains and revel in the pleasant weather and warm hospitality.