Page 18 - RCI EV Asia October 2015

beaches at Dadonghai, Tianya and Haijiao. For a spiritual retreat, head to Nanshan Culture Tourism Zone, 40kms southwest of San7ya City and see the beauty of Nanshan Mountain. The area has a profound Buddhist influence on its surrounding culture and is made of three theme parks: Hainan Custom Culture Park, Blessing and Longevity Park and the Buddhism Culture Park. (Open: 8am-6pm, $33pp covers all three park; bookings available through your accommodation). It is also home to Nanshan Temple and the statue of the South China Sea Kwan-yin Bodhisattva. The giant sea-side statue of Kwan-yin stands 108 meters and is constructed out of gold, diamonds and jade. Hainan has an abundance of food and their culinary delights draw worldwide acclaim. Seafood is plentiful so expect to see lots of prawns, oysters and fish on street food stands and in restaurants.
SHANDONG, China
Shandong Province is located in the eastern part of China on the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It is known for its beautiful landscapes such as Mount Tai, Mount Laoshan and the beaches on8the Jiaodong Peninsula. Mount Tai is claimed to be the number one among the sacred Five Great Mountains of China and is listed as a Cultural and Natural World Heritage Site. Vast quantities of poetry and stone inscriptions have been left here by emperors, poets and scholars of every era. Confucius Temple in Qufu City, is a group of temples built to commemorate the great educator of ancient China, Confucius. As the capital
of Shandong, Jinan is one of China’s most famous historical cities and has numerous natural springs. Shandong is also the birthplace of China’s pottery, porcelain and silk. Here you can find traditional items like the clocks and watches of Yantai, the porcelain of Zibo and the kites of Weifang. A must-see is the
We
MANILA, Philippines
As the capital of the Philippines, Manila is a densely populated bay9side city on the island of Luzon situated on Manila Bay
in the South China Sea. The city is on the Pasig River and
mixes Spanish colonial architecture with modern skyscrapers. Intramuros, a walled colonial city is the heart of Old Manila. It’s home to the baroque 16th century San Agustin Church as well as Fort Santiago, a fortress and military prison. Fort Santiago is the main tourist attraction in Intramuros. (Open 8am-6pm, Adults $2.25, Children $1.50; ph 63 2 527 1572; www.tourism.gov). As the oldest church in the Philippines, San Agustin Church has many richly decorated shrines. Make sure you visit the Ayala Center
in the Makati Central Business District, it is now the premier shopping and cultural district in the metropolis because of its
wid
ishan Terracotta Warriors in the Weishan Scenic Area. It
is the third largest collection of terracotta warriors in China, displaying over 8,000 life-size pottery models of soldiers and servants and other artifacts from the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). (Open: 8am-5pm, $33 pp; www.chinahighlights.com).
e array of shopping, entertainment and cultural offerings. Take a trip down to the Ayala Museum where it has exciting offerings in store for its guests. Their displays of gold and Filipino art are worth seeing alone, but the star attractions are the 60 dioramas
8
SUMMER TREATS: (counter clockwise from above)
A temple with a million dollar view on Mount Tai Shan in Shandong. Manila; big city small volcano. Taal Volcano is the smallest volcano in the world. Boracay Island is the template for every tropical beach escape daydream; white sand, aquamarine water and verdant green hinterland.
9
9
16 OCTOBER 2015