china travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

One of Shropshire’s top attractions, the Ironbridge Gorge is known as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. In 1986, the Ironbridge Gorge became one of the first groups of 7 UK sites to be awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO. The surviving built and natural environment with its museums, monuments and artefacts, including the world famous Iron Bridge of 1779, serve to remind us of this area’s characteristic contribution to the history besides developing of industrialized society. Nowadays the area is far from industrial. Although the revolution started here, most of the factories are long gone and the nature beauty of the Gorge has been restored.

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Name: 18 kowloon east
Architect: Aedas
Location: Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong, China
Size: 32,400 sq m
Status: Completion 2010

Aedas shared with us their design through a 28-storey mixed-use building which includes housing, offices, retail spaces and a car park. A design with efficient office floor plates and a rational box were requested by the client. With the edifice located in a municipality with dense industrial blocks, instead of providing another work tower entirely wrapped in a coolly glazed skin, the design investigates the possibility of providing an environmentally sustainable form in such an industrial property.

Continue reading Green as a theme

This project is modest addition for the small property of Huairou about two hours drive away from the urban center of Beijing, China. The “Liyuan Library” by Chinese designer Li Xiaodong Atelier is encompassed within a mountainous and forested landscape. The absolutely glazed interior contains mild and contemplative reading spaces and a disposal of platforms which integrate shelving since books. After analyzing the region’s characteristics, an exterior screen clad with ordinary sticks was chosen to conceal the glass facade, receding engrossment the surrounding mystique without competing with it.

Continue reading A quiet, relaxing environment for literary study and entertainment

Designed by the GMP Architects, the Universiade Sports Center consists of a stadium, a multifunctional hall and a swimming pool. Universiades are World Games for students and are held every other year in winter and summer, hosted by the International University Sports Federation. The design for the Universiade Sports Center in the city of Shenzhen, China, is inspired by the surrounding undulating countryside and generates a formal dialog that references Chinese horticulture and temper toward the land.

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Chinese architects Atelier 11 recently completed the spherical Diamond Arena in Beijing, China, which seats up to 15,000 spectators and will host international tennis matches. The dedicated China National Tennis Center is a 15,000-capacity stadium which is currently hosting the China Open 2011, starring world class players Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, Jurgen Melzer and Andy Roddick.

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On Barbie’s fiftieth birthday, Mattel – the world’s largest toymaker, opened the  first store dedicated to the iconic doll in the world, in Shanghai, China. 3,300 m2 mega-Barbie store holds the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of Barbie dolls and licensed Barbie products. Standing six stories tall, it glows neon pink and cost around 20 million pounds to build. Slade Architecture led the design including the exterior, interior, fixtures, and furnishings.

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Kids in Beijing sure are lucky. The “Kid’s Republic” is a kid’s center with an innovative, playground design. Designed by SAKO Architects, “Kids” is considered as one of world’s best designed children’s bookstores. The design drives your kids crazy, it is so bright and colorful. This imaginative store mimics the look of a fantasyland with its elaborate use of color and fun design elements. Start with an all white bookstore interior – white floors, white ceiling, white walls, white stairs, white bookshelves, white everything – and to that liberally add rainbow colors all over it streams, twists and whirls throughout the store.

Continue reading The first specialized children’s bookstore in China

Days Inn JFK Airdrome Hotel is a fresh renovated inexpensive New York Hotel. Ideally settled only proceedings inaccurate from Gospels F. Airdrome Planetary Airfield, guests can behave after a extendable decorate and select plus of the disembarrass field shuttle accommodation to and from the hotel. The Hotel is AAA approved, ensuring the unexcelled dimension and force is provided to all it’s visitor.

Continue reading Cheap, close to airport

Located in the northwest of Guilin City, 5 km away from the city’ center, Reed Flute Cave is one of the most popular and most interesting tourist attractions in Guilin, China. According to a legend, the name of the cave is derived from ludi cao (reed grass), which grows in front of the cave and is used to make flutes with melodious sound. It is a natural limestone cave about 240 meters long and it was formed 600,000 years ago. The cave offers a majestic fairyland of karst caves with landscape and rural scenery. It is filled with a large number of stalactites, stalagmites and rock formations in weird and wonderful shapes.

Continue reading The Palace of Natural Arts

Villa Garbo is a 5-minute calling from the beach and the Walk de la Croisette. Situated in City, Subversive Garbo is approximate to La Croisette, Palais des Festivals, and Hotel de Ville. Also nearby are Cannes Shelter and Enclose Royal. Purchased in 2003 by Christine and Guy Welter, the late Gabres hotel has been completely renovated.

Continue reading Elegant and Glamourous