Guide to Sights and Festivals in China

Female: From spectacular Neon Colored Ice Festival to the agent dignified Terracotta Army and the Three Gorges Mega Dam, China has some awe inspiring site.

This shimmering display of the light in color occurs every year during winter and the town of Harbin. The Harbin Ice Festival isn’t interactive playground where expectators brave sub 0 temperatures to experience the display. These sculptures are carved from 2-meter high or 6 foot high blocks of ice. Competitors come from all over the world to participate.

Yan Zheng: Ice sculpting is my job and also my hobby. Making ice sculptures and taking part in the contest every year has become part of life and its great for me.

Female: The festival begins in January and runs throughout the chilly winter months. At night time, the works are lit up from the inside by neon tubes. The festival includes events such as an ice swimming contests, ice-sculpture competition and ice lantern exhibit. Some of the artistic sculptures include architectural marbles, statues of Buddhas, Chinese palaces and even ice slides.

The Terracotta Army is one of the most important archeological discoveries of all time. These larger than life, Terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations on the star features at the Musem in Xi’an, they are replicas of what the imperial guard look like. Uncovered in 1974, this 8,000 strong army was crafted in 221 BC over 2,000 years ago.

The Terracotta Army was first discovered by local farmers in Shaanxi province drilling water well. Imagine their surprise it finding the Terracotta body underneath their crops. Today, the army goes on exhibition around the world, allowing visitors to get up-close and admire the craftsmanship of each figure.

Jane Portal: What we have here is a first. We have more Terracotta figures relating to the first emperor’s tomb seen than ever before and now we have 20 Terracotta figures, 120 objects hold together and the difference here from seeing at Xi’an is that here, you can see them close to. You could look at each one and you can look at the details of them. But in Xi’an, when you’re looking down on the pit, you see masses of them but you can’t actually stand right up next to them.

Female: The Terracotta army was created Emperor Qin Shi Huang to protect them in the after life. They took 38 years to complete. Each statue is unique and individually crafted. The clay figures were originally painted in bright colors. But 2,000 years underground, stripped them of their hue.

If you like mega-structures, Chinas’ Three Gorges Dam is definitely for you. Completed at October 2008, the 3 Gorges Dam is a largest hydroelectric power station in the world. Chinese leaders help the mega-dam as a triumph for its size over nature. They set it with end devastating annual floods and bring well to in private areas. They also stated that the 3 Gorges Dam would become a vital source of chip and clean power of Chinas’ growing economy.

Some people argue that the dam which caused $20.8 billion to complete could be an environmental disaster. But if the leaders are to be believed, The Three Gorges Dam will increase tourisms to Yangtze River and paid the way for more clean energy. For every stand on the environmental font, The Three Gorges Dam is a pretty and impressive site.