2009 Spring festival

YEAR of OX
Dragon dance performed in Argentine China Street
　

Locals watch the dragon dance during a temple fair held in the China Street in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, Jan. 25, 2009. A Chinese temple fair was held in the China Street on Sunday to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.(Xinhua/Alberto Raggio)

Performers play the dragon dance during a temple fair held in the China Street in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, Jan. 25, 2009. (Xinhua/Alberto Raggio)

Locals buy Chinese traditional craftworks during a temple fair held in the China Street in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, Jan. 25, 2009.

Ruins Shine With Pristine Beauty

These "oracle bones" were discovered by chance.

At the end of October, a group of ‘guru archeologists’ gathered in Anyang, Henan Province, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the archeological excavation at Yin Xu, the ruins of the last capital of China's Shang Dynasty (1766-1050 BC).
80 years ago, Yin Xu, the archaeological site which had slept for more than 3,000 years ago, was brought to light with the commencement of a state-supported excavation. Decades of effort paid enormous dividends as Yin Xu represents a golden age of early Chinese culture, crafts and sciences from a time of great prosperity.
Of note it is famous for the discovery of 'oracle bones', inscriptions on animal bones and tortoise shells which are thought to be the beginnings of Chinese characters and writing. They bear invaluable testimony to the development of one of the world’s oldest writing systems, ancient beliefs and social systems.

Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Beijing)

The Forbidden City, located in the center of Beijing, used to be the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Its construction started in 1406, and was completed in 1420. The rectangular palace covers an area of some 720,000 sq. km -- 961 m in length and 760 m in width. It has a total of 9999.5 room spaces (an area enclosed by four poles). In 1924, the imperial family of the Qing Dynasty was removed from the Forbidden City, and in 1925 the Palace Museum was established here.
The Forbidden City has four entrance gates: the main Meridian Gate (Wumen) to the south, the Eastern Flower Gate (Donghuamen), the Western Flower Gate (Xihuamen), and the Gate of Divine Prowess (Shenwumen) to the South. The palace grounds are divided into two parts: the Front Palace (Qianchao) to the south and the Inner Palace (Neiting) to the north. The Front Palace consists chiefly of three magnificent and solemn halls ---- the Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian), the Hall of Central Harmony (Zhonghedian), and the Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohedian). The Inner Palace includes the Palace of Heavenly Purity (Qianqinggong), the Hall of Prosperity (Jiaotaidian) and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility (Kunninggong).

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