Buddhism
The Tang dynasty (618-906 AD) was a period of unprecedented openness and prosperity for the Chinese court and it was then that Buddhism , originally imported from India through Central Asia around the first century AD, gained acceptance and came for a time to be the dominant religion in China. In the eighth century there were over three hundred thousand Buddhist monks in China, and it was a period which saw the creation of much of the country's great religious art - above all the cave shrines at Luoyang (Henan), Datong (Shanxi) and Dunhuang (Gansu), where thousands of carvings of the Buddha and paintings of holy figures attest to the powerful influence of Indian art and religion. Gradually, though, Buddhism too was submerged into the native belief system. Most schools of Indian Buddhism of the time taught that life on earth was essentially one of suffering, an endless cycle in which people were born, grew old and died, only to be born again in other bodies; the goal was to break out of this cycle by attaining nirvana, which could be done by losing all desire for things of the world. This essentially individualistic doctrine was not likely to appeal to the highly regimented Chinese, however, and hence it was that the relatively small Mahayana School of Buddhism came to dominate Chinese thinking. The Mahayana taught that perfection for the individual was not possible without perfection for all - and that those who had already attained enlightenment would remain active in the world (as Bodhisattvas ) to help others along the path. In time Bodhisattvas came to be ascribed miraculous powers, and were prayed to in a manner remarkably similar to that of conventional Confucian ancestor-worship. The mainstream of Chinese Buddhism came to be more about maintaining harmonious relations with Bodhisattvas than about attaining nirvana. Another entirely new sect of Buddhism also arose in China through contact with Taoism. Known in China as Chan (and in Japan as Zen) Buddhism, it offered a less extreme path to enlightenment. For a Chan Buddhist it was not necessary to become a monk or a recluse in order to achieve nirvana - instead this ultimate state of being could be reached through life in accord with, and in contemplation of, the Way. In short, the Chinese managed to marry Buddhism to their pre-existing belief structures with very little difficulty at all. This was facilitated by the general absence of dogma within Buddhist thought. Like the Chinese, the Tibetans , too, found themselves able to adapt the new belief system to their old religion, Bon , rather than simply replacing it. Over the centuries, they established their own schools of Buddhism often referred to as Lalaist Buddhism or Lamaism, which differ from the Chinese versions in minor emphases. The now dominant Gelugpa (or Yellow Hat) school, of which the Dalai and Panchen Lamas are members, dates back to the teachings of Tsongkhapa (1357-1419).
Voyageinchina.comAdam Yin says "Chinese Visa Application
The following information is FOR YOUR REFERENCE ONLY, Please contact Chinese embassy or consulate general in your country or region for accurate and detailed information.
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According to the Law of the People's Republic of China Concerning the Administration of Foreigners Entering and Leaving the Country, foreign tourists must apply for visas at China's foreign affairs offices, consulates or other organizations authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A group of five tourists or more can apply for a group tourist visa. This is usually handled by a travel agency organizing groups. People coming to China from countries which have visa agreements with China (such as agreements which exempt tourist groups from visas) are treated in accordance with these agreements.
If anyone wants to go to Tibet for a visit you can apply for a visa only with the consent of the Tourism Administration of the Tibet Autonomous Region or any one of its foreign representative offices. A passport is required for visa application, the passport shall be valid for at least 6 months beyond the duration of the tour.
A Brief Introduction to Chinese Visa
Chinese visa is a permit issued to a foreigner by the Chinese visa authorities for entry into, exit from or transit through the Chinese territory. The Chinese visa authorities may issue a Diplomatic, Courtesy, Service or Ordinary Visa to a foreigner according to his/her identity, purpose of visit to China and passport type.
The Ordinary Visa consists of eight sub-categories, which are respectively marked with Chinese phonetic letters L, F, Z, X, C, G, D, J-1and J-2.
L Visa: Issued to an applicant who comes to China for tourist purposes, family visiting or other personal affairs.
F Visa: Issued to an applicant who is invited to China for visit, research, lecture, business, scientific-technological and culture exchanges or short-term advanced studies or intern practice for a period of no more than six months.
Z Visa: Issued to an applicant who is to take up a post or employment in China, and their accompanying family members.
X Visa: Issued to an applicant who comes to China for the purpose of study, advanced studies or intern practice for a period over six months.
C Visa: Issued to crewmembers on international aviation, navigation and land transportation missions and family members accompanying them.
G Visa: Issued to those who transit through China.
D Visa: Issued to applicant who is to reside permanently in China.
J-1 Visa: Issued to foreign resident correspondents in China.
J-2 Visa: Issued to foreign correspondents on temporary interview missions in China.
Validity of Visa: normally speaking, a visa is valid for 3 months from the date of issuance (date of application) and on any day within this period, the visa holder may enter China.
Duration of Stay Specified in the Visa: normally speaking, a visa holder may stay in China for 1 month which counts from the date of his/her entrance into China. To stay longer, you need to specify your request in your application form and itˇŻll be subject to the permission of the consul in charge.
Overseas Chinese Visa Authorities, include Chinese embassies, consulates, visa offices, and the consular department of the office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. If a foreigner intends to enter into, exit from or transit through the Chinese territory, he shall apply to the above-mentioned Chinese visa authorities for a Chinese visa. For further information, please consult the nearest Chinese visa authorities.
5)Important Notes:
According to the relevant international law, any sovereign state has the exclusive rights to decide whether or not to allow the foreigners to enter its territory, and accordingly to issue visa, reject visa application and cancel an issued visa according to its national law without providing the reasons.
With its valid Chinese passport, a Chinese citizen can enter China without a visa.
" www.voyageinchina.comAdam Yin says "Emerald Tour Ltd., a registered inbound travel operator in China. providing high quality destination management services for exceptional value including: China tour packages; Shanghai, Beijing City tours; hotel reservation; and MICE service in China.
www.voyageinchina.com" a nice guide in Guilin Chinajade leo says "Do you want to pay a visit to China before 2008 Olympic Game, Do you hear about Guilin Yangshuo where has the reputation of having the most beautiful landscape under heaven. It is a dream place for many tourists who want to see the real natural landscape and touch the countryside life.
Hilltops pop up from nowhere like trees in the forest and they are shaped like buns, camels, fishes, saw-teeth, horses, etc. It is a city you must visit or you will miss those beautiful landscape there. Rivers flow around like green silk ribbons while the hills reveal themselves as jade hair-pins. Guilin embraces great landscapes like green hills, clear waters, pretty rocks and fantastic caves.
I am from Guilin, a licensed tour guide for Guilin area. A grauate from Guangxi Teacher's University, I have had more than 2 years of travel service experience in Guilin.
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8. Faming Activities and Stay in farmers' houses
9. Hot Balloon
10. Li river cruise tour. Cormorant fish, fantastic caves
11. Longsheng dragon's backbone rice terraces
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13. Climbing the highest mountain to see the panoramic view
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" Explore China On Line (Video and Stills)David Mundstock says "My film "The Last Emperor’s Home Video” offers visits to China’s best known places, including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Beijing’s Summer Palace, the Grand Canal, Xian, beautiful Guilin, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, plus Hong Kong.
“The Last Emperor’s Home Video” can be seen on the web, if you have a high speed internet connection.
This is a free, non-commercial, streaming video on the Windows Media Player. No ads and no strings attached. I still sell absolutely nothing.
The gallery of still photos from China can be viewed with any modem.
There are over 30 of my other amateur travel videos on-line covering all seven continents. Visit Japan, Italy, England, Antarctica, Bali, Hawaii, Russia, Peru, Mayan Pyramids, Egypt, Greece, or Turkey; see whales, penguins, or polar bears.
The planet is yours, including my Home Page giant galaxy of still pictures.
To watch a video or view the stills, please ask a search engine for:
Intrepid Berkeley Explorer"
Your Tip for China
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