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TopClicks
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China
Asiapac - 100 Celebrated Chinese Women - One hundred legendary women are listed, and there is detailed information about 60 of them. Yes, Mulan is listed under "Hua Mulan," but you can also read about what happened to Cann, the Silkworm Girl, and others. The stories have beautiful illustrations. Parental advisory: Preview these to make sure they are suitable for your family.
China Maps - It's a lot harder to study the country of China if you don't know how to pronounce the names of all its provinces! Here is a great place to start. This is a clear and simple political map, and all the way at the bottom is a chart that shows the Chinese characters, Chinese name, and a pronunciation guide for each of China's provinces, autonomous (self-governing) regions, and special municipalities. Select "China: Administration 1991 (278K)" from the list on this page.
China the Beautiful - Chinese Art and Literature - Calligraphy is as much beautiful abstract art as it is a way of writing. It dates back to the earliest days of Chinese history and is still widely practiced. Even after 2,000 years, the five major styles of calligraphy (seal script, clerical script, standard script, semicursive script, and cursive script) are still in use today. This site is also filled with Chinese history. The outline of Chinese chronology and time line included here is especially useful because it includes a listing of events happening outside China at the same time. And if you need more maps of historic and present-day China, this is a good place to look. This site even includes audio files and flash cards for learning Chinese words (the latter is in the A Is for Love section) and links to museums around the world that have Chinese art collections on their Web pages. There is also a Mulan FAQ for fans of the movie.
China Today - China is really big--640 cities, 32 of them with a population of over one million people! These folks have loved music and art for a long time: as early as the first century B.C., more than 80 different kinds of musical instruments were already in use. Want more facts? Some Asians believe jade will bring them good luck and good health and can help them to get rid of bad luck. Did you know that the Chinese people love football (what Americans call soccer)? This is a huge, comprehensive site with lots of information. Parents: Too many links here for us to check them all.
China, an Inner Realm - Here's a site that uses a different approach to exploring China. There are three main sections: Beauty, Destiny, and Eternity. The Beauty section shows you through the land and takes you on visits to various landmarks and scenery. Here you can also travel to each province and some of the major cities. Destiny explores Chinese culture, arts, music, and literature. The Eternity section describes the Chinese language, which dates back 6000 years. Read about the many dialects, and use the tutorial to see how the characters are made and listen to some pronunciations. This site was created by students for the ThinkQuest competition.
Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C. - The national emblem of China and the Chinese flag are only two items you'll find at this site. You can also hear the national anthem. Learn about the geography and flora and fauna. Did you know that some species are found only in China? These are the giant panda, golden monkey, white-lipped deer, takin, Chinese river dolphin, and Chinese alligator. There are also links to information on the regions and provinces of China.
Friends and Partners China - China is the world's third largest country in area, after Russia and Canada. At this site, you will really get a sense of China's diverse climates and land regions as well as the culture and history of its people. For example, Xinjiang, the largest region in China, covers one-sixth of its total land area. This large province is the source of both the Huang He (Yellow River) and the Yangtze River. You'll also learn about Qinghai Lake, China's biggest saltwater lake. And check out Snake Island, near the port of Dalian in Liaoning province, which is home to more than 13,000 pit vipers!
Hong Kong - City of Life - Festivals are the best in Hong Kong! Start with the Chinese New Year in Events and Festivals. Keep going--there's always a reason to celebrate! This site has videos of the people, city, and even the food. Be sure to click on "The Wonder of the Day" for something new.
Imperial Tombs of China in Orlando, Florida - Long ago, when a Chinese emperor died, he was buried with fabulous treasures. One was buried with thousands of life-size terra-cotta soldiers and horses. One was buried in a special garment made of thousands of jade pieces held together by gold thread. Two hundred fifty objects from tombs spanning 2,500 years of Chinese history have been touring the world's museums. Now you can see the tour here online.
Lonely Planet - Destination Hong Kong - Hong Kong harbor has lots of junks. No, not the trashy kind of junk. A junk is a type of boat with a sail that is also a home for thousands of people in Hong Kong. Hong Kong at night is like fireworks in the sky; it's very spectacular. Read about some of the local customs--for example, you should never leave any rice uneaten at a meal (be a member of the "clean plate club" here!) and be sure not to place your chopsticks vertically in your bowl; we'll leave it up to you to find out why.
Taoism Information Page - Taoism began about 2,500 years ago, in China. The Tao, or Way, is illuminated by several texts, one of which is the Tao-te-Ching. It is among the shortest of all sacred scriptures, containing only 5,000 words. Here are a few of them: It is not the clay the potter throws, which gives the pot its usefulness, but the space within the shape, from which the pot is made. This site offers a good introduction to Taoism.
The Government Information Office - Some countries recognize Taiwan as a free nation, although China declares it an autonomous region. This Taiwanese government site explains the dispute and provides a jumpstation to other resources.
The Hong Kong Children's Choir - OK, on the count of three, everybody sing! This children's choir travels all around the world. At their site, you can even hear sound samples of their singing (these are quite large, so they will take time to come through your modem). Some are in English and some are in Chinese (the two official languages of Hong Kong). The boys and girls also learn to play instruments, dance, and paint.
The Office of the President of the Republic of China - Click on "English Version" if you don't speak Taiwanese. This official site offers a brief tour to the President's office in Taipei. While you are looking around, you notice there is information on the flag and the national symbols. You'll learn about the great seals of the Republic of China, used in marking official documents. One is made of emerald jade while the other is made of "sheep suet" white jade. Both materials are extremely rare and precious, but you can see them close-up at this Web site.
The Silk Road - Imagine it is the year 1271. The Venetian traveler, Marco Polo, is packing a caravan for his first long expedition to a country called Cathay. He travels across the deserts and mountains of Asia and finally comes to a place filled with beautiful riches he has never seen before: silk, ivory, spices, and rare jewels. He brings these treasures back to Europe, as well as knowledge of new cultures, customs, and inventions such as the compass. The historical trade route Polo followed was given its name, The Silk Road, by a French historian in 1887. Silk, however, was only one of the many items in the exchange between inland China, its western border, India, and the Middle East. Travel along this ancient passageway--through the province of Xinjiang in the west and across into Gansu and Xi'an in the east--and see some of China's historical sites along the way.
Tibetan Government in Exile's Official Web Site - Parental advisory: Please preview this site. China calls Tibet an autonomous region, but others say China is taking away Tibetan culture and spiritual practices and abuses the human rights of the Tibetan people. The spiritual leader of Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, leads a "government in exile" in India. This Web site gives a lot of information about the Dalai Lama, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. The citation reads, in part: "The Dalai Lama has developed his philosophy of peace from a great reverence for all things living and upon the concept of universal responsibility embracing all mankind as well as nature." This Web site outlines Tibetan Buddhist beliefs, culture, medicine, astrology, and more. It also details the charges against China, and many of them are disturbing and contain adult subject material.
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