Recently in China Category

The city of Nanjing is known as China's southern capital, and it has had a profound influence on the country's culture and style throughout the ages. One of the best places to get a feel for Nanjing's essence is at the Palace of the Heavenly Kingdom, on Changjiang Road. Beginning as a prince's residence during the Ming Dynasty, it expanded to become the presidential palace, and is today one of the city's most visited windows into the past, housing the Nanjing Museum of Modern Chinese History. Browse artifacts from the Qing Dynasty, gaze upon the gilded imperial chair of the Heavenly King Palace, and consider the wealth of materials on display from the life of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Often considered the father of modern China, the museum has an unparalleled collection of Sun Yat-sen memorabilia, including historical photographs, letters, telegrams, artwork, and meditations on his "three principles of the people." Guests at the luxurious Sheraton Nanjing Kingsley Hotel & Towers might enjoy a visit to this beautiful and thought-provoking temple of Chinese history.

[image via Wikimedia]

Visitors to Tibet looking to experience some Buddhist history need only to make their way to Marpo Ri (the Red Hill), where the majestic Potala Palace served as the winter residence of the Dalai Lama from the 7th century through 1959. Now a museum, it provides a fascinating look at the Buddhist faith and the many ways its adherents have expressed their hopes for peace and prosperity in this inspiring mountainous region. The building is enormous for its age, with thirteen stories, more than a thousand rooms, 10,000 shrines, and an amazing 200,000 statues and sculptures - more than enough to wear out even the most tireless explorer. The palace was established in 637 as a small retreat for meditation and contemplation by King Songsten Gampo, and it retained its modest stature until an explosion of construction in the 17th century under Lozang Gyatzo created the mountaintop palace that exists today. Start with a tour of the White Palace, which served as the living quarters of the Dalai Lama, an assembly hall for monks, and a library of Buddhist scripture. Then move on to the Red Palace, a bewildering assortment of libraries, chapels, and halls entirely dedicated to prayer and study, including fine murals of events during the Fifth Dalai Lama's life. The Saints Chapel contains the holiest shrine in Potala, including a jeweled statue of Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, while three separate galleries display murals of the palace's construction as well as large windows that provide breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valley. All it takes is one long look to feel humbled amid so much beauty. The Potala Palace is convenient to the Four Points by Sheraton Lhasa and the soon-to-open St. Regis Lhasa Resort, which will welcome its first guests this fall.

Hong Kong is a high-energy city, pulsating with activity at all hours, but if you want to learn the secrets behind what powers this modern metropolis, make your way to the Tsim Sha Tsui East neighborhood. There, the Hong Kong Science Museum will help you unravel the mysteries of energy, aviation, robotics, computers, and dozens of other fields of exploration. The museum is filled with about 500 exhibits related to science and technology, and it's a great place to spend a relaxing and educational afternoon learning about the forces that control the world. An interactive Virtual Reality exhibit, for example, will amaze you with just how realistic a computer-generated world can be. An exhibit on biodiversity in China, meanwhile, illustrates the amazing depth and breadth of nature in the world's most populous country. But the biggest star of the museum is energy itself. The museum's 22-meter-high twin-tower energy machine can be triggered to come alive and produce a series of fantastical effects that illustrate the various forms of energy, how they are created, and how they can be transformed. It's a metaphor for Hong Kong itself. Starwood has three hotels in Hong Kong: the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers, Le Méridien Cyberport, and the stylish W Hong Kong.

[image via lcsd.gov.hk]