Fortaleza da Guia / Guia Fortress

In the early 1550s the Portuguese reached Ou Mun, which the locals also called A Ma Gao, "place of A Ma", in honour of the Goddess of Seafarers, whose temple stood at the entrance to the sheltered Inner Harbour. The Portuguese adopted the name, which gradually changes into the name Macau, and with the permission of Guangdong's mandarins, established a city that within a short time had become a major entrepot for trade between China, Japan, India and Europe.

Guia Fortress, built in 1637-38, occupies the top of Guia Hill, the highest point in Macau. It was designed to defend Macau from attacks from the sea, but because of its position overlooking the entire city, its chief value has been as an observation post.

As calcadas, o nome das ruas e as antigas contrucoes portuguesas nos lembraram muito o Brasil. Porem, ao contrario do que pensavamos, Mandarin e Ingles sao mais faladas que o Portugues.

Macau

Macau felt like a portuguese village with some Vegas touch. It is an unusual combination of old and new, but definitely worth stopping.

Here are some pics of the Wynn Hotel.

Temple of the 10,000 Buddhas

There is a 431-step climb up to the temple, but the view of the city is rewarding.

The principal temple, built in 1957, is dedicated to Kuan Yin, and has in the forecourt a nine-story pagoda with some 13,500 figures of the Buddha in different postures.

Piscinao de Ramos :)

Kowloon Park - Hong Kong

Happy Hour in HK

SoHo and Lan Kwai Fong are famous for their bars and lively Happy Hour.

We enjoyed walking around these blocks and we were amazed by the number of bars and good food available!

These areas are reached by the Mid Levels Escalators, which consist of twenty escalators and three moving sidewalks, and measures 800 meters (1/2 mile) in length, making it the longest outdoor covered escalator in the world.

Most important is that just about every Hong Kong delight imaginable is a short electric ladder ride away.

Hong Kong Harbour

Hong Kong was a good surprise! It felt kind like New York with a Chinese twist. :)

Temple of Confucius

Kongmiao is one of the most important Confucian temples, after the one in his hometown of Qufu in Shandong.
It is an extensive haven of tranquility in the heart of Beijing, and forms part of a larger compound containing the Imperial Academy. First built in the 13th century, the Confucius Temple was renovated in the 18th century.

Beijing is a vibrant mix of history and modernity...

We definitely had a great time here!

Lama Temple

Yonghegong Tibetan Buddhist Lama Temple, the biggest lamasery in Beijing, was constructed in 1694 as the residence of Prince Yong of Qing Dynasty.
The 18 meter Buddha was carved out of one single piece of white sandalwood.

Este templo recebe muitos Chineses que vem rezar e fazer oferendas - normalmente 3 incensos - as muitas estatuas de Buda presentes no templo.

Beijing's new skyline

Construction is on the rise in Beijing, and famous architects are involved in many projects.
Architects Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren designed the 234m high, 450,000m CCTV headquarters.
On the other hand, the smog has been a major concern. The government already implemented a car rotation system based on license plate numbers. Also, during our stay in Beijing, there were rumors that the city was "making rain" every evening to clear out the sky for the Games.

Olympics Mood - back to Beijing

The Chinese are very excited with the Olympic Games. Here is a look of the National Stadium and the Swimming Arena.

more Xi'an

Xi'an is one of the few remaining walled cities in China. Here are a few more pictures.

Guerreiros de Terracota

Xi'an - China

This city in the countryside holds a lot of treasures, including the Terracota Warriors.
It also marks the beginning of the well known Silky Road, a major commerce route in the past.

Overnight train to Xi'an

A primeira experiencia em uma estacao de trem na China e bastante chocante. Os trens sao importante meios de transporte conectando as grandes cidades ao interior. As estacoes sao superlotadas e o mix de pessoas deixa claro a diversidade do pais.

Tianamen Square

The world's largest public square where Mao Zedong announced the establishment of the People's Rupublic of China in Oct 1949. Also, the place of the famous protest in June 1989.

Praticando Chines 2

Lilica mandando muamba da China pro Brasil :)

Praticando Chines 1

A primeira roubada:

Fomos sacar dinheiro em um ATM e a maquina "engoliu" nosso cartao. Depois de 30 min. e muita conversa, um carro forte com um representando do banco veio resgatar nosso cartao.

The Great Wall - a 10km hike!

Fizemos uma caminhada/escalada de 10 km entre Jinshanling e Simatai.

Foi simplismente sensacional! O lugar e fantastico!

:)

Forbidden City - Cidade Proibida

A Cidade Proibida e constituida por 800 edificios e mais de 8,000 salas. Foi contruida ao longo de 14 anos, e finalizada em 1420. O Palacio foi residencia de Imperadores de 23 Ming e Qing dinastias.