The Forbidden City, also     1    (refer) to as the Palace Museum in the modern days, is located in the heart of Beijing. It is an ancient     2    (architecture) complex with a history of over 600 years.

The aerial view of the Forbidden City shows it is a symmetrical layout. The three main halls-the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony comprise the Forbidden City’s central line,     3     is flanked (两侧有) by more than 70 palaces with over 9, 000 rooms. The buildings are all covered with golden roofs with red columns and high walls beneath,     4    (symbolize) the noble status of the royal family. In addition to     5    (it) magnificent appearance, the Palace Museum also houses over one million pieces of cultural relics and treasures.

In recent years, the Forbidden City has become     6     Internet celebrity, launching thousands of cultural and artistic products. These products are well enjoyed by     7    (consumer), combining the traditional imperial elements with modern technology. Up to now, a “Digital Forbidden City”     8    (create). The development of the Internet and AR technology has allowed people to visit the palace in an immersive way and to observe the panorama and details of the imperial treasures.

As a new day begins, the ancient Forbidden City continues to welcome visitors at home and abroad. Be it onsite or online, your visit     9     the Forbidden City may help you travel through time and space and    10    (true) appreciate the time-honored Chinese culture.

3 . 3 Hour Off-Road Sunset Safari to Grand Canyon with Entrance Gate Detour

Overview

Experience spectacular views of the Grand Canyon South Rim without the crowds. With this tour, you’ll take the road less traveled to reach the iconic landmark, driving along scenic back roads in a comfortable 4WD safari vehicle and avoiding the busy south entrance gate. Stop to admire the views from Yavapai Point, Pipe Creek Canyon, and Duck on a Rock Overlook, then time your arrival to watch the sunset from Grand view Point.

What To Expect

* Grand Canyon South Rim Voted best and most fascinating 3-hour Sunset tour at Grand Canyon. Informative, local guides describe Grand Canyon geological formations, Native American history, mule and hiking trail systems, and the rich history of this region. Includes Tusayan pick-up,south entrance gate detour during 30 minute off-road hiking, viewing of native wildlife such as elk, deer and rare bird species in their natural environment; ending at Grand view Point where the fading sunlight turns the Canyon into vivid colors.

3 hours   Admission Ticket Included

* Yavapai Point See magnificent vistas, Colorado River and Phantom Ranch.

45 minutes   Admission Ticket Included

* Pipe Creek Vista

Pipe Creek Viewpoint

*Grandview Point

1 hour Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info AYSTA

*Confirmation will be received at time of booking

* Not recommended for travelers with back problems

*Minimum 2 people—if less call direct at 928-638-5337

*This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund. Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

5 . Camping tips: Which overnight wilderness experience is right for you?

If you’re an experienced backpacker, read no further. This article is for camping rookies, those who have never slept beneath the stars or haven’t pitched a tent since their youth but are seriously thinking about overnighting in the wilderness.

Car camping

At its most basic, car camping involves packing a tent, sleeping bag, fold-up chair, cooler and camp stove into your vehicle and staying at a drive-up campground. Nearly every national park, and many state and county parks and private facilities, offer drive-up campgrounds with restrooms, potable water, fire rings or pits, and maybe even hot showers. So there are lots of choices.

The downside of car camping is the fact that these campgrounds are often packed with other campers. Not a lot of privacy, they can be noisy, and possibly hinder your quest of communing with nature.

Backpacking

No vehicle required; just your feet and a good pair of hiking boots or shoes to get you to the next overnight spot. A multi-day hiking trip is without doubt the most immersive way to experience the great outdoors.

Different from maybe car camping, it requires the least expense and equipment. All you really need are a backpack, sleeping bag, water bottle, small first-aid kit, enough food to last the entire travel. It can be done just about anywhere on the planet.

Boat Camping

While this does involve owning or renting a watercraft or using a ferry or water taxi service to reach the overnight site, camping via canoe, kayak, raft or boat offers a similar get-away-from-it-all adventure as backpacking.

Experienced paddlers and boaters usually prefer to camp on their own along a secluded shoreline. But many adventure or wilderness outfitters offer guided trips that can last anywhere from a couple of days to two or three weeks. With a boat, you can sometimes camp places that not even backpackers can reach.

7 . The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM), located in the West Kowloon Cultural District of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was established on June 22 and is scheduled to open to the public on July 2. More than 40,000 tickets were sold or reserved within eight hours on the first day of public sale, and all free visits on Wednesdays in July were fully booked.

The HKPM, not only adds to cultural atmosphere in the city, but also provides a new site for local residents and visitors to learn about the development of Chinese civilization and culture. More than 900 pieces of treasures from the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing will be put on display at the opening exhibitions. From paintings to ancient architectures, the exhibits span the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, covering all categories of the collection of the Palace Museum, including 166 pieces of first-class cultural relics of the country. This will be the largest and highest-level cultural heritage exhibitions of the Palace Museum outside of the mainland since its establishment in 1925.

Prepare work for the exhibitions began in 2018, with the Palace Museum fielding a team of leading experts and scholars, associated with the manage team of the HKPM.

“It is a great thing to display the pieces of cultural relics in Hong Kong, which reflects the central government’s support to the development of Hong Kong’s cultural projects,” said Ng, adding that the exhibits from the Palace Museum will present a cultural feast to Hong Kong residents by telling them about the motherland’s long history and splendid culture.

“Promoting traditional Chinese culture is one of our important tasks,” said Betty Fung, chief executive officer of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. She said the HKPM will actively push ahead with the publicity of the motherland’s culture and history after its opening, enhancing Hong Kong residents’ cultural confidence in the country, especially among youths.

Fung said that the HKPM will actively enhance cooperation with international museums, telling the world the stories of China, including the stories of Hong Kong.

8 . It’s never too early to get thinking about this year’s big trip.But where should you go? Well, National Geographic has revealed its“Best of the World”list for 2023,offering a few pointers as to the travel experiences over the next 12 months or so. This year’s Nat Geo list is split into four categories as follows.

Explore the biodiversity of Botswana.

Witness rewilding in the Scottish Highlands.

Go on a foodie biking tour of Slovenia.

Visit Big Bend National Park in Texas, USA.

Take part in sustainability programs in the Azores.

Head to Egypt to visit the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Watch films and down craft beers in Busan, South Korea.

Visit the International African American Museum in Charleston, USA.

See the Longmen Grottoes’ stone statues in Hunan, China.

Go on an Alpine rail trip in Switzerland.

Help conserve turtle populations in Trinidad and Tobago.

Head to San Francisco, USA, for city-view campfires and urban hiking trails.

Bird-watch in Colombia.

Visit football stadiums in Manchester, UK.

Take a women-led sustainable tour in the Dodecanese Islands in Greece.

Spend a long weekend on the Great Lakes in Milwaukee, USA.

Go on a new high-speed train in Laos.

Explore Black heritage in Ghana.

Okay, so it might not all be up your street — but it’s undeniably a spectacular range of stuff.You can read more on National Geographic’s official page here — and get pumped for a year of life-changing travel experiences.

10 . Longing for the most amazing places on the planet? You can do no wrong with these lakes across the globe.

Five Flower Lake

Set in the striking karst landscape of the Jiuzhaigou Valley in Sichuan province, China, Five Flower Lake is extraordinarily clear, with visibility to a depth of 40 metres. Five Flower is one of a series of blue-, green-and sky-colored lakes blocked by rock falls, but it differs from the others as its waters change color, looking sometimes yellow, sometimes green, but usually diamond blue. In winter, Five Flower never freezes; in summer, it never dries up. Local wildlife living in the surrounding mountain forests include the rare giant panda and the golden snub-nose monkey.

Crater Lake

The deep-blue waters of Crater Lake in Oregon, US, fill the outlet of an ancient volcano that collapsed 7,700 years ago. Its strangest occupant is the “Old Man of the Lake”, a nine-metre-tall tree stump(树桩), which has stood upright in the water for more than a century. No rivers or streams enter the lake. Water loss in summer is compensated by winter snow and rain, the entire body of water being replaced every 250 years.

Lake Ohrid

Ancient Lake Ohrid has been around for about five million years and crosses the mountainous border between Macedonia and Albania. It has unique plants and wildlife, including the Ohrid “plashica”, a fish native to the lake, whose scales(鳞片) are used to make Ohrid pearls.

Lake Maggiore

Surrounded on three sides by the Lipontine Alps and touching the plain of Lombardy to the south, Lake Maggiore is Italy’s longest lake. Considered part of the country’s lake district, it is shared with Switzerland. Characterized by a Mediterranean-style climate, temperatures here are mild all year. This has given rise to some of northern Italy’s most wonderful gardens, which appear to float like flower-decked boats on the water.