3 . There are so many breathtaking castles in Europe. Here’s one possibility for such a list with our picks for the most beautiful castles in the world.

Mont Saint Michel, France—A rocky tidal island in Normandy, located about 1 km off the coast. The island’s highest point is 92 meters above sea level. The population of this UNESCO World Heritage Site is only a few dozens, but it is visited by more than 3 million people each year. The strong tides in the area change quickly, and connect and disconnect the island from the mainland on a daily basis.

Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany—German for “New Swanstone Castle”, this castle is a 19th-century palace on a rugged hill in Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig Ⅱ of Bavaria as a retreat and was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886. More than 1.3 million people visit the castle annually.

Hohensalzburg Caste, Austria—One of the oldest and most preserved castes of Europe, Hohensalzburg (German for “High Salzburg Fortress”) was built in the 11th century and expanded in the 14th century. It is located on a hill in Salzburg. With a length of 250 meters and a width of 150 meters, it is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe.

Alceazar of Segovia, Spain—Spanish for “Segovia Castle”, is a stone castle located in the old city of Segovia. The Alcazar was originally built in the 12th century as a fortress (堡垒) but has served as a royal palace, a state prison and a military academy since then. The castle is one of the inspirations for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle.

4 . 2 Days Xi’an-Luoyang Tour by Bullet Train

Tour Overview

Xi’an and Luoyang are two of the four most famous ancient capital cities in China. Taking a bullet train from Xi’an, one will arrive in Luoyang in about 2.5 hours.

Day 1: Xi’an-Luoyang by Bullet Train

AM: At around 7:00, a local driver will pick you up from the hotel. Then you’ll transfer to North Xi’an Railway Station for the bullet train to Luoyang. Upon your arrival in Luoyang, you’ll meet a local guide holding a name board.

The guide will lead you to visit the Longmen Grottoes, which is a treasure house of ancient stone-carving artworks. There are over 100 thousand stone statues along the two banks of the Yi River.

PM: After lunch. you will pay a visit to the Museum of Luoyang Eastern Zhou Royal Horse and Chariot Pits. The Eastern Zhou Dynasty is the last slavery dynasty in Chinese history. The last stop is Luoyang Museum which is a historical museum of China and houses over 1,700 cultural and historical relics in 5 showrooms.

Accommodation: Hotel booked by your own

Day 2: Luoyang-Xi’an by Bullet Train

AM: After breakfast on your own, please meet your driver and guide in the hotel at 9:00 and then drive for about 1 hour 20 minutes to Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Chinese Zen Buddhism and Shaolin Martial Arts. Here you will see the Kungfu show performed by Shaolin monks.

PM: Finish the sightseeing, you will take the bullet train back to Xi’ an. Your 2 days Xi’ an-Luoyang tour ends here.

Tour Price Per Person

Venice is an attractive city between the sea and the sky. The city     1    (consist) of over 100 islands and there aren’t any cars or buses. All the islands     2    (link) by canals and bridges, making it     3    (convenience) for people to travel around the city. The best­known of the canals, the Grand Canal, serves     4     the main street in the part of the city.

Venice has a lot of world­famous tourist     5    (attraction), including Saint Mark’s Square, the Doge’s Palace and Saint Mark’s Basilica,     6     is the city’s most famous church. Every year thousands     7     tourists visit this beautiful city. They always find themselves     8    (impress) by the city’s cultural treasures.

Sadly, the Italian city has been regularly flooded by rising sea water over the years. From November to February, sea level rises up to one and a half meters,     9    (cover) many of Venice’s famous areas. But people in Venice still love their city. They are unwilling     10    (leave). Instead, they want to stay there to save Venice from the sea.

9 . Surrounded by a charming poplar forest in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a woman dressed in silk, dances under falling golden poplar leaves, looking like a “fairy” from myth(神话). This is a scene from a video that has caught the attention of Chinese netizens who have seen it as one of the most beautiful tourism promotions on social media.

This elegant lady is not an actress but the director of the Xayar County(县)Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism—Renaguli Reheman. Reheman recalled that the idea to introduce Xayar county’s plentiful tourism resources through short videos was inspired by another official in Zhaosu county in Xinjiang whose short video of him riding a horse in the snow successfully helped to promote local tourism.

Reheman said shooting the videos was not easy. Thinking that having her ride a camel would be a good fit for a desert tourism promotion, she decided to challenge herself by riding the tall animal even though she was afraid of falling off. While promoting a scenic(风景优美) highway near the poplar forest, Reheman spent two days learning to ride a motorcycle.

Reheman is just one of the many local officials who are promoting county tourism with fresh ideas and creative methods. This new tourism promotion model has brought local tourism industries to life and more officials are learning from it through the county.

Located in Sichuan Province, the greater Chengdu area is home     1     millions of residents. It’s surrounded by rich farmlands that     2     (lead) to the city’s impressive agricultural wealth over the centuries. Often     3     (call) the “Land of Milk and Honey”, the city is one of the most liveable cities in China.

As well as being known for     4     (it) panda tourism and spicy food, Chengdu has a great atmosphere. The city is famously relaxed despite its size and busyness. This more relaxed way of life may be one of the most attractive things about Chengdu.

Chengdu has several panda breeding and research facilities, which     5    (probable) explains its close     6     (connect) with this lovable animal. So, while you’re in the city, make sure you head out to one of them     7     (see) the panda places and maybe even sign up to be     8     zookeeper for the day.

The teahouse culture is a big part of Chengdu. Teahouses are     9     the natives get together, play mah-jong, and drink tea. If you want to be part of the local culture, then escape the busy city the same way the     10     (local) do. Head to one of the local teahouses and try a cup of tea.