Florence and Its Cityscape

The city of Florence is the capital of Tuscany, a region in central Italy. The city is situated on the river Arno and is known for its interesting history, art and architecture. Over a period of five years, from 1865 to 1870, it was also declared the capital of Italy. The City of Florence has been a part of the World Heritage Site since 1982.

Florence is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Italy mainly because of its cityscape. One reason why area is so special is that from the 16th century to present day it has lured many artistic masters like Leonardo da Vinci.

Some of the major attractions of the city are the Duomo cathedral, the Florentine skyline and the Loggia dei Lanzi, to name a few. The Palazzo Vecchio Tower bell tower is another icon that has outstanding tourist appeal. The Ponte Vecchio, of the 14th century is another landmark that adorns the city of Florence.

Florence is certainly known for its artistic past. Almost all great Italian artists spent time in this city. The entire area lights up during the evening like a beautiful painting on canvas. Most visitors to Florence come mainly to experience the history, the museums, and the culture normally associated with this centrally located Italian location

Moscow Kremlin

The Moscow Kremlin, also called the Kremlin, is a castle that is situated at the heart of Moscow. It has four palaces and four cathedrals and it is the official residence of the president of Russia.

The great Kremlin Palace is one of the biggest castles in all of Russia. It has a very stunning combination of yellow and white with a green rooftop. The golden color adds an appearance of wealth to the entire palace. The palace was initially built in 1462 during the rule of Ivan the Terrible, but was rebuilt in 1837 by King Nicholas I because of the extensive damage that was done to it during wartime. During the 18th century, the construction came to a halt as the entire Russian capital moved to St. Petersburg. It was in the 1740s when an Italian architect was hired by Queen Elizabeth to complete the Kremlin and the construction began once again.

The Kremlin Palace was built to extend the Russian autocracy. The best architects were hired to perform the splendid job and they came up with a fine piece of art. The dimensions of the palace are massive. The total length of the palace is 125 meters and the height is 47 meters. It covers a total of 25,000 square meters. The whole building has nine churches from the 14th through 17th centuries with more than 700 rooms in it. The west side of the palace was for the royal family. Just like many other palaces, this one is also off limits to public viewing.

Varanasi and Ganges River

Varanasi, also known locally as Banaras is situated on the banks of the river Ganges in utter Pradesh, India. It is also called as the city of lights and is known to be one of the most sacred places for many Hindus. It is also said that this city is one of the oldest in the entire world.

The river Ganges is known for its outing and the city has also chosen its culture based on the rivers purity and religious belief. Most of the prominent poets, writers and philosophers have been born in this part of the city. It is said that the entire city is blessed by gods, making it all the more popular for the common man of India. In fact, the origin of Ayurveda has also been associated with Varanasi. Followers of the Hindu community call this place the religious capitol of India. One can find thousands and thousands of temples in this city.

According to legend, the city was found some 5000 years ago by lord Shiva and thus is one of seven pilgrim destinations for Hindus. The city of Varanasi is known for its Ghats. It is said that the city owns almost 100 Ghats, some of them being owned privately. Some of the famous ghats of Varanasi are the Dashawamedh Ghat, the Manikarnik Ghat, Harishchandra Ghat and the Mana Mandir Ghat.It is estimated that more the 1,000,000 pilgims visit the city on a yearly basis. It is a belief that bathing the river Ganges will wash away all your sins.

Lijiang River and Its Cruise

The Lijiang River is also called the Li River in China. It begins in the Mao’er Mountains and winds its way for many miles through natural scenic beauty and thick bamboo forests with amazingly strange rocky formations. The river then runs south to the county of Pingle where it combines with two other streams.
If you decide to go on a cruise down the river, the entire boat trip takes a total of seven hours. With the help of a good guide, you can learn a lot about the beauty of the river and the history that surrounds it. The journey includes sites such as Pierced Hill, Clean Vase Hill and Embroidery Hill.

Some of the best places to view during a planned holiday tour to the Li River are the Reed-Flute Rock, Seven Stars Park, Mountain of Splendid Hues, Elephant-Trunk Hill and Lingqu Canal. The scenic beauty of Li River in Guilin is used as a common backdrop for a lot of landscape paintings and is the topic of many poems. Common sights on the river include bamboo boats, fishermen and water buffalo. The beauty of the Li River is so mesmerizing that it attracts visitors from all over the world.

Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon

The Shwedagon Pagoda, also called the Golden Pagoda, is found in Yangon, Myanmar, just west of the Kandawgyi Lake on the Singuttara Hill. The exact height of the Stupa is 321.5 feet and legend states that it was built more than 2,500 years ago, probably during the time of Buddha. But since it was completed, it has been damaged and even destroyed several times by earthquakes and other natural disasters. The initial reason for building the Shwedagon Pagoda was to create a shelter for several strands of Buddha’s hair. Today, the Burmese consider this pagoda to be the most religious one in the region.

One reason why the Shwedagon is so special is because its spire is made up of a thick layer of gold along with thousands of diamonds, rubies, and precious gems embedded in it. The residents of Myanmar contributed gold to the structure to ensure that would be properly maintained. That practice started when the queen of Shin Sawbu donated gold that was equal to her own weight to the building project.

Visitors can access the Shwedagon Pagoda from all four sides of the hill, but they must remove their shoes before stepping inside. On the east and south sides, one can see vendors selling different kinds of items like the flags, books, and images of Buddha. A pair of lions guards the entrance to the Shrine.