Huashan - The Most Dangerous Mountain Route in China

Mount Hua, or Hua Shan is a mountain located near the city of Huayin in Shaanxi province, about 120 kilometres (75 mi) east of Xi'an. It is one of China's Five Great Mountains, and has a long history of religious significance. Originally classified as having three peaks, in modern times the mountain is classified as five main peaks, of which the highest is the South Peak at 2,154.9 metres (7,070 ft).

Mount Hua is located near the southeast corner of the Ordos Loop section of the Yellow River basin, south of the Wei River valley, at the eastern end of the Qin Mountains, in southern Shaanxi province. It is part of the Qin Ling Mountain Range that divides not only northern and southern Shaanxi, but also China.

 Mount Hua, or Hua Shan is a mountain located near the city of Huayin in Shaanxi province, about 120 kilometres (75 mi) east of Xi'an. It is one of China's Five Great Mountains, and has a long history of religious significance. Originally classified as having three peaks, in modern times the mountain is classified as five main peaks, of which the highest is the South Peak at 2,154.9 metres (7,070 ft).

As early as the 2nd century BCE, there was a Daoist temple known as the Shrine of the Western Peak located at its base. Daoists believed that in the mountain lives the god of the underworld. The temple at the foot of the mountain was often used for spirits mediums to contact the god and his underlings. Unlike Taishan, which became a popular place of pilgrimage, because of its inaccessibility to the summit, Huashan only received Imperial and local pilgrims, and was not well visited by pilgrims from the rest of China. Huashan was also an important place for immortality seekers, as many herbal Chinese medicines are grown and powerful drugs were reputed to be found there. Kou Qianzhi (365–448), the founder of the Northern Celestial Masters received revelations there, as did Chen Tuan (920–989), who spent the last part of his life in hermitage on the west peak. In the 1230s, all the temples on the mountain came under control of the Daoist Quanzhen School. In 1998, the management committee of Huashan agreed to turn over most of the mountain's temples to the China Daoist Association. This was done to help protect the environment, as the presence of taoists and nuns deters poachers and loggers.

Kids Expression

Underground hotel in China

Photo rendering courtesy of SHANGHAI SHIMAO PROPERTY GROUP/ ATKINS 

While China has been leading the trend in skyscrapers for the past decade, architects and designers apparently decided to turn things upside-down for a change. According to CNN, China recently broke ground on the first luxury underground hotel near Shanghai.

Located at the foot of a 100-meter (approximately 328 feet) abandoned quarry at Shanghai’s Tianmashan, the 380-room resort will have three levels above ground and 16 underground, and will also offer spa services, a sports facility and an underwater restaurant. 

 The property is being developed by Shanghai Shimao Property Group and designed by U.K. based engineering firm Atkins. According to SmartPlanet, the underground hotel is part of the larger project to build Shimao Shanghai Wonderland, a large-scale theme park. Reports say the hotel is expected to open in 2014 or 2015.

Just how much will this underground wonderland cost? If you're intrigued, industry experts say the nightly room rates will start at around $320 a night (RMB 2,000).

The hotel, The Intercontinental Shimao Shanghai Wonderland, will be managed by InterContinental Hotels Group (Photo: Shanghai Shimao Property Group/ Atkins)

Newest, Biggest, Baddest Roller Coasters Around The World

Batman — The Ride, Illinois, USA

 After a summer 2013 update to a classic ride, this superhero flies backwards for the first time.
                                                       Bandit Bomber, Abu Dhabi

 A number of terrifying new rides are opening around the world this year. Abu Dhabi's newest coaster is the perfect summer screamer. Each seat comes equipped with water bombs. Yep, that's a world first. 
                                                          GateKeeper, Ohio, USA

Having debuted in May, this $26 million steel shocker claims the world's highest inversion at the terrifying height of 170 feet (52 meters). Thrill seekers at an auction before the ride's debut bid to become one of its first 64 riders. The highest bid was $1,351.

                           
                                          Nefeskesen (Breath Taker), Istanbul,  Turkey

Located inside Istanbul's newest theme park, Nefeskesen (Breath Taker) reaches 68 mph in just three seconds flat.

                                   
                                         Nyhed Juvelen (The Jewel), Denmark

 Passengers who aren't squeezing their eyes in terror get views of faux Mayan temples, waterfalls and jungles on this all-terrain ride.

                                           The Outlaw Run, Missouri, USA

 This Silver Dollar City coaster offers a nearly vertical ride. Made with 450,000 board feet of lumber, it's the first wooden coaster to feature a double barrel roll and three inversions.

                                                              The Joker, Mexico City

 For summer 2013, Six Flags Mexico rolled out The Joker, a heart-stopping coaster with cars that can do 360 turns right on the track.

08. The Smiler, England

Designers of The Smiler hired psychological experts to help ramp up the fear factor on the $27 million ride. PR reps claim the coaster will "marmalize" riders, a term they invented that means, "feeling spaced out and mashed up."
                                                          The Storm, Sicily, Italy

The Storm is a 105-foot (32-meter) coaster with a 70-degree drop and a heartline roll (aka barrel roll), meaning the track twists 360 degrees around the train. 

Playful Exotic Birds Made of Flower Petals — Red Hong Yi's

Artist Hong Yi, aka Red, is back with another fun project that, this time, turns flower petals into birds. After her playful 31-day Creativity with Food series was completed, the imaginative artist continued to take on various projects, but it seems she has developed yet another wonderful collection of cleverly crafted images.


The flower-bird series follows in Red's tradition of making something incredibly creative from unconventional materials. Sharing the images through her Instagram account, the project came to her organically. It began as a mandala using flowers picked from her garden back in Malaysia and evolved through an ode to Banksy and support for Turkey into a bird.

Bird: Rooster; Flowers: Gerberas and leaves

With each new addition, viewers can see the artist honing her skills with the experimental material. She started off creating a peacock that she admitted looked a bit like a turkey and has since refined her skills. With nine birds in her collection thus far, the artist concludes that she plans on making 5 five more. Followers should look forward to a bald eagle coming up next.
Bird: Parrot; Flowers: Butterfly-peas and gerberas

Bird: Flamingo; Flowers: Pink gerberas and twigs

Bird: Peacock; Flowers: Butterfly-peas, bottlebrush leaves, coconut leaf sticks, allamandas/trumpet flowers

 Bird: Dodo; Flowers: White, pink, and orange chrysanthemums

Bird: Kingfisher; Flowers: Gerberas, butterfly-peas, and purple shamrocks

 Bird: Peacock/Turkey; Flowers: Gerberas and butterfly-peas

 Bird: Cardinal; Flowers: Red gerberas and deep purple chrysanthemums

Bird: Hornbill; Flowers: Chrystanthemums, gerberas, and purple shamrocks

Birds: Flamingos; Flowers: Pink gerberas and twigs