Friday, January 14, 2011

Summer Palace - A masterpiece of Chinese landscape gardening

The Summer Palace is the best preserved imperial garden in the world that clearly depicts the essence of classical Chinese architecture in its own unique way. It is the ideal place to get an idea of how traditional Chinese landscape gardening creates a poetic harmonization of different scenes. This can even be seen in its Chinese name Yihe yuan which literally means the "Gardens of Nurtured Harmony".
It is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design where the natural beauty of landscaped hills and open water is blended with man made pavilions, arched bridges, decorated corridors and breezeways to form a edifice of exceptional aesthetic value.
As its name indicates the Summer Palace was used as a luxurious royal garden retreat where China's royal families used to relax and enjoy the beautiful gardens and spend a relaxing time in the airy pavilions during the summer. It was originally known as the “Garden of Clear Ripples” when it was first built in the 12th century. It is said that the best designers and landscapers in China combined the styles of different gardens and palaces from throughout the Empire in building this remarkable monument.
In its long history the Summer Palace complex suffered two major attacks and was even destroyed by fire. In 1911, with the birth of the Republic of China it was declared a public park and today it serves as a recreational park which attracts many tourists to the area.


In 1998 UNESCO included the Summer Palace on World Heritage List recognizing it as a symbol of one of the world’s major civilizations. Grand Millennium Beijing is a premier five star Beijing hotel which offers the best facilities for the global travelers who come to visit this historical landmark.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/summer-palace-a-masterpiece-of-chinese-landscape-gardening-852911.html

Tree Pruning:
Do-it-yourself tree trimming techniques and secrets.

Tips on Adding Bamboo Décor on Your Home

Bamboo has now been widely accepted as a durable decorating material. The use of bamboo décor is having an excellent surge in popularity due to its cost effectiveness and at the same time allowing the consumers to become environmentally friendly. The durability and attractiveness that bamboo products may integrate into your home designing would surely convince you to avail these excellent home improvement products. The versatility of using bamboo materials in different types of home decorations has led to the development of exclusive designs made entirely of bamboo products. You may find some of these home decorations on several eco-friendly interior designing portfolios available on the Internet. These designs can be easily incorporated on any home style since it is mainly designed to fit any theme used for the house.
There are several types of bamboo décor that you may want to add to your collection. You may also want to completely replace your current home theme to an environment friendly one using the exotic designs for bamboo furniture such as cabinets and beds. You can easily find these designs readily available on several designing websites on the World Wide Web. One of the excellent decorations you may integrate to your home design is the use of bamboo vases. These vases are available in a wide variety of styles you can choose from. The designs used for these ornamental home pieces can effectively add a distinct look on your room. You may choose from polished, natural and spun bamboo vases which would make a unique and fresh theme for your room design.


Bamboo décor may also take the form of picture frames. Most of the time, your memorable photographs are stored within these small pieces of craft. The bamboo frames can be used to give emphasis to these special pictures. You may even integrate your personal designs with the addition of a variety of colors which would also give the frames a polished and natural look. Aside from picture frames, you may also use bamboo bowls and bamboo candles to add uniqueness into your home design. Different types of bamboo bowls can appropriately fit on your kitchen area. Aside from being a perfect dining decoration, it may also add a classic accent when serving food into the dining table. A nice collection of bamboo candles can add texture to your bamboo décor. You may add your own taste on the designs by playing through the different shapes and colors that are available on the market.
There are other bamboo décor that you can add to your home collection such as drinking coasters, chairs and bamboo blinds. A set of natural bamboo coasters would surely create a traditional impression on your room theme and would perfectly fit on your coffee table. Adding bamboo chairs to your home tables is a good way to provide durability on your home furniture. There are a wide variety of these bamboo chairs available on the market such as modern and wicker types. To finish up your bamboo theme on your room, you may use colorful bamboo blinds in order to add a natural look and at the same time serve its purposes of blocking out the heat, sunlight and noise.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/landscaping-articles/tips-on-adding-bamboo-dcor-on-your-home-4027602.html

Tree Services Company:
Great tree care tips for your landscape design.