Allen's Travel Diary

not made for walking

2011-11-27T18:41:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK (Reuters) - When it comes to womens shoes made for style rather than walking, Christian Louboutin footwear with their distinctive red soles lead the pack, according to a survey of wealthy American consumers.

Shoes by Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo were rated second and third respectively in a survey of high net-worth consumers conducted by the New York-based Luxury Institute to find the most prestigious womens shoe.

"Womens luxury shoes are a hot item these days and this is reflected in the rankings of these three brands that were relatively unknown by the general public just a few years ago," said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute.

"Designer shoe collecting and even obsession has become trendy and is touted in books, blogs and clubs devoted to the subject."

French designer Christian Louboutin opened his flagship boutiquein Paris in 1992, hand crafting all his shoes in Italy. His shoes are now sold in upscale department stores and boutiques from Hong Kong to New York to Moscow with an average price of about $800.

Among his fans are actresses Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry and Salma Hayek.

The results came from an online nationwide survey of 715 American women with an average income of $291,000 and average net worth of $2.2 million.
new air jordans retro / cheap kobe shoes

Tarvel - Great Buddha Sculpture of Leshan

2009-09-20T18:08:00.000-07:00

Leshan’s claim to fame is Dafo, or the Grand Buddha, carved from the red-rock cliff face overlooking the confluence of the Min, Qingyi and Dadu Rivers. Dafo is the world’s largest Buddha, measuring 71 meters (233 feet) in height. A number of temples are scattered along the cliffs surrounding the Buddha, and one can spend several hours exploring the area. Stairs carved into the cliff connect the area at his feet with the land above, allowing visitors to view this astonishing sight from a range of vantage points. River approaches made by boat are also popular, and most take a ferry across from Leshan to reach the Buddha.
Above Dafo, on Wuyou Shan (Wuyou Mountain), Wuyou Si (Wuyou Temple), founded in 742 AD is a worthy destination in and of itself. Featuring impressive sculptures illustrating scenes from the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West, the temple provides an excellent contrast with the monolithic mass of Dafo. Additional attractions in the immediate area include ancient Han tombs, scenic Lingyun Shan and the Lingyun Temple Museum (see Leshan Attractions for more).
The modest city of Leshan itself doesn’t offer much in the way of additional attractions, though it is convenient to nearby Emei Shan via bus. The station, on the north side of town about 5 km from the city’s heart opposite the Dafu on the banks of the Min and Dadu Rivers, also connects directly to Chengdu, Xichang and Chongqing, among other destinations. If you’re planning on exploring the surrounding countryside, Leshan is the place to make sure you have cash (the Bank of China branch should serve your needs) and perhaps spend a night en route to elsewhere.
From: http://www.china-travel.net.cn/the-great-buddha-sculpture-of-leshan

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My fist vist to Hongkong

2009-09-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

Hongkong is one of the center city in Asia. The meaning of Hongkong means the “Fragrant Harbor”. Hong Kong was originally the name of the small settlement of present day Aberdeen. It was an important fishing and transit port before the colonial period. Some historians say that its Chinese name was derived from the fragrant incense that frequently wafted around the waterways.With an area of 1,110sq.km, Hong Kong consists of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, The New Territories and a group of 263 islands. Located on the southeast coastline of China, it is to the east of the mouth of Pearl River and about 200 km away from Guangzhou city, faces Macao across the sea in the west, and boarders Shenzhen city in the north.
Hong Kong has a population of 6,900,000 of which 96% are Chinese. July 1st 1997 saw an end to British colonial rule when it was returned to China under the “One Country, Two Systems” policy. The Cantonese language is the mother tongue of the Hong Kong people but Mandarin language is becoming more popular and is taught in all schools. It has become a ’special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China’. Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy with its own currency, laws and customs.
Hong Kong has developed into a very modern society. Many industries are leading the world, particularly in, telecommunication, banking, insurance and technology. It is one of East Asia’s leading trading and transshipment centers. It has become renowned for its lifestyle and entertainment being amongst the world’s best.. Another aspect to this development and now gaining world-wide recognition is the movie industry. Many productions are now being screened around the globe.Of course Hong Kong has always been famous destination for gourmets being noted for its restaurants and especially its Cantonese cuisine. But visitors can taste fine wine and food from every corner of the world. With its bustling and crowded shopping malls and stalls, if you can’t find ‘it’ in Hong Kong then it isn’t available anywhere. This vibrant city is “Shopper’s Paradise”.
Thanks to its advantageous geographical position, Hong Kong is well-known as an important world financial, shipping and trading centre for international business. It has a monsoonal climate with cool, dry winters and a summer wet season, it is easy to enjoy at all times
Full Name: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China
International Telephone Code: 852
Post Code: 999077
Area: 1092 sq.km
Population: 6,898,686(2005)
Currency: The legal currency is Hong Kong dollar which is linked to the US dollar. Approximately 7.8 HK dollars equals one US dollar.
Time Zone: ＧＭＴ+ ８，and the same as mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore.
Languages： Chinese (Cantonese) and English are the official languages. Written information is Chinese and English. Cantonese is the most widely spoken Chinese dialect and many young people, especially in shops, hotels, and service industries, can speak both Mandarin and English.
Regionalization : Hong Kong has eighteen districts, including Hong Kong Island’s Mid Western District, Wan Chai District, Eastern District and Western District, and Yau Tsim Mong District on Kowloon.

转自: http://www.china-travel.net.cn/hongkong

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