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Hutong

"Hutong"，H-U-T-O-N-G what does Hutong mean？

　　According to experts，the word Hutong originated from Mongolian language meaning"Well".In ancient times，people tended to gather and live around wells. So the original meaning of Hutong should be"a place where people gather and live."Another explanation says that during the Yuan Dynasty，about 13th century，residential areas in the city were divided into many divisions. Between the smaller divisions were passageways for people to travel through. And those passageways also functioned as isolation belts against fire risks. In Mongolian language，passageways of this kind were called Hutong. But no matter what Hutong exactly means，one thing is for sure，that is，Hutong first appeared in Beijing during the Yuan Dynasty. In the early 13th century，a Mongolian tribe from the north became very strong. Led by Genghis Khan，the Mongolian occupied Beijing，the capital of the Jin Dynasty. In the year 1271，Kubla Khan，the grandson of Genghis Khan，ounded Yuan Dynasty and set Beijing as the capital city in the following year. Unfortunately，the old city was completely destroyed during the war. So they had to rebuild it. In old China，all the structures and roads were required to be symmetrical. So the city was well designed. First，they had to find a center，and then built a regular square city. The layout of the city was very much like a chessboard. About 50 residential areas were constructed，with straight roads and Hutongs in between. At the time，there was a clear definition for avenue，street and Hutong. A 37-metre-wide road was called an avenue，an 18-metre-wide one was called a street，and a 9-metre-wide lane was called a Hutong. Most of today's Hutong were formed during the Ming and Qing Dynasties that followed. Nobody knows exactly how many Hutongs there are in nowadays Beijing. But one thing is for sure，if we connected all the Hutongs together，their total length would even be longer than the famous Great wall，which is about 4000 miles longer. Or to make it clear，it could build a highway from Seattle to Boston，all across America！

　　Today you can find various Hutongs with different shapes，lengths or directions.The shortest one is only 40 centimeters wide，which means a person like me has to walk sideways to get through. And some Hutongs have more than 20 turns. With the growth of the population，many old Hutongs have disappeared to make way for high-rise apartments. Today I'm very happy to show you some well-preserved Hutongs，and to let you experience the typical Chinese life. Are you ready？Let's go！

　　As we walk through the Hutongs，you may find most of them look almost the same with gray-colored walls and bricks. Actually inside those walls are the courtyard houses，where people live. In Chinese we call them"siheyuan"."Si"literally means four,"he"means to surround，and"yuan"refers to the courtyard. So a rectangular wall enclosing four houses，one built on each side facing into the center，is called a Siheyuan. When they were first built，usually one Siheyuan was owned by only one family，but nowadays，with the growth of the population，most Siheyuans are shared by 4 to 10 families.

Want to feel younger? Get moving

Fitness, strength and flexibility do not inevitably fade away with age, and are more often a matter of lifestyle choices, according to a new report.

Often, the discomforts of middle-age, like lower back pain or stiff joints, are blamed on aging alone. However, a well-rounded exercise routine that includes aerobic activity, strength training and stretching can help people offset the effects of aging, according to the report in the Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

Studies show that regular exercise can lower the risks of chronic ills like diabetes and heart disease, boost immune function, alleviate fatigue and cut the risk of disability in older adults.

People of any age can start exercising, even if they've never been active, the report says. However, sedentary people should always talk with their doctors first, particularly if they have any chronic medical conditions.

To get the most benefits, exercisers should try to fit in five types of activity, according to the Mayo report. One is aerobic exercise — any type of movement, like walking or riding a bike, that raises the heart rate and gets you breathing harder. A good beginning, the report says, is to exercise aerobically for 30 to 60 minutes three times per week, working toward a five-day-per-week goal.

Strengthening exercises, such as lifting hand weights or doing push-ups, are important to maintaining muscle mass and strength. Most people will quickly notice improvements after strength training just two or three times per week, for about 20 minutes per session, according to the report.

It's also important to fit in stretching to boost flexibility, balance exercises to improve coordination and lower injury risk, and "core stability" training — exercises that focus on the muscles of the trunk.

All of these activities do require proper technique, the report notes, so it is a good idea to begin by taking an exercise class or getting advice from a professional, such as a doctor, exercise trainer or physical therapist.

10 ways to improve your memory

1. Take an interest-make an effort

2.Repeat things

3.Form a mental picture

4.Inent a story

5.Organise your ideas

6.Listen to Mozart

7.Take mintal exercise

8.Take physical exercise

9.Eat the right things

10.Drink coffee

An unpleasant shopping experience

People always have a deep impression on bad things,an unpleasant shopping exprience can be sorted into that kind of thing.

One time,my friend and i went to the YouTong cyberport,he wanted to buy a pair of earphone which matches his cellphone.we went upstairs on the second floor and found a store selling earphones for all kinds of cellphones.She charged 40RMB for that earphone,because of the poor packaging,we thought the price is high and doubted whether it is originally produced by SUMSUNG.After our complaining,the storekeeper became rude to us,she said she wouldn't sell the earphone to us. The store lost profit,lost its potential customer.

Finally we found another store selling this type of earphone,the price was a bit lower and the service was much better.

Healthy Food

Nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden has created several lists of healthful foods people should be eating but aren’t. But some of his favorites, like purslane, guava and goji berries, aren’t always available at regular grocery stores. I asked Dr. Bowden, author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” to update his list with some favorite foods that are easy to find but don’t always find their way into our shopping carts. Here’s his advice.



1. Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.
How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power.



2. Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.
How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.



3. Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.
How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil.



4. Cinnamon: May help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.



5. Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants.
How to eat: Just drink it.



6. Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but they are packed with antioxidants.
How to eat: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked.



7. Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.
How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad.



8. Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.” They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.
How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread.



9. Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,” it may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish.



10. Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies.
How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds.



11. Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories.
How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.



You can find more details and recipes on the Men’s Health Web site, which published the original version of the list last year.



In my own house, I only have two of these items — pumpkin seeds, which I often roast and put on salads, and frozen blueberries, which I mix with milk, yogurt and other fruits for morning smoothies. How about you? Have any of these foods found their way into your shopping cart?

Mt. Taishan (Tai'an City, Shandong Province)

Brief Introduction

Lies in central Shandong Province, spanning the ranges of Tai'an and Jinan Cities. It covers an area of 550 sq. km. It was known in ancient times as Daishan until it was renamed Taishan in the Spring and Autumn Period, and was regarded as pre-eminent among China's Five Holy Mountains. 72 Chinese emperors of various dynasties made pilgrimages to Mt. Tai for sacrificial and other ceremonial purposes. They include Emperor Qin Shihuang, Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty.

Mt. Tai is endowed with many scenic spots. A large number of them were given names in ancient times. They include 112 peaks, 98 precipices, 18 caves, 58 odd-shaped rocks, 102 streams and valleys, 56 pools and waterfalls, and 64 springs. Vegetation covers 79.9% of the area. The flora is known to comprise 989 species of 144 families.

Mt. Tai also boasts cultural heritage with an incessant history of several thousand years. Currently on the mountain, there are 22 ancient architectural complexes, 97 ruins, 819 stone tablets and 1,800 stone inscriptions, which provide a natural museum for the study of ancient history and calligraphy. Main sites of interest are the Tiankuang Temple, Nantian Gate, Azure Cloud Temple, Peak for Viewing the Sun, Sutra Rock Valley, and Helong Pool.

Mt. Tai is a mountain of outstanding value from the point of view of aesthetics, science, history and culture.

Cultural Heritage

Mt. Tai is one of the birthplaces of the ancient Chinese civilization along the Yellow River. Evidence of human activities includes two flourishing cultures -- the Dawenkou Culture to the north and the Longshan Culture to the south of the mountain. During the Warring States Period, a 500-km-long wall was built from Mt. Tai to the Yellow Sea. Scenic spots related to the famous ancient sage Confucius are the Confucian Temple, places where Confucius climbed Taishan and viewed the scenery, Menghugou, etc.

Mt. Tai has an extremely rich cultural heritage. It has always been regarded as pre-eminent among China's five sacred mountains. It was also a symbol of power. Emperors of different dynasties have made pilgrimages to it for sacrificial purposes shortly after they came to the throne or when the land enjoyed peaceful and prosperous times. Poets and literary scholars of each dynasty also visited Mt. Tai. Numerous rock inscriptions and stone tablets bear testimony to such visits. Renowned scholars, including Confucius, Sima Qian, Cao Zhi, Li Bai, Du Fu, composed poetry and prose and left their calligraphy on the mountain. The currently preserved 97 sites and 22 ancient building complexes provide materials for research into China's ancient architecture.

Natural Heritage

Mt. Tai rises abruptly to 1,300 m above the vast plain of north China. The sharp contrast between Mt. Tai and its surrounding plain and hills makes it especially majestic.

Mt. Tai rises from about 150 m above sea level (north of Tai'an City), to the Middle Gate to Heaven at 847 m, to the Southern Gate to Heaven at 1,460 m, and finally to the Jade Emperor Peak at 1,545 m. Standing in the central part of Shandong, the mountain stretches for 100 km. Its base covers an area of 426 sq. km. The wide base and huge body of the mountain gives an impression of solidity and dignity. Chinese people tend to describe a situation as being as stable as Mt. Tai or a matter as being as weighty as Mt. Tai, giving clear evidence of such an impression.

Mt. Tai is a symbol of loftiness and grandeur, characterized by numerous old but still green pines and cypresses, towering precipices comprising metamorphic rock and granite, and ever-changing seas of clouds. Other features include the Palace of the Goddess Doumu, the one-hundred-zhang (one zhang is three and one third m) Cliff, the Immortal's Bridge, the Stone Valley, etc.

The Pre-eminent of the Five Holy Mountains

Mt. Tai is also called Daishan, Daizong or Taiyue. Mt. Tai lies west of the Yellow Sea and east of the Yellow River, spanning Tai'an City in the south and Jinan City in the north. The scenic area covers 125 square km. Its main peak (Jade Emperor Peak) is 1,545 m high. It is 8.9 km from the Temple of the God of Mt. Tai at the foot of the mountain to the Jade Emperor Peak, with over 6,660 steps, 60 major scenic sites, nearly 1,000 cliffside sculptures and over 200 stone tablets. Mt. Tai is regarded as pre-eminent among the Five Holy Mountains.