Thursday, October 9, 2008

Lijiang River near Yangshuo China


http://www.panoramio.com/photo/22575







Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone ordolomite. Due to subterranean drainage, there may be very limited surface water, even to the absence of all rivers and lakes. Many karst regions display distinctive surface features, with sinkholes or dolines being the most common. However, distinctive karst surface features may be completely absent where the soluble rock is mantled, such as by glacial debris, or confined by a superimposed non-soluble rock strata. Some karst regions include thousands of caves, even though evidence of caves that are big enough for human exploration is not a required characteristic of karst.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Chinese Emperor's Summer Palace




Approximately 2 hours north of Beijing is the Summer Palace of the Chinese Emperors.  For centuries the chinese court would enjoy the summer along the cool lake and under the shadow of an impressive Buddhist temple on a nearby mountain.