Guilin is a city that is located on the westbank of the Li River in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. Its named after the Osmanthus trees that dot this city and means “The Forest of Sweet Osmanthus”. This city, which covers a land area of ten thousand square miles and has a population of thirteen hundred people, was originally founded by a small group of indigineous people around 314 BC. Around 111 BC the Shi An County was founded during the reign of Emperor Wu. But, it wasn’t until 507 AD, almost six hundred years after its founding that it received the name Guizhou. Around 1921, Guilin (then known as Guizhou) became the Northern Expeditionary Army’s headquarters and was led by Sun Yat-sen. During the 1940s the city name was changed from Guizhou to Guilin.

The city of Guilin is a prosperous manufacturing sector in China and is responsible for the production of many different types of goods. These include herbal medicines, tires, pharmaceutical goods, machinery, perfume, silk, tea and wine. The city also produce many agricultural goods which include moon persimmon, summer oranges, Shatian Pomelo, Fructus Momordicae, ginkgo, water chestnuts, fish and grain. The Gross Domestic Product Per Capita of Guilin is ranked number one hundred and twenty five among the cities of China and is equivalent to nineteen hundred United States dollars.

The cities transportation system is composed of the Guilin Train Station and the Guilin Liangjiang International Airport. This cities educational system is provided by several schools which include Guilin University of Technology, Guilin Medical University, Guilin University of Electronic Technology and Guangxi Normal University. The city also has a number of hotels, and restaurants are all over the city. The regional food that is usually served at these eateries include Guilin rice noodles (usually made with horse meat), a rice dumpling called Zongzi and mung bean paste wrapped in a bamboo leaf. Other popular menu items include Guilin pickled tofu, Guilin chili sauce and Guilin Sanhua Jiu (a kind of rice liquor).

One of the most popular attractions for tourist visiting this city is the Jingjiang Princes City. This location once served as the residence of the Royal family and is composed of four halls, four pavilions and over forty miscellenous buildings. It covers an area of over five hundred thousand square feet and construction began on it during the fourteenth century. Today its not only a popular tourist attraction but is also home to the Guangxi Normal University.

Another popular attraction in Guilin is the Reed Flute Cave. This is a natural limestone cave that is located in the northwest corner of the city. The entrance is between Ludi Road and Guangming Hill. On the inside of this cave are more than seventy writings written in ink, which can be dated back as far as 792 AD during the Tang Dynasty. This cave measures about seven hundred and twenty feet long and tours through it generally take about an hours or so.

An attraction not to be missed during any trip to Guilin is Seven Star Park. This park is located just east of the Liu River and covers almost a square mile. Its many features include the Flower Bridge, Camel Hill, Seven Star Cave and Guihai Stele Forest. The Flower Bridge was constructed during the Song Dynasty and was so named because it used to become covered in flowers during the spring season. Camel Hill is so named because it very much resembles the humps of a camel. Here you will find pleasant lawns and a zoo which contains animals such as monkeys, pandas, camels and various reptiles. Seven Star Caves is a limestone cave that stretches about three thousand feet. Guihai Stele Forest is a collection of over two hundred stone tablets made during the Tang Dynasty.

Also in the city Of Guilin are tombs of the Princes that used to govern the region. These are called the Mausoleums of Jing Jiang. These tombs are located in a lush forest at the base of Yao Mountain. It contains over three hundred tombs set over a fifty mile area.

Guinlin is also home to an amusement park called Merryland. This amusement park was built in 1997 and covers an area of ninety hectares. It has many rides and is divided into five distinct sections, Merry Town, American Wild West, Dream World, Pirate Village, South Pacific Area and Forest Area. It also contains a golf course and a five star hotel.Other prominent attractions in the city include Two Rivers and Four Lakes, Daxu Ancient Town, Stone Forest, Longji Terraced Field, Banyan Lake and Cedar Lake, Fubo Hill, Moon Hill, Banyan Tree and the The Ling Canal.

Inverness is the capital of the Highlands of northern Scotland. This city has a population of over seventy thousand residents and is situated at the mouth of the Great Glen. This city is considered to be one of Europe’s fastest growing cities and the population is expected to grow by more than forty percent in the next twenty years. Inverness is Gaelic in origin and translates into English as “Mouth of the River Ness”. The city is rarely called by its proper name, however, and its usually called by its nicknames by the local population. The local nicknames of the city are “The Shneck” and “Invershneckie”.

Inverness can trace its history to the mid-sixth century when it was a chief stronghold of the Picts. This city has historically enjoyed a strategic positioning in Scotland, and as a result has been the target of many attacks. Inverness was attacked on a regular basis by conquerors from the Western Isles, the most notable being the MacDonald Lords attacks during the fifteenth century. The MacDonald Clan invaded the city in the late fifteenth century during the Raid on Ross. To the extreme north of the city, Oliver Cromwell erected a citadel. This citadel was built large enough to hold over one thousand people. This citadel would eventually be demolished during the Restoration, all except the ramparts and a clock tower. During the eighteenth century, the Jacobites stayed in the Royal Fortress and used it as a military barracks. The Jacobites reign would end in 1746, after the Battle of Culloden at Culloden Moor. Traditionally, the industries that have been located in the city have been strongly tied to distilling. This has changed somewhat throughout the years, and the city is becoming increasingly known for its high tech industries. This is especially true in the medical device field. Tourism is another segment of the city’s economy that has shown a marked increase in the past few years. This is due in part to the historical monuments and attractions that populate the city.

One of the most popular attractions in the city of Inverness is Cawdor Castle. Cawdor Castle is a tower house that is located in Cawdor Parish and is approximately ten miles east of the city and five miles south of Nairn. This castle was erected in the fifteenth century by the Thane of Cawdor. The original construction of the tower house consisted of only a keep, but was expanded many times over the course of its history. The main, and most attractive feature of this tower house is its gardens and grounds. The grounds contain over one hundred species of trees and their are two gardens, the Walled Garden (first planted during the seventeenth century) and the Flower Garden (first planted in the eighteenth century). This tower house is the current home of Dowager Countess Cawdor. Inverness Castle is another important building in the city. This red sandstone castle was erected in the early nineteenth century by the architect William Burn. It was built on a site that has been the location of many castle through the centuries. The castle isn’t open to the general public, but the castle grounds can be visited throughout the year.

A short trip from the city is the Black Isle. The Black Isle, despite its name, is not an island but a lush green peninsula located between Cromarty and Beauly Firth. Located throughout the peninsula are a number of cottage museums and visitor centers that document the history of the area. Also located on the Isle is a whiskey distillery and several prominent attractions such as Redcastle, Castlecraig, Kilcoy Castle, Kinkell Castle and Cromarty Castle. A little further from the city is Beauly Priory. Beauly Priory contain the ruins of a Valliscaulian monastic community that was erected around the thirteenth century by Alexander II of Scotland.

Other popular attractions in the city include the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, St. Andrews Cathedral, William Morrison Jeweller’s, James Pringle Weavers, River Ness, Floral Hall, Plodda Falls, Tomatin Distillery, Leakey’s Second-hand Bookshop, Aigas Field Centre, Culloden Battlefield, Highland Aviation Museum, Brahan Seer Monument, Inverness College, Old High Church, Raigmore Hospital and the Caledonian Canal. The city is also home to several restaurants and hotels. Restaurants in Inverness include Rocpool, Castle Restaurant, The Kitchen Restaurant, Contrast Brasserie, The Mustard Seed, Abstract Restaurant, Johnny Foxes, Cafe 1 and The Riverhouse. Hotels in the city of Inverness include Ramada Inverness, Best Western Inverness Palace Hotel & Spa, Loch Ness House Hotel, Royal Highland Hotel, North Kessock Hotel, The Waterside Inverness, Redcliffe Hotel, Glenmoriston Town House and the Kingsmills Hotel. And this is only a small sampling of what the city of Inverness has to offer to its visitors.

The city is home to many bagpipe players and lovers of bagpipes. In fact, every September the city host a solo bagpipe competition known as the Northern Meeting. And the name of the city is immortalized by the garment that bagpipe players wear called the Inverness cape. Other events in the city include the Highland Games, Rockness and the Tartan Heart Festival. Inverness has long been the birthplace and home of many prominent people. These include film director Don Boyd, Bishop of Aberdeen-Aeneas Chisholm, musician Malcolm Jones, actress Elspet Gray, actress Karen Gillan, Lord Chancellor Derry Irvine, theologian John A. Mackay, football player Pat Nevin, author Ali Smith and economist Ken MacTaggart. The city is also known as the location of the castle in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth.

Inverness is a city that is perfect for a weekend get away or a week long stay. No matter if your visiting the city for the historical buildings, the lively culture or the rolling green hills one thing is for sure. Inverness is a city that will stamp its impression on your imagination and will leave visitors with some fantastic photos of their stay in this ancient and beautiful city. And its also a city that you will want to return to again and again.

Galveston is an American city in the Houston-Sugar Land metropolitan area of Texas on Galveston Island. It covers an area of two hundred and eight square miles and a population of over fifty-seven thousand residents. The city’s economy is based mainly in the health care, financial, shipping tourism industries. Tourism is in fact, one of the biggest sectors of the city’s economy. In 2009, the city brought in over eight million dollars to the local economy and attracted over five and a half million visitors. Lodging options in Galveston are numerous and varied. There are resort rentals, beachfront condos, bed and breakfast inns and hotels such as Tremont House and the historic Galvez Hotel.

The city can trace its history back to 1785, when Jose de Evia, a Spanish explorer, named the island Galveztown in memory of Bernardo de Galvez y Madrid. In 1816, the first settlement was established on the island by Louis Michel Aury, who wanted to use the settlement as a base from which to launch attacks against Spain. When Louis Michel Aury left for his expedition against Spain, a pirate named Jean Lafitte turned Galveston into a pirate colony. He stayed there until 1821, when the United States Navy removed him from the island. During the nineteenth century, the Galveston Port was constructed and the city served as the Republic of Texas’ capital. In 1839, Galveston was incorporated as a city under the Republic of Texas. Over the next few decades, Galveston entered a golden age and was the first city in the state of Texas to get certain amemnities. These include the first naval base, the first post office, the first parochial school, the first insurance company, the first opera house, the first gas powered lights, the first telephone, the first orphanage and finally, the first electric lights.

Today, the city of Galveston is home to a number of attractions. A popular attraction in the city is Lone Star Flight Museum. Lone Star Flight Museum has over forty historical aircraft and hundred of items related to the history of flight. This museum’s collection is different than most other aviation museums because all the aircraft are flight worthy. This museum is adjacent to Scholes International Airport and is located on one hundred thousand square feet of property and contains its own runway. Lone Star Flight Museum started in 1985 as a private collection of aircraft. Over the next five years, the collection grew so much that the owner decided to open the collection up to the public for everyone to experience. The aircraft in the collection take part in air shows all across the United States. As of 2006, the aircraft from this museum has logged more than forty thousand miles of flying to different air demonstrations. The museum now has a program where patrons can ride in some of the planes located here including the B-17, B-25 and PT-17. This museum also has a Hall of Fame to honor those who have made contributions to the aviation sector. Past inductees have included George H. W. Bush, Howard Hughes and Alan Bean. Aircraft that are located at Lone Star Flight Museum include a Vega B-17G Flying Fortress, PV-2 Harpoon, Supermarine Spitfire, F6F Hellcat, TBM Avenger, AD-1 Skyraider, Vought F4U-5NL and a Hawker Hurricane IIB.

Another popular attraction in the city of Galveston is Moody Gardens. Moody Gardens is a complex that has three main pyramid attractions. These include the Aquarium, the Rainforest Pyramid and the Discovery Pyramid. The Aquarium is one of the biggest in the world and contains a variety of sea life and fish. The Rainforest Pyramid contains an extensive collection of tropical plants and animals. Discovery Pyramid has activities and exhibits that are science based. The complex also has a section called Palm Beach which has a freshwater lagoon and a sandy beach area. Other features of Moody Gardens include a Ride Film Theater, Imax Theater, a convention center, golf course, hotel and a paddle wheel cruise boat.

The Bishop’s Palace is another popular attraction in the city. It is a Victorian home that is located on Fourteenth street and Broadway, in the East End Historic District. It was built in 1893 by architect Nicholas J. Clayton. In 1923, it was purchased by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galveston and seved for some time as a residence for a bishop. In 1963, it was opened to the public and has been list as one of the one hundred most architectural and historically signifigant structures in the United States by the American Institute of Architects. Guest can receive guided tours of the home on most weekends.

Other attractions in the city of Galveston include Ashton Villa, Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark, The Strand, C-Sick Surfin’, Treasure Isle Tour Train, Port of Galveston, Texas Seaport Museum, Rosenberg Library, Galveston Island State Park, The Seawall, East Beach, Galveston Island Municipal Golf Course, 1877 Tall Ship Elissa, Daily News Building, Galveston Island Railroad Museum and Terminal, Galveston County Historical Museum, Mary Moody Northern Amphitheater, Samuel May Williams House, Grand 1894 Opera House, Galveston Island Trolley, Club 21, Samuel May Williams House, Stewart Beach, Seawolf Park, Big Reef Nature Park, Poretto Beach, Jamaica Beach, Galveston Island Convention Center, Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary, Galveston Island Duck Tours, El Jardin Del Mar and East End Historic District.

Breckenridge is a town that is the county seat of Summit County, Colorado. It covers an area of five square miles and has a population of twenty-four hundred residents. Since the town is a vacation area, it has many part-time residents. Breckenridge attracts many people during the summer months due to its extensive collection of hiking trails and because of the many activities that can be done here. Summer activities include Blue River fly fishing, boating on Lake Dillon, superb mountain biking courses and white water rafting. The town also has several annual festivals which include their Fourth of July parade and the Breckenridge Film Festival.

In 1859, the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush attracted many prospectors in the area. A settlement soon sprung up to service the miners working along the Blue River, where gold was just discovered. This settlement was founded in 1859 by General George E. Spencer, who named the settlement after Vice President of the United States John C. Breckinridge. He named it after the vice president in hopes of garnering the favor of the Federal government and securing a post office for the new town. It evidently succeded because a post was promptly granted to the town and it became the first post office between the Continental Divide and Utah. The name of the town would be changed slightly during the Civil War. This was because John C. Breckinridge joined the Confederacy as a brigadier general. So, the residents of the town, who were staunch pro union advocates, replaced the ‘i’ with an ‘e’ and changed the name of the town from Breckinridge to Breckenridge. The mining operations originally began as gold panning, but soon evolved into hard rock and hydraulic mining. One of the most notable prospectors during this time was Edwin Carter. In 1875, he decided to give up gold mining and become a naturalist. He then built a log cabin in the area and began collecting wildlife specimens. His cabin still stands today and has since been restored by the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance and features a small movie room that chronicles his life and interactive exhibits. Extensive gold mining operations ran until 1908, until the supply of gold ran out. Over the forty-nine years that mining took place in the area, its credited with the production over one million troy ounces of gold. All the gold mines have long been shut down, but there are a few around the town that is open to the public.

During the year, Breckenridge is a bustling town with plenty of activities available to tourist. In January, the town host the International Show Sculpture Championships. This competition features artists from around the world who take twenty ton blocks of snow and turns them into works of art. During the winter months, visitors can enjoy skiing and winter fun in the snow. In the summer months, the town has the Breckenridge Music Institute and the National Repertory Orchestra. During these times, regular concerts are scheduled three times a week. Visitors can also see the performances at the Riverwalk Center which include contemporary artists, orchestra productions and ensembles. Also during the spring and summer months are several art fairs. The town is also becoming known as one of the most progressive towns in the United States. In November of 2009, Breckenridge residents passed a ballot measure which legalized possession of an ounce of cannabis by adults and also decriminalizes cannabis oriented paraphernalia. This measure takes effect on the first of January, 2010.

A popular attraction in the town is the Breckenridge Ski Resort. This resort is operated by Vail Resorts, an operation which also runs other ski resorts in Colorado which include Beaver Creek, Vail and Keystone. Over the past few years, Breckenridge Ski Resort has become one of the most popular resorts in North America. During the 2008-2009 season, this ski resort received almost two million skiers. This resort is frequented by in-state, North American and international visitors. It is so popular with European tourists that the BBC named Breckenridge Ski Resort as one of the top five ski resorts in the world. The resort has also been ranked one of the top ten American resorts by SKI Magazine. Breckenridge Ski Resort has a top elevation of thirteen thousand feet and has a base elevation of ninety-six hundred feet. The skiable area of the resort is over twenty-three hundred acres and it has over one hundred and fifty-five runs. Of these runs thirty-six percent are expert level, nineteen percent are advanced level, thirty-one percent are intermediate level and fourteen percent are beginner level. Breckenridge Ski Resort receives over three hundred inches of snow a year and has twenty five acres of terrain parks. The resort also contains thirty lifts which include one gondola, two six passenger super chairs, seven quad chairs, six double chairs, thirteen surface lifts and one triple chair.

Another popular attraction in Breckenridge is the Country Boy Mine. This mine and museum allows visitors the chance to see what it was like to be a Colorado gold miner during the eighteenth century. Tour groups are held down in the tunnels and visitors get to wear authentic mining helmets. Groups can also try their hand a gold panning, and anything they find they get to keep. Country Boy Mine is the only authentic mine in the area that is open to the public. As of the time of this writing, the cost of joining in the tour is about $19.00 per person and the tour takes about an hour.

Other attractions in the town include Good Times Hiking Adventures, Sol Impressions Massage Studio, Simply Massage, Black Tie Ski Rentals, Highside Adventure Tours, Blue River Sports, Breckenridge Nordic Center, Boreas Pass Road, Stephen C. West Ice Arena, Weber’s Books & Drawings, Sacred Tree Integrative Healthcare & Wellness Spa, Breckenridge Golf Club, Breckenridge Recreation Center, Peak 9 Mountain, Peaks Trail, Peak 10 Mountain, Breckenridge Stables, Peak 8 Fun Park and Tibetan Ocean Massage Center. There are also several prominent restaurants and hotels in the town which include Swiss Haven Restaurant, Hearthstone Restaurant, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Blue Moose Restaurant, Marriott’s Mountain Valley Lodge at Breckenridge, Great Divide Lodge, Grand Timber Lodge, Valdoro Mountain Lodge and Beaver Run Resort & Conference.