Palace of Fontainebleau

Palace of Fontainebleau – The royal residence used by French kings and royal families

The Palace of Fontainebleau, or Chateau de Fontainebleau, is a royal residence used by French kings and royal families. Beginning in the 12th century, the chateau was used as a medieval hunting lodge by King Louis VII. Located in the forests of the Île-de-France, Fontainebleau was the perfect choice for a residence not far from the capital in Paris.

In the 16th century, François I recreated the lodge, transforming it into the Renaissance palace it is today. Beginning in 1528, the project of embellishing the royal residence began with the earliest builder, Gilles le Breton, including his work on the Cour Ovale in the eastern part of the complex.

The architecture and art of the Palace of Fontainebleau inspired artistic evolution. François I brought artists from Italy, who spread the Renaissance to France. Rosso Fiorentino was the artist who created many of the palace’s frescoes and stuccos from 1533 to 1540. Fiorentino worked in the Mannerist style and his work incorporated themes from Greco-Roman mythology. Francesco Primaticcio also created frescoes, along with Romantic bronzes, the Cortile of the Belvedere and the Palazzo della Valle.

After François I, construction on the palace was continued by successors, even through the 19th century. Today, the palace is made up of five courtyards surrounded by buildings and filled with gardens. The grounds feature the Forest of Fontainebleau and many gardens, like the Grand Jardin on the east side. Originally consisting of flower beds and a canal, the gardens later became Parterre du Tibre, and today are primarily lawns with flowers along the borders.

The Palace of Fontainebleau now houses the Ecoles d’Art Americaines, an art school for American students. Tours are available of certain parts of the palace, like the Grands Appartements (including the Papal Apartment), the chapels, museums, and galleries.

CN Tower in Canada

CN Tower in Canada

CN Tower, originally named for Canadian National Tower, the railway company that built it, is a communications tower used for broadcasting various media, and an observation tower. At the time it was built, the tower was the world’s tallest, but it was surpassed by Burj Khalifa and Canton Tower.

The CN Tower has been called one of the seven modern wonders of the world for its extreme height. A glass elevator takes visitors to the observation deck, where a glass floor allows brave visitors to look 1,122 feet straight down below them. The 360 Restaurant slowly revolves, allowing diners to catch the 360 degree skyline view.

Thrill seekers at the CN Tower can check out EdgeWalk, an attraction in which individuals are harnessed and connected to a trolley, allowing them to lean out over the edge of the tower’s main pod.

Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia

Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 

The Petronas Twin Towers are dual skyscrapers with a postmodern design, located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The design of Cesar Pelli is inspired by the Islamic symbol, Rub el Hizb – two overlapping squares, rotated to create an eight-pointed star. The Petronas Towers were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998-2004 (when they were surpassed by Taipei 101). There are 88 floors in each of the towers. The two towers are connected at the 41st and 42nd floors by the sky bridge – the highest two-story bridge in the world, which is 170 meters (558 feet) high, and 58 meters (190 feet) long.

The towers have a total of 78 elevators. The 29 main elevators are all double-decker – the bottom deck stops at odd-numbered floors, and the upper deck serves even-numbered floors. To reach an even numbered floor from the ground, passengers must take an escalator up one level from the ground floor.

Dujiangyan Irrigation System in China

Fish Mouth Levee – Irrigation head at Dujiangyan Irrigation System in China

Dujiangyan is an irrigation system built around 256 BC by the Qin Dynasty in China. The infrastructure was built during the Warring States Period, though construction continued throughout the Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. The various dynasties worked to enlarge and modify the irrigation system.

Located in the Min River in China, the irrigation system was very advanced for its time and is still used today, irrigating 5,300 square kilometers (2,046 square miles) of land, supplying water to the Chengdu plains.

The Dujiangyan system, along with the Zhengguo Canal (in Shaanxi Province) and Lingqu Canal (in Guangxi Province) are together known as the three great hydraulic engineering projects of the Qin Dynasty. Dujiangyan is considered a feat of engineering, utilizing the natural geography and water features to divert water, drain sediment, and regulate flood and flow control. The system uses no dams, making it a place of interest for scientists as well, as it allows fish to flow freely down the river.

The main constructions of the Dujiangyan system include the Yuzui Bypass Dike, the Feishayan Floodgate, and the Baopingkou Diversion Passage. Yuzui, also known as the Fish Mouth Levee, is the irrigation head, resembling a fish mouth. This portion prevents floods by dividing the river into inner and outer streams. The inner stream carries about 60% of the flow normally, but during floods, it carries 40% to protect the surrounding lands. Feishayan, or the Flying Sand Weir is a 200-meter (656 feet) wide opening, connecting the inner and outer streams. This allows a natural flow of water to drain out excess water from the inner stream. Baopingkou, or the Bottle-Neck Channel, transports water through the mountain.

The Anlan Suspension Bridge spans the river and connects the island to both banks, and is known as one of the “Five Ancient Bridges of China.” Temple sites along the banks include Two Kings Temple (Erwang) and Dragon-Taming Temple (Fulonguan).