China sends terracotta army to London 57 minutes ago

China sends terracotta army to London 57 minutes ago



BEIJING - The largest ever loan of artifacts from China's famed terracotta army started on its way to London on Thursday, official Chinese media reported.

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The 120 items include 20 life-sized clay statues of warriors, acrobats and musicians, along with weapons, and decorative items in jade and copper. They departed their home museum in the western city of Xi'an by truck for Beijing where they were to fly to London to be displayed at the British Museum from Sept. 13 to April 6, 2008. "It's going to be the largest exhibition of the terracotta army ever to be seen outside China," Zhao Kun, a specialist at the Xi'an museum, was quoted as saying. The warriors were buried 2,200 years ago to guard the tomb of Qin Shihuang, who created China's first unitary state by conquering rival kingdoms. Qin established a single written language, unified measurements, the currency and legal system, and built an extensive system of roads, canals and levies. After his death in 210 B.C., he was buried in the city-size mausoleum outside Xi'an, which was not discovered until 1974 by peasants excavating a well.

Lonely Planet's Israel guide 54 minutes ago

Lonely Planet's Israel guide 54 minutes ago



OAKLAND, Calif. - A new edition of the Lonely Planet book on "Israel & the Palestinian Territories" can help you plan a trip to the area - and can even help you explain to others why you're going.

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"Friends and relatives will be more than perplexed by your choice of holiday destination, given the region's reputation for terror and warfare," the introduction states. "Remind them that casualties due to traffic accidents back home occur more frequently than terror attacks in Israel and the Palestinian Territories."

But the book, which sells for $21.99, also warns that, "given the tumultuous nature of the country, keep tabs on security and be flexible with travel plans in case a particular area becomes off limits."

The guidebook says that prices tend to be high in Israel, so plan on spending as much as you would in most Western countries. On the other hand, it's a small country, so you can cover a lot of ground in a short time, and local transportation won't take up too much of your budget.

The book also says that very little pre-planning is necessary: "You could literally fly there on a whim and organize as you go."

Best times to go are April, May, September and October, when temperatures are mild. November and March are pleasant but rainy. Winter can be chilly with heavy rain on the coast and frost in the highlands.

The book says that while Gaza is inaccessible to the casual tourist, you can join a tour to see the West Bank. Tour companies recommended by Lonely Planet include Abu Hassan Alternative Tours, and tours run by the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.

A classic two-week itinerary recommended by Lonely Planet would include Jerusalem; Bethlehem; the Dead Sea; Masada; Tel Aviv; Jaffa; Caesarea, where you'll find one of the country's top archaeological developments; Haifa; Akko, a preserved stone city where St. Francis of Assisi and Marco Polo were once received; the jagged cliffs above the sea at Rosh HaNikra; Nazareth; the Sea of Galilee, and the ruins at Beit She'an.

Visitation to Yellowstone up Tue Aug 7, 4:23 PM ET

Visitation to Yellowstone up Tue Aug 7, 4:23 PM ET



YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. - The number of visitors to Yellowstone National Park continues to climb.

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Nearly 1.8 million people visited the park from January through July this year, an increase of 9.8 percent over the roughly 1.6 million people who had visited from January through July last year.

Park officials say visits were up 9.4 percent for this July alone, compared to the same month last year. More than 808,000 people visited Yellowstone in July of this year, while more than 738,000 visitors came in July 2006.

The greatest increase in visitors was recorded at the park's East Entrance, where the number of visitors is up more than 31 percent compared to last year. Park officials say construction work no longer closes the East Entrance at night, which may have contributed to the increase.