Located south of Wuyishan City, Fujian Province, with an area of 70 square kilometers, the area has what is probably the largest, most typical and best-preserved humid subtropical native forest in the world. It was nominated as a biosphere reserve of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Program in 1987.

ad_dst = 0; document.write("");ad_dst = ad_dst+1; 　　The cliffs and waters of Wuyishan are outstanding. The workings of Nature of a typical Danxia landform have left behind 36 peaks, 72 caves, 99 prominent rocks and 108 scenic spots. The Stream with Nine Turnings is emerald green and crystal clear. The beauty of the mountain and its waters has made Wuyi known as "the most attractive mountain in southeast China".

　　Wuyishan is also known for being of great historic and cultural value. Cultural relics include the extensive remains of an ancient city of the Min Yue people, dating back over 2,000 years, the Ziyang Academy of Classical Learning, the tomb of Zhu Xi, cliffside sculptures, etc. Zhu Xi, a philosopher of the Southern Song Dynasty, taught for 40 years at Wuyishan and made it an academic center of southeast China.

　　-- Cultural Heritage

　　The most ancient scene on Wuyishan is the stone slabs and boat-shaped rocks over deep gullies, a prestigious natural wonder. Viewed from above the water, two stone boats stand on several crisscross slabs on the top of the cliff. The boats are about 6 meters in length, and in rhombic form, just like those said to be used by the immortals. Huge rocks, deep caves and pools are three special sights of the Dazang Peak.

　　-- Natural Heritage

　　The Wuyi Mountain Range, usually called Greater Wuyishan, straddles the border of Fujian and Jiangxi provinces, stretching over 500 kilometers. The average height of the peaks is over 1,000 meters above sea level.

　　The most beautiful part is the Small Wuyishan scenic area in the territory, 15 kilometers southwest of the Chong’an County seat, Fujian Province. It is surrounded by streams and valleys, and has no direct link with neighboring mountains.

　　The special Danxia landform features include the Stream with Nine Turnings, 36 peaks, 72 caves and 99 rocks. The distinctive views of monoliths of red sandstone surrounded by emerald green water inspire the imagination.

　　-- Legends and Stories

　　There is a beautiful legend about the Yunü Peak. Yunü, a fairy maiden, fell in love with Dawang, an earthly king. She came to Wuyishan and enjoyed its fantastic natural beauty very much together with the king. So she decided to stay there. However, a demon named Tieban (Iron Plate) informed the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor flew into a rage and turned the demon into a peak, known as the Tieban Peak, to separate the Dawang Peak from the Yunü Peak. Therefore, the two lovers couldn’t see each other though they were only a short distance away.

Two car bombs exploded at almost the same time in and near Baghdad Saturday morning, wounding dozens of people and killing at least five, Iraqi police said.

A member of Muqtada al-Sadr's militia guards afternoon prayers in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq, July 16, 2004. Al-Sadr's militia, who fought U.S. troops for two months, is quietly working to transform itself into a behind-the-scenes political power. [AP]

One car bomb blast hit the convoy of Iraqi Minister of Justice Malik Dohan al-Hassan and killed four people, mostly believed to be his guards, and wounded six others. The explosion happened near the minister's home in the Jamiya district of central Baghdad at 7:40 a.m., according to Iraqi Interior ministry spokesman Col. Adnan Abdulrahman.

A second car bomb -- said to be a suicide bomb -- exploded near an Iraqi National Guard base in the city of Mahmudiyah, local Iraqi police said. That explosion also happened at 7:40 a.m., police said.

At least 28 people were hurt, including 14 civilians and 14 National Guard troops. The only confirmed death was an Iraqi National Guardsman, police said.

Iraqi National Guard troops fired on the car, but the vehicle crashed into a security checkpoint and exploded next to the building, police said.

Mahmudiyah is located about 20 miles south of Baghdad.

　Huangguoshu Waterfalls are no stranger to most Chinese. Many learn about the natural wonder during geological classes in middle school.

　　Situated in Southwest China's inland province of Guizhou, the falls are the largest in Asia. The region is also unique as it is host to a diversified cultural heritage of minority groups which make up 30 per cent of the province's 30 million population.

The water of the Sancha River is made into chains of pearls by shoals and falls into a deep pool, forming the Yinlianzhui Waterfall, which has amazing chain-like appearance.

　　In Huangguoshu alone, Bouyei, Miao, Gelao and Yi people have live cheek-by-jowl with the Han. And each tribe has kept its tradition alive for generations, ensuring the area remains mysterious and exotic.

　　Breathtaking

　　"Woooow!" Such screams of excitement echo for a short while before being drowned out by the thundering water of the mighty Huangguoshu. You can feel the mist on your face from nearly a mile away as you wind down a mountain to the base of the falls.

　　The sight of water free-falling through the air from the escarpment and crashing to earth in a cloud of spray has the "wow-factor."

　　"See?! Rainbows!" shouts a girl. Two rainbows were hanging in the mist on both sides of the waterfalls. And there they stayed, colourful arches over the roaring water. Water crashing onto rocks created numerous pearl-like drops. They tumbled to the pool below, which is named Xiniu Tan or Rhinoceros Pool.

　　About 300 years ago, Xu Xiake, a great traveller and geologist of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), wrote a poem after visiting the falls: "Pearl flying, jade bumping, foam dancing, for rising, what a mighty scenery..."

　　Such a poem, however, cannot fully describe all its grace - only a personal visit will suffice.

　　Trekking along the narrow path, you enter a cave hidden in the cliff of the waterfall. It is actually a tunnel of karst penetrating the escarpment. It is wet inside and water drips from above. There are six naturally worn holes, like windows, in the cave, and through them you witness the sheets of water which appear like curtains. Stretching your hands out you can scope some of the fresh water for a drink. "It must have a great number of minerals," said a visitor.

　　The cave is about 12 metres high with five halls, three springs and a small waterfall inside.

　　"It is believed to be the only waterfall in the world that can be seen from six directions," says Wang Fang, a 20-year-old tour guide of Bouyei ethnic group. We had tried five - from below, left, right, front and back - but has yet to view from the top.

　　Wang suggested we go to the town the next day, from where we could see the top of the falls.

　　"Unfortunately, what you see today is not the most spectacular sight," Wang says. She explains that the falls' real power come when the Baishui River is in full flood after heavy rains. The river drops 74 metres over a 81 metres precipices.

　　There are 18 falls in the scenic Huangguoshu Waterfall system. They include 105-metre-wide Doupotang Waterfall, which is the widest, Luositan Waterfall, which boasts the longest shoal, and Yinlianzhui Waterfall, which has an amazing chain-like appearance. The water of Sancha River is made into chains of pearls by shoals and falls into a deep pool. It is said all the falls pump out more than 700 cubic metres of water per second.

　　In addition, there are more than 10 caverns and the Tianxinqiao Stone Forest, with stalactites and stalagmites of curious shapes.

　　Fine hosts

A quiet afternoon at a small village in the Longgong (Dragon Palace Scenic Spot.)

　　To see the top or the upper reach of the Huangguoshu Waterfalls, a friend of mine and I went to the Huangguoshu town the next morning. To my surprise I found more than the charm of the natural beauty - the peaceful life of a small town.

　　There are two towns around the waterfalls scenic spot with a population over 20,000 of various ethnic groups including Han, Bouyei, Miao and Yi. They have kept their way of living for centuries, though, modernity has somehow invaded the place.

　　The town at the upper reaches of the falls is also called Huangguoshu and the other called Baishui, which is located near the entrance of the waterfalls.

　　Strolling upward to the centre of the Huangguoshu town, we saw typical scenes of a small town. Women sat around selecting vegetables while chatting, and men sat or squatted by walls smoking. Motorcycles and bicycles made their ways among people shouldering their goods or belongings. Owners of small grocery stores stood by their counters waiting for customers.

　　We were accompanied all the way by the roaring waterfalls, which is just several metres away behind the houses. At the turn of the narrow street, we were surprised to find a Catholic church standing quietly by the roadside, facing the roaring waters.

　　The main entrance was closed with a side door left opened. Entering the courtyard we saw a group of children sit in a small room. "Hello, what are you doing here?" we greeted the children. A woman in her late 30s invited us into the room. "We are having a class," she said, adding that it was a newly open kindergarten sponsored by the church. She is Sister Tang Huiqun, one of the three nuns who take care of the kindergarten. There are now 30 children aged from 2 to 5 years old.

　　According to Tang, the church was built more than 100 years ago by a French priest. "Nobody knows his name," said Sister Tang.

　　I guessed it must have been built by one of the Western missioners trying to spread Christianity in the far remote areas of Southwest China, including Tibet, Yunnan and Guizhou, in early 20th century.

　　Tang said there are more than 100 people in the town and nearby villages practising Catholicism. Every day between 7 and 8 pm, the church fills with worshipers' praying. On Sunday morning, more followers attend mass. Tang said there is not a priest at the church. "Every three or six months we have a clergyman from the city of Anshun visit us," she said. Sister Tang was baptized 18 years ago.

　　Interesting to see and not far from the church, in a small grocery store, is an old man writing something on several envelop-shaped papers.

　　"These are for the coming traditional Chinese festival for the ghosts," he said. He wrote down the names of both deceased and their living decedents.

　　According to tradition, the festival for the ghosts falls on the 15th day of the seventh month on Chinese lunar calendar, which was August 30 this year. It has been the tradition for many people in the town to burn the paper in memory of their ancestors.

　　Three men in their 50s sat outside the store chatting.

　　None are practising Catholics. "I am of Bouyei minority," one said. "We Bouyeis believe in ghosts and we respect our deceased ancestors," he added.

　　Tourism boom

　　The booming tourism has changed people's lives. In the town of Baishui, some local farmers no longer rely on land, instead they run family-inns.

　　"I started building my inn in 1995," said Zhu Yunhua, of Yi minority. Last year he finished his three-storey construction. "I had to halt my construction whenever I ran out of money," said Zhu in his late 40s.

　　The small family hotel has an accommodation for 40 people. Last year the Zhu family earned about 30,000 yuan (US$3,600), but this can barely support his three children's education.

　　"We are expecting more people to come to Huangguoshu," Zhu said.

　　"But I'm not sure how long I'll stay here since the local government has decided to move the towns to the upper reaches of Baishui River, to give way to the forests for the better protection of the waterfall areas," he said.

　　After seeing the natural wonders of Huangguoshu, we were told we should not miss the Stone Village of the Buyi people.

　　Stone village

A Bouyei woman gives on the spot demonstration of her unique skills of making wax-print at the Stone Village.

ad_dst = 0; document.write("");ad_dst = ad_dst+1; 　　Lying some 7 kilometres away from the waterfalls, at the upper reaches of the Baishui River, the village is really a world of stone.

　　Before approaching, I first saw gray houses lying uphill by a small mountain with a river running at the front. Surrounded by green farmland, the village appears quiet in the afternoon sunshine.

　　Houses in the village are all made of stones, free of tiles and bricks. Even the roof is piled with stone slabs.

　　It was said there are 300 households in the village, sharing the same surname, Wu. All are of Bouyei minority.

　　At the entrance of the village lie stands selling their traditional batik of wax-print. Many Bouyei women gave on the spot demonstrations of their unique skills of making wax-print. It has been the tradition for the Bouyei women to make such items from as young as 11 years old.

　　With a small cup containing indigo-blue, each woman lined and dotted a piece of white cloth by dipping an iron slice in the indigo-blue. After they finish dyeing the cloth they wash it in the Baishui River, which helps make it an ideal colour and pattern.

　　Before leaving the Stone Village, I bought a piece of batik for a souvenir at 20 yuan. "This design of circles is particularly for our sleeves," said an woman in her 30s, pointing at her left sleeve. "It symbolizes good luck," she said.

Although it deals a blow to U.S.-led efforts to isolate Hamas since it swept Palestinian elections in January, Russia's mediation is seen by some in the West as a chance to talk the faction into renouncing violence and recognizing Israel.

In Israel, the Russian overtures toward Hamas drew denunciations at first. But the Jewish state has adopted a wait-and-see attitude since Russia emphasized it was sticking to the view of international mediators.

The United States said Russia must put pressure on Hamas to change its ideology.

"Our position is that if you are going to meet with a terrorist group, you should make it clear to them that their way of doing business is unacceptable, that their philosophy is contrary to the norms of the civilized world, and that they should get with the program," State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said.

Hamas, whose delegation is due to arrive in Moscow early on Friday, regards the visit as a chance to push its position on the international stage.

"We will listen to the Russian government's vision on the Arab-Israeli conflict and we will clarify our own vision," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said on Thursday.

"The visit in itself is a declaration of the failure of pressure exerted by the United States on the world to besiege Hamas," he said. "Now Hamas is on the threshold of international legitimacy, thanks to the visit by Hamas leaders to Moscow."

Hamas, whose charter calls for the Jewish state's destruction, has masterminded 60 suicide bombings during a Palestinian revolt but has largely abided by a truce declared last year which paved the way for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza.

While so far ruling out permanent coexistence, Hamas has said it could accept a long-term ceasefire if Israel also quits all of the occupied West Bank and accepts an influx of Palestinian war refugees -- both non-starters for Israel.

Russia, among the Quartet of mediators for a "road map" to peaceful Palestinian statehood, is expected to tell the Hamas delegation, led by exiled politburo chief Khaled Meshaal, it must seek peace with Israel to win worldwide acceptance.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to head Moscow's delegation.

By inviting Hamas to Moscow, President Vladimir Putin is seen as trying to boost Russia's diplomatic clout in the Middle East, on the wane since the Soviet Union fell.

Russia has also been trying to defuse the crisis over Iran's nuclear program, by proposing that Iranian uranium enrichment -- a process that can produce bombs -- takes place on its soil.