Riyadh's Urban Character Edit

Not far from the street, there are small residential compounds, lined up in a row; along the terrain, stretching straight into the distant Gobi, which is probably the edge of the city. Residential compound in the three or two-story small building is also mostly a combination of geometric shapes, see the angles, simple and exquisite, large blocks, beige, light brown, light earth yellow gray, sandy yellow gray ...... the same series of warm colors, and the desert color coordination, hidden in the thick walls of the dark brown window is just a big color on the embellishments, and the large pieces of domestic residential buildings, large glass windows comparison, is completely different. The windows are a completely different flavor compared to the large glass windows of residential buildings in China, probably because of the excessively hot local climate. Palm

trees and olive trees peek out from the courtyard walls, and even the leaves of the palm trees are a warm greenish gray, never bright; the olive green is of course a warmer tone in the green family. Not much green in the city, are planted plants, it is said that even the soil has to be imported here, the rules of the neat forest only by the roots of the tree around the sparse grass, a little far away from almost no grass, highway isolation zone of flowers and grass all rely on the drip irrigation pipe to survive, seemingly listless, all without lushness. There are no large lawns in the city, and perhaps it is too much of a luxury to support lawns in a country that is so rich from the oil flow but so short of water. The general color description of Riyadh - sunny blue sky, warm green palms and olive trees, warm desert Gobi, warm base color of the city. Riyadh - the warm dry city.

There are more cars than pedestrians on the road, the stores are cold and the streets are by no means noisy. Women are a rarity among the few pedestrians. From time to time, you can see the dome-roofed mosque and the small, delicate tower next to it, decorated with a crescent moon on the top of the spire, and fitted with tweeters on all sides. The sound of chanting is timed five times a day, reminding the inhabitants of their daily prayers; it gives one the flavor of an old religious country. Chinese visitors want to see if the Arabs here are as pious as they are told, and look around when the chants start, but they don't see anyone stopping what they're doing to pray.

Almost all of the homes have a "cauldron" on the roof, but the satellite down there is everything ah! Is the Prophet Muhammad not tempted by the "Satan" of the West? It seems that Saudi Arabia, the Muslim of Muslims, is also changing. Riyadh

The stores on both sides of the street are not very high, three or five floors, and the office buildings are only ten floors up or down. The combination of regular geometric shapes, clean lines and angles; glass curtain walls, colorful signboards and advertisements, and traffic flow, typical of modern elements; the lotus petal shape of the corridors and columns under the stores and the lotus petal decorations on the walls reflect a strong Islamic style. The Kingdom Center Building is the landmark of Riyadh, standing out from the crowd and appearing a bit abrupt and visible from about any position in Riyadh. Spinning cone-shaped section of the columns straight sky, the shape of simple and upright, the top of the sky bridge under the huge inverted parabolic cavity reflects the vivid changes, it is said that someone has been flying a small aircraft through it; the whole body of the glass curtain wall reflecting the blue sky and white clouds and show its ethereal; I do not know who is the masterpiece of the people. New construction sites can be seen everywhere, the buildings are not dense, and from time to time you can see a large open space, the whole city looks bright and open, without the oppression of high buildings that make it difficult to see the sun. Riyadh - a growing modern city. Riyadh is still beautiful at night, both sides of the highway are street lamps, as far as the eye can see, the whole city is like this, brightly lit, very beautiful, however, during the day Riyadh is not good. A feeling of being back inside an American western movie. Riyadh does not have any skyscrapers, sitting in the car to look on both sides, are one-storey or two-storey buildings, and the tone is generally white, yellowish, or gray-brown, are very simple colors, completely compared to the Beijing's brilliant. Moreover, there was an open space in front of each building house, like in a western movie, where there was a stable in front of each tavern, except that one parked the car and the other the horse. There are no sidewalks in Saudi Arabia, because who wouldn't be stupid enough to walk around in temperatures of 45 degrees during the day and 35 at night?

Where there are no buildings, there is loess, Riyadh is full of loess, why did the Saudis choose their capital to this place, there is no water around, and there is not much vegetation, all the trees in the city are planted by hand, and it costs a lot of money to maintain a tree. However, if you think about it, the vast majority of Saudi Arabia is covered by a vast desert, so it can't be possible to build the city on sand, and the capital is close to the interior, which makes it less prone to attack than if it were built on the sea.

Riyadh also has the distinctive feature of being in military zones, embassies, foreign companies and apartments, usually with a guard post on which a heavy machine gun is placed, Saudi Arabia has stepped up its security checks and built fences in the areas where foreigners live, not only with additional security guards but also with tanks to keep them. After decades of construction, Riyadh's city has taken on a new look, with new buildings springing up. Grand government buildings, high-rise apartments, luxurious palaces, giant shopping malls, wide streets, multi-story overpasses, beautiful parks, and soaring minarets of mosques dot the city. Especially Riyadh's highway is world-class, the highway system is closed, with electronic monitoring system, some sections of the road piers and the belly of all granite masonry, pier top surface equipped with fluorescent lamps. Highway intersection next to the mound planted with green grass, in order to prevent soil erosion and dust, green grass slopes are also covered with a thin nylon net. Riyadh has changed dramatically over the decades and is now the most modern city in the Arabian Peninsula.

Thanks to the increase in oil revenues, the people of Riyadh city's income and standard of living greatly improved, the market supply is quite prosperous. The automobile has become an indispensable means of transportation, and the people enjoy more and more welfare benefits, free education, free medical care, and exemption from all taxes.

Riyadh's social order is so good that cars parked on both sides of the street do not have shuttered windows and do not need to be locked or lost. The city is quiet with few pedestrians, the streets are wide and the traffic is smooth with very little traffic jams, and cabs are everywhere and easy to ride.

The vast majority of Riyadh's residents practice Islam, and people are very religious. Friday is a national day of rest, with people concentrating on prayers at mosques at noon and stores not opening until after 4pm. The Saudi Arabian authorities rule the country and its people according to the teachings of Islam. To date, no movie theaters are allowed, and women must cover their faces with a black veil and their bodies with a cloak in the presence of men who are not their relatives. Men and women are sharply separated in social activities, and women can only work and move around in women's banks, women's shopping malls, and girls' schools.

In order to regulate the hot climate and give people a sense of coolness, Riyadh endeavored to build parks and expand the area of green space. Water fountains of various kinds can be found everywhere, adding to the cityscape. Famous buildings in Riyadh include the beautiful Royal Palace, the magnificent Grand Mosque, the famous King Saud University and the King Saud Hospital, the largest in the Middle East. Riyadh Olympic Stadium Complex, with a construction investment of about 1 billion US dollars, covers an area of 620,000 square meters. There are 80,000-seat stadiums, three swimming pools with automatic lifting bottoms, and athletes can ascend to the diving platforms by elevators. There is also an indoor cycling stadium, equestrian stadium, shooting range, hotels, parking lots, clinics, theaters and mosques, making it a modern small city. Riyadh

The dress code seems to be black and white, with the vast majority of men wearing white robes, white-on-red headscarves and black headbands, and women wearing black robes, black headscarves and veils.

There are teenagers, small size, wearing a wide white robe seems to coat rack support, willow leaf eyebrows hidden under a large seemingly shy eyes, straight nose angular, thin lips on the sweat, delicate chin, narrow face, cheekbones are not obvious; the whole impression is exquisite, can not help but sigh: "God's masterpiece!

There are middle-aged people: lean, somber eyes in deep sockets, somewhat exaggeratedly pointed nose, Laden-like beard, expressionless face, and because of the large white robes, one cannot see the span of the feet, and seems to float as he walks past, almost like a ghost.

There are obese people, holding rosary beads, fat fingers on the large ring, perhaps because of the white robes all year round, no belt around the waist, life is too comfortable and carefree, belly full; there is a large white robe cover does not look ugly. Stroll leisurely, head high and shy belly, self-satisfied. Saudi Arabia's capital city of Riyadh KingdomCentre building, located in the center of Riyadh KingdomCentre building. It is reported that the building was financed by the Saudi Prince (Head of State: King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz (AbdullahBinAbdul-Aziz), who succeeded to the throne on August 1, 2005), and has been used by the famous U.S. travel magazine. It is one of the new "Seven Wonders of the World", listed by the famous American travel magazine "Traveler" as one of the newest modern buildings.

Creating a high-rise in Riyadh meant battling some of the harshest environments on earth, such as giant hailstones, desert heat and violent hurricanes. The building is 302 meters high. Saudi Arabia, as a historical Arab country and the birthplace of Islam, has inherited all the fine traditions handed down from their ancestors, among which generosity and hospitality is one of their most prominent features. You can't easily reveal your curiosity The Saudis are very warm, especially like to invite friends to their homes, and the family warmly received. In the Saudi family guests, we must remember not to casually look around, especially do not show a strong interest in an item, otherwise, as long as it is within the scope of ability, generous and hospitable Saudis will be such a thing as a gift for you to see the book to send a book, to see the knife to give a knife. If you compliment him on his carpet, he will even roll it up and give it to you with such enthusiasm that you cannot refuse. If you insist on not accepting it, the Saudis will think you are ungrateful instead, and the result will be that the guest of honor will not be happy. Good character since ancient times As an oil country, the superior economic conditions is certainly an important reason for the Saudi people generous hospitality, but there is no doubt that this character is also the ancient Arab nation from the initial nomadic life continued to this day. As early as the Bedouin period, this nomadic people have been living on water and grass. Under the exceptionally difficult natural environment, helping each other and treating others with generosity became the best virtue promoted by this nation. At the same time, Islam also emphasizes that the rich should be charitable and help the weak and poor, which has become one of the basic moral requirements of Muslims. Feasting on strangers When you are a guest in a Saudi home, the host will usually take out the unique Arabian coffee to entertain you, which has a very different flavor from the general coffee, not sweet and not bitter, with a ginger flavor. However, regardless of whether it is to your liking or not, the guest should accept the first cup of coffee without politeness and humility, as a token of appreciation for the host's hospitality. But the Saudis will give you a refill soon after you finish the first cup, then you can cover the cup with the palm of your hand and politely decline, otherwise the Saudis will keep pouring for you.

During the month of Ramadan, many mosques give out a feast to strangers in the evening at Iftar, including roasted chicken, rice, lemons, and fruits, on a first-come, first-served basis. During Eid, if a stranger who is on the road is feeling hungry, he or she can just walk into a home where they don't know anyone, and the hosts will bring out their own food to share with their guests.

There are many Saudi farms on the outskirts of the city, and all you have to do is politely introduce yourself and express a desire to visit, and the host will take you on a tour, or even invite you*** to an Arabian meal. When you leave, you are often given some fresh vegetables from the farm. That kind of trust and warmth towards strangers is really touching.

Riyadh's most nightlife street, find a good cafe, call a cup of hot chocolate and doughnuts, let yourself a good relaxation, is really a good enjoyment. Speaking of coffee shops, it is really worth mentioning here in Saudi Arabia, because alcohol is prohibited here, and all entertainment facilities, no bars, no discos, no movie theaters, so the only place to meet with friends is the coffee shop. Every coffee shop here is very unique in its own way.

All the coffee shops have free wireless internet access, and many young people bring their own laptop and come over to surf the web. Many Saudis come in groups, wearing white robes and headscarves, but they are the ones with great style and attention to detail in their adornment. A Saudi man who is a little more sophisticated is very attentive to a few details about himself, the turban and the robe, to be clean, neat and tidy. The fabrics should be of good texture. Cuffs nailed to the cufflinks of the monopoly, the upper body of the pocket to have a good pen, generally pen clip are decorated with diamonds. Islam dictates that men are not allowed to wear gold jewelry, so they carry family heirloom silver rings with very large gemstones on their hands. Saudis who visit coffee shops shake hands cordially when they see their friends, kiss each other on the cheek a few times, and then exchange pleasantries with each other in the words of Allahu Akbar.

There are many kinds of coffee in the coffee shop in addition to the usual kinds, Saudi Arabia also has local coffee, but the flavor is really very unsuitable. But there is one thing that you can't see in any other coffee shop in the Middle East, and that is that the customers here are all Man, and there is not a single Lady. So in many cases, you can only marvel at the strangeness of this religious country. But this country is not disrespectful to the Lady, many occasions, such as large shopping malls, such as the King's Building, in the weekend is only allowed to go in the family, that is, the family day, this time only with their own Wives can go in shopping. There are also parks and beaches where you can have picnics and play on the lawn only with your own family. This is the Saudi stores, money can not earn, but faith must not be destroyed. Riyadh

The centennial posters that line the streets of Riyadh tell the story of how the Saudis are embracing a grand national holiday.

The Saudi centennial celebrations kicked off on Jan. 22, 2002, with a 10-day celebration at the ruling palace, where King Fahd personally decorated 63 descendants of the founding warriors. One hundred years ago in the Islamic calendar (1902 A.D.), Abdul Aziz bin Saud, the father of the current King Fahd, led a small group of men from Kuwait City to attack Riyadh, and after a fierce battle, Abdul led a group of 63 warriors to capture the strongest castle in the Riyadh region at that time - the After a fierce battle, 63 warriors led by Abdul captured the strongest castle in Riyadh at that time - Masmaq Castle, which is only a stone's throw away from the current Ruling Palace, and recaptured the city of Riyadh which had been lost for many years, thus laying the foundation of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 100 years later, the descendants of the warriors, clad in large white robes with gold trim, are being honored on behalf of their ancestors at the spacious, bright, and elegant halls of the Ruling Palace. This, not just a turnover of personnel, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 100 years, from a nomadic country in a leap to become politically and economically important influence in the regional power!

The discovery and commercial exploitation of underground oil in Saudi Arabia in the 1920s and 30s of this century gave strong impetus to the development of the Saudi Arabian economy, but the comprehensive and balanced development of the Saudi Arabian economy is the 1970 first five-year plan after the implementation of the first five-year plan. The successful completion of the five five-year plan, Saudi Arabia's national strength has been rapidly enhanced, not only the proven oil reserves accounted for 1/4 of the world's proven oil reserves, the capacity of daily crude oil production of 8 million to 10 million barrels, and manufacturing, construction, agriculture and foreign trade have been rapid development, in which power generation increased by 19 times, the number of manufacturing employment increased by 20 times, the products exported to 118 countries and regions. During the past 25 years, the contribution of non-oil industries to GDP has increased fourfold, the value of non-oil exports has risen from 7.46 million dollars to 4.11 billion dollars, and tax revenues from non-oil industries have accounted for 22% of all tax revenues. The achievements of Saudi Arabia's agricultural development are even more remarkable to the world. They diverted water into the desert, transformed the desert into an oasis, planting wheat, dates, fruits and vegetables, not only to meet the needs of their own country, but also a large number of wheat exports, among the world's top five wheat exporters. Date palm in the Arab countries have "ruby", Saudi Arabia in the desert planted a large number of date palms, annual output of 650,000 tons of date palms, accounting for about 1/5 of the world's output in the Gulf and the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia *** built 25 desalination plants, desalination capacity of the world's first, the daily production of 5.2 billion gallons of drinking water. The desalinated water is delivered to towns and villages through a pipeline network of more than 3,000 kilometers long. Seventy percent of the water used in Saudi Arabia is obtained by desalination.

The modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is only a century old, but the House of Saud is an ancient family on the Arabian Peninsula, which has historically twice established a kingdom around Riyadh. Economic and cultural exchanges between Saudi Arabia and China go back even further. In the research center built to commemorate the founding king Abdul Aziz bin Saud, Chinese coins unearthed in the region are on display, which are witnesses to the economic and cultural exchanges between the ancient people of Saudi Arabia and China. The sword that can "turn the wind to the sun" and make "ice wings and snow tantalize" as described in "Song of the Great Food Knife of Zhao Gong, Minister of Jingnan Bingma" by Du Fu, the poet of the Tang Dynasty, came from the area of present-day Saudi Arabia. "A strong man with a short coat and tiger's hair on his head, with a sheath drawn against the sky. The wind turns to the sun and the trees roar, and the ice wings and the snow are sad and brisk." "The heroes of Guanglu are not comparable to the sword of Dafu." Du Fu used the sharpness of the sword of the Great Food as a metaphor for the bravery of Zhao Gong in the pacification of the rebellion. Chinese history called the Arabian Empire "Da Yi" country, which emerged in the 6th century AD, originated in modern-day Saudi Arabia, its initial political and economic center in the Mecca - Medina area. Chinese silk was introduced to the Arabian Peninsula through Iran, and the sword was introduced to China through the Silk Road.

Entering the 1990s, Sino-Saudi interactions entered a new period of development. Bilateral trade volume reached 1.68 billion U.S. dollars in 1997 and increased by 13.1 percent in 2009 after years of rapid growth; at the same time, cultural and other exchanges have been increasingly strengthened. The Chinese side participated in the Saudi centennial celebrations, received special preferential treatment from the Saudi side, and personally felt the friendship of the Saudis. Saudi Arabia **** invited six Chinese journalists, nine experts and scholars, the number of invitees is the largest number of non-Arab countries. Journalists and scholars to participate in the activities of the bus, but the Saudi Ministry of Information specifically for the People's Daily delegation to arrange a special car and accompanied, which is a special case in the invited news organizations. In Riyadh, Mr. Turki al-Sudari's house party was unforgettable. He is the chairman of Yamamah News Group, editor-in-chief of Riyadh Newspaper, and a "royal relative" of Saudi Arabia. Mr. Turki has visited China three times, once with Crown Prince Abdullah in 2009. He said that he originally thought that the Arabs were the most afflicted people in the world, but later found that the Chinese nation suffered more than the Arab nation, she suffered many foreign ravages, but the Chinese nation relied on its own strength to develop, which is very remarkable, and he is happy for this. The same people who have suffered a lot, the same developing countries, there are many **** the same language.

The Arabs invited their guests to their homes for dinner, which was a very friendly gesture. Although there are servants, but refreshments, dinner service work undertaken by the host, it is understood that Saudi Arabia is a strict adherence to the "distinction between men and women" of the country, even among the tribe, but only very close relations with friends regardless of gender, chatting and eating together, with this way to receive foreign friends, it is a very high degree of courtesy. Riyadh bazaar

Bata in the old city, where it became a gathering place for Indo-Pakistani people, Riyadh has only one bus line in the whole city, which is issued twice a day; the rest is only a few lines of small buses, but most passengers are Indo-Pakistani people and the appearance of the appearance of the unclean look, so the general travel is only to call a cab. To the time of the Bata is all of a sudden feel different, here there is no trace of the Saudis, that unique Riyadh's tranquility and idleness has suddenly been replaced by a kind of noisy and busy. Suddenly it was like being parachuted into India and Pakistan. The sidewalks, the roads, the stores, even the tops of the pickup trucks selling goods were crowded with Indians and Pakistanis. Shouting vendors and low quality goods filled the neighborhoods. Indo-Pakistanis and Filipino boys waiting to find work were everywhere. Occasionally, you can see one or two black-robed men, the fat kind, selling small items like peanuts, candies, and drinks. The stores and restaurants around are also suitable for Indo-Pakistani tastes. Cars were out of order and sirens were blaring. Many people stood on high ground looking in one direction, as if they were paying attention to something, but when looking in their direction they realized there was nothing.

There's a booklet that's a big hit with the domestic crowd called London Market, and it's got a similar feel to the stores described in that

Riyadh Coffee

book, although the stores aren't quite as moody, but the overall feel is the same. And if one were truly committed, one could write a similar book called Riyadh Bazaar, as the Islamic-inspired handicrafts would be just as awe-inspiring. Most of the guys in the stores here are from India and Pakistan. The origin of the merchandise is also from there. But all of them have a local flavor. There is a wide variety of goods, including sabres, oil lamps, vases, jewelry, pendants, cloaks, blankets, scarves, hats, furniture, trunks, and leather goods. All the things will make your eyes bright, a very eye-catching feeling, especially when they are placed together really make you love it. Everything you see you want to buy back to make a collection. There are some objects with really chic workmanship, such as the silver box for the ring, although small, the outside of the decoration but its exquisite. There is also a camel carved out of wood, when you are appreciating its meticulous workmanship, but suddenly realized that there is a smaller camel inside. All of a sudden, you can marvel at the depth of the craftsman's efforts. Walking into a furniture store, the furniture displayed in the store are all handmade, and the wood is also made of the finest mahogany, together with the exquisite craftsmanship, each piece of furniture is priced at a high level. With the sound of proclamation coming from the Mission Tower, and in the midst of a muffled call summoning people to worship, the small stores all closed their doors to begin the fourth service of the day. The light of dusk shines in the alley of Bata, the house with traces of history, but it highlights a deeper. Bata, simple but still fragrant.