Tourism in Havana

Havana is located on the northwest coast of Cuba and is surrounded by the Province of Havana. It is the capital, main city and commercial center of Cuba. The city is the largest city in Cuba and the Caribbean countries. It is the seat of the Cuban government. Many political institutions and business headquarters are also located in Havana.

Havana is located in the tropics, with a mild climate and pleasant seasons. It is known as the "Pearl of the Caribbean" and has many ancient churches, castles, squares, museums, monuments, parks, libraries, etc., making it a famous tourist destination. resort. Havana is divided into two parts: the Old City and the New City. The Old City is a treasure house of architectural art, with buildings of different styles from various periods. There are still many ancient Spanish-style buildings left, which are listed as world cultural heritage. New Town is one of the famous modern cities in Latin America. It faces the Caribbean Sea, has wide and neat streets, rows of high-rise buildings, luxurious hotels, restaurants, apartments, government buildings, etc., dotted with flowerbeds and lawns, full of modernity and prosperity. The Cuban Congress Building is located in the capital, Havana. It was the office building of the Cuban government until 1959 and is now the seat of the Cuban Academy of Sciences. The Capitol is one of Cuba's most majestic buildings, and the statue inside is the third tallest urban statue in the world.

The Capitol Building was built in 1929. It adopts the neoclassical architectural style and looks like the Capitol Building in Washington, USA. However, its builder Eugenio Raynieri said that the building is round. The inspiration for the ceiling comes from the Panthéon, the famous burial place of French cultural celebrities in Paris. The dome is constructed with a steel frame and is constructed of stone. It was built in the United States and later imported from Cuba. It is 92 meters high and was the tallest building in Havana until the 1950s. The interior decoration of the building is elegant and gorgeous, showing its grandeur; there are several beautiful French-style gardens outside, with green grass and blooming flowers; the Capitol Building sets off the gardens, and the gardens also decorate the Capitol Building, forming a wonderful landscape painting . Havana, the capital of Cuba and the largest city in the Western Atlantic Ocean, is located on the banks of the Almendares River in Havana Bay in the northwest of Cuba, straddling the southwest entrance of the Florida Strait, and facing the Florida Peninsula of the United States across the sea. It has a mild climate, pleasant seasons, beautiful scenery, and plain weather. Known as the "Pearl of the Caribbean". Havana is a city with a history of more than 400 years and a current population of more than 2 million. It is the political, economic, cultural and transportation center of Cuba. The island of Cuba was discovered by Columbus in 1492 and colonization began in 1510. Founded in 1519, Havana became Cuba's main city in 1550 and its capital since 1898. The urban area of ??Havana is divided into two parts: the New City and the Old City. The new city is close to the Caribbean Sea, with wide and neat streets, rows of high-rise buildings, luxurious hotels, restaurants, apartments, government buildings, etc., dotted with flowerbeds and lawns, full of modern atmosphere, and is one of the famous modern cities in Latin America.

The Old City is located on a peninsula on the west side of Havana Bay. It covers a small area and has narrow and winding streets. It still retains many ancient European-style buildings. The Old City was an important base for the conquest of the New World during the Spanish colonial rule. It is surrounded by fortifications. Most of the ancient buildings with high architectural value are concentrated in the city's Plaza de Armas, Plaza Cathedral, Plaza San Francisco and the Old Plaza. The traditional houses in the city have a unique historical and cultural atmosphere. The ancient buildings in Old Havana have a neat and harmonious layout and an antique appearance. They are well preserved to this day. In 1982, they were included in the World Cultural and Natural Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Havana has many places of interest. La Fuerza Castle, located in the city, was built in 1538 and is the oldest castle in Cuba and the second oldest castle in America. The castle building is square in shape, surrounded by walls, with a towering tower on top. The bronze statue of an Indian girl "Havana" placed on the top of the tower is particularly eye-catching, from which the city of Havana got its name.

The Morro Castle, built between 1587 and 1597, towers on the cliff at the entrance to the Bay of Havana. The city walls are tall and thick, with a wide moat outside and deep tunnels inside. This was once the city of Havana's defense against pirate attacks. The fortress is one of the important monuments in Havana. Morro Castle has been looted by the French, Dutch, and British powers in history, and has been changed beyond recognition, but the remaining ruins can still show the heroic appearance of the castle. On the promenade, there are bronze statues of Antonio Maceo, Maximo Gomez and Callisto Garcia, the famous generals of the Cuban independence movement in the second half of the 19th century.

In the José Martí Plaza in the city center, there is a huge bronze statue and monument of the Cuban national hero and famous poet José Martí. In the square on Street 9 in the city, there is a monument built in 1931 to honor the overseas Chinese who made great achievements in the Cuban War of Independence. On the base of the 18-meter-high red cylindrical monument is engraved "Chinese in Cuba" No one is a deserter, no one is a traitor." Havana's Santa Maria Beach is surrounded by mountains and water, with lush trees and grass on the shore, fine white sand on the beach, and blue water. It is a beautiful tourist summer resort. Havana Port is long and narrow, with a water depth of 12 meters near the shore. It can berth ocean-going ships. More than half of the country's import and export goods pass through here. Havana has railways and roads leading to the whole country, and there is Jose Marti International Airport on the outskirts of the city, so the transportation is very convenient. Plaza de Armas, also known as Plaza Carlos Manuel de Cespedes. In the center of the square stands a statue of Cespedes, leader of the Cuban uprising from 1868 to 1878 and president of the wartime Republic of Korea. There is a Templet Temple in the northeast corner of the square. There is a kapok tree in front of the temple. Columbus's remains were buried under the kapok tree in 1777 and were later transferred to the cathedral. The Havana Historical Museum on the west side has unique arcades, carved wooden balconies and elegant courtyards. It is an architectural masterpiece of the colonial period. The cathedral near the square was built in 1704. It is a colorful old building in Spanish and American style. The tower of the church towers into the sky. Standing on the tower, you have a panoramic view of Havana City and Havana Harbor. There are many statues and monuments in downtown Havana, which add to the charming charm of this ancient city. Havana, the capital of Cuba, is located on the northwest coast of Cuba Island, straddling the southwest entrance of the Strait of Florida and facing the Florida Peninsula of the United States across the sea. The Old City is located on a peninsula on the west side of the Bay of Havana. It was built in 1510. The castle and its fortification system in the Old City were one of the important bases established by Spain in the Americas to conquer the New World. Old Havana includes the entire area between the old city walls and the Bay of Havana, covering an area of ??142.5 hectares and dotted with a series of castles. Although the city of Havana has entered modern society and almost none of the city walls built in the 19th century have survived, due to the full respect for the city's original design plan and attention to the overall characteristics of the building during construction, these ancient buildings have a neat and harmonious layout and a rich appearance. Due to its expressive power, the extraordinary original appearance of Old Havana has been preserved to this day, especially the castles in the ancient city surrounded by fortifications, which have high architectural value.

In downtown Havana, there is a castle called La Fuerza. Built in 1538, the castle is the oldest castle in Cuba and the second largest castle in America. This ancient castle is square in shape, with surrounding walls more than 20 meters high, and a tower built on top of the castle. In 1539, Hernando de Soto set out from Cuba and first discovered the Mississippi River in North America. Legend has it that after Soto left, his wife Isabella de Bobadilla often climbed to the top of the tower and looked into the distance, hoping for her husband's early return. Year after year, she could not help but cry. When she finally heard the news of her husband's death, she also died of grief. The castle tower is not only famous for this touching legend, but also attracts domestic and foreign tourists with the bronze statue of an Indian girl "Havana" placed on the top of the tower, because Havana is named after this respected Indian girl. The current bronze statue is a replica, and the original is kept in the Havana City Museum near the castle.

On the cliff at the entrance to Havana Harbor, there stands a majestic castle. This is one of Havana's famous monuments - Castle Morro.

At the end of 1982, when UNESCO designated Old Havana as part of the cultural heritage of mankind, this castle probably also played a big role. Morro Castle was built from 1587 to 1597 as a fortress for the city of Havana to prevent pirate attacks. The city wall is tall and thick, and has a 20-meter-long moat. Deep tunnels connect the fortresses to each other. The lighthouse next to the fort was built in 1844, and its dazzling light can be seen 30 kilometers away. The numerous bullet marks on the castle bear witness to the fact that Havana was repeatedly sacked by European powers in its history. From the 16th to the 17th century, French and Dutch pirates attacked Havana many times. During the Anglo-French War from 1756 to 1763, the British occupied Cuba in 1762, and the Yingluo Castle was also destroyed by the British army. Although the castle has changed beyond recognition today, the majestic appearance of the Morro Castle can still be seen from the remaining castle walls, which arouses people's endless imagination. This old castle has now been turned into the Havana Nautical Museum. In addition to La Fuerza Castle and Morro Castle, Havana also has several ancient castles. Fort La Caba?a was built from 1763 to 1774. Two tall and strong walls were erected facing the bay, and there was a 12-meter-deep ditch on the inward side. There was a suspension bridge on the ditch leading to the main entrance of the castle. During the Cuban War of Independence, this was where patriots were imprisoned and is now a military barracks and military museum in Cuba. Fort La Punta was built at the end of the 16th century. It is a solid building with a wall thickness of 2.5 meters. Opposite the fortress is a monument to Maximo Gomez. Together with Martí, Maceo and others, he led the Cuban people to launch a heroic struggle against the Spanish colonists and made important contributions to Cuba's independence. In addition, Havana also has Fort Atares built in 1763 and Fort Prince built from 1774 to 1794. These castles, fortification systems, residential buildings and other ancient buildings create a unique historical atmosphere, making Old Havana the most important historical center in the Caribbean and one of the most meaningful historical centers in the American continent. There are also the La Caba?a Castle built from 1763 to 1774, the La Punta Castle built at the end of the 16th century, and the Prince's Castle built from 1774 to 1794. Santa Maria Beach is one of the famous beaches in Havana. It is surrounded by mountains and water and has beautiful scenery. It is a wonderful summer resort. Havana is a famous port with a long and narrow bay, and a tunnel built at the bottom of the bay to connect the two sides. On the left bank at the entrance of the bay is the Castle of Morro, built in 1632. With steep peaks and dangerous terrain, it was originally built to defend against pirates. When the British colonists attacked Havana in 1762, they were bravely resisted by the Cuban Peasant Self-Defense Force in front of the Morro Castle. Since the mid-19th century, Morro Castle has served as a prison for the Spanish colonial authorities. In 1978, the Cuban government built a tourist resort here to receive tourists from all over the world. Across the bay, on the San Carlos Castle on the Caba?a Heights overlooking the city, ever since Havana built its city walls and gates at the end of the 17th century, a cannon firing ceremony has been held on time at 9 o'clock every night to announce the closure of the city gates and port. The tradition of firing cannons is still preserved today and has become an important tourism project. Since the 20th century, Havana has developed rapidly, with modern buildings rising from the ground. With a replica of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, buildings reminiscent of Manhattan, and a movie theater copied directly from Chicago, the Barcardi Building is a prime example of Art Deco.

Havana is also one of the American cities that best preserves its historical heritage. In 1982 UNESCO declared Havana's historic center and the entire military defense system as "Heritage of Humanity", which includes 1,780 harmonious buildings of various styles that represent the past 400 years, from neoclassical to Baroque architectural styles. Because of its characteristics as a seaport city and its unique geographical location at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, Havana has become a transit point and a must-stop place between Europe and South America. The blue sky, clear water and the cool breeze of the Caribbean Sea attract tourists to come here to experience its diversity, mystery and strangeness, whether it is history, culture or customs. At the beginning of the 20th century, grand hotels and restaurants were built in Havana to accommodate world-renowned celebrities and wealthy people. The palace-like National Hotel was one of the places where celebrities flocked to at that time.

The National Hotel was built on a piece of land that juts out into the sea, and today it has been officially classified as a building of historic significance. Targeting the world's wealthy travelers, this splendid hotel opened with great celebrations on December 30, 1930. At that time, American millionaires, Cuban cabinet ministers and local landowners frequented this hotel, and celebrities also stayed in this hotel because it was the most luxurious hotel in the Caribbean at the time. Today, when people walk into the gardens of the Hotel Nacional, they can still feel what the hotel was like when Havana was an international entertainment center. Other famous hotels in the city are also often frequented by celebrities. The female singer Josephine Baker is a frequent guest of the Seville Hotel. The Seville Hotel opened on March 22, 1908. It was built in the Spanish-Moorish style of Andalusia in southern Spain. The hotel is famous for its best views of the bay. Revolution Square is located in Havana, the capital of Cuba. It is a square and an autonomous region with a population density of 13,469.3 people per square kilometer. It was originally called Civic Square and was changed to Revolution Square after the Cuban Revolution in 1959.

The Revolution Square area extends from the square to Malecon to the seaside, covering an area of ??72,000 square meters, making it one of the largest squares in the world. There is a monument to Jose Martí in the square, which is 109 meters high and is one of the highest points in Havana. Behind the monument is the office of former Cuban President Fidel Castro. Opposite is the famous portrait of Che Guevara (Spanish: Che Guevara), accompanied by the slogan "Forever March to Victory" instructing the Ministry of Interior Building. . The square is surrounded by the National Library and many government agencies.

Revolution Square is an important venue for many political demonstrations in Cuba. It is also a place where Fidel Castro and other politicians often give speeches in Cuba; Fidel Castro has given many speeches in Cuba. He has spoken to more than 1 million Cubans on important occasions, usually on May 1 or July 26 each year. Havana has the largest Chinatown in Latin America. At the beginning of the 20th century, a large number of Chinese came to Cuba with the Spanish colonists. These Chinese people mainly come from Fujian, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau in my country. They came to Havana, Cuba through the Philippines. These Chinese first came to Cuba in the mid-19th century to take over the jobs of black slaves in Cuba. After the eight-year contract, many Chinese settled permanently in Havana.

On March 3, 1847, the first group of 206 Chinese arrived in Havana. Havana's Chinatown now has many restaurants, laundries, banks, pharmacies, theaters and many Chinese newspapers. The early Havana Chinatown had 44 blocks. The heart of the Havana Chinatown was the Zanja Canal. The Chinatown was a long strip of mainly pedestrian streets. The entire pedestrian street has many decorations with Chinese characteristics. Restaurants in Chinatown offer almost all kinds of Chinese food.

Havana Chinatown has two archways. In 1990, the Chinese government donated and built the largest one in Calle Dragones. This archway has the words "Chinatown" written in Chinese and Spanish. The smaller archway is located in the long strip of Zanja Canal. The flourishing development of Cuban Chinese in the local area ended in 1959. In 1959, Fidel Castro's revolution ended the private economy, and many Chinese people left for the United States. Now, descendants of Chinese in Cuba are working to revive and protect Chinese culture.