Background

The Handan Congtai Pavilion and the Bojnice Castle are both famous historical buildings, the first located in Handan, China and the latter iin Bojnice, Slovakia. The Handan Congtai Pavilion was built in the Warring States Period 2300 years ago, and it is said to have been meant for the king of State Zhao to inspect his troops and enjoy singing and dancing performances. The original building consisted of many pavilions connected to one another, hence its name ("Cong" means "Group"). Today there is only one pavilion left. A park has been built around it and has become a tourist attraction in southern Hebei Province. The Bojnice Castle can be traced back to 1113 AD. From then till the early 16th century it was an activity centre of aristocrats. Having undergone much reconstruction work, and combined with many European palace and castle styles, the castle is one of tourists' favourite cultural sites in central Europe.