Named “America’s Finest City” due to its hospitality, beauty and ideal climate, San Diego is located on the border with Mexico. The residents are so active outdoors that it is called “Sportstown, the U.S.A.” San Diego’s 70 miles of beaches are a heaven for swimmers, surfers, divers, boaters and sunbathers. Another favourite outside activity is golf. With 100 courses (about 50 of them public), San Diego is a golfer’s paradise.

Many San Diego residents came here first as tourists who were attracted by San Diego’s sunny beaches, nearby mountains and deserts, plus the cultural delights of any big city. The world-famous San Diego Zoo, Sea World, Wild Animal Park, museums, conceits and other attractions bring visitors from around the world.

The zoo is home to some 4,000 animals, including the world’s largest collection of parrots. Animals are displayed in natural settings, and there is a petting zoo for children. By contrast, the Wild Animal Park is a wildlife preserve with an area of over 2,000 acres and more than 3,000 free-roaming (漫步) animals in natural habitats.

In addition to housing the zoo, Balboa Park is home to several museums and attractions, including an aerospace museum, an art and history museum, the Old Globe Theatre, science museums and even a railroad museum. Free concerts are offered frequently. Another popular attraction is Sea World, a 150-acre marine park.

San Diego’s varied attractions, as well as its business climate, offer many opportunities for students to explore the local culture, meet people from around the world, and gain business experience. At San Diego State University, for example, students in the American Language Institute’s study tour program learn English both in the classroom and while sightseeing.

The Most Breathtaking Theaters in the World

The original Globe Theater was built by Shakespeare's company in 1599, but was destroyed by fire in 1613. A replica was built in 1997 just meters from the original site. The new 857-seat structure has several modern features. It has the first and only straw roof permitted in London since the great fire of 1666.

Shakespeare's Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London; +44 20 7902 1400

Built in 1745, the UNESCO-listed Mareravial Opera House is regarded as the finest baroque theater in Europe. The stage has a depth of 27 meters and was the largest in Europe until 1871. Much of the original materials remain, along with original structures, such as the twin staircases.

Margravial Opera House, Opernstrasse 14. Bayreuth, Germany; +49 9 21 7 59 69 22

There can't be many theaters located in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, and the Teatro Amazonas is certainly the most breathtaking. The theater was built in 1895 and was designed by Italian architect Celestial Sacardim. Work took 15 years. largely thanks to the decision to source supplies from all over the world

Amazon Theater, Centro, Manaus, Brazil; +55 92 3622 1880

The National Centre for the Performing Arts（NCPA）, built in 2007, is an arts centre in Beijing. Designed by French architect Paul Andreu, the NCPA is the largest theatre complex（建筑群）in Asia. The NCPA includes value in both ancient traditional Chinese architecture and modern architecture. It was specially designed to improve the red walls of ancient buildings and the Great Hall of the People in order to fit in with the surroundings.

NCPA, No. 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing; +86 010 6655 0989

The Taj Mahal (泰姬陵) is considered to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and the finest example of the late style of Indian architecture (建筑). It is at Agra in northern India. It lies beside the River Jumna in the middle of gardens with quiet pools.

The Taj Mahal was built by the Mogul emperor (皇帝) Shah Jehan, who ruled India in the seventeenth century. It is in memory of his favorite wife, Arjumand Banu Bagam, known as Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631. The building, which was completed between 1632 and 1638, was designed by a local Muslim architect (建筑师), Ustad Ahmad Lahori. The whole building, with gardens and gateway structures, was completed in 1643. The Taj Mahal stands at one end of the garden tomb with marble (大理石) path. The room is softly lighted by the light that passes through double screens of carved marble set high in the walls. The building now is kept in good condition.

The Taj Mahal took 22 years to build. Shah Jehan planned a similar building, but in black instead of white, to lie on the other side of the river. But before it could be built, Shah Jehan was imprisoned (监禁) by his son and buried next to his wife in the Taj Mahal.