China Travel – Part 1
September 17, 2009 by admin
Filed under Tourist Attractions
China, with an area of 9.6 million sq km, is the third largest country in the world, next only to Russia and Canada. Located in eastern Asia, China is bordered by Russia and Mongolia to the north; Russia and North Korea to the east; Russia and Afghanistan to the west; and India, Pakistan, Nepal, Burma, Bhutan, Vietnam, and Laos to the south. The capital of China is Beijing. Shanghai is the largest city.
Traveling to China is a life time experience and an ideal way to understand the land of cultural and geographic schisms. China offers immense opportunities for its visitors to make their travel quite interesting. Whether you are interested in Chinese culture, Chinese history, or simply to enjoy Chinese scenery, a trip through the Chinese mainland has it all.
If you don’t have a couple of years for exploring the Chinese mainland, it is a good idea to follow a loose itinerary. Some good suggestions along these lines include a trip from the Chinese capital to Tibet through Xi’an’s terracotta warriors, following the traditional Silk route, sailing down the Yangtze River (which provides the most rarest and beautiful views of Mother Nature), or traveling around the Dr Seuss landscape of Guangxi Province.
Beijing has been crowned as the country’s capital for approximately 500 years. The city boasts some of the beautiful sights such as the off-limits palace of Ming and Qing emperors, the Forbidden City, their eunuch servants, princesses and harems. The Summer Palace, one of the major attractions, was constructed in the late Qing period. China’s renowned imperial legacy – the Great Wall – starts from Beijing. The wall can be viewed from numerous places, however, majority of the visitors approach it from Beijing.
The sacred mountains of China have always been major pilgrimage destinations for many centuries and all these mountains feature well marked trails to the summits. There are also stairways carved into rock faces, and sights en-route includes inscriptions and poems and several temples. The sunrise at the summit is inevitably one of the most noted attractions. Huangshan, Emeishan, and Taishan are the most popular mountains majority of the foreign tourists never miss in their China travel.
China also prides for being home to the largest Buddha statue in the world. The Grand Buddha at Leshan in Sichuan Province is 71 m high and carved into a cliff face which overlooks the meeting of the Dadu and Min rivers.
China’s well known collection of European architecture is lined up facing the sea on the Bund in Shanghai. Xiamen in Fujian Province features outstanding collections of colonial architecture, on Gulangyr Island.
Tourist attractions in China are too much information to cover. Hence it is better to contact a tourist operator first and get an idea about the possibility and cost of different tour programs before embarking on one.
Enjoy a Grand Time in Beijing, China
April 9, 2009 by admin
Filed under Tourist Attractions
The capital of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing is a municipality directly under the control of the central government of China. Situated on the eastern coast of the country on the Pacific Ocean, with the Taihang Mountain to the north and the Yanshan Mountain to the west, Beijing is one of the largest metropolitan areas of trade and finance, and is the center of politics and international exchanges.
The city’s history as the capital of the country dates back to more than 800 years, during the reign of Yuan Dynasty. Beijing is endowed with a variety of historical as well as awesome attractions, which are further mentioned in this article.
The greatest of all the attractions in Beijing is the Forbidden City, which is the most magnificent as well as splendid architectural palace complex in the country. Constructed between 1406 and 1420, the Forbidden City is also known as the Palace Museum, and is one among the top five palaces in the world.
Another remarkable attraction in the city is the Summer Palace, an amazing imperial palace that once served as the summer resort of the Qing Dynasty. The highlight of the palace is a royal garden, which stands as a stupendous example of imperial garden in classic Chinese style.
Beijing is also home to the Great Wall, the only man-made structure that is visible from the moon. Equally worth mentioning is such historical sites as the Temple of Haven, where according to legends, the Ming and Qing emperors carried out solemn rituals for plentiful harvests. Built in 1420, the temple is the largest of its kind in the country.
Top attractions in Beijing also include Beihai Park, an exquisite destination spread across more than 65 hectares of land, of which half of the area is occupied by water. One of the oldest Chinese gardens, the park once served as the imperial gardens of dynasties including Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing. The highlights of the park are categorized into four sections: Qionghua Islet, Circular City, the northern bank area, and the eastern bank area.
Occupying an area of about 40 sq mt is a group of mausoleums of 13 Ming emperors as well as their empresses, which are collectively referred to as the Ming Tombs. Of the Ming Tombs that are open to the public are Changling and Dingling, which in turn is an incredible underground palace. Beijing also has to its credit the world’s largest city square – Tian’anmen Square, located in the center of city, covering an area of 400,000 sq km. The focal point of the square is a towering monument, which commemorates the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the welfare of the country.
Other top attractions in the region are the Sacred Way – the main road leading to the Ming Tombs; Lama Temple – the largest lamasery in the city; and Hutongs, which are a kind of lane lined by courtyards consisting of compound houses on either side.
No visit to Beijing would be complete with out taking a trip to such landmarks of the city as Ancient Cliff House, also known as Guyaju; Baiwangshan Forest Park, surrounded by beautiful plants and flowers; Beijing Aquarium within the Beijing Zoo; Beijing Botanical Garden, containing a rare species of plants and flowers; Memorial of Jiaozhuanghu Tunnel Warfare Site; Jiufeng National Forest Park; Shihua Cave, acknowledged as the ‘Underground Pearl of Beijing;’ and Zhangfang Ancient Battle Tunnel, which was erected during the reign of Emperor Song Zhenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty.
A good number of museums can also be found in the city, such as, Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum, China Printing Museum, Museum of Dabaotai Han Tomb, China Bee Museum, Xu Beihong Museum, and Museum of West Zhou Yandu Relics.
Beijing is a venue for a plethora of exciting festivals, including Lantern Festival, Beijing Spring Festival, and Longqing Gorge Lantern Festival. The city also hosts a range of international events like the International Entomological Conference and the Asian Games.
With these umpteen attractions, Beijing is visited by people year-round. Hence, Beijing comes with a variety of accommodation choices to cater to every taste and pocket. Many of the resorts and hotels are within easy reach of almost all attractions and facilities of the city. Some hotels even provide packages inclusive of accommodation, dining, and facilities for sightseeing.
