Visit Beijing and you’ll crave to tour more of China
No matter what the topic about China, Beijing will come up. Undeniably, any visitor to China plans to visit Beijing. Beijing combines the majesty of imperial China with the impressive dynamism of modern China. Yet despite its place in all there is to be said about China, Beijing is but a slice of China and a China traveler does not have to include Beijing on his first journey to China.
Needless to say, however, for most first time visitors to China Beijing is a must. So how much time do you really need to experience the best of what Beijing has to offer and how should you plan your stay?
On your first morning in Beijing you can tour the Tianmen Square and the Imperial Palace in Forbidden City. In the afternoon That you can visit Mao’s mausoleum and the Summer Palace with a cruise on the placid Lake Kuming and you will have a legs full of the Chinese capital. Of course with the vitality of a keen tourist, you might as well have the almost mandatory taste of a delightful Beijing Duck Dinner.
On your second day you should head on to the ancient ramparts of the Great Wall, one of the amazing feats of mankind. Then stroll along the Sacred Way to the Ming Tombs and Chang Ling Exhibition Hall. And after that you might as well call it a day as the jet leg might be catching up with you. But should you be in fine fettle, tonight you can enjoy an astonishing acrobatic show.
Start a day three with a visit to the city zoo and see China’s most celebrated animal, the giant panda. Then tour the ornately embellished Temple of Heaven. After lunch, explore the city by pedicab through Hutong’s narrow ancient lanes and combine your outing with a visit to a courtyard-style family residence. Last you may admire the panoramic view of the city from atop the scenic Drum Tower.
Of course you should also see the Olympic village and simply just mingle to soak in the Beijing ambiance but unless you are set on coming to see Beijing only, might as well move on to see the rest of China. Ideal itinerary on limited time is to combine Beijing with the highlights of Xian, Guilin and Shanghai, which can be done in as few as seven days. With three weeks to spare, consider covering Beijing to Shanghai in 21 days, a very satisfying tour of China with all the highlights that China has to offer, including Yangtze River Cruise and Yunnan.
But once you leave Beijing and get a glimpse of the other China, you’ll be tempted to add more, for example add Fenghuang, a small ancient town on the Tuojiang River in Hunan Province, and you’ll get hooked, you will want to travel on and see more of China.