It wasn’t that long ago that his chances of seeing China were slim, unless he was head of state or flawed, but that has been changing. In fact, if you’re an executive in any type of manufacturing, chances are good that you already have been, but now the doors are opening to other Westerners as tourists.
Beijing is uniquely equipped for this transformation by having the hotel space and infrastructure to handle the masses of tourists. The Olympics simply finished preparing the city for tourism. Now you can stay in a luxury hotel at night and see China’s history during the day. History is something that Beijing and China have a lot of.
One of the places you have to see is The Forbidden City. You can travel the world and never see one like it. The Palace was the capital of China from the famous Ming Dynasty and remained as such through 24 Emperors. It is the largest collection of ancient wooden structures anywhere and by viewing it you can see the architectural influence it had throughout East Asia. It is 178 acres and has almost 8 million square feet of interior space. It is the great treasure of China and a place you must see while you are in Beijing.
The other great piece of history that you must visit that is synonymous with China, is the Great Wall. Of course it’s just not practical to see the whole wall (except from space where it’s the only man made structure you can see) there are 5 different sections you can see and they all have air conditioned bus tours to see them . You know all your friends will ask you when you get home, so make sure you check it out.
You love nature? You are in luck because Beijing has many nearby places to visit. You might want to head up Lingsham Mountain, but if you dress warm, it’s covered in snow year-round. For spectacular scenery, you’ll want to check out Dragon Rejoice Ravine (known as Longqingxia). Don’t let the name fool you, it’s often compared to the Three Gorges, where they’re building the world’s largest dam. If you’ve been to Yellowstone in the US, you’ll want to see China’s answer, Tangshan Hot Springs.
With China’s very long history and natural beauty, there are many sites to see on your trip to Beijing. Be sure to do a little research before you go to make sure you book your vacation package that has everything you want to see. In truth, it could come down to what you have time to see in this great city.