Posts Tagged Chinese Culture

Beijing Travel Guide

Beijing is the capital city of China, and it is a world famous city filled with ancient history and culture. It is also China’s political, economic, cultural, and transportation center covering an area of over 16,800 square kilometers. With a population of over 15 million, Beijing has a semi humid continental climate. Its winters are cold and dry, while the summers are hot and humid – both spring and autumn are short lasting. Because of the winter cold and summer heat, the best times to travel to Beijing are during the spring and autumn seasons.

Where Ji (Beijing today) was situated was a strategically advantageous location for development. It’s situated on a small plain with three sides closed off with surrounding mountains, and expansive rolling plains to the south. Leading to the south were a number of gorges such as Shangguan Pass, Juyongguan, and Nankou Pass (south entry pass). To the northwest, there is Badaling (Eight Prominent Peaks, which happens to be a popular tourist destination for Great Wall Tours today), leading to the Mongolian plateau. With this, Ji was a strategic communications hub between the north and the south.

Beijing is the capital of China, located in the northern part of China. As the capital of China, Beijing stands as the nation’s social, economical, political, and cultural center. Beijing has had a rich history of enduring invasions by warlords and foreign powers, devastating disasters, and has seen the rise and fall of generations of imperial dynasties.

Since 1949, Beijing officially became the capital of the People’s Republic of china. This splendid city attracts millions of visitors and tourists from all over the world each year. Today, Beijing is the center and home of the greatest repository of historical landmarks and monuments from imperial China.

Beijing has a fantastic blend of historical tourism sites and modern 21st century technology and lifestyle. From the world famous Great Wall of China, Forbidden City Palace, Summer Palace, and Ming Tombs to WangFuJing, Tianmen Square, Beijing’s West Railway Station, and China Central Television Tower.

The Beijing Opera has a history of over 200 years, and it is one of the key features of ancient Chinese culture. It was named Peking Opera as it evolved from several types of local operas that were performed in the city of Beijing. Its origins tracks back to 1790 during the Qing Dynasty, where 4 famous operas from Anhui Province performed in Beijing.

You’ll also discover the wide variety of gourmet cooking Beijing has to offer including the eight most famous regional cuisines of China, ranging from the hot and spicy Szechuan style cooking, to light, non-greasy tasting ShangDong style, and the Huaiyang cuisine with a history traceable back to 300 BC, and most famous of all, Peking Duck (Beijing Duck). Peking Duck (Beijing Duck) history can be traced back to more than 1,500 years ago; however it has its roots in the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644).

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Making The Best Use Of Your China Travel Vacation Package

If you have planned your summer vacation for a trip to China, then its best you know how to best enjoy China within the thirteen days you will be visiting.

The most attractive travel packages to China include tours between Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin and Yunnan. These travel packages are well selected tours of the beautiful cities in China highlighting their different attractions and sightseeing.

The first step in planning your vacation to China is to seek the services of a Chinese tour operator who can arrange everything from your flight tickets, hotel bookings and tourist guides in order to make your trip a smooth free and relaxed holiday. The language barrier in China is one of the many issues which scare travelers from coming to China; however, it could be a great experience especially for the adventurous lover in you. This is one of the reasons why it is advisable to contact a tour operator to assist you in your china tour planning. There are a few cities of interest which must not be missed when you tour China.

They include:

Beijing: Beijing is the capital of China and the seat of the greatest and biggest palace square in the world. Beijing is the focal center of China’s historical civilization where many historical monuments stand. Popular attractions to visit in Beijing include the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, the world renowned Great Wall, The Summer Palace and other interesting sites. These monuments contributed to the development of China’s civilization.
Shanghai: Shanghai is the most cosmopolitan city in China. Almost similar to the New York lifestyle, the streets of Shanghai is a combination of old Ming styled buildings and 21st century skyscrapers. Shanghai is the home to the Oriental Pearl Tower and China’s financial district.

Yunnan: The province of Yunnan is spring city of China which has reserved and peaceful environment. Yunnan is the most desired place to visit in China because of its beautiful landscape and local minorities. It is in this province where you can find a rare variety of mixed Chinese culture due to the influence of the different minorities. Popular places to visit in Yunnan include the Shilin Stone Forest in Kunming, the Old Town in Lijiang and Dali as well as the Tiger Leaping Gorge and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It is often said that Yunnan province is the place for romance, adventure and discovery.

Guilin: Anytime Guilin is mentioned, Yangshuo is synonymously associated with it. Guilin and Yangshuo is situated in the South East of China. It is known for its special breathtaking landscapes and rich history over the past 1000 years. Guilin is known for its karsts and stone landscapes making it a great place for spelunking. The Reed Flute Cave is a major sightseeing to visit when you visit Guilin.

Xian is one of the most ancient cities in China which traces back the huge transformation of the Chinese nations from the ancient times. It has become an industrial and tourist spot with the grimy background that people have gotten used to. Xian is the site of the Terracotta Army Warriors considered to be the eighth wonder of the world. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is also a major attraction in Xian known to be a well preserved ancient and holy place for Buddhist monks.

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Shanghai Attractions

Shanghai is one of the largest cities in the world and is rapidly growing to become one of the leading travel destinations in the world. This Chinese metropolis is one of the region’s main business destinations however more and more tourists visit Shanghai each year.

Anyone planning a trip to this wonderful travel destination should visit the attractions listed and reviewed in this article. Enjoy your visit to this impressive city and be sure to share your experience with your friends and relatives.

Jade Buddha Temple

Shanghai is home to a number of outstanding Buddhist temples and shrine. The Jade Buddha Temple is the most famous and popular Buddhist temple in town. If you plan to visit this impressive attraction then be sure to have a look at the unique images of the heavenly kings.

Shopping

The city also has plenty of great shopping opportunities. Prices for many goods and items are considerably cheaper then what you would expect to pay in Europe or in the States. The premier shopping destination in this large Chinese city is Nanjing Road which is home to over six hundred shops and department stores.

The Bund

No visit to Shanghai can possibly be complete without a visit to the Bund. This famous land mark is located on eastern banks of the Huangpu River. Local residents often visit the Bund during the evening hours and there is plenty of entertainment including dancing and singing. You can also enjoy the wide range of different architectural styles of the building in the area.

Yuyuan Garden

Yuyuan Garden is also known as the Happy Garden and was build over four hundred years ago in the Ming Dynasty. Not only can visitors enjoy the beautiful greenery at the Yuyuan Garden but also a wide range of different attractions including historic building, artifacts and the well known Exquisite Jade Rock.

The Shanghai Museum

If you are interested in learning more about Chinese culture and history then you should definitely visit the Shanghai Museum. Visitors can also view exhibitions about Chinese architecture, local art work and historic artifacts. There is also a wonderful library housing over two hundred thousand art books at this museum.

Wild Animal Park

The Wild Animal Park is one of the largest of its kind and is home to over ten thousand animals. The park is divided into two areas. One area is accessible for visitors on foot whilst the other is only accessible for visitors traveling by bus.

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