China is so large and diverse that it can offer the guest everything that his soul desires: deserts, endless steppes, rice fields, mountains, seas, islands, megacities, villages, temples, monasteries – with a clear conscience we can say that in this country there is everything. Even the most sophisticated traveler constantly finds something new and unknown.
Beijing
Beijing, or, as the Chinese call it, Beijing, justifies the status of the capital of the one and a half billion country. From the first minutes in this city, you find yourself in a cycle of people, cars, mopeds, and other ubiquitous objects, devices, and animals. The first few hours will be needed solely to get used to the incredibly fast pace of life here, but then you will merge into this stream, you will feel organic and rush with it towards a truly monumental city.
It is difficult to list everything worth visiting and seeing in Beijing. But seven main places cannot be missed by your attention:
The Forbidden City
Listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List with an area of 720 thousand square meters, where there are 980 buildings. Chinese emperors and their families lived in this city between 1420 and 1912.
Tiananmen Square
This is the largest in the world. Several of the most important historical buildings are located on it:
Mausoleum of Mao Zedong; National Museum of China; House of People’s Assembly (the highest legislative body of the PRC); Gate of Heavenly Peace.
The Summer Imperial Palace is also on the UNESCO List. The complex consists of over 3000 buildings. On its territory, there is the world’s longest painted art gallery, which is 728 meters long, and on its walls, you can see 8000 paintings.
The Temple of Heaven
Another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple is already about 600 years old, in ancient times it was used as a religious building to worship Heaven and the Sun, from which there are two names: according to ancient Chinese beliefs, it was the Sun that sent the harvest or drought to the earth.
To fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Beijing, you just need to visit Wangfujing – the oldest shopping street, which is sometimes also called the “first” street in China. There are about 300 stores of famous brands here. Part of the street is occupied by a large street food complex where you can find cooked insects, dogs, cats, and many other Chinese “delicacies” that often shock Westerners.
Great Wall of China
And, of course, the Great Wall of China, which is the main visiting card of the city and the country as a whole. Several sections of the Wall have been preserved near Beijing in excellent condition; after a slight reconstruction, they gladly receive guests here. According to official data, the length of the entire Wall is 8851.9 km, which is approximately three distances from Kyiv to Barcelona across Europe.
Hotels and transportation in Beijing
The cost of hotels in Beijing starts at $ 20 and ends at around $ 1000 for a double room. Public transport will cost from 30 cents to $ 2 per trip, depending on distance and type of transport. Buses are cheaper, but you will have to pay a little extra for the metro. Eating at local Chinese cafes, you will pay only $ 2-3 per person for lunch. Prices throughout China are approximately the same, fluctuations are possible within 10%.
After thoroughly walking around Beijing, you can move on. First of all, you need to decide on the type of vacation that you like, because, as we said, China can offer a lot of interesting options.
Where to go in China?
Lovers of mountain landscapes, trekking, and rock climbing make their way to the city of Chengdu, which is in the heart of the People’s Republic of China. It is located on the border with Tibet, which is not so easy to get to. This will require a special permit from the Chinese authorities, and you can travel exclusively as part of a tourist group. Such trips must be planned by contacting travel agencies at the place of stay.
For those who do not have time or desire for this, it is worth staying in Chengdu, because this is already the beginning of the Tibetan mountains. Here is one of the largest panda parks in China, where you can chat with them and even pet them.
- Flight from Beijing to Chengdu is $ 80;
- Coupe train – $ 110;
- Sitting train – $ 40, but keep in mind that the train journey will take about 30 hours since the distance between cities is 2000 km;
- There is also a high-speed train that costs $ 200 per person, travel time is 14 hours;
To fly by plane, of course, is faster, but on the train, you can enjoy the flavor of Chinese life and views from the window. On the way, you will cross 2/3 countries diagonally – the choice is yours!
The Sea
Sea lovers will also be satisfied in China because its entire eastern part is a long sea coast. Also, the country owns many islands on different seas. Some of them are still undergoing international disputes. As, for example, Taiwan is an island, the independence of which is still not recognized by many countries in the world, and on Chinese maps, it is designated as part of the PRC.
If you, having arrived in Beijing, decided to go to the sea after excursions, then this desire can be fulfilled with pleasure anywhere on the east coast, because in almost every city travelers have many well-groomed beaches and excellent infrastructure. But the best place to stay is Hainan Island, located in the south of China, near the border with Vietnam. It is warm here almost all year round, you can swim and sunbathe. The highlight of the island is the numerous plantations of mangoes, coffee, tea, pineapples, bananas, coconuts, and other exotic plants.
Sea lovers will also be satisfied in China because its entire eastern part is a long sea coast. Also, the country owns many islands on different seas. Some of them are still undergoing international disputes. As, for example, Taiwan is an island, the independence of which is still not recognized by many countries in the world, and on Chinese maps, it is designated as part of the PRC.
If you, having arrived in Beijing, decided to go to the sea after excursions, then this desire can be fulfilled with pleasure anywhere on the east coast, because in almost every city travelers have many well-groomed beaches and excellent infrastructure. But the best place to stay is Hainan Island, located in the south of China, near the border with Vietnam. It is warm here almost all year round, you can swim and sunbathe. The highlight of the island is the numerous plantations of mangoes, coffee, tea, pineapples, bananas, coconuts, and other exotic plants.
Gobi Desert
For lovers of open spaces and outdoor recreation, there is also a great place in this endless country. This is the Gobi Desert in northwestern China, centered in the city of Urumqi. This region borders Kazakhstan in the west, and Mongolia in the northeast, and is the most uninhabited in the entire country, not counting the Tibetan mountains. Until recently, almost no people lived here, all the cities along the way are an example of the overactive development of Chinese industry, economy, and urbanization.
Most cities with a population of several million have been built over the past 40 years. Even driving through the desert, the gaze constantly finds high-rise buildings somewhere over the horizon. Indeed, this state demonstrates incredible development. Although in the steppes and deserts it is still possible to find nomadic tribes of Mongols and Chinese, who still live in tents, ride horses, and camels. The contrast between skyscrapers and nomads is truly breathtaking.