Summary
Easier to explore than ever before, the last decade has seen China develop at an astonishing rate. Bullet trains reduce travel between major cities from days to mere hours, making it now possible to discover its array of landscapes, cultures and world-famous attractions in a single trip. Highlights from this four-millennia old culture form an impressive list which includes Beijing’s Forbidden City, the giant pandas of Chengdu, Xian’s Terracotta Warriors, and the Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces of Longsheng. Add to them the chance to walk sections of China’s Great Wall, and take in Hong Kong’s nightly light display, and you have a holiday Mao himself would be impressed by.
Explore China
China
Description
Nowhere demonstrates China’s contrasting personality as much as Beijing. Although only the national capital since 1949, this city of 22 million people is still a fine introduction to this massive country thanks to its great range of places to stay, excellent local cuisine, and an impressive array of instantly recognisable sights.
Knowing exactly where to start is perhaps the biggest problem a visitor to Beijing is going to face, which alongside the possible language barrier, make guided tours to China such as our China Panorama tour such a great option. Leave it to our knowledgeable guides to provide the necessary background to Tiananmen Square, the final resting place of Chairman Mao, and the Forbidden City. Rightly named, this huge complex of buildings ruled the lands of the Ming and Qing dynasty emperors for 500 years It remains the largest royal palace to stand anywhere.
Before leaving Beijing, be sure to visit the Great Wall of China. It may stretch for almost 9,000 kilometres, but some of its best-preserved and most picturesque sections lie in the suburbs of modern Beijing including Badaling.
Beyond the capital, the hall holding the breathtaking Terracotta Warriors in Xian is another celebration of China’s ancient might which can be visited on escorted tours to China. Only discovered by accident in 1974, these life-sized clay figures with unique faces were made to protect the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, in around 200 BCE. It’s thought they total some 8,000 human figures and almost 700 horses, creating a truly breathtaking sight.
Somewhat cuter than the Terracotta Warriors are China’s giant pandas, with China the only country in the world to have populations of the bears in the wild. The best place to encounter these gentle giants is the city of Chengdu, where a research centre provides ample opportunities for watching these delightful creatures at play.
Other natural wonders in China include the Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces in Longsheng and the limestone karst formations of the River Li. The former wind from river to mountain across hundreds of metres, creating a unique landscape as well as giving impressive panoramic views across the region from their higher altitudes. Meanwhile, over millennia the waters of the Li River have created an almost otherworldly vista of steep conical hills.
Financially-orientated Hong Kong couldn’t be more different. An unusual mix of Chinese and British influences infuse streets containing some of the best shopping in Asia, a cityscape of more than 4,000 skyscrapers, and a surprising amount of green space.
