Beijing
Nowhere in the world are you likely to find a city with such a fascinating mix of ancient and modern as Beijing. The striking contrast between the lavish imperial palaces, the Communist era edifices and the modern havens to commercialism are at once inspiring and bewildering.
Although you will still come across old men in Mao style uniforms wandering the streets, Beijing is desperately trying to shed its grey, Eastern-bloc coat in favour of a new, shiny image. Springing up all over the city are spanking new department stores, hotels and restaurants, enticing people in with the promise of Western designer brands and luxury lifestyles. Cheek by jowl with these are old "hutongs", traditional streets with atmospheric little tea shops where you'll find makeshift barbers set up in the middle of the street and rickety market stalls selling fruit and vegetables.
At yet another extreme are the sumptuous buildings of imperial China. Most famous of these is the amazing Forbidden City. With its exquisite furnishings and hidden inner courtyards, the palace provides one of the most fascinating insights into the opulent world of the Emperor, his courtiers and eunuchs. The city also boasts some beautiful old temples such as the peaceful Taoist Dong Yue Temple, hidden away in the middle of a busy shopping street.
While you're here, you can't miss an excursion to the Great Wall, only a short trip away and as awe-inspiring as you would expect of such a majestic structure.
Finally, Beijing is a great place to come if you like Chinese food, with regional cuisines from the entire country represented in the city, dining out being a favourite pastime with Beijingers.
SIGHT SEEING
As capital city of the most populous country in the world, as you might expect Beijing is a bustling hive of activity. Just experiencing the frenetic pace of life that is the daily routine here is attraction in itself. However, there are plenty of sights that you simply have to visit during your stay.
THE FORBIDDEN CITY
Central to both Beijing itself and to its history as capital of the Middle Kingdom, the majestic 600-year-old palatial grounds - home to 24 Ming and Qing Dynasty emperors - are suitably grand. The imposing pavilions, courtyards and exquisitely ornate buildings radiate imperial splendour. Over 900,000 cultural relics are housed in the palace museum alone. An unhurried, day-long tour of the Forbidden City is an essential part of a visit to Beijing, and yields fascinating insights into the lives and daily rituals of the Mandarins.
*Large-scale renovation work on the Forbidden City is now taking place and is not expected to be complete until 2020. The site will remain open to visitors but some inconvenience may be caused.
TEMPLE OF HEAVEN
This striking piece of Ming Dynasty architecture - now a popular symbol for Beijing - was the site of the emperors' annual sacrificial rites offered to the gods in return for good harvests. The temple park is heavily wooded with thousands of ancient, gnarled cypress trees, and it is easy to find a private nook. Visit in the early morning when locals practise tai-chi among the trees; or be rewarded in the late afternoon with sounds of old folk tunes sung by Beijingers who gather there to enjoy the dusk.
*Renovation work on the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest has finished, but follow up work is still underway and may therefore cause some inconvenience.
THE SUMMER PALACE
This Qing Dynasty imperial summer retreat is probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing historical sites in Beijing. There are several attractions here including the extravagant marble boat on the shore of Kunming Lake, built by the Empress Dowager Cixi, and the Pavilion of the Fragrance of Buddha, which affords marvellous views of Kunming Lake and the palace area. Boating and swimming in the lake are popular in summer, while skating is possible in winter.
DONG YUE TEMPLE
This unassuming and tranquil Taoist temple is tucked away in the middle of the bustling Chaoyangmen area. The ring of heavenly governing "departments" provide insight into Taoist thought. In each room a scene of heavenly judgement is depicted, with garishly coloured life-size clay figures, some with animal heads, in various states of bliss or torment.
Within is a solemn forest of steles, as well as a small museum displaying life in Beijing at the turn of the 20th century with exhibits of the typical clothes, furniture and living arrangements of Beijingers at the time. There are English explanations for each room.
HOU HAI
In Beijing, the pace at which old neighbourhoods are being torn down and glossy, overbearing high-rises erected in their place is staggering. One of the few areas in which it is still possible to experience the slow charm of Old Beijing is at the "Back Lakes", or Hou Hai. The surrounding maze of hutongs (alleyways) is enchanting - old men in Mao uniforms sit outside on the pavements smoking their pipes and playing wuziji; old women doze on their doorsteps.
Visits at night are also recommended as there are several good restaurants and bars overlooking the lake.
BEI HAI PARK
The centrepiece of this park is a white Tibetan dagoba, built for the Dalai Lama's visit in the 17th century, and situated on an island in the middle of the lake. The park itself is associated with the great Kublai Khan, who built his palace on the current site of the white dagoba in the 13th century. Hiring a rowboat or pedalboat to go out onto the lake is good for a relaxing afternoon, although avoid the park on the weekends unless you are fond of crowds.
TIANANMEN SQUARE
Of national symbolic significance, this huge square is presided over by the well-known and easily recognisable picture of Chairman Mao hanging on Tiananmen, the Gate of Heavenly Peace. Forever etched into the international psyche, the square was not only the site of the bloody student clashes with the PLA in 1989, but was also where Mao proclaimed the founding of The People's Republic of China in 1949.
Nowadays, although the scenery is eerily familiar, there is a carefree holiday atmosphere here, with people flying kites and taking pictures of their families in front of the many landmarks in and around the square. The square lies directly south of the Forbidden City and north of Qianmen (the old Front Gate), a well-preserved and impressive remnant of the city's old fortifications. To get there, take the subway to the Tiananmen Dong (East) station.
MAO'S MAUSOLEUM
For many, Chairman Mao's final resting-place is more of a spot for morbid curiosity rather than an attraction as such. If you come here in the summer, you'll find enormous queues of pilgrims eagerly awaiting a glimpse of their infamous former leader. The mausoleum was constructed over several months following Mao's death in 1976 and houses memorial rooms to some of his cronies such as Zhou Enlai as well as the body of the chairman himself.
Visitors are whisked through the homage hall at high speed and may be left wondering if it was worth the long wait, but it is undeniably a unique experience that you'll ultimately be glad you made the effort to achieve. Souvenir stalls outside sell innumerable Mao gifts that are quite entertaining for their novelty value.
LAO SHE'S BEIJING RESIDENCE
Tucked away in a narrow hutong (alley) just outside of one of Beijing's busiest shopping areas, the silent courtyard home of this revered Chinese author and playwright hints at Beijing's turbulent cultural and political life in the years leading up to the Cultural Revolution. The museum contains much of his home's original furniture and some of Lao She's letters and photographs.
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