To holiday in Beijing is to enjoy a city of monumental scope and history. Beijing is a great city – literally. Famous Tiananmen Square is big enough to hold one million people, while the Forbidden City is home to just short of ten thousand imperial rooms. And Beijing’s growing. Thanks to the 2008 Olympics, the capital has witnessed more and higher rising towers, new restaurants and see-and-be-seen nightclubs. But at the same time, the city has managed to retain its individual charm. The small tea houses in the backyards, the traditional fabric shops, the old temples and the noisy street restaurants make this city special.
Your visit should include the Tiananmen Square precinct: the historic centre of Beijing, with thousands of visitors’ daily viewing the new cultural centre dubbed “the egg”, Mao’s remains, Great Hall of the People and the Tiananmen Gate, the first bastion of defence of the Forbidden City.
The Forbidden City was home to the imperial household and you’ll need time to explore even a small part of the compound. To get the best insights ask your Travel Counsellor to organise a private escorted tour. In the foothills west of Beijing, you’ll find the Summer Palace; a complex of buildings and gardens with superb views of Kunming Lake. Another must-see is the Temple of Heaven; an enormous park hosting several ancient structures, and a haven for locals who congregate to chat, play and practice ballroom dancing and tai chi.
One of the world’s top destinations, the Great Wall is a stunning monument stretching over 5,000km and some pundits say it’s visible from space. The closest place to view the wall is from Badaling, around 70kmfrom Beijing. A better choice is a little further out in the Mutianyu region; it’s not as overrun with tourists, and the view from the top will take your breath away, if the climb up the hill doesn’t.
No visit is complete without sampling the crispy Beijing Duck, but you’ll also find excellent examples of other Chinese regional cuisines. And don’t forget tea time, a traditional Chinese tea ceremony should be on everyone’s list.
Beijing fun facts
Beijing was known as Peking in Imperial China
Beijing is home to five of UNESCO's thirty-five World Cultural Heritage Sites in the People's Republic of China
The Beijing Zoo is the oldest zoo in China and has a wide variety of animals, including the giant panda
Hong Kong, Shenzen and Disneyland
Thursday 22nd May 2008
Travel Counsellor: Sylvia Paggiaro
Our family holiday started with the direct flight with Qantas to Hong Kong. Landing at night in Hong Kong (with all those tall building and bright lights) was exciting!
Our meet and greet transfer went off without a hitch and we arrived at The Kowloon Hotel for a six night stay. We were booked into a Superior room and were upgraded to a Harbour View Room. Nice! Our stay also included daily Buffet Breakfast. There was an incredible range of food to satisfy the palate with choices of Asian or Western food. The hotel is in a great location just around the corner from the Star Ferry. It takes only a matter of minutes to cross the harbour from the Kowloon side and we arrived on Hong Kong Island. Off we headed to the bus terminal and jumped on the bus taking us to Stanley Markets where we had some great “retail therapy”. It was a 20 minute bus ride which gave us amazing views of Repulse Bay.
We became quite confident in using the Star Ferry and the MTR. It was so cheap, so... view full story
click a circle on the map to view a Travel Counsellor's Diary