|
|
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Get exclusive travel deals, trip reviews, and unique adventure travel ideas monthly.
|
|
BeijingThe capital of the People's Republic of China, Beijing (formerly Peking) is a very modern and exceedingly busy city (nearly 14 million people call it home) with high-rise buildings, international hotels and sprawling suburbs. The city is abuzz and bristling with cranes on the skyline as construction projects give rise to new skyscrapers and modernization proceeds apace. However, Beijing also encompasses numerous attractions of cultural and historical interest, of which some, such as the Great Wall, former Imperial palace (known as the Forbidden City), the Temple of Heaven, Summer
Palace and the remains of Peking Man at Zhoukoudian, are UNESCO-endorsed World Cultural Heritage Sites. Chinese history and culture fascinates Western visitors, and Beijing is the place to start exploring it. The city abounds in imperial palaces, temples, mansions, gardens and tombs that epitomise classical Chinese architecture. It has 120 museums and more than 100 public gardens.
The first port of call for most visitors is the Forbidden City, which lies at the heart of Beijing with the rest of the city radiating out from it in a grid pattern. For five centuries this massive palace complex with 9,999 rooms functioned as the administrative center of the country and home to a succession of emperors, who lived in luxurious isolation, surrounded by courtiers and retainers. The Palace overlooks the famous Tiananmen Square, site of so much political drama and dissent, the epitome of this capital city.
As host to the 2008 Olympics in August next year, Beijing has been busy readying itself to conduct what it claims will be 'the best in Olympic history'. Public transport is being improved, environmental issues addressed and a general clean up of the city has been ordered. The Chinese government sees the games as a chance for China to highlight its economic rise and emergence as a world power.
Getting Around: Although Beijing's public transport system is extensive, including a comprehensive bus network and the subway, many visitors soon tire of hot overcrowded buses and rush hour congestion underground and make use of taxis. Cycling is also a good alternative with numerous bicycle rentals around the city, and well-defined bike lanes, bike parks and the company of millions of other cyclists, especially at rush hour. It may look intimidating, but can be the best way to get around for the more adventurous traveller. For the Olympics in 2008 there will be 50,000 brand new bicycles available to rent at outlets close to subway stations, commercial districts, Olympic venues, hotels and office buildings. The subway outside of rush hour is the fastest and easiest form of public transport to use. It is cheap, although not very extensive, and is much more pleasant than taking a bus. Buses are also very cheap, but uncomfortably crowded and care should be taken of valuables and bags. Taxis are plentiful and metered, and are the most common form of transport for visitors, but it is necessary to have the destination written in Chinese characters as drivers rarely speak English. Taxis come in all shapes and sizes with fares printed in the back window; generally the older and smaller the car the cheaper the fare, with luxury sedans that congregate around the main hotels and tourist sites the most expensive. Car hire is not recommended and generally not available - cars must be hired with a driver and are restricted to the city limits.
ShanghaiShanghai, home to almost 12-million people, is China's largest city and is situated in the center of the coastline where the Yangtze River flows through its delta into the East China Sea. The name of the city means 'on the sea', and most of the city (including Chongming Island) is only a few meters above sea level, criss-crossed by a maze of natural waterways of the Taihu drainage basin.
Shanghai is China's industrial and commercial capital. It is a busy seaport, and a science and technology center, and has a vibrant business community. Visitors come to Shanghai not for its scenic beauty or history (the city is too young to have cultivated a classical heritage), but those who arrive on business can find plenty of off-duty entertainment and relaxation. Just walking the busy streets and soaking up the vibrant atmosphere is worthwhile, and there are some temples and gardens to visit along with an excellent museum.
This great cosmopolitan metropolis has a colorful colonial background which had the edge rubbed off of it during half a century of Communist rule. It was the first Chinese coastal port to be opened to Western trade in 1843, resulting in an influx of British, French and American diplomats and business interests, each of which established their own independent enclaves. In the 1920s and 30s Shanghai was regarded as a glamorous and rather decadent 'in' place to visit. It all ended with World War II and the coming to power of the Communist party, but now, since the early 1990s a dramatic re-building program has been underway which is aimed at putting Shanghai back on the map as a major international finance and trade center - the planned World Financial Center will be the world's tallest building when it is completed in 2007.
Getting Around: Taxis are the preferred mode of transport for visitors in Shanghai. The metered Volkswagen cabs in primary colors are easy to identify and plentiful. The smaller, older cars are generally cheaper. All can be hailed on the street or booked by telephone. Self-driving in a rental car is not a good option in the teeming tangle of streets, and visitors are required to submit their driver's license in order to obtain a license, which will be given back on leaving the country. Many visitors opt to join the city's estimated seven million cyclists and rent bicycles from their hotels or one of the numerous hire shops in the city. To cover longer distances the Shanghai subway, costing just a few cents a ride, is the perfect solution, covering the downtown area. It is still being extended, ultimately to connect to the airports. Public buses are extremely cheap, but very uncomfortable and inconvenient, being hot, crowded, unreliable and preyed on by pickpockets.
Xi'anIn ancient times the city of Xi'an was a major crossroads on the trading routes from eastern China to central Asia, and the beginning point of the famed Silk Road; in recent years this 3,100 year old city that was once regarded to be on a par with Rome and Constantinople, has come back into its own as one of China's major tourist attractions. In 1974, on the city's eastern outskirts, archaeologists stumbled across a treasure trove: an army of terracotta warrior figurines in battle formation standing in underground vaults. Hailed as the greatest archaeological find of the 20th century, the terracotta warriors have brought visitors from around the world flocking to Xi'an to soak up its historical and cultural heritage, and perhaps embark on an adventure tour along the ancient silk caravan route.
Xi'an, in ancient times known as Chang'an, is situated in central China in the southern part of GuanZhong Plain in Shaanxi province, with the Qinling Mountains to the north and the Weihe River to the south.
Besides the terracotta warriors, the city has a great many historical relics of interest, having been the capital city of China through 12 dynasties during its thousands of years of development.
Getting Around: Xi'an is easy to negotiate on foot, as it is relatively small and compact. Buses run frequently, linking most attractions, as do the smaller and more crowded minibuses. Taxis are plentiful but visitors should ensure the meter is switched on as drivers can tend to overcharge with 'fixed rates.' Hiring a bicycle is also an option, though one should be careful on the busy streets.
TibetThis is the land of majestic mountains, exotic culture and gentle people. Tibet, 'the roof of the world', lay largely undiscovered by the rest of the world until the beginning of the 20th century, but has since fascinated travelers seeking the unspoilt and more remote corners of the globe.
China invaded and annexed Tibet in 1950, since when the country has officially been known as the Tibet Autonomous Region. Unless traveling on an organized tour, anyone wishing to visit Tibet must obtain a permit in advance from the Tibet Tourist Authority. This vast territory in the southwest of China consists of a massive plateau surrounded by towering mountain ranges. The Himalayas ring it in the south, the Karakoram Range is to the west, the Kunlun to the north, and smaller ranges fringe the east forming a barrier between Tibet and China's internal provinces. Most of Tibet is several thousand feet above sea level, meaning that the air is thin. The region is a Mecca for mountaineers, containing some of the world's highest mountain peaks, capped by Mount Everest at 29,029ft (8,848m), sited in the middle section of the Himalayas in Tibet's Tingri Country.
Tibet is scenically rich with snow-covered peaks, glaciated high passes, aquamarine lakes, primeval forests and almost continual bright-blue skies. Despite its altitude and thick snow covering the mountains, Tibet actually has snowfalls only a few times a year with plenty of sunshine the rest of the time. Tibet's major cities and towns are congregated mainly in the southern part of the region. Here, in the agricultural sector, are the capital Lhasa and the other major city of Shigatse, which offer the region's most important tourist attractions.
Next Page »
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
Related China Content
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
China City Guides:
|
|
China Community:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
