Hôtels à Beijing, 1295 Hôtels

Beijing is vast, it is busy and it is believe it or not one of the friendliest places on the planet now that the population has in the main been allowed to talk to tourists who in turn have been 'allowed' to visit.

There is little point in describing every place that you 'have' to visit because that would mean that you would be reading almost forever, so here below are some of the sights not to miss and a tip if you can spend as long as you can in Beijing, there is so much to see.

Number one on any list of places to visit in Beijing has to be the Forbidden City and The Imperial Palace. This wonderful complex of palaces, temples and other buildings was the exclusive home to 24 Chinese Emperors and their courts for over 500 years. It was called the Forbidden City because the ordinary people were not allowed to enter it.

It is just simply one of the wonders of the world and must not be missed.

From the Forbidden City it is just a short taxi ride to the Dixia Cheng, another 'city' but this time and underground one. The Underground City of Dixia Cheng was built by Chairman Mao when he expected to be bombed by the Russians as the conflict between the two nations grew in the late sixties and is a complex of subterranean nuclear bomb shelters.

No visit to Beijing or China would be complete without a visit to the Great Wall of China and happily when you are in the middle of Beijing you are only 70 miles from Badaling a town situated on the Great Wall. The Great wall of China is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and dates back to around 220 BC. 

If you are tight for time when you are visiting Beijing you can visit the Summer Palace on the way to Badaling and the Great Wall. The Summer Palace is a beautiful palace built by the Qing rulers of China and nestles next to the amazing lake Kunming. 

In the middle of Beijing you can visit the lavishly large and impressive Tiananmen Square and when you cross it see the gate of Heavenly Peace and the Forbidden City to the north. In the opposite direction in every sense of the words you can at the southern end of Tiananmen Square visit the preserved body of Chairman Mao in its Mausoleum. Though you aren't allowed to take photographs inside or bags, entrance is free.