Beijing

Beijing, also known as Peking, is China’s capital the world’s most heavily populated nation. It is located north of the country and bordered by Hebei Province to south, west, and north then Tianjin to the southeast. The city is also a major transport hub, with hundreds of international flights arriving every day, and also having major roads and railway lines passing through it.   Beijing is, without a doubt, the country’s cultural, educational, and cultural centre. Boasting over 3,000 years of history, Beijing’s contribution to China’s heritage is undeniable. There is hardly a major structure in the city that doesn’t have some sort of national and historical significance. This is one of the many reasons Beijing attracts thousands of travellers each year.   As one can already guess, Beijing’s major attraction is The Great Wall of China. This manmade structure, built between the 5^th and 16^th century BC as a protection against invaders, is an awesome structure spanning a total of five provinces – or over 3,000 miles. A walk on part of The Great Wall is one of the must-do Beijing activities for all visitors. Nearby, Tiananmen Square sits at the heart of the city and is the proud owner of the title “Largest City Square in the World”.   Almost equalling in significance, The Forbidden City boasts of being the largest imperial palace complex in the world, but also the best preserved. Its 9,999 rooms are surrounded by a 10-metre high wall and 6-metre deep moat. It is now a museum where visitors can view almost a million valuable artefacts, as well as enjoy the well-tended royal gardens.   There’s also the Summer Palace which earned its UNESCO World Heritage status in 1998, is a palace featuring extensive gardens, pavilions, bridges, and towers. It was constructed during the Qing Dynasty’s rule and is one of the must-see destinations when in China.   Of course, one can never leave Beijing without a taste of its distinctive cuisines. Beijing restaurants offer the most sumptuous dishes, often employing China’s traditional cooking styles and using ingredients that were used to cooked meals for the royals of Imperial China.