Answer to One China Travel Question
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Q: Have never been to China. Want should I see on a China trip? Great Wall, but what area is not so touristy? List 10 places or things that are a must do. Eating is in question too.
| | A: What to go and what to do when one travels to China?
Major tour destinations in China include Beijing (national capital, history, culture, museums, commerce), Shanghai (cosmopolitan city, shopping, coffee shops), Xian (history - terra cotta warriors), Guilin (scenery and landscape - Li River), and Hong Kong (international city, shopping).
For those who are more adventurous. Tibet, Silk Road, and scenic regions in southwestern China.
Also, Yangzi River cruise (Three Gorges). The view is not as dramatic as it used to be, but still good. Plus the greatest dam in the world.
In Beijing and vicinity, must-sees include the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Great Wall, and, for summer 2008, Olympics.
There are three places where one can climb the Great Wall. Of the three sections, Badaling is the closest and also the most touristy. This is followed by the section of the Great Wall at Mutianyu. The farthest (80 km?) section of the Great Wall is Simatai. There is no avoiding touristiness altogether, but it is generally not as crowded as the other two places. There are tours that take travelers farther out on the Great Wall, but these trips are for those who are more, again, adventurous.
As for food, try Chinese food :). There are tons of choices, including MacDonald's, KFC, etc. One needs to about the local scene to get some of the good places. If you are not sure, choose places that large and space, which are more likely to be clean too. Better known regional cuisines include Sichuan, Hunan, Guangdong (Cantonese), Shanghai, etc. Nowadays a Peking Duck dinner seems to be a must for a tour of Beijing. Drink only bottled or boiled water.
Bring along some anti-diarrhea medicine.
Possible activities for tourists: Peking opera, acrobats show, staying with local families, rickshaw tours, biking around (in areas where it is safe to do so), and, of course, shopping cheap Chinese stuff and trying out one’s bargaining skills. Some travelers do more exotic things such as going to Sichuan and watch pandas in their natural habitat.
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