GREAT WALL is the most famous landmark in CHINA. I was not aware that there are other numerous significant and interesting landmarks in the most populous country in the world.
I was lucky to be selected for another schooling abroad, this time in CHINA. Since my arrival coincided with one of the longest holidays in CHINA, I was able to explore some of the tourist spots within the Capital City. BEIJING is the second largest city in the country in terms of population, next to SHANGHAI.
To discover and explore significant and interesting places became one of my main objectives while in China for 10 months. Traveling to different places is an essential step to widen my perspectives in life. It is my fulfillment to be able to impart the lessons of my journey that will serve as guide for those who will be traveling to the places that I had been to.
Some of my classmates in China jokingly called me "THE EXPLORER". I acted as their "TRAVEL CONSULTANT" whenever they wanted to explore. I provided them necessary information about the significant and interesting places in China especially in Beijing.
This time, I want to share with you my TOP 10 most interesting places in BEIJING:
1. GREAT WALL OF CHINA
The GREAT WALL OF CHINA is called "CHANGCHENG" (literally means LONG WALLS) in Chinese. It is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, generally built along east to west line across the historical northern borders of China to protect the Chinese states and empires against the raids and invasions of the various nomadic groups of the Eurasian steppe. Another reason why it was built is to PROTECT SILK ROAD TRADE. The length of entire wall is 21,196 kilometers or 13,171 miles.
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| GREAT WALL OF CHINA One of the NEW 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD |
2. TIAN'ANMEN SQUARE AND FORBIDDEN CITY
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| TIANANMEN SQUARE AND FORBIDDEN CITY Located exactly at the CENTER of BEIJING, One of the Largest City Complex in the WORLD |
3. BEIJING WORLD PARK
Many people wanted to travel around the world to witness amazing tourist spots. However, there are several hindrances to do that. Two of the top reasons are availability of resources and time constraints.
But if ever opportunity makes it happen, if you are in Beijing (the Capital of China), or nearby areas, you can have a glimpse of about 100 natural and cultural attractions from about 50 countries at the BEIJING WORLD PARK. But be physically prepared to explore and enjoy the visit to the park with 46.7 land area.
Some of the amazing attractions at the BEIJING WORLD PARK are the Great Pyrmaids, Great Phinx, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, Taj Mahal, Leaning Tower, Chinese Garden, Imperial Village, Great Wall, Mogao Grottoes, Maori huts, Sahara Desert, African Tribes, St. Sophia Cathedral, Athen's Aeropolis, Rome's Colosseum, German Castle, Lincoln Memorial Hall, Washington Monument, The Capitol, The White House, Statue of Liberty, The Golden Gate Bridge, Grand Canyon of Colorado among others.
The BEIJING WORLD PARK is very accessible by public transportation. The most convenient and economical way is by subway train. The park can be reached by BEIJING SUBWAY LINE at FANGSHAN LINE, get off at DABAOTAI Station, exit at Gate A or by Subway line 9, get off at Gougongzhung Station, Exit at Gate D. The following bus numbers can also be used: T7, 477, 480, 692, 967, 969, 840, 913 and 959. Taxi is another good option to reach the place.
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| BEIJING WORLD PARK 100 tourist attractions from 50 countries in one venue |
4. TEMPLE OF HEAVEN
TEMPLE OF HEAVEN was built in 1420 during the MING DYNASTY. It covers 273 hectares and considered as THE MOST HOLY OF BEIJING'S IMPERIAL TEMPLES. It is purposely built to WORSHIP HEAVEN and TO SOLEMNLY PRAY FOR GOOD HARVEST.
TEMPLE OF HEAVEN is a UNESCO WORLD CULTURAL RELICS. It is described as "MASTERPIECE OF ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN".
Some of the interesting attractions at the TEMPLE OF HEAVEN COMPLEX are the HALL OF PRAYER FOR GOOD HARVEST, CIRCULAR ALTAR, ECHO WALL, HALL OF CEREMONIAL MUSIC, and PALACE OF ABSTINENCE.
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| TEMPLE OF HEAVEN The largest architectural complex in the World. |
SUMMER PALACE is the largest and most well-preserved royal park in CHINA. It is also called “THE MUSEUM OF ROYAL GARDENS”.
SUMMER PALACE was constructed in 1750 as a luxurious royal garden for royal families to rest and for entertainment. It later became the main residence of royal members in the end of the QING DYNASTY. Its original name is QINGYI GARDEN.
It is a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE.
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| SUMMER PALACE The Largest Royal Park in CHINA |
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| OLYMPIC SPORTS CENTER Venue of 2008 Beijing Olympics |
7. WANGFUJING STREET
WANGFUJING, which literally means " PRINCE'S MANSION WELL" based on old story, is visited by about 600,000 people both local and foreigners on ordinary days and about 1.2 million people during weekends and holidays.
WANGFUJING is being compared to "NEW YORK'S FIFTH AVENUE", "CHAMPS-ELYSEES OF PARIS", and "GINZA OF TOKYO" by many bloggers.
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| WANGFUJING STREET The Busiest Commercial Street in Beijing |
8. BEHAI PARK
BEIHAI PARK is strategically located at the heart of CENTRAL BEIJING just beside other important tourist destinations in BEIJING like the FORBIDDEN CITY and TIANANMEN SQUARE.
The park is also considered as the center of history and culture in BEIJING.
"BEIHAI" literally means "NORTHERN SEA"
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| BEHAI PARK The Center of Ecological and Natural Beauty in Beijing |
9. BEIJING ZOO
BEIJING ZOO is initially established in 1906 during the GUANGXU REGIME of QING DYNASTY. It was named as " WANSHENG GARDEN" (Ten Thousand Animal Garden), and officially renamed as BEIJING ZOO in 1955.
BEIJING ZOO covers an area of 86 hectares breeding over 5,000 animals with more than 450 species. Visiting this zoo entails couple of hours to see all the animals and to completely explore the refreshing environs. There are many parts of the zoo where one can take a seat and rest while enjoying the scenery. You can also bring your books to read while unwinding in the serene atmosphere near the lake or put your earphones savoring favorite music while continuously walking in the vast paradise.
GIANT PANDA is one of the major attractions in Beijing Zoo. It is actually the easiest way to see this gentle giant. CHENGDU CITY which is quiet far from the Capital City is where you can see many Giant Pandas because it is the location of the breeding center of Giant Pandas in China. So, Beijing Zoo is the perfect place to witness cute Giant Pandas while they are either eating bamboos or sleeping.
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| BEIJING ZOO The Largest Zoo in China |
10. QIANMEN STREET
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| QIANMEN STREET The Oldest and Most Famous Ancient Street in Beijing |
ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN BEIJING
One of the most interesting things for me in BEIJING is the presence of about 17 lines of SUBWAY. It makes traveling enjoyable, convenient, fast, and cost effective. Majority of the tourist attractions are reachable by public transportation especially subway trains. The SUBWAY CARD (like the MRT or LRT CARD in the PHILIPPINES) can be used both for the subway train and the bus. Yes, buses in BEIJING have electronic machine just like that in the SUBWAY. Another proof of the effectiveness of the well-planned transportation system is the presence of connectivity among SUBWAY LINES. When transferring from one line to another (just like from MRT to LRT or another LRT line in the PHILIPPINES), there is no need to exit from the station and line-up again to enter because of said connectivity. Buses pick-up and unload passengers at the designated bus stops only.
THE "GREAT FIREWALL" OR THE SOCIAL MEDIA BAN
One of the biggest challenges of being in CHINA as an EXPAT is the language barrier. You have to be good in sign language to be able to buy something or derive an information. Another challenge also is the ban of social media like FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and YOUTUBE.
But those challenges are also opportunities for me to learn something new like the language and culture, to adapt to a different environment and maximize my time both in studying and making new friends with my classmates from more than 30 countries from ASIA, AFRICA, EUROPE, NORTH AMERICA and SOUTH AMERICA.
But those challenges are also opportunities for me to learn something new like the language and culture, to adapt to a different environment and maximize my time both in studying and making new friends with my classmates from more than 30 countries from ASIA, AFRICA, EUROPE, NORTH AMERICA and SOUTH AMERICA.
CURRENCY
The CURRENCY in CHINA is YUAN or RMB. 1 yuan is equivalent to about 7 pesos in the PHILIPPINES. There are numerous banks in Beijing where you can change any foreign currency.
ENJOY YOUR EXPLORATION OF THE CAPITAL CITY OF CHINA...
If you have any questions about the details on how to explore BEIJING, please add your questions below.
Xiexie nin...
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