Curious about China
We’re well into the 29th Olympic Games, this year being held in Beijing, China.
Personally, one of the things that most fascinates me about the Olympics is the country it’s held in. I tend to watch all those specials about the exotic location and end up planning future trips around those countries. No surprise then, that China is the latest on my travelling wish list. Chances are I won’t get there for some time, but a little dreaming never hurt anyone, right?

One of the most interesting things about China is the Great Wall. Contrary to a recent television advertisement, the Great Wall of China wasn’t built to “keep the rabbits out, there were too many rabbits in China”. It was actually built as a defensive structure against the northern neighbours, and between 2 and 3 million men died building it over the years. It also has been said that it’s the only man made structure that can be seen from space, a theory that is actually debatable.
Doing a little research, I learnt that the Forbidden City in Beijing was the imperial home of the 24 emperors of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties used to live, so was forbidden to ordinary people. These emperors used to visit the Heaven of China to pray and the Summer Palace during the warmer months, all of which look like definite must sees.
China isn’t, of course, just Beijing. Aileen HK recommends quite a few cities in China, including Shanghai, Hangzhou and Zhou Zhuang. She even provides a handy itinerary and highlights of what you can see in each place, with advice such as:
Shanghai - Go to Shanghai Museum + Sex Museum (900 numbers of exhibits there and some are 5000 - 6000 years old, this museum is the only one of the kind within the whole China), afternoon tea in any modern/contemporary area or traditional Shanghai tea house, drinks/clubbing in Xin Tian Di. More
The time of the year you visit China is really important as such a big country has vastly different climates, ranging from the tropics to snowy mountain peaks. CYM recommends:
For the southern part like Quangzhou, Guilin and Yunnan, the best time would be March/April or September/October. If Shanghai and Hangzhou are your destinations, go in April or October or early November as it isn’t that warm then. Personally, I like to travel in late spring(long daylight hours) or autumn as the weather isn’t hot. More
Wow, what great advice. Who else has been inspired to visit China since watching the games?
Caitlin
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