Beijing China may be a modern marvel, but this majestic city has a history that stretches back thousands of years. This sprawling capital boasts modern design and anachronistic architecture, but despite this obvious juxtaposition the two differing styles complement and enhance each other. When next visiting this truly ‘traditional meets modern’ hub, you cannot miss seeing these destinations.
See the summer palace
This imperial palace is almost 300 years old and sits beside Kunming lake. Here you can explore the bucolic estate where the plants, gardens and the building itself all live in peaceful harmony with one another. Here guests can marvel at the traditional architecture of the imperial palace or watch Chinese performers outside the palace temple.
Stand on the great wall
Yes everyone does it and yes it can be quite crowded, but those are not good enough reasons to miss standing on this mighty landmark. The Badaling and Mutianyu sections of this great wall are the busiest for tourists so if possible try out the Jiankou section which is only partially restored but guaranteed to not be busy.
This mighty structure is even bigger up close and you won’t believe how great it is to stand atop it and look down at the world below you.
See the forbidden city.
When the mighty emperors were not spending their summers at the summer palace they spent their time isolated in the forbidden city. Today this once exclusive city is open to the public and visitors can walk the ancient streets and admire the ancient architecture and temples.
Be forewarned this former seat of the Ming dynasty is large and you will need to do a lot of walking to get around. It’s also best to take a guide because this palace can be quite a maze.