China and more China

Although this entry is stated to be in Beijing it is actually an overview of all the places that I visited within China. So far China has been my favourite country because the food has been amazing and so varied. It is a good idea to eat in a group and share dishes to do it the traditional Chinese way. Loving the free tea that comes with most meals so don't forget to top up on that Jasmine tea is lovely and a good way to top up your fluid intake. China is very reasonable price wise but Beijing and Shanghai were a little bit more pricier than the other areas I visited.

Beijing was a real eye opener for me you can meet so many people especially in the hostel near to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. The presence of the police and army is very apparent but they are friendly if they do stop you which unfortunately happen to me whilst leaving Tiananmen but the officer apologised for the inconvenience afterwards. The great wall is a must and there are 3 main sections of the wall in China you can visit some friends did two and said they preferred the longer stretch although more effort it was more rewarding. Try a bike ride round the city it's a great way to see the city and some hidden gems. The Summer Palace is beautiful even though I saw it in the winter. Trains are an easy way to get a round and the buses are also regular problem is knowing when to get off easy if you speak the lingo.

Shanghai was crazily busy and very modern as a city from a cultural point of view I didn't feel it offered a lot but if you like cities and modern architecture give it a go. Try to go up the sky tower for amazing views or maybe a meal in the revolving restaurant.
Xian the old capital of China is steeped in history and was a really enjoyable city to be in even if you and your roommate both got colds. Most people will go for a bike ride round the wall which is again a great way to see the city and the divide the wall surrounding the old and the emerging new city around it. This is the perfect place to go if you want to head onto see the Terracotta Warriors. They are very impressive but I thought they were all original a lot of restoration has been done but they have a good setup which shows the various states of repair and the history of the place.

Other things of interest to try are go to Chengdu and see the panda sanctuary there the pandas have a lot of room and seem well looked after. The Kung Fu show in Beijing was breathtaking and everyone said they enjoyed it I enjoyed it so much I went twice. Sechuan opera was also very interesting I had my doubts my the hand puppets and acting was amazing even though there was a language barrier it was clear too see what was happening.

I did China through a tour which was a really good way for me to do it. After speaking to some people they said that China was challenging to go round but they were all on tours. You can get around outside of a tour so give it a go.

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