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Beijing … where old world meets new

Stepping off the plane in Beijing, China I am greeted with a  sense of conflict.  The old world meets  new. It’s antique yet up-to-the-minute. The architecture holds history of an  era past, mixed with space-aged buildings.

Chinatours.com operate on the ground in China and offer English speaking  guides to help you navigate around the language barriers.  Jason is my guide for this journey amongst  some 1.3 billion locals into the People’s Republic of China.

Mesmerised and wide-eyed in the world’s oldest civilization  mixed with modern head-spinning pace, my journey begins exploring the legends  and myths of the Forbidden City.

There is a sense of wonder about this place, thick with  history of dynasty’s past in glorified space and structures depicting such  strength and power.  Submitting to the  charm of this foreign land, I let myself get carried away by the stories told  by my guide Jason.

The Tiananmen, Tian’anmen or Gate of  Heavenly Peace is a famous monument in Beijing and a widely used as a  national symbol.  It is the capital of  the People’s Republic of China.  First  built during the Ming Dynasty in 1420, Tiananmen is often referred to as the  front entrance to the Forbidden City.

Having a guide  makes the journey much easier and I wouldn’t recommend visiting without the  help from one.  The visit to Tiananmen  and the Forbidden City is followed by a short rickshaw ride through the streets  of Beijing before sampling some of the local life and food.

Chinatours.com likes  to show you the real China, so lunch is experienced locally in a Chinese  family’s house.  A selection of culinary  delights satisfies my hunger and it is a perfect opportunity to talk to the  family and see their way of life.

The afternoon is  rounded off by a visit to the Summer Palace.   Known as the Gardens of Nurtured  Harmony, the Summer Palace is a variety of palaces, gardens, and other  classical-style architectural structures.   Mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake, it covers an  expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is water.

The  sun begins to set on the day and after a tiring trip through the brutal Beijing  traffic, I reach the Mercure Beijing Downtown, eager to get my head down for  some well needed rest.

For information about Chinatours.com contact;

Toll Free Number: 1800 306 669 Email: tours@chinatours.com www.chinatours.com