China is one of the most ancient, beautiful and mysterious countries on a modern map. Tourists from all over the world travel to the Celestial Empire to unravel its secrets and touch its living history. They say that for every guest China has prepared special surprises: it all depends on what you choose to visit in this country.
Those, who are visiting this country for the first time, should start their journey from the capital of China, Beijing. Visit the Imperial Palace, located in the northwest of the city, take a walk around the unique palace and the Summer Palace park complex, enjoy the beautiful architecture of the eastern samples, such as the Temple of Heaven, which is considered the largest in the country altar complex. And of course, it is a must for every traveler to visit the legendary Great Wall, which is a symbol of China. The sights of such a huge country should not be limited to Beijing, because outside the capital one will also find a lot of interesting things. For example, in Shanghai, the tourists should definitely visit the architectural and landscape ensemble Yu Yuan, which in Chinese means ‘the Garden of Joy’. There one will find Jade Buddha Temple and the large monastery called Lunhuasy. Connoisseurs of this Eastern country say that almost every city of the Middle Kingdom can share many interesting things!
The sights of nature and architecture of China are plentiful. Having admired the original Chinese architecture and having examined China’s most popular attractions mentioned in all travel references, you can safely move on to the nature of this country, since there is much to see and to be surprised by. In China, one finds numerous nature reserves, parks, unique and rich botanical gardens. When in Harbin, do not miss the chance to see the representatives of the beautiful cats – the tigers living in the ‘Safari Tigers’ park. Meeting nearly two hundred striped predators will make a lasting impression on you.
In Harbin, right in the city you can visit a real island. The Chinese call this place the sunny island of love and spend leisure time there.
China’s sights include not only architectural ensembles and parks, but also animals. For example, the giant panda.
To see this rare beast protected by the International Fund for Nature, one should go to the Oolong park, where amusing and touching black and white’ bears’ live in a special nursery.
The Great Wall of China can be a tremendous experience for a lifetime. The length of this historic building is more than 8000 kilometers. It is noteworthy that the main attraction of China topped the list of the new seven wonders of the world, released in 2007. The Chinese wall is in almost perfect condition, in many places, its upper flat part is paved and turned into a roadway.
Speaking about the sights of China, one should also mention the Forbidden City, the Imperial Palace, located in the heart of Beijing. Despite the fact that the total area of the palace is 720 000 meters, the building could only host the imperial family, and all other people were strictly forbidden to enter it. Only in 1925, the doors of the Forbidden City were opened for mere mortals.
Xi’an is famous for the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The Emperor was so afraid to remain in the underworld after death that he took with him an army – his mausoleum is guarded by the statues of about 7400 soldiers and 90 copies of the stone war chariots. An interesting complex of Luoyang caves is located in the capital of ancient China. In the 5th century, Chinese masters started the construction of the underground church. They carved out of sandstone 10,000 statues of Buddha in the local caves as well as the scenes from his life.