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Beijing – Sightseeing and visit the Great Wall of China

In this article I will tell you about the most beautiful sights in Beijing. I've been here for 2 and a half days and saw everything I wanted to see. The Great Wall of China is of course a real must-see, but I will also talk about another attraction: the menu.

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Menu

Overall, nothing special, but what's on the menu in Beijing is quite shocking. I ended up in a kind of restaurant at home, the son of about 10 years old does the serving and the parents are in the kitchen. I get a menu printed in my hands in Chinese, but of course I couldn't read it. I then get an English menu and then I got a little scared. Eating with names like 'Braised cat ears' for example, and 'The smell of urine dry noodles' doesn't really seem like my thing. I chose the safe noodles with vegetables!

Also read: By bike through Beijing | Book a bike ride and explore the city!

The food is also very cheap, for a few euros you already have a whole meal.

Snack Street

It takes some searching, but once you have found 'Snackstreet' you will be amazed. This was also a shock, just like the menus. There were many live snacks on a stick for sale! Once you get used to it, it is very nice to walk through Snack Street. The food is very tasty, very cheap, and something for everyone!

Hutongs in Beijing

Hutongs are typical old alleys in Beijing, some alleys are 700 years old. Many locals live in the hutongs and you can get a taste of the local life. The locals enjoy chatting with passers-by, playing games or selling homemade treats. The alleys are hidden deep in the busy city. The alleys are full of things from the locals, the laundry just hangs outside on the electricity cables, sometimes there is a car that makes you wonder how it ever got there.

In several hutongs you will find traditional siheyuans. These are a kind of complexes of a number of buildings around a small square. Often these have very nice doors. If a door is open, peek inside to see the inside of the siheyuan.

Chinese wall

One of the most impressive things I've seen in my life! And believe me, I've seen a lot. The Great Wall of China in Beijing is originally called the Long Wall and is about 2700 years old. The wall is about 8000 kilometers long and in some places is 900 meters high. Believe it or not, the wall is made of sticky rice, among other things!

The unexpected thing about the Great Wall of China is the number of people on the wall. I had expected that it would be completely full of people, but fortunately that was not the case. I walked 6 and a half kilometers on the Great Wall of China. Some parts were very steep and you really had to climb!
The Great Wall of China is very impressive, every few meters there is something different to see.

Several tours are offered to the Great Wall of China. Prices are between 25 and 60 euros for a half-day tour. Absolutely worth it! The tour that I did included a breakfast that we got on the bus and could eat and after the walk over the Great Wall of China an extensive lunch with unlimited Chinese food.

The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was built in 1422. It was the place where the Chinese emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasty ruled their empire. The Forbidden City was strictly forbidden to ordinary Chinese, only the emperors and their retinue were allowed to enter the Forbidden City. The city is surrounded by 3,5 kilometers of palace walls.

The Forbidden City is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is the largest and best preserved collection of landmarks and historic buildings in all of China† The Gate of Heavenly Peace is the gateway to the city. The portrait of Mao hangs on the facade and can be admired from Tiananmen Square. 

There are some areas in the Forbidden City that require payment, but there are also free areas. The tickets cost about 5 to 7 euros. You pay a little extra for the ideal audio tour guide, but it is definitely worth it.

The clock exhibition is definitely recommended. A special collection of old clocks from all over the world. And of course the Imperial Garden, you just have to see this one: a beautiful Chinese garden with beautiful chapels, flowers, beds and walking paths.

Also read: Worldly | Flight time – How long is the flight to Asia?

Summer Palace in Beijing

The Summer Palace is big! Built on the Hill of Long Life, it consists of palaces and temples, pavilions and bridges, and many hiking trails. The Summer Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was formerly used by the emperor as an outer palace.

Various tickets are available. For access to the park you pay about 3,50 euros and for various exhibitions you pay a little extra. There is a combination ticket available, with which you can see everything and it costs about 5 euros. An audio guide is also available here.

There are all kinds of things to see in the large park, you can certainly enjoy yourself here for a few hours. There is also a lot of singing and dancing in the park, which is very nice.

Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is a large park where the locals like to go for a walk. Within the park is a complex, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, where the Ming emperors offered sacrifices to ask the gods for a good harvest.

Beautiful paths have been laid out throughout the park and you can enjoy walking.

In the park you will also find the Rose Garden, one of the most beautiful gardens of the Temple of Heaven. It seems that the garden is at its best in May, because the roses are in bloom.

The entrance to the park is 3 euros and for the other sights in the park you pay another 3 euros.

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Moniek

Moniek, 32 years old and I love to travel! I still have so much on my bucket list, Barcelona, ​​Indonesia, Peru, USA, Iceland, you name it! Hopefully one day we can tick everything off.

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