Quote:
Originally Posted by
Deniiz 
I really wonder the Forbidden City. I've read Conn Iggulden's Genghis Khan books, and they made me wonder how big the palace was, but I sadly heard it was burnt by British in 1800s.
The Forbidden City is HUGE. I mean MASSIVE. Although most of the rooms are not open to the public, many of the them have been converted into "museums" for weapons and things like that.
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I finally got to return to Beijing, my birthplace, 2 years ago. Every since I have gone every year.
Here are places I recommend going to if you are ever in China.
I will write tips on food and common issues you should know about China at the bottom of this LOOONG post, haha.
Beijing:
Beijing is amazingly historic. The capital of China is immensity crowded.
Beijing consists of 7/8 ringroads. Theses roads go around central Beijing and go outwards.
The Great Wall of China is about 50 miles outside of central Beijing.
Badaling is the main tourist point.
Honestly it is one of the most amazing things you will ever see. Sadly most of the Wall is crumbling. Most of the images of the Great Wall are of the same section, since that is all they have restored.
The paste that put held together the bricks of the Wall, was made from rice, water and sugar...and the bones of the slaves who worked on it.
No wonder it is falling apart. haha.
But joking aside, it really is one of the most amazing things you will ever see.
Tiananmen Square / The Forbidden City.
Tiananmen Square is in the heart of central Beijing. Major holiday festivals and gatherings take place in Tiananmen Square, like Chinese National Day.
People from all over the country and the world come to see this massive area.
Walk across the busy street and you will see the Forbidden City, easily identifiable by the giant picture of Chairman Mao on the front.
Prepare to do some walking and climbing though.
The Temple of Heaven.
The Temple of Heaven, to put it blatantly, is beautiful. The temple itself has amazing architecture. It is surrounded by a beautiful park that is constantly busy with people, especially on the weekends. Here people play games, eat, talk, dance and tai chi.
It is a beautiful place to relax and get away from the busy streets.
The Summer Palace.
The Summer Palace is one of the most beautiful parks I have every been to.
Surrounded by a lake, tourists, lovebirds and locals love to take man powered paddle boats out onto the lake. These boats come in various sizes and can hold up to 6 people. It is hard work sometimes but it is the easiest way and sometimes the only way, to see the other islands that are scattered around the lake.
There are many pavilions with older people dancing or singing.
Also the famous 17 arch bridge is awesome to either travel under by boat, or walk along.
Food carts dot the main walkway around the lake.
There is also the Marble Boat.
...A boat made of Stone, supported by a wooden base...in a lake...yes it is awesome and epic.
Olympic Park.
Do.
NOT. Miss. This.
If you are a sports fan, this is amazing.
As of now you can officially enter the Birds Nest and you can even SWIM in the WATER CUBE..at certain times for 50 yuan for 2 hours..and in the warm-up pool.
Seriously this is amazing.
Just go.
Enough Sightseeing! Up for some shopping?
Wangfujing.
Wangfujing is a famous shopping/food area. Considered a huge tourist spot it is always packed with people. There are malls and small stores, traditional Chinese food and McDonalds...
Xi'an:
Two words.
Terracotta Warriors.
Ok, we only spent 2 days here when I went with my Uni.
Xi'an is a walled city.
Terracotta Warriors.
A MASSIVE underground stonemade army of warriors. Another amazing site to see.
Although in the process of digging the rest of the army out, there is a HUGE hanger of a portion of the site that has been partially cleared. These warriors are amazing. The detail, the animals. So beautiful.
Most of them are stone colored, but a few still have retained some of their original paint. Yes all of these warriors were painted.
I had some of the best spicy tofu in Xi'an.
Hangzhou:
Ok I admit, I do not remember much of Hangzhou, mainly because my memory is terrible...
West Lake
West Lake...is a lake. A HUGE LAKE. Paddle boats and little islands are a must here.
Tea.
If you drive through Hangzhou there are many hills full of tea. Tea is wonderful here. There are many places to buy tea and experience a tea ceremony.
Shanghai:
Shanghai was one of my favorite places to visit. Huge and Modern but still keeping its old Chinese flair and buildings.
Old Town/Yu Gardens.
DEFIANTLY go to Shanghai Old Town.
This is a place where traditional buildings are still around. Packed with tourists and food, this place is wonderful. The Yu Gardens are also amazing to explore.
The Oriental Pearl Tower. [Only go when it is a clear day]
The Oriental Pearl Tower is a wonderful place to see all of Shanghai. It has 15 observation places to see Shanghai from. This place is also a TV tower.
There are many places to eat and an amazing museum, Shanghai Municipal History Museum, that documents the change from Old Shanghai to New Shanghai.
This museum is amazing. A recreation of Old Shanghai. Wax humans working in medicine shops and homes. It is a life size walking museum.
The streets are cobble stoned and the laps are huge.
This is truly amazing.
Hong Kong.
I will admit, I did not like the city of Hong Kong very much. It was way to cramped and crowded. The stores were stacked on top of each other and the streets were way too small.
I never get claustrophobic, but this was getting to me.
Hong Kong is set in a beautiful way. Water, land and air.
Made up of a bunch of islands, it isnt part of mainland China and has their own money system, Hong Kong Dollars.
The Peak.
I hope you are not scared of heights.
This EPIC climb via cable car will give anyone the jitters. The peak is an AMAZING way to see all of Hong Kong. Seriously. This is EPIC.
Nighttime.
During the summer, once a week or so during the weekend, Hong Kong throws and EPIC light show. Although most of the buildings are lit up at night, there is a lazer show and everything.
Take a boat ride at night down the waterway that cuts through Hong Kong to get a real feel of how many lights there are in the city.
Chongqing:
Pronounced CHONG - CHING, this city is in southern China, near Chendu [you know that huge earthquake that happened. Leveled almost everything and killed thousands...yeah that city.]
Chongqing is famous for the "Hot Pot" a wonderful community dish.
Also it is famous for spicy food. Mmm...your mouth will be on fire!
It is a city that is set in a basin surrounded by mountains, and is commonly known as Smog City. This place is very hazy.
The Yangtze river and Jialing River cuts through this city as well, separate but then they join and flow into the ocean.
Because this city is surrounded by mountains, there is very little land for roads, so most roads are elevated. They even have a monorail that goes through a building....THOUGH A BUILDING!!
The People's Liberation Monument.
A good sized monument that is set in the middle of downtown Chongqing. Careful though, you might miss it since it is surrounded by huge department stores.
Dazu Rock Carvings.
These are amazing. Symbolizing Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, these carvings are utterly fantastic. Carved OUT OF CLIFFS, you will be amazed about how much detail is in them and how beautiful they are.
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If you are still with me after all of that, congrats!
...or you are really bored.
Here are some of my tips.
I was born in Beijing but came to America when I was a baby. Raised there all my life by an American Family.
With that being said...I was not used to Chinese behavior when I first arrived.
MONEY.
The big issue.
Currently this is the ratio.
1 United States Dollar = 6.8 Chinese Yuan.
1 Great British Pound = 11.13 Chinese Yuan
1 Euro = 10.09
To give you an idea of how things are priced...
At a supermarket/family store/street cart.
A 550ml bottle of water is 1-2 Yuan.
At a tourist area, 2-4 Yuan.
You can get a decent meal for 10 yuan, depending on where you go.
Surprisingly, Malls and department stores have pretty good places to eat that is cheap.
A mall on Wangfujing, has a dumpling place. a plate of 15 dumplings, some veggies and a bottle of water cost me 37 Yuan, aka 5 USDs.
[6 dumplings in the US costs around 3/4 bucks a pop]
Honestly, Do not worry about the cost of food. It may SEEM like a lot, mainly because you are still thinking in your countries currency.
It is handy to bring a converter on a cell phone, or a calculator for fast conversion between currency, Just remember to check daily what the rate is.
Ill put it simply...China is mostly cheap. Unless you want to buy something HUGE for your house...
Food.
THIS IS IMPORTANT! WATER:
The tap water in china is not drinkable, although some locals do. Boiling it is fine.
Buy bottled water.
Seriously.
The food here is amazing. Not like your westernized Chinese food.
Naturally things will have different names then you are used to.
If you are unsure, stick with meat you know of. Chicken and beef are your best bets.
If you do not speak or read Chinese, like me, some restaurants have English menus with pictures.
Hot Pot.
Hot Pot is from Chongqing, and is a group dish, but can also be for single diners. Boiling broth is set in the middle of the table. Meats [lamb and beef], fish and veggies are cooked in the boiling water.
The best is the spicy broth. Mmm...spicy.
Traffic.
...watch where you walk or you will die.
no seriously.
traffic in China is INSANE.
Do yourself a favor. Do.
NOT.Drive.
No one wears seat belts, no one signals and if they do, they weave in and out of traffic. Pedestrians are often in the middle of the street and cars just go around them.
Taxis are cheap and easy, but most taxi drivers understand basic english or no English at all. To be safe, always carry a few business cards of the place you are staying at. Also carry a map so you can point to the place you want to go or get reception to write it down for you in Chinese.
Remember to make sure the meter is running.
Toilets:
Toilets in most public places like tourist places, restaurants and public toilets are called squatters...it is a hole in the ground with running water.
They often smell bad and the floor is...sketchy. Just roll up your pants...
Always carry some paper with you. Take the napkins from restaurants or buy packs of travel tissues.
Most public toilets do not have paper.
[I will stop here about this subject.]
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if you want more info about china, you can PM me.
Chinese Places To Visit! 
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It's kinda small compared to the one in the USA though, but it's still amazing. But the price for water.. Is.. Insane 
Seriously. lol
Actually, it's fun just walking around the city.. It's a beautiful place, especially in the winter. The temperature is perfect. Oh yes I do love Hong Kong. 
