China - there's more to it than meets the eye

A Focus on China

China is a vast country; each region has its own personality. Here is a small guide to some of the more interesting places to visit in China. As the world’s oldest civilisation much on the focus is on history, but it is a history unlike anything in the rest of the world. China is not just about history though, you’ll find that there are lots of other things to do in China.

 

Hong Kong

Avenue of stars– This is similar to Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, it is located along Victoria Harbour Waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui which is a beautiful location in itself. It honours celebrities of the Hong Kong film industry.

Statue of Bruce Lee along the avenue of stars

Temple street night market- Located in Kowloon, Temple Street is one of the busiest flea markets in Hong Kong. It is famous for being a market that runs way into the night. The market offers everything from antiques to food to clothes to DVDs. Beyond the market you can enjoy some traditional Cantonese opera, or go to one of the many karaoke bars that are in Hong Kong.

Macau

Museum of Macau– Macau has a very interesting history, once a Portuguese colony it is now a region of China. The museum is located in a fort from the sixteenth century. Here you can learn about Macau’s history, people and culture. It’s a great place to learn about one of China’s lesser known regions.

 

Museum of Macau

Ruins of St. Paul's

Once you have seen the Museum you can visit the Ruins of St. Pauls which is just opposite it. Built by Jesuits in the 16^th century the Cathedral of St Paul was dedicated to Saint Paul the Apostle.The Cathedral ruins are a UNESCO heritage site and are one Macau’s most famous landmarks.

Wuhan

Hubei Provincial Museum

This is one of the best know museums in the whole of China, the collection includes over 200,00 objects including the sword of Goujian, the most famous sword in China dating from 400BC and artefacts from DukeYi’s tomb. The museum houses many artefacts that are forbidden to leave China due to their importance to Chinese culture.

Hubei Provincial Museum

 

Happy Valley Wuhan

If you love rollercoasters this is the place for you.  It is 350,000 square meters, it is made up of 8 different areas with different types of rides, and there is something for young and old here. Playamaya Water Park is nearby as well if the Wuhan heats gets too much for you at the amusement park. A great day’s fun is to be had here by everyone.

 

Chongqing

Fishing Town

As with many of the most interesting places in China this is also an historical one, it is the location of one of China’s greatest battlefields.  There are ruins of many battles that occurred here. This is where Mongke Khan was killed leading to the Mongol withdrawal from East Asia. The ruins here have been well preserved and are one of the most interesting tourist destinations in China due to the fact that the ancient ruins have been so well preserved. Any trip to Chongqing would be lacking without a visit here.

 The front gate leading to fishing town

 

Chongqing Museum

Chonqing museum was built as a way to save artefacts from historical sites submerged by the 3 Gorges dam. It houses these artefacts, paintings from different periods across history. Various tours are available, natural history of the local history, history of Chinese art and money and also learn about more modern events in China such as WWII and the Cultural Revolution.

 

Wulong Karst National Geology Park

The Wulong Karst Geology Park is a range of stone bridges and mountain valleys as well as caves; you can make you way via public transport but also by arranged tours. The walks here are just amazing; the landscape here is some of the most beautiful in Chongqing.

Beijing

Great Wall at Mutianyu– Simply one of the most iconic sites in the world, no visit to China is complete without a visit to the Great Wall of China. The section of the wall here is less crowded than at Badaling or Juyongguan. This makes it a much more enjoyable experience. You are able to walk the 1.6 miles stretch of the wall. Mutianyu is much less touristy than other areas so you can just enjoy the experience of this beautiful area. For only 45 Yuan (£4) this is well worth a visit.

 

Jingshan Park

This is a beautiful park filled with a variety of flowers and trees, the views here are breath-taking with a hill view of the Forbidden City. In the mornings there are groups of older people practicing Tai Chi, which you are more than welcome to join in with, people in the park are friendly and it’s definitely a place you should visit.