Thread: Sites to see / things to do Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an

You will love it if you like grey. A lot of development going on when we were there a few years back. We are amateurs at polution. Ther Great Wall is like Pitt street on a Saturday morning - but well wort doing.

Tianenman Square is a tick the box location. Still worth doing. Try and be there at about sunset whan the flag comes down. The police/military march everywhere, even when there is only three of them. Not comfortable with having their photo taken; but no problem.

Put up a tripod in the square and you can attract dozens to watch you.

The Forbidden City is really interesting. Especially if you can read any litrature on the place before hand; or take an escorted tour.

I think that eating might be a bit more Western now. Not a lot of choices when we wee there.

You should really enjoy it though.

I think they are having some sort of sports event there later on this year

I was there in February and visited the temple of heaven (Beijing). Incredible place for a woodworker to see - Temple is huge and not a piece of steel anywhere - no nails screws bolts in the whole building.

The Museum in Beijing is also interesting.

woodcutta

If you can, check out Prince Gong's garden in Beijing. And don't miss the Summer Palace. Both of those places have the most incredible photographic opportunities I've ever seen.

If you're on a tour bus, see if you can get them to take you to one of the medicinal herb factories on your way back from the Wall. You can have a diagnosis a la Chinese medicine, and get your own prescription made up on the spot.

Guilin for the sheer beauty of the place and if you get to Southern China try the Xinque goose. Possibly the most incredible bird dish in the world.

Recommend a visit to the War Museum in Beijing as well. They've actually got bits of parchment with scribbles from Sun Tzu's "The Art of War". Not the originals, alas, but first generation copies. And of course, take a gander at Mao's corpse. You have to file past pretty quickly, and no handbags or camera equipment is permitted, but it's an eerie experience.

Never did the Three Gorges dam trip, and after everything I've heard about the geological instability in the area, I'd be a bit wary. There are thousands of landslips each year in the area, and with the dam due to finish filling later this year, the problem appears to be getting worse. Tidal waves 50 metres high in the Yangtse have been reported after some major slips.

Enjoy. I spent a year there teaching English, and although I really hated teaching their kids (insert extremely bad language) I loved the place and the people.

Thanks for replies, gives me a few things to look into.

Cheers.