China - Olympic 2008

So much has been written about the crumbling decadence, insurgency, AIDS, the poverty and hostile nature of North Eastern India that it is impossible to visit the region without pre-conceived idea. According to a friend who had recently returned, “There isn’t any” seemed to be the current in-phrase. This included riot, ransom, violence, communication gap,… extremists. People are peace loving and world class in hospitality. Determined, I faced the prospect of a somewhat adventurous mission to taste the unexplored land and culture, with some stoic philosophic abandon!

I rested in Sikkim as my first itenerary. It is simultaneously touching and heart warming - a coupling with which I became very familiar, for the Sikkimese understand my urband accent - they have mastered the art of easy communication.

The state is enormously optimistic and investors would surely love to expand their ventures in this news destination. As the legendary Nathu-La pass has been re-opened for trade with China, visiting Sikkim is derigueur. Today, Sikkim becomes the gateway to China!

The hub of life is centred on the main city, Gangtok. Here, it is possible to buy anything - from laughing Buddha to wooden sculptures, from Chow-mein to pork momo and from local wine to strong beer. It’s always busy - an inevitable tourist haunt that somehow never seems touristy.

From the high wall of the Rumtek monastry, there is a sensational panaromic view of the city. The magnificiant Mount Kanchengjunga can also be seen covered with silver white from here. In Gangtok, hotel prices were quite reasonable. As a visitor, eating out in the city can be surprisingly cheap and believe it or not I did not hear “There isn’t any” once!

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Do you know that Beijing, Xian, Guilin and Hong Kong are the most visited cities in China?

A lot of people refer it as the ‘golden route’ or ‘presidential route’ after Bill Clinton visited these cities in 1998.

Certainly the golden route has a good combination of everything: great historical heritages, beautiful landscape, delicious Chinese food, great shopping and so on.

Best time to visit China is spring and autumn when China has beautiful weather and fewer tourists.

If you are a first-time visitor to China, the golden route is your top pick. You would need at least two weeks to complete the tours.

Beijing - you would need at least four nights to complete what you need to see and do.

Great Wall of China - the longest man-made architecture on earth. This should be your number one destination in Beijing.

Forbidden City - the former palaces and offices of Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is currently a museum with countless treasures.

Summer Palace - the most well preserved royal resort of Qing Dynasty.

Temple of Heaven is the symbol of Beijing. Ming and Qing emperors worshipped Heaven here.

Please do include a hutong tour in order to have an old Beijing feel. After all, don’t forget a Beijing duck feast.

Tip: Beijing travel requires a lot of walking. Please be prepared for it.

Xian - everyone should visit Xian at least once in life, Chinese and foreigners alike. Spend three nights here is necessary to cover the most important sightseeing.

Xian has been a capital city for 13 dynasties, totaling 1,100 years. It was the world’s most prosperous city in Tang Dynasty, 1300 years ago.

The Terra Cotta Warriors is a full-scale replication of the Qin Dynasty army. There is no other place in the world you can see a life-size army of over 2,000 years old.

Banpo Neolithic village is a famous site of 6,000 years old which has typical features of a matriarchal society. You’ll also see clues of ancient burial, marriages, creative tools and artifacts.

In Xian, don’t forget to go for a dumpling feast which usually goes with a first class entertainment show of Tang Dynasty music and dance.

Guilin is ranked second on China’s list of top 10 tourists’ destinations. It has beautiful landscape integrated with fabulous countryside. Make sure you won’t miss the Reed Flute Cave, the Crown Cave and some of the beautiful peaks.

Don’t forget to make a day trip to Yangshuo where the best hills and waters are. Go there on a Li River cruise and return by bus. If you choose to stay overnight, you would be able to watch the spectacular ‘Liu Sanjie’ performance, which takes place on the Li River. Yangshuo is truly a place for you to relax and enjoy.

In Guilin, make sure to go for a rice noodle feast. Or you can just eat it as a street food at

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People touring all the important countries of the world; prioritize their travel to China. People’s Republic of China is the world’s most populated country, touching the 1.3 billion mark. With such a huge population and the large area, it is bound to be diverse and hence makes for a hot tourist destination..

Natural And Man-Made Wonders
China is a beautiful blend of natural beauty and man-made architecture. Nature here is bountiful with magnificent mountains of Guangxi Zhuang, deserts like Xinjiang and rivers as Yangtze. Man has erected splendid structures like ‘The Great Wall of China,’ beautiful bridges, structurally planned buildings and other monuments. This makes it one of the worlds most sought after tourist spot and the reason for people to travel to China.

Getting and Staying There
While planning to visit China, it would be wise, if you take a tour package for travel to China. However, be sure to do some research of your own, so that you can choose a suitable tour. While in China, you can go around by road, train or even by air. Accommodation is available to suit all budget and taste.

Places to Visit
Beijing, the capital of China is a must-see during your travel to China. Cities of Hangzhou and Suzhou are extremely beautiful. The most popular destinations in China are: The Great Wall of China, which is one of the seven wonders of the world; Tiananmen Square; the Forbidden City of China, the famous temples of Shibaozhai and Yangtze River, which is a very astounding natural marvel. Boat cruise on River Yangtze is breathtakingly beautiful as it takes you through various exquisite Chinese cities and places of historical importance.

People of China
People of China are very gentle, hardworking and thoughtful. Their main religion is Buddhism and Taoism. Most people speak Chinese and local people do not understand English very well. This can cause a little problem for the tourists. Other languages spoken here are Korean, Tibetan, and Mongolian etc.

China is rich in culture and has vast areas to explore. Your world-tour will never be complete, if you do not visit this oriental country.

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