The Olympics in Beijing, China

This week we will explore the country of China and all that it has to offer! Host of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Beijing is the first city we will travel to!

With so much to do and see, get ready for the trip of a lifetime. Visit the Forbidden City, also know as the Palace Museum, which became a World Heritage Site in 1987. Home to the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasty, this popular tourist attraction is loaded with history dating back to the year 1420. Of course, a trip to China would not be complete without a visit to the Great Wall. Hop on a tour bus and visit the Badaling Section of the Wall. Located just outside of Beijing, this is the closest section of the Wall. However, if you wish to escape the crowds, feel free to visit more distant sections of the Wall that are open to the public. Next, be sure to see the Terracotta Warriors, just an overnight train ride from of Beijing. Buried with the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, these Terracotta Warriors are unlike anything you’ve ever laid eyes on! But don’t take our word for it, see for yourself!

RealTravelers Ian and Magda share their trip:

“In the afternoon we enjoyed the amazing weather (it had rained mysteriously heavily the entire day and night before) by renting bikes and rolling with ease through ancient hutongs (the famous ‘narrow alley’ neighborhoods in Beijing) and around landmark towers, past sparkling lakes and bustling lakefront markets. We cruised through crowded backstreets and on the wide open bike lanes of Beijing’s main streets. We rode by the moats of the Forbidden City and under the overhanging branches of the surrounding tree lined streets…

We continued our ride around the new, amazing National Theater building. We circled it and admired its egglike profile. It looks like a huge button, or a shiny smooth humbao. Then we made our way back towards Tienmen square and once again rode slowly and with confidence in an even larger bikelane, designed to hold thousands of cyclists at once. We passed the two biggest sights in modern day communism, Tienmen Square and Mao’s huge portrait. They seemed jovial and fun from the back of a bike made for cruising. Mao seemed to be grinning his approval at us as we passed.

We rode back through the narrow lanes of more hutongs, admiring the familial energy eminating from open doorways and smells of cooking dinner sizzling through dark, noisy little windows. The setting sun cast the grey allys with golden light. The trees above were filled with birdsong and rustling breeze. We realized, somewhere on the ride back, that we might actually come to love Beijing” (more…)

To plan your trip, visit:

Beijing Attractions
Beijing Hotels

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