Made in China: A Journey to China

China is so vast and diverse that it can offer its guests everything their hearts desire: deserts, endless steppes, rice fields, mountains, seas, islands, megacities, villages, temples, monasteries — it is safe to say that this country has it all. Even the most seasoned traveler constantly finds something new and unexplored.

Beijing

Beijing, or Beijing as the Chinese call it, lives up to its status as the capital of a country with a population of 1.5 billion. From the moment you arrive in this city, you are caught up in a whirlwind of people, cars, mopeds, and other ubiquitous objects, devices, and animals. The first few hours will be spent solely on getting used to the incredibly fast pace of life here, but then you will merge into this flow, feel at home, and rush along with it towards a truly monumental city.

It is difficult to list everything that is worth visiting and seeing in Beijing. But there are seven main places that you should not miss:

1. The Forbidden City (listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site), covering an area of 720,000 m² and containing 980 buildings. Between 1420 and 1912, this city was home to Chinese emperors and their families.
2. Tiananmen Square is the largest square in the world. It is home to several important historical buildings:
3. Mao Zedong's Mausoleum; the National Museum of China; the Great Hall of the People (the highest legislative body of the PRC); and the Gate of Heavenly Peace.
4. The Summer Imperial Palace is also included in the UNESCO list. The complex consists of more than 3,000 buildings. It houses the world's longest painted picture gallery, which is 728 meters long and has 8,000 paintings on its walls.
5. Another UNESCO World Heritage Site is the Temple of Heaven (or Temple of Harvest). The temple is about 600 years old and was used in ancient times as a religious building for worshipping the sky and the sun, hence its two names: according to ancient Chinese beliefs, it was the sun that sent harvests or droughts to the earth.
6. To fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Beijing, you simply must visit Wangfujing, the oldest shopping street, sometimes referred to as the "first" street in China. There are about 300 stores of famous brands located here. Part of the street is occupied by a large street food complex, where you can find cooked insects, dogs, cats, and many other Chinese "delicacies" that often shock people from Western cultures.
7. And, of course, the Great Wall of China, which is the main attraction of the city and the country as a whole. Several sections of the Wall near Beijing have been preserved in excellent condition, and after a small reconstruction, they are happy to welcome guests. According to official data, the entire Wall is 8,851.9 km long.

Hotels and transportation in Beijing

Beijing pleasantly surprises with its range of prices: here you can find both budget hotels starting at around $30 per night and luxury hotels costing $1,000 and above for a double room. Public transport is very inexpensive — trips cost from a few dozen cents to a couple of dollars depending on the distance, with buses usually being cheaper than the metro. You can have lunch at a local café for as little as $3–6 per person, especially if you choose places where the Chinese themselves go. Overall, China remains a fairly affordable destination, although prices in megacities like Beijing are slightly higher than in other regions of the country.

After thoroughly exploring Beijing, you can move on. First of all, you need to decide what kind of vacation you like, because, as we have already mentioned, China has a lot of interesting options to offer.

Where to go in China?

Lovers of mountain landscapes, trekking, and rock climbing should head to Chengdu, located in the very center of the People's Republic of China. It is located on the border with Tibet, which is not so easy to get to. This requires special permission from the Chinese authorities, and you can only travel as part of a tourist group. Such trips must be planned in advance by contacting travel agencies at your place of residence.

For those who don't have the time or desire to do so, it's worth staying in Chengdu, as this is where the Tibetan mountains begin. Here you will find one of the largest panda parks in China, where you can interact with the pandas and even pet them.

• The flight from Beijing to Chengdu costs $80–160;
• A train compartment costs $100–150;
• Seated train: $40, but keep in mind that the train journey takes about 25-30 hours, as the distance between the cities is 2,000 km.
• There is also a high-speed train that costs $120-180 per person, with a travel time of 8-10 hours.

Flying is, of course, faster, but on the train you can enjoy the color of Chinese life and the views from the window. On the way, you will actually cross 2/3 of the country diagonally — the choice is yours!

Sea lovers will also be satisfied in China, as its entire eastern part is a long coastline. The country also owns many islands in different seas. Some of these islands are still the subject of international disputes. For example, Taiwan is an island whose independence is still not recognized by many countries in the world, but on Chinese maps it is marked as part of the PRC.

If you come to Beijing and decide to head to the sea after your sightseeing, you can easily do so anywhere on the east coast, as almost every city offers travelers a multitude of well-maintained beaches and excellent infrastructure. But the best place to relax is Hainan Island, located in southern China, near the border with Vietnam. It is warm here almost all year round, so you can swim and sunbathe. The island's highlight is its numerous plantations of mangoes, coffee, tea, pineapples, bananas, coconuts, and other exotic plants.

• Flights from Beijing start at $220.

For lovers of wide open spaces and outdoor recreation, there is also a wonderful place in this vast country. We are talking about the Gobi Desert in northwestern China, centered on the city of Urumqi. This region borders Kazakhstan to the west and Mongolia to the northeast and is the most uninhabited in the entire country, except for the Tibetan mountains. Since until recently, almost no one lived here, all the cities along the way are examples of the hyperactive development of Chinese industry, economy, and urbanization.

Most cities with populations of several million people have been built over the last 40 years. Even when driving through the desert, your gaze constantly finds high-rise buildings somewhere on the horizon. Indeed, this country has undergone incredible development. Although in the steppes and deserts you can still find nomadic tribes of Mongols and Chinese who still live in tents and ride horses and camels. The contrast between skyscrapers and nomads is truly breathtaking.

• Flights from Beijing start at $490.

Finally, a tip for fans of exotic and tropical climates. You should definitely visit Yunnan Province in southern China. It borders three countries in Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar (Burma). Everyone who has been there calls it the jewel of this vast country. This province is a mix of Chinese, Thai, Laotian, Vietnamese, and Burmese traditions, all spiced up with the influence of European culture from the colonial era. Most signs in cities are written in three languages: Chinese, Thai, and English.

Once you arrive here, you definitely shouldn't stay in one place. Be sure to visit the cities of Dali, Yuxi, Pu'er, and Xishuangbanna, where the Chinese have built their own Thailand — for those who can't afford a trip to the "original." An entire city with temples, Thai architecture, restaurants, hotels — everything just like in Thailand. Another feature of this region is that most of it is covered by mountains, which is why it is better to travel here by car or bus.

You can drive across bridges that hang at dizzying heights above the gorge or through a tunnel that seems to go on forever. Right from the windows, you can see bananas falling onto the road from the hillsides covered in a light mist. It is always humid here, and it smells of earth and greenery. When you stop for a snack, you have to be careful not to accidentally step on a lizard peacefully basking in the sun. Here, the idyll of nature and man is disturbed only by the sounds of passing cars.

• Flight from Beijing to Kunming, the provincial capital — from $120–250;
• Compartment train — $125;
• Seats on the train cost $50, with a minimum travel time of 35 hours.

Don't be afraid to try unusual food, meet people, and immerse yourself in the local culture in China. The food is incredibly delicious, the people are friendly, and the culture is so ancient and colorful that you are likely to remember your experience for the rest of your life.