Why visit China?
There is a little bit of China anyways in our life from Chinese food, mobile phones to Ali Baba ! We have grown up with movies such as ’36 Chambers of Shaolin’, ‘Avatar’, ‘Kung Fu Panda’, ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’, ‘The Karate Kid’, and many more which have been shot in various parts of China. Heard about the Chinese Kungfu connection with India?
We all know about Great Wall of China , but there is more to China.
Like Mesapotamia and India, China comes with over 5000 years of history from the times of Genghiz and Kublai Khans to the various dynasties and to the present day. China celebrates a ‘zodiac animal’ every year and has always been the stuff of myth and legend – both ancient as well as modern.
If you are interested in Martial Arts, you ought to visit Shaolin which is where Kung Fu originated.
China is a great place to shop for anything viz. electronics, clothing, jade etc. It is here where you can showcase your bargaining skills to buy items close to the original at cheaper prices.
China Experiences
december, 2024
Best places to visit in China
Beijing formerly known as Peking and the capital of China comes with 500 years of history. Beijing is a must visit if you are visiting China and has many attractions to cover:
Great Wall of China – It is said, this wall was built to prevent the Mongols from entering China. The Great Wall provides great views of the surroundings, the holes in the wall were to shoot at the enemy.
Forbidden City – It is situated in the heart of Beijing and beside Tiananmen Square. This served as the residence of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasty.
Temple of Heaven – This is where sacrifices to Heaven were made. The emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties prayed here to seek for a good harvest on an annual basis.
”More(+)”
Mings Tomb – This represents the 17th-century tombs of the Ming dynasty. There is an underground palace which is a few stories deep leading to the central hall with thrones and burial chests.
Summer Palace – Built in 1750, this palace has an area of 700 acres and consists of gardens, pagodas, pavilions, and bridges across the water.
”Less(-)”
14 experiences not to be missed in China
- Take a cycle rickshaw ride through Hutong Alley, Beijing
- Watching or even participating in a Kung Fu performance in Shaolin.
- Cable car ride to the Great Wall of China and coming down Tobogganing
- Visiting the adorable Pandas in Chengdu
- Walking on the Tianmen Mountain glass skywalk in Zhangjiajie
- Dining at the Muslim Bazaar in Xi’an
- Watching an acrobatic performance show in Beijing
- Riding the Fujian Bullet train to cities
- Cruise along Yangtze river
- Swim at the 3 tiered Kuangi waterfall
- Watching a Tang Dynasty musical performance in Xi’an
- Participate in the Kungfu classes at the Shaolin temple
- Disneyland is a must for kids
- Go shopping for silk or jade in Beijing
Things to note
Best places to visit in China
Xi’an
This was the starting point of the Silk Road, a trading route which connected the East to the West.
Terracotta Warriors – China’s first emperor Qin believed in life after death and built a whole army of soldiers and horses made up of Terracotta who was to be buried along with him after his death. Each warrior differs from the other and is 6 feet in height.
”More(+)” Ancient City Wall – This wall encompasses the inner city from the outside. The best way to cover City Wall is to either cycle or walk, run! Wild Goose Pagoda – It is a Buddhist World Heritage cultural site. The first abbot Xuan Zang bought the relics from India to China in 652 AD and translated it to Buddhist text. Luoyang Luoyang is considered to be the oldest city in China and served as a capital of many ruling dynasties and Buddhist center. It takes approx. 2 hours via bullet train from Beijing to Luoyang. Longmen Grottoes – It is also called as Dragon’s Gate is where one will find over 2000 caves and inscriptions along with 100,000 sculptures of Buddha ranging in different sizes carved out of limestone cliffs. Shaolin Temple – The Shaolin Temple is located high in the hills and thus cool weather wise. If you have watched Kung Fu movies of the bygone era like ’36 Chambers of Shaolin’ you can relate with this place As per the legend, Bodhidharma also called as ‘Ta Mo’ traveled from India to China in the 5th century and meditated close to Shaolin Temple for 9 years. Later Bodhidharma move into Shaolin Temple and over time introduced exercises for the monks known as modern day Kung Fu today. White Horse Temple – It is said to be the ‘Cradle of Buddhism’ in China. As per the legend, two monks from India traveled to Luoyang along with a White Horse which carried Buddhist sutras and statues. ”Less(-)”
Contact us to create a customized China itinerary for your self
Best places to visit in China
Guilin – It is one of the most scenic places in China with the karst formations, rivers, and caves. The Longji rice terraces, Yao Mountain, Reed Flute cave are some of the scenic places to visit.
Chengdu – It is immensely popular for its pandas. It is also the gateway to see the Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest Buddha in China at 71 meters in height and to Tibet
”More(+)” Zhangjiajie – If you have seen the movie ‘Avatar’, Zhangjiajie National Park a UNESCO heritage site with its peaks and stunning landscape will appeal to your senses. Hangzhou – Hangzhou is known for its stunning scenery with its West Lake that has ancient buildings, gardens, pagodas, temples, tea farms on its shores. It was regarded as the most beautiful by none other than Marco Polo! Shanghai – It is the largest city in China with the highest population but with a history of just 100 years. A stroll alongside the bund area or a cruise along the Huangpu River is a good recommendation. ”Less(-)”
Why visit Tibet?
Tibet, on the lofty Tibetan Plateau on the northern side of the Himalayas, is an autonomous region of China. It’s nicknamed the “Roof of the World” for its towering peaks. It shares Mt. Everest with Nepal. Its capital, Lhasa, is the site of the hilltop Potala Palace, once the Dalai Lama’s winter home, and Jokhang Temple, Tibet’s spiritual heart, revered for its golden statue of the young Buddha.
Tibet has some of the world’s tallest mountains, other than the Mount Everest. Several major rivers have their source in the Tibetan Plateau – the Yangtze, the Yellow River, Indus, Mekong, Ganges, Salween and Brahmaputra.
The Indus and Brahmaputra rivers originate from a lake in Western Tibet, near Mount Kailash, a holy pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Tibetans. The Hindus consider the mountain to be the abode of Lord Shiva.
At once mysterious, beautiful and inaccessible, it is the home of myth, tradition, legends and a simple, friendly people. It is a place that you should visit for raw nature, sheer beauty and majesty of construction, loftiness of thought, the joy that belief and philosophy bring to life and coexistence with nature.
Best places to visit in Tibet
Lhasa is the capital of the TAR (Tibet Autonomous Region) and is located on the Lhasa River in a valley of the Himalayas. The red-and-white Potala Palace once served as the winter home of the Dalai Lama and the rooms here include the Dalai Lama’s living space, as well as paintings, places of worship and tombs.
”More(+)” Shigatse is another large town that houses the Tashilunhpo monastery and is the seat of the Panchen Lama. Gyantse was once the administrative center of Tibet and the third largest city in the country but is no longer as prominent The Everest Base Camp in Tibet is the North Base Camp at an altitude of 5,150 meters (16,900 ft). This is a basic camp on Mount Everest that is used by climbers. It affords magnificent views of the Everest from right up close but is a tad difficult to get to since it requires a permit from the Chinese government, on top of the permit required to visit Tibet itself. This does not require too much of climbing – it is accessible by vehicle. The Rongbuk Monastery is a must-do here Drepung Monastery, along with the Ganden and Sera monasteries, is one of the “great three” Gelug university gompas of Tibet. This is the largest of all the monasteries and is located on the Gambo Utse mountain. Yamdrok Lake, one of Tibet’s three holy lakes is famous for its turquoise-blue waters. The Kamba La Pass sits high above the lake and affords fabulous views over the Yamdrok Lake Rongbuk Monastery is the highest monastery in the world located near the Everest Base camp Pang La Pass is a high mountain pass, about 5200 m high, through one of the highest mountain roads of the country. The top of Pang La Pass has a cairn with lots of streaming prayer flags and offerings of stones and bones. It affords a fabulous view of the Himalayas stretching endlessly with the peaks of the Mount Everest, Cho Oyu, Lhotse and Makalu featuring in the horizon. ”Less(-)”
Top experiences in Tibet
- The prostrations and prayers at Jokhang Temple
- The Potala Palace with the history of the long line of Dalai Lamas
- Shopping and strolling on Barkhor Street
- The famous Monks’ Debate at the Sera monastery
- Trying out the local Tibetan staple of Tsampa and butter tea
- Drinking the Tongba or Chang millet beer
- Gazing at the Mount Everest in all its pristine glory
- Taking in the majestic Himalayan views throughout the journey
Things to note
Come Beyonder to Tibet and experience nature, philosophy and belief all being a part of the daily lives of people, while viewing the majestic Himalayas from the inside
What our Travellers Say
China is very different from the one in in school books. But it was lots of fun. My fun moments were trying to bargain at the local market without knowing the language, happiness at finding one Veg item in the Pizza hut menu card, understanding the direction incorrectly and waiting at the wrong bus stop.
”More(+)”
Then there was super fun at Disney land where, language is not a problem. Cable car ride to the Great Wall of China and climbing down tobogganing was awesome. And China is the best for shopping. Thank you Beyonders .
”Less(-)”
So there are these two holidays we take in a year. One is with family and the other with our group of friends and there is this subtle difference between the two.
The family vacation entails a little more intricate planning laying stress on the comfort factor and food.
”More(+)”
The vacation with friends can be a little more casual.
I had the opportunity of going to both these type of holidays with Beyonder Travels.
Our trip to Nepal was a family trip and so well planned and executed by the Beyonder guys that even I was surprised. Starting from the quality of vehicles upto the attention paid to choice of hotels, it was a beautiful experience.
It just made me sure about who to go to for further holidays
Contrary to this, our only men trip to Munnar for seeing the Neelakurunji flower was also done by Beyonder. And just the right bit of ruggedness added to the flavor to the trip.
Trust Beyonder to take care of these little extra details is probably what turns the Customer’s satisfaction to the Customer’s delight.
”Less(-)”
China & Tibet experiences in words
Potala Palace in Tibet, the Forbidden Land
Why Tibet? The Potala Palace of the Dalai Lama has always been a source of great... read more