FORBIDDEN CITY——BEIJING，CHINA

The Forbidden City (Zijincheng)(also known as the Imperial Palace (Gugong) and the Palace Museum) is the largest and best preserved collection of ancient buildings in China. This site is an image of China relayed throughout the world on national days and at public events. Today, the Palace is filled with tourists but under the emperors, these "commoners" would have been executed had they dared to enter the complex! Given the popularity of the site, the Chinese government have invested a lot of time and money in the Palace and it is now a fantastic place to wander and dream of times gone by.
The best way to approach a trip to the Forbidden City is to first examine it in detail, either with an audio tape or some reference and then to double back on yourself and just enjoy wandering and imagining what life must have been like there. In order to fully appreciate the majesty of the Forbidden City, try to allow at least half a day for the visit.
Open: daily 8.30am-4.30pm
How to get Forbidden City: Bus no.5 or no.4.

GREAT WALL AT BADALING——BEIJING，CHINA

The Great Wall (Changcheng), totaling more than 12,000 kilometers, is arguably the most famous image of China throughout the world. It is the only man made object visible from the moon, and as one of the Eight Wonders of the world, the Great Wall of China lives up to its reputation.As the closest section of the wall to Beijing, Badaling is by far the most popular part of the site to visit and, perhaps for this reason some find it the most disappointing as it is always full with tourists. The best time to visit is early morning, before the tour buses arrive. If you make it past the hoards and hustlers and make the climb itself, the views are quite spectacular. The Great Wall is a symbol of Chinese traditional culture and the pride of the Chinese nation. Its worth taking a hike and reflecting on this incredible feat of mankind.Of course, if we take a look at history, the wall did not succeed in its main function; to keep out foreign invaders. Those who wanted to break through the fortifications all those years ago, found an alternative method. The Chinese Empire did not allow for human weakness. Attackers bribed their way past the wall where they had failed to break through with physical force. How to get to Great Wall:1. Take the train to Badaling from Beijing Railway Station or Xizhimen Station, and then walk about 15 minutes, to the Jiayuguan Pass 2. Take the No.2 tourist bus from the Beijing Railway Station or from the West Gate of the Museum of Chinese history.

YUANMINGYUAN——BEIJING，CHINA

Yuanmingyuan was Beijing's original Summer Palace for the Qing emperors and also known as "the Garden of Gardens", before it was destroyed in 1860 under the orders of the Earl of Elgin. When it was first built by a Qing emperor in the Eighteenth Century, the site consisted of three gardens: Yuanmingyuan, Changchunyuan and Wanchunyuan, covering 350 hectares. The southern part of Yuanmingyuan was where the emperor dealt with official business. Other areas were largely scenic sites, built for the emperors enjoyment and imitated scenic spots from throughout China and the West.Many of the gardens of Yonghegong were western in style and design , made up of fountains, mazes and European style palaces. Today, it's difficult to imagine the site as it once was. But, with a little imagination one can picture the emperor atop a hill gazing at the "mini Venice" once created for him! The wealth of treasures and art that was once here has also vanished and most are now housed in galleries throughout the West.Open:Daily 9am-6pm

TIAN AN MEN SQUARE——BEIJING，CHINA

At the very heart of Beijing, sits Tian'anmen Square, the largest urban square in the world. This vast space, measuring 40 hectares, has a historical significance to rival its size.Enlarged in the 1960s, Tian'anmen Square now measures 880 meters from north to south, 500 meters from east to west and can accommodate up to one million people. Classical Beijing planning however, did not permit public squares. They were seen largely as dangerous places where crowds could gather and diverted attention and focus away from the Emperor. Tian'anmen Square is therefore, one of Beijing's most modern sites and largely Mao's concoction. The May 4th demonstrations in 1919 against the Treaty of Versailles took place here. So too did anti Japanese protests in 1935. Mao inspected his troops here during the Cultural revolution and in 1976, one million people gathered in the square to pay tribute to the Chairman. The incredible size of the Tian'anmen Square, the gray colour of the surrounding buildings, the historical memories and the various monuments dotted about, leave some Western visitors unmoved by Tian'anmen. But the sheer wealth of historical sites and the political importance of the area make it a must- see for travelers to Beijing. This is not only the physical centre of China, but also the centre of power and politics. For Chinese visitors, the site is of utmost importance. Today, Tian'anmen Square is filled with tourists visiting Chairman Mao's tomb, or paying their respects at the monument to the heroes of the Revolution. In the evenings, after the ceremonial lowering of the flag, courting couples and families parade the heart of the city. The easiest approach to the square is from the south, where there's a bus terminus and a subway stop. The Chinese flag is raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset when PLA soldiers march up and down, drilled to perform at 108 paces per minute!

Arguably one of China's most famous and popular tourist sites, the Terracotta warriors (bingmayong) are among the top archaeological excavations of the 20th Century. The warriors have made Xian the big tourist destination that it is today and the wealth in this city owes much to their discovery.This incredible collection of 6,000 men and their horses was actually discovered completely by accident by a group of peasants in 1974 who were digging a well! In a bizarre twist, the man who supposedly discovered them now sits in a hall at the site signing postcards of the stone army.The Terracotta warriors are over 2000 years old and were originally constructed to protect the tomb of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The Warriors are now housed in a huge airplane hangar and despite their fame and the throngs of tourists visiting the site, they are still incredibly impressive. These life size Terracotta warriors stand on guard as if preparing for battle. Historians believe that these magnificent men were originally painted. The paint has now worn and the original bronze age weapons (including swords, arrows and lances) that many of the soldiers carried only a few years ago, are now locked up away from public eyes. Although there are 6000 of the statues remaining, there were actually many more when the tomb was first built.It is the scale of this collection that is perhaps the most impressive aspect of the site. The Emperor must have been an incredibly influential and impressive man to deserve this great protection even when he was dead! The faces of the Terracotta warriors are said to be modeled on the artists who sculpted them and on the actual Imperial guards at the time.Further discoveries were made in 1976 when another 1000 warriors and various other sculptures were dug up. Archaeologists also believe that there is possibly a larger and more impressive army still buried beneath the Emperor's tomb. How to get to Terracotta warriors: The easiest way to get to the warriors is to take an Eastern tour from Xian. It is worthwhile having a tour guide talk you through the site as the stories that accompany the warriors are particularly interesting. Alternately, you can take the Green Bus from the Bell Tower in Xian which covers the major sites in the east. There is no tour guide on this bus however. Opening hours: 8:00-17.30

ELEPHANT TRUNK HILL ——GUILIN,GUANGXI PROVINCE

Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbishan) is one of the Lijiang River's most famous sights. The hill is situated on the western bank of the Lijiang River, to the southeast of Guilin. It looks like an elephant, dipping its snout into the Lijiang River, hence the name "Elephant Trunk Hill". This sight is very representative of the landscape around Guilin and is a symbol of Guilin itself. A park and a Ming Dynasty pagoda are found on and around the Elephant Trunk Hill.Legend of Elephant Trunk Hill says that an elephant which belonged to the Emperor of Heaven came down to earth to help the people in their work. This angered the Emperor of Heaven, who stabbed the elephant as it was drinking at the river's edge and turned it to stone. The cave between the body and the trunk of this elephant figure is of a particularly interesting shape and has inspired poets and other writers, old and new, to engrave verses on its walls. The poems of Lo You, Fan Chengda, and other poets of the Southern Song Dynasty (960-1279) are of inestimable literary and archaeological value. On the top of the hill stands the Puxian Ta Pagoda, erected during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and shaped as the handle of the dagger with which the elephant was killed.How to get to Elephant Trunk Hill : A boat can be hired to take you to Elephant Trunk Hill for to RMB20-RMB40. This area can also be reached by bike from Guilin.

HANGZHOU·HEAVEN ON EARTH

Once Described by Marco Polo as 'the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world', Hang Zhou have helped make Hang Zhou one of the leading tourist attractions in all of China. It is a city rich with history and culture, spanning back over 2000 years. It made a name for itself in the sixth century, when the Grand Canal opened up and linked the area to other centers of trade. The Song dynasty helped to make Hang Zhou famous when the imperial family moved there in the 12th Century. With its inviting views and outstanding scenery, the area soon became popular with numerous artists, poets and painters seeking inspiration in this little bit of 'paradise'.