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China has famous cities that are also important travel destinations. Beijing is the capital of China and has always been among the famous cultural and historic cities. It is China’s most popular city for tourists. It owns number of temples, ancient houses, museums, parks. The top attractions of Beijing are The Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven and Ming Tombs. The Great Wall with its worldwide fame is a historical place and for sure must-see place. The wonderful scenery also pleases the visitors. The Forbidden City also known as the Imperial Palace is a city-within-a-city that owns ancient buildings. The Summer Palace is the largest Royal Park. Summer Place contains structures which are included by towers, temples, pavilions, bridges, and corridors. Ming Tombs is the burial site of 13 out of 17 emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Also, Tian’anmen Square and The Temple of Heaven are among touristic destinations of Beijing.

Shanghai is one of the most cosmopolitan cities of China. It is also popular with its nightlife. Nanjing Road, The Old Town, Yuyuan Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, The Bund, Grand View Garden, Shanghai Wildlife Zoo are the popular attractions of the city.

Guilin located on the Li River, is a small town; however, a popular place due to its beautiful scenery. Its geographic formations and breathtaking beauty attract travellers. Li River, Elephant Trunk Hill, Longji Terraced Field, Green Lotus Peak and Yangshuo are popular sightseeings. Kunmíng is also one of the cosmopolitan Chinese cities. The city owns beautiful attractions such as Stone Forest, Xishan, Jiuxiang and Yunnan Nationalities Village.

Xi’an city home of the world-famous Terra Cotta Army. Xian is a must-see and world famous tourist city. Qin Terra Cotta Army Museum is a site museum housing the continuing excavation of an army of 6,000 terra-cotta soldiers and horses. Museum of the Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses , Shaanxi History Museum, The Xi’an City Wall, Huaqing Hot Springs are some of the attractions of Xi’an.

A trip to Tibet is a memorable experience. It offers stunning views. There are countless attractions in Tibet which makes it a very popular tourist destination. Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse, Mount Kailash, Lake Manasarova, Mount Everest, Yarlong Tsangpo River, Sera Monastery and Lake Namco places to visit in Tibet.

Dunhuang attracts people with its numerous historic sites. Mogao Grottoes (Mogao Caves), Yang and Yumen Passes are among sightseeings of the city. The Silk Road is also one of the must-see places of China. It is known all around the world and a travel to China is incomplete if it is not visited. Also, Hainan, Dali, Dao, Hong Kong, Temple of Heaven, Hutongs, Reed Flute Cave, Tai Shan, Macau, Hainan, Yunan are among popular places.

Rock climbing, cycling and river cruising are activities available in China. Acrobatic Arts are a definite must-see activity to add to any visitors list. Do not forget to see Giant Pandas at the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base. China offers entertainments and colorful nightlife, too.

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Interior of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
Situated in the southern part of Beijing City on the Imperial Road which bisected Dynastic Beijing, the Temple of Heaven occupies an area of 273 hectares. If you could look at the Temple of Heaven from the air, you would see that the southern part of the temple is square while the northern part is semicircular. It was built like this on purpose because according to Chinese tradition the earth is square and heaven is round. It is believed by some historians that this is the reason why ancient coins had square holes in them to symbolize that the money and the dynasty was smiled upon by heaven. The roof tiles in the Temple of Heaven are cobalt blue symbolizing heaven. It is rare to find blue roof tiles on an ancient structure.
The smaller Imperial Vault of Heaven stored the tablets for former emperors

Interior of the Vault of Heaven, the place to worship the ancestors
The symbol of the Temple of Heaven is the magnificent Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest (Qinian Dian). It is this structure that most people are familiar with. During the Ming and Qing dynasties the emperor would come to the Temple of Heaven every January. The emperors came to the Hall of Pray for Good Harvests to performed intricate rituals to insure a good harvest for the whole nation. This tradition was kept up until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911. The hall is the most spectacular building in the Temple of Heaven. Measuring 38m high and 32.7m in diameter, it was constructed without a single nail and has been standing for centuries. The 28 massive pillars inside are arranged to symbolize divisions of time: The central four represent the seasons, the next 12 represent the months of the year, and the outer 12 represent traditional divisions of a single day. The interior of the hall is brightly colored and covered with dragons and clouds. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the best known building in the Temple of Heaven, but the temple has many magnificent buildings and temples inside of it.
An artist using water to paint calligraphy in the Temple of Heaven

The Circular Mound Altar in Beijing’s Temple of Heaven
In the complex of the Temple of Heaven is a 273 hectares ancient forest made up of row upon row of ancient Chinese cypress trees. Some of the cypresses are more than 600 years old. The most famous one must be the Nine-Dragon Cypress, which lies on the west side of the Echo Wall. It has a history of nearly a thousand year. Wandering in the forest can make you forget the hustle and bustle of the surrounding city.
The Double Ring Longevity Pavilion is unique in China

Ceiling detail of the Double Ring Longevity pavilion
The Imperial Vault of Heaven is located directly north of the Circular Altar to store ceremonial stone tablets. The reason is to try the Echo Wall. The well-know Echo Wall surrounding the vault is 3.72 meters high and 65 meters in diameter. There, a person can face any point along the wall and speak, and another person on the other side can hear it clearly.
In the early morning Beijingers can be found practicing Taiqi

The roof tiles in the Temple of Heaven are blue to symbolize heaven
There are also many other sites in the Temple of Heaven, such as the Red Stairway Bridge, the Circular Mound Altar, the Temple of Heaven Park. If your Beijing tour is not tight on schedule, you could spend an entire day exploring the temple. It truly is a masterpiece of architectural splendor. Even though it is in the middle of Beijing, the park is amazingly peaceful and quiet. Visitors find it easy to forget that they are in the middle of one of the world’s greatest metropolises.

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