What to do in Beijing

Located in the Northeast part of the Asian giant, Beijing is one of the largest cities in the world with more than 20 million inhabitants. Due to its peculiar location and history, Beijing composes the political, social and cultural heart of the republic. Thus becoming a city of contrasts where small traditional houses (hutongs), are piled around modern skyscrapers. Keep reading and you will discover what to see in Beijing and the advice you must follow to survive this chaotic city.

The Great Wall

Undoubtedly, the most important monument in all of Asia and one of the most famous around the world. The Great Wall originated as a labyrinth of smaller fortresses built by kingdoms at war in northern China from the 5th century BC. These walls served as fortifications against the sacking of the nomadic tribes of the north. Counting all its ramifications, it is estimated that it is more than 20 thousand kilometers long, from its border with Korea, to the Gobi desert; although currently only 30% of it remains standing.

Temple of Heaven

Also known as Tian Tian, ​​the Temple of Heaven was built between 1406 and 1429 under the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty and is considered one of the largest sacred precincts in China. Each year during the winter solstice, the emperor would come here in a magnificent procession of several days to honor his ancestors and make sacrifices to give thanks to the sky for the fruits obtained to pray for a good harvest.

The temple is located in a park where most old people gather to do gymnastics, play cards and even sing in a karaoke.

This exquisite example of a Chinese wooden building was built without nails or cement. The round room is 40 meters high, its three levels are covered with dark blue tiles that symbolise the sky. The vault is supported by 28 pillars: the four central pillars represent the 4 stations; the 12-pillared double ring represents the 12 months and the traditional divisions of the Chinese day (each with two hours). Destroyed several times, the temple was rebuilt in 1890.

The Forbidden City

Behind walls of more than 10 m in height and within the 50 m long moat, life in the palace was dictated by complex rules and rituals. The entrance was denied to ordinary people, but today’s tourists can easily access this fascinating display of Chinese cultural history in what is probably the best preserved building of classical Chinese architecture.

During the route through the Forbidden City , you will be lost by its innumerable gardens and pavilions in which the different ceremonies of the emperor took place and where the imperial concubines were sheltered. Going through all the rooms and visiting the three great temples (the Temple of the Supreme Harmony, the Palace of Peace and Longevity and the Palace of Heavenly Purity) will take you several hours, so be prepared with water and some food. Oh, I forgot! Do not forget the map but you want to ramble again and again through the same passages!

TOP tips

To finish, I leave you a series of tips to take into account before embarking on your trip to the Chinese capital.

• Download a VPN (Virtual Private Network): no matter how impressive it may seem in the 21st century, Google and Facebook do not exist in China. Well, or at least they do not exist legally. And is that the Chinese government decided a few years ago to put a large firewall to control the Internet at its borders. Therefore, if you want to access Google, gMail, YouTube or Facebook, you must install this application on your device.

• Learn to squat when going to the toilet. As common as it is in Europe to have a toilet inside a public bathroom, this is something that has not finished spreading throughout Asia. So learning how to do the old-fashioned belly is something highly recommended. That and a good sense of balance.

• Learn a little Chinese. It’s difficult, very difficult, but they do not speak English. If you want to communicate with people in Beijing, a bit of the language of the country will not hurt you.

• Do not be scrupulous. When you travel you will have to adapt your body to the customs and traditions of the country you visit, and with China this should be the same. You will see strange things, even more rare meals, people spitting on the street, etc. You better be prepared.