25/11/2023
10 Places To Visit ASAP!
This is a series of my favorite travel memories. It's impossible to pick a favorite, but I've narrowed it down to 10. Where do you want to go next?
#1. Beijing
After living amongst Beijing's 21 million people from 2011-2018, this is the perfect metropolis to begin this series. China's capitol is full of culture and history. Top destinations to visit are:
-Forbidden City
-Temple of Heaven
-Lama Temple
-Great Wall- especially the unrestored portions!
-Tiananmen Square, National Museum, and National Theater
My first trip to the Forbidden City was with a parent of a student who really wanted me to give her daughter more attention. It was such an awkward trip and ended with one of the fanciest, most expensive dinners of my life!
The Temple of Heaven is a beautiful, circular structure built entirely without nails as a place to pray for harvest.
The Lama temple is a busy place full of incense and an experience in local customs and religion. I toured with a Chinese friend who explained all the different statues and customs.
Naturally, no trip to Beijing would be complete without the Great Wall! In fact, you need to see a few different versions of the wall to truly appreciate it! My first trip was to Huanghuacheng where a few friends and I paid a local to climb his ladder onto the private section of wall- breathtaking! My mom and I went to the most touristy portion at Badaling and laughed so hard at the Kentucky Fried Chicken built into its base!
Towards the end of my time in the city, I fell in love with the free National Museum and all of its art- particularly the calligraphy exhibits. China's language is far more artistic than English! The museum borders one side of Tiananmen Square and the other side holds 3 theaters within the egg-shaped National Theater.
