Welcome to Beijing, a vibrant city where history and modernity stand side by side! On this very soil is where the Ming and Qing Dynasty ruled from the inner Forbidden City with 3,000 concubines at the service of the emperor. This is where the Chinese people's beloved Chairman Mao lies frozen in time and where the Tiananmen Square, stretching across 96 soccer field, will overwhelm you as you close your eyes and breathe in the gushing foggy air of Beijing. Or if you prefer shopping and modern life, walk a few blocks down and you'll come to Wangfujing Dajie with endless high end department stores where bargaining, for once, is a taboo. But if you get the kicks from buying pirated goods at ridiculously cheap prices, you have come to the right place as well. Just take a cab to San Li Tung Clothes Shop and you'll see a five storey store with a kaleidoscope of traditional to trendy clothes... If your stomach starts growling, satisfy it with a gastronomic experience of exotic satayed silkworms and scorpions at the Night Market along Wangfujing Dajie. Then stop by the Snack Street for grapes covered with syrup. You wont forgive yourself if you do not try their ever famous Beijing Duck- the crispy skin, layered by melting fat and tender meat is sheer ambrosia. 

 Take a 3 hour bus ride to the Great Wall of China at Badaling, for the  lazy, or at Simatai for those up for a challenging yet rewarding time on the Great Wall. Stop, breathe in the fresh air and behold the endless wall that snakes along the hill. Life will never be the same after China.

 Cheers!