A Laowai In Beijing

Everyone knows about what China's all about but few will get the chance to visit this enigma of a country. China has some of the world's most iconic sites such as the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall of China - and that's just Beijing!

The morning after a late night arrival started with me trying to get my head around that I was in mainland China, a completely different world compared to that of Hong Kong. I found the serious language barrier and the presence of police everywhere.

First Chinese landmark to make my way over to was the Summer Palace, a collection of historical buildings on a hill with a lake to walk around. Sadly due to China's tumultuous history of war the summer Palace had to be restored after it had been mostly destroyed. Although it feels quite authentic, it does not represent the site that was there during historical periods of China.

The day after I had to see the Great Wall of China, one of the seven wonders of the world, countless things have been said about it. What I can say about it is that if you do go, make sure the weather is good. I got attacked by the rain and the fog may have ruined my visit. The great wall isn't so great to see up close as it's just a wall but the size of it is a marvel to behold. It's simply a wonder to walk across it and into the towers. However, you must make sure that you don't get lost as the signs can make it confusing. It's definitely a must-see for Beijing, however it's not the most amazing thing to see in China let alone be in the top seven of the world.

What has to be paid a visit to in Beijing is the Temple of Heaven, you won't see any other temple like this in the world and it is very easy to navigate around despite the huge number of tourists. Again, I'm pretty sure it had to be restored due to being destroyed in war but nothing about it feels fake. It's located in a typical Chinese park with an interesting market nearby.

Later that day I headed over to Tiananmen Square to go to the national museum of China, if you go to this part of the city, make sure you go to the sites at the right times and be prepared to be waiting around with your passport. The museum is certainly interesting as it contains all sorts about Chinese history, with exhibits on ancient China, artefacts from other Asian countries and even modern China.  

The annoying thing about the forbidden city is that it's closed on certain days and I missed out on visiting the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong as the opening hours are ridiculous. I decided to go over to Beihai park. I think this place feels very peaceful and has some really nice gardens to walk around with some panoramic views of the city. 

If you like imitation markets then you will definitely be interested in Silk Street, this is one of the most fun markets to go around I've seen as there is a huge variety. However, you will 100% have to bargain aggressively. If you want a fake Supreme tee they will expect you to pay 30 quid when it should be a tenner max.

The Forbidden City is next on the list of essential places to visit in Beijing. Whether it's newly built or not I can't deny that this huge complex of palaces and walls is superb and something you can't miss on a visit to China. It's worth going through all the security gates and waiting in lines in the warm summer heat. Just know that it's full of tourists, it takes about 3 hours to walk through and there is so much to see in one place.