Beijing China 3 Forbidden Palace

The ancient palace was home to the Chinese Emperor(s). This is massive, and I mean massive compound where thousands of eunuch, concubines and high ranking officers lived to meet the demands of the Emperor as he ruled China. Anyone who visited the palace needed special permission or invitation, hence the name “Forbidden Palace.” The place is usually extremely crowded, so go early and bring water and a snack. Depending on how interested you are in seeing a decent amount of the place this could easily be a full day event.

The Great Wall of China
There are excellent sightseeing sections of the Great Wall available near Beijing. The most popular and picture perfect is at the Badaling section. We recommend avoiding the crowds and visiting the Mutianyu section instead. A lift takes you to the top of the wall where you can traverse several different sections for incredible views. Consider taking a toboggan ride down for a little extra excitement. Yes, I said toboggan.

Hutong
Another popular Beijing activity is to take a rickshaw ride through the Hutongs (Alley’s) of Beijing. It’s an interesting way to see how and where the common people lived, but be aware of “Tea Ceremony” scams and always ask for a price before you decide to take part in any activity.
By Jason Castellani (to be continued)

Beijing 2 Tiananmen Square

We were only scheduled to be there for 8 full days and I didn’t do much research ahead of time, of course. I know Jason would have taken a different approach if he didn’t have a week full of business meetings. This meant I was going out and exploring this massive place alone. I remember wishing I was a little more prepared. “I’m going to need a map,” I thought.

All I knew about Beijing was that people don’t speak much English and it’s where Tiananmen Square is located. The first part is completely true. Actually, both the first and the second part are completely true, but Beijing also has an abundance of places to visit and it has a modern and easy to use subway system that will help you get to each and everyone of them. Here’s the places I visited during my short visit to Beijing during my China travels.

Tainanmen Square

Tainanmen Square has a lot of history, but it’s most famously know for the deadly protest in 1989. It’s huge, the size of about 50 football fields where over 1 Million people can congregate. Today it’s highly protected by Beijing Police. There’s not much to see here except hundreds of Asian tourist groups.

China Travel - Tainanmen Square Beijing 

By Jason Castellani (to be continued)

Top Things To Do in Beijing China

I’ve lived in New Jersey most of my live and always within 45 minutes of New York City. My last residence in NJ was Hoboken, located just across the Hudson River. My morning runs always included the best views of “The City”, which is how we refer to it in those parts. Even after working in lower Manhattan for 3 years, this city still impresses me. It’s so incredibly big. Every time I visit a new city, I compare it to New York; and every time the cluster of skyscrapers on Manhattan Island tower over any other skyline that I’ve ever seen.
That was until I stared out the window of our plane as we descended on the landing strip of Beijing Capital International Airport.
Beijing has approximately 22 million inhabitants, compared to the 8 million of New York City.
“Beijing makes New York look miniature, I whispered.”
By Jason Castellani
(to be continued)

Trans-Siberian 12 Trans-Siberian 12 Vladivostok

Vladivostok is the final destination of the 9,288 kilometers Trans-Siberian Railway route. The port city will welcome you with its renowned and impressive white-washed central rail station. Vladivostok is a military port, home to the Russian Pacific Fleet, located on the western shores of the Japanese Sea. Vladivostok is captivating, with its genuine mix of different cultures: the Russian language, Japanese cars, and Asian cuisine. Start your discovery of Vladivostok by overlooking this charming port city from its waterfront promenade: huge ships, containers with foreign goods, and the sea air create a romantic mood. To cover the whole city at a glance, ride on the funicular railway, and definitely go beyond the city to the untouched and remote parts of the Primorye region, including Khasan, Olginsky and Khanka districts, which offer an endless sea, fresh and unpolluted air and elegant nature.
By Valeria Nikonova

Trans-Siberian 11 Beijing

Reached if travelling via the secondary route on Trans-Manchurian Railway, Beijing is the modern capital of China, as well as an ancient city with a completely unique culture, language, food and pace of life. Before entering Beijing, the train passes a dozen almost identical steppes and a few picturesque and industrially important Chinese cities, including Harbin, Changchun and Shanhaiguan, where you will be able to see the UNESCO World Heritage sight, the Great Wall of China, as well as take some stunning photos from the window of your train compartment.

Valeria Nikonova

(to be continued)

Trans-Siberian 10 Ulaanbaatar

Mongolia can be visited via the third primary route called the Trans-Mongolian Railway. Visiting Mongolia is very popular among travellers who decide to embark on the Trans-Siberian Railway voyage because of its untouched nature, vast steppes, stunning deserts, livestock freely walking around, nomadic culture and hospitable people. A few must-visit spots in Mongolia include: the empty steppe of the Gobi Desert, the Gandan Monastery, Mongolia’s most important Buddhist monastery, the monument to Genghis Khan at the Sukhbaatar Square, and the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park. Gorkhi-Terelj National Park offers you the beautiful scenery of wild and unspoiled Mongolia, and is where you can go inside the traditional Ger and meet a nomadic family, or even try to ride a horse, which is a routine part of Mongolian life.

Valeria Nikonova

(to be continued)

Trans-Siberian 9 Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal is the biggest, deepest and most diverse lake on Earth. The region offers a similarly diverse range of opportunities for holiday makers, including living in small wooden houses with little convenience and amenities, sitting on the shore of the Lake Baikal in a deck chair and fishing, sampling delicious Baikal omul fish and posy, going dog sledding and visiting thermal saunas in winter, and watching nerpas swimming in their natural habitat. Few natural sights can surpass the beauty and grandeur of Lake Baikal, and the pure clear water of the lake call people to plunge into its waters.The area surrounding the lake is unique, and many of its plants and animals exist only here.
Valeria Nikonova
(to be continued)