Image by The China Travel Company

 China was originally known as the sleeping giant. However as years gone by, it slowly awakened and found herself among the list of the most visited countries in the world. The country has opened its doors to tourists and boasted some of the grandest and majestic tourist spots you’ll ever set your foot on.

It doesn’t matter how unfettered and carefree you are, or how much of a seasoned traveller you are, when you decide to venture to the Far East, and specifically China, you cannot beat the ease of availing of tailor made China holidays at Thechinatravelcompany.co.uk.

China is actually as exotic as you imagine — it’s a culture, lifestyle and language which far differs from what you’re accustomed.  Sure, you can try and make arrangements for yourself, based on something you’ve heard about or have seen somewhere, but you’ll find it is best to consult with experts.

Connecting with a trustworthy travel agency ensures that you’ll have a smooth travel experience because they already have an outline of the places. So, start by finding and viewing China tourism brochures, which may introduce you to locations you’ll want to see, but have yet to hear about.

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Image by The China Travel Company

Top-Five Must-Visit Locations 

  1. Leshan Giant Buddha: Originally built as a dam in the 8th century and is the world’s largest sitting Buddha, measuring 223 ft. Located in Chengdu, it is a wonder-filled adventure. You can opt to take a river boat or brave the stairs to see it up close.
  1. Hanging Temple: The Hanging Temple can be found about 70 miles outside Datong in the Shanxi province (four to six hours by bus from Beijing), and is marvellously unique. Also at the location are the Yuggang grottos (with 50,000 Buddha statues). The Temple is built on the side of a rugged mountain and is not only a feat of construction, but is also amazing to see – if you’re willing to brave the journey.
  1. Terracotta Army: It’s stunning when you realize that this massive army of sculptures — including 8,000 life-size soldiers, 130 chariots and 500 horses — were built in three pits from 210 to 209 BC as after-life protection for the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. The Terracotta army were only discovered in 1974 in the Shaanxi province by farmers digging a well.
  1. The Forbidden City: There’s nothing more enticing than the idea of entering an area of extreme exclusivity, and Beijing’s Forbidden City, which is approximately one square kilometre, was restricted to only the elite for 500 years. Emperors and their court were the only residents, but an extremely select group of students who had the highest scores on the “Emperor Exam” were allowed to visit. Set aside a full-day for this visit. There are stunning gardens and massive courtyards and the world’s largest collection of ancient wood buildings. Children will get a kick out of the electric rickshaws. It’s surprisingly easy to get to, too, via subway, by disembarking at the Tiananmen Dong (aka Tiananmen East) stop.
  1. The Great Wall of China: You often hear the phrase, “Oh, you can’t go to [location] without going to [famous landmark]” And there is no landmark as famous as China’s Wall. From Dandong in the east, the Great Wall stretches to Lop Lake in the west (pretty much Inner Mongolia’s southern border). One of the original eight wonders of the world, construction of walls for The Great Wall of China began in the 7th Century BC. The best-known portion of the wall was built at the behest and during the reign of the First Emperor of China, Qin Si Huang, from 220 to 206 BC. Most of the existing wall was built during the legendary Ming Dynasty. The wall, which measures 21,196 km or 12,171 miles, is made up of tamped earth, stone, wood, brick and other materials.

Don’t forget to include these top five must see places in your trip to China. You’ll never regret doing so.