"BEIJING" Beijing by wanderlust23

Beijing offers so much to the first time visitor. One need not know the Chinese language to get around, though only a miniscule percentage of Chinese know English. The Chinese are so gracious, they try to understand the universal language of hand gestures, and are adept at finding the tourist's need with the use of pointing to characters in the smallest phrasebook. The average taxi driver in Beijing is honest and will take you where you would like to go if, after saying the destination and giving a business card or pointing to a character on the map, you simply tell them and have confirmation from them that they actually know where your destination is.

Brief introduction over, the main places, experiences, and areas one must not miss during one's first visit to Beijing are:

Forbidden City

* Great Wall
* Tian'an Men Square
* Forbidden City
* Temple of Heaven
* Chaoyang Area/Sanlitun Street
* Summer Palace
* Beihei and Houhai Lakes
* Hutongs
* Wangfujing shopping area
* Wudaoko shopping area

Bridge at Summer Palace

And whichever sights you decide to visit, make sure to take plenty of time to walk around - remembering the item most important for achieving this is a good pair of comfortable walking shoes. And don't forget your camera!

• Pros:People, Sights, Food
• Cons:Pollution, spitting, traffic
• In a nutshell:Wonderful people, delicious food, fun atmosphere, beautiful city!