June 20, 20251 yr Popular Post @a-447 has lauded his visit to Beijing last week. It is a city which merits lots of time as there is a lot to explore. For most, as @a-447 points out, the main points of interest will be The Forbidden City, The Temple of Heaven and Tiananmen Square. With a routing to Thailand (and other parts of Asia) increasingly popular through China, a short stopover in Beijing for a few days can be well worthwhile. Presently if you are only visiting Beijing (or Shanghai) from North America or most Euroean countries, you do not require a visa for a stay of less than 72 hours. That may sound short, but it is enough to pack in the main sights, enjoy some great Peking food and in the evenings take in a visit to one of the great gay cubs in Asia, Destination. One problem in Beijing is inevitably the number of both residents and tourists. On one visit, I combined a few days with a visit to the wonderful Ice & Snow Sculpture Festival in Harbin roughly 2 hours flying time north east (those photos make up Part 2 of this Travelogue). Being just a few days after Chinese New Year, Beijing was all but empty and the crowds usually packing the Forbidden City had vanished. Great for photos of which here are some. To get an idea of the scale of this vast 999 room palace, it's best to climb the hill at the back and see the view from there. Mao's Gate at the front The exterior wall with the frozen moat The Official Entrance A selection of views of the vast interior Leading to the back gate each door has its rows of 9 bolts - nine being the number reserved for the Emperor The exterior and interior of the Temple of Heaven The Beijing Drum Tower close to the north end of The Forbidden City
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