Best of Beijing  

Beijing is the former realm of China's emperors and the final resting place of Communist Party founder Mao Tse-tsung. This ancient city is famous for its 2,000 year-old Great Wall , considered on of the wonders of the world and the only manmade structure visible from the moon.

Other Beijing highlights include the magnificent Forbidden City, once the sacred sanctuary of China's emperors and now a major tourist attraction; the scenic Summer Palace featuring a serene lake setting complete with a marble boat commissioned by the Dowager Empress; and a rickshaw ride through the city's historic 700-year-old neighborhoods comprised of cluster houses called hutongs.

Staying in Beijing
The Capital Hotel is a 10-minute walk from Tianamen Square, the Forbidden City and the downtown shopping district.

The centrally located Beijing Xindadu Hotel is another good choice. It is a five-minute walk from the Beijing Zoo, where visitors can see giant pandas. Both selections are rated as four-star accommodations.

To the Land of the Pandas
A two hour plane ride from Beijing takes you to Chengdu, the home of the giant panda. Visitors can see giant pandas at the Chengdu Zoo and learn about the endangered animals at the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base. About a dozen giant pandas reside in spacious grassy habitats at the base.

Visitors also meet the giant panda's cousin, the red panda, at the base. To see where the world's less than 1,000 remaining pandas still live in the wild takes about eight hours round-trip from Chengdu. A bumpy, but breathtakingly beautiful bus ride showcases some of China's most stunning countryside and farmland.

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