China is not only one of the largest countries in the world, but also one of the oldest. There aren’t many nations that can trace their heritage back as far as this wonderful country, and with the long and illustrious past comes a fascinating series of ancient towns, cities and sites. This article takes a look at a few of China’s oldest locations that you can visit on a China holiday today.

We start up with a look at the city of Pingyao, one of the best preserved examples of a traditional Han Chinese town in the world. The city was originally founded back in the 14th century and its layout tells the fascinating story of town planning in Imperial China over five centuries. Most of this layout dates back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, with the tell tale sign being the conformity to a Bagua pattern. You can get a lot from the city by just taking a walk around as the streets and storefronts still largely retain their historical appearance.

Luoyang and its World Heritage listed Longmen Grottoes are next on our list of destinations. The city of Luoyang is located in the western reaches of Henan Province. The city was founded in an important location in the middle reaches of the Yellow River surrounded by protective mountains. The city is one of China’s truly ancient locations, with a history dating back to 2100BC; a history that spans 13 of China’s Dynasties. The Longmen Grottoes are a series of caves packed with over 100,000 Buddhist statues, which makes it a site of incredible religious importance.

The final destination on our list is another famous Buddhist shrine. Located near the city of Datong in Shanxi Province are the beautiful Yungang Caves. The cave complex is carved into the side of the Wuzhou Mountain and contains 50,000 Buddhist statues and frescoes. It contains less statuary than the Longmen Grottoes, but the main reason many choose to visit this location is the impressive frescoes and beautiful silks on display.

This is just a small taste of the ancient towns and sites that are open to visitors to the country, and there is so much more to explore. So next time you’re looking for a history and culture packed holiday, why not take a look at China?

Beijing, one of the most famous cities in China. It’s no wonder many thousands choose to enjoy Beijing tours in this inspirational city, with its impressive history, beautiful ancient monuments and bustling culture. The city is one of the only ones in China to play a part in nearly every significant recorded Chinese event. In this blog, we take a look at some of the most important historical sites in the city, so you to can experience some of Beijing’s unique, historic past.

We start with one of the most famous monuments in Beijing: the Forbidden City. This enormous palace played home to the Chinese Emperors and their families for almost 500 years, a tradition that only ended in 1911. The name comes from the fact that the entry to the city was forbidden to everyone apart from the imperial family and those on official imperial business. Some of the most impressive buildings in the complex include monuments such as the Golden Water Bridges and the Gate of Supreme Harmony. It’s the large, traditional pavilions that draw the biggest crowds though.

Just beyond the Forbidden City is our next site, Tiananmen Square. This expansive open square is the third largest in the world and has been centre stage for many important events in China. Most will know the square from its role in modern history. You can experience much of this past in the two museums just off the square: the Museum of the Chinese Revolution and the Museum of Chinese History. It’s worth taking a moment to just stand in the middle of the square too, to just absorb the feel of one of the most significant, historical locations in China.

Our final site is perhaps the city’s most famous: The Great Wall. It’s been a major draw to the city for millions of visitors due to its unique status. The wall was constructed over the course of almost 2,000 years and is made up of over 3,700 miles of stone walls. Access to the wall from Beijing city is a short trip to the northwest of the city centre. The monument is an impressive structure up close, although it can get crowded so it’s worth visiting early in the morning.

Yangtze River

The Yangtze River cruise is becoming an increasingly popular holiday choice. Many though are unsure just what there is to see in this beautiful series of gorges. We’re going to take a look at a couple of the fantastic shore excursions day you can take along the length of the mighty Yangtze River, to give you an idea of what there is to see and do on a cruise here.

Fengdu
Situated on the north bank of the river is the ancient city of Fengdu. The city has a long history and is often referred to as the “Ghost City”, a name and reputation that it received from the Eastern Han Dynasty. The name comes from a story about two Chinese officials, Wang Fangping and Yin Changsheng, who came to the city to practice their Taoist teachings. The story goes on to tell of their journey to eventual immortality through self-cultivation. It’s this story combined with the a strange twist that the surnames of the pair Yin and Wang combine into what sounds like “King of Hell” in Chinese, hence Fengdu becoming known as the “Ghost City”.

Since the period of the Eastern Han Dynasty forty eight temples have been constructed on the site, with fantastical names such as “Hall of the Jade Emperor”, “Boundary Between the Living and the Dead”, ” the “Ridge of Helplessness” and the “Balcony of Nostalgia”. These all make for a fascinating trip and are excellent examples of Chinese architecture.

Shennong Stream
The beautiful Shennong Stream is another great trip out for those who want to see a little more of the natural wonders of this region. The stream is one of the tributaries that flow into the Yangtze River. It runs for over 60km from its head in the southern part of Shennongjia Natural Reserve, all the way down to where it connects with the Yangtze at Xirangkou. Shennong is well known for its natural beauty, often rated as better than that of the neighboring Lesser Three Gorges in Wushan County, and its calm, crystal clear waters and sheer gorge walls really do make for a spectacular sight.

The stream can be enjoyed from a peapod boat, and skimming along the stream on one of these really is the best way to see the river. A day trip out here feels a lot more intimate than the larger, and busier, Yangtze, so if you get the chance it’s well worth it.

Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is one of the country’s best known historical sites. This has meant that over the years the renovated sections of the wall such as Badaling, Simatai and Jinshanling have become popular tourist destinations, especially as those sections are easy to reach from Beijing which is close by. Our group tours visit the Juyongguan Pass, which is a quieter section of the wall.

If you take a Prviate Tour, for a more personal Great Wall experience,  you can reach lengths of the wall that are not mentioned in the English guidebooks and so attract very few tourists. One of these sections, that’s still fairly easy to reach from Beijing, is located in the Huairou region. This fantastic wall section was built back in the Ming Dynasty, around 1368, and is located just 73km from Beijing and if you follow its length it connects up with the Mutianyu Great Wall just 10km to the east.

The region is well known for its beautiful terrain and the wall has sites that really let you take advantage of this. One such site is the enemy observation tower known as, “The Eagle Flies Facing Upward”. Although the tower isn’t in great shape, so climbing the tower is inadvisable, the rocky peak it sits upon gives an impressive view of the landscape around. The climb up to the tower is not for the faint hearted though as it sits on the highest section of the wall in this region.

So if you fancy experiencing the Great Wall then why not consider one of our Great Wall of China tours with a difference.