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Visitors to North Korea are often left with the choice between flying in and out of Pyongyang from Beijing, or take the train back to China. I...
Everything from China
China is the world’s second most populous country, with about 1.4 billion people, located in East Asia. It borders 14 nations, including Russia, India, and Vietnam, and has coastlines along the Yellow, East, and South China Seas. Its geography ranges from the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau to fertile river basins of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers. With one of the world’s oldest civilisations, China has dynastic histories spanning thousands of years, marked by cultural, scientific, and artistic achievements.
After the 20th-century fall of imperial rule and establishment of the People’s Republic in 1949, China emerged as a global power. The capital, Beijing, is home to historic landmarks like the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong are economic centres. China is known for its vast heritage, rapid modernization, and global influence.
China is a country in the region Sandalsand has defined as North, Central and East Asia. There are introductions to this region and other regions in the Destinations menu.
World Heritage #1443 – The Grand Canal
The longest and oldest canal in the world is certainly worth a place on the World Heritage List. The Grand Canal stretches from Beijing in the north...
How to become one of a thousand Western visitors to North Korea, and why?
I was one a thousand Western visitors to North Korea. This article is written after I returned safe and sound from a six-day visit to one of the...
Pictures from China
This is Sandalsand's collection of pictures from China. They are the result of trips to different parts of the country over many years. If you look...
Nature: 8 Dry Deserts
Have a look at this selection of 8 dry deserts. The Earth's surface is predominantly wet, covered by water. Some areas are on the other hand...
Nature: 6 Great highlands
Some mountain plateaus or plains are more adventurous than the average. My examples of 6 great highlands are from different parts of the world....
Nature: 8 Amazing Mountain Views
Have you been to these 8 amazing mountain views? If you take nature as the basis and exclude skyscrapers, constructed "skywalks" and such, we are...
Nature: 7 Strange Rock Formations
What do I mean by 7 strange rock formations? Well, the Earth’s surface is full of loose stones and boulders and solid rocks. Some have over the...
Nature: 10 Great Caves
A cave is a hollow place in the ground, often very deep but also quite small like a grotto. Here is a nice selection av 10 great caves. This...
Defensive Structures (1) The huge ones
There are some historically significant and physically huge defensive structures around the world. They built them to protect entire countries...
Iron Wheels (1) Exciting train journeys
This is an introduction to exciting train journeys. I have registered my travels on a world map and the distance travelled on trains has been...
Ultimate highlights of Beijing
On a long day it is possible to discover many of the ultimate highlights of Beijing. This was also the end of a very long journey. This is article...
World Heritage #0881 – Temple of Heaven
Watch your step in the Temple of Heaven park, nothing is arbitrary, everything has a meaning. To those who understand. The UNESCO World Heritage...
VIDEO – China – Beijing (11) Forbidden City
This video takes you on a walk through the Imperial City (Walled City) and Forbidden City of Beijing. It goes from Tiananmen Square to Jingshan...
VIDEO – China – Beijing (10) Silk production process
This video about silk production is from a guided tour of a Beijing silk store showing the full production process. It includes the six larva...
VIDEO – China – Beijing (9) Temple of Heaven
This video is from a visit to the Temple of Heaven and the park. It is no. 881 on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The official name of the site is:...
VIDEO – China – Beijing (8) Temple of Heaven Park
Watch a video from an early morning workout in the Temple of Heaven Park in central Beijing. It has a number of very popular public exercise...
VIDEO – China – Beijing (7) Summer Palace
This is a short video from the Summer Palace in Beijing, the former summer residence of the Chinese emperors. "Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in...
VIDEO – China – Beijing (6) Qianhai Lake
This video is from a walk along the pleasant Qianhai Lake in central Beijing, and the nearby area. According to Wikipedia Shichahai is a historic...
VIDEO – China – Beijing (5) Hutong
This video is from a redeveloped hutong neighbourhood in Beijing. Although quite new, they have the atmosphere of how people used to live in ancient...
VIDEO – China – Beijing (4) Great Wall at Mutianyu
This is a video from the Great Wall at Mutianyu. It is a restored section and very popular on a day trip from Beijing. According to Wikipedia,...
VIDEO – China – Beijing (3) Cloisonne factory
Here is a video from a cloisonné factory and store outside of Beijing. This is a technique for decorating metalwork objects with coloured materiel....
Beijing and the Great Wall
Read about some early impressions from Beijing, and then about a visit to the Great Wall. I had flashbacks to the last time I was in Beijing, more...
VIDEO – China – Beijing (2) Yonghe Lama Temple
This is a video from the Yonghe Lama Temple in central Beijing with its temple buildings, incense urns and worshippers. According to Wikipedia the...
On the train from Mongolia to Beijing
We were on a train from Mongolia to Beijing. After a very long stop at the border for passport checks and a change of wheels, we could finally leave...
VIDEO – China – Beijing (1) Ritan Park
This is a video from the peaceful Ritan Park in Beijing, on an early morning visit along Tai Chi Chuan practitioners. According to Wikipedia the...
VIDEO – China – Landscape
This video is from a northern China landscape to the tunes of the national anthem of China. Filmed from the train on the Trans-Siberian (-Mongolian)...
On the train from Mongolia to the Chinese border
A train from Mongolia to the Chinese border took us from Ulaanbaatar across the Gobi desert and a prolonged wait on the border for a change of...
Introduction to the Trans-Siberian Railway
This is an introduction to the Trans-Siberian railway, "the world's longest train ride". The Trans-Siberian railway links Moscow with Vladivostok on...
Hong Kong for the last time
I was back in Hong Kong for the last time, from Macau. I spent the next couple of days relaxing and write a letter back home. This article is part...
