The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is one of those sights everyone should see once. Contrary to popular belief, you wont see it in its entirety from space. The only way to see all 5000 miles of it is to walk it. Itll take you an estimated 18 months, but what a journey! Of course, most people choose to just visit the highlights of the wall during the course of their fortnight-long holiday and that, in itself, is an experience to be savoured. With an average height of 6-7 metres, the original wall was built over a 20 year period in 221 BC and the bricks were held together with glutinous rice flour.

The Great Wall served the purpose of ensuring peace for the people of Northern China against the Huns. Messages were spread by the sentries who used to patrol the walls, via smoke signals from the fires they burned. These days in modern China, you can climb the wall and drink champagne on it as you take in the views.

Your China Holiday

The Great Wall of China is just a two-hour drive from Beijing and no trip to Chinas capital is complete without seeing it. Also in Beijing, youll enjoy iconic sights such as Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City. Many escorted tours in China combine a trip to Beijing with visits to the Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai, the Terracotta Warriors in Xian and the Panda conservation centre in Chengdu. River cruises along the Yangtze and an exploration of the Karst land formations in Guilin are also popular. China is a vast country, but it is possible to gain an impressive insight into the countrys culture and character in just a couple of weeks with a carefully crafted itinerary.

Experts in China Travel

Aspen Travel partners with a number of different tour operators who are experts in Chinese travel. Wendy Wu Tours offer a huge variety of escorted tours in China and are widely recognised as the UK NO.1 Operator for China, making them ever so popular with our customers year upon year, but Travelsphere, Cox and Kings, Kuoni and Collette offer their own takes on it. Viking River Cruises and Riviera Travel, will sail you along Chinas waterways, giving you an alternative view of Chinas rice fields and riverbank attractions, while Great Rail Journeys are all about luxury rail travel. Club Med skiing holidays are also possible here.

To discover all your China travel options, please get in touch with the Aspen Travel team. Our advisors will be happy to chat informally about the range of tours available with a view to finding a package that best suits your presences.

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