China being known for tourism can be attributed to its Great Wall. The Great Wall of China is one of the greatest wonders of the world and China’s greatest travel destination. The Great Wall winds up and through desert and mountains at an expanse of 6,700 kilometers from the East to West of China. This wall was built to ward off Mongol invaders in the north.

Tourists traveling to China take in the history of the country with every step of the Great Wall. Now, different foreign tourist marvel at the Great Wall to a point of invasion making it an icon of all China’s travel destinations.

In the heart of Beijing lies the Forbidden City. This top Chinese travel destination celebrates the history of different royalties of China. The palace contains exactly 9,999 buildings. Tourists can view the Forbidden City behind each gates found on the four sides. Aside from that, tourists can go up the four towers found in the corners to view the buildings from the top. From this viewpoint, travelers can notice the symmetry of the buildings that coincide with Chinese architectural tradition known as Feng-Shui. As the symbol of the royal family, yellow is the dominant color of the Forbidden City. Foreign tourists to China can see the magnificent architecture, dainty paintings, and the grand halls.

For foreign tourists who want to take in the economic tradition of China, they go to the famous Silk Road. It is the greatest trading route between the East and the West. The road is named after the product that is most traded between China and the West. The Silk Road is also the route of Marco Polo’s travel to China. Most importantly, it served as the route for knowledge exchange between Europe and China. Today, the Silk Road is reduced to dilapidated houses and structures in the middle of the desert.

The Great Wall is the most significant symbol of China which has become one of the widely known artificial constructions in the world today. This structure has contributed to the development of China’s history and continues to pay a major role in the culture and tourism development of China. Travel to China without visiting the Great Wall is like not accomplishing anything which is the reason why many people want to start off their China tour itinerary in Beijing. Aside from the historical feel of Beijing, it is the best city in China to visit the Great Wall. A brief history about the Great Wall tells us that it was built over two thousand years ago as a key to protect the agricultural lands from invasion. The wall was built in sections in between years by peasants, villagers and prisoners; which also reflects the reason why the different sections of the wall portray different looks due to the types of materials used in the construction. These materials varied from grass, stones, earth and wood. Although the construction of the wall started in the early seventh century B.C., it was later during the Qin dynasty; the sections were further built and renovated to become a whole structure. This was the period when China derived its English name from the word “Qin” pronounced as “Chin”. Today, the Great Wall of China stretches to a length of over 6,700 kilometers winding through hills, cliffs, plateaus and deserts from across the east coast to the northwest of China. At present, there are nine sections of the Wall opened to tourists from all over the world which include Liaoning sections of the wall, Hebei sections, Tianjin sections, Beijing sections, Shanxi sections, Shaanxi sections, Inner Mongolia sections, Ningxia sections and the Gansu sections. However, out of all these sections, the most visited are the sections of the Wall in Beijing; this is because the wall is well preserved and showcases the remains from the Ming dynasty, an era when the wall was in tremendous construction. The main sections of the Great Wall in Beijing are: Badaling, Simatai, Jinshanling, Mutianyu, Gubeikou, Huanghuacheng and Jiankou.

Badaling section is famous for it imposing structures, completeness, and the famous Juyonguan Pass. Most of the pictures of the great wall published in guidebooks were taken at the Badaling section of the Great Wall. The Mutianyu section also provides great viewing pleasure for tourists. Jinshanling, Simatai and Gubeikou sections of the wall is narrower and quieter than the Badaling and Mutianyu sections of the wall, while the Huanghuacheng and Jiankou sections have become an ideal choice for adventure hikers. The fascinating aspect of the Great Wall is that no matter what section of the Wall you visit, the outstanding engineering of this structure tells you a lot about the history of China.