China: The Asian Civilization - The Wise World Traveler: Becoming a Part of All that You Meet - page 253

Figure 16.10. The Great Wall
THE SELECTIVE TRAVELER IN CHINA
China's vast size can easily daunt the traveler. Best to know before you go, and for that,
a good guidebook is essential. Two excellent choices are The Lonely Planet, China and
Travel Around China .
As Confucius once said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
An excellent first step is Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Its acreage is a symbol of the coun-
try's vastness. Its Gate of Heavenly Peace is the site where Mao proclaimed the People's
Republic. Mao and the Proclamation are marked by a giant portrait of Mao. The huge
palaces of the Forbidden City were home to two dynasties. And the Great Wall of China is
easily reached from Beijing.
Shanghai, China's great seaport, was and is the country's most cosmopolitan city.
Great colonial buildings of the nineteenth century are on refurbished display, as are new
and modern structures that underscore massive government investment. And well-pre-
served houses, ghosts of colonial glory, remind visitors of China's subservience to Europe
in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Hong Kong is China's great shopping emporium. Crowds throng the streets day and
night, and restaurants and hotels abound.
And finally, two wonderful journeys: by ship up the Yangtze to see the beautiful Three
Gorges, and by train to Tibet, a journey of incredible mountain beauty.