Capital of a land that has fired the global imagination, Beijing is the striking metropolitan core of a country with one of the world’s oldest civilisations. It is also the start or finish of a trip along the Trans-Mongolian or the Trans-Manchurian lines, the Yin to Moscow’s Yang. Like its Russian counterpart, Beijing is a city of awesome – even frightening – scale. It’s fascinating to compare Tiananmen Sq with Red Square, each complete with Mao’s and Lenin’s mausoleums, and match up the Forbidden City with the Kremlin.
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But pretty soon the similarities end and you’re left with a dynamic modern city that stumps first-time visitors who arrive expecting to witness the last gasp of communist China.
Still, in this headlong rush into the future, history – an increasingly precious commodity – has not been totally condemned. Even with just a few days to spare before or after your train journey you’ll discover that Beijing’s environs harbour some of China’s most stunning sights: the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven Park, the Lama Temple and the Great Wall, to name just a few.
Yes, the crowds can be oppressive (as can the climate), but there are also lovely parks and appealing lakeside areas in which to relax.
It’s also a fantastic place to sample China’s glorious food and an ideal launching pad for exploring the most populous nation on earth;