China boasts an illustrious past that dates back millennia. Here are some of its most historic places you should see during a tour.
The Great Wall of China is one of the country’s most iconic historical structures and an UNESCO World Heritage site, boasting 13,170-mile defensive wall which makes an unforgettable spectacle to witness in person.
The Great Wall
The Great Wall isn’t one long uninterrupted wall; rather it consists of multiple defensive walls, towers and trenches spread out over vast parts of China in order to defend it from invaders – much like your house fence keeps out intrusion! Its purpose was protection – much like how fences keep invaders at bay.
Emperor Qin Shi Huang initiated construction of the Great Wall by connecting scattered sections built by previous states, spurred on by reports that northern nomadic tribes planned an attack against him.
Qin added even more fearsome defenses by including barriers, passes and watchtowers into his wall, using them to send smoke signals if an enemy was nearby.
Ming Dynasty did much work to repair, rebuild and extend the Great Wall which is what visitors see today. Along with hiking along it, visitors may also wish to visit Bataizi village for hiking as it offers unique architecture with its juxtaposed Catholic church ruins against its juxtaposed rammed-earth wall.
The Terracotta Army
In 1974, peasants digging a well in drought-stricken Shaanxi made an extraordinary archaeological find: fragments of an entire army of life-size terracotta warriors! This astonishing discovery would soon become one of the world’s greatest archaeological treasures.
Emperor Qin Shi Huang believed he could attain immortality through immortality through this vast tomb, which he believed to be his ticket into the afterlife. Alongside warriors buried with the Emperor are also 520 horses and 150 chariots; additional nonmilitary figures like civil servants or entertainers have also been discovered within its pits.
At the museum, there are three pits marked by numbers; your guide will lead you through them all while explaining what each represents – for instance, Pit 1 has infantry units and war chariots while Pit 2 contains command posts occupied by high-ranking officers. No two figures look alike, creating an overwhelming sense of unsettling reality when seen face-to-face.
The Yin Ruins
Yin Ruins are located near Anyang in central China, the earliest-known capital city in Chinese history. Here, relics of palaces and royal tombs that serve as precursors for later Chinese architecture can be seen; moreover, Fu Hao’s grave may also be found there – she assisted King Wu Ding with state affairs while leading troops into battle alongside her husband King Wu Ding.
Oracle bone inscriptions found here have helped uncover historical Chinese records up to one millennium earlier than originally anticipated, making Yin Ruins one of the most significant archaeological finds ever. This makes Yin Ruins one of the most significant discoveries ever in modern times.
Excavations at Yin Ruins has unearthed palace and ancestor temple sites, hougang tombs of tribes, families and emperors as well as workshops for casting bronze vessels and jade carving, workshops for casting bronze vessels as well as sacrificial pits – no surprise it made it onto UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2006.
The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was an imposing complex of palace compounds where China’s Emperor and his family resided and attended state-level ceremonies, displaying his godlike powers and imperial dignity to world observers. Trees were forbidden in its Outer Court to ensure its majestic aura would not be compromised by shadowing or obstruction from leaves.
Visits to the Forbidden City can easily occupy an entire day, as you explore its main palace buildings and museum sections. Yellow roofs represent earth in Chinese five elements philosophy and is associated with divine status of its emperor; red walls and pillars symbolize fire that generates earth;
The Forbidden City was first made available to the public as the Palace Museum in 1925 and immediately became a source of great controversy and turmoil in China. Students can use this site to understand how government changed and why certain groups felt resentment towards those living within its walls.
