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the Wall, about two and a half hours away from Beijing. Be aware, however, that if you are trying to squeeze in going to the Ming Tombs with a visit to the wall, you will probably be visiting the Badaling part of the wall that is much more commercial and definately not as pleasing an experience.

I didn't find Tiananmen Square very interesting but all of the other places were. The Friendship Store has wonderful Chinese handicrafts though overpriced. The Silk Market sounds wonderful and I enjoyed it but it is mostly knock offs of North Face, Columbia and other name brands. There is some silk but not as much as what you would expect from the name.

Some of the most important tips when traveling in China are:

1. It is really important to take toilet paper with you everywhere you go. Most of the restrooms do not supply it, so it is a necessity.

2. Check your bottled water to make sure that the seal has not been broken. The water is so dirty that it will cause you some major problems and people have been known to fill up bottles from the tap and sell them.

3. If you have a good hotel and want to do sight seeing, you can either hire a tour or go off on your own.

4. If you decide to go off on your own, ask at your hotel and they will usually write the name of the place you want to go in Chinese. That comes in very handy when you take a taxi since most Chinese don't know how to read the romanizations of streets and places.

5. If you want to travel to other places in China and don't have a friend who lives there to help you arrange it, I recommend that you go through the Chinese International Travel Service. They can help arrange just about any trip you want to go on. Be aware, however, that they work on a different time schedule than Westerners.

6. Another important tip is to not show anger. It is customary to keep control of your emotions and losing your temper will not get you your way, it will just make you appear foolish to the Chinese.

Though there are many more places that I could recommend you travel to, my favorite was going down the Yangtze River on a cruise through the Three Gorges. It was absolutely breathtaking, right out of a Chinese watercolor with sheer cliffs and mist. Many of the side trips were good and the new dam which is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world was very interesting, as well. China is an immense country with a diverse population and many things to see. I hope to visit again soon. Even though I have visited there on three separate occasions, I know that I have merely scratched the surface of this immensely, intriguing country. May your travels be as safe and pleasurable as mine have been!

Learn more about this author, Jules Willis.
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