This is the third post in new video contributor Kelley Ferro’s five-part video series on China, the first of many series covering destinations across the globe. The first part is here, the second part is here, the fourth part is here, and the fifth part is here.
China’s history predates America’s by a good few thousand years, and it’d be easy to spend weeks touring the vast country’s many historical sites. However, not all of us have that kind of time; I sure didn’t. I had one week in China and a lot of energy, so I ticked off three cities, a handful of World Heritage Sites and two major points on my bucket list. And I did so with the help of the USTOA member Wendy Wu Tours, which made it all possible.
Watch the video above, and see below for more!
1. The Great Wall
You’ve seen pictures. You’ve heard stories about its height, its length, its history. But you won’t ever comprehend the Great Wall until you actually see it in person. Frankly, I was worried it’d be overhyped but it certainly wasn’t. For the best place to ascend the Wall, be sure to watch the video. You might be surprised by how you get down.
2. Terracotta Warriors
The scope of this place is overwhelming. With over 8,000 warriors and still more to be discovered, this working excavation was unlike any other site I’d been too. The painstaking detail that went into each individual warrior, the access that visitors get to the sites, and the information that you leave with—all of these factors made this a very important stop (warning: it might also make you feel very insignificant). Don’t miss the photo opportunity with the warrior replicas at the end. You’ll be fooling your friends for years to come, so it’s worth the eight bucks.
I know there’s so much more to see in China, and I definitely enjoyed experiencing the food of Beijing, the shopping of Shanghai and the local life of Xi’an. It seems every time I tick something off my bucket list, I put ten more must-sees right back on.
In Part 4, next Monday: Food of China.
For more on guided travel in China, visit USTOA.com. For more on the specific itineraries and guides from Kelley’s video, check out wendywutours.com.
