[{"command":"settings","settings":{"basePath":"\/","pathPrefix":"","setHasJsCookie":0,"ajaxPageState":{"theme":"travelwhiz_bootstrap_v2","theme_token":"xMkfmda2SdnViTQ6HgkpWoh69hyfjol9yoRWEL4wBV0"},"bootstrap":{"anchorsFix":"0","anchorsSmoothScrolling":"0","formHasError":1,"popoverEnabled":1,"popoverOptions":{"animation":1,"html":0,"placement":"right","selector":"","trigger":"click","triggerAutoclose":1,"title":"","content":"","delay":0,"container":"body"},"tooltipEnabled":1,"tooltipOptions":{"animation":1,"html":0,"placement":"auto left","selector":"","trigger":"hover focus","delay":0,"container":"body"}}},"merge":true},{"command":"insert","method":"replaceWith","selector":"#body-64-537-0","data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022body-64-537-0\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVivacious, varied and immense, and home to a kind of culture that\u0027s utterly separated from the rest of the world, the enormous expanses of China are rightly held up as one of the world\u2019s top travel destination. With beaches and mountains, vibrant cities and areas untouched by modern civilization, riches and painful poverty, there\u2019s something to enjoy for travelers of every breed.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Beijing the body of Mao \u2013 rumored to have been replaced by a waxwork model after recent deterioration \u2013 lies in state. It\u2019s overlooked, across Tiananmen Square, by his giant portrait, mounted on the gates of the ancient, pagoda-filled Forbidden City. Visitors sample the renowned roast duck and gasp at the culinary oddities on offer in the bustling night markets before taking days trips to walk in the footsteps of history along the winding heights of the Great Wall.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShanghai\u2019s futuristic skylines are a symbol of China\u2019s fast-paced development, fashion-focused and all-night-long lively against a 21st century backdrop, while Hong Kong\u2019s hints of modern-day colonialism mixed with designer shopping and dazzling tower blocks make it the ideal spot to recoup. Hop over to Mediterranean-influenced Macau for a Vegas-esque casino experience, or quirky Q\u012bngd\u01ceo for the famous bags of beer on the beach, clocking in at just a couple of dollars per hangover-inducing serving.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe terracotta warriors at Xian still stand proud in seemingly endless rows after helping ruler Shi Huang Di in the afterlife. You can drift along the Yangzi River\u2019s Three Gorges by boat and take in overhanging views and riverside culture, or take the Silk Road through the secluded Taklamakan Desert, discovering Uighar customs on the way.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe disputed territory of Tibet is difficult to access, but the hospitable spiritual home of Buddhism is worth the endeavor, and \u2013 if you get the prized permit \u2013 can be entered via the highest railway in the world, complete with its own personal oxygen masks. On arrival, you\u2019ll be greeted by pilgrim paths and prayer flags, while trips around the Tibetan Plateau offer the best views of Everest.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA host of the world\u2019s most well-known sites mix with varied cultures and a chance to tailor a break to any joy you choose in the colossal expanses of fast-modernizing China. Affordable and mesmerizing, it takes months to even brush the surface of this diverse traveler\u2019s Mecca.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","settings":null}]