...grotesquely modern 'western' structures these days,...

Beijing
Great Wall

Still, Beijing is dappled with heavenly antiquities and a short drive out of the city is...

... China's greatest sight, the Great Wall which alone is worth travelling there for,...

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Xi'an and
The Terracotta Army

...find an isolated spot for a magnificent hike.

Left side: one of Beijing's busier new roads; the Temple of Heaven's Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests; all alone on the wall between Jinshanling and Simitai. Right side: the extraordinary National Theater in Beijing, completed in 2007; a crowded section of the wall at Badalang; one end of the Great Wall near Jiayuguan in Xinjiang Province.

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The Temple of Heaven
2km south of Tiananmen, the magnificent Temple of Heaven is one of Beijing's greatest hits, a stunning piece of multi-coloured Ming design and wood workmanship finished in 1420 AD; the temple squats on the spot where Heaven meets Earth according to Chinese tradition. The main building, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, pictured, is built entirely of wood without use of nails.

The Great Wall of China
An hour or so out of the city, Badaling is the normal target for a half day trip (70km/ 45 miles NW of the city) to see the Great Wall, offering a snapshot of the Chinese countryside as well as an educational visit to the Great Wall Museum. However, Badaling is unfortunately a vacation destination for zillions of Chinese tourists too, so if you have more time and prefer a spectacular and less peopled view of the wall head for Mutianyu, take the cable car halfway up and start walking. Travellers with even more time and need for solitude could target beautiful Simatai or Jinshanling sections.

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