Beijing may not have made it to the list of popular vacation destinations in the past due to the ‘red tapism’ but China’s rise as the financial and economic powerhouse of the East has changed the outlook of the West. Today, throngs of tourists enter the lair of the dragon to discover the bounties and the mysteries of this eastern city.

The cityscape still has several pointers of China’s autocratic communist regime; however, it also carries the signs of the country’s economic growth. Logically you would want to embark on your Asian adventure from the Tiananmen Square that lies in the center of the city. If you get to the square early enough, you may even be able to see the ritualistic flag raising ceremony.

A brisk walk of a kilometer will bring you to the mysterious Forbidden City; also known as the Imperial Palace Museum. The complex houses 800 buildings which were constructed by a mammoth labor force of 200,000 workers and took them 14 years to complete. For a very long time, the complex was inaccessible to the general public but today it is one of the most popular tourist destinations of the city.

In stark contrast to the Forbidden City stands the Museum of Chinese History and the mausoleum of Mao. While a lot of people visit the site, it gained ignominy when a young man was shot dead here during a pro-democracy demonstration.

For nature lovers, The Sun Yatsen Park will provide the perfect deluge. Named after a popular 1911 revolutionary, the park is home to innumerable cypress trees and also a marble arch.