Now what? You’ve gone through all that information to help prepare you for your trip, and so what’s next?
KEEP EXPLORING! The more you read-up on the cities you will be visiting, the more you will get out of your time abroad!
Here is a bit more information about the five cities you’ll be visiting soon!
BEIJING, CHINA
Inextricably linked to its glorious, notorious past, yet hurtling towards a power-charged future, Běijīng – one of history’s great cities – is as complex as it is compelling.
Few places on earth can match the extraordinary historical panorama on display in Běijīng. There are six Unesco world heritage sites in this city alone (just one less than the whole of Egypt). At its heart is the magnificent Forbidden City, a royal palace on a scale like no other. Běijīng is also home to sublime temples that aspire to cosmological perfection, while the city centre is crisscrossed by enchanting hútòng: ancient alleyways that teem with life today, as they did hundreds of years ago. And, to cap it all, the awe-inspiring Great Wall snakes its way across the hills north of town.
It’s not just the ancient architecture that wows tourists. Běijīng is also home to some of the world’s most innovative modern buildings. The world’s leading architects clamber for the chance to make their mark on this new global powerhouse, and jaw-dropping structures like the CCTV Building, Galaxy Soho, the NCPA concert hall and the Olympic Stadium are clear signs that Běijīng is not shy about proclaiming its status as China’s capital. Like the temples and palaces of the ancient past, and the imposing socialist realist monuments of the 1950s, these latest additions are built on a scale that screams ‘look at me!’.
Běijīng isn’t just the political centre of China – it’s the cultural heart of the country too. The nation’s top artists, writers, movie-makers and musicians converge here, making this the place to take the pulse of China’s rapidly evolving cultural scene. With top-class museums, galleries galore, and an increasing number of music venues, there’s enough to keep you busy day and night. Běijīng is also the centre for the traditional Chinese performing arts. Whether it’s the mystique of Peking opera, tumbling acrobats or the graceful lines of Chinese classical dance that entrances you, the capital has it and more.
HONG KONG
This enigmatic city of skyscrapers, ancient traditions and heavenly food will fascinate, whether it’s your first visit or your 50th.
Beyond the glass and steel of Hong Kong’s commercial persona, the city also boasts a vibrant cultural scene that features the eclectic influences of its Chinese roots, colonial connections and a wondrous pool of homegrown talent. Here, you’re just as likely to find yourself applauding at Asia’s top film festival as joining in dawn taichi or reading the couplets of a local poet to the drumbeat of a dragon boat. Culture could also mean indie music under the stars, a classy art walk, your first Cantonese opera – not to mention the exhibitions and events staged year-round at the many museums and concert halls.
The tantalising neighbourhoods and curious islands that make up Hong Kong are a sensory delight awaiting exploration. You may find yourself swaying along on a double-decker tramcar, cheering with the hordes at the city-centre horse races, or simply gazing out at the magnificent harbour. Over 70% of Hong Kong is mountains and sprawling country parks, some also home to geological gems. Escape the city limits on one of the world’s best transport systems and spend your day wandering in a Song-dynasty village, hiking surf-beaten beaches or scouring for sea shards on a deserted island.
NEW DELHI, INDIA
Mystery, magic, mayhem. Welcome to Delhi, City of Djinns, and 25 million people. Like an eastern Rome, India’s capital is littered with the relics of lost empires. A succession of armies stormed across the Indo-Gangetic plain and imprinted their identity onto the vanquished city, before vanishing into rubble and ruin like the conquerors who preceded them. Modern Delhi is a chaotic tapestry of medieval fortifications, Mughal mausoleums, dusty bazaars, colonial-era town planning, and mega malls.
BANGALORE, INDIA
Cosmopolitan Bengaluru is the number one city in the Indian deep south, blessed with a benevolent climate and a burgeoning drinking, dining and shopping scene. It’s not necessarily a place you come to be wowed by world-class sights (though it has some lovely parks and striking Victorian-era architecture), but instead to experience the new modern face of India.
As the hub of India’s booming IT industry, it vies with Mumbai as the nation’s most progressive city, and its creature comforts can be a godsend to the weary traveller who has done the hard yards. It’s a big student town where you’ll encounter hip locals chatting in English while drinking craft beer and getting around in ’80s metal band T-shirts.
SHANGHAI, CHINA
Shànghǎi: few world cities evoke so much history, excess, glamour, mystique and exotic promise in name alone.
Běijīng often hogs the limelight as China’s cultural nexus, but for what is essentially a town of wheelers and dealers, Shànghǎi is surprisingly creative. Many art galleries are exciting, offering a window onto contemporary Chinese concerns, while nightlife options have exploded. Acrobatics shows are always a favourite and you might grab the chance to catch some Chinese opera. Shànghǎi’s music and club scene is a vibrant place: from unpretentious jazz and indie venues to all-night hip-hop and electro dance parties, the city swings with the best of them.