7 Reasons to Love China ...

1. The Festivals Are Amazing

I’ve seen fabulous photographs of the many festivals and celebrations that take place during the year in China. There is the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Double Seventh Festival, Mid-autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival, and the Winter Solstice Festival. It seems like there is a celebration for all occasions. These are just the traditional ones, I’m sure there are others going on throughout the year also. The fireworks, music, dancing, and other festivities would make for some excellent photographs.

2. The Forbidden City

This city located in Beijing has walls surrounding it that measure 26 feet in height. There is also a moat surrounding the city that is nearly 20 feet deep and 171 feet wide. It was built during the early 1400s and took nearly 20 years to complete. This city consists of 980 buildings and contains artifacts and artwork that were mostly collected during the Ming and Qing dynasties. I think living in a palace complex that covered around 178 acres would be fantastic. This is one place I wouldn’t miss seeing if I were to visit China.

3. The 8th Wonder of the World is in China

The terracotta warriors and horses of Emperor Qin Shi Huang are considered to be the 8th wonder of the world by many people. These can be seeing outside Xian. There are 6,000 clay warriors and horses that are not only life-size, but also hand made. Each warrior is more than 6 feet tall and weighs nearly 600 pounds. The warriors were left to protect the dead emperor in the afterlife and were left to guard his tomb as well.

4. Slurping Your Noodles Isn’t Considered to Be Impolite

I can’t count how many times I’ve caught myself slurping my ramen and then looked around in embarrassment to see who might be glaring at me. I think it would be a great experience to be able to slurp my noodles and not have anyone thing negative thoughts. It’s fun to make a little noise at times. Right? You have to try it at least once in your lifetime!

5. You Can Visit the Stone Forest

Although this isn’t really a forest, it is still referred to as a forest due to the resemblance the limestone formations have to trees. These karst formations are found in the Shilin District of China, which is a little more than 50 miles from Kunming. This National Park spans more than 200 square feet. Foreign and domestic tourists alike enjoy visiting this scenic area. I would love to see this place! I think it would be an absolutely breathtaking experience.

6. The Great Wall of China

Built between 220 – 206 BC, this massive fortification stretches for more than 5,000 miles. This immense wall consists of not only actual walls, but also natural defensive barriers and trenches. Walking along this wall during the fall would be excellent! I bet the colors are simply gorgeous. Supposedly it takes about 8 months to walk the entire length of the Great Wall. Wow!

7. You Can See Mount Everest

This massive mountain range is located on the border of Nepal and Tibet, China. I remember when Jamling Tenzing Norgay came to the college I went to in the Northern part of the US. While attending a college that incorporated a lot of outdoor programs to their curriculum, I heard numerous stories about Jamling’s father, Tenzing Norgay, who was one of the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. It was such an honor to meet Jamling and hear first-hand stories about trips he and his father took during his lifetime.

I hope at least some of these 7 reasons to love China inspire you to explore this glorious country, whether via plane, train, or travel catalog. What reasons would entice you to visit China some day?