Cheap flights to Beijing are available from all major airports in UK including Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester for Shanghai, Beijing or Shenzhen (the port city). These flights, if booked well in time can save you at least up to 200 GBP on each reservation. Usually travel Agencies have cheaper fares, as these agencies get discounts from airlines and sell fares on promotional bases. You may bargain the price in many cases or use easy modes of payments as installments or deposits.  The city seems to embody China in every way: chaotic hustle and bustle, skyscrapers crammed next to temples and plenty of monuments to China’s long and complex past. It’s also a great place to catch up on some youth culture by hanging out with the Beijing Punks, or some ancient culture at the Peking Opera or Acrobatics shows.

During the summer, people come out to fly kites in Tiannamen Square, right next to Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum which sits in the centre of the Square. It’s worth reading up on the history of Tiannanem Square, for some interesting insight into China’s past. You can even join the lines of Chinese people who queue to lay plastic flowers next to the preserved Chairman’s body.

The Forbidden City, so called because it was off limits for 500 years, is a breathtaking example of ancient Chinese architecture. Designed for the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and with the principles of balance and yin and yang in mind, it served as a self contained world for the Emperors of the time. You can spend the whole day wondering around the city, and the balance and exquisite architecture is really quite mind blowing. You can even have an audio tour commentated by Roger Moore!

There’s also the Summer Palace, the Emperors’ Summer Residence, nestled in the mouth of Kunming Lake and surrounded by lush parkland (which is particularly gorgeous on a sunny day). You can take a trip around the city’s old Hutongs (alleyways) on a rickshaw or visit one of the cities many Buddhist and Taoist temples.

It goes without saying that a visit to China should include a trip to the Great Wall. This amazing construction spans the country from Shanhaiguan on the east coast to Jiayuguan in the Gobi Desert and there are sections that can be climbed or trekked a bus ride away from Beijing. You can trek on certain parts of the wall, some of which are crumbling away, giving the experience a real sense of adventure. The scenery is awe inspiring and endless. It’s the easiest thing in the world to completely forget yourself out here on a sunny day. The sections of the wall at Huanghua and Jinshanling are the best to pick for a genuine Great Wall Experience away from the crowds of tourists.

The Lama Temple is one of the most beautiful temples in the city, as it houses a 55ft high sandalwood Buddha carved out of a single tree, and a gallery which chronicles the history of the relationship between Chinese and Tibetan Buddhists