Your first stop in China is the capital city of Beijing, formerly known as Peking. You can choose from two challenges on this page. Complete one of these and then fly on to the next destination at the bottom of the page.
The Forbidden City (left) was the home of the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It got its name because uninvited visitors were not allowed in for 500 years.
This is where the chinese dish Peking Duck comes from. The picture on the right is the Temple of Good Harvests. It was built in 1420 during the Ming dynasty to worship Earth and Heaven. The Chinese Emperors went here to pray for a good harvest during spring - which in China starts in January. A picture of this temple is often seen on the menu for Chinese restaurants in the UK for good luck.
CHALLENGE : Can you eat with chopsticks? See how many peas you can pick up with your chopsticks from a plate and transfer to a bowl in one minute. E-mail us with your record.
The Great Wall of China can be seen just outside of Bejing city. It is one of the wonders of the world and can be seen from space. The Ming wall stretched from the Yalu river in the east to Jayu pass in the west. It is more than 6000 kilometres long. Here the wall is more than 7 metres high and 5 metres across. Many fortresses and beacon towers were built at strategic points along the wall.
CHALLENGE : The fortresses along the walls communicated with each other by sending messages using signals. Can you send a message using semaphore or morse code? See page 75 of the guide handbook for the letters. Send us an e-mail message to tell us what you have done.
When you have completed your Beijing challenge and told us what you have done by e-mail, click on the plane below to fly to your next destination.
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