Beijing overview

If you want to see the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, or the largest McDonalds in the world you have to go to Beijing to do it. Unlike the postcards where these things exist in a pristine bubble, in real life the city of Beijing has to be endured if you are to see these famous sites. Because of the Olympics, Chinese authorities have cracked down on some of the rampant overcharging of tourists in Beijing but it is still likely that at some point you will be the butt of a cab driver's joke. The Chinese have effectively turned Tiananmen Square into a tourist trap, so if you are interested in enjoying some KFC on the site of an important social movement, Beijing is the place for you. Even with all of its problems, Beijing is still one of most unique and exciting cities in the world.