From Shanghai to Beijing: The Great Wall and Forbidden City
A travel couple's first China trip, from Shanghai's skyline and old streets to Beijing's Great Wall and Forbidden City.
Tom and Liv Travel share their first trip to China, starting in Shanghai with its skyline and old streets as they get their bearings in the city. They then head north to Beijing, where they walk the Great Wall and stand inside the Forbidden City — the two landmarks they say made the trip for them.
The video covers the whole route and describes what these classic China landmarks are actually like in person, along with what surprised them and what they would do differently. It is aimed at anyone planning a first China trip and wondering whether to combine Shanghai and Beijing in one go.
10 Comments
Reader notes and reactions to this story.
Maya Chen 2 hours ago
This story captures something I noticed in Shanghai too: young people treat the city almost like a shared living room.
Leo Park 3 hours ago
The point about low-cost identity is sharp. It explains why small habits can feel bigger than entertainment.
Anika Rao 5 hours ago
I would love a follow-up about second-tier cities. Chengdu and Hangzhou probably have different versions of this.
Jonas Miller 6 hours ago
The examples feel familiar even outside China. Urban life is becoming more improvised everywhere.
Yuki Tanaka 8 hours ago
Museum visits, cycling routes, pop-up stores - that mix says a lot about how cities are changing.
Clara Wu 9 hours ago
The article makes the trend feel human instead of just lifestyle branding. Nice angle.
Samir Patel 11 hours ago
I like that the piece does not frame this as Westernization. It feels more locally invented.
Nina Roberts Yesterday
The writing around public streets becoming social spaces is especially strong.
Eric Zhou Yesterday
This reminds me of weekend markets near university areas. Very accurate.
Helen Garcia 2 days ago
Would be great to see photos from the routes mentioned in the article.