China or Japan? A Short Tour Guide
Neighbours and rivals, brought together by common roots but divided by divergent policies and interests, China and Japan, each in their own unique way, can capture the spirit of Asia. As for tourism, in recent decades, finally abdicating from their old containment creed, both countries have opened their borders to foreign visitors. China or Japan? A Short Tour Guide may help anyone looking into the possibility of traveling to Asia make a knowledgeable decision.
Beijing or Tokyo? Also known as Peking, the capital city of The People’s Republic of China, Beijing, has a history dating back three millennia and an equally amazing legacy. The Forbidden City, home of the Chinese Emperors for almost 500 years, the Temple of Heaven and the siheyuan houses (courtyards surrounded by buildings on all their 4 sides) are trademarks of this everlasting city.
The most populous metropolis in the world, Tokyo, capital city of Japan, is home to both tradition and high-tech. Skyscrapers stand tall beside traditional cherry tree gardens and temples like Ikegami Honmon-ji (or the Golden Pavilion, the most popular tourist destination in the country).
If you want to find out everything about China and experience its spirit, a cruise along the Yangtze River, the third longest river on Earth and probably the most popular worldwide will provide all the insightful information needed.
As for Japanese natural landmarks, climbing Mount Fuji, the highest peak in Japan with its 3776 meters will bring you close to the spirit of the ancestors; or so the locals claim. Around 200.000 people climb towards the volcano’s symmetrical cone yearly.
Food is the reason behind many trips. The Chinese cuisine boasts eight culinary cuisines: Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Szechuan, and Zhejiang. Rice is a great ingredient in China, but the most popular dishes include noodles, Shanghai chicken, the Peking duck, as well as pork or mutton dishes prepared with many spices. Baijiu (also known as shaojiu and rather inaccurately translated as white wine) is considered the most widely consumed alcoholic beverages in the world.
Japan, on the other hand, offers a wide variety of Sushi (raw fish or seafood and wine) Yakitori (chicken meat or liver and vegetables all placed on sticks and grilled) and Shabu-shabu (thin and tender slices of beef which are boiled and sauced). Sake, a rice wine, is the country’s most famous of spirits.
Having given you quite a bit to ponder upon, we leave the choice of destination for your Asian trip to you, but warmly recommend both of these amazing cultures and countries.
