By Noemi Gamel

China’s visa requirements for those of us traveling with an American passport are rather strict. We were not able to get a visa to go to mainland China during our Round The World Trip, so we took advantage of the 72-hour visa-free transit policy. You can visit one of several choice cities for 72 hours as long as you fly in and out of the country via a direct flight. We chose to spend our precious limited 72 hours in Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Ask anyone what are the “must-see” sights in Beijing, and you will universally hear the same answer: Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, and a daytrip to the Great Wall of China. While we have usually limited our sightseeing during the Round The World trip to one activity per day to keep costs down, we could not keep to our usual relaxed, slow-paced schedule on the 72-hour transit.
We spent one full day touring the historical sights of Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and Temple of Heaven. The architecture in all of these sights was breathtaking. We also learned a lot about Chinese culture and history on these tours. The weather was cold and wet, but we were rewarded at the end with a visit to a traditional Chinese teashop where we sampled some of the best tea I have ever had. We also went to a Chinese acrobat show that night. The following day we took a tour to the Great Wall of China. The weather was kinder to us, so we were able to enjoy just sitting on the wall and enjoying the views.
This portion of our trip taught me that sometimes you have to change your routine when you are traveling long term. We were so busy during our time in PRC, that we did not home school. Nevertheless, the kids (and we!) learned so much on the trip, that we left with a newfound appreciation for the Chinese culture.