Travelscene American Express Facebook Fan Trip 3 - Beijing. Help Vote For Me

I have been seriously thinking about going to China this year for a holiday, especially Beijing. My previous trips to China have been only in the Southern regions, and I have wanted to visit the capital Beijing for a long time. So when I saw that the Travelscene American Express Facebook Fan Trip 3 was to Beijing, I just have to enter. 10 semi finalists will be chosen from all entries and then fans will vote in the three winners. I am calling out to all of you, my readers, to help get me into the semi finals and then ultimately a winning spot on the trip.

For now, please help show your support by leaving a comment in this post, and hopefully Travelscene will see the support and pick me as one of the 3 winners.

Here are some reasons why I want to visit Beijing, starting of course with all the food I want to eat.

FOOD

Peiking Duck
How can anyone visit Beijing and not try authentic Peking Duck. The duck takes the name of the city even. I've tried lots of Peking Duck in restaurants around Melbourne, with the top 3 being from Simon's Peiking Duck, Flower Drum and Quan Jude, but nothing would compare to tasting the best Peking Duck in Beijing.


Hot Pot
The next iconic thing to try in Beijing is definitely Hot Pot. I eat hot pot at home all the time, even at the snow in Hotham, at restaurants like Hot Pot House and Little Lamb, but surely the variety of food items for hot pot in Beijing will blow my mind.


Xiao Long Bao
I know it's not Shanghai, but I refuse to believe that Beijing doesn't do some of the best found Xiao Long Baos in all of China. I can't wait to test out my theory. Even though the dumplings in restaurants such as HuTong and HuTong Prahran are good, it must be even better in Beijing.


Imperial Court Food
Imperial court food is something that I haven't had the privilege of trying at any restaurant in Melbourne. The closest I've come is the occasional abalone at home during special occasion. I would love to try all the fabulous feasts of the Imperial Courts, especially during the gluttonous Ming and Qing dynasties. I've watched many Chinese dramas all about the Imperial Court banquets and can't wait to try one for myself.


ATTRACTIONS

Forbidden City
My first must see place is the Forbidden City. Again, from watching so many Chinese dramas about what happened in the Forbidden City, I can't wait to immerse myself in the city and feel the grandeur, traditions, luxury and drama that occurred there hundreds of years ago.


Great Wall of China
No trip to Beijing would be complete without putting foot on the only man made structure seen from space. One can only imagine all the hordes of men working on this wall for years and years to keep out the rabbits from Emperor Nasi Goreng, of course.


Tiananmen Square
For historical reverence, I can't go past visiting Tiananmen Square. While many celebrations have been held at Tiananmen Square, we cannot forget the horrors that also occurred there, and must remind ourselves that freedoms need to be fought for and we should cherish our freedom greatly.


Beijing Opera
One of the oldest forms of entertainment is Chinese Opera. It may not be the coolest thing but it definitely has character and is an art form worth seeing first hand.


Beijing Olympic Park
My last place that I must visit is the Beijing Olympic Park. I'm such a huge sports fan and was glued to my TV watching every possible second of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and admiring all the amazing stadiums. I can't wait to see the Birds Nest and the Aquatic Centre for myself.


That wraps up my itinerary wish list of things to eat and do in Beijing. Hopefully you can all support me and leave a comment of support. I hope I will get to live out this dream and make it a reality. Of course I'd blog about every single moment and hopefully you can enjoy the adventure as well.