Plan your trip to Beijing? If you have visited Paris, capital city of France, you will expect some similarities and differences between the two great cities. Being capital cities and metropolitans, both Paris and Beijing have a great history.
While you are obliged to take a boat cruising on the Seine River in Paris, you will pay pilgrimage to the Great Wall around Beijing. The Seine River cruise puts you into a time corridor experiencing the historical Paris and enjoying the mesmerising views along the river banks. Hiking on Grea Wall allows you to touch the 500-year history and appreciate the hilltop views.
Cruising on the Seine River
Hiking on the Great Wall around Beijing
French history has left Louvre Palace to the city of Paris and Beijing is also bestowed with a great palace – Forbidden City. Both palaces have been turned into museums – Louvre Museum and Forbidden City Museum, art and historical Treasure troves belonging to the while mankind.
Louvre Palace Museum
Forbidden City Museum
Many travelers would start their Paris city tour with a visit to Concorde Square. Similarly, Tiananmen Square is very often a starting point to begin a city tour in Beijing. Concorde Square leads to Louvre Musuem and Tiananmen Square is connected to Forbidden City Museum.
Concorde Square in the center of Paris
Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing
The sharp difference between Paris and Beijing lies in their city constructions. The old buildings in Paris have been well preserved and protected while Bejing has demolished its city wall in 1960s and a great number of old residential buildings (hutongs and courtyards) demolished too!. Though Beijing government has protectively allocated some old residental areas for protection, Beijing has unquestionably has become a brand new metropolitan – new residential blocks, high-rise office buildings and fancy and van-garden structures.
The well preserved old Paris City
The modern city of Beijing
Paris is an old modern city while Beijing is a modern old city.
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Tags: Beijing and Paris, Beijing and Paris sightseeing, Paris and Beijing
