The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square

The Forbidden City, located in central Beijing, used to be the imperial palace for emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Jozy Zhou, our guide, speaks about this place passionately. We toured it on a Wednesday afternoon and it was teeming with tourists. According to our guide, during the Ming Dynasty people were forbidden from accessing it without permission of the emperor, thus earning the name 'The Forbidden City'.

Today, it is one of the most popular tourist attractions.

Another frequented spot is the Tiananmen Square, with Tiananmen Tower standing at the north end of the Square. This is essentially the main entrance to the Forbidden City. At the centre of the square is a monument to the People's Heroes built in 1952.

"The People's Heroes are Immortal", engraved on the monument, are reportedly written by the greatly revered Chairman Mao whose body apparently lies in the Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall on the Square's south. The Great Hall of the People, the location for the China National People's Congress meetings is positioned on the Square's western side.

There are other historical sites at the Square such as the China National Museum located on the east side; another key feature on the west is the stunning Beijing National Theatre. Nicknamed the egg (it actually looks like an egg floating on water), this grand theatre is an arresting site! We visited it at night but were impressed by its novel design enclosed by an artificial lake.

Xiang Tang Cultural Village

Located about 60 kms from the centre of Beijing, this village is a place of idyllic beauty. The tour guide describes it as a perfect natural oxygen bar and a home with intoxicating culture. Established in 1995, this village has today grown into an amazing set up that was, in 2007, classified as the most beautiful village in Beijing and was chosen as the Beijing Olympic Tourism Reception village in 2008.

With its laidback but classy outlook, the residents speak with a lot of pride about this vast centre of stunning villas, an Oriental Painting and Calligraphy Institute, International Agriculture Sightseeing Park, play fields, among others. One of the most beautiful sites is the Tai Wei Golf Course- an exclusive club that exudes understated, almost snobbish, elegance.

Xiang Tang's expansive orchards produce apples, strawberries, peaches, etc. A few kilometres from the farm, we visited a restaurant in a farm area where we were served roast sweet potatoes, boiled eggs, roast corn... but then again, strangely, pigeons. To the Chinese, food is an art, presented with such meticulous display.

China is therefore not just holding Africa's hand through aid. It is using the country's rich culture and tourist attractions. Through publications like ChinaAfrica Magazine published by Beijing Review and websites like china.org.cn that is published in several languages, information about China is spreading beyond foreign aid to social aspects.

紫禁城与天安门广场

紫禁城（故宫）坐落在北京的正中心，过去是明清两朝皇帝的宫殿。我们的导游周静谈起这里就滔滔不绝。我们在一个周三的下午游览了这里，建筑物中挤满了游客。导游说，在明朝，任何人没有皇帝的允许都不得进入这座宫殿，所以得名“紫禁城”。

而今天，这里变成了最热门的旅游景点。

另一个热门的景点是天安门广场，广场的北面就是天安门城楼，这里是紫禁城的大门。广场中心矗立着人民英雄纪念碑，建造于1952年。

纪念碑上雕刻着“人民英雄永垂不朽”几个大字，据传是在中国备受尊崇的毛泽东主席亲笔所写。毛主席的遗体此刻就存放在广场南面的毛泽东纪念堂里。广场西面是人民大会堂所在地，这里是中国全国人民代表大会开会的地方。

在广场附近还有许多其他的名胜古迹，例如东面的中国国家博物馆等等。在广场的更西侧还有一座标志性建筑，就是外形惊人的国家大剧院。这座巨型建筑绝对令人瞩目，看上去就像一颗漂浮在水中的蛋，因此得名“巨蛋”。我们到达此处的时间已是晚上，但这座坐落于人工湖中心的新奇建筑依然给我们留下了深刻的印象。

香堂文化新村

香堂村距离北京市中心约60公里，这里的田园风光优美如画。导游描述这里是一个完美的天然氧吧，令人陶醉的文化家园。香堂村建立于1995年，到今天发展成为极富魅力的所在。在2007年，该村被评为北京最美的村庄；2008年又入选北京奥运会旅游接待示范村。

这里风景优美，洋溢着闲适的氛围。村民们谈论起村里的豪华别墅群、东方书画研究院、国际农业观光园、游乐场，话语中透着自豪。村里最美的景点要数太伟高尔夫球场，这个专属俱乐部处处流露着低调的高雅。

香堂村广阔的果园出产苹果、草莓、桃子等水果。在距离农场几公里的地方有一座饭店，四周被田野环绕。我们在那里品尝了烤甘薯、煮鸡蛋、烤玉米，还有一道令人意外的美食——烤鸽子。对于中国人来说，饮食是一门艺术，连菜品的摆放也一丝不苟。

由此，中国与非洲的携手不仅仅是通过援助，还充分地利用了这个国家丰富的文化和旅游资源。通过《北京周报》旗下《中国与非洲》这样的杂志，还有能够以十种语言进行发布的中国网这样的网站，有关中国的信息开始在非洲社会的各个方面传播开来。这是除了国外援助之外的另一种影响。