Beginning of October 2007 the Chinese government announced that they plan to limit the number of visitors to the Forbidden City in Beijing. Now word got out that the Great Wall of China also needs protection from too many visitors and that plans exist to limit the access in future. Both main Chinese tourist attractions need protection of the ancient structures.

Backpacker savant Tom Carter offers his top five “real” China destinations:

Shandong - Where Chinese civilization as we know it began, Shandong is a wealth of history and tradition. From the birthplaces of Sun Tzu and Confucius to sacred Tai Shan, this is Han culture at its most unadulterated.

The Forbidden City, as it is know to most people outside of China, is a World Heritage Site since 1987 and on top of the must see list of travelers to China. This visit to the Forbidden City, Beijing, could just be a bit more difficult in the future.

The complex, built between 1406 and 1420, is the largest collection of ancient wood structures listed by UNESCO. 980 buildings are still standing and the whole area covers about 720,000 square meters. It is a beautiful example of traditional Chinese palatial architecture and well worth a visit. If you have seen the movie “The Last Emperor”, filmed at the Forbidden City in Beijing, you might remember the beautiful buildings and artwork.