| Asia is bursting with a myriad of opulent destinations | | | | Whether you choose to climb Mount Fuji or relax at |
| to explore, with Japan and China at the top of the | | | | volcanic hot spring resorts, Japan is unforgettable. |
| list. Read on to discover some of our favourites. | | | | China's social riches and 5,000 years of tumultuous |
| Since 1950, Japan has overseen exceptional economic | | | | history place it among the world's greatest travel |
| growth, becoming one of the world's most powerful | | | | destinations. The Great Wall, X'ian's Terracotta Army, |
| economies. Tokyo dazzles with bright lights and | | | | the Forbidden Palace and Tiananmen Square: the very |
| high-tech gadgetry. Bustling cities burst with | | | | names reverberate with history and legend. From |
| skyscrapers, bullet trains, trendy nightlife and rampant | | | | acrobatics to martial arts, calligraphy to Chinese |
| consumerism. | | | | opera, the vibrant, distinctive culture of this great |
| Yet beneath the brash modernity beats an ancient | | | | land is everywhere to be seen. |
| heart. | | | | China's capital, Beijing, is facing great investment in |
| This is still the realm of the exquisite art of the | | | | both tourism infrastructure and historical renovation |
| geisha and the skill of the sumo wrestler; where | | | | due to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Shanghai is |
| ancient festivals are celebrated and food is elevated | | | | another favourite, as one of the world's largest cities |
| to an art form. And Japan is still a land of great | | | | and one of China's most famous. |
| natural beauty, from the snow festivals and lavender | | | | European-style architecture, traditional Chinese |
| farms of the northern isle of Hokkaido to the | | | | buildings and sleek modern developments all co-exist |
| sun-drenched beaches of the subtropical south. | | | | in this cosmopolitan metropolis. |