China: One Wall – limitless memories

How any times have changed. Today you can not only climb the Great Wall at three or more separate locations, you can also wine and dine, exclusively and in style, at the ramparts. With no trouble, you can also arrange theme parties alongside the tombs of the 16 Ming emperors. And with the help of specialist tour companies, you can tie the knot virtually anywhere – as a number of determined western couples can bar witness.



Such has been China’s transformation from a closed society to zealous western-style entrepreneur that incentives are limited only by imagination. Plus a big enough budget to oil the wheels of commerce. Only Tibet remains an area sensitive enough to warrant still weighty restrictions from the army of bureaucrats who have swapped their drab Mao pyjama suits and little red books for designer slacks and mobile phones. There are rules to remember, however. The first is that China tends to be a pricier incentive option than its more experienced and competitive Asian neighbours. Pulling together all the necessary strands for special parties can cost you dear in various considerations. The second is, despite admirable improvements to transport and hotel systems, problems such as delays, overbooking and service shortfalls may still occur.



That said, if you stick to international airline access and connections, plus the now-nationwide network of joint-venture international hotel, you should have few problems.



Logistically top of the incentive list are Beijing and Shanghai with appropriate cultural add-ons from each, plus maybe an entry or exit through Guangzhou (canton) or Hong Kong in the far south.



Sprawling Beijing, the city of a million bicycles (or motorbikes theses days), is littered with luxury hotels and is a few hours’ excursion distance from the Great Wall, with the Ming Tombs en route. Also close to the city is the magnificent Summer Palace, well worth another lengthy excursion, and within the city itself are the three musts of The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square (with Mao’s mausoleum) and the Great Hall of the People.



Beijing hotels are also big on special Chinese banquets, accompanied by endless and lethal toasts of "ganbei" (bottoms up) to company or colleagues. Riotus strobe-lit western-style nightlife across the city will keep rowdier participants well-oiled and happy into the early hours.



Chic and fashionable Shanghai is even larger than Beijing, but has a more compact downtown core, surrounded by rivers and creeks, and peppered with temples, tea-houses, gardens and museums. Born of trade, the city blends the gothic western architecture of The Bund with the gleaming sky-rises of the new Pudong business district. Home to the world-famous circus, Shanghai offers plentiful five-star hotels and food nightlife. For two-centre incentives, it is easily combined via train, with lakeside Hangzhou, arguably China’s most beautiful city for scenery and gentle recreational pursuits.



By air, both Beijing and Shanghai can be combined with Xian, home of the famous Terracotta Warriors, or with cruises along the Yellow of Yangtze rivers.



China is huge, hugely exotic and magically motivational – even if you don’t actually scale the Wall.



The perfect stay in China is the Yin Du Hotel. For more information please visit: http://www.ghotw.com/yin-du-hotel