Have a ball near the wall

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Published: 12:00am, 6 May 2010

Finding the perfect venue to get married can be a tough decision. In the second instalment of a four-part series on unusual wedding venues, this week we look at landmark locations around Asia.

About an hour away from Beijing, the ultramodern hotel Commune by the Great Wall (www.commune.com.cn) offers wedding packages for couples who want to say 'I do' near one of the world's most famous landmarks. While the wedding ceremony isn't on the wall, because it is difficult to organise, it is so close you can almost touch it.

Set in the Shuiguan mountains, the hotel is built on eight kilometres of private land and with private access to the wall, which is about a 10-minute walk away.

According to Monika Zhang, the hotel's public relations manager, the venue is popular among locals and expatriates living near Beijing or Shanghai, with about four to five couples getting married every weekend from April to November.

For a minimum of 20 guests, the wedding package includes a champagne reception, six-course lunch, dinner or wedding buffet, wines and beverages, table decorations, menus, place cards and an overnight stay for the newlyweds in a villa.

Similar to the London Eye, the Singapore Flyer (www.singaporeflyer.com) has been giving its passengers a new perspective of the city state since opening in 2008.