China Travel Advice

Where should you go for sightseeing when you tour China? People who travel to China may choose different destinations for different reasons. For example, those who are interested in adventure are more likely to choose the Silk Road or Lhasa. Those who enjoy shopping are probably going to be headed to Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong or even Yiwu. Those who care more about history should not leave the country without having visited Beijing or Xian. Those who value nature may place Huangshan, Jiuzhaigou or Inner Mongolia on top of their agenda. For those who have a thing for gambling, you should check out Macau.

If your tour interest is general and do not have particular preferences, you may, depending on how much time you have to travel in China, consider your destinations in the following order.

Top 1 Destination

Beijing

Top 5 Destinations

Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin, Hong Kong

Top 10 Destinations

Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin, Hong Kong, Three Gorges, Lhasa, Hangzhou, Silk Road, Emeishan/Jiuzhaigou

Top 20 Destinations

Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin, Hong Kong, Three Gorges, Lhasa, Hangzhou, Silk Road, Emeishan/Jiuzhaigou/Chengdu, Huangshan, Lijiang (Yunnan), Qufu/Mt. Tai, Qingdao, Dalian, Guangzhou, Pingyao/Datong, Zhangjiajie, Inner Mongolia, Sanya

Top 30 Destinations

Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin, Hong Kong, Three Gorges, Lhasa, Hangzhou, Silk Road, Emeishan/Jiuzhaigou, Huangshan, Lijiang (Yunnan), Qufu/Mt. Tai, Qingdao, Dalian, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhangjiajie, Inner Mongolia, Haikou, Macau, Nanjing, Xiamen (Wuyishan), Harbin, Shenzhen, Songshan (Shaolin Temple)/Luoyang, Lushan, Qinghai Lake, Tianjin/Beidaihe, Guiyang

Some of the worthy destinations, such as Suzhou or Wulong Great Panda Natural Habitats, are not shown here because of their proximity to other destinations. Suzhou, for instance, is about one hour outside Shanghai, as the “watertown” Zhouzhuang. Chengde, which, in the old days, was a summer resort for China’s imperial family, is located in the hills north of Beijing. Similarly, the destination Silk Road, listed above, refers to tour attractions such as Dunhuang Magao Grottoes, the city Urumqi, and ancient ruins in the desserts.