China Destination Guides
From the imperial grandeur of Beijing to the karst rivers of Guangxi and the tea-house calm of Chengdu, China rewards travelers who go beyond the obvious. These city-by-city guides cover what's actually worth your time, when to visit, how to get around, and how a trusted local guide turns a complex trip into an easy one.
Chengdu
Sichuan
Giant pandas, mouth-numbing hotpot and one of China's most relaxed big cities — here's how to make the most of Chengdu.
Beijing
Beijing
China's capital pairs imperial palaces and the Great Wall with hutong alleys, world-class food, and a metro that goes almost everywhere.
Shanghai
Shanghai
China's most cosmopolitan city blends colonial-era waterfront, a sci-fi skyline, leafy plane-tree streets, and some of the country's best food.
Xi'an
Shaanxi
Once the capital of dynasties and the start of the Silk Road, Xi'an guards the Terracotta Army and one of China's best-preserved ancient walls.
Guilin
Guangxi
Guilin's emerald karst peaks and the dreamlike Li River cruise give southern China its most iconic scenery, the kind printed on the 20-yuan note.
Yangshuo
Guangxi
A laid-back riverside town ringed by karst peaks, Yangshuo is China's outdoor playground for cycling, rafting, and slow countryside days.
Hangzhou
Zhejiang
Discover West Lake's misty causeways, terraced tea hills and ancient canals in one of China's most relaxed and scenic cities.
Suzhou
Jiangsu
Wander UNESCO-listed classical gardens, stone bridges and canal lanes in the city long called the Venice of the East.
Chongqing
Chongqing
Ride elevated monorails through cliffside skyscrapers, eat fiery hotpot and set off on a Yangtze cruise from China's vertical mega-city.
Guangzhou
Guangdong
Feast on legendary dim sum, cruise the Pearl River and wander colonial lanes in southern China's vibrant trade and food capital.
Zhangjiajie
Hunan
Wander among thousands of towering sandstone pillars, the otherworldly peaks that helped inspire the floating mountains of Avatar.
Kunming, Yunnan
Yunnan
China's Spring City and the easygoing gateway to all of Yunnan's mountains, lakes, and ethnic cultures.
Lijiang, Yunnan
Yunnan
A UNESCO-listed old town of cobbled lanes and canals beneath the towering Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Dali, Yunnan
Yunnan
A laid-back lakeside town of Bai culture, ringed by the Cangshan mountains and the wide blue Erhai Lake.
Shangri-La, Yunnan
Yunnan
Tibetan Yunnan at over 3,200 meters, where prayer flags, grasslands, and a great monastery meet the high Himalayan foothills.
Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), Anhui
Anhui
China's most painted mountain, where granite peaks, twisted pines, and a sea of clouds float above ancient Anhui villages.
Pingyao
Shanxi
Walk the lamplit lanes of China's best-preserved walled town, where Ming and Qing merchants once ran the country's first banks.
Datong
Shanxi
Stone Buddhas carved into sandstone cliffs and a temple that clings to a sheer rock face anchor one of northern China's great heritage cities.
Luoyang
Henan
An ancient capital where Buddhas line a riverside cliff, peonies blaze each spring, and the Shaolin Temple lies just up the road.
Nanjing
Jiangsu
A former imperial capital of grand mausoleums, the world's longest surviving city wall, and a sobering, essential memorial.
Qingdao
Shandong
Red-roofed German streets meet sandy beaches, fresh seafood, and the brewery that gave China its most famous beer.
Harbin
Heilongjiang
China's northern ice city: a winter wonderland of carved ice palaces, Russian boulevards and hearty northeastern food.
Xiamen
Fujian
A laid-back coastal city of breezy seafronts, colonial-era island lanes and some of China's best seafood.
Sanya
Hainan
China's tropical south: palm-fringed beaches, big resort bays and warm seas at the bottom of Hainan Island.
Lhasa
Tibet
The spiritual heart of Tibet on the roof of the world: the Potala Palace, pilgrim circuits and high-altitude grandeur.
Dunhuang
Gansu
A Silk Road oasis in the Gobi desert, home to the dazzling Mogao Caves and the storybook Crescent Lake.
Guiyang
Guizhou
Cool-summer capital of Guizhou and the gateway to China's most dramatic waterfalls and karst country.
Changsha
Hunan
Hunan's fiery, neon-lit capital, China's unofficial street-food and nightlife champion and the launch pad for Zhangjiajie.
Zhangye
Gansu
Home of China's surreal Rainbow Mountains, a striped Danxia wonderland on the old Silk Road through Gansu.
Wuhan
Hubei
Hubei's sprawling Yangtze metropolis, where the great river meets cherry blossoms, lakeside parks and China's busiest rail crossroads.
Fenghuang (Phoenix Ancient Town)
Hunan
A riverside maze of stilt houses, stone bridges, and Miao and Tujia heritage tucked into the hills of western Hunan.
Wuzhen
Zhejiang
A 1,300-year-old canal town of stone bridges, black-tiled roofs, and wooden waterside houses in the heart of Jiangnan.
Yangzhou
Jiangsu
A graceful canal city famed for the Slender West Lake, classical gardens, and the delicate art of Huaiyang cooking.
Chengde
Hebei
The Qing emperors' summer escape, a vast walled garden-palace ringed by grand temples in the hills of northern Hebei.
Qufu
Shandong
The birthplace of Confucius, where a grand temple, a sprawling family mansion, and an ancient forest-cemetery preserve 2,500 years of Chinese thought.
Tai'an (Mount Tai)
Shandong
China's most revered Taoist mountain, the legendary sunrise, and the gateway to Confucius country
Kashgar
Xinjiang
A storied Silk Road city of Uyghur old towns, lively bazaars and the road to the Karakoram
Turpan
Xinjiang
Flaming red mountains, ancient ruined cities, ingenious water tunnels and the sweetest grapes in China
Urumqi
Xinjiang
A bustling regional capital of bazaars and museums, and the launch point for the Tianshan and Heavenly Lake
Hohhot
Inner Mongolia
The capital of Inner Mongolia, where temple-filled old streets meet the open steppe
Lanzhou
Gansu
The Yellow River city, capital of Gansu and your launch pad for the Silk Road
Xining
Qinghai
Qinghai's high-altitude capital and the gateway to Qinghai Lake and the Tibetan Plateau
Ningbo
Zhejiang
A historic Zhejiang port, home to China's oldest library and gateway to Putuoshan
Quanzhou
Fujian
A UNESCO-listed maritime Silk Road port and the living heart of Minnan culture
Shenzhen
Guangdong
China's youngest megacity: tech powerhouse, theme parks, beaches and gateway to Hong Kong
Jinan, Shandong
Shandong
Artesian springs, willow-lined lakes, and an easy gateway to Tai Shan and Confucius country.
Zhuhai, Guangdong
Guangdong
Palm-lined promenades, breezy islands, and an easy gateway across the Pearl River Delta.
Wudang Mountains, Hubei
Hubei
Mist-wrapped temples, the legendary home of tai chi, and a UNESCO mountain of Taoist devotion.
Jiuzhaigou Valley, Sichuan
Sichuan
Impossibly blue lakes, terraced waterfalls, and fiery autumn forests high in northern Sichuan.
Mount Emei (Emeishan), Sichuan
Sichuan
Cloud seas at the Golden Summit, ancient monasteries, cheeky monkeys, and the Leshan Giant Buddha next door.
Tianjin
Tianjin
A breezy port city of European streets, riverside lights, and the easiest day trip you'll take from Beijing.
Dalian
Liaoning
A cool-summer coastal city of sea squares, salt air, and some of the best seafood in northern China.
Shenyang
Liaoning
The first Qing capital, where an imperial palace, royal tombs, and hearty northeastern food tell the story of a dynasty's rise.
Zhengzhou
Henan
Henan's bustling capital and rail crossroads, gateway to Shaolin Temple, sacred Songshan, and the mighty Yellow River.
Taiyuan
Shanxi
Shanxi's historic capital, home to the ancient Jinci Temple and the gateway to Pingyao's old town and sacred Wutaishan.
Nanchang
Jiangxi
The capital of Jiangxi, where a famous riverside pavilion, a revolutionary past and fiery local cooking meet on the Gan River.
Fuzhou
Fujian
Fujian's banyan-shaded capital, where a beautifully restored old quarter, riverside temples and natural hot springs sit beside a relaxed southern pace.
Nanning
Guangxi
Guangxi's lush green capital and a relaxed launchpad for the Detian Waterfall, the Vietnam border and the karst country around Guilin.
Haikou
Hainan
Hainan's tropical capital, where colonial-era arcade streets, dormant volcanoes and palm-lined coastline open the door to China's island south.
Yinchuan
Ningxia
Ningxia's capital between desert and mountains, home to the mysterious Western Xia tombs, ancient rock art and a rich Hui Muslim heritage.
Wuxi
Jiangsu
Lake Tai views, a giant bronze Buddha and quiet canals between Suzhou and Shanghai
Shaoxing
Zhejiang
Stone-arch canals, Lu Xun's old lanes and the home of China's yellow rice wine
Weihai
Shandong
China's clean-air coast: quiet beaches, a historic island and easy seaside living
Yantai
Shandong
Where the Eight Immortals crossed the sea: legend, vineyards and Shandong beaches
Jingdezhen
Jiangxi
A thousand years of porcelain: ancient kilns, makers' markets and working studios
Zhouzhuang
Jiangsu
Stone bridges, willow-lined canals, and the most photographed water town in the Yangtze Delta.
Tongli
Jiangsu
A calmer, more lived-in Jiangnan canal town just outside Suzhou, home to the UNESCO-listed Tuisi Garden.
Xitang
Zhejiang
Long covered riverside corridors, glowing evening lanterns, and a lively nightlife unusual among water towns.
Langzhong Ancient City
Sichuan
One of China's four best-preserved ancient cities, built on Feng Shui principles in a bend of the Jialing River.
Jianshui
Yunnan
A scholarly old town in southern Yunnan, home to one of China's largest Confucian temples and a spectacular swallow cave.
Mount Wuyi (Wuyishan)
Fujian
Cliffs, bamboo rafts and rock oolong tea in northern Fujian
Mount Lu (Lushan)
Jiangxi
Misty summits, waterfalls and stone villas in northern Jiangxi
Mount Wutai (Wutaishan)
Shanxi
Ancient temples and Buddhist pilgrimage on Shanxi's sacred terraces
Mount Putuo (Putuoshan)
Zhejiang
A sacred island of Guanyin temples and quiet beaches off Zhejiang
Daocheng Yading
Sichuan
Holy snow peaks and alpine lakes on the eastern edge of Tibet
Hongcun Ancient Village
Anhui
A UNESCO-listed Huizhou water village of whitewashed walls, black-tiled roofs and mirror-still ponds in the foothills of Yellow Mountain.
Xidi Ancient Village
Anhui
A UNESCO-listed Huizhou village of grand merchant mansions, carved archways and lanes little changed in centuries, near Yellow Mountain.
Wuyuan
Jiangxi
Often called China's most beautiful countryside: terraced rapeseed fields, whitewashed Huizhou villages and tea-green hills in northeast Jiangxi.
Mount Sanqing (Sanqingshan)
Jiangxi
A UNESCO World Heritage Taoist mountain of fantastical granite spires, cliff-hugging plank walks and rolling seas of cloud in northeast Jiangxi.
Wenzhou
Zhejiang
A bustling coastal business city in southern Zhejiang, gateway to the waterfalls and granite cliffs of the Yandang Mountains.
Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village
Guizhou
China's largest Miao village, where terraced homes climb the mountainside and culture is lived, not staged.
Zhaoxing Dong Village
Guizhou
One of China's largest Dong villages, a valley of soaring wooden towers, covered bridges and grand polyphonic song.
Mount Fanjing (Fanjingshan)
Guizhou
Guizhou's sacred summit, where a mushroom-shaped rock tower rises through the clouds to two cliff-top shrines.
Zunyi
Guizhou
A historic Guizhou city famous for a pivotal 1935 meeting and as the gateway to China's most celebrated liquor.
Anshun
Guizhou
A laid-back Guizhou city at the doorstep of China's mightiest waterfall and a spectacular underground river cave.
Zhujiajiao Water Town
Shanghai
Canals, stone bridges and an easy escape from Shanghai's skyline
Nanxun Ancient Town
Zhejiang
Grand merchant mansions and quiet canals between Shanghai and Hangzhou
Zhenjiang
Jiangsu
Temple-topped hills, the great river and China's most famous vinegar
Weifang
Shandong
Where the sky fills with kites and folk art runs deep
Pingtan Island
Fujian
Glowing seas, windswept beaches and Fujian's most photogenic stone houses
Shaxi Ancient Town
Yunnan
A quiet, beautifully restored Tea Horse Road market town between Dali and Lijiang.
Heshun Ancient Town
Yunnan
A graceful overseas-Chinese town outside Tengchong, ringed by volcanoes and hot springs.
Yuanyang Rice Terraces
Yunnan
UNESCO-listed Hani rice terraces that turn to molten mirrors at sunrise and sunset.
Langmusi (Taktsang Lhamo)
Gansu
A small Tibetan monastery town between Gansu and Sichuan, ringed by grasslands and peaks.
Detian Transnational Waterfall
Guangxi
Asia's largest transnational waterfall, tumbling along the China-Vietnam border in Guangxi.
Kanas Lake
Xinjiang
A glacial alpine lake, log-cabin villages, and blazing autumn forests in China's remote far north
Hulunbuir Grassland
Inner Mongolia
Endless green steppe, yurt camps, and Mongolian horse culture in China's far northeast
Xiangyang
Hubei
A mighty ancient city wall, a broad moat, and deep Three Kingdoms history on the Han River
Jingzhou
Hubei
An intact ancient walled city steeped in Three Kingdoms legend near the Yangtze
Baoji
Shaanxi
A sacred Buddhist finger-bone relic, the soaring Mount Taibai, and ancient bronze country west of Xian
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