Lhasa
The recently renovated tsogchen (assembly hall) has statues of the 16 arhats (literally ‘worthy ones’) and two huge statues of Tsongkhapa (only visible…
Must-see attractions in China
Guangdong
The moat of ancient Chaozhou is a lake inside a park well loved by locals. Around the lake are a few notable buildings. Hanbi Building served as a…
Guangxi
A one-hour walking circuit loops you past limestone caves, primeval vegetation and an underground river in this sinkhole that reaches 312m in height. Trek…
Fuzhou
This ‘downtown’ series of ancient residential buildings is known as ‘Three Lanes and Seven Alleys'. Thousands of visitors wander the white-walled streets…
Xinjiang Autonomous Region Museum
Ürümqi
Xinjiang’s massive provincial museum is a must for Silk Road aficionados. The highlight is the locally famous ‘Loulan Beauty’, the first of half a dozen…
New Territories
Southwest of Sha Tin town centre, this spacious, high-quality museum inside an ugly building gives a peek into local history and culture. Highlights…
Guangdong
Originally a 12th-century pontoon bridge with 86 boats straddling the Hán River, Guangji Bridge suffered repeated destruction over the centuries. The…
Shenzhen
It's an easy half-hour amble up to the top of this tropical hill in the heart of Futian District for Shenzhen's best skyline photographs. Appropriately,…
Foshan
The 11th-century Zumiao temple is believed to be the site where Cantonese opera flourished. The art is still performed today during festivals to entertain…
Kowloon
Strolling down Shanghai St will return you to a time long past. Once Kowloon’s main drag, it's flanked by shops selling Chinese wedding gowns, sandalwood…
Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong's Asia Society moved to these fabulous new digs in 2012, enclosing an art gallery, theatre, restaurant and gift shop all open to the public. The…
Hong Kong
In the 19th century many Chinese who left home in search of better horizons died overseas. As it was the wish of traditional Chinese to be buried in their…
Eastern Tibet
This quiet and picturesque glacier, under a towering 6385m peak, is reached by first driving 7km off the main highway to a car park and a cluster of shops…
Ngari
This small building was a private shrine for Tsaparang’s prefect or regent. The caretaker has named it the ‘Drölma Lhakhang’ after his own sculpture of…
Sai Kung Peninsula
Part of the Unesco Geopark network, this spectacular geopark consists of two regions of formations: volcanic rock from 140 million years ago that often…
Macau
The historical part of Taipa is best preserved in this village in the south of the district. An intricate warren of alleys holds traditional Chinese shops…
Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island
A hillside oasis squeezed between Central and Admiralty, Hong Kong Park was built in 1991 over part of the former Victoria Barracks. Terraced landscaping…
Shanghai
Designed by renowned Japanese architect Ando Tadao, the Aurora Museum is set over six floors of the Aurora building and houses a stunning collection of…
Guilin
This park is named after eight Danxia stone peaks that lie near the border with Hunan. Round, isolated, featuring ringlike troughs and leaning 45 degrees…
Hong Kong
This multilayered museum records 2000 years of Chinese maritime history and the development of the Port of Hong Kong. Exhibits include ceramics from China…
Chengdu
Spanning ancient Shu and pre-Qin dynasties to the Revolutionary era and modern Chengdu, this spectacular five-storey museum (completed in 2016) is packed…
Sichuan
China's leading panda conservation centre and, almost certainly, the best place to see pandas in China, the Wolong Giant Panda Garden is home to 74…
Shanghai
Disney has magicked-up a spectacular theme park in Shanghai, offering a subtly Chinese take on Mickey and Co. Six themed areas encircle Disney’s biggest…
Kunming
The Golden Temple Scenic Area is equal parts religious space, forest park, botanical garden and open-air sculpture museum; it covers 118 hectares on the…
Fujian
This magnificently carved temple is immediately identifiable by its showy dragon-decorated roofs and a shroud of smoke emanating from furnaces burning…
Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island’s most famous Tin Hau (Goddess of the Sea) temple has lent its name to an entire neighbourhood, a metro station and a street. It has been…
Qingping Chinese Medicine Market
Guangzhou
Just north of the channel that divides Shamian Island from the city, this tumbledown market is a sensory delight, with open-fronted vendors arranged…
Guangxi
In the district of Chengyang, around 18km north of Sanjiang, Chéngyángqiáo is the grandest of over 100 nail-less Wind and Rain Bridges in the area. This…
Changchun World Sculpture Park
Jilin
Nature and art blend stylishly on the edge of Changchun in this peaceful, tree-lined parkland dotted with mostly surrealist sculptures. The 90-hectare…
Henan
This tunnel on the cusp of Guoliang village offers a closer perspective on the plunging cliffs, with dramatic views carved through the rock. The tunnel…
Gansu
Tucked away down the backstreets of Xiahe not far from Labrang Monastery, Snowland Art is a family-style fine art and handicrafts training school set up…
Shanghai
One of the M50 art precinct's most creative, thought-provoking, interactive and engaging galleries is island6. Artist Liu Dao showcases his work and that…
Guangxi
This 970m-long underground river cave shelters the world's largest collection of lotus-shaped limestone formations. While the artificial illumination…
Shenzhen
Built from the vestiges of a century-old Hakka home, this idyllic courtyard gallery was created by Chen Qiuzhi, a contemporary ink artist from Anhui…
Suzhou
On the eastern side of the city, this canalside road has whitewashed local houses sitting comfortably side by side with teahouses and trendy cafes selling…
Suzhou
This quiet part of Suzhou is lovely, with a section of the city wall straddling the outer moat in the southwest corner of the city. Dating from 1355, the…
Lhasa
If you’re here in the afternoon, save some time to watch the monk debating (lots of shouting, hand slapping and gesticulation) between 2.30pm and 4pm in…
Tsang
If you’re travelling down the Friendship Hwy and want to get a taste of what off the beaten track looks like, consider a few hours’ scenic diversion along…
Beijing
A grand sweep of willow-lined waterways enclosed by invitingly maze-like hutong lanes, this trio of lakes is one of Beijing's best-loved outdoor spots,…
Xi'an
This tomb, also referred to as the Han Jing Mausoleum, Liu Qi Mausoleum and Yangling Mausoleum, is the burial place of the Han-dynasty emperor Jingdi (188…
