1
There are many beautiful cities with their own characteristic in China. And I think it depends on your tour days and season. e.g. Beijing, Xian, Guilin and Shanghai are the most popular city for a ordinary 10-15 days China tour.Just check on google for some travel company site and you will find much useful China tour information and it of course will help you learn more and decide where to tour in China.
2
Unless you have more than a month, you can't really see the places in North, South and West China, you need to spend time in a area. A lot of people go to Beijing , it is the ancient capital and still keeps some of the charm, and Great Wall is within driving distance. Shanghai is a commercial city, the Bund and certain colonial buildings being the main attraction, but it is a very good base to see Hangzhou, the garden city of China with a lot of history and temples, Suzhou, famous historic gardens, Nanjing, another ancient capital. Guilin is one of the most beautiful places in China with its mountains and rivers, but is it in the South and closer the Guangzhou. Xian is in the West and there are many beautiful historic cities around it. A big country, flying from one place to another makes sense if you don't have time, internal flights are relatively cheap.4
I have been to many cities in China, and none of them are beautiful. If you want beauty, don't go to a Chinese city go to the countryside (although that can be pretty horrible too).Of course, parts of some cities are beautiful and can be very interesting and well worth seeing for historical reasons (see posts above).
I recommend Yunnan province.
5
China is huge. And as mentioned above, each place is worth a visit for different things. Personally, I have been to Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing, Chengde.If you love history, then I definitely recommend Beijing. Just try to avoid visiting the famous attractions like the Forbidden City during peak periods (China's holiday period) =)
6
Shamian Island in Guangzhou looks alright, but once you leave it...I guess if a Chinese city had a European-influenced section, and it remains to this day, it's considered beautiful? Hangzhou with its West Lake (XiHu), that's probably the only nice section of that city. Nonetheless, there are plenty of captivating natural views once you escape the urban miasmas (and I'm a city dweller).On the other foot, I've visited many a Chinese city and a bunch appear to have canalfronts/riverfronts redone with sidewalks to pleasantly stroll on (there's never anyone around THOSE parts), trees and shrubs and if you're lucky/into it, a sweet potato vendor somewhere nearby. Dongguan, Chengdu, Xiamen, and Yangzhou come to mind.
8
I'm a great champion of inner Xian......For some reason as far as cities go in China I feel it just has a charm to it, I don't know whether it's the over the top lighting of absolutely everything at night time or what but I just felt a little calmer in Xian than anywhere else! The trees all lit up down the roads, the city wall, the muslim quarter etc it was just really nice!But you see venture out from these areas and then you are met with construction and noise and the illusion just kind of shatters lol......I think that heading to Yunnan province or North up towards Songpan etc would give you some of the better scenery! Chinese cities are just too crowded and commercialised these days to look 'beautiful'
However that said China is an AMAZING place to come and visit and I am sure you will love it...So much history and culture!!
10
Jan is not the best time to see China. If you only have 10 days, for your first trip, you may consider 5 days in Beijing, fly to Shanghai and spend 5 days in Shanghai and Hangzhou, the train between Shanghai and Hangzhou takes 1.5 hr and is very good, then you can fly from Hangzhou back to Beijing. Of course, if you like history, you can spend 10 days in Beijing and do it slowly, easily you will find places to see.
