1

In a few months you can see quite a lot. I recommend a circuit starting from Beijing, going along the east coast (going inland in the coastal provinces - Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Fujian and Guangdong), getting to Hong Kong, and then entering the mainland again, this time getting back to Beijing along a western route through Guangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi and Shanxi Provinces. All along you'll see great nature, wonderful villages, vibrant cities and there will be lots of opportunities to keep your little ones entertained.
You can also do it vice versa (west and then east). If you do the whole route thoroughly it should take anywhere between 5-8 months, depending on what you want to see. If you have less time you can cut places along these routes of course.
Traveling with children in China can be lots of fun. We do it with a 2 year old, but we drive here so it's a bit easier I guess. When you know some more details (how long exactly, budget, places of interest), I'd be happy to answer any specific questions. And one more thing, forget about not-to-be-missed stops, just go and plan your route according to what you find interesting and you'll have fun.

2

If you browse through the posts on this forum, you will quickly see the popular tourist sites that are recommended. I took the overnight, soft sleeper train from Beijing to Yangzhou, which is where Marco Polo was governor. It is next to the Grand Canal and the Yangtze River. Only one hour's bus ride from Nanjing, which also has lots of history. It was about 4 hours' bus ride to Shanghai. Yangshuo is frequently touted as beautiful. There are nearby rice terraces. Also, there are the terra cotta warriors that are popular. This summer, I am visiting Yunnan's Shangri-la, Dali, and Kunming, plus Sichuan's giant pandas in Chengdu.

There are excellent guidebooks to give you ideas about sites to see. You need a map of China to plot your route. Check the train routes and schedules.

3

Make sure you can access a Visa for more than the standard 30 days too...once you get the Chinese Visa, then apply for the TAR permit if you want to go around/in Tibet. Those requirements change monthly...

4

Keep in mind that most tourist attractions in China have lots of stairs and will be very taxing to someone with a bad leg.

5

The age rules regarding senior discount for attraction can be 50, 55, 60 or whatever based on the ticket seller’s discretion. Always ask with your passport ready.

Public transport ticket prices are not simple for kids. For trains (13 rules), Children with height below 1.2 meter can board free of charge with an adult but no seat/berth. Children with height between 1.2m to 1.5m have 50% discount can board with an adult, but, again, will have no seat/berth.
BTW, children’s height is measured without footwear.

Buses or subway… hope it is not more complicated than train!

6

These are all great tips - thank you so much!

We wil probably only have 2 months. We really love nature and quaint villages, and would especially prioritize sites that don't have many stairs. If there are a few sites that would be worth seeing, which have many stairs, then our one companion with a bad leg would probably sit at a restaurant or nice bench outside the monument and just enjoy the scenery.

Are there ways to see the great wall, terracotta soldiers, and any other really famous sites without using many stairs? Any recommendations would be very much appreciated!