Top Choice Historic Site in Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central
Forbidden City
Ringed by 3.5km of scarlet citadel walls at the very heart of Běijīng, the Unesco-listed Forbidden City is China’s largest and best-preserved collection of ancient buildings, and the largest palace complex in the wo…
Top Choice Cave in Dunhuang
Mogao Grottoes
The Mogao Grottoes are considered one of the most important collections of Buddhist art in the world. At its peak during the Tang dynasty (618–907), the site housed 18 monasteries, more than 1400 monks and nuns, and…
Top Choice Cave in Datong
Yungang Caves
One of China’s most supreme examples of Buddhist cave art, these 5th-century caves are simply magnificent. With 51,000 ancient statues and celestial beings, they put virtually everything else in the Shanxi shade. Ca…
Top Choice Park in Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South
Temple of Heaven Park
A tranquil oasis of peace and methodical Confucian design in one of China’s busiest urban landscapes, the 267-hectare Temple of Heaven Park is absolutely unique. It originally served as a vast stage for solemn rites…
Top Choice Historic Site in Xi'an
Army of Terracotta Warriors
The Terracotta Army isn't just Xī'ān's premier sight, it's one of the most famous archaeological finds in the world. This subterranean life-size army of thousands has silently stood guard over the soul of China's fi…
Top Choice Buddhist Stupa in Gyantse
Gyantse Kumbum
Commissioned by a local prince in 1427 and sitting beside Palcho Monastery, Gyantse Kumbum is the town’s foremost attraction. This 32m-high chörten, with its white layers trimmed with decorative stripes and crown-li…
Top Choice Buddhist Monastery in Samye
Samye Monastery
About 170km southeast of Lhasa, on the north bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra River) is Samye Monastery, the first monastery in Tibet. Founded in 775 by King Trisong Detsen, Samye is famed not just for its p…
Top Choice National Park in Sichuan
Jiǔzhàigōu National Park
In August 2017, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck near Jiǔzhàigōu, affecting tourism to the park. Some witnesses reported damage to buildings and natural elements within the national park, including Nuòrìlǎng Waterf…
Top Choice Historic Site in Summer Palace & Haidian
Summer Palace
As mandatory a Běijīng sight as the Great Wall or the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace was the playground for emperors fleeing the suffocating summer torpor of the old imperial city. A marvel of design, the palace …
Top Choice Lake in Hangzhou
West Lake
The very definition of classical beauty in China, West Lake is utterly mesmerising: pagoda-topped hills rise over willow-lined waters as boats drift slowly through a vignette of leisurely charm. Walkways, perfectly …
