Lhasa
Gyüme was founded in the mid-15th century as one of Tibet’s foremost Tantric training colleges, second only in Lhasa to the monasteries of Sera and…
Must-see attractions in China
Shanxi
Luohou Temple is one of the earliest sites of Chinese esoteric Buddhism. It dates from the Tang dynasty and underwent restoration in the Ming and Qing…
Shanxi
Smack in the centre of Daixian old town, this 14th-century drum tower will make up for all the times you felt let down by faux ancient towers or authentic…
Shandong
This quaint park of stone paths, leafy gardens and ocean vistas is also a museum of Western treaty port architecture. Wolf-dung fires burned continuously…
Heilongjiang
Further north from Mohe (roughly 50km) is Beijicun, a sprawling village and recreation area on the banks of the Heilong Jiang, separating China and Russia…
Shanghai
Alongside a middle school on Puhuitang Rd, this fascinating museum is dedicated to the arts and crafts of the former Tousewe Orphanage, established here…
Sichuan
At the northern end of town, the large Chöde Gompa is a Tibetan monastery that was built for the third Dalai Lama (1543–1588). Inside is a statue of…
Yuan Dynasty Walls Relics Park
Beijing
Back when Beijing was 'Dadu', capital of Kublai Khan's Yuan dynasty, the city was sheltered by an earthwork wall, the northern battlements of which are…
Sichuan
This fascinating museum is also a working salt mine. Its 1001m-deep artesian salt well was the world’s deepest well when it was built in 1835 and it…
Hainan
This coconut farming community takes up a big chunk of Wenchang County on the northeast coast. Cool, palm-lined lanes wind through traditional villages…
Shanxi
This remarkable museum gives fascinating context to the fort-like settlements, ancient temples, and vernacular housing around Jincheng. Using fine…
Beijing
Described by the great traveller himself in the 13th century, this 266m-long bridge spanning the (mostly dry) Yonding River dates to 1189 and the Jin…
Inner Mongolia
The remote but stunning Badain Jaran Desert (the world's fourth-largest desert) is a mysterious 49,000-sq-km landscape of desert lakes, Buddhist temples…
Beijing
Beijing's most touristy hutong, Nanluogu Xiang is a north–south strip of snack stalls, small food courts, souvenir shops and more people than you can…
Lhasa
About 3km west of the Potala Palace is the Norbulingka, the former summer residence of the Dalai Lama. The lifeless temple-like buildings rank well behind…
Shanxi
This temple's main hall dates to 857 and contains a statue of Sakyamuni surrounded by other colourful statues with 296 arhat (罗汉, luóhàn) in the flanks…
Guangzhou
Tree-lined streets Xinhepu Lu (新河浦路), Xuguyuan Lu (恤孤院路) and Peizheng Lu (培正路) in the historic Dōngshān area offer a welcome respite from the city. Here…
Suzhou
This magnificent temple, with its mustard-yellow walls and gracefully curved eaves, was burnt to the ground during the Taiping Rebellion and rebuilt in…
Temple of Heaven Park & Dongcheng South
Music, song and dance were integral components of the arcane rituals performed by the Emperor at the Temple of Heaven, and here is where the ranks of…
Fujian
The fishing village of Xunpu (sometimes Xunbu), some 10km southeast of the city centre of Quanzhou, was on the old trade route of the maritime Silk Road…
Suzhou
This picturesque canalside street has been in use for more than a thousand years, having been built in the Tang dynasty (around 825–826) to transport…
Xi'an
In its time this tomb must have been one of the grandest mausoleums the world had ever seen. Historical accounts describe it as containing palaces filled…
Qinghai
Across the Gu-chu river valley from Wútún Sì is the mysterious 400-year-old Gomar Gompa, a charming monastery that resembles a medieval walled village…
Hong Kong
Local Instagrammers and wedding photographers know all about Sai Wan Swimming Shed, a dreamy spot below Mt Davis where old-school Hong Kongers come for…
Dunhuang
This Han dynasty military post was one of the two most important gates marking the end of the Chinese empire along the ancient Silk Road. Today, a dusty…
Huzhu Beishan Forest National Park
Qinghai
If you don't have time to explore further into the province, this exhilarating forest park in the foothills of the Qilian Mountains – at an elevation…
Harbin
Built in 1935, this attractive red-brick Orthodox church isn't as photogenic as Harbin's landmark Church of St Sophia, but it still functions (as a…
Nanjing
Named by Life magazine in 1937 as 'the most powerful woman in the world', Song Meiling (aka 'Madame Chiang') was the First Lady of the Republic of China …
Nanjing
Opened in 1968, the Yangzi River Bridge is one of the longest bridges in China – a double-decker with a 4.5km-long road on top and a train line below. The…
Changsha
This large and active temple in the north of town dates originally to the Five Dynasties period, with many additions during later dynasties. The imposing…
Tianjin
This impressive five-floor museum has over 200,000 pieces in its collection, ranging from oracle bones and an excellent inkstone exhibit to various…
Beijing
An incongruous outpost of the Hermit Kingdom, this gallery exhibits socialist-realist paintings and sculptures depicting soot-faced miners, chiselled…
Suzhou
One of the eight city gates that were first built to protect Sūzhōu during the Spring and Autumn Period (approximately 771–476 BC), the brick wall that we…
Gansu
Running between fields near the village of Changchengxiang (itself named after the Great Wall), this section of Great Wall makes for an interesting…
Suzhou
Jinji Lake lies at the very heart of Suzhou's Industrial Park neighbourhood, home to many of the city's young professionals and expats. At 7.4 sq km,…
Guangxi
This fascinating village about 1.5km beyond Moon Hill is a treasure trove of traditional Qing dynasty architecture. Beyond the initial, slightly cheesy…
Suzhou
Originally the home of a prince, the oldest garden in Suzhou was first built in the 11th century, and has been repeatedly rebuilt since. Instead of…
Hangzhou
The 60m-high octagonal Six Harmonies Pagoda, dating from AD 1165 in its current form but first built in AD 960, is a stout pagoda that once served as a…
Shandong
This riverside museum tells the story of kites – from the first one, a bamboo magpie fashioned in Weifang 2400 years ago by Lu Ban (he's the winged figure…
Gansu
A fascinating active monastery with a minute pavilion to the right of the entrance containing a well whose ‘magic waters’ (神水, shénshuǐ) are said to…
