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Places in China

Destination

Beijing

Constantly reimagining itself as it races towards the future, yet inextricably linked to its glorious, notorious past, Běijīng is as compelling as it is complex. Imperial Delights Few places on earth can match the extraordinary historical panorama on display in Běijīng. There are six Unesco World Heritage Sites in this city alone (just one less than the whole of Egypt).

Destination

Hong Kong

Hong Kong welcomes with an iconic skyline, a legendary kitchen, and lush, protected nature where rare birds and colourful traditions thrive. Cuisine One of the world's top culinary capitals, the city that worships the God of Cookery has many a demon in the kitchen, whether the deliciousness in the pot is Cantonese, Sichuanese, Japanese or French.

Destination

Shanghai

Shànghǎi: few cities in the world evoke so much history, excess, glamour, mystique and exotic promise in name alone. Architecture Shànghǎi is home to the world's second-tallest tower and a host of other neck-craning colossi. But it's not all sky-scraping razzmatazz.

Destination

Tibet

Tibet offers fabulous monasteries, breathtaking high-altitude walks, stunning views of the world’s highest mountains and one of the most likeable cultures you will ever encounter. Politics & Permits There’s no getting away from politics here.

Destination

Sichuan

It's fitting that an ancient form of opera and magic called biànliǎn (face-changing) originated here, for Sìchuān (四川) is a land of many guises. Capital Chéngdū shows a modern face, but just beyond its bustling ring roads you'll find a more traditional landscape of mist-shrouded, sacred mountains, and a countryside scattered with ancient villages and cliffs of carved Buddhas.

Destination

Shaanxi

Shaanxi (陕西; Shǎnxī) is where it began for China. As the heartland of the Qin dynasty (秦朝), whose warrior emperor united much of China for the first time, Shaanxi was the cradle of Chinese civilisation and the fountainhead of Han culture. Xī’ān marked the beginning and end of the Silk Road and was a buzzing capital long before anyone knew of Běijīng and its Forbidden City.

Destination

Xi'an

Once the terminus of the Silk Road and a melting pot of cultures and religions, as well as home to emperors, courtesans, poets, monks, merchants and warriors, the glory days of Xī’ān (西安; pronounced 'see-an') may have ended in the early 10th century, but a considerable amount of ancient Cháng’ān, the former city, survives behind the often roaring, modern city.

Destination

Guangdong

Guǎngdōng’s unique culture and natural beauty fly under the radar and have yet to be discovered by many travellers, so you may have a plethora of sublime sights (not to mention great dim sum) all to yourself. Northern Guǎngdōng (广东) is home to some wild and wondrous landscapes.

Destination

Yunnan

Yúnnán (云南) is the most diverse province in all China, both in its extraordinary mix of peoples and in the splendour of its landscapes. That combination of superlative sights and many different ethnic groups has made Yúnnán the trendiest destination for China’s exploding domestic tourist industry.

Destination

Central Sichuan

The province’s friendly and modern capital city, Chéngdū, is where most travellers start their Sìchuān explorations. It makes a great base for trips to the region’s top sights. The area surrounding this emerging metropolis remains dotted with quaint old villages and farmsteads.

Destination

Guangxi

Guǎngxī (广西) conjures up visions of cycling and bamboo-rafting upon shimmering river waters beneath the sublime karst peaks of Yángshuò and hiking between ethnic villages in the lofty Lóngjǐ Rice Terraces.

Destination

Lhasa

The centre of the Tibetan Buddhist world for over a millennium, Lhasa (ལྷ་ས་; 拉萨; Lāsà; literally the 'Place of the Gods') remains largely a city of wonders. Your first view of the red-and-white Potala Palace soaring above the Holy City raises goosebumps and the charming whitewashed old Tibetan quarter continues to preserve the essence of traditional Tibetan life.

Destination

Chengdu

Chéngdū (成都) is no great draw when it comes to major tourist sites – pandas excepted, of course – but many visitors find its laid-back pace and diversity of cultural scenes unexpectedly engaging. It could be its relaxing teahouse culture, with favourite local institutions serving the same brews across generations.

Destination

Shandong

Steeped in natural and supernatural allure, the Shāndōng (山东) peninsula on China’s northeastern coast is the stuff of legends. Its captivating landscape – a fertile flood plain fed by rivers and underground springs, capped by granite peaks and framed in wild coastline – can’t help but inspire wonder.

Destination

Zhejiang

It's Hángzhōu, the handsome capital city, that lands Zhèjiāng (浙江) on many a traveller's itinerary. Home to picture-perfect landscapes of classical Chinese beauty (and just a short train ride from Shànghǎi), Hángzhōu is the obvious highlight. Yet the province offers so much more.

Destination

Jiangsu

A zip – and an entire world – away from Shànghǎi, lush and well-irrigated Jiāngsū (江苏) spills over as much charm and history as the waters that flow through its sparkling web of canals. The province, which owed its historical wealth to silk and salt production, boasts the Grand Canal as well as elaborate waterways that thread through this Yangzi River (Cháng Jiāng) region.

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China's stunning scenery

Best places to stay in China

Ancient China

China's top temples

China's top festivals

Top things to do in China

Best of the Great Wall

Architecture in China

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