Places to Visit in China

Tourist places in Beijing attract millions of travellers to visit and explore the city of old and new. Continuously reimagining in totality as the city gallops and strides towards the succeeding time ahead, yet intricately and inextricably allied to its dazzling, undisguised past, the city of Beijing is as enthralling as it is convoluted.  In Beijing food defines obsession, adventure defines extremes and joy defines never-ending. A dazzling array of distinct cuisines gets you to witness the true city in entirety as it reflects utter joy in food. Dining outside is the major social adept activity; as it is in restaurants that the people of Beijing gather with pals, family and loved ones. The menus in Beijing will make you salivate over delectable Peking duck, succulent dumplings, and chewy & easy noodles

Food is sampled from every nook and corner of China. Beijing exhibits more than sixty thousand restaurants covering every base of the city. There are quite meager places on earth that can replicate the extraordinary panoramic perspective on display in the city of Beijing. Beijing represents in total six UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the city alone. At the heart of the city is placed a glorious Forbidden City, delineating a regal palace salver like no other. Also, the home to exalted temples that potentially aspire to cosmogony and excellence, the center of the city is crisscrossed by attractive hútòn: a retrospective and antiquated alleyway that swarms with life, joy and happiness at present as it was hundreds and hundreds of years ago. And to cover it all, the awe-inspiring and captivating Great Wall tops the list of the tourist places in Beijing and it quarries its way through the north hills of the town. Beijing is not just an ancient beauty bringing tourists but it is home to the world's’ oldest and praised upon ancient architectures.

Think holidays – think Hong Kong City. Set gracefully in the embrace of the South China Sea, Hong Kong is the place where happiness finds you. Fine illustrations of modern architecture, mouthwatering delicacies inspired by multiple Asian cuisines, and bustling street markets featuring products at unbelievable prices are few of the most popular aspects of tourism in Hong Kong City. However, the charm of this place extends further beyond as there is also a fairly wide range of activities that one may expect to enjoy here.

Hong Kong City boasts a long list of tourist attractions that are truly iconic and offer some unique experiences. Cruise along the Victoria Harbour to catch an overview of the gorgeous skyline. Take an enthralling ride on Hong Kong Observation Wheel and soak up the vistas of the lit-up cityscape. Enjoy a fun-filled day living your childhood fantasies with your entire family at Hong Kong Disneyland. Let the traditional street markets of Hong Kong assault your senses with the sights of colourful products and aromas of flavoursome food items. Climb the mighty Lantau Peak or indulge in surfing at Big Wave Bay for an adrenaline rush. There is a lot more you can do here to make your vacation a perfect memory.

Though Hong Kong is widely perceived as a city with futuristic architectural masterpieces and a myriad of shopping opportunities, it is also rich in terms of history and culture. There is an impressive collection of Buddhist as well as Hindu temples in Hong Kong that makes it a destination for culture and architecture enthusiasts as well. These revered temples in Hong Kong are built in the traditional Chinese style and carry the brilliance and precision which is iconic to the Chinese architecture. Take a tour of Po Lin Monastery, set amidst lush green mountains, check the intricate craftsmanship of Wong Tai Sin Temple, or check out a rare collection of 13,000 Buddha statues at Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery.

All in all, it can be conveniently said that Hong Kong City is for all.

Hangzhou is the capital city of the province of Zhejiang. Nestled at the Southernmost end of the renowned Grand Canal of China which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At 1776 kilometers, it is also the largest canal of the world that connects the city to Beijing. Given the purpose served by the canal and the city’s location at the base of a picturesque mountain range, Hangzhou is undoubtedly one of the most prominent tourist attractions which is a great jumping off point for the travellers who come here seeking a flavour of the rich cultural heritage of Eastern China.   

Considered way more tranquil than several of the other big and affluent cities of China, the city is built around the magnificent West Lake with romantic bridges, a number of old shrines and temples and pleasant vistas.

Hangzhou has beautifully been described by Marco Polo as the most beautiful city of the world and is also known as the Silk City given its vast tradition of manufacturing the material. This particular tradition lives on in a couple of markets and silk mills of the city. As of today, the city is indeed popular for its prominent attraction Dragon Well tea that is hand picked and celebrated twice a year just like the silk production.    

Shenzhen is one of the modern metropolitan cities in the Southern part of China. It is a well known shopping destination. It is a financial hub of China and its stock exchange is popular. It has impressive malls, custom clothing, and skyscrapers. It also has many themed amusement parks. It is located on the shore of Pearl River. This is a city that has seen rapid economic development and growth. A few decades ago this city was a small fishing village. There are not too many historical monuments or buildings in this city. This city has many places for sightseeing and things to do.

The largest city of China, Shanghai offers several exciting sightseeing opportunities for those nonchalant with having to deal with large crowds of the city. However, despite having a population of over 24 million, the city is brimming with quieter tourist attractions and historical districts located alongside the busy and newer places to see. It is one of the busiest world’s container ports all thanks to its geographical position. Nestled at the mouth of the River Yangtze, Shanghai offers impeccable opportunities for exploration by water alongside the Chinese coast and its inland waterways.

The highlights of your visit to Shanghai include touring the umpteen number of art galleries such as the China Art Museum and Shanghai Museum, visiting the different world class museums as well as the lovely parks and gardens along with fine traditional pagodas and old temples. Shanghai also serves as an ideal jumping off point from where you can go around exploring the other areas of China all accredited to its first-rate modern transit system including the high speed rail connections to all the major cities of the capital of the China, Beijing its excellent international airport. Next time, you are thinking of a place to plan a holiday, Shanghai could be an appropriate choice.

Majority of visitors pass through the very handsome Nanjing only when they are traveling from Beijing to Shanghai or vice versa however the capital of Jiangsu is nestled on the lower stretches of the River Yangzi. It flaunts a very impressive and rich historical heritage. Nanjing is also regarded as one of the best looking and the cleanest cities in China.  

The principal attractions of the Nanjing are in a way an echo of the city’s brief, former glory as the capital of the nation during the Ming dynasty apogee. Post that it also served as the capital of the Republic of China. A beautiful city wall encompasses most of the city and the graceful buildings from the Republic era can be seen here.

The atmosphere in the city is both relaxed and cultured given its vast tourist attractions such as excellent museums, wide, tree-lined boulevards, forested parks, chic cafes, rivers and fine landscape of lakes. Further, the umpteen number of wutong trees offer abundant shade on the sunny days leaving the city with a very leady complexion although the temperatures in the summer are unbearably high sometimes. 

Speaking purely in terms of history, Suzhou has always been synonymous to elegance and high culture. This also justifies why generations of writers, artists, scholars and high society in China have been driven by the exquisite forms of art and the delicate beauty of the gardens.

Like the other modern Chinese towns, unfortunately Suzhou has undergone way too much destruction of its heritage which has seen replacement only in the form of large arbitrary chunks of modern architecture.

Having said that, Suzhou has still managed to retain sufficient pockets of charm to warrant a minimum of two or three days’ exploration either on foot or via bike. More so the gardens which are the principal tourist attraction of Suzhou are a symphonic amalgam of water, trees, rocks and pavilion which reflects the Chinese appreciation of harmony and balance. Adding to the potential charm of the city are the magnificent museums, humpbacked bridges, surviving canal scenes and pagodas. The gardens here in particular are flocked by people, both locals and tourists, during the weekend, so it is better if you could avoid visiting them on weekends or public holidays, if possible. 

Zhuhai is a modern city of China’s southern Guangdong province. Sharing its border with Macau, Zhuhai is close enough to Macau to go on a day tour without having to undergo maniacal driving.  Transformed to being one of the first Special Economic Zones of China in the year 1980, today the city is majorly known for its golf resorts, islands off the Pearl River Delta and theme parks. It is neither too sunny nor too frosty, making it an ideal Chinese gateway for a holiday or vacation, especially during the summer when the seas are glistening and calm. With prominent shopping areas like malls of Jingshan Road and the Pedestrianized Lianhua Road that sell duty-free goods, the city has enough things to do to keep you entertained and engaged. Yet It remains lax and laid back and what really helps it shine is its natural beauty of parks, gardens and a comparatively attractive and cleaner port.  

Guangzhou is one of the twenty four famous cultural and historical cities of China. It however does not have the degree of cultural attractions as found in some other cities of China such as Xian and Beijing.

Nestled on Southern China on the River Pearl, Guangzhou lies about 120 kilometers north west of Hong Kong. It is a key trading port and a transportation port. The city has tremendous architecture showcasing the archaic magnificence of the Chinese civilizations. Visitors should therefore allow sufficient time to explore the place for longer so to appreciate the beauty of the city.

With a city that has a long history which goes back to some 2000 years ago, Guangzhou has been the capital of China a number of times in the last century. As of today, the city is growing phenomenally. It is projected that the city might soon become one of the largest city in the world. Further, its strategic location makes it an ideal hub for import and export. To experience this transformation will definitely be an interesting and exciting thing to do. So, plan a holiday and make a visit to Guangzhou now.     

After 1949, Guilin was perhaps the first city of China to develop tourism. For decades, the textbooks of children had only one name whenever there was a mention of the best landscape under heaven and that was Guilin. It happened to be the darling of the Chinese politicians and was the star city which was proudly presented for a visit by the dignitaries. At present, the natural endowments of the city will still mesmerize however given the impact of imperfect urban planning, you will have this pervasive feeling that the city is now past its prime.

No matter which part of Guilin you are out exploring, you are more or less likely to spend a night or two here. It is one of the most comfortable and relaxing place to plan a trip to the rest of the province. The city is chic, modern and clean which a high percentage of English speaking locals so communication here will never be a hassle. However, what really is a bigger challenge here is that you have to put up with the touts here. Admission fee in most of the places is another big hassle.