Top 10 Must See Destinations in China

 

China has a large number of wonderful tour destinations including delicate water towns, imposing imperial palaces, splendid national cultural heritage and colorful folk custom. Listed here the top 10 must see destinations in China. 


1.Beijing
Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is unarguably the heart of the nation's politics, culture and international intercourse. It is a fast changing and modern city full of vigor. Beijing is one of the six ancient capital cities in Chinese history. The other five ancient cities are Xian, Luoyang, Kaifeng, Nanjing and Hangzhou. It once used as the capital for the dynasties such as Jin (1115 AD - 1234 AD), Yuan (1279 AD -1368 AD), Ming (1368 AD -1644 A D) and Qin ( 1644 AD - 1911 AD).

Important sites in Beijing:
Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, the Great Wall, Ming Tomb, Tiananmen Square, Hutong, Lama Temple, Beihai Park, Beijing Capital Museum, Yashow Market.

2. Xian
Xian, also named Changan, is the biggest city in north-west China. It once served as the nation's capital for thirteen dynasties such as Western Zhou (11th century BC - 771 BC), Qin (221 BC - 206 BC), Western Han (206 BC - 24 AD) and Tang (618 - 907) for over 1000 years. It is well noted for historical value.

Important sites in Xian:
Terra-cotta Army, Banpo Museum,Shaanxi Provincial Museum, Xian Great Mosque, Huaqing Hotspring, City Wall, Big Goose Pagoda, Forest of Stone Steles Museum.

3. Shanghai
Being the largest metropolitan area in China, Shanghai is situated in central-eastern China, facing the East China Sea.

Shanghai is divided into two sections: Pudong and Puxi. Pudong is the new development zone on the east of Huangpu River while Puxi is the old area lying on the west of Huangpu River. Shanghai possesses two airports - Shanghai Pudong International Airport ( PVG ) and Shanghai Hongqiao Airport ( domestic ). Shanghai Pudong International Airport is for international passengers while Hongqiao for domestic travellers.

Important sites in Shanghai:
Shanghai Bund, Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai Xin Tian Di, Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Huangpu River.

4. Guilin
Lying by the banks of the Li River, Guilin has become famous both at home and abroad for its intriguing natural views: green hills, featuring rockeries, clean water, unique caves,stones of many shapes. The many ethnic minorities inhabit here . ThemainminoritiesaretheZhuang, Yao, Hui, Miao, Mulao, Maonan and Dong. They add a lot of colour to the cultural life of the city.
Important sites in Guilin:

The Li River, The Reed Flute Cave, Seven Star Park, Guilin Folded Brocade Hil, Fubo Hill, Elephant Trunk Hill, Fubo Hill, Solitary Beauty Hill, Longji Terraced Field in Longsheng, Fengyu Cave in Lipu County Guiline.

5. Yangtze River
Yangtze River cruises is a must for those who look for romantic travel. Yangtze River is coming through the mountains and the cities from the west to the east, finally blending into the East China Sea near Shanghai with a total length of more than 6300 km, ranking the third largest river in the world, only after the Nile and Amazon.

Important places and sites along Yangtze River:
Chongqing City, Fengdu, Baoshizha, Wanxian, Shennong Streem, Lesser Three Gorges, Three Gorges, Three Gorges Dam and Yichang City, Wuhan City.

6. Lhasa Tibet
Lhasa Tibet well known as " the Roof of the World ", has turned into an exciting land both for normal tourists, climbers and adventurers coming from all over the world. Travelers are looking for the unique things of snow mountains, mysterious religions, exotic customs etc. Lhasa is the political and cultural center of Tibet. Lhasa in Tibetan means "The land of gods". In the time of information, people can easily reach the mysterious destination by jet aircraft, now even trains.

Important places and sites in Lhasa Tibet:
Potala Palace, Nobulingka, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Ganden Monastery and Jokhang Temple, Shigatse.

7. Jiuzhaigou Sichuan
Nestled in the valley of the mountains in the area of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in the northwestern Sichuan Province, Jiuzhaigou is a fairyland named after the nine Tibetan villages in the valley. The valley is about 50 kilometers long. In 1992, It was listed as the world natural heritage of UNESCO.

Important places and sites in Jiuzhaigou Sichuan:
Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, Qingchengshan & Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Emei Mountain and Giant Buddha of Leshan, Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, Huanglong.

8. Lijiang Yunnan
Listed as UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage, Lijiang is located in Yunnan Province of south

China. It is an ancient town with the history of more than 1,300 years. Lijiang is inhabited by Naxi people, local people for a long history. It lies on a plateau at 2,600 meters above sea level. Lijiang is well noted for its natural scenery, fresh air and green vegetation. Its Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is the nearest snow mountains close to the living place in the world. The old town mixes naturally with the natural scenery. The local Naxi people have developed a culture called "Dong Ba Culture". Classical Naxi music is regarded as the "living musical fossil" due to its long history.

Important places and sites in Lijiang Yunnan:
Ancient Town Lijiang, Yulong Snow Mountain, Tiger Leaping Gorge.

9. Zhangjiajie Hunan
Zhangjiajie City is situated on the west mountains area of Hunan Province. UnderZhangjiajie City, there is an administrative district called Wulingyuan District where the world famous Wulingyuan Scenic Area is. The Wulingyuan Scenic Area is divided into three sections: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park; Tianzi Mountain and Suoxi Valley. Most of the travellers prefer staying at the Wulingyuan area instead of the city center of Zhangjiajie City. In December of 1992, Wulingyuan was listed in the World Heritage of UNESCO.

Important places and sites in Zhangjiajie Hunan:
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianzi Mountain, Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve.

10. Silk Road in China
The ancient Silk Road has a history of over 2,000 years. The old silk road started from Chang'an ( now called Xian, Shaanxi Province ) in the east and extended to Rome, Italy in the west. The old silk road passed through Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai provinces, Ningxia Hui and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions in China and further stretched over the Pamirs, then extending to Central and West Asia. And finally the silk road connected the east bank of the Mediterranean Sea and Eastern Europe. The Silk Road had the total length of over 2,485 miles and over half of which is within Chinese territory.

Important places and sites along the Silk Road in China:
Lanzhou, Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiayuguan Pass, Dunhuang, Hami, Turpan, Urumqi, Loulan, Korla, Kuqa (Kucha), Aksu, Kashgar (Kashi), Hotan.