List of 50 Places in China You Must Visit in Your Lifetime

The most coveted and beautiful small town

1. Shangri-La

Shangri-La is known as the "big mountain garden".

The territory includes the Kawagebo Peak, the highest peak in Yunnan, the Tiger Leaping Gorge of the Jinsha River, the Lancang River Gorge, as well as vast alpine grassland pastures, virgin forests and dotted lakes.

2. Xishuangbanna

Xishuangbanna is a Pingba area surrounded by mountains. It is an ethnic autonomous prefecture dominated by the Dai people.

Buddhist temples, folk customs and tropical rainforest scenery are the characteristics here. In addition, this is the land of peacocks and the kingdom of wild animals.

3. Yangshuo

In Yangshuo, there are hundreds of miles of mountains and rivers, and there are wonderful mountains and beautiful waters everywhere.

There are world wonders such as the Lotus Rock, the thousand-year-old banyan tree where Liu Sanjie threw a hydrangea to express her love, the magical Moon Cave, the Yulong River known as the "Little Li River", etc.

4. Tengchong

Tengchong has a rich historical heritage and many cultural landscape buildings. Volcano Park, Atami, and Memorial Cemetery are all attractions not to be missed. If you come in autumn, don’t miss Ginkgo Village.

In addition, Tengchong is rich in geothermal resources, has many hot springs and springs, and has many volcanoes.

5. Wuyuan

Wuyuan is known as "the most beautiful countryside in China".

The rapeseed fields all over the mountains and plains in spring, the autumn sunshine in Huangling Mountain, the red leaves in Shicheng and Changxi Village, and the well-preserved Huizhou architectural complex are the signatures of Wuyuan tourism.

6. Yili

Historically, Yili was an important hub on the northern route of the ancient Silk Road, and is known as the "Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall".

There are many well-known attractions here, such as Nalati Grassland, Zhaosu Grassland, Yili General Mansion, Huiyuan Bell and Drum Tower, Sailimu Lake, etc. You can also see large lavender fields every June.

7. Ali

The Ali region is located in the core area of ??the Qiangtang Plateau in the northern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and has unique plateau natural features.

Mountains such as the Himalayas and Gangdise Mountains are all in Ali.

An indispensable ancient city, village and town in your travel list

8. Lijiang Ancient Town

The ancient city of Lijiang has a history of eight or nine hundred years and is the most famous ancient city in China. One of the two ancient cities that successfully applied for world cultural heritage.

In the ancient city, there are wooden buildings with green tiles, ancient streets with stone alleys, small bridges and flowing water.

9. Wuzhen

Wuzhen is a typical water town in the south of the Yangtze River. It completely preserves the style and pattern of the ancient water town during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.

When arriving in Wuzhen in the morning, you can go to Dongzha first, visit Xizha in the afternoon, and watch the night view and folk performances in Xizha in the evening.

10. Pingyao Ancient City

Pingyao Ancient City is a famous cultural city with a history of nearly three thousand years. It is one of the four best-preserved ancient cities in my country.

As the financial center of China during the late Qing Dynasty, the atmosphere of Shanxi merchant culture can be felt everywhere in the ancient city.

11. Zhouzhuang

Zhouzhuang is a small town in the south of the Yangtze River, known as "China's No. 1 Water Town".

Here, the whole town is lined with streets along the river, connected by bridges and streets, with deep houses and courtyards, river port corridors, cross-street arcades, and river-side water pavilions. It is simple and quiet.

12. Fenghuang Ancient City

Fenghuang Ancient City was built in the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty and is famous for Shen Congwen's novel "Border Town".

The bluestone streets in the city, the stilted buildings on the Tuojiang River, numerous ancient buildings, and the strong Miao customs constitute the unique charm of western Hunan.

13. Anhui folk houses

The traditional folk houses in Anhui are mostly two-story buildings of various shapes, with white walls and green tiles and horse-head walls, which have high aesthetic value.

The most common characteristics of traditional houses are that they face north and south, pay attention to internal lighting, and use wooden beams to bear weight. Most of them are scattered in ancient Huizhou.

14. Fujian Tulou

Fujian Tulou is based on stone and uses raw soil as the main raw material. It is equipped with bamboo wood as the wall bone and the T-shaped intersection is anchored with wood. .

Mainly include Yongding Tulou in Longyan City, Nanjing Tulou, Hua'an Tulou, Pinghe Tulou, Zhao'an Tulou, Yunxiao Tulou, Zhangpu Tulou and Quanzhou Tulou in Zhangzhou City.

15. Kaiping Diaolou

The Kaiping Diaolou is a multi-story tower-style building that integrates defense, residence and Chinese and Western architectural arts. It has ancient Greek, ancient Roman and Islamic styles.

The watchtowers include four scenic spots: Liyuan, Zili Village Watchtower Group, Chikan Film and Television City, and Jinjiangli Watchtower Group.

The most famous mountains and rivers worth visiting in China

16. Mount Tai

Mount Tai is a majestic mountain with more than 20 ancient buildings and more than 2,200 monuments. The stone carvings are the first of the five mountains because of their majestic momentum.

The Dai Temple is the largest and most complete ancient building complex in Mount Tai. The main building Tiankuang Hall, the Taihe Hall of the Forbidden City, and the Dacheng Hall of the Confucius Temple are collectively known as the three major halls in my country.

17. Huangshan

Strange pines, strange rocks, sea of ??clouds, hot springs, and winter snow are the most talked about "Five Wonders" of Huangshan.

Huangshan Mountain has 82 peaks, large and small, especially the three main peaks of Tiandu Peak, Lotus Peak and Guangmingding are the most fascinating.

18. Lushan Mountain

Lushan Mountain is a beautiful and famous mountain that has been widely praised by countless literati. Among them, Su Shi's "I don't know the true face of Lushan Mountain, I just live in this mountain" is the most famous. .

Today's Mount Lushan is home to green mountains, green waters, waterfalls, sunrises, and modern villas. The cool and pleasant climate makes it a summer resort.

19. Siguniang Mountain

Siguniang Mountain is composed of four continuous peaks, which are covered with ice and snow all year round.

When you come to Siguniang Mountain, you can’t miss the beautiful autumn scenery of Jiajin Haizi and the Lama Temple with a history of more than 2,000 years. Along the way, you can stop by Wolong to see the giant pandas.

20. Mount Everest

Mount Everest is located in the Himalayas at the border of China and Nepal. It is the highest peak in the world, with an altitude of 8844.43m.

There is snow all year round. Currently, you can climb to the summit from the south slope, north slope and east slope. The best season is from June to October.

21. K21

K2 is the main peak of the Karakoram Mountains, with an altitude of 8,611 meters. It is the second highest peak in the world after Mount Everest, and is also recognized as a difficult climb by the international mountaineering community. One of the larger mountains.

The mountain peaks mainly have six ridges. The peaks are pyramid-shaped, with ice cliffs standing on the walls, and the mountains are steep.

22. Gongga Mountain

Gongga Mountain is located on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The peak platform is covered with ice and snow all year round. It is one of the most unique glacial wonders in my country.

With Gongga Mountain as the center, there are scenic spots such as Hailuogou, Yanzigou, Mugecuo, Gongga Temple, Wuxu Lake, and Gongga South Slope.

23. Meili Snow Mountain

The main peak of Meili Snow Mountain at an altitude of 6,740 meters is still an unconquered "virgin peak" and is the only peak that is prohibited from climbing due to cultural protection.

The famous "Rizhao Jinshan" is a rare scenic spot that many people dream of seeing. October to May of the following year is the best time to view Meili Snow Mountain.

Cultural monuments with rich historical heritage

24. The Great Wall

The Great Wall is a military fortification in ancient China.

The history of the construction of the Great Wall can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty. After Qin unified the world, Qin Shihuang connected and repaired the Great Wall during the Warring States Period. But most of the Great Wall you see today was built in the Ming Dynasty.

25. The Forbidden City in Beijing

The Forbidden City is the most complete and largest wooden structure ancient building complex in China and even the world. It is known as "the first of the five major palaces in the world".

The inner court is centered on the three palaces behind Qianqing Palace, Jiaotai Palace, and Kunning Palace. You need to visit from south to north. The Meridian Gate is the only entrance, and the exits are Donghua Gate and Shenwu Gate.

26. Potala Palace

The Potala Palace is the highest and most majestic palace in the world and the most important symbol of Lhasa and even Tibet.

It is mainly composed of the Red Palace and the White House, and houses pagodas, statues, murals, thangkas, scriptures, etc.

The Potala Palace can be photographed at three locations: Yaowang Mountain Observation Deck, Zongjiao Lukang Park and Potala Palace Square.

27. Yungang Grottoes

The Yungang Grottoes were carved by the royal family of the Northern Wei Dynasty with concentrated manpower and material resources. They are one of the four major grottoes in my country.

The scenic area is divided into landscape areas and grotto groups. The third cave is the largest grotto in Yungang, and the fifth and sixth caves are twin caves with exquisite murals.

28. Longmen Grottoes

The Longmen Grottoes are one of the four major grottoes in China and have been excavated through many dynasties.

The Guyang Cave, Binyang Middle Cave, Lotus Cave, and Grotto Temple are the most representative caves.

29. Dazu Rock Carvings

The Dazu Rock Carvings include 5 places: Baoding Mountain, Beishan, Nanshan, Shizhuan Mountain, and Shimen Mountain. Generally speaking, the Dazu Rock Carvings refer to the Baoding Mountain Stone Carvings. .

Every carving here is colorful and very lifelike.

30. Dujiangyan

Dujiangyan is by far the oldest and only remaining grand water conservancy project in the world that features no dam to divert water.

It is mainly composed of three parts: Yuzui diversion dike, Feishayan spillway and Baopingkou water inlet, which have always played a role in flood control and irrigation.

Beautiful natural landscape

31. Jiuzhaigou

Jiuzhaigou, named after nine Tibetan villages, is listed as a World Natural Heritage by UNESCO .

Jiuzhaigou is famous for its "Six Wonders of Jiuzhaigou" - emerald lake, cascading waterfalls, colorful forests, snow peaks, Tibetan love, and blue ice. It is known as "beyond the beauty of the world."

32. Daocheng Yading

Daocheng Yading is mainly composed of three sacred mountains: "Xian Nairi, Yangmai Yong, and Shanuo Duoji" and the surrounding rivers, lakes and alpine meadows. It is known as "the last piece of pure land on the aqua blue planet".

33. Suzhou Gardens

Suzhou gardens mainly include Canglang Pavilion, Lion Grove, Humble Administrator’s Garden and Liuyuan, representing the four dynasties of Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing respectively. Its artistic style is known as one of Suzhou's "Four Famous Gardens".

Experiencing the small accent of Suzhou in the garden is a unique way of traveling in Suzhou.

34. Zhalong

Zhalong Nature Reserve is densely covered with lakes and reeds. It is the world's largest reed wetland and the hometown of red-crowned cranes.

June to September is the best time to watch cranes, when there are more red-crowned cranes.

35. Daxinganling

The Daxinganling is located in the northeastern part of Heilongjiang Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with a total length of more than 1,200 kilometers.

The main peak is Suoyueerji Mountain, with dense virgin forest. The main trees include larch, sylvestris pine, red spruce, etc.

36. Wolong

Wolong Nature Reserve has lush forests and beautiful natural scenery.

This is also the home of giant pandas and many rare nationally protected animals and plants.

37. Hulunbuir Grassland

Hulunbuir Grassland is the most abundant grassland and pasture in my country.

In addition to the beautiful scenery, you can also ride horses, watch wrestling, and horse racing on the grassland to experience the unique customs of the nomadic people. Every year in July and August, the grassland is lush and the grand Naadam Conference is held.

38. Huangguoshu Waterfall

Huangguoshu Waterfall is the largest waterfall in China and Asia. It has six observation decks where you can enjoy the majesty of the waterfall from different directions.

The Shuiliandong, Doupotang and other scenic spots in the scenic area were the filming locations for the 1986 TV series "Journey to the West".

39. Hukou Waterfall

With Hukou Waterfall as the center, the Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River is built along the east and west banks of the Yellow River. It is divided into Shanxi side waterfall and Shaanxi side waterfall.

On the Shaanxi side, you can view the entire waterfall from the front, and there is a live performance of the Yellow River Cantata in the scenic area; in Shanxi, you can only view it from the side.

40. Mingsha Mountain

Mingsha Mountain is the place where sand mountains and springs meet. It is named because of the sound of sand moving.

Climbing up Mingsha Mountain, you can overlook the Crescent Moon Spring, enjoy the desert sunset on the top of the mountain, and feel the desolation and vastness of the northwest desert.

41. Urho Devil City

The Devil City is a typical Yadan landform. You can see the giant stone pillars of different shapes on the Gobi, which are very majestic.

This is also the filming location for movies such as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Seven Swordsmen".

42. Stone Forest

Stone Forest is a karst geological park dominated by stone forest landforms.

The most diverse karst forms are preserved and displayed here, and almost all karst forms in the world are concentrated here.

43. Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon

It is the largest canyon in the world. The canyon is dotted with villages inhabited by Gongbo Tibetan people, maintaining the eternal life tradition.

Every year from mid-to-late March to early May, century-old peach blossoms bloom in the scenic area. Early May and early October are the best hiking seasons.

44. Shenlongjia

The Shennongjia forest area is named after the legend of the Chinese ancestor Shennong who tasted hundreds of herbs to save the people.

The forest area is densely covered with dense forests and deep valleys, which perfectly preserves the scenery of the prehistoric era and is extremely rich in animal and plant resources.

45. The Three Gorges of the Yangtze River

The Three Gorges of the Yangtze River starts from Baidi City in Fengjie County, Chongqing in the west and ends at Nanjinguan in Yichang City, Hubei Province in the east. It consists of Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge.

The Three Gorges of the Yangtze River is also one of the birthplaces of ancient Chinese culture. There are places of interest such as Baidi City, Huangling Tomb, Nanjingguan Lady Sun Temple, etc.

46. Nujiang Grand Canyon

The Nujiang Grand Canyon is another geographical wonder in Yunnan. It is also the longest, most mysterious, most beautiful, dangerous and most primitive in the world. The quaint Grand Canyon of the East.

Beautiful lakes and mountains

47. West Lake

Hangzhou West Lake is one of the top ten scenic spots in China and was included in the World Heritage List in 2011.

It has a basic layout of one mountain, two towers, three islands, three embankments and five lakes, with the famous ten sceneries of the West Lake dotted among them.

48. Erhai Lake

Erhai Lake is one of the four famous scenic spots in Dali, "Wind, Flowers, Snow and Moon". It is a plateau lake formed by the collapse of the West Erhe River.

Along the lake there are the "Erhai Divine Light" double corridors, Caicun, the filming location of "Blooming Heart", and Xizhou, which is characterized by Bai folk residential buildings.

49. Namtso

Namtso is the second largest saltwater lake in my country and the highest saltwater lake in the world.

Since ancient times, there have been constant pilgrims. The five islands in the lake are called the incarnations of the five Buddhas.

50. Qinghai Lake

Qinghai Lake is the largest inland lake in my country.

Every year in July and August, thousands of acres of rapeseed flowers bloom around the lake. In May, Bird Island becomes a paradise for bird watching enthusiasts.

Qinghai Lake is also a holy land for cycling. The annual Tour of Qinghai Lake International Road Cycling Race is held here.