Best Cities In China To Visit

With a history of over 5,000 years, China presents one of the richest and most textured histories of all civilizations. The land mass is vast and extraordinary extending thousands of miles from the ocean in the east to the deserts and plateaus in the west. For a country of its massive size and varied geography, China has a lot of impressive places to see and explore from the big major cosmopolitan cities to the ancient traditional towns. This gateway to Asia is such a fascinating country. China’s world famous for gunpowder, noodles, and Perking Man. First-time visitors in this great Middle Kingdom stick to the larger city whereas the seasonal foreigners look into other directions exploring China further.

If you are an expatriate, a student or an avid traveler trying to explore China, the following ten cities are the most popular destination, and they are the must-visit destinations in China:

1. Beijing

Beijing is the capital of the People’s Republic of China for over 700 years, and it’s rich in both ancient and modern history. It is the center of china’s culture, international exchanges, politics and such a modern city full of life and vitality. Beijing takes pride in being home to some of the infamous China’s imperial past remnants such as:

The Great Wall: This is an assemblage of smaller walls that were built by various dynasties over many years to act as protection against invaders. It has a history of over 2,000 years, and it’s approximately 5,000 miles in length. Even with some of the sections lying in ruins, it remains the longest man-made structure in the whole world. Visitors find BaDaLing interesting since it’s closer to the city and easy to climb.

Forbidden City: This is the best-preserved and largest ancient imperial palace in the whole world. The infamous Chinese imperial system made Beijing look magnificent, with the palaces that were once home to royal officials and emperors telling such a profound story.

Tian’anmen Square: where the inauguration of the People’s Republic of China by Chairman Mao took place, and his body is still there in a snow casket.

The Temple of Heaven: Place for imperial worship

Summer Place: breathtaking royal garden.

Beijing is quite magical, and after re-inventing itself, it can be put on the global map thanks to its modern buildings, Olympic Village, colorful entertainment centers and dazzling shopping malls. Beijing is just perfect for both traditional and modern China experience

2. Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city in China with a population of about 9.54 million. It is in central-eastern China, and it’s directly under the central government. Shanghai oozes life and modernity. It can easily rival Paris and New York. It comes second after Mumbai as the world’s largest “city proper”. Its skyline is full of skyscrapers in the Pudong Economic Zone while the luxurious hotels, prestigious art centers, and shiny shopping malls are quite a view. Shanghai is advantageously located halfway down mainland coastline where Yangtze River empties into the sea, making it quite an important comprehensive industrial harbor and base.

Shanghai is a unique world creating unique culture by fusing both the West and the East, and the nightlife is quite spectacular. You would even forget that you are in China. The Bund is a must-see place in Shanghai and has quite an extensive collection of colonial architecture. Walking along it during the night will greatly thrill you with the magnificent fusion of the modern and ancient tastes taking center stage. Shanghai is the future of China with its modern city setting being just where it all begins.

3. Hong Kong

Hong Kong is the infamous “pearl or oriental country” with the bright pearl shining all the time with its super spectacular night view. Hong Kong is the paradise in both shopping and food being home to countless brand shops and snack joints. Hong Kong enjoys the benefits of being a vibrant and dynamic metropolis since its one of the most important financial and economic centers in the whole world. It is rich in cultures from the British colonial culture to the Chinese tradition. For the outdoor lovers, Hong Kong has amazing natural sights and beaches.

4. Xi’an

Xian is historical, China having served as China’s capital city in 221 BC. Xi’an is rich in historic sites and precious relics. Two historical Buddhist Pagoda- Small Wild and Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Ancient City Wall (which was built during the Tang Dynasty to act as protection against invasion) and the Great Mosque are impressive sights. Banpo Site and Terracotta Army are contending to be the 8th world wonder. Xi’an is also the point where the Silk Road starts and has always played such a paramount role in the cultural and economic exchange between the West and the East.

5. Guangzhou

Because of its convenient transportation system, Guangzhou is one of the hot tourist destinations in China. Usually referred to as “ The City of Ram”, Guangzhou is a major attraction for individuals interested in long history, strong regional culture, and legends. Some of the attractions include Shamian Island and the Chen Family Temple( a key historical site showing The extraordinarily folk architecture in Guangdong).

6. Lhasa

The capital city of Tibet is one of the highest lands on earth. Lhasa is a travelers dream since it is a lonely place from the rest of the world with the winding hills of the high plateau and the Himalayas. Thanks to new technology people can easily get to the mysterious place with trains, highways or aircraft. The land is charming full of historical relics and full of nature. It is perfect for individuals who want to enjoy the untapped ethnic culture, spectacular natural scenery, and vivid folk custom.

Potala Palace: It is a castle-like building complex spectacularly built against the Red Hill with its construction correctly expressing the inner core of Tibetan architecture and culture. It joined the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1994.

Jokhang Temple: With its location just in the heart of old Lhasa City and surrounded by Barkhor Street, it occupies a significant position of Tibetan Buddhism.

Sera Monastery: This is one of Lhasa’s grand three monasteries.

7. Chengdu

This is the capital of Sichuan province and its home to the giant Pandas. It achieved its civilization over 3,000years ago leaving it with great cultural heritage. It is one of the first cultural and historical cities in China rated by the council state and awarded the coveted Tourism City Award in China. Some of Chengdu’s scenic spots include:

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, whereby people get to see this world’s superstar creatures up-close and personal

Dujiangyan Irrigation System, which is ancient architecture to help people, trace the city from old times to modern.

Chengdu also acts as a transportation hub for travelers going to Leshan City, Mt. Emei and Huanglong National Park.

8. Guilin

This is infamously one of the beautiful places in the world, and it’s located on the banks of the Li River. It’s renowned for its incredibly beautiful scenery from various caves, verdant mountains and stones of numerous shapes to the unique rocks and crystal water. It has quite a special Karst geography, and this place can be analogous to this beautiful young lady quietly sitting on the northern side of China. Yangshuo West Street is the perfect place to spend your nightlife while in Guilin whereas the Longji Rice Terraces is a beautiful scenery showing human intelligence.

9. Hangzhou

Marco Polo once declared Hangzhou the most beautiful and elegant city in the world in the 13th century. There is also a Chinese saying that goes “Above there is Heaven and below there are Hangzhou and Suzhou,” which directly translates to mean that Hangzhou is heavenly, a treasure that attracts millions of tourists to its magnificent West Lake so as to enjoy the lavish temples, lakeside teahouses, reflecting pools and beautiful gardens.

10. Lijiang

In Yunnan Province of South China, featured on UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage list. If you in search of a romantic love story then visit Lijiang. If you want to know more about Naxi ethnic culture, then Lijiang is the place to be. It is home to the Lugu Lake, Yufeng Temple (place for a peaceful coexistence of multinational religions and cultures) and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain ( which is the kingdom of medicine and a botanical paradise).

China is beautiful, and China is magical. There are so many places, cities, and towns to visit while in China and also has so many things you can do during your stay in this fascinating country. One can never run out of options whether you are on a tight budget or not. It has a way of making you feel comfortable within your space and places tailor-made just for your financial muscles. Go out and explore China and everything you see will be worth your time and dime.

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