Rice Terraces

China

　　Longji's famed rice terraces have been luring travellers to the region for decades to witness some of China's most spectacular scenery. Rising to 1000m, they are an amazing feat of farm engineering on hills dotted with minority villages. There are two main areas to see: the Ping'an terraces, the most...

Jiankou Great Wall

China

　　For stupefying hikes along perhaps Beijing’s most incomparable section of Wall, head to Jiankou, where white-knuckle sections like ‘Upward Flying Eagle’ and ‘Heavenly Ladder’ will make you marvel at just how they built the thing in the first place. Accessible from Xizhazi Village (西栅子村, Xīzhàzi Cūn) via the town of...

Mutianyu

China

　　Famed for its Ming-era guard towers and excellent views, the 3km-long section of wall at Mutianyu, northeast of Beijing in Huairou County, is largely a Ming dynasty structure that was built upon an earlier Northern Qi dynasty edifice, and restored in the 1980s. Considered the ideal introduction for the Great...

Badaling

China

　　Historically a strategic portal between the fertile lands of the capital and the more arid plains beyond, Badaling has been called the ‘Key to Northern China’, and is the site for what has become the defining section of the Great Wall. On this stretch of battlements, restored in the mid-1950s...

Tai Shan

China

　　The most climbed mountain on earth, and the most revered of China's five sacred Taoist peaks, Tai Shan is one third of Shandong's claim to having 'yī shān, yī shuǐ, yī shèngrén' (一山一水一圣人, 'one mountain, one water, one saint'); the water being the Yellow River, the saint being Confucius. You...

Ming Xiaoling Tomb

China

　　Zhu Yuanzhang (1328–1398), the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty (also known as the Hongwu Emperor), was buried in the tomb of Ming Xiaoling; he was the only Ming emperor buried outside Beijing. The area surrounding the tomb is the Ming Xiaoling Scenic Area. A tree-lined pathway winds around pavilions...

Luoyang Old Town

China

　　Any Chinese city worth its rice has an Old Town. Within Luoyang’s is this scenic area comprising a plethora of water-banquet restaurants, costume shops and the occasional creaking monument, namely the lovely brick Wenfeng Pagoda (文峰塔, Wénfēng Tǎ), originally built in the Song dynasty. 　　Bring your passport for access or...

Museum of Contemporary Art & Planning Exhibition

China

　　One of those thrillingly space-age, 'only in China' architectural projects, this gargantuan exhibition space designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au anchors Shenzhen’s Fútián Cultural District. Opened in 2016, the exterior is a vast curve of chrome planted among the city’s high-rises, while the entrance hall is a soaring atrium with a cloud-like...

Kunqu Opera Museum

China

　　Down a narrow lane, this small museum is dedicated to kūnqǔ, the opera style of the region. The beautiful old theatre houses a stage, musical instruments, costumes and photos of famous performers. ...

Gyantse Kumbum

China

　　Commissioned by a local prince in 1427 and sitting beside Palcho Monastery, Gyantse Kumbum is the town’s foremost attraction. This 32m-high chörten, with its white layers trimmed with decorative stripes and crown-like golden dome, is awe-inspiring. But the inside is no less impressive, and in what seems an endless series...

Army of Terracotta Warriors

China

　　The Terracotta Army isn't just Xi'an's premier sight: it's one of the most famous archaeological finds in the world. This subterranean life-size army of thousands has silently stood guard over the soul of China's first unifier for more than two millennia. Either Qin Shi Huang was terrified of the vanquished...

Mogao Grottoes

China

　　The Mogao Grottoes are considered one of the most important collections of Buddhist art in the world. At its peak during the Tang dynasty (618–907), the site housed 18 monasteries, more than 1400 monks and nuns, and countless artists, translators and calligraphers. 　　English-language tours, running at 9am, noon and 2.30pm,...

Shantang Jie

Jiangsu

　　This picturesque canalside street has been in use for more than a thousand years, having been built in the Tang dynasty (around 825–826) to transport Suzhou’s upper classes to Tiger Hill for leisurely outings. Nowadays it is pedestrianised and makes for a wonderful way to stroll or boat to Tiger...

Garden of Cultivation

Jiangsu

　　This small but perfectly formed garden is often overlooked by visitors who are drawn to Suzhou's larger and more famous gardens. Its simple layout makes use of rockeries, water features and covered corridors, while some of the living quarters are decorated with furniture, creating an intimate atmosphere. 　　The garden's hidden...

Humble Administrator’s Garden

Jiangsu

　　The largest of Suzhou's gardens, the Humble Administrator’s Garden is often considered to be the most impressive, but its fame draws in constant crowds, which are part of the experience. First built in 1509, this 5.2-hectare garden is clustered with water features, a museum, a teahouse, zigzagging bridges, bamboo groves...

Suzhou Museum

Jiangsu

　　This stunning museum, one of only two in mainland China designed by IM Pei, is a modern interpretation of Suzhou architecture, with its confluence of water, courtyards and a distinctive grey-and-white motif. Although the impressive architecture steals the show, the collection contains a fascinating array of jade, ceramics and textiles,...

Garden of the Master of the Nets

Jiangsu

　　Off Shiquan Jie, this pocket-sized garden is considered one of Suzhou's best preserved. Laid out in the 12th century, it went to seed and was later restored in the 18th century as part of the home of a retired official turned fisherman (hence the name). In the 1920s, the famous...

Tiger Hill

Jiangsu

　　In the far northwest of town, Tiger Hill is a major drawcard for Chinese tourists, and the beacon that draws them is the leaning Cloud Rock Pagoda (云岩塔, Yúnyán Tǎ) atop the hill. The octagonal seven-storey pagoda was built in the 10th century entirely of brick, an innovation in Chinese...

Pan Gate Scenic Area

Jiangsu

　　This quiet part of Suzhou is lovely, with a section of the city wall straddling the outer moat in the southwest corner of the city. Dating from 1355, the gate backs onto a delightful scenic area, dotted with old halls, bell towers, bridges, pavilions, lake, temple and the crumbling Ruiguang...

Pingjiang Lu

Jiangsu

　　On the eastern side of the city, this canalside road has whitewashed local houses sitting comfortably side by side with teahouses and trendy cafes selling overpriced beverages. Duck down some of the side streets that jut out from the main path for a glimpse at local life. It's a lovely...

South Gate

Guangxi

　　At the northern shore of Rong Lake is this original Song-dynasty city wall (城墙, chéng qiáng). Come by in the evening when it's illuminated, and locals practise taichi, calligraphy and dancing. ...

Folded Brocade Hill

Guangxi

　　Folded Brocade Hill affords some of Guilin's best views, complemented by restored pavilions, some originally dating from the Ming dynasty. Climb the stone pathway that leads you through the cooling relief of Wind Cave (风洞, Fēng Dòng), its walls decked with inscriptions and Buddhist sculptures, some damaged during the Cultural...

Guilin Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area

Guangxi

　　Tianmen (not to be confused with Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, Hunan) is home to proud cliffs, sharp ravines and dramatic waterfalls of Danxia topography, but also lush subtropical foliage, clusters of ash-brown dwellings and crumbling roadside shrines. Tourist development here, however, has taken some of its natural wonder away. There...

Sun & Moon Twin Pagodas

Guangxi

　　Elegantly embellishing the scenery of Shan Lake, the Sun and Moon Twin Pagodas, beautifully illuminated at night, are the highlight of a stroll around Guilin’s two central lakes. The octagonal, seven-storey Moon Pagoda (月塔, Yuè Tǎ) is connected by an underwater tunnel to the 41m-high Sun Pagoda (日塔, Rì Tǎ),...

Elephant Trunk Hill

Guangxi

　　At the southern end of Guilin where the Li River and the Taohua River converge is one of Guilin's best-promoted sights, Elephant Trunk Hill. Unlike other misshapen lumps of rock with tenuous names extracted from Chinese myth, this indeed does resemble a proboscidean mammal dipping its snout into the Li...

Jiangtouzhou Ancient Town

Guangxi

　　The 1000-year-old village of Jiangtouzhou is tucked away among farmland 32km north of Guilin. The mostly abandoned village has layers of old-world charm, with its labyrinth of cobblestone alleyways lined with stone houses dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and where blocks of tofu are laid out to set...

Rong Lake

Guangxi

　　Rong Lake (literally, Banyan Lake), named for an ancient Chinese banyan on its shore, and its adjoining Shan Lake are an oasis of calm in the urban hub of Guilin. It has no shortage of local charm, with a walking track leading through lush gardens with ornate bridges and Chinese...

Bajiaozhai National Geopark

Guangxi

　　This park is named after eight Danxia stone peaks that lie near the border with Hunan. Round, isolated, featuring ringlike troughs and leaning 45 degrees in the same direction, these spectacular formations resemble snails sunning themselves after the rain. It's a 1½-hour loop walking trail, so you don't need to...

Dounan Flower Market

Central Yunnan

　　China's largest flower market is a riot of colours and smells, and a charming place to wander for an hour and see the diversity of species on offer. Try to get here early, when the morning auctions are happening, for the most action. 　　From Metro Line 1's Dounan station, walk...

Dragon Gate

Central Yunnan

　　On the upper reaches of Xi Shan, the 'Dragon Gate Scenic Area' is a collection of pavilions, temples and grottoes scattered along the mountaintop. The highlight is the eponymous Longmen Grottoes, a series of passages carved deep into the cliffside between 1781 and 1835, punctuated with small shrines and incredible...

Huating Temple

Central Yunnan

　　Towards the bottom of the mountain is Huating Temple, a country temple of the Nanzhao kingdom believed to have been constructed in the 11th century. It’s one of the largest in the province and its numerous halls are decorated with arhats. 　　From the metro station, walk about 3km up the...

Green Lake Park

Central Yunnan

　　Come here to people-watch, practise taichi or just hang with the locals and stroll through winding lines that meander through the 22 hectares of ponds and pavilions. The roads surrounding the park are lined with wannabe trendy cafes, teahouses and shops. In November, everyone in the city awaits the return...

Taihua Temple

Central Yunnan

　　The courtyard of the Ming dynasty Taihua Temple houses a fine collection of flowering trees, including magnolias and camellias, and is a popular to place to relax on the way up or down the mountain. 　　The road from Huating Temple winds 2km up to the turn-off for Taihua, but if...

Yunnan Provincial Museum

Central Yunnan

　　Originally built in 1951, this museum's relocation in 2015 gave it a thoroughly modern 60,000 square metres of exhibition space. Displays span the prehistoric to the present day; expect a broad overview of Yunnan's past through well-curated exhibitions, though English captions are at times frustratingly limited. Enter on the southeast...

Bamboo Temple

Central Yunnan

　　Tucked away atop a winding mountain road up the forested hills northwest of the city centre, this serene temple is definitely one to be visited by sculptors as much as by those interested in temple collecting. Raised during the Tang dynasty in 639 AD, it was refitted in the Qing...

Golden Temple

Central Yunnan

　　The Golden Temple Scenic Area is equal parts religious space, forest park, botanical garden and open-air sculpture museum; it covers 118 hectares on the northwestern outskirts of the city. The obvious highlight is the namesake Qing dynasty shrine, the largest bronze temple in China, which shines magnificently under the bright...

Kashgar Museum

Kashgar

　　This regional museum is not as good as some of the other excellent local museums in Xinjiang, but it's free and includes an incredible 6th-century Buddhist urn and a mummy amid the otherwise rather forgettable collection. ...

Mor Pagoda

Kashgar

　　At the end of a 45km drive northeast of Kashgar are the ruins of Ha Noi, a Tang-dynasty town built in the 7th century and abandoned in the 12th century. Little remains apart from an enigmatic pyramid-like structure and the impressive four-tiered Mor Pagoda. A round-trip taxi, including waiting time,...

Abakh Hoja Mausoleum

Kashgar

　　This 3-hectare mausoleum complex was built by the Khoja family, who ruled the region in the 17th and 18th centuries. Widely considered the holiest Muslim site in Xinjiang, it's a major pilgrimage destination and a beautiful piece of Islamic architecture, located on the northeastern outskirts of town. 　　Founded as a...

Id Kah Mosque

Kashgar

　　The yellow-tiled Id Kah Mosque, which dates from 1442, is the spiritual and physical heart of the city. Enormous (it's the largest mosque in Xinjiang), its courtyard and gardens can hold 20,000 people during the annual Qurban Baiyram (Eid). Non-Muslims may enter, but not during prayer time. Dress modestly, including...

Kashgar Old Town

Kashgar

　　The Old Town is the soul of Kashgar, and as such the government has spent much of the past two decades knocking it down block by block and building a modern replacement. Yet it's still possible to see some of the remaining alleyways: check out the neighbourhood near Donghai Lake...

Grand Sunday Bazaar

Kashgar

　　Kashgar’s main bazaar is open every day but really kicks it up a gear on Sunday. Step through the jam-packed entrance and allow your five senses to guide you through the market; spices and teas are an obvious highlight, as are silk, doppa (traditional Uyghur hats) and carpets, all of...

Sunday Livestock Market

Kashgar

　　No visit to Kashgar is complete without a trip to the Livestock Market, which takes place once a week on Sunday. The day begins with Uyghur farmers and herders trekking into the city from nearby villages. By lunchtime, just about every saleable sheep, camel, horse, cow and donkey within 50km...

Shipton’s Arch

Kashgar

　　This extraordinary natural rock arch (the rather prosaic Uyghur name means simply ‘mountain with a hole in it’) is one of the tallest on earth. The first westerner to describe it was Eric Shipton, the last British consul-general in Kashgar, during his visit to the region in 1947. Successive expeditions...

Xiaoying Island

Hangzhou

　　Wooden cruise boats shuttle visitors from a number of points on the banks of West Lake to the Mid-Lake Pavilion and Xiaoying Island, which has a fine central pavilion and ‘nine-turn’ causeway. From the island you can look over at the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, a string of three...