Namtso, at 4,718 meters in central Tibet, is one of the highest lakes in the world and a sacred site in Tibetan Buddhism. Its name means Heavenly Lake, and its vast blue waters, surrounded by snow-cap
While Kanas Lake draws most visitors to this region of northern Xinjiang, the surrounding nature reserve offers even more: primeval forests, alpine meadows, and wildlife including the endangered snow
Arxan (Aershan), in eastern Inner Mongolia near the border with Mongolia, is a volcanic landscape of hot springs, lakes, and forests. Despite its remote location, it has become a popular destination f
Kanbula National Forest Park, in Jianzha County, Qinghai Province, features a dramatic landscape of red sandstone cliffs, forests, and the Yellow River. The red cliffs contrast with green pines and bl
Maijishan, in Tianshui, Gansu Province, is one of China four great Buddhist grotto sites. Unlike Yungang and Longmen, where caves are carved into rock, Maijishan features clay sculptures attached to a
The Longmen Grottoes, near Luoyang in Henan Province, contain over 100,000 Buddhist statues carved into limestone cliffs over 400 years. Along with Yungang and Mogao, they are one of China three great
The Yungang Grottoes, outside Datong in Shanxi Province, contain 53 caves with over 51,000 stone carvings of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Created between 460 and 525 CE, they represent the peak of early
Songyue Pagoda, on the slopes of Songshan in Henan Province, is China oldest surviving brick pagoda. Built in 523 CE during the Northern Wei Dynasty, this 15-sided structure is an architectural anomal
Hengshan, in central Hunan Province, is the southernmost of China's Five Great Mountains. Associated with fire and summer, it has been a center of Buddhist and Taoist practice for over 2,000 years. Th
Huashan, in southern Shaanxi Province, is renowned as the most dangerous of China's Five Great Mountains. Its five peaks, rising like a lotus flower, are connected by narrow paths clinging to vertical
Taishan, in central Shandong Province, is the most revered of China's Five Great Mountains. For over 3,000 years, emperors made pilgrimages here to perform sacrifices; Confucius climbed its slopes; po
Songshan, in central Henan Province, is one of China's Five Great Mountains. But its fame comes primarily from Shaolin Temple — the legendary birthplace of Chinese martial arts. For over 1,500 years,
Wudangshan, in northwestern Hubei Province, is one of China's most sacred Taoist mountains. It is the legendary birthplace of tai chi and the setting for countless martial arts films. The mountain's t
Lushan, in northern Jiangxi Province, is one of China's most historically significant mountains. Since the 19th century, it has been a summer retreat for China's elite — foreign missionaries, National
Moganshan, in Zhejiang Province about 60 kilometers from Hangzhou, has been a summer retreat since the 1890s. Foreign residents of Shanghai built villas here to escape the city's heat. Today, the moun
Jiugongshan (Nine Palaces Mountain), in southern Hubei Province, has been a summer retreat since the late 19th century. Foreign missionaries and Chinese officials built villas here to escape Wuhan's b
Ergun, in northern Inner Mongolia, sits on the Argun River across from Russia. This small city is one of China's most remote border towns, with a unique blend of Mongol, Russian, and Chinese cultures.
Daocheng, in southern Sichuan near the Yunnan border, is the gateway to the Yading Nature Reserve. This small Tibetan town, at 3,750 meters, serves as the last outpost before the sacred mountains. The
Hailuogou (Conch Gully), on the eastern slope of Gongga Mountain in Sichuan, contains China's lowest-altitude modern glacier. At just 2,850 meters, the glacier tongue is accessible to visitors without
Ruoergai (Zoige) Grassland, on the border of Sichuan, Gansu, and Qinghai, is one of China's largest high-altitude wetlands. At 3,400 meters, this vast expanse of meadows, lakes, and rivers is a crucia
Gyantse, about 90 kilometers east of Shigatse, is one of Tibet's most historic towns. In 1904, it was the site of heroic resistance against the British Younghusband expedition. Today, its fortress, mo
Shigatse (Xigaze), Tibet's second-largest city, is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas — the second-highest ranking figures in Tibetan Buddhism after the Dalai Lamas. Located about 270 kilometer
Qinghai Lake, at 3,200 meters elevation in Qinghai Province, is China's largest lake. For Tibetans, it is a sacred sea; for the Chinese government, it is a critical ecological zone. The lake's vast bl
Zhujiajiao, about 50 kilometers west of Shanghai, is the closest water town to China's largest city. Founded over 1,700 years ago, it offers a quick escape from urban bustle to a world of stone bridge
Xidi and Hongcun, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Anhui Province, represent the finest Hui-style architecture and merchant culture. But which should you visit? This guide compares the two to help
Yinchuan and Lhasa are two of western China's most distinctive capital cities. Both serve as gateways to vast, culturally distinct regions — Ningxia's Hui Islamic heartland and Tibet's Buddhist platea
Tongwancheng, in Jingbian County, Shaanxi Province, is the only surviving city built by the Xiongnu — the nomadic confederation that troubled China's borders for centuries. Founded in 419 CE by Helian
Chengkan, in Shexian County, Anhui Province, is famous for its "Bagua" (Eight Trigrams) layout and exceptional Hui architecture. Founded in the Tang Dynasty, the village was designed according to Feng
Nuodeng, in Yunlong County, Yunnan Province, is a village preserved by salt. For over 1,000 years, salt mining generated wealth that built a town of remarkable architecture; the decline of the industr
Kuche (Kuqa), in central Xinjiang, was once the powerful Kingdom of Qiuci, a Buddhist center on the Northern Silk Road. The city produced Buddhist art that influenced China and Central Asia; it was al
Wuyuan, in northeastern Jiangxi Province, is often called "China's most beautiful countryside." In spring, its fields of rapeseed flowers create a sea of yellow against white-walled, black-tiled house
Yanji, in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, is the cultural capital of China's Korean minority. The city feels more Korean than Chinese: signs are bilingual, menus feature kimchi a
While Dali Old Town draws most tourists to the region, Xizhou, about 20 kilometers north, offers a more intimate experience of Bai culture. This comparison explores the distinct characters of these tw
Linhai, in coastal Zhejiang Province, was historically the prefectural seat of Taizhou and an important center of Confucian scholarship and maritime trade. Its well-preserved Old Town, ancient city wa
Heijing, in Lufeng County, Yunnan Province, was once one of China's most important salt-producing towns. For over 1,000 years, its salt mines generated wealth that built a town of remarkable architect
Kaili, in southeastern Guizhou Province, is the capital of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture and the gateway to one of China's richest ethnic minority regions. From this modest city, tra
Manzhouli, on China's border with Russia in Inner Mongolia, is one of the country's most unusual cities. Its location at the junction of China, Russia, and Mongolia has shaped a unique blend of cultur
Jiayuguan, in western Gansu Province, marks the traditional western end of the Great Wall. For centuries, this fortress was the last outpost of Chinese civilization; beyond lay the unknown lands of Ce
Zhangye, in central Gansu Province, is home to one of China's most surreal landscapes: the Danxia landform, where hills are striped with red, orange, yellow, and green. This "Rainbow Mountain" has bec
Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, was once one of the world's most isolated cities. Known as the "Forbidden City," it was closed to foreigners for centuries. Today, it welcomes visito
Jingdezhen, in Jiangxi Province, has been China's porcelain capital since the Song Dynasty. For over a millennium, its kilns produced the finest ceramics in the world — the famous "fine china" that ga
Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, was once the capital of the Western Xia Kingdom (1038–1227), a powerful Tangut state that rivaled Song China and Liao. Today, this small city on
Heshun, about 4 kilometers from Tengchong in western Yunnan, is one of China's most unusual villages. Its location near the Myanmar border made it a center of overseas migration; many residents have r
Pingyao, in central Shanxi Province, is China's best-preserved ancient walled city. Founded in the Western Zhou Dynasty (9th–8th century BCE) and largely rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty, its 6 kilomet
Gongtan, in Youyang County, Chongqing Municipality, is a 1,700-year-old town perched on a cliff above the Wujiang River. Its location — accessible only by water until recently — preserved it from mode
Xinjiang (not to be confused with Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region), also known as Xingyi, in southern Shanxi Province, was one of the most important cities on the ancient Silk Road. As the capital o
Zhouzhuang, in Jiangsu Province about 30 kilometers southeast of Suzhou, was the first Chinese water town opened to international tourism. Founded over 900 years ago, it pioneered the preservation and
The Yuanyang Rice Terraces, in southern Yunnan's Honghe Prefecture, are one of the world's most spectacular agricultural landscapes. Carved into the Ailao Mountains over 1,300 years by the Hani people
Enshi, in southwestern Hubei Province, is one of China's most geologically dramatic and culturally distinctive regions. The Enshi Grand Canyon, often compared to America's Grand Canyon, features sheer
Shaxi, in Jianchuan County, Yunnan Province, is the only surviving market town on the ancient Tea-Horse Road that retains its original layout and architecture. While the Silk Road connected China to t
Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, in southern Gansu Province, is one of China's most evocative Tibetan regions outside the Tibet Autonomous Region. Known as Amdo in Tibetan, its rolling grasslands
Xidi, about 20 kilometers from Hongcun in Yi County, Anhui Province, is often overshadowed by its more famous neighbor — but deserves equal attention. Together with Hongcun, it forms a UNESCO World He
Yushe Yumin, on the shores of Lugu Lake straddling the Sichuan-Yunnan border, is one of the last strongholds of the Mosuo people — one of the world's few remaining matrilineal societies. The Mosuo hav
Tai'erzhuang, in southern Shandong Province, was once a thriving commercial town on the Grand Canal, China's ancient north-south waterway. Destroyed in World War II during the famous Battle of Tai'erz
Hekou, in southeastern Yunnan on the border with Vietnam, is one of China's most international small towns. The Red River (Hong He) flows past, separating China from Vietnam; a bridge connects Hekou w
Deqin, in northwestern Yunnan at 3,400 meters elevation, is the gateway to some of the most dramatic scenery in the Himalayas. The county sits in the valley of the Mekong River, with the Meili Snow Mo
Weishan, in western Yunnan's Dali Prefecture, was the cradle of the Nanzhao Kingdom — a powerful state that dominated Southeast Asia from the 8th to 10th centuries. Today, this small county town retai
Tongli, in Jiangsu Province about 80 kilometers west of Shanghai, is one of China's best-preserved water towns. Founded over 1,000 years ago, it is built on seven islands connected by 49 stone bridges
Nanxun, in northern Zhejiang Province, is the quietest and most refined of China's famous water towns. Unlike Zhouzhuang or Xitang, which draw massive tour groups, Nanxun maintains an atmosphere of un
Linxia, in south-central Gansu Province, is one of the most distinctive cities in China. Known historically as Hezhou, it has been a center of Islamic learning and culture for over a thousand years. T
Pingshan County, in southern Sichuan near the Yunnan border, is one of the province's least-explored regions. Its remote valleys hide remarkable Hakka communities who migrated here centuries ago and b
Jiaju, in Sichuan's Danba County, has been called "the most beautiful village in China" by Chinese National Geographic magazine. Perched on a hillside at 2,400 meters, its cluster of watchtowers and w
Qingyan, about 30 kilometers south of Guiyang, is one of Guizhou Province's most atmospheric ancient towns. Founded in 1378 as a military garrison, it became a prosperous commercial center on the rout
Chongqing, China's largest municipality by area, is a city unlike any other. Built on steep hills at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, it is a vertical metropolis where roads tunnel th
Heshuo County, in southern Xinjiang's Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, is one of the least-visited corners of China's far west. It sits on the shores of Bosten Lake, China's largest inland fre
Langmusi, a small town straddling the border of Gansu and Sichuan provinces, is often called "Little Tibet." At 3,300 meters elevation, it sits in a valley surrounded by red sandstone cliffs and alpin
The Fujian Tulou are a remarkable architectural phenomenon: massive earthen fortresses, some housing hundreds of families, built by the Hakka people between the 13th and 20th centuries. These structur
Yading Nature Reserve, in southern Sichuan's Daocheng County, is often called "the last Shangri-La." Its three sacred snow mountains — Chenresig (Avalokitesvara), Jambeyang (Manjusri), and Chanadorje
Hongcun, at the foot of Mount Huangshan in Anhui Province, is one of China's most visually striking villages. Its layout resembles a water buffalo: the Leigang Hill is the head, the two ancient trees
Zhenyuan, in eastern Guizhou Province, is one of China's most picturesque yet least-visited ancient towns. Founded over 2,000 years ago, it was a military garrison and commercial hub on the ancient ro
Songpan (Songzhou), in northern Sichuan Province, was for centuries a military outpost on the edge of the Chinese empire. It guarded the passage between Sichuan and the Tibetan plateau, witnessing bat
Yushe Village, hidden in the mountains of eastern Fujian Province, is one of the most distinctive ethnic villages in China. The entire village — houses, walls, paths, and even furniture — is built of
Nianhua Bay, located on the shores of Taihu Lake in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, is a purpose-built Zen Buddhism cultural town that opened in 2015. While not an ancient settlement, it has quickly become on
Jianshui, in southern Yunnan Province, was once one of the most important cities on the road to Southeast Asia. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was a center of learning, producing more successf
Wuzhen, in northern Zhejiang Province, is often described as the most polished of China's water towns. Divided into East and West sections, it has been carefully restored and developed for tourism — s
Kanasi (Kanas) Lake, hidden in the Altai Mountains of northern Xinjiang, is one of China's most stunning natural landscapes. Near the borders of Kazakhstan, Russia, and Mongolia, it remains remote and
Deep in the mountains of western Sichuan, Labahe (Laba River) is a remote Tibetan valley few foreign travelers have heard of. Part of Baoxing County, it lies on the ancient tea-horse road that connect
Quanzhou, on the coast of Fujian Province, was once one of the world's greatest ports. During the Song and Yuan dynasties (10th–14th centuries), it was the eastern terminus of the Maritime Silk Road,
Hidden in the mountains of southeastern Guizhou Province, Zhaoxing is one of China's most remarkable ethnic villages. With over 1,000 households and 6,000 residents — all Dong people — it is the large
Xitang, in northern Zhejiang Province, is one of the most atmospheric of China's water towns. Unlike Zhouzhuang, which draws hordes of day-trippers from Shanghai, Xitang remains relatively peaceful —
Tengchong, in western Yunnan near the border with Myanmar, is one of China's most geologically dramatic and culturally rich destinations. Its landscape was shaped by ancient volcanoes, its fields terr
Dunhuang, a small city in northwestern Gansu Province, was once the gateway between China and the West. Caravans from Central Asia entered China here after crossing the Gobi Desert, and Chinese trader
Kashgar (Kashi), in far western Xinjiang, is unlike anywhere else in China. Closer to Islamabad than Beijing, it has been a Silk Road hub for over two millennia. The majority of its population is Uygh
Shaoxing, in eastern Zhejiang Province, is a city of canals, stone bridges, and literary ghosts. Just 70 kilometers south of Shanghai, it remains remarkably under-visited by foreign tourists despite i
Langzhong, in northeastern Sichuan Province, is one of China's four great ancient cities (along with Lijiang, Pingyao, and Shexian) — and the least visited. Founded over 2,300 years ago, it served as
Dali, in western Yunnan Province, has long been a haven for those escaping the mainstream. Set between the Cangshan Mountains and Erhai Lake, it was the capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom (8th–10th centur
Perched on the banks of the Tuojiang River in western Hunan Province, Fenghuang — meaning "Phoenix" — is one of China's most visually arresting ancient towns. Its stilted wooden houses (diaojiaolou) l
Nestled in the northwestern corner of Yunnan Province at an altitude of 2,400 meters, Lijiang is one of China's most enchanting destinations. Unlike the polished tourist traps that many ancient towns
Qingdao, situated on the southern coast of Shandong Peninsula, is one of China's most charming coastal cities. Famous worldwide for Tsingtao Beer, blessed with beautiful beaches, and adorned with a un
Tianjin, one of China's four direct-controlled municipalities, sits just 120 kilometers southeast of Beijing on the Bohai Sea coast. As the gateway to the Chinese capital and a major port city, Tianji
Chongqing, a direct-controlled municipality in southwestern China, is one of the world's most unique megacities. Built across steep mountains at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, Chong
Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, occupies a strategic position at the confluence of the Yangtze and Han rivers in central China. Known as the 'Chicago of China' for its industrial might and trans
Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, carries one of the most complex and profound histories of any Chinese city. Serving as the capital of six dynasties and the Republic of China, Nanjing has wit
Suzhou, located in Jiangsu Province just 100 kilometers west of Shanghai, is one of China's most enchanting cities. Renowned for its classical gardens, silk production, and intricate canal network, Su
Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, stands as one of China's most historically significant cities. As the eastern terminus of the ancient Silk Road and the capital of thirteen imperial dynasties,
Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, is a city of remarkable contrasts. Home to the legendary West Lake, one of China's most beautiful natural wonders, Hangzhou is also the birthplace of Alibab
Nestled in the heart of Sichuan Province, Chengdu is a city that seamlessly blends ancient traditions with modern innovation. Known as the "Land of Abundance," this vibrant metropolis has emerged as o
Sanya, located at the southern tip of Hainan Island, is China's premier tropical beach destination, often called 'China's Hawaii'.Yalong BayThis crescent-shaped beach is considered China's finest, wit
Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China, is famous for its bitterly cold winters and spectacular ice festival.Ice and Snow WorldEach winter, massive ice sculptures are const
Lhasa, the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, sits at 3,656 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest cities in the world.Potala PalaceThe iconic Potala Palace, former winter residence of