Roavina

Country guide

China

A photograph of China
Photograph · Severin.stalder · CC BY-SA 3.0

China covers 9.6 million km², third largest of any country, and holds more than 1.4 billion people — about 17 per cent of everyone alive. It is divided into 33 province-level divisions, two of them special administrative regions. Beijing is the capital; Shanghai is the most populous city by urban area. Between them the land runs from the Central Plain and the Yangtze and Yellow rivers out to desert, plateau, subtropical and temperate forest, and the Himalayas in the southwest. The first decision a visitor makes here is therefore not which sight to see but which climate to travel in.

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information
Language spoken
Standard Chinese; regional languages are widely used
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+86 mainland · +852 Hong Kong · +853 Macao
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Renminbi (CNY); HKD and MOP in the SARs
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
110 police · 120 medical on the mainland
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A, C and I · 220 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No single verified statement covers mainland China and both SARs

Planning a visit

  1. January: seasonal closure recorded
  2. February: seasonal closure recorded
  3. March: seasonal closure recorded
  4. April: seasonal closure recorded
  5. May: seasonal closure recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: seasonal closure recorded
  8. August: seasonal closure recorded
  9. September: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  10. October: seasonal closure recorded
  11. November: seasonal closure recorded
  12. December: seasonal closure recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

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Category

Historic monuments 89 Museums 104 Places of worship 44 Nature sites 87 Viewpoints 18 Food and drink 0 Markets and shopping 17 Entertainment 15 Nightlife 0 Family attractions 11 Art and culture 23 Activities 9

Typical visit duration

Up to 1 hour 2 1 to 2 hours 7

Interests

History 0 Art 0 Museums 0 Nature 0 Sea and beach 0 Viewpoints 0
  1. Victoria Harbour Victoria Harbour
    01 2 hours

    Victoria Harbour

    維多利亞港

    Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Hong Kong
  2. Star Ferry Star Ferry
    02 30 min

    Star Ferry

    The Star Ferry is a cross-harbour passenger service between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Its operator describes the ferry as both a vital transport connection and a must-experience visitor journey across Victoria Harbour.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Hong Kong
  3. Nanjing Road Nanjing Road
    03 2 hours

    Nanjing Road

    南京路

    Nanjing Road is a major commercial thoroughfare in Shanghai, widely recognised as one of China's premier shopping streets. The road stretches west from the Bund and divides into Nanjing Road East and Nanjing Road West.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Shanghai
  4. Taipa Village Taipa Village
    04 2 hours

    Taipa Village

    氹仔舊城區

    Taipa Village is a historic district on Taipa Island, Macau, preserving Portuguese colonial architecture alongside southern Chinese building styles. The area represents a fusion settlement pattern characteristic of Macau's UNESCO World Heritage status.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Macau
  5. Ngong Ping 360 Ngong Ping 360
    05 2 hours

    Ngong Ping 360

    昂坪360

    Ngong Ping 360 is a cable-car system on Lantau Island, Hong Kong, connecting Tung Chung to the Ngong Ping highland village area.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Hong Kong
  6. People's Square People's Square
    06 1 hour

    People's Square

    People's Square is a major public plaza in central Shanghai, covering approximately 140,000 square metres in the Huangpu District. Originally the site of the Shanghai racecourse, the area was redeveloped in the 1990s into an open civic space.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Shanghai
  7. Grand Tang Mall Grand Tang Mall
    07 2 hours

    Grand Tang Mall

    Grand Tang Mall is a large-scale pedestrian cultural and commercial district in Xi'an, developed as a flagship project celebrating Tang dynasty heritage.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Xi'an
  8. Sea World Shekou Sea World Shekou
    08 2 hours

    Sea World Shekou

    Sea World Shekou is an open waterfront dining, public-space, and evening precinct in Shenzhen's Shekou district. The area centres on a decommissioned Minghua cruise ship, now permanently moored and converted into a hotel and restaurant complex.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Shenzhen
  9. Cotai Strip Cotai Strip
    09 2 hours

    Cotai Strip

    路氹金光大道

    The Cotai Strip is a major tourism and entertainment zone in Macau, located on reclaimed land between the islands of Coloane and Taipa. The area derives its name from these two islands.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Macau

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to China be?

Twelve to eighteen days can link Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai by high-speed rail, with Shenzhen as a southern extension. Hong Kong and Macao need separate border planning and should not be treated as ordinary domestic stops on the same timetable.

What entry documents are needed for China?

Entry rules differ between mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao, even within one journey. Check the official immigration authority for every border segment and match the permission to the passport, purpose, and exact itinerary.

What is the best way to travel around China?

High-speed rail and domestic flights cover mainland distances, while metros handle most urban journeys. Hong Kong uses Octopus and separate border controls, and Macao has its own formalities, so prepare payment and identity requirements for each jurisdiction.

When is a practical time to visit China?

April to May and September to October are only broad mainland planning windows. Beijing, Shanghai, the south, Hong Kong, and Macao have different heat, rain, and holiday pressures; the least flexible regional leg should set the dates.

What money and payment basics apply in China?

Mainland China uses renminbi (CNY), while Hong Kong and Macao use HKD and MOP. Payment systems and card acceptance differ across those jurisdictions, so prepare the appropriate local method before crossing each border.

What practical safety details should I save for China?

On the mainland, save 110 for police and 120 for medical help; Hong Kong and Macao use separate emergency systems. Mainland electricity is recorded as 220 V with Type A, C, and I sockets, while tap-water guidance is not recorded.