Country guide
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...
Photograph · Severin.stalder · CC BY-SA 3.0
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
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.
Checked 2026-08-25
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · King of Hearts · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Mustang Joe · CC0
Photograph · Charlie fong · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · ScareCriterion12 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Charlie fong · CC BY-SA 4.0
Seasonal closures come from recorded opening hours.
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
23 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
伯多祿五世劇院 Teatro Dom Pedro V
Dom Pedro V Theatre is a historic performing arts venue in Macau's St. Lawrence Parish district, situated on Calçada de S. Lourenço. Built in the mid-19th century during the Portuguese colonial period, it represents one of Asia's earliest Western-style theatres.
上海大剧院
Shanghai Grand Theatre is a major performing arts venue in Shanghai, China. The building stands as a prominent cultural landmark in the city, designed for opera, ballet, symphony concerts, and other large-scale theatrical productions.
梅赛德斯-奔驰文化中心
Mercedes-Benz Arena is a major indoor arena located in Shanghai, China. The venue serves as a prominent entertainment and sports complex on the Pudong side of the Huangpu River, within the Expo Park area developed for the Shanghai World Expo.
上海东方艺术中心
The Shanghai Oriental Art Center is a major performing arts venue in Shanghai, China. Its local name is 上海东方艺术中心. The building is recognized as a distinct visitor destination in Shanghai, noted in breadth-first top rankings of city attractions.
澳門文化中心 Centro Cultural de Macau
Macao Cultural Centre is a major performing-arts and exhibition venue operated by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government. Opened in 1999, it provides a home for concerts, theatre, festivals and visual-art presentations.
深圳音乐厅
Shenzhen Concert Hall is a major performing arts venue in Shenzhen, China. Its local name is 深圳音乐厅. The building serves as a cultural landmark within the city, contributing to Shenzhen's growing reputation as a destination for arts and entertainment.
今日美术馆
Today Art Museum, known locally as 今日美术馆, is a contemporary art institution in Beijing. It operates as a private museum dedicated to presenting modern and contemporary art exhibitions.
塔石藝文館 A Galeria Tap Seac
Tap Seac Gallery is an arts and cultural venue in Macao’s Tap Seac Square area. Known locally as 塔石藝文館, it occupies a building within the Historic Centre of Macao, the UNESCO World Heritage area inscribed in 2005.
何香凝美术馆
He Xiangning Art Museum is a public art museum in Shenzhen devoted to the work and legacy of He Xiangning, an artist and prominent figure in modern Chinese history.
浦东美术馆
The Museum of Art Pudong, known locally as 浦东美术馆, is a contemporary art museum located in Shanghai's Pudong district. Situated along the Huangpu River, the institution occupies a prominent position within the Lujiazui financial area.
红砖美术馆
The Red Brick Art Museum is a contemporary art institution in Beijing, China. Its local name is 红砖美术馆. The museum occupies a distinctive architectural complex that integrates exhibition spaces with landscaped gardens and water features.
深圳水库
Shenzhen Reservoir, known locally as 深圳水库, is a major water-storage facility in Shenzhen, Guangdong.
天壇大佛 Tian Tan Buddha Statue
Tian Tan Buddha is a large bronze Buddha statue located on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. It is commonly known as the Big Buddha.
Tsinghua University Campus is a major higher education institution in Beijing, China.
元朗劇院 Yuen Long Theatre
梅艷芳脽像 Anita Mui Statue
TakeOut Comedy Club
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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