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.
15 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
上海迪士尼乐园
Shanghai Disney Resort is a major theme park destination in Pudong, Shanghai, operated by a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and Shanghai Shendi Group.
世界之窗
Window of the World is a large theme park in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District, known for reduced-scale replicas of famous landmarks from around the globe. Its Chinese name is 世界之窗.
北京环球度假区
Universal Beijing Resort is a major theme park and entertainment complex located in Beijing, China. It represents the first Universal Studios-branded destination in mainland China and one of the largest of its kind in Asia.
锦绣中华民俗村
Splendid China Folk Village combines two Shenzhen attractions: Splendid China, a miniature presentation of celebrated Chinese landmarks, and China Folk Culture Village, which focuses on ethnic traditions and reconstructed environments.
水上樂園 Water World
Water World is Ocean Park Hong Kong’s water park on the southern side of Hong Kong Island. It is a major aquatic leisure attraction within the wider Ocean Park resort, combining water-based entertainment with a hillside setting.
欢乐谷
Happy Valley Shenzhen, or 深圳欢乐谷, is a large urban amusement park in Shenzhen, Guangdong, built around themed environments, rides, performances and family entertainment.
大唐芙蓉园
Tang Paradise, known locally as Datang Furong Yuan, is a large cultural theme park in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China. The park is themed around the Tang Dynasty, which had its capital at Chang'an, the ancient name for Xi'an.
上海海昌海洋公园
Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park is a major marine-themed amusement park in Shanghai, China. Opened in 2018, it represents a significant tourism investment in the Pudong New Area, near the Dishui Lake region.
Fengjing Ancient Town is a historic water town located in the Jinshan District of southwestern Shanghai. The settlement traces its origins to the Yuan dynasty and developed significantly during the Ming and Qing periods.
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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