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.
104 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
澳門回歸賀禮陳列館 Museu das Ofertas sobre a Transferência de Soberania de Macau
Handover Gifts Museum of Macao presents commemorative gifts given to Macao by Chinese provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions after the 1999 handover. The museum turns a major political transition into a visual encounter with regional craft traditions.
上海宣传画艺术中心
The Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre is the English name used for Shanghai Yang Peiming Propaganda Poster Collection Art Museum (上海杨培明宣传画收藏艺术馆). Shanghai’s Changning District government identifies it as a private museum founded by Yang Peiming.
上海外滩美术馆
Rockbund Art Museum is a contemporary art institution located in Shanghai's historic Bund district.
深圳博物馆历史民俗馆
Shenzhen Museum is a municipal cultural institution in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, known locally as 深圳博物馆. It is a useful stop for travelers who want context for the city's transformation from a small fishing settlement into a major modern metropolis.
香港賽馬博物館 The Hong Kong Racing Museum
Hong Kong Racing Museum explores the history and culture of horse racing in Hong Kong. It sits within the Happy Valley Racecourse complex and is operated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
芳園書室 Fong Yuen Study Hall
Fong Yuen Study Hall, known locally as 芳園書室, is a historic study hall in Hong Kong.
饒宗頤文化館 Jao Tsung-I Academy
Jao Tsung-I Academy is a cultural institution in Hong Kong dedicated to Professor Jao Tsung-I, a major Chinese scholar in the humanities.
澳門茶文化館
Macao Tea Culture House is a cultural venue devoted to tea heritage in Macao. It stands within the Historic Centre of Macao, the UNESCO-listed urban area inscribed in 2005.
深圳市当代艺术与城市规划馆
The Museum of Contemporary Art and Planning Exhibition occupies a prominent position in Shenzhen’s Civic Center area. Designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au, its metallic exterior and angular volumes make the building a landmark in their own right.
上海邮政博物馆
The Shanghai Postal Museum occupies a historic building in the Hongkou district along the Suzhou Creek.
上海汽车博物馆
The Shanghai Auto Museum, known locally as 上海汽车博物馆, is a museum dedicated to automotive history and culture in Shanghai, China. It stands as a recognized visitor destination within the city's broader tourism landscape, noted among Shanghai's places of interest.
上海市历史博物馆
Shanghai History Museum presents the city’s story through the objects, documents and civic history gathered under the identity 上海市历史博物馆. Its focus is Shanghai itself: how the settlement, port, streets, institutions and communities changed over time.
八路军西安办事处纪念馆
The Eighth Route Army Xi'an Office Memorial Hall preserves the wartime office associated with the Eighth Route Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It presents Xi'an as an important setting for liaison, organization, and supply work.
北京汽车博物馆
Beijing Auto Museum is a purpose-built museum in Fengtai devoted to automobile history, engineering, design and the social effects of motor transport.
消防博物館 Museu dos Bombeiros
Fire Services Museum explores the history and development of Macao’s firefighting service.
典當業展示館 Espaço Patrimonial uma Casa de Penhores Tradicional
The Heritage Exhibition of a Traditional Pawnshop Business is a museum dedicated to preserving Macau's historical pawnshop culture. Pawnshops played a significant role in the territory's commercial and social history, serving as vital financial institutions for residents.
上海铁路博物馆
The Shanghai Railway Museum is a museum dedicated to the history of rail transport in Shanghai and China.
深圳科学技术馆
The Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum is a cultural and educational institution dedicated to science popularisation and technological demonstration. Located in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, it serves as a venue where visitors can engage with scientific principles and technological developments.
北京警察博物馆
Beijing Police Museum is a municipal museum in central Beijing devoted to the history and development of policing in China’s capital. The museum presents policing as an institution shaped by changing governments, technologies, and urban needs.
关山月美术馆
Guan Shanyue Art Museum is a public art museum in Shenzhen’s Futian district, devoted to the legacy of Guan Shanyue, a major modern Chinese painter.
西安碑林博物馆
Xi'an Beilin Museum, known locally as 西安碑林博物馆, houses one of China's most significant collections of stone steles and epigraphic art.
昆蟲屋
Insect House, also known locally as 昆蟲屋, is a Hong Kong attraction centred on insects. The name gives the visit a clear entomological focus, making it a natural choice for travellers who enjoy small creatures, natural history, and close observation.
招商局历史博物馆
China Merchants History Museum is a museum dedicated to the history of China Merchants Group, one of China's oldest and most significant state-owned enterprises.
上海玻璃博物馆
The Shanghai Museum of Glass is a museum dedicated to glass art and craft, located in Shanghai, China. It occupies a converted former glass factory site, repurposing industrial heritage into a cultural venue.
火山探知館 Volcano Discovery Centre
The Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark Volcano Discovery Centre serves as the primary visitor gateway to Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark. Located in Sai Kung, the centre introduces visitors to the territory's remarkable volcanic geology and hexagonal rock columns.
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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