A photograph of China

Country guide

Nature sites, Up to 1 hour in China

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

39,939 Places
6Cities

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

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

Top things to see

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

  1. Kowloon Park Kowloon Park
    02 1 hour

    Kowloon Park

    九龍公園 Kowloon Park

    Kowloon Park is a large public park in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, giving visitors a broad green pause amid hotels, shopping streets, museums, and busy roads.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  2. Hong Kong Wetland Park Hong Kong Wetland Park
    03 1 hour

    Hong Kong Wetland Park

    香港濕地公園 Hong Kong Wetland Park

    Hong Kong Wetland Park is a conservation and education facility located in the New Territories. The site combines a visitor centre with outdoor wetland habitats, serving as both a recreational destination and a venue for ecological study.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  3. Kowloon Walled City Park Kowloon Walled City Park
    04 1 hour

    Kowloon Walled City Park

    九龍寨城公園 Kowloon Walled City Park

    Kowloon Walled City Park occupies the site of the former Kowloon Walled City, a densely populated and largely ungoverned settlement that was demolished in the early 1990s.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  4. Nan Lian Garden Nan Lian Garden
    05 1 hour

    Nan Lian Garden

    南蓮園池 Nan Lian Garden

    Nan Lian Garden is a public classical Chinese garden in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is designed in the Tang dynasty style with hills, water features, trees, rocks and wooden structures arranged according to traditional landscaping principles.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  5. Old Summer Palace Old Summer Palace
    06 1 hour

    Old Summer Palace

    圆明园遗址公园

    The Old Summer Palace, known in Chinese as 圆明园 (Yuanmingyuan), was an extensive complex of imperial gardens and palaces in Beijing. Constructed during the Qing dynasty, it served as a primary residence and administrative center for emperors.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Beijing
  6. Yu Garden Yu Garden
    07 1 hour

    Yu Garden

    豫园

    Yu Garden, written 豫园 and identified as way/40036584, is a classical Chinese garden in Shanghai’s historic old city. Its appeal lies in a carefully arranged sequence of pavilions, water, rockwork, bridges, walls and enclosed paths, rather than one isolated monument.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Shanghai
  7. Beihai Park Beihai Park
    08 1 hour

    Beihai Park

    北海公园

    Beihai Park is an imperial garden located in central Beijing. It is one of the oldest, largest, and best-preserved ancient imperial gardens in China.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Beijing
  8. Hong Kong Observation Wheel Hong Kong Observation Wheel
    09 1 hour

    Hong Kong Observation Wheel

    香港摩天輪 The Hong Kong Observation Wheel

    The Hong Kong Observation Wheel is a large Ferris wheel on the Central Harbourfront beside Victoria Harbour. Its appeal is the changing view across the water toward Kowloon and back toward Hong Kong Island's dense skyline.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  9. Jingshan Park Jingshan Park
    10 1 hour

    Jingshan Park

    景山公园

    Jingshan Park is a historic imperial garden located immediately north of the Forbidden City in central Beijing. The park centers on Jingshan Hill, an artificial mound created from earth excavated during the construction of the Forbidden City's moat.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Beijing
  10. Temple of the Sun Temple of the Sun
    11 1 hour

    Temple of the Sun

    日坛公园

    Ritan Park occupies the historic Altar of the Sun site in Beijing’s Chaoyang District.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Beijing
  11. Hollywood Road Park Hollywood Road Park
    12 1 hour

    Hollywood Road Park

    荷李活道公園 Hollywood Road Park

    Hollywood Road Park is a public green space on Hollywood Road in Central, Hong Kong. It offers a small outdoor pause within a dense historic and commercial neighbourhood known for antique shops, galleries and older urban character.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  12. Temple of Earth Temple of Earth
    13 1 hour

    Temple of Earth

    地坛公园

    Ditan Park, known in Chinese as 地坛公园, is a historic imperial altar complex located in Beijing.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Beijing
  13. Repulse Bay Beach Repulse Bay Beach
    14 1 hour

    Repulse Bay Beach

    淺水灣泳灘 Repulse Bay Beach

    Repulse Bay Beach is a public bathing beach located on the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. It is one of the most famous beaches in Hong Kong, situated in an affluent residential area.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  14. Fragrant Hills Fragrant Hills
    15 1 hour

    Fragrant Hills

    香山公园

    Fragrant Hills Park is a historic imperial garden and public park in the Haidian District of northwestern Beijing. The site occupies a forested hillside area and has served as a retreat and scenic destination for centuries.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Beijing
  15. Mutianyu Mutianyu
    16 1 hour

    Mutianyu

    慕田峪长城旅游区

    Mutianyu is a restored section of the Great Wall in Huairou District, north of Beijing.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Beijing
  16. Shichahai Shichahai
    17 1 hour

    Shichahai

    后海公园

    Shichahai is a historic scenic area in central Beijing, comprising three connected lakes: Qianhai, Houhai, and Xihai. The name literally means Ten Temple Sea, referencing temples that once bordered the water.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Beijing
  17. Houhai Houhai
    18 1 hour

    Houhai

    什刹后海

    Houhai is the northernmost of the three lakes in Beijing’s Shichahai water area, alongside Qianhai and Xihai. Its name means “Back Sea,” reflecting its position north of the former imperial city.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Beijing
  18. Camoes Garden Camoes Garden
    19 1 hour

    Camoes Garden

    白鴿巢公園 Jardim Luís de Camões

    Camoes Garden, also known locally as 白鴿巢公園, is a public park on Macau’s peninsula. Its mature vegetation, hillside setting, and connection with Portuguese literary heritage give it a character distinct from Macau’s busier commercial streets.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Macau
  19. Lotus Square Lotus Square
    20 1 hour

    Lotus Square

    金蓮花廣場 A Praça Flor de Lótus

    Lotus Square is an open civic plaza in Macau, known locally as 金蓮花廣場. Its centrepiece is the Golden Lotus, a large gilded bronze flower that represents Macau.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Macau
  20. Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade
    21 1 hour

    Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade

    尖沙咀海濱花園 Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade

    Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade is a waterfront pedestrian walkway along the southern tip of the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  21. Lianhuashan Park Lianhuashan Park
    22 1 hour

    Lianhuashan Park

    莲花山公园

    Lianhuashan Park is a central green space in Shenzhen’s Futian District, known locally as 莲花山公园. Its lotus-flower-shaped hill rises among the city’s dense urban development.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Shenzhen
  22. Seac Pai Van Park Seac Pai Van Park
    23 1 hour

    Seac Pai Van Park

    石排灣郊野公園 Parque de Seac Pai Van

    Seac Pai Van Park, or 石排灣郊野公園, is a country park on Coloane Island in Macau. It gives travellers a green hillside setting within a highly urban territory, combining wooded paths with a major panda-viewing facility.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Macau
  23. Gongqing Forest Park Gongqing Forest Park
    24 1 hour

    Gongqing Forest Park

    共青森林公园

    Gongqing Forest Park is a large urban park located in Yangpu District, Shanghai. The park occupies substantial green space in northeastern Shanghai and represents one of the city's significant forest park developments.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Shanghai
  24. Shanghai Botanical Garden Shanghai Botanical Garden
    25 1 hour

    Shanghai Botanical Garden

    上海植物园

    Shanghai Botanical Garden, known locally as 上海植物园, is a botanical garden in Shanghai, China. It serves as a space for plant conservation, scientific research, and public recreation.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Shanghai

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.