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.
17 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
深水埗玉石巿場 Sham Shui Po Jade Market
Sham Shui Po Jade Market is a specialized trading venue in Hong Kong's Sham Shui Po district, a working-class neighbourhood known for its electronics markets and street-level commerce.
深圳湾万象城
MixC Shenzhen Bay is a major shopping complex in Shenzhen, a city in southern China adjacent to Hong Kong. It forms part of the MixC portfolio developed by China Resources Land, a prominent mainland property developer.
大澳街市 Tai O Market
Tai O Market is a local marketplace situated in the historic fishing village of Tai O on Lantau Island, Hong Kong.
廟街夜市 Temple Street Night Market
Temple Street Night Market is a well-known open-air market in Hong Kong, located in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon. The street stretches from Man Ming Lane in the north to Nanking Street in the south.
女人街 Ladies Market
Tung Choi Street is the street name associated with Ladies Market, or 女人街, in Mong Kok, Kowloon. The market section is one of Hong Kong’s best-known street-shopping areas and reflects the dense commercial character of Mong Kok.
港澳客運碼頭 Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal
旺角電腦中心 Mong Kok Computer Centre
愉景新城商場 D • Park
協和廣場 Concord Square
馬鞍山廣場 Ma On Shan Plaza
紅磡廣場 Hung Hom Square
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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