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Country guide

1 to 2 hours 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.

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143 places match

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Category

Historic sites 6 Museums 104 Places of worship 0 Nature sites 0 Viewpoints 1 Food and drink 0 Markets and shopping 0 Entertainment 11 Nightlife 0 Family attractions 11 Art and culture 3 Activities 7

Typical visit duration

Up to 1 hour 267 1 to 2 hours 143 Half a day or more 11

Interests

History 41 Art 0 Museums 39 Nature 0 Sea and beach 0 Viewpoints 0
  1. Victoria Harbour Victoria Harbour
    01 2 hours

    Victoria Harbour

    維多利亞港

    Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Hong Kong
  2. Ping An Finance Centre Ping An Finance Centre
    02 1 hr 30 min

    Ping An Finance Centre

    Ping An Finance Centre is a 599.1-metre skyscraper in Shenzhen's Futian District, with the Free Sky observation deck forming its principal public visitor experience.

    • Must see
    • Viewpoint
    • Shenzhen
  3. OCT-LOFT Creative Culture Park OCT-LOFT Creative Culture Park
    03 2 hours

    OCT-LOFT Creative Culture Park

    OCT-LOFT Creative Culture Park is a former industrial compound in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District, reshaped into a cultural quarter by Overseas Chinese Town. Factory buildings now hold galleries, studios, creative workspaces, shops, cafés, restaurants, and event venues.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Shenzhen
  4. Xi'an Muslim Quarter Xi'an Muslim Quarter
    04 2 hours

    Xi'an Muslim Quarter

    Muslim Quarter

    Xi'an Muslim Quarter is a lived commercial and residential district in the city centre, known for Hui culture, mosques and food streets. It is not one market hall or a single ticketed attraction.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Xi'an
  5. Nanjing Road Nanjing Road
    05 2 hours

    Nanjing Road

    南京路

    Nanjing Road is a major commercial thoroughfare in Shanghai, widely recognised as one of China's premier shopping streets. The road stretches west from the Bund and divides into Nanjing Road East and Nanjing Road West.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Shanghai
  6. Taipa Village Taipa Village
    06 2 hours

    Taipa Village

    氹仔舊城區

    Taipa Village is a historic district on Taipa Island, Macau, preserving Portuguese colonial architecture alongside southern Chinese building styles. The area represents a fusion settlement pattern characteristic of Macau's UNESCO World Heritage status.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Macau
  7. The House of Dancing Water The House of Dancing Water
    07 1 hr 30 min

    The House of Dancing Water

    The House of Dancing Water is a large-scale water-based theatrical production at City of Dreams Macau. Created by Franco Dragone, it combines acrobatics, martial arts, diving, and motorcycle stunts in a purpose-built theatre with a transforming pool.

    • Must see
    • Entertainment venue
    • Macau
  8. Macao Giant Panda Pavilion Macao Giant Panda Pavilion
    08 1 hr 30 min

    Macao Giant Panda Pavilion

    Macao Giant Panda Pavilion is a wildlife attraction dedicated to giant pandas in Macau. It gives visitors a chance to observe these animals in a managed setting while learning about their behaviour and conservation.

    • Must see
    • Family attraction
    • Macau
  9. Ngong Ping 360 Ngong Ping 360
    09 2 hours

    Ngong Ping 360

    昂坪360

    Ngong Ping 360 is a cable-car system on Lantau Island, Hong Kong, connecting Tung Chung to the Ngong Ping highland village area.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Hong Kong
  10. Xintiandi Xintiandi
    10 1 hr 30 min

    Xintiandi

    Xintiandi is a pedestrianized entertainment and shopping district in central Shanghai. The area comprises restored traditional shikumen lane houses, a distinctive architectural form combining Western and Chinese elements that was prevalent in the city from the 1860s to the 1930s.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Shanghai
  11. Grand Tang Mall Grand Tang Mall
    11 2 hours

    Grand Tang Mall

    Grand Tang Mall is a large-scale pedestrian cultural and commercial district in Xi'an, developed as a flagship project celebrating Tang dynasty heritage.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Xi'an
  12. Leal Senado Building Leal Senado Building
    12 2 hours

    Leal Senado Building

    民政總署大樓

    The Leal Senado Building stands in Senado Square at the heart of Macau’s historic centre. Its name means Loyal Senate in Portuguese, recalling the building’s role in colonial municipal government.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Macau
  13. Qianmen Street Qianmen Street
    13 1 hr 30 min

    Qianmen Street

    Qianmen Street is the historic ceremonial southern approach to Beijing's old inner city and its leading traditional commercial thoroughfare.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Beijing
  14. Sea World Shekou Sea World Shekou
    14 2 hours

    Sea World Shekou

    Sea World Shekou is an open waterfront dining, public-space, and evening precinct in Shenzhen's Shekou district. The area centres on a decommissioned Minghua cruise ship, now permanently moored and converted into a hotel and restaurant complex.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Shenzhen
  15. Banpo Museum Banpo Museum
    15 1 hr 30 min

    Banpo Museum

    The Banpo Museum is an archaeological site museum in eastern Xi'an preserving the remains of a Neolithic Yangshao culture settlement. The site was excavated beginning in 1953 and opened to the public as one of China's first site museums.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Xi'an
  16. Tian Tan Buddha Tian Tan Buddha
    16 1 hr 30 min

    Tian Tan Buddha

    天壇大佛 Tian Tan Buddha Statue

    The Tian Tan Buddha sits on the summit of Mount Muk Yue, 482 metres above sea level, at the edge of the Ngong Ping plateau on Lantau Island.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Hong Kong
  17. Sea World Culture and Arts Center Sea World Culture and Arts Center
    17 2 hours

    Sea World Culture and Arts Center

    The Sea World Culture and Arts Center is a purpose-built cultural institution in Shenzhen's Shekou precinct. Its local name is 海上世界文化艺术中心. The center operates as a distinct museum and arts venue with its own galleries, exhibitions, and theatre spaces.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Shenzhen
  18. Tai Kwun Tai Kwun
    18 2 hours

    Tai Kwun

    Tai Kwun, known locally as 大館, is a revitalised heritage and arts centre in Hong Kong's Central district. The complex occupies the former Central Police Station compound, which served as the headquarters of colonial law enforcement from 1864 to 2006.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Hong Kong
  19. Peak Tram Peak Tram
    19 1 hr 30 min

    Peak Tram

    山頂纜車 Peak Tram

    The Peak Tram is a double reversible funicular railway that hauls two tramcars up the north face of Hong Kong Island between Garden Road in Central and Victoria Gap, the saddle in the hills where the Peak Tower stands.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
    • Hong Kong
  20. Hong Kong Space Museum Hong Kong Space Museum
    20 1 hr 30 min

    Hong Kong Space Museum

    香港太空館 Hong Kong Space Museum

    The Hong Kong Space Museum is a public astronomy and space science museum located in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Its distinctive dome-shaped building, resembling a planetarium, stands prominently on the Salisbury Garden phase II site near the waterfront.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Hong Kong
  21. Hong Kong Heritage Museum Hong Kong Heritage Museum
    21 1 hr 30 min

    Hong Kong Heritage Museum

    香港文化博物館 Hong Kong Heritage Museum

    The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is a major cultural institution operated by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Hong Kong
  22. Hong Kong Museum of History Hong Kong Museum of History
    22 1 hr 30 min

    Hong Kong Museum of History

    香港歷史博物館 Hong Kong Museum of History

    The Hong Kong Museum of History is a major cultural institution dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of Hong Kong and South China. Located in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, the museum occupies a purpose-built facility.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Hong Kong
  23. Flagstaff House Flagstaff House
    23 1 hr 30 min

    Flagstaff House

    茶具文物館 Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware

    Flagstaff House is Hong Kong’s oldest surviving Western-style building and now houses the Museum of Tea Ware. The historic building stands inside Hong Kong Park in Central, placing colonial architectural heritage beside one of the city’s major urban green spaces.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Hong Kong
  24. M+ M+
    24 1 hr 30 min

    M+

    M+ is a museum of visual culture in Hong Kong, located in the West Kowloon Cultural District. It focuses on twentieth- and twenty-first-century art, design, architecture, and moving image from Hong Kong, China, Asia, and beyond.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Hong Kong
  25. Hong Kong Maritime Museum Hong Kong Maritime Museum
    25 1 hr 30 min

    Hong Kong Maritime Museum

    香港海事博物館 Hong Kong Maritime Museum

    The Hong Kong Maritime Museum is a museum in Hong Kong dedicated to the maritime history and heritage of the region.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Hong Kong
Show 25 more places

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.