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
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
143 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
上海海洋水族馆
Shanghai Ocean Aquarium is a major public aquarium located in Shanghai, China. Its local name is 上海海洋水族馆. The facility stands as one of the city's notable visitor attractions, recognized in broader assessments of Shanghai's tourism offerings.
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.
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.
深圳野生动物园
Shenzhen Safari Park is a large zoological attraction in Shenzhen, known locally as 深圳野生动物园. It is designed around encounters with wild animals in safari-themed surroundings and suits travellers looking for a dedicated wildlife day.
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.
上海野生动物园
Shanghai Wild Animal Park is a zoological garden in Shanghai, China. Its local name is 上海野生动物园. The facility operates as a wildlife park rather than a conventional urban zoo, suggesting larger enclosures and more naturalistic habitat designs.
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.
北京海洋馆
Beijing Aquarium is a large public aquarium located within the Beijing Zoo complex in the Xicheng District. Its local name is 北京海洋馆. The facility opened to complement the zoo's existing animal collections with marine and freshwater exhibits.
Beijing Planetarium is a public astronomy museum and planetarium facility in Beijing, China. Its local name is 北京天文馆. The institution serves as a venue for astronomical education, public science outreach, and celestial observation experiences.
中国考古博物馆
China Archaeological Museum, 中国考古博物馆, is a Beijing institution devoted to archaeology and archaeological heritage. Its focus is the material record of China’s past: excavated objects, the cultures that made them, and the evidence archaeologists use to reconstruct earlier lives.
中国民航博物馆
China Civil Aviation Museum documents the development of civil aviation in China through aircraft, engines, equipment, uniforms, documents and operational history. Its engine-shaped main hall and outdoor aircraft apron stand near Capital Airport but are not inside a passenger terminal.
枫泾古镇
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.
大唐西市博物馆
Tang West Market Museum, 大唐西市博物馆, stands at the site of Xi'an's historic Tang Dynasty western market. The ancient market was part of Chang'an's international commercial life and connected the city with Silk Road exchange.
上海观复博物馆
Shanghai Guanfu Museum is a private museum located in Shanghai, China. It was founded by Ma Weidu, a well-known Chinese antique collector and television personality.
香港藝術館 Hong Kong Museum of Art
The Hong Kong Museum of Art is a public art museum located in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, on the waterfront of Victoria Harbour.
香港故宮文化博物館 Hong Kong Palace Museum
The Hong Kong Palace Museum is a museum dedicated to Chinese art and culture, located in the West Kowloon Cultural District. It displays treasures from the Palace Museum in Beijing alongside Hong Kong collections.
香港文化古蹟資源中心 Hong Kong Resource Centre for Heritage
The Hong Kong Resource Centre for Heritage is a cultural institution dedicated to preserving and promoting Hong Kong's historical and architectural legacy.
澳門科學館 Centro de Ciência de Macau
Macao Science Center is a science-learning complex on Avenida Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, built around three different functions: an Exhibition Center, a Planetarium and a Convention Center.
梅兰芳纪念馆
The Mei Lanfang Memorial Museum is a cultural memorial site in Beijing dedicated to Mei Lanfang, the celebrated Peking opera artist renowned for his dan roles.
南山博物馆
Nanshan Museum is a public cultural institution in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District, known locally as 南山博物馆. It is a useful stop for travellers who want context for the district and the wider Shenzhen region beyond the city’s modern skyline.
曲江海洋极地公园
Qujiang Polar Ocean Park is a marine-themed family attraction in Xi'an's Qujiang New District, known locally as 曲江海洋极地公园. It offers an alternative to the city's archaeological and dynastic landmarks, with a visit centred on aquatic displays and polar wildlife.
陕西考古博物馆
Shaanxi Archaeological Museum introduces the archaeology of Shaanxi through objects, excavation contexts, and the long sequence of cultures that shaped the region.
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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