Roavina

Country guide

China

A photograph of China
Photograph · Severin.stalder · CC BY-SA 3.0

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.

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

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

Planning a visit

  1. January: seasonal closure recorded
  2. February: seasonal closure recorded
  3. March: seasonal closure recorded
  4. April: seasonal closure recorded
  5. May: seasonal closure recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: seasonal closure recorded
  8. August: seasonal closure recorded
  9. September: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  10. October: seasonal closure recorded
  11. November: seasonal closure recorded
  12. December: seasonal closure recorded

Top things to see

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

  1. Hong Kong Park Hong Kong Park
    02 1 hour

    Hong Kong Park

    香港公園 Hong Kong Park

    Hong Kong Park is a major public park in Central on Hong Kong Island, set among the towers and steep slopes of the city's financial district.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  2. Tai Mo Shan Tai Mo Shan
    03 20 min

    Tai Mo Shan

    大帽山 Tai Mo Shan

    Tai Mo Shan, known locally as 大帽山, stands as the highest peak in Hong Kong at an elevation that dominates the New Territories landscape.

    • Must see
    • Viewpoint
    • Hong Kong
  3. Kowloon Park Kowloon Park
    04 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
  4. Lion Rock Lion Rock
    05 20 min

    Lion Rock

    獅子山 Lion Rock

    Lion Rock is a prominent mountain in Hong Kong, situated in Sha Tin District within the Lion Rock Country Park. The peak rises above Kowloon and is one of the most recognisable natural landmarks in the territory.

    • Must see
    • Viewpoint
    • Hong Kong
  5. Hong Kong Wetland Park Hong Kong Wetland Park
    06 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
  6. Lantau Peak Lantau Peak
    07 20 min

    Lantau Peak

    鳳峰 Lantau Peak

    Lantau Peak, known locally as 鳳峰, stands as the highest point on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. This prominent summit rises within Lantau Country Park, offering commanding views across the territory.

    • Must see
    • Viewpoint
    • Hong Kong
  7. Kowloon Walled City Park Kowloon Walled City Park
    08 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
  8. Nan Lian Garden Nan Lian Garden
    09 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
  9. Lung Fu Shan Lung Fu Shan
    10 20 min

    Lung Fu Shan

    龍虎山 Lung Fu Shan

    Lung Fu Shan is a wooded hill and country park area on Hong Kong Island, between the University of Hong Kong and the Victoria Peak area.

    • Must see
    • Viewpoint
    • Hong Kong
  10. Hollywood Road Park Hollywood Road Park
    11 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
  11. Repulse Bay Beach Repulse Bay Beach
    12 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
  12. Mutianyu Mutianyu
    13 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
  13. Shichahai Shichahai
    14 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
  14. Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade
    15 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
  15. Lianhuashan Park Lianhuashan Park
    16 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
  16. Cheung Chau Park Cheung Chau Park
    17 1 hour

    Cheung Chau Park

    長洲公園 Cheung Chau Park

    Cheung Chau Park is a public green space on Cheung Chau, one of Hong Kong's outlying islands. The island's fishing-community character, harbourfront, narrow lanes and lack of motor vehicles give a visit a different rhythm from the dense mainland city.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  17. Dameisha Beach Dameisha Beach
    18 1 hour

    Dameisha Beach

    大梅沙

    Dameisha Beach Park is a coastal recreational area in Shenzhen, China. Its local name is 大梅沙海滨公园. The park sits on the southern coast of the city facing Mirs Bay and the South China Sea.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Shenzhen
  18. Big Wave Bay Beach Big Wave Bay Beach
    19 1 hour

    Big Wave Bay Beach

    大浪灣沙灘

    Big Wave Bay Beach is a sandy beach located on the eastern coast of Hong Kong Island, within the Southern District. The local name is 大浪灣沙灘.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  19. Kai Tak Sports Park Kai Tak Sports Park
    20 1 hour

    Kai Tak Sports Park

    啟德體育園 Kai Tak Sports Park

    Kai Tak Sports Park is a major sports and entertainment complex located on the former Kai Tak Airport site in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It represents one of the city's most significant infrastructure developments, transforming reclaimed land into a multi-purpose venue.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  20. Lamma Island South SSSI
    21 1 hour

    Lamma Island South SSSI

    南丫島南部具特殊科學價值地點 Lamma Island South SSSI

    Lamma Island South SSSI is a Site of Special Scientific Interest on the southern part of Lamma Island. Its value comes from coastal habitats, rocky shores, vegetation and geological features that remain less developed than much of urban Hong Kong.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  21. Lilau Square Lilau Square
    22 1 hour

    Lilau Square

    亞婆井前地 Largo do Lilau

    Lilau Square is a small public square in Macau's historic western district, situated near the intersection of Rua de Lilau and Rua do Lilau.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Macau
  22. Victoria Park Victoria Park
    23 1 hour

    Victoria Park

    維多利亞公園 Victoria Park

    Victoria Park is a major public park on Hong Kong Island, situated in Causeway Bay between Causeway Road and Hing Fat Street.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  23. Penfold Park Penfold Park
    24 1 hour

    Penfold Park

    彭福公園 Penfold Park

    Penfold Park is a landscaped public park in the infield of Sha Tin Racecourse. The Hong Kong Jockey Club built the park, has managed it since it opened to the public in 1979, and now publishes its access calendar.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  24. Lido Beach
    25 1 hour

    Lido Beach

    麗都灣泳灘 Lido Beach

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  25. Lower Cheung Sha Beach
    26 1 hour

    Lower Cheung Sha Beach

    下長沙泳灘 Lower Cheung Sha Beach

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  26. Castle Peak Beach
    27 1 hour

    Castle Peak Beach

    青山灣泳灘 Castle Peak Beach

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  27. Approach Beach
    28 1 hour

    Approach Beach

    近水灣泳灘 Approach Beach

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  28. Ko Shan Road Park
    29 1 hour

    Ko Shan Road Park

    高山道公園 Ko Shan Road Park

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  29. Aldrich Bay Park
    30 1 hour

    Aldrich Bay Park

    愛秩序灣公園 Aldrich Bay Park

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  30. Hoi Bun Road Park
    31 1 hour

    Hoi Bun Road Park

    海濱道公園 Hoi Bun Road Park

    Hoi Bun Road Park is a 9,300-square-metre public open space on Hoi Bun Road in Kwun Tong. The original park was built in 1990 mainly for people working in the surrounding area.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  31. Lam Tin Park
    32 1 hour

    Lam Tin Park

    藍田公園 Lam Tin Park

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  32. Hin Tin Playground
    33 1 hour

    Hin Tin Playground

    顯田遊樂場 Hin Tin Playground

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  33. Kadoorie Beach
    34 1 hour

    Kadoorie Beach

    加多利灣泳灘 Kadoorie Beach

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Hong Kong
  34. Jiaoshan
    37 20 min

    Jiaoshan

    焦山

    • High
    • Viewpoint
    • 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.