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.
417 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
永利皇宮 Palácio Wynn
Wynn Palace is a luxury integrated resort on Macau’s Cotai Strip. The complex combines a hotel, casino, restaurants, retail spaces and entertainment in one large destination.
上海犹太难民纪念馆
The Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum commemorates the approximately 20,000 Jewish refugees who found shelter in Shanghai during World War II, primarily in the Tilanqiao area of Hongkew.
百老匯電影中心 Broadway Cinematheque
Broadway Cinematheque is a cinema complex in Hong Kong operated by Broadway Circuit, a major local cinema chain. The venue serves as a cultural hub dedicated to art-house, independent, and world cinema, distinguishing itself from mainstream multiplexes.
大鹏所城
Dapeng Fortress, known locally as 大鹏所城, is a historic military fortification in Shenzhen's Dapeng New District.
玉佛禅寺
Jade Buddha Temple is one of the first ten publishable places in Shanghai’s current curated ranking. Its clearest visitor purpose is the active Buddhist temple complex and its devotional spaces.
上海自然博物馆
Shanghai Natural History Museum is a science-focused museum at 510 West Beijing Road, inside Jing’an Sculpture Park in central Shanghai.
美獅美高梅 MGM Cotai
MGM Cotai is a major integrated resort on the Cotai Strip in Macau, operated by MGM China Holdings Limited. The property features a distinctive architectural design with a stack of glass boxes containing various facilities.
澳門巴黎人 The Parisian Macau
The Parisian Macao is a casino resort on the Cotai Strip in Macau, operated by Sands China. Its signature feature is a half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower, visible across the resort grounds.
鲁迅博物馆
Beijing Lu Xun Museum is dedicated to the life, writing and cultural legacy of Lu Xun, one of modern China’s most influential authors.
宋庆龄故居
The Former Residence of Soong Ching-ling is a historic house museum in Beijing’s Shichahai area.
静安寺
Jing'an Temple, known locally as 静安寺, is a historic Buddhist temple located in Shanghai's Jing'an District. The temple stands as one of Shanghai's most recognizable religious landmarks, situated in a prominent urban position amid modern commercial development.
疊石塘山 Alto de Coloane
Alto de Coloane is the highest point on Coloane Island in Macau, standing as a natural landmark within the southern reaches of the Macau Special Administrative Region.
慕田峪长城旅游区
Mutianyu is a restored section of the Great Wall in Huairou District, north of Beijing.
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.
上海城隍庙
The Shanghai City God Temple, known locally as 上海城隍庙, is a historic Taoist temple complex located in Shanghai's old city district. It serves as a cultural and religious center dedicated to the city's protective deity.
佘山进教之佑圣母大殿
Sheshan Basilica, known locally as 佘山进教之佑圣母大殿, stands as a significant Catholic pilgrimage site on Shanghai's western outskirts. Perched atop Sheshan Hill, this landmark represents one of China's most prominent surviving ecclesiastical structures from the pre-1949 era.
玫瑰聖母堂
St. Dominic's Church is a historic Catholic church in Macau, known locally as 玫瑰堂.
上海大剧院
Shanghai Grand Theatre is a major performing arts venue in Shanghai, China. The building stands as a prominent cultural landmark in the city, designed for opera, ballet, symphony concerts, and other large-scale theatrical productions.
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.
798艺术区
The 798 Art District, known locally as 798艺术区, is a contemporary arts zone in Beijing's Chaoyang District. It occupies a former military factory complex built in the 1950s in the Bauhaus-influenced style of East German industrial architecture.
天主教藝術博物館 Museu de Arte Sacra e Cripta
Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt occupies the lower level of the Ruins of St. Paul’s in Macao’s historic center. It preserves religious art and architectural remains connected with the former Church of Mater Dei and College of St.
武康大楼
Wukang Mansion, known locally as 武康大楼, is a historic apartment building located in Shanghai's former French Concession area. The building stands at the intersection of multiple streets, creating a distinctive triangular footprint.
上海当代艺术博物馆
The Power Station of Art is a contemporary art museum in Shanghai, China. Its local name is 上海当代艺术博物馆. The museum occupies a converted former power station building, representing an industrial heritage adaptive reuse project.
澳門博物館 Museu de Macau
Macao Museum is a cultural institution located within the Mount Fortress complex in the historic centre of Macau, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The museum occupies a prominent position overlooking the city, integrated into the seventeenth-century Portuguese military fortification.
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.
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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