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
典當業展示館 Espaço Patrimonial uma Casa de Penhores Tradicional
The Heritage Exhibition of a Traditional Pawnshop Business is a museum dedicated to preserving Macau's historical pawnshop culture. Pawnshops played a significant role in the territory's commercial and social history, serving as vital financial institutions for residents.
洪湖公园
Honghu Park is a public urban park in Shenzhen, known locally as 洪湖公园. The park centers on Honghu Lake and serves as a recreational green space within the dense metropolitan environment.
上海铁路博物馆
The Shanghai Railway Museum is a museum dedicated to the history of rail transport in Shanghai and China.
深圳科学技术馆
The Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum is a cultural and educational institution dedicated to science popularisation and technological demonstration. Located in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, it serves as a venue where visitors can engage with scientific principles and technological developments.
宋少帝陵
The Tomb of the Young Song Emperor, known locally as 宋少帝陵, is a memorial site in Shenzhen associated with the final years of the Southern Song dynasty.
云居寺
Yunju Temple is a historic Buddhist temple complex located in Beijing's Fangshan District. The temple holds significant religious and cultural importance, particularly renowned for its association with the engraving of Buddhist sutras on stone tablets.
世界之窗
Window of the World is a large theme park in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District, known for reduced-scale replicas of famous landmarks from around the globe. Its Chinese name is 世界之窗.
大学习巷清真寺
The Great Learning Lane Mosque, known locally as 大学习巷清真寺, is an Islamic place of worship in Xi’an’s historic urban fabric.
北京警察博物馆
Beijing Police Museum is a municipal museum in central Beijing devoted to the history and development of policing in China’s capital. The museum presents policing as an institution shaped by changing governments, technologies, and urban needs.
关山月美术馆
Guan Shanyue Art Museum is a public art museum in Shenzhen’s Futian district, devoted to the legacy of Guan Shanyue, a major modern Chinese painter.
西安碑林博物馆
Xi'an Beilin Museum, known locally as 西安碑林博物馆, houses one of China's most significant collections of stone steles and epigraphic art.
天后古廟 Tin Hau Temple
Tin Hau Temple is a traditional Chinese place of worship dedicated to Tin Hau, the Goddess of the Sea. Her presence reflects Hong Kong’s long relationship with fishing, sailing, and coastal communities.
大南山
Dananshan Mountain, or 大南山, is an urban green hill in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District near the Shekou peninsula. Its trails lead through subtropical vegetation to elevated viewpoints over Shenzhen, Shenzhen Bay, and the surrounding built-up landscape.
澳門文化中心 Centro Cultural de Macau
Macao Cultural Centre is a major performing-arts and exhibition venue operated by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government. Opened in 1999, it provides a home for concerts, theatre, festivals and visual-art presentations.
昆蟲屋
Insect House, also known locally as 昆蟲屋, is a Hong Kong attraction centred on insects. The name gives the visit a clear entomological focus, making it a natural choice for travellers who enjoy small creatures, natural history, and close observation.
普濟禪院 (觀音堂) Templo Kun Iam
Kun Iam Temple, known locally as 普濟禪院, is one of the oldest and most significant Buddhist temples in Macau. It serves as a major place of worship and cultural heritage site, reflecting the territory's deep-rooted Buddhist traditions.
竹灣海灘 Baia de Cheoc Van
Cheoc Van Beach, known locally as 竹灣海灘, is a coastal recreation spot in southern Macau. Its Coloane setting offers a quieter contrast to the peninsula’s casinos, shopping streets, and heritage landmarks.
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.
奥林匹克森林公园
Olympic Forest Park is a major public park in Beijing, China, created as part of the legacy infrastructure for the 2008 Summer Olympics. The local name is 奥林匹克森林公园.
深圳国际园林花卉博览园
Shenzhen International Garden and Flower Expo Park is a landscaped public park shaped by its origins as a major horticultural exposition. Its gardens, planted displays, and exposition-era architecture create a setting that combines designed green space with large-scale civic landscaping.
紅街市 Mercado Municipal Almirante Lacerda
Red Market, or 紅街市, is a functioning wet market in Macau housed in a distinctive red-brick building. It is both an everyday shopping place and an architectural landmark, bringing visitors close to local commerce rather than a staged heritage display.
赤湾天后宫
Chiwan Tianhou Temple, also called 赤湾天后宫, is a historic place of worship in Shenzhen dedicated to Tianhou, the sea goddess Mazu.
甘坑客家小镇
Gankeng Hakka Town is a cultural heritage destination in Shenzhen’s Longgang District, centred on Hakka architecture, settlement patterns and folk culture.
华强北
Huaqiangbei is a major commercial district in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. Known widely as one of the world's largest electronics markets, it occupies a significant area in the Futian District.
深圳音乐厅
Shenzhen Concert Hall is a major performing arts venue in Shenzhen, China. Its local name is 深圳音乐厅. The building serves as a cultural landmark within the city, contributing to Shenzhen's growing reputation as a destination for arts and entertainment.
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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