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
深水埗玉石巿場 Sham Shui Po Jade Market
Sham Shui Po Jade Market is a specialized trading venue in Hong Kong's Sham Shui Po district, a working-class neighbourhood known for its electronics markets and street-level commerce.
上海电影博物馆
The Shanghai Film Museum is a cultural institution dedicated to the history and art of Chinese cinema, with particular emphasis on Shanghai's foundational role in the nation's film industry.
上海海昌海洋公园
Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park is a major marine-themed amusement park in Shanghai, China. Opened in 2018, it represents a significant tourism investment in the Pudong New Area, near the Dishui Lake region.
上海天文馆
Shanghai Astronomy Museum is a dedicated astronomy and space museum in Shanghai, known locally as 上海天文馆. Its visit combines scientific storytelling with an architectural experience built around astronomical forms.
石澳 Shek O
Shek O is a coastal village and beach area on the southeastern shore of Hong Kong Island. The local name 石澳 reflects its identity in both Chinese characters and romanised form.
深圳美术馆
Shenzhen Art Museum, or 深圳美术馆, is a public art institution in Shenzhen, China. It provides exhibition, collection, research and art-promotion functions within a city known for rapid development and expanding cultural investment.
深圳湾万象城
MixC Shenzhen Bay is a major shopping complex in Shenzhen, a city in southern China adjacent to Hong Kong. It forms part of the MixC portfolio developed by China Resources Land, a prominent mainland property developer.
深圳湾公园
Shenzhen Bay Park is a coastal linear park stretching along Shenzhen Bay in southern Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. The park forms part of the city's waterfront green corridor, facing Hong Kong across the bay.
深圳博物馆古代艺术馆
Shenzhen Museum of Ancient Art presents Chinese historical art and archaeological heritage in a museum setting. It offers a quieter, object-focused counterpoint to Shenzhen’s technology districts and contemporary attractions.
深圳古生物博物馆
Shenzhen Paleontology Museum is a natural-history destination devoted to fossils, ancient life, and geological history. Its Chinese name is 深圳古生物博物馆.
深圳水库
Shenzhen Reservoir, known locally as 深圳水库, is a major water-storage facility in Shenzhen, Guangdong.
深圳人才公园
Shenzhen Talent Park is a waterfront public park in Shenzhen, China. Its local name is 深圳人才公园. The park is situated in the Nanshan District near Shenzhen Bay, forming part of the city's coastal park network.
嗇色園可名別苑 Sik Sik Yuen Ho Ming Monastery
Sik Sik Yuen Ho Ming Monastery is a Buddhist religious site located within the grounds of Wong Tai Sin Temple complex in Kowloon, Hong Kong.
荐福寺
Jianfu Temple, known locally as 荐福寺, is a historic Buddhist temple complex located in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China. The temple is principally renowned as the original site of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, one of Xi'an's iconic Tang Dynasty structures.
SoHo East 蘇豪東
SoHo East is a dining and entertainment district on the eastern shore of Hong Kong Island, positioned along the Sai Wan Ho waterfront.
赤柱市集 Stanley Market
Stanley Market is a well-known outdoor shopping destination located in the Stanley district of Hong Kong Island. The local name is 赤柱市集 Stanley Market.
大欖涌水塘紀念碑 Tai Lam Chung Reservoir Memorial Stone
Tai Lam Chung Reservoir Memorial Stone is a commemorative monument located in the vicinity of Tai Lam Chung Reservoir, Hong Kong's first country park reservoir completed in the 1950s.
大澳街市 Tai O Market
Tai O Market is a local marketplace situated in the historic fishing village of Tai O on Lantau Island, Hong Kong.
潭柘寺
Tanzhe Temple is a historic Buddhist temple located in the Western Hills of Beijing. Known locally as 潭柘寺, it stands as one of the most ancient temples in the Beijing region with deep cultural significance.
teamLab Borderless Shanghai is an immersive digital art museum created by the Japanese collective teamLab. It opened in 2019 as a permanent Shanghai installation and places visitors inside a changing world of light, sound, movement, and responsive imagery.
廟街夜市 Temple Street Night Market
Temple Street Night Market is a well-known open-air market in Hong Kong, located in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon. The street stretches from Man Ming Lane in the north to Nanking Street in the south.
北京大运河博物馆
Beijing Grand Canal Museum introduces the Grand Canal of China, the immense waterway linking northern and southern parts of the country. The museum gives travellers a cultural way to understand the canal’s engineering, transport and historical importance.
天壇大佛 Tian Tan Buddha Statue
Tian Tan Buddha is a large bronze Buddha statue located on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. It is commonly known as the Big Buddha.
女人街 Ladies Market
Tung Choi Street is the street name associated with Ladies Market, or 女人街, in Mong Kok, Kowloon. The market section is one of Hong Kong’s best-known street-shopping areas and reflects the dense commercial character of Mong Kok.
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.
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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