A photograph of China

Country guide

Places to visit in China — page 15

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

39,939 Places
6Cities

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

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

Top things to see

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

  1. Sik Sik Yuen Ho Ming Monastery
    351 30 min

    Sik Sik Yuen Ho Ming Monastery

    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.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Hong Kong
  2. Small Wild Goose Pagoda Small Wild Goose Pagoda
    352 30 min

    Small Wild Goose Pagoda

    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.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Xi'an
  3. SoHo East SoHo East
    353 45 min

    SoHo East

    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.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Hong Kong
  4. Stanley Market Stanley Market
    354 45 min

    Stanley Market

    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.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Hong Kong
  5. Tai Lam Chung Reservoir Memorial Stone
    355 45 min

    Tai Lam Chung Reservoir Memorial Stone

    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.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Hong Kong
  6. Tai O Market Tai O Market
    356 45 min

    Tai O Market

    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.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Hong Kong
  7. Taipa Grande Natural Park
    357 1 hour

    Taipa Grande Natural Park

    大潭山郊野公園

    Taipa Grande Natural Park is a green hillside retreat on Taipa Island in Macau, also known locally as 大潭山郊野公園. It gives travelers a chance to leave the dense urban setting and spend time among trees, slopes, and open outdoor space.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Macau
  8. Tanzhe Temple Tanzhe Temple
    358 1 hour

    Tanzhe Temple

    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.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Beijing
  9. teamLab Borderless Shanghai
    359 1 hr 30 min

    teamLab Borderless Shanghai

    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.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Shanghai
  10. Temple Street Night Market Temple Street Night Market
    360 45 min

    Temple Street Night Market

    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.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Hong Kong
  11. The Grand Canal Museum of Beijing
    361 1 hr 30 min

    The Grand Canal Museum of Beijing

    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.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Beijing
  12. Tian Tan Buddha Tian Tan Buddha
    362 1 hour

    Tian Tan Buddha

    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.

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Hong Kong
  13. Tsinghua University Tsinghua University
    363 1 hour

    Tsinghua University

    清华大学

    Tsinghua University Campus is a major higher education institution in Beijing, China.

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Beijing
  14. Tung Choi Street Tung Choi Street
    364 45 min

    Tung Choi Street

    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.

    • Notable
    • Market
    • Hong Kong
  15. Victoria Park Victoria Park
    365 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
  16. Wangfujing Street Wangfujing Street
    366 45 min

    Wangfujing Street

    王府井大街

    Wangfujing Street is Beijing's most famous central shopping street and a major pedestrian visitor district. Located in Dongcheng District near the Forbidden City, it stretches as a commercial thoroughfare that has served as a retail hub for over a century.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • Beijing
  17. Wangshunshan National Forest Park
    367 1 hour

    Wangshunshan National Forest Park

    王顺山国家森林公园

    Wangshun Mountain National Forest Park is a protected mountain destination near Xi'an, known locally as 王顺山国家森林公园. It forms part of the Qinling landscape in southern Shaanxi and suits travelers seeking forest, mountain air, changing vegetation, and outdoor recreation.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Xi'an
  18. West Bund Art Center West Bund Art Center
    368 1 hr 30 min

    West Bund Art Center

    西岸艺术中心

    West Bund Art Center is a contemporary exhibition venue on Shanghai’s Huangpu River waterfront in Xuhui District. Its setting reflects the West Bund’s change from an industrial riverside area into a cultural quarter.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Shanghai
  19. White Cloud Temple White Cloud Temple
    369 30 min

    White Cloud Temple

    白云观

    White Cloud Temple, or Baiyun Guan, is Beijing's principal Taoist monastery, an ancestral centre of the Quanzhen tradition and headquarters of the China Taoist Association.

    • Notable
    • Place of worship
    • Beijing
  20. Xiangmi Park
    370 1 hour

    Xiangmi Park

    香蜜公园

    Honey Park is a mapped public green space in Shenzhen, identified by OSM way 540340500.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Shenzhen
  21. Xi'an Incident Memorial
    371 1 hr 30 min

    Xi'an Incident Memorial

    西安事变纪念馆

    Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall commemorates the 1936 Xi'an Incident, a turning point in modern Chinese history. Nationalist general Zhang Xueliang detained Chiang Kai-shek and pressed for cooperation with the Communists against Japanese invasion.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Xi'an
  22. Xi'an Museum Xi'an Museum
    372 1 hr 30 min

    Xi'an Museum

    西安博物院

    Xi'an Museum is a cultural institution in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China, located near the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in the Beilin District. The museum complex integrates the historic pagoda, ancient architectural structures, and modern exhibition facilities.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Xi'an
  23. Xi'an Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts
    373 1 hr 30 min

    Xi'an Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts

    西安曲江艺术博物馆

    The Xi'an Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts is a cultural institution in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China. Located in the Qujiang New District area, it forms part of the city's expanding cultural infrastructure.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Xi'an
  24. Xili Eco Park
    374 1 hour

    Xili Eco Park

    西丽生态公园

    Xili Ecological Park, locally called 西丽生态公园, is a green space in Xili, within Shenzhen’s Nanshan District. It gives visitors an outdoor setting among natural surroundings in one of the city’s densely developed metropolitan areas.

    • Notable
    • Nature site
    • Shenzhen
  25. Xinchang Ancient Town
    375 45 min

    Xinchang Ancient Town

    新场古镇

    Xinchang Ancient Town, known locally as 新场古镇, is a historic water town located in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai, China. It represents a preserved example of traditional Jiangnan architecture and canal-town settlement patterns.

    • Notable
    • Historic site
    • 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.