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
香港摩天輪 The Hong Kong Observation Wheel
The Hong Kong Observation Wheel is a large Ferris wheel on the Central Harbourfront beside Victoria Harbour. Its appeal is the changing view across the water toward Kowloon and back toward Hong Kong Island's dense skyline.
小雁塔
The Small Wild Goose Pagoda is a historic Buddhist pagoda in Xi'an, also known locally as 小雁塔. It is associated with the Jianfu Temple complex and preserves a major example of Tang Dynasty religious architecture.
警隊博物館 Police Museum
Hong Kong Police Museum traces the history of the Hong Kong Police Force from the colonial period to the present.
寶蓮禪寺 Po Lin Monastery
Po Lin Monastery is a working Chan (Zen) monastery on the Ngong Ping plateau, in the middle of Lantau Island, at an altitude of about 400 metres and set between Lantau Peak and Lei Nak Peak.
李鄭屋漢墓博物館 Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum
Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum preserves a tomb discovered in 1955 during construction work in Sham Shui Po. Dating from the Eastern Han dynasty, the tomb is one of Hong Kong’s most important archaeological sites.
大三巴牌坊 Ruínas de São Paulo
The Ruins of St. Paul's are the surviving granite facade of the Church of Mater Dei and the remains of St. Paul's College in Macau.
城門水塘 Shing Mun Reservoir
Shing Mun Reservoir is a water storage facility in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Constructed in the 1930s, it represents an important piece of colonial-era infrastructure.
香港醫學博物館 Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences
Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences presents the history of medical science in Hong Kong inside a historic former bacteriological institute. The museum connects public health, scientific research and the development of healthcare in the territory.
天安门广场
Tiananmen Square is a vast public plaza in central Beijing, China. The local name is 天安门广场. It holds significant historical and political importance as a ceremonial and gathering space.
戲曲中心 Xiqu Centre
Xiqu Centre is a performing arts venue in Hong Kong dedicated to xiqu, the traditional Chinese opera encompassing Cantonese opera and other regional forms. Opened in 2019, it serves as a major cultural facility within the West Kowloon Cultural District.
展城館 City Gallery
Hong Kong Planning and Infrastructure Exhibition Gallery, also called 展城館 or City Gallery, introduces visitors to the territory’s urban planning, infrastructure, transport networks, harbourfront projects, and future development.
景山公园
Jingshan Park is a historic imperial garden located immediately north of the Forbidden City in central Beijing. The park centers on Jingshan Hill, an artificial mound created from earth excavated during the construction of the Forbidden City's moat.
香港動植物公園 Hong Kong Zoological & Botanical Garden
Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens is a historic public garden on a hillside above Central, Hong Kong Island. It combines botanical collections with zoological enclosures, creating a green retreat close to the business district.
国家体育场
The National Stadium, locally known as 国家体育场, is a major sports venue in Beijing. It was constructed for the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, serving as the primary stadium for opening and closing ceremonies as well as athletics events.
日坛公园
Ritan Park, known locally as 日坛公园, is a historic park located in Beijing's Chaoyang District.
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.
上海环球金融中心
Shanghai World Financial Center is a 492-metre, 101-storey skyscraper in Lujiazui, Pudong, completed in 2008 and designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates.
香港文物探知館 Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre
Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre is a cultural institution in Kowloon Park, Tsim Sha Tsui, devoted to Hong Kong’s archaeological and built heritage.
香港懲教博物館 Hong Kong Correctional Services Museum
The Hong Kong Correctional Services Museum is a museum operated by the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department. It is located in Stanley on Hong Kong Island.
香港視覺藝術中心 Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre
The Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre is a visual arts facility in Hong Kong. It operates under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong government.
上海中心大厦
Shanghai Tower is a landmark skyscraper in the Lujiazui financial district of Pudong, Shanghai. It is among the tallest buildings in the world by architectural height.
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.
大明宫国家遗址公园
Daming Palace National Heritage Park is a major archaeological site and heritage park in Xi'an, China. It preserves the remains of Daming Palace, which served as the imperial palace complex of the Tang Dynasty.
毛主席纪念堂
Chairman Mao Memorial Hall is the state memorial at the southern end of Tiananmen Square. Its public route normally passes through security and the memorial chambers in a controlled one-way flow.
上海博物馆
Shanghai Museum is the People’s Square museum of Chinese art in central Shanghai, identified here as way/161090899.
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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