A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Laozi
The People's Republic of China is a popular destination for anyone who wants to learn more about this millennia-old civilisation. China underscores its welcome with its 30-day visa-free entry scheme, extended to Australian passport holders. One month is hardly long enough to see all the wonders in this country, so travellers must go about planning a trip to China carefully. Get the most from your China visit in these cities.
| 📍City | 👨👩👧👦Population | ⛲Attractions |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | 22 596 500 | Temple of Heaven Forbidden City Drum and Bell Towers Hutong Shopping Streets |
| Shanghai | 30 482 100 | Yu Garden The Bund Financial district People's Square Jinmao Tower |
| Xi'an | 9 222 080 | City wall Muslim Street Huaqing Pool Wild Goose pagodas |
| Hangzhou | 8 591 040 | West Lake Leifeng Pagoda Qinghe Lane Broken Bridge |
| Wuhan | 13 739 000 | Yellow Crane Tower Jianghanlu Flood Protection Monument Yangtze River promenade |
| Suzhou | 12 748 252 | Water towns Panmen Gate Silk factory Xiyuan Temple |
| Chengdu | 20 937 757 | Panda conservation LeShan Buddha Yongling Mausoleum Eathquake victims monument |
| Guilin | 4 931 137 | Dragon's Backbone Karst mountains Li River Reed Flute Cave |
| Harbin | 10 009 854 | Winter: ice cities Summer: Unit 731 Museum Siberia tiger park University campuses Flood Control Memorial Tower |
| Chongqing | 32 054 159 | Chiang Kai-shek residence Ancient Town Yangtze River Cableway Hongya Cave |
Beijing
As the country's capital city, Beijing is one of China’s most popular cities to visit. In the past, it was the Qing Dynasty's seat of power. Today, many historical relics dot the cityscape.
Tourists typically start at the Great Hall of the People and Tiananmen Square, and radiate out from there.
📊Beijing numbers
- People: 22 596 500
- Area: 16,410.54 km2
- Population density: ~1,700/km2
🎪Attractions
- Wangfujing (shopping)
- Xidan Street (shopping)
- 798 Art Zone
- Hutongs - old China housing
🏯Monuments
- Tiananmen Square, featuring Mao Zedong's tomb
- Forbidden City
- Temple of Heaven
- Drum Tower Bell Tower
China, and Beijing specifically, are home to many UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Just 50 km outside the city, tourists access the Great Wall's Badaling Gate, where they can walk a section of the wall.
Shanghai
Shanghai, which literally means “Upon-the-Sea” in Chinese, with 24.2 million inhabitants, is one of the biggest cities in China (and the world). It’s a financial hub, thanks to its location at the mouth of the Yangtze River. This city features several interesting districts.
The Xuhui District is home to colonial architecture. The Jing’an District features unique commercial and residential structures. Of all Shanghai's districts, the Huangpu District is arguably the most 'touristy'. But none of these take away from the Shanghai business district (pictured). Shanghai lovers swear this city has all the best things to see in China.
📊Shanghai numbers
- People: 30 482 100
- Area: 14,922.7 km2
- Pop. density: 3,900/km2
🎪Attractions
- The Bund, along the Huangpu River
- People’s Square
- Shanghai Grand Theatre
- Yu Garden
🏯Monuments
- Shanghai People's Heroes Memorial
- Sun Yat-sen's former residence
- Jinmao Tower
Xi’an
Xi’an lies in the heart of Chinese territory. It is an endpoint of the historical Silk Road and, thus, a crossroads of cultural influences. Xi'an cuisine reflects that diversity, offering some of the tastiest dishes in the country (in this writer's opinion 🤤). Deciding how long you should spend in China should figure on at least three days to see most of what Xi'an has to offer.
📊Xi’an numbers
- People: 9 222 080
- Area: 10,762 km2
- Population density: 2,500/km2
🎪Attractions
- Muslim Street
- The Huaqing Pool
- Mount Huashan
- Bell and Drum Towers
- The Great Mosque
🏯Monuments
- Large and small Wild Goose Pagodas
- The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
- The Terracotta Army complex
- Qianling Mausoleum
This remarkable construction is among the largest, oldest, most complete and best-preserved city walls in China. It has protected the city since the 14th Century.
Hangzhou
This Zhejiang Province city is home to the West Lake, the muse of many poets and artists. Great emperors lived here in the 9th and 10th centuries.
Though it's one of China's smaller cities, travellers find Hangzhou to be one of the country's most beautiful places.
📊Hangzhou numbers
- People: 8 591 040
- Area 16,821.1 km2
- Pop. density 710/km2
🎪Attractions
- West Lake
- Qinghe Lane (shopping)
- Tianmushan Nature Reserve
- Longjing Road
🏯Monuments
- Leifeng Pagoda
- Lingyin Temple
- Broken Bridge
- Six Harmonies Pagoda
The West Lake is nearly 10 miles in circumference and you can walk around all of it. When night falls, the lake is the perfect destination for a romantic evening. With street food carts and night markets scattered along its perimeter, West Lake is perfect for an authentic Chinese experience.
Wuhan
Yes, THAT Wuhan, the much maligned, centrally-located city whose name was cursed for pandemic-related reasons. Beyond that hype, Wuhan has much to offer tourists keen for a sublime experience.
Experience modern conveniences like metro and driverless taxis. They will ferry you to all of this city's jaw-dropping sites, starting with the Yellow Crane Tower (pictured). While there, don't forget to try Wuhan's signature dish: hot dry noodles. 😋
📊Wuhan numbers
- People: 13 739 000
- Area 8 494.41 km2
- Pop. density 1,600/km2
🎪Attractions
- Yangtze River Promenade
- Tanhualin shopping street
- Jianghanlu foodie street
- Guiyuan Temple
🏯Monuments
- Flood Protection Monument
- Battle of Wuhan Monument
- Northern Expedition Army Cemetery
- 1911 Revolution Museum
Note that Wuhan's central location paves the way to several nearby sites of interest. Wudangshan mystical mountain, Huangpi - one of five suspected 'homes' of the legendary Hua Mulan, and Ezhou, China's friendliest town. Travel a bit further, to Zhangjiajie, to see the mountains where Avatar was filmed.
Full disclosure: Wuhan was my base for the years I lived in China. Its central location and transport connections made exploring this vast country effortless.
Suzhou
If you're a water lover, you need wonder no more about where to go in China. Suzhou is nicknamed the country's Venice, and for good reason. As the picture shows, it too has many canal waterways, home to a flotilla of flat-bottomed boats.
Sweet Suzhou is a curious blend of old and new: the timelessness of houses on waterways, and the thrumming commercial hub. Nightlife is particularly enticing in this ville, with eateries and pubs offering all the best fare.
📊Suzhou numbers
- People: 12 748 252
- Area: 8 488,42 km2
- Pop. density 1 500/km2
🎪Attractions
- Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory
- Tongli Water Town
- Zhouzhuang Water Town
- Humble Administrator’s Garden
🏯Monuments
- Panmen Gate
- Yunyan Ta Pagoda
- Hanshan Temple
- Xiyuan Temple
Chengdu
Like many Chinese cities, Chungdu offers travellers a well-balanced blend of natural scenes and urban landscapes. As our photo shows, the built area sits on relatively flat ground, surrounded with greenery and a mountain range overshadowing it. Chengdu is the best place to sample spicy Sichuan cuisine; it's among the famous places in China for spicy food.
📊Chengdu numbers
- People: 20 937 757
- Area: 14 378,18 km2
- Pop. density: 1 500/km2
🎪Attractions
- LeShan giant Buddha
- Panda Conservation
- Jinli Old Street
- Anshun Bridge
🏯Monuments
- Yongling Mausoleum
- Xinhai Baolu Monument
- Earthquake Victims Museum
This region suffered a devastating earthquake in 2008, killing more than 69 000 people and injuring hundreds of thousands more.
Guilin
Touring Guilin is like stepping back in time, to a China where the natural world was just as much a part of daily life as the built environment. Here, you'll find a mid-sized city (by China's standards), surrounded by a lot of untouched greenery. Guilin city has all the modern conveniences: transportation, food and entertainment. But those aren't why people come away starstruck.
📊Guilin numbers
- People: 4 931 137
- Area: 27 797 km2
- Pop density: 180/km2
🎪Attractions
- Reed Flute Cave
- Li River Cruise
- the Dragon's Backbone
- Elephant Trunk Hill
🏯Monuments
- Folded Brocade Hill
- Fuboshan
- Jiang Yiwu Monument
- Xishan
The Li River cruise is majestic, but taking a hot air balloon ride over the Longshen Rice Terraces (the Dragon's Backbone) is a life changing experience. Or climb the hundreds of stairs to the top, for a heartening experience and a delicious meal.
Harbin
Listing the best places to visit in China must include Harbin, famous for its ice sculpture festival. It lies in China's northeasternmost region, the capital of a province that borders both Russia and North Korea. Winter visits are a no-brainer, despite the cold, but Harbin is equally charming during the summer months, as our picture attests.
Harbin is remarkable in another way: its volume of scientific output. This city is home to several major universities, one of which consistently ranks among the top spots for engineering studies.
So, you can stoll university campuses in the summer or save your travel mojo for the winter festival. Either way, Harbin is a win!
📊Harbin numbers
- People: 10 009 854
- Area: 53 068 km2
- Pop. density: 190/km2
🎪Attractions
- Siberian tiger park
- The Cableway
- Zhongyang Street
- Fenghuangshan Geopark
🏯Monuments
- Unit 731 Museum
- Flood Control Memorial
- Tower Gogol Street
Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang province. Heilongjiang (黑龙江) Means Black Dragon River.
In itself, such a mystical river is a good reason to visit Harbin!
Chongqing
Chongqing is the city for travellers with limited time and those who'd rather explore one city thoroughly rather than skip around. Here, you'll find history and modernity, tradition and evolution, a vibrant lifestyle and unique cuisine.
This is the largest city in the world by population. In 2023, Chongqing surpassed Shanghai as the country's most populous city.
It stands on par with Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin as the country's economic engine. It's the only such directly administered city in inland China.
📊Chongqing numbers
- People: 32 054 159
- Area: 82 403 km2
- Pop density: 390/km2
🎪Attractions
- Yangtze River Cableway
- Zhongshan Ancient Town
- Hongya Cave
🏯Monuments
- Jiefangbei Martyrs' Cemetery
- the People's Assembly Hall
- Chiang Kai-shek residence
When you travel to China, bring with you your sense of awe and wonder. Stunning landscapes, progressive cities and friendly people are ready to treat you to the experience of a lifetime. You'll not walk away from China unchanged.
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