Top 10 Must-See Tourist Attractions in China
With a long history and a vast territory of over 9.5 million km², China offers much to see and explore in the way of incredible landscapes and historic artefacts.
Here are the top 10 not-to-be-missed sights and destinations across this wonderful country.
The Great Wall of China in Beijing
The Great Wall is one of the most iconic symbols of China and is the longest wall in the world – a breathtaking feat of archaic defensive architecture.
It holds a well-deserved place amongst the ‘New Seven Wonders of the World’ and the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China.
The Terracotta Army in Xi’an
Having laid underground for more than 2000 years, the Terracotta Army was discovered in 1974 by farmers digging a well and became a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987.
The hundreds of highly detailed life-size models represent the army that triumphed over all other Chinese armies in the Warring States period of 475-221 BC.
The Forbidden City in Beijing
Once a ‘palace city’ where ordinary people were forbidden entry, this lavish demonstration of ancient architecture has over 8000 elegantly designed rooms with golden roofs, painted in red and yellow.
The Forbidden City, where 24 emperors resided, was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties for 560 years until 1924.
The Li River in Guilin
The karst landscape alongside the Li River has captured the hearts of artists for thousands of years and generations of Chinese painters and poets have been inspired by its natural beauty.
The 83km-long section of the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo is the most beautiful and is peppered with hills, cliffs, and bamboo groves.
The incredible beauty might even be enough to tear your eyes away from your Australian betting apps!
The Yellow Mountains in Huangshan
The Yellow Mountain Scenic Area lures far-flung travellers with its five wonders: sun rises, seas of clouds, oddly-shaped rocks, twisted pine trees, and hot springs.
With the most famous peaks in China and one of the country’s most treasured national parks, the Yellow Mountains are incredibly popular.
Giant Pandas in Chengdu
Referred to as the ‘National Treasure of China’, the giant panda is deeply loved by both the Chinese people and tourists, and while there are many places to spot them, the best place to see them is Chengdu – the hometown of the giant panda.
The Potala Palace in Lhasa
The Potala Palace in Lhasa was declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1994 and is a symbol of Tibet.
The palace is a huge treasure house of materials and articles from Tibetan history, religion, culture, and art and is widely known for its precious sculptures, murals, scriptures, Buddhist statues, antiques, and religious artefacts.
The Bund in Shanghai
As one of the most recognizable architectural symbols of Shanghai, The Bund showcases the world with its colonial European buildings and skyscrapers, housing one of the world’s most foremost business districts.
Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong
Just as climbing the Great Wall is to China, so the view over Victoria Harbour from Victoria Peak is to Hong Kong – it offers the iconic outlook over Hong Kong’s ‘high rise’ to success and prosperity.
If you’re looking for a bird’s eye view of Hong Kong, Victoria Peak is your best spot.
West Lake in Hangzhou
Renowned as China’s ‘Paradise on Earth’, Hangzhou boasts an incredibly crafted landscape, and West Lake was created after the Chinese love for garden-style parks made for recreation.
The occasional pagoda and Chinese-style arched bridge adds atmosphere to the leafy walkways, verdant islands, and hills.
