Henan
A few kilometres east of Dengfeng, the ancient and hoary Zhongyue Temple is a colossal active Taoist monastery complex that originally dates back to the…
Must-see attractions in China
Yunnan
Inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2007 as part of the South China Karst, Kunming's Stone Forest Scenic Area is undeniably beautiful – but…
Fujian
Trails within the scenic area connect all the major sites. Good walks include the 530m Great King Peak (大王峰, Dàwáng Fēng), accessed through the main…
Beijing
Known colloquially as the Bird’s Nest (鸟巢, Niǎocháo), the spectacular showpiece of the 2008 Olympics Games was designed by Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron…
Sichuan
It's one of the most venerated monasteries in the prefecture; the reasoning behind the name 'Big Golden Temple' becomes apparent as soon as it appears on…
Dunhuang
The Jade Gate Pass, 78km west of Dunhuang, was originally a military station. Together with Sun Pass, it formed part of the Han dynasty series of beacon…
Anhui
Stuffed with old stone bridges and creaking, white-washed ancient buildings, the charming, very pretty and large village of Zhaji dates originally back to…
Inner Mongolia
The remote, little-visited Cave Temple is one of the oldest monasteries in Inner Mongolia. Construction began in the mid-17th century and was expanded in…
Qinghai
Completely rebuilt after suffering extensive damage in the 2010 earthquake, this site is thought to be the world’s largest mani wall (piles of stones with…
Henan
This stumpy pagoda from 974 is the oldest Buddhist structure in Kaifeng and was originally a nine-storey hexagonal building, typical of the Northern Song…
Qinghai
This island (a peninsula, in fact) on China’s largest lake is the breeding ground for thousands of wild geese, gulls, cormorants, sandpipers, extremely…
Sichuan
North of the town’s old Tibetan quarter is Ganzi's largest monastery, dating back more than 500 years and glimmering with gold (some of it even real!)…
Xi'an
This impressive tomb, 85km northwest of town, is the final resting place of China's sole female emperor, Wu Zetian (AD 625–705), who is buried here with…
Chongqing City
The opportunity to snatch a glimpse of old Chongqing makes it worth riding some 45 minutes out to Shapingba district, on the Jialing River west of the…
Lhasa
The main image at this temple is the fabulously ornate Jowo Mikyöba (Akshobhya) statue, which represents Sakyamuni at the age of eight. The statue is in…
Anhui
Over generations, the Bao (鲍) family constructed these seven carved stone páifāng (牌坊, memorial arches), stretching east to west in the fields outside…
Lhasa
Gyüme was founded in the mid-15th century as one of Tibet’s foremost Tantric training colleges, second only in Lhasa to the monasteries of Sera and…
Shanxi
Luohou Temple is one of the earliest sites of Chinese esoteric Buddhism. It dates from the Tang dynasty and underwent restoration in the Ming and Qing…
Shandong
This quaint park of stone paths, leafy gardens and ocean vistas is also a museum of Western treaty port architecture. Wolf-dung fires burned continuously…
Sichuan
This fascinating museum is also a working salt mine. Its 1001m-deep artesian salt well was the world’s deepest well when it was built in 1835 and it…
Shanxi
This temple's main hall dates to 857 and contains a statue of Sakyamuni surrounded by other colourful statues with 296 arhat (罗汉, luóhàn) in the flanks…
Guangzhou
Tree-lined streets Xinhepu Lu (新河浦路), Xuguyuan Lu (恤孤院路) and Peizheng Lu (培正路) in the historic Dōngshān area offer a welcome respite from the city. Here…
Suzhou
This picturesque canalside street has been in use for more than a thousand years, having been built in the Tang dynasty (around 825–826) to transport…
Xi'an
In its time this tomb must have been one of the grandest mausoleums the world had ever seen. Historical accounts describe it as containing palaces filled…
Qinghai
Across the Gu-chu river valley from Wútún Sì is the mysterious 400-year-old Gomar Gompa, a charming monastery that resembles a medieval walled village…
Hong Kong
Local Instagrammers and wedding photographers know all about Sai Wan Swimming Shed, a dreamy spot below Mt Davis where old-school Hong Kongers come for…
Dunhuang
This Han dynasty military post was one of the two most important gates marking the end of the Chinese empire along the ancient Silk Road. Today, a dusty…
Huzhu Beishan Forest National Park
Qinghai
If you don't have time to explore further into the province, this exhilarating forest park in the foothills of the Qilian Mountains – at an elevation…
Nanjing
Named by Life magazine in 1937 as 'the most powerful woman in the world', Song Meiling (aka 'Madame Chiang') was the First Lady of the Republic of China …
Nanjing
Opened in 1968, the Yangzi River Bridge is one of the longest bridges in China – a double-decker with a 4.5km-long road on top and a train line below. The…
Shanghai Old City
Chinese towns traditionally had a Taoist temple of the town god, but many fell victim to periodic upheaval. Originally dating from the early 15th century,…
Beijing
An incongruous outpost of the Hermit Kingdom, this gallery exhibits socialist-realist paintings and sculptures depicting soot-faced miners, chiselled…
Gansu
Running between fields near the village of Changchengxiang (itself named after the Great Wall), this section of Great Wall makes for an interesting…
Guangxi
This fascinating village about 1.5km beyond Moon Hill is a treasure trove of traditional Qing dynasty architecture. Beyond the initial, slightly cheesy…
Suzhou
Originally the home of a prince, the oldest garden in Suzhou was first built in the 11th century, and has been repeatedly rebuilt since. Instead of…
Hangzhou
The 60m-high octagonal Six Harmonies Pagoda, dating from AD 1165 in its current form but first built in AD 960, is a stout pagoda that once served as a…
Liaoning
A pile of mangled steel is an unlikely tourist attraction, but this aftermath of the Korean War is a symbolic reminder of a conflict which has shaped the…
Macau
Facing Largo do Senado is Macau’s most important historical building, the 18th-century ‘Loyal Senate’, which houses the Instituto para os Assuntos Cívicos…
Guilin Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area
Guilin
Tianmen (not to be confused with Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, Hunan) is home to proud cliffs, sharp ravines and dramatic waterfalls of Danxia…
Beijing
Keep going past the galleries and cafes to D-Park west of 798 and you’ll intersect with a raised walkway offering remarkable views of industrial chimneys,…
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