China travel regions

Five curated regional groupings — coastal east, north China plains, southwest minorities, silk road northwest, and tropical Hainan. Pick a region to start planning.

• Shanghai in 1-3 Days: Free Bund, Yu Garden & Costs — Coastal & Eastern China
  Shanghai in numbers: a free 24-hour Bund, Yu Garden 40 CNY, the 118F deck at 180 CNY, metro 3-8 CNY — plus an hour-by-hour day plan, day trips from 25 min.
• Hangzhou in 3 Days: West Lake, Tea & Costs — Coastal & Eastern China
  Hangzhou in numbers: a free 6.38 sq km lake, Lingyin plus Feilai Peak for CNY 75, pre-Qingming tea 300-800 CNY per 50 g, HSR 45 minutes from Shanghai.
• Suzhou Travel Guide — Coastal & Eastern China
  Practical Suzhou travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Nanjing Travel Guide — Coastal & Eastern China
  Practical Nanjing travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Ningbo Travel Guide — Coastal & Eastern China
  Practical Ningbo travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Wuzhen Travel Guide — Coastal & Eastern China
  Practical Wuzhen travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Shaoxing in 2-3 Days: Lu Xun, East Lake & Rice Wine — Coastal & Eastern China
  Shaoxing in numbers: free Lu Xun Native Place, Shen Garden's 1151 wall poems, ¥8 canal taxis, East Lake's Han-dynasty quarries — plus costs and a 2-day plan.
• Putuoshan Travel Guide — Coastal & Eastern China
  Practical Putuoshan travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Qingdao in 3 Days: Tsingtao Beer, Old Town & Laoshan — Coastal & Eastern China
  How many days Qingdao needs and when to go: 2-3 days in the city plus a Laoshan day, May-June and September as safe windows, August for beer and crowds.
• Xiamen Travel Guide — Coastal & Eastern China
  Practical Xiamen travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Fuzhou Travel Guide — Coastal & Eastern China
  Practical Fuzhou travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Quanzhou Travel Guide — Coastal & Eastern China
  Practical Quanzhou travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Wuyishan Travel Guide — Coastal & Eastern China
  Practical Wuyishan travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Wuyuan Travel Guide — Coastal & Eastern China
  Practical Wuyuan travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Huangshan Travel Guide — Coastal & Eastern China
  Practical Huangshan travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Jinan Travel Guide — Coastal & Eastern China
  Practical Jinan travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Nanchang Travel Guide — Coastal & Eastern China
  Practical Nanchang travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Sanya Travel Guide — Hainan & Tropical Islands
  Practical Sanya travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Haikou in 2-3 Days: Qilou Streets, Volcano & Mangroves — Hainan & Tropical Islands
  Haikou in 2-3 days: nearly 600 arcade buildings on the old streets, an 8,000-year-old crater, Dongzhaigang mangroves and iced qingbuliang.
• Hainan Travel Guide — Hainan & Tropical Islands
  Practical Hainan travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Beijing Travel Guide — North China & the Imperial Capitals
  Practical Beijing travel guide: Forbidden City, Great Wall, Summer Palace, with verified on-the-ground info.
• Tianjin Travel Guide: Five Great Avenues, Hai River & Binhai — North China & the Imperial Capitals
  Tianjin in numbers: Beijing 30 minutes away by intercity train, 2,000 European villas, a 120 m wheel on a bridge — tickets, budgets and a two-day plan.
• Datong Travel Guide — North China & the Imperial Capitals
  Practical Datong travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Pingyao Travel Guide — North China & the Imperial Capitals
  Practical Pingyao travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Chengde Travel Guide — North China & the Imperial Capitals
  Practical Chengde travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Hohhot in 2-3 Days: Dazhao Temple, Museums & Grassland — North China & the Imperial Capitals
  Hohhot in numbers: the 1579 Dazhao temple, the museum's 26-m dinosaur, Zhaojun's 33-m mound, Chilechuan steppe 25 km out — plus costs and a 2-day plan.
• Baotou Travel Guide — North China & the Imperial Capitals
  Practical Baotou travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Beidaihe Travel Guide — North China & the Imperial Capitals
  Practical Beidaihe travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Taiyuan Travel Guide — North China & the Imperial Capitals
  Practical Taiyuan travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Kaifeng in 2-3 Days: the Song Capital Under the Silt — North China & the Imperial Capitals
  Kaifeng in numbers: the 960-1127 Song capital under six stacked cities, the pagoda of 1049 at 55.88 m, a 14.4 km wall, the scroll since 1998.
• Luoyang Travel Guide — North China & the Imperial Capitals
  Practical Luoyang travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Zhengzhou Travel Guide — North China & the Imperial Capitals
  Practical Zhengzhou travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Yinchuan Travel Guide — North China & the Imperial Capitals
  Practical Yinchuan travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Harbin Travel Guide: Ice Festival & the Russian City — Northeast China (Dongbei)
  Harbin in numbers: Ice and Snow World from 298 CNY, St Sophia's 53.35 m dome, a 1.45-km Central Street — plus arrivals, seasons, budgets and a 3-day plan.
• Dalian Travel Guide — Northeast China (Dongbei)
  Practical Dalian travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Shenyang Travel Guide — Northeast China (Dongbei)
  Practical Shenyang travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Changchun Travel Guide — Northeast China (Dongbei)
  Practical Changchun travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Dandong Travel Guide — Northeast China (Dongbei)
  Practical Dandong travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Wudalianchi Travel Guide — Northeast China (Dongbei)
  Practical Wudalianchi travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Changbaishan Travel Guide — Northeast China (Dongbei)
  Practical Changbaishan travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Chengdu in 3 Days: Pandas, Teahouses & Costs — Sichuan & the Sichuan Basin
  Chengdu in numbers: pandas from CNY 55 (gates open 07:30), alleys laid out in 1718, a 2,270-year-old weir — plus tickets, metro, budgets and a 3-day plan.
• Mount Emei Travel Guide — Sichuan & the Sichuan Basin
  Practical Mount Emei travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Daocheng Yading Travel Guide — Sichuan & the Sichuan Basin
  Practical Daocheng Yading travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Emei City Travel Guide — Sichuan & the Sichuan Basin
  Practical Emei City travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Xi'an Travel Guide — Silk Road & the Northwest
  Practical Xi'an travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Dunhuang Travel Guide — Silk Road & the Northwest
  Practical Dunhuang travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Jiayuguan Travel Guide — Silk Road & the Northwest
  Practical Jiayuguan travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Zhangye Travel Guide — Silk Road & the Northwest
  Practical Zhangye travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Turpan Travel Guide — Silk Road & the Northwest
  Practical Turpan travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Urumqi Travel Guide — Silk Road & the Northwest
  Practical Urumqi travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Kashgar in 3 Days: Old City, Id Kah & the Bazaar — Silk Road & the Northwest
  Kashgar in numbers: Id Kah mosque since 1442, Xiangfei Garden's 17th-century domes 5 km out at 30 CNY, gate ceremony 10:00, bazaars fullest on Sundays.
• Lanzhou in 2-3 Days: the Yellow River City & Beef Noodles — Silk Road & the Northwest
  Lanzhou in numbers: the 1909 iron bridge at 234 m, the 34.5 cm Bronze Galloping Horse of 1969, the Mother sculpture of 1986, beef noodles since 1915.
• Xining Travel Guide — Silk Road & the Northwest
  Practical Xining travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Xiahe Travel Guide — Silk Road & the Northwest
  Practical Xiahe travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Yan'an Travel Guide — Silk Road & the Northwest
  Practical Yan'an travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Silk Road (China) Travel Guide — Silk Road & the Northwest
  Practical Silk Road (China) travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Guangzhou Travel Guide: Canton Tower, Dim Sum & Costs — South China & the Pearl River Delta
  Guangzhou in numbers: the 1888 Chen Clan hall, Canton Tower at 600 m, ¥2-14 metro rides, the 240-hour transit rule — plus dim sum hours and budgets.
• Shenzhen Travel Guide — South China & the Pearl River Delta
  Practical Shenzhen travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Guilin Travel Guide: Li River, Yangshuo & Longji — South China & the Pearl River Delta
  How to plan Guilin: 3 days split between the city, the Li River cruise or raft to Yangshuo and the Longji terraces; piers, stations, budget, best months.
• Hong Kong Travel Guide — South China & the Pearl River Delta
  Practical Hong Kong travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Macao Travel Guide — South China & the Pearl River Delta
  Practical Macao travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Beihai Travel Guide — South China & the Pearl River Delta
  Practical Beihai travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Nanning in 2-3 Days: Qingxiu Hill, Bronze Drums & Detian — South China & the Pearl River Delta
  Nanning in 2-3 days: the 5A hill of Qingxiu and its Ming pagoda, hundreds of bronze drums, the old quarter reopened in 2018 and Yangmei river town 36 km out.
• Zhuhai Travel Guide — South China & the Pearl River Delta
  Practical Zhuhai travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Lhasa Travel Guide — Tibet & the Plateau
  Practical Lhasa travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Tibet Travel Guide — Tibet & the Plateau
  Practical Tibet travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Chongqing Travel Guide — Yangtze, Gorges & Central China
  Practical Chongqing travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Wuhan Travel Guide — Yangtze, Gorges & Central China
  Practical Wuhan travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Yichang Travel Guide — Yangtze, Gorges & Central China
  Practical Yichang travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Wulong Travel Guide — Yangtze, Gorges & Central China
  Practical Wulong travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Zhangjiajie Travel Guide — Yangtze, Gorges & Central China
  Practical Zhangjiajie travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Fenghuang Travel Guide — Yangtze, Gorges & Central China
  Practical Fenghuang travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Changsha Travel Guide — Yangtze, Gorges & Central China
  Practical Changsha travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Kunming in 2 Days: Stone Forest, Gulls & Costs — Yunnan, Guizhou & the Southwest
  Two or three days in the Spring City: red-billed gulls Nov-Mar, the UNESCO Stone Forest, Dianchi lakefront, mushroom food, HSR times and a 2-day plan.
• Dali Travel Guide: Old Town, Erhai Lake & 3-Day Plan — Yunnan, Guizhou & the Southwest
  Dali in numbers: an old town founded 1382, the 69.13 m Three Pagodas, Erhai Lake with a free 130 km shore path — plus tickets, transport and a 3-day plan.
• Lijiang Travel Guide — Yunnan, Guizhou & the Southwest
  Practical Lijiang travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Shangri-La Travel Guide — Yunnan, Guizhou & the Southwest
  Practical Shangri-La travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Xishuangbanna Travel Guide — Yunnan, Guizhou & the Southwest
  Practical Xishuangbanna travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Yunnan Travel Guide — Yunnan, Guizhou & the Southwest
  Practical Yunnan travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Guiyang in 2-3 Days: Jiaxiu Tower, Qingyan & Costs — Yunnan, Guizhou & the Southwest
  Guiyang in numbers: Jiaxiu Tower (1598), Qingyan's 1378 lanes, ¥5 Qianling macaques, Huangguoshu 30 min by HSR — plus tickets, budgets and a 2-day plan.
• Jingpohu in 2-3 Days: Diaoshuilou Falls & the Lava Lake — Yunnan, Guizhou & the Southwest
  Jingpohu in numbers: Diaoshuilou falls 25 m over a basalt lip, a lava-dammed lake 45 km long and 60 m deep, the Bohai capital of 698-926 AD, 100 CNY tickets.
• Langmusi in 2-3 Days: Two Monasteries, One River — Yunnan, Guizhou & the Southwest
  Langmusi in numbers: a town at 3,300 m split by the White Dragon River, Sertri from 1748 and Kirti from 1413, Gahai Lake 40 km north at 3,480 m.
• Wulong Travel Guide — Yunnan, Guizhou & the Southwest
  Practical Wulong travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.
• Mount Emei Travel Guide — Yunnan, Guizhou & the Southwest
  Practical Mount Emei travel guide: top attractions, transport, accommodation, food, and verified on-the-ground info.