China is vast, ancient and endlessly varied — a single country holding the Great Wall, imperial palaces, karst peaks, giant pandas and Himalayan monasteries. This national-level guide pairs the country's must-see highlights with an interactive map of all 34 provincial regions. Hover a province to highlight it, click it for its English and Chinese name plus its capital, and browse the highlights below, region by region.
Imperial capitals, great walls and cave temples — the historic heart of the country.
The world's longest man-made structure, snaking across northern China. The best-preserved sections near Beijing — Badaling and Mutianyu — are an easy day trip from the capital.
The largest ancient imperial palace complex on Earth: 72 hectares, 9,000 rooms, and home to the Ming and Qing emperors for five centuries.
More than 50,000 Buddhist statues carved into sandstone cliffs 1,500 years ago, along the ancient trade routes of the north.
Ice festivals and crater lakes — the wild, wintry north.
The world's largest ice festival — castles, bridges and sculptures carved from frozen river ice, glowing under winter lights (December to February).
A dormant volcano crowned by Tianchi, a vast crater lake on the border with North Korea; autumn paints its forests in gold and red.
Canals, gardens, skyline and lakes — the refined, prosperous east.
Colonial waterfront facing a futuristic skyline — Shanghai's past and future in a single panorama, best at dusk.
A poetic lake of causeways, pagodas and willow banks that has inspired painters and poets for a thousand years.
The "Yellow Mountains": granite peaks, seas of cloud and twisted pines — China's most celebrated hiking and photography destination.
UNESCO-listed scholar gardens where rocks, water and pavilions compose miniature landscapes of great refinement.
Mountains, kung fu and the great river running through the middle.
Towering sandstone pillars that inspired the floating mountains of Avatar; cross them via the glass bridge above a 300-metre canyon.
Birthplace of Chan (Zen) Buddhism and Chinese kung fu, set at the foot of Mount Song.
Cruise the Yangtze through dramatic river gorges, ancient towns and the world's largest hydroelectric dam.
Karst peaks, tropical beaches and the pearl of the Pearl River Delta.
Karst peaks rising out of the Li River — China's most painted landscape — with bamboo rafting and countryside cycling around Yangshuo.
China's tropical beach escape: palm-fringed bays, coral reefs and year-round sunshine on Hainan.
Pandas, alpine lakes and the roof of the world.
Meet China's national treasure at the breeding base — arrive early morning to see playful cubs and pandas at breakfast.
Turquoise lakes, terraced waterfalls and alpine forests in the eastern Himalayas — a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
An 800-year-old Naxi town of cobbled lanes, canals and wooden houses beneath the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Perched above Lhasa, the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas and Tibet's most iconic monument — a UNESCO site.
Silk Road cities, desert dunes and ancient Buddhist art.
Thousands of life-size clay warriors guard the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang — the world's most astonishing archaeological discovery.
A thousand years of Buddhist art across 700 painted cave temples on the Silk Road — a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The "Rainbow Mountains": striated, otherworldly rock formations that glow at sunrise.
A Silk Road oasis city of Uyghur lanes and crafts; don't miss the Sunday livestock market.
Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan — three distinct island-and-city worlds.
Victoria Harbour's skyline, world-class dim sum, island hiking trails and a vibrant East-meets-West culture.
A former Portuguese trading port where baroque churches stand beside grand casinos; famous for egg tarts and Macanese cuisine.
From Taipei 101 and buzzing night markets to the marble gorges of Taroko and Sun Moon Lake.
Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) suit most of China — mild days, clear skies and peak scenery. Summer is ideal for the highlands of Tibet, Qinghai and Inner Mongolia; winter brings Harbin's ice festival, northeastern ski slopes and tropical escapes on Hainan Island.