20 incredible reasons to visit… China

Most famous for: It’s the world’s largest and best-preserved imperial palace complex and was the seat of Ming and Qing dynasty emperors for more than 500 years.

Don’t miss: The Hall of Supreme Harmony – used for important state occasions, it contains the Dragon Throne – and the Treasure Gallery, filled with impressive artefacts.

Fascinating fact: The complex contains 9,999 rooms – one fewer than in the palace of heaven, according to imperial belief.

Most famous for: Its imperial gardens, noted as a masterpiece of Chinese landscaping which blends natural scenery with grand halls, pavilions and temples.

Don’t miss: Kunming Lake, a 2.2km stretch of water which covers around 75% of the garden; and the Long Corridor, a 728m long walkway hung with more than 14,000 paintings.

Fascinating fact: The 17-Arch Bridge, which connects the East Bank to South Lake Island, features 544 uniquely carved lions.

Great Wall of China

Most famous for: The world’s most iconic ancient military fortification system.

Don’t miss: Key experiences include walking the watchtowers, experiencing sunset or sunrise over the mountains and taking the cable car to Mutianyu to avoid steep climbs.

Fascinating fact: The wall stretches more than 21,000km, or 13,000 miles, across northern China.

Most famous for: Its Tang Dynasty Buddhist architecture.

Don’t miss: The evening fountain show in the surrounding North Square, which features 1,024 fountains and light displays.

Fascinating fact: Standing more than 64m high, it was built in 652 AD to store Buddhist scriptures from India.

Most famous for: It’s one of China’s first modern museums, best known for its extensive collection of artifacts from the 13 dynasties that established capitals in the area.

Don’t miss: Tang Dynasty gold, preserved frescoes, ceramics and rare terracotta figurines.

Fascinating fact: It houses more than 370,000 artefacts.

Terracotta Army, Xian

Most famous for: Housing the world-famous Terracotta Army, thousands of life-size clay soldiers created to guard the burial site of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang.

Don’t miss: Pit 1, the largest excavation site. The tomb complex contains 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses.

Fascinating fact: Each of the 8,000 or so soldiers has unique facial features.

Most famous for: Its Islamic heritage and vibrant street food culture, coming to life at night where lanes such as Beiyuanmen and Dapiyuan are packed with stalls, neon lights, and lively vendors.

Don’t miss: Trying delicacies such as hand-pulled noodles, lamb kebab skewers and roujiamo (marinated beef or lamb in bread).

Fascinating fact: The community dates back more than 1,000 years to Silk Road traders.

Most famous for: Its peaceful Buddhist temple, the best preserved in the city, dating back over 1,400 years. It offers visitors a blend of history, meditation, and local tea house culture.

Don’t miss: Viewing the skull bone of the monk Xuanzang from the Tang Dynasty, and the Huayan Scripture written in human blood.

Fascinating fact: The monastery covers 200,000 square metres, and houses more than 300 Buddhist statues.

Most famous for: It’s the best place to experience authentic local leisure culture, particularly at the century-old Heming Teahouse.

Don’t miss: Matchmaking Corner: a unique area where parents post, read, and exchange information about their unmarried children’s age, job, and income to find suitable partners.

Fascinating fact: You can get traditional ear-cleaning treatments here.

Most famous for: Traditional Qing Dynasty-style architecture adorned with red lanterns and Sichuan street food.

Don’t miss: Performances such as Sichuan opera with “face-changing”, shadow puppetry, and artisan skills such as sugar painting, paper-cutting and clay figurine crafting.

Fascinating fact: The street recreates the culture of Three Kingdoms era, which occurred between 220 and 280 AD.

Giant panda

Most famous for: Founded in 1987, it’s a world-renowned facility dedicated to the conservation, research and breeding of giant pandas and red pandas.

Don’t miss: Morning feeding time. Make sure to time your visit correctly.

Fascinating fact: It houses around 240 pandas.

Most famous for: It’s one of southwest China’s most fascinating archaeological discoveries, offering an insight into the Bronze Age culture of Sanxingdui.

Don’t miss: The mysterious giant bronze masks, tall standing figures and the iconic bronze sacred tree – at nearly 4m tall, the latter is the biggest single-piece bronze artifact ever discovered.

Fascinating fact: The site contains more than 14,000 artifacts.

Most famous for: It’s the largest seated stone Buddha in the world, standing 71m tall with fingers up to 8m long

Don’t miss: Views of it by boat from the river.

Fascinating fact: Carved into a cliff in Sichuan in the 8th century at the confluence of three rivers, it was built to calm dangerous waters and protect ships.

Most famous for: It’s known for its well-preserved Western Sichuan architecture, including Qing Dynasty streets, temples, and ancient banyan trees.

Don’t miss: The town features seven main streets and nine alleys, characterised by cobblestone roads, wooden stilted houses, charming old teahouses and riverside lanes.

Fascinating fact: The town dates back more than 1,700 years.

Most famous for: Among the finest gardens in China, it’s recognised along with the other Classic Gardens of Suzhou as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Don’t miss: The inner garden is a charming courtyard planted with beautiful herbaceous peonies.

Fascinating fact: It’s one of the smallest yet most refined gardens here.

Most famous for: This 1,000-year-old town is renowned for its authentic Song-Ming-Qing architecture, serene canals and 49 stone bridges.

Don’t miss: Key highlights include the UNESCO-listed Retreat and Reflection Garden – or Tuisi Garden – traditional gondola boat rides and vibrant night views.

Fascinating fact: It’s often referred to as the “Venice of the East”.

Most famous for: Its two rare, exquisite white jade Buddha statues imported from Myanmar in the 19th century.

Don’t miss: Besides the main jade statues, the temple holds numerous other valuable Buddhist relics, including another large reclining marble Buddha added in 1989.

Fascinating fact: The seated Buddha, adorned with jewels, represents enlightenment, while the reclining white jade Buddha represents Buddha’s passing into Nirvana.

Yu Garden

Most famous for: This is a masterpiece of Ming Dynasty classical landscaping in the heart of the city, showcasing traditional pavilions, rockeries and ponds.

Don’t miss: The Exquisite Jade Rock, a 3m-wide rock which is one of the garden’s most prized features, and the scenic Nine-Turn Bridge with the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse.

Fascinating fact: Built in 1559, it is designed in the Suzhou style, featuring six distinct garden areas known for their scholarly elegance.

Most famous for: This 468m-high, futuristic tower in the Pudong district is known for its eleven spheres and pinkish hue.

Don’t miss: The observation deck (including a transparent skywalk at 259m), and the revolving restaurant.

Fascinating fact: Built between 1991 and 1994, it was once China’s tallest structure.

Most famous for: A historic waterfront skyline, showcasing a unique contrast between colonial-era buildings and modern, neon-lit skyscrapers in Lujiazui across the Huangpu River.

Don’t miss: Must-see landmarks include the former HSBC Building, the Fairmount Peace Hotel, the Customs House, and the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company Building – the oldest on the waterfront.

Fascinating fact: The Bund showcases 52 different styles of architecture.