There are many places to visit in China, an immense country in extension, besides being the most populated in the world. China in the last decades advances economically and in other fields at a speed of vertigo, although still with this it retains its millenary culture, which has been transmitted since ancient times.
The contrasts between modernity and tradition, its landscapes that look like another planet, its ancient towns, futuristic cities, great monuments and buildings and all this combined with a rich gastronomy, make China one of the most dreamed destinations for all travelers.
Although determining a single time as the best time to travel to China is impossible due to the great extent of the country, we could say that spring and autumn would be the best times, at which time its pleasant temperatures will allow you to better enjoy its great wonders
For a first trip we recommend a route from Beijing to Hong Kong, just as we did on our trip to China for free, which will allow you to know the true reality of the country.
To move around the country you can use the plane, although transport such as train and buses are really comfortable, although it should also be borne in mind that sometimes the language barrier can cause some misunderstanding. Of course, we are sure that this will not prevent you from easily moving around China.
Based on our trip to China in 25 days and the trip to Tibet, in which we were 3 days in Shanghai, we have made a list, according to our criteria, of which we believe, are the 10 essential places to visit in China. We start!
1. Beijing
Beijing is an unbeatable city with its more than 20 million inhabitants, full of contrasts where you can see alleys or hutongs with traditional houses next to large avenues and modern skyscrapers. We cannot deny that the city has a great problem of pollution and overpopulation, so an effective way to move between the points of interest of the city, avoiding heavy traffic, is the subway.
Although there are hundreds of things to do in the city, visit the Forbidden City, the Temple of the Lamas, the Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square or the Temple of Heaven, in addition to trying the delicious Dim Sum or the Pekingese duck, they are Just some of the best things to do in Beijing.
We recommend dedicating a minimum of 3 or 4 days to the city, since in addition to the many visits, long lines at its most famous attractions and travel will take part of the time.
One of the good tips for traveling to China is to ask the hotel to write down the addresses of the places you are going to visit in Chinese, since this, if you have to ask, can save you a lot of time and misunderstanding.
A good option to know the long and interesting history of the city is to book a guided tour in Spanish in which its 3 most important monuments are visited or this tour of contrasts in which you pass from traditional to futuristic Beijing.
Temple of Heaven, one of the best things to see and do in Beijing.
2. Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China with almost 9,000 kilometers in length, built from the 5th century BC, to protect the northern border from attacks by nomadic tribes and which has been rebuilt for centuries, is one of the great wonders of the world.
There are several sections that can be visited more or less easily, among which are some as incredible as that found with the Shanhaiguan Sea or in the desert, in the province of Gansu, although the most famous are those that are They find near Beijing.
The most popular area near Pakín is Badaling, located at an hour and a half, which although it is the most accessible, is also for us the worst option, since in addition to being very restored to be so close to the city, it is usually saturated with tourists.
The Mutianyu section, 2 hours from Beijing, usually has fewer tourists than Badaling and being in a more mountainous area, you can travel with more tranquility. Its drawback is that it has been completely restored, both the walls and the towers, and although it retains its original style, for us this detracts from its charm.
On our visit to the Great Wall of China we chose to make the trekking between Jinshanling and Simatai. This mountainous area, located about 4 hours from Beijing, is perfect to see areas of the unrestored wall, where you can also enjoy the Great Wall of China almost alone, since both the difficulty of trekking and the location, make Not many people come.
In its 8 kilometers of route through the wall, which usually take about 4 hours, you will cross several towers with magnificent views, which we are sure, will become part of this incredible journey.
Without a doubt, the Great Wall of China is one of the places to visit in China and in the world more essential for any traveler.
You can book here the excursion to the Great Wall of China with a Spanish guide to the three sections of the wall.
Great Wall of China
3. Zhangjiajie National Park
There is a spectacular place in China that inspired James Cameros to create the Pandora universe in which his Avatar movie is developed. This place is Zhangjiajie National Park, one of the places to visit in China more incredible and that although it is not easy to reach, it is well worth the effort. We arrived to Zhangjiajie, we took the train in Chengdu to Chongqing and from there a flight to the city of Zhangjiajie. You have to keep in mind that to get to the park, you have to make a final journey, which is done by bus to Wulingyuan and that is none other than the town next to the most famous entrance to the park, where we advise you to stay.
The Zhanjiajie National Park or Avatar Park stands out for the mountain formations in the form of columns, some exceeding 1000 meters, which have been formed over time by erosion. It is also impressive for the vegetation that grows on top of the pillars in the form of trees and shrubs, which give it a landscape aspect of another planet.
To climb to the top and enjoy its viewpoints, you have several options: elevator, cable car or walk. We recommend that if you are not very fit, choose to get on the cable car or elevator and walk down.
We also advise you to visit it as soon as possible, since unfortunately, the authorities are turning it into a theme park with up to a McDonalds, to the detriment of conserving nature in its original state.
Zhangjiajie National Park
4. The Xian Terracotta Warriors
In 1974, farmers digging a well near the city of Xian discovered by chance the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum. This great emperor of China was buried with an army of more than 8000 life-sized terracotta figures in war formation, in which each presented different features on his face and body position.
During all this time more figures have been discovered and restored, although much of the army and the emperor's mausoleum are still buried.
Today the Xian Terracotta Warriors are considered the Eighth Wonder of the World and are visited by millions of tourists every year.
We recommend that if you want to see it with fewer people, if you are staying in Xian, take the bus early to get there at 8:30 a.m., the time of opening.
Another good option to learn more about the history of Xian warriors is to book a guided tour in Spanish or this one that includes a tour of the interesting city of Xian.
Xian Terracotta Warriors
5. Fenghuang
Fenghuang, a city frozen in time, is another of the places to visit in China and for us, the most beautiful city in the country, in which the old part of the city retains its original appearance from the Ming and Qing dynasties quite well.
We recommend getting lost in the historic center, wandering aimlessly between alleys and old buildings, climbing parts of the walls and towers with magnificent views, crossing bridges and above all, touring the beautiful area of the Tuo Jiang River where you will see the picturesque wooden houses that They are on the shore and they seem to hang over the river.
Fenghuang, one of the places to visit in China
6. Hong Kong, one of the cities to visit in China
Arriving in Hong Kong after a long route through China, we were surprised to see that this city had nothing to do with the other cities we visited in the country.
This former British colony, which enjoys great autonomy within China, is quite westernized and habitual to see how huge futuristic skyscrapers are mixed with temples and areas in which the Chinese tradition is maintained, something that makes it a unique city and essential what to visit in China.
Hong Kong is also one of the capitals of the business world, although contrasts and inequality, depending on the area of the city where you are, are very visible.
There are many things to do in Hong Kong, such as seeing its incredible skyline while walking along the Avenue of Stars, climbing at sunset to the Victoria Peak viewpoint, looking for a bargain in one of its street markets, approaching Macao to try your luck in some casino, take the cable car to see the Tian Tian Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery or try the delicious Cantonese cuisine, in one of its many restaurants.
Hong Kong
7. Big Buddha of Leshan
About two hours by bus from Chengdu is one of the monuments that have impressed us most in our travels around the world, the Great Buddha of Leshan. World Heritage, with its 71 meters high, this stone statue of Buddha is the tallest in the world and was built in the 8th century on a cliff beside the river.
For us the Great Buddha of Leshan was the icing on the cake of a complex full of temples, statues carved in the rock and gardens, which sometimes is not visited in its entirety and that we have to say, is just as incredible as the Great Buddha .
Of course, the Buddha area is filled with local tourists and there are usually long lines to access, so we recommend visiting it first thing and leaving the rest of the monuments for later.
Another good option is to take a boat trip on the river with magnificent views of the Great Buddha of Leshan.
A good way to visit Leshan's Great Buddha from Chengdu is to book this guided tour in Spanish where you will be picked up at your hotel.
Leshan's Great Buddha
8. Pingyao
Pingyao, is a traditional city that falls in love at first sight as well as being considered one of the most beautiful cities to see in China.
This ancient medieval city, a World Heritage Site, is well preserved with its medieval buildings of the Ming and Qing dynasty and is surrounded by a six-kilometer wall that surrounds Pingyao, with a square shape and which has become one of the most famous places in the city. They also highlight its multi-story towers located in the middle of the main streets, such as Nan Dajie.
To visit the city you have to buy a ticket that costs about 20 euros, although if you have a student card, in China a good option is to teach it, since this can reduce the price by half in many of the tourist attractions.
We arrived in Pingyao on a night train from Datong, another place worth visiting, especially to see the impressive Hanging Monastery and Yungang Caves.
Pingyao
Recommended travel cardsRemember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
9. Yangshuo
Arriving in Yangshuo after taking a cruise on the Li River from Guilin is one of the moments you will remember from your trip to China. You can book here in advance the cruise or this bamboo raft ride on the Li River, two of the most recommended excursions in China.
Located in the Guilin region, famous for its incredible landscapes of rounded hills, Yangshuo is another city what to visit in China more essential
The beauty of the city is its surroundings, where renting a bike will allow you to get away from the city and see the true rural China while you stop every few meters to see its mountainous formations. Another way to fall in love with Yangshuo is to take a bamboo raft ride along the Yulong River, where you will enjoy the scenery without the traffic of boats from the Li River.
Guilin
10. Shanghai
On our trip to Tibet we spent 3 days in Shanghai before catching the Cloud Train that would take us to Lhasa.
During these days we were able to discover a city with a modern and a traditional part, separated by the huge Huangpu River, which maintains a frenetic activity at all hours of the day and is one of the economic engines of modern China, in addition to having one The most important ports in the world.
Strolling through the Bund day and night to see one of the most beautiful skyline in the world, is one of the best things to do in Shanghai. Although there are many others, such as climbing to the viewpoints of its incredible skyscrapers, touring the beautiful garden and market of Yuyuan, visiting its temples, having a last drink in one of its modern bars with views, relaxing in its parks, or trying gastronomy Chinese in one of its many restaurants.
A good option, if this is your first time in the city, is to book a guided tour in Spanish through the historic Shanghai or this tour through the current Shanghai.
Also in Shanghai you can enjoy the incredible ERA Acrobatic Show, Shanghai Circus World one of the most amazing shows in the world.
Shanghai
How to have internet in China?If you want to have internet in China a good option is to buy one Holafly SIM card, with which you will have internet from the moment you land, several Gb of data, keeping your WhatsApp number, support service in Spanish and most importantly, VPN included so you do not have any problems when connecting to any application or search engine.
You can buy your Holafly prepaid SIM card here with a 5% discount for being our reader.
If you feel like helping us expand the list 10 essential places to visit in China, add yours in the comments.
