China Travel · What to Do, Province by Province
34 provinces, one book each — with a one-line story for every attraction: the Forbidden City, the Bund, Hongya Cave… every one a reason to go. Want the full guide? Get the Province Book.
直辖市 · Municipalities
Province Book
Beijing
北京
品
Attractions · 景点清单
The Forbidden Citythe world's grandest imperial palace
Great Wall at Mutianyuthe Great Wall with fewer crowds
Hutong bike ridescycle through old Beijing life
Municipalities$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Shanghai
上海
品
Attractions · 景点清单
The Bundtwo centuries across one river
Wukang Roadold villas under plane trees
Yu Gardena Ming garden in the old city
Municipalities$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Tianjin
天津
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Five Great Avenuesan open-air museum of villas
Porcelain Housea building covered in porcelain
Hai River night cruisea night cruise under the lights
Municipalities$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Chongqing
重庆
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Hongya Cavethe cliff village that glows
Yangtze River Cablewayglide across the Yangtze
Wulong Tiankenggiant stone bridges over a green valley
Municipalities$6.99
Get the book →东北 · Northeast
Province Book
Liaoning
辽宁
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Dalian coastal roada road between sea and hills
Mukden Palacethe palace before the Forbidden City
Benxi Water Caveboat through an underground river
Northeast$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Jilin
吉林
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Changbai Tianchia crater lake of impossible blue
Jilin rime icetrees in crystal frost
Northeast$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Heilongjiang
黑龙江
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Harbin Ice & Snow Worldice castles on the river
Mohe auroraaurora at China's northern edge
Northeast$6.99
Get the book →华北 · North China
Province Book
Hebei
河北
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Chengde Mountain Resortthe emperors' summer resort
Bashang Sky Roada sky road over the grasslands
North China$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Shanxi
山西
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Pingyao Ancient Citya walled Ming banking town
Yungang Grottoesthe Buddhas of Yungang
Hukou Waterfallthe Yellow River's great fall
North China—
Get the book →Province Book
Inner Mongolia
内蒙古
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Hulunbuir Grasslandendless prairie and yurts
Ejina Poplar Forestdesert poplars in gold
North China$6.99
Get the book →华东 · East China
Province Book
Jiangsu
江苏
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Suzhou gardensthe peak of Chinese gardens
Nanjingone city, half of history
Slender West Lakethe lake the emperor loved
East China$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Zhejiang
浙江
品
Attractions · 景点清单
West Lakethe lake poets never finished
Wuzhena canal town of white walls
Mount Putuoa Buddhist island in the sea
East China$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Anhui
安徽
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Mount Huangshanpeaks above a sea of cloud
Hongcuna village out of a painting
Xidi villagean open-air Huizhou museum
East China$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Fujian
福建
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Gulangyu Islanda car-free island of music
Wuyi Mountainred cliffs and rock tea
Hakka earthen housesgiant round earthen castles
East China$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Jiangxi
江西
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Mount Lushana misty mountain retreat
Wuyuanvillages drying gold in autumn
Jingdezhenthe porcelain capital
East China$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Shandong
山东
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Mount TaiChina's most climbed holy mountain
Qingdaobeer and red-roof coasts
Confucius sites in Qufuthe home of Confucius
East China$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Jiangnan Water Towns
江南水乡
品
Attractions · 景点清单
ZhouzhuangChina's first water town
Tonglia town of bridges and water
Nanxuna water town with Western touches
East China$6.99
Get the book →华中 · Central China
Province Book
Henan
河南
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Shaolin Templethe birthplace of kung fu
Longmen Grottoesa cliff of Buddhas
Kaifeng old cityechoes of the Northern Song
Central China$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Hubei
湖北
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Yellow Crane Towera tower immortal in verse
Wudang MountainTaoist temples above the clouds
Enshi Grand Canyona canyon carved in green
Central China$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Hunan
湖南
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Zhangjiajiethe pillars of Avatar
Fenghuang Old Townstilt houses over the river
Yuelu Mountainbooks and red leaves
Central China$6.99
Get the book →华南 · South China
Province Book
Guangdong
广东
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Canton Towerthe twisting tower by the Pearl River
Kaiping Diaoloufortified towers in the fields
Pearl River night cruiseGuangzhou under lights
South China$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Guangxi
广西
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Li RiverChina's most famous scenery
Yangshuocycle through karst fields
Detian Waterfalla border waterfall shared with Vietnam
South China$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Hainan
海南
品
Attractions · 景点清单
SanyaChina's tropical coast
Wuzhizhou Islandclear water and snorkelling
Arcade old streetold arcade streets
South China$6.99
Get the book →西南 · Southwest
Province Book
Sichuan
四川
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Jiuzhaigoulakes of impossible blue
Dujiangyana 2,200-year-old water wonder
Giant Panda Basesee giant pandas up close
Southwest$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Guizhou
贵州
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Huangguoshu FallsChina's greatest waterfall
Xijiang Miao Villagea thousand houses lighting the hill
Zhenyuanan old riverside town
Southwest$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Yunnan
云南
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Lijianga canal town beneath snow peaks
Dali & Erhai Lakecycle a lake under the mountains
Shangri-Lamonasteries and prayer flags at altitude
Southwest$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Tibet
西藏
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Potala Palacethe fortress above Lhasa
Namtso Lakea sacred lake close to the sky
Everest Base Campfacing the world's highest peak
Southwest$6.99
Get the book →西北 · Northwest
Province Book
Shaanxi
陕西
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Terracotta Armyeight thousand warriors in ranks
Mount Huaplank paths on cliffs
Giant Wild Goose Pagodaa Tang pagoda of scriptures
Northwest$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Gansu
甘肃
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Mogao Cavesa thousand years of murals
Crescent Moon Springa crescent spring in the dunes
Zhangye Danxiahills in seven colours
Northwest$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Qinghai
青海
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Qinghai Lakea blue lake on the plateau
Chaka Salt Lakethe sky mirror
Kumbum Monasterya treasury of Tibetan Buddhist art
Northwest$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Ningxia
宁夏
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Shapotouwhere the river meets the desert
Western Xia tombsChina's pyramids
Helan petroglyphsancient rock art
Northwest$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Xinjiang
新疆
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Kanas Lakea blue alpine lake in the far north
Heavenly Lakea heavenly lake beneath snow peaks
Turpan Grape Valleya grape valley below the Flaming Mountains
Northwest$6.99
Get the book →特别行政区与台湾 · Special Regions & Taiwan
Province Book
Taiwan
台湾
品
Attractions · 景点清单
National Palace Museumthe finest Chinese art
Alishanforest trains and sunrise
Sun Moon Lakea mountain lake
Special Regions & Taiwan$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Hong Kong
香港
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Victoria Harbourone of the world's great skylines
Victoria Peaklook down on the whole city
Lamma Islanda laid-back island escape
Special Regions & Taiwan$6.99
Get the book →Province Book
Macau
澳门
品
Attractions · 景点清单
Ruins of St. Paul'sa baroque facade
Macau Towerbungee from the tower
Coloane old streeta pastel village and egg tarts
Special Regions & Taiwan$6.99
Get the book →Travel Highlights · 旅行速览
Not sure where to start? The quick tour below helps you pick — icons and hidden gems, region by region.
直辖市 · Municipalities
Classic · 经典
The imperial heart and the wall in the hills — China's two greatest icons, both within a day of Beijing.
A century of banks facing a skyline of glass — one river, two centuries, best at dusk.
Tianjin's bridges light up one by one; the river is the city's most relaxed stage.
Cliffside stilt houses glowing after dark — Chongqing's answer to Spirited Away.
Mutianyu & the Hutongs 慕田峪 · 胡同
Half the crowds of Badaling, and the old courtyard lanes where Beijing actually lives.
Wukang Road & Shikumen 武康路 · 石库门
Shanghai's loveliest street and the grey stone-gated lanes of old lane life.
Porcelain House 瓷房子
A Tianjin building papered in millions of porcelain shards — mad, marvellous, unforgettable.
Wulong Tiankeng 武隆天坑
Colossal natural bridges over a green sinkhole, two hours from Chongqing.
东北 · Northeast
Classic · 经典
Dalian Coastal Road 大连滨海路
A cliff-hugging drive along the Yellow Sea — the northeast's most European-feeling city.
Changbai Mountain Tianchi 长白山天池
A volcanic crater lake on the China–North Korea border, blue beyond belief.
Harbin Ice & Snow World 哈尔滨冰雪大世界
Cathedrals of ice glowing on the Songhua River every winter.
Benxi Water Cave 本溪水洞
A boat ride through an underground river in a vast karst cavern.
Jilin Rime Ice 吉林雾凇
Trees crystallised in frost along the river — a winter morning that looks like glass.
Mohe Aurora 漠河极光
China's northernmost town, where the aurora occasionally paints the winter sky.
华北 · North China
Classic · 经典
Chengde Mountain Resort 承德避暑山庄
The Qing emperors' summer palace — a lake-and-hill garden built to outshine all others.
Pingyao Ancient City 平遥古城
A walled Ming banking town that survived the centuries almost intact.
Hulunbuir Grassland 呼伦贝尔草原
Endless prairie, herds and yurt stays — the Mongolia of the imagination.
Bashang Sky Road 坝上草原天路
A mountain-top road across the grasslands, best at golden hour.
Yungang Grottoes 云冈石窟
Fifty thousand Buddhas carved into a sandstone cliff — quieter than it deserves to be.
Ejina Poplar Forest 额济纳胡杨林
Desert poplars blazing gold for two weeks every October.
华东 · East China
Classic · 经典
China's finest classical gardens — small spaces, infinite views.
West Lake, Hangzhou 杭州西湖
The lake that poets spent a thousand years describing, and still never got right.
Huangshan 黄山
Granite peaks, pines and seas of cloud — the mountain behind every ink painting.
Gulangyu 鼓浪屿
A car-free island of pianos, villas and sea breezes off Xiamen.
Mount Tai 泰山
China's most climbed holy mountain — sunrise at the summit is a national ritual.
Slender West Lake 瘦西湖
Yangzhou's elegant answer to Hangzhou, where Qianlong lingered in spring.
Wuzhen & the Water Towns 乌镇 · 水乡
Canal towns of white walls and stone bridges, magical after the day-trippers leave.
Hongcun 宏村
An Anhui village reflected in its own pond, straight out of a brush painting.
Hakka Earthen Houses 客家土楼
Giant round fortresses in Fujian's hills, still home to whole clans.
Wuyuan 婺源
Villages that "sun-dry" their harvest on rooftops — gold against black-tile roofs in autumn.
华中 · Central China
Classic · 经典
Shaolin Temple 少林寺
The birthplace of kung fu, at the foot of Mount Song.
Yellow Crane Tower 黄鹤楼
Wuhan's riverside tower, rebuilt a dozen times and immortalised in a thousand poems.
Zhangjiajie 张家界
The sandstone pillars that inspired Avatar, rising out of the mist.
Longmen Grottoes 龙门石窟
A riverside cliff of Buddhas at Luoyang, calm and colossal.
Wudang Mountain 武当山
Taoist temples on misty peaks, where tai chi was born.
Fenghuang Old Town 凤凰古城
Stilt houses over a river in Hunan, most atmospheric after nightfall.
华南 · South China
Classic · 经典
Canton Tower 广州塔
Guangzhou's twisting tower — ride up at sunset for the Pearl River delta.
Li River, Guilin 桂林漓江
The karst landscape printed on the ¥20 note — cruise it at dawn.
Sanya 三亚
China's tropical south: white sand, warm water and palm trees.
Kaiping Diaolou 开平碉楼
Fortified towers blending Chinese and European styles in Guangdong's fields.
Yangshuo Countryside 阳朔乡野
Cycle the rice paddies between karst peaks — the postcard made walkable.
Wuzhizhou Island 蜈支洲岛
Hainan's clearest water and best snorkelling, a short boat ride from the coast.
西南 · Southwest
Classic · 经典
Turquoise lakes and waterfalls in a valley so beautiful it feels engineered.
Huangguoshu Falls 黄果树瀑布
China's largest waterfall — walk the cave behind the curtain of water.
Canals and cobblestones beneath Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Potala Palace 布达拉宫
Lhasa's thousand-room fortress on the hill — Tibet's heart.
Dujiangyan 都江堰
A 2,200-year-old irrigation system still watering the Chengdu plain.
Xijiang Miao Village 千户苗寨
The world's largest Miao village — a thousand stilt houses lighting up the hillside.
Shangri-La 香格里拉
Tibetan monasteries and prayer flags at altitude, a hundred kilometres from the trail.
Namtso Lake 纳木错
A sacred high-altitude lake where the sky meets the plateau.
西北 · Northwest
Classic · 经典
Terracotta Army 兵马俑
Eight thousand life-size warriors guarding an emperor near Xi'an.
Mogao Caves 莫高窟
A thousand years of Buddhist murals in the desert at Dunhuang.
Qinghai Lake 青海湖
China's largest salt lake — a sheet of blue under high-plateau skies.
An alpine lake of impossible blue in the far north of Xinjiang.
Mount Hua 华山
China's most thrilling hike — plank paths bolted to vertical granite.
Crescent Moon Spring 鸣沙山月牙泉
A desert oasis at Dunhuang that refuses to disappear.
Chaka Salt Lake 茶卡盐湖
The "sky mirror" — a salt flat that reflects the clouds perfectly.
Kashgar Old City 喀什古城
Mud-brick lanes and a Sunday livestock market unchanged for a century.
特别行政区与台湾 · Special Regions & Taiwan
Classic · 经典
Taipei Palace Museum 台北故宫
The finest collection of imperial Chinese art anywhere.
Victoria Harbour 维多利亚港
Hong Kong's skyline at night, best seen from the water.
Ruins of St. Paul's 大三巴牌坊
Macau's baroque church facade and the lively square below.
Sun Moon Lake 日月潭
Taiwan's mountain lake, ringed by temples and tea terraces.
Victoria Peak Walk 太平山顶步道
Skip the crowds at the viewing deck; the quiet loop below is the real view.
Coloane Village 路环老街
Macau's sleepy southern village — pastel houses and the best egg tarts.