China

20 Best Things to Do in China

China's heavyweights in one place, at most three picks per city so the whole country gets a look.

Order reflects review volume from real travelers across 1396 tracked China places, capped at 3 per city. Refreshed monthly.

  1. Mutianyu Great Wall

    Park & nature · Beijing

    Mutianyu is the stretch of the Great Wall most visitors to Beijing should choose: it's beautifully restored, wraps over densely forested ridgelines that turn gold in autumn and white in winter, and…

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  2. The Bund

    Landmark · Shanghai

    The Bund is a waterfront area and protected historical district in central Shanghai, running along the western bank of the Huangpu River.

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  3. The Bund (Wai Tan)

    Neighborhood · ShanghaiFree entry

    The Bund is Shanghai's grand riverfront promenade, where a sweeping curve of the Huangpu River sets two centuries of architecture face to face.

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  4. Palace Museum

    Museum · Beijing

    The Palace Museum is not just a building but a treasure trove of Chinese civilization, with over 1.8 million artifacts, including paintings, ceramics, jade, and bronze.

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  5. Forbidden City-The Palace Museum

    Museum · Beijing

    The Forbidden City is the vast imperial palace at the heart of Beijing, the largest surviving palace complex in the world, with nearly a thousand buildings arranged along a strict north–south axis…

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  6. Yu Garden

    Park & nature · Shanghai

    Yu Garden is a classical Chinese garden in the Old City of Shanghai, next to the City God Temple and Yuyuan Bazaar.

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  7. Fortifications of Xi'an

    Landmark · Xi'an

    The Fortifications of Xi'an, also known as the Xi'an City Wall, are one of the oldest, largest, and best-preserved Chinese city walls.

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  8. West Lake

    Outdoor & fun · Hangzhou

    West Lake is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the iconic freshwater lake in Hangzhou, China.

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  9. Gulangyu

    Neighborhood · Xiamen

    Gulangyu is a small, car-free island off the coast of Xiamen, China, known for its beaches, winding lanes, and colonial-era architecture.

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  10. Tang Paradise

    Park & nature · Xi'an

    Tang Paradise is a large theme park in Xi'an, built on or near the site of the Tang dynasty's Furong Garden.

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  11. Xi'an Muslim Quarter

    Neighborhood · Xi'an

    The Xi'an Muslim Quarter is a snack and commercial street in central Xi'an, near the Bell Tower and Drum Tower.

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  12. Canton Tower

    Landmark · Guangzhou

    The Canton Tower is Guangzhou's spectacular 600-metre observation and TV tower, a slender, twisting 'hourglass' lattice that's one of the tallest structures in the world, and a defining sight of the…

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  13. Jinli

    Neighborhood · Chengdu

    Jinli is a bustling ancient street that recreates the charm of old Chengdu, with rows of red lanterns, wooden shopfronts, and cobblestone paths.

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  14. Shenzhen Window of the World

    Park & nature · Shenzhen

    Window of the World is one of Shenzhen's famous theme parks, a sprawling attraction where over 100 of the world's great landmarks are reproduced at miniature (and sometimes near-full) scale, letting…

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  15. Humble Administrator's Garden

    Park & nature · Suzhou

    The Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou is the largest and most celebrated of the city's classical gardens, and widely considered the finest classical garden in all of China, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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  16. Beitou Hot Spring

    Park & nature · BeitouFree entry

    Beitou Hot Spring, located in the Neihu District of Taipei, is one of Taiwan's most famous geothermal areas, known for its natural hot springs and tranquil mountain setting.

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  17. Shamian

    Neighborhood · Guangzhou

    Shamian is a historic island in Guangzhou, once a foreign concession, now a peaceful enclave known for its well-preserved European-style buildings, leafy streets, and quiet parks.

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  18. Shamian Island

    Park & nature · GuangzhouFree entry

    Shamian Island is a tranquil, leafy enclave in Guangzhou, a small sandbank island in the Pearl River that was a foreign concession in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and today preserves a…

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  19. The Pier-2 Art Centre

    Museum · YanchengFree entry

    The Pier-2 Art Centre is a dynamic cultural hub located in the Yancheng District of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

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  20. Kuanzhai Alley

    Neighborhood · ChengduFree entry

    Kuanzhai Alley (Kuanzhai Xiangzi, the 'Wide and Narrow Alleys') is one of Chengdu's most popular and atmospheric districts, three parallel, restored Qing-dynasty-era lanes (the Wide Alley, the Narrow…

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By city: Shanghai · Beijing · Xi'an · Guangzhou · Chengdu · Hangzhou · Shenzhen · Tianjin · Nanjing · Suzhou · Xiamen · Jinan — or check visa rules for China

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