Choose a destination by the trip you want, not a wall of place names.
Compare the cities that are useful now. Each guide combines sights with booking, transport, food, culture, history, seasons, and route fit.
What do you want from this trip?
13 destinations shown
Beijing 北京
A practical first-timer's guide to Beijing: verified booking rules, imperial history, the Great Wall, hutong culture, local food, and crowd-aware routes.
Shanghai 上海
China's most international city: the Bund skyline, historic neighborhoods, major museums, varied dining, and easy rail links to the Yangtze River Delta.
Xi'an 西安
A history-focused stop for the Terracotta Army, the old city, Hui food traditions, and Xi'an's place in the Silk Roads story.
Chengdu 成都
The laid-back capital of Sichuan — giant pandas, fiery UNESCO-recognized cuisine, Three Kingdoms history, and China's most enduring teahouse culture.
Shenzhen 深圳
China's Silicon Valley and gateway to Hong Kong: theme parks, 1,700-year-old heritage, Hakka culture, the world's largest oil painting village, and a coastline along Shenzhen Bay.
Chongqing 重庆
A practical first-time guide to Chongqing's vertical streets, river views, hotpot culture and realistic two-to-four-day routes.
Guangzhou 广州
A practical first-time guide to Guangzhou's Cantonese food culture, Lingnan architecture, old-city neighborhoods and Pearl River evenings.
Zhangjiajie 张家界
Otherworldly quartz-sandstone pillars that inspired Avatar's floating mountains. Cable cars, cliff glass walkways, and intense hiking. 2-3 days minimum.
Guilin & Yangshuo 桂林与阳朔
Iconic karst mountain landscapes, the classic Li River cruise, Yulong River bamboo rafting, countryside cycling, and the relaxed small-town vibe of Yangshuo.
Hangzhou 杭州
Famed for West Lake (UNESCO), Longjing tea country, Lingyin Temple, and classical gardens. A relaxed 1-2 day trip from Shanghai.
Suzhou 苏州
The Venice of the East with UNESCO classical gardens, canals, I.M. Pei's Suzhou Museum, and silk heritage. An easy day or overnight from Shanghai.
Harbin 哈尔滨
China's ice city: Harbin Ice & Snow World (typically early Jan to late Feb), Russian architecture, Siberian tigers, and -20C to -30C winter cold.
Yunnan (Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La) 云南（昆明/大理/丽江/香格里拉）
Yunnan province guide: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La. Ethnic culture, snow mountains, highland lakes, and hiking. Allow at least 5 days.
Decide, plan, explore, eat, then understand.
- 01DecideDays, season, pace and route fit
- 02PlanStay, arrival and booking warnings
- 03ExploreSights, neighborhoods and realistic days
- 04Go deeperFood, culture and nearby extensions
Browse the guides by region
Province and autonomous-region pages will appear only when they contain enough verified material to be genuinely useful.
North & Northeast
Imperial capitals and winter landscapes
East China
Modern cities, gardens and water towns
Northwest
Ancient capitals and Silk Road history
Southwest
Food cities, highlands and minority cultures
South & Central
Cantonese cities, karst rivers and dramatic mountains