Attractions of China

Beijing

Like the country of which it is capital, Beijing is a vast city with a hugely rich history and a wealth of attractions in addition to the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and a trip to nearby sections of the Great Wall (detailed in other entries). These include Tiananmen Square, the world's largest public square and site of Chairman Mao's mausoleum and his portrait above the Gate of Heavenly Peace. The hutongs are the maze of historical lanes and alleyways of Beijing, surrounding the Forbidden City, which offer a great insight into the traditional life of Beijing's residents. Also worth checking out are the many fascinating shops and markets, a night at the Beijing Opera or the astonishing acrobatics shows and not forgetting the chance to sample Beijing's cuisine, particularly the famous Peking Duck.

Located at the foot of the Pamir mountains in the west of Xinjiang, Kashgar was a strategically important town and staging post based at the point where the northern and southern Silk Roads converged, with easy access to India, Persia, Central Asia and Russia. Kashgar has been fought over for centuries between Chinese and Arabs, has been conquered by Genghis Khan and Tamerlane and was the base for the Great Game between the Russians, British and Chinese in the 19th century. Today Kashgar is still evocative of the Silk Road era with a maze of narrow alleyways and open air markets run by Uighir, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Tajik merchants. Its 1,000 year old Sunday market is one of the most famous and colourful in Asia as 100,000 people gather to buy camels, livestock, leather, rugs, daggers, jewellery and silk. Kashgar's other attractions include the Id Kah Mosque, the largest in China, and the 17th century Abakh Hoja Mausoleum.

Hotan lies on the southern end of the Taklamakan Desert, the world's second largest desert which means 'once in, never out' in the Uighir language, highlighting its treacherous nature for travellers along the Silk Road. Situated on the southern Silk Road, Hotan has been famous through the centuries for its silk production, carpet weaving and production of white jade. These industries are still important for the town's economy and you can visit factories demonstrating silk production and carpet weaving and see the locals searching for jade at the Yulongkax River.

Chengdu

Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province. As well as a base for exploring nearby attractions, Chengdu is an interesting city in its own right. More relaxed than most big Chinese cities, it is renowned for its tea houses, best samples in the tranquil Renmin Park. Other sites of interest include Wuhou Temple dedicated to the legendary Zhuge Liang and a giant statue of Chairman Mao. Sichuan food is considered the best in China and Chengdu is a fine place to taste this famous, spicy cuisine. Sichuan is also famous for being the home of the Giant Panda. These beautiful creatures are endangered and very difficult to see in the wild so a visit to the Giant Panda Breeding Centre in Chengdu offers a great chance to get close to the animal synonymous with China. The centre is a world leader into research on panda conservation and breeding and provides a home for them that mimics their natural habitat.

The mountain of Emei Shan is one of China's four most sacred Buddhist Mountains and was the site of China's first Buddhist temple in the 1st century AD. It has been a place of pilgrimage ever since with many temples and monasteries on the mountain. The summit at 3099 metres can be reached on foot or by cable car to Golden Summit (Jinding Peak) where you van visit the impressive Wannian Temple. There is also very diverse vegetation on Mount Emei, ranging from subtropical to subalpine pine forests. Among the species found are the silver apricot, a huge range of fungi and medicinal herbs and trees over a thousand years old.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area

The city of Luoyang is located in Henan Province. It is most famous for the Buddhist Longmen Grottoes which are located in caves along the River Yi, 13km south of the city. Built during the Northern Wei and Tang dynasties from the 5th to the 8th centuries AD, they represent a high point in Chinese stone carving. Over 2,300 grottoes contain more than 100,000 Buddhist statues (the tallest is over 17 metres), 2,500 stelae and 60 Buddhist pagodas. Other attractions near Luoyang include the White Horse Temple, China's first Buddhist Temple, or watching the locals practice tai chi, dancing or sword fighting early in the morning in Peony Square.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Longmen Grottoes

Mount Songshan is one of the most sacred mountains in China. At its foot close to the city of Dengfeng lies 8 clusters of historical buildings including three Han Que gates (the remains of the oldest religious edifices in China), the Zhougong Sundial Platform and the Dengfeng Observatory which are excellent examples of ancient Chinese structures devoted to ritual, science, technology and education. Mount Songshan is also the location of the Shaolin Temple - the spiritual home of kung fu famous for the legendary monks who developed the martial art. Today you can still witness the many students training in kung fu and see displays by experts.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in “The Centre of Heaven and Earth”

Lijiang is the former capital of the Naxi Kingdom and still home to the Naxi people today. Set on a mountain slope, the town is a well preserved maze of cobblestone streets and decorative wooden houses. It is famous for its complex and ancient water-supply system where rivers are channelled through a network of narrow canals to supply every house in the town. With over 350 bridges covering these canals, Lijiang is known as the 'City of Bridges'. Lijiang is a wonderful town to wander and explore or take a panoramic overview from Wangu Pagoda on Lion Hill. It's also worth checking out a performance of the local Naxi Orchestra for a unique musical experience.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Old Town of Lijiang

Dali is a relaxed small town in Yunnan Province. It is located in a beautiful setting, on the banks of Lake Erhai and surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of the Cang Shang mountain range. Enclosed by Ming dynasty walls, Dali is a town of cobblestone streets and old wooden and stone houses and is home to the Bai people, a traditional group renowned for their craftsmanship. The surrounding countryside and nearby villages can be explored on bicycle, boat rides on Lake Erhai and hiking or taking a chairlift up the adjacent mountains. Especially worth visiting are the famous Three Pagodas, elaborately decorated Buddhist temples which date back to the 9th century AD. The largest, Qianxun Tower, is 64 metres high comprising 16 levels.

The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces are located in Southern Yunnan. It is marked by spectacular terraces that cascade down the slopes of the towering Ailao Mountains to the banks of the Hong River. For 1,300 years, the Hani people have developed spectacular terraces to grow red rice that cascade down the slopes of the Ailao Mountains to the banks of the Hong River with a complex system of channels to bring water from the forested mountaintops to the terraces. The Hani live in 82 villages between the mountaintop forests and the terraces which feature traditional thatched “mushroom” houses.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces

Yangshuo

Yangshuo is a small town in Guangxi Province, near the city of Guilin. Set amidst the stunning limestone karst scenery of southern China, this is a beautiful area which has inspired poets and painters for centuries. Yangshuo is a relaxed town but is very popular with backpackers and tourists with excellent tourist infrastructure. The nearby countryside can be explored on bicycle on farm tracks through the paddy fields, by scaling the karst peaks including Moon Hill for spectacular vistas or by taking a cruise along the Li River. There are also opportunities for rock climbing on the karst peaks with hundreds of routes. Back in town there's a chance to learn Chinese calligraphy, painting, Mandarin, Tai Chi and Chinese cooking. The area around West Street offers souvenir shopping at numerous curio and antique shops or just relax and soak up the atmosphere. The nightly light and music performance of 'Impression Liu Sanjie' is an impressive extravaganza, performed on the river by 500 singers and dancers.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: South China Karst

The rice terraces at Mount Longji near Longsheng are an extraordinary example of agricultural engineering. Known as the 'Dragon's Backbone', the verdant green rice fields begin at the base of Mount Longji and coil around the mountain's edge all the way to the summit at 800 metres. The mountain can be climbed on a narrow stone path and provides superb panoramic views of the rice terraces on the slopes and valleys below. The terraces, begun during the Yuan dynasty and completed during the Qin dynasty, are the work of the minority tribes who live in the area, including the Yao, Red Yao and Zhuang, who can be seen working in the fields in their colourful dress.