Attractions of China

The Summer Palace just outside the centre of Beijing was built as a garden retreat for China's imperial elite. It was first built in 1750 and was restored in 1886 after being destroyed during the Second Opium War of 1860. The Summer Palace is three km² in size, most of which is covered by the water of Kunming Lake, and comprises pavilions, palaces, temples and bridges which complement the natural landscape. The Palace had three main areas - political and administrative, residential and recreational and has been open to the public since 1924.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing

Mount Wutai with its five flat peaks is one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China. Its has 53 monasteries which have been built over two millennia since the 1st century AD. These include the East Main Hall of Foguang Temple, which is the highest ranking timber building to survive from the Tang Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty Shuxiang Temple, containing a huge complex of 500 statues, representing Buddhist stories woven into three-dimensional pictures of mountains and water. The beauty of the snow-covered peaks and thick forests has been celebrated by Chinese artists for centuries.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Mount Wutai

The oasis town of Dunhuang, set amidst desert landscapes and the last stop before entering the feared Taklamakan Desert, was an important stop on the Silk Road. The nearby sand dunes are known as the Singing Sands and can be explored on camel to see spectacular views of Crescent Moon Lake. Dunhuang is also the location for the famous Mogao Caves, a series of Buddhist shrines dating back to the 4th century AD. The 492 caves contains thousands of statues and 45,000 square metres of colourful murals, created by travelling monks and merchants and constituting some of the best Buddhist art in China.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Mogao Caves

Urumqi is the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, a huge province in the west of China that borders eight countries. Set in beautiful scenery at the foot of the ice-capped Tianshan Mountains, Urumqi is widely regarded as 'the city farthest from the ocean'. Tian Chi, or Lake of Heaven, is located in the Tianshan mountains at an altitude of 2,000 metres in stunning alpine-like scenery. Other attractions in Urumqi include the Xianjiang Regional Museum with its eerie collection of mummies up to 4,000 years old and the 18th century pagoda.

Xinjiang Tianshan is part of the Tianshan mountain system of Central Asia, one of the largest mountain ranges in the world and includes unique physical geographic features and scenic areas including spectacular snow and snowy mountains glacier-capped peaks, undisturbed forests and meadows, clear rivers and lakes and red bed canyons. These landscapes contrast with the vast adjacent desert landscapes, including the Taklimakan Desert, which creates a striking visual contrast between hot and cold environments, dry and wet, desolate and luxuriant.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Xinjiang Tianshan

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

Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries - Wolong, Mt Siguniang and Jiajin Mountains

Sichuan is home to the Giant Panda and the sanctuaries in the Qionglai and Jiajin Mountains contain 30% of the world's pandas. This unique species, recognised as a National Treasure of China and an icon of global conservation, is highly endangered due to the destruction of its habitat. These sanctuaries comprise seven nature reserves and nine scenic parks (also home to other endangered animals such as the red panda, snow leopard and clouded leopard) as well as the captive breeding centre in Wolong. As giant pandas are extremely difficult to spot in the wild, a trip to Wolong offers the chance to see pandas young and old in a mountainous setting akin to their wild home. A donation to the centre also offers the chance for a brief interaction with the younger pandas.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries - Wolong, Mt Siguniang and Jiajin Mountains

Huanglong Valley is situated in northwest Sichuan Province. It comprises extensive areas of snow-capped mountains, including the easternmost glacier in China, as well as diverse forest ecosystems, gorges, limestone formations, waterfalls and hot springs. In addition to its natural beauty, Huanglong is a habitat for a number of endangered species including the giant panda, Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey, Asiatic black bear, Pallas' cat and Sichuan takin.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area

Jiuzhaigou Valley in northern Sichuan Province encompasses 720 km² and is an area of outstanding natural beauty. Located in the Min Shan Mountains, it reaches heights of more than 4,800 metres and the valley comprises a diverse series of forest ecosystems, classic ribbon lakes, narrow conic karst landforms and spectacular waterfalls, including Nuorilong Falls - at 320 metres the widest in China. The valley is also inhabited by endangered animals such as the giant panda, white-lip deer, golden monkey and the Sichuan takin.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area

The Yangtze River is the third longest river in the world and the longest in China. It rises in Qinghai Province north of Tibet and flows for 6,300 kilometres through nine provinces. As well as supplying rural China, it flows through several important industrial centres before emptying into the East China Sea near Shanghai. A three day river journey on the Yangtze between Chongqing and Yichang is one of the great travel experiences in China. This section meanders through the mountains between Sichuan and Hubei provinces, forming the famous Three Gorges where towering vertical cliffs on both sides of the river rise up to the clouds above. The boats will pass through the spectacular scenery of the Qutang Gorge (8km long), Wu Gorge (45km long) and Xiling Gorge (a series of smaller gorges along 78km) before descending through five locks of the Yangtze Dam, one of the great engineering projects of the world, and onto Yichang. Some trips will also take a detour to visit the narrower Three Little Gorges along the Daning River tributary.

Suzhou is located on the banks of the Grand Canal, an extraordinary engineering feat that connected the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers over 1,800km. This location gave the city, called the "Venice of the Orient" by Marco Polo, a great affluence which was manifested in the extraordinary gardens created here by the imperial elite. Chinese gardens seek to recreate natural landscapes in miniature and the nine gardens in Suzhou, dating from the 11th to the 19th centuries, are the best in China. The most famous is the Humble Administrator’s Garden which contains streams, ponds and beautifully decorated pavilions and a recreation of the scenery of the Lower Yangtze. Suzhou is also one of China's main silk producing towns, which can be purchased from street vendors and silk merchants in the city's Old Quarter.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Classical Gardens of Suzhou

Mount Taishan is the most revered of China's five sacred mountains, with Chinese emperors having made pilgrimages there for over 3,000 years. It has inspired Chinese artists and scholars (including Confucius) and was an important centre of activity for the Buddhist and Taoist religions. Today, rock inscriptions, stone tablets and temples bear witness to these influences and are integrated into the natural landscape of the mountain. The summit can be reached on foot, comprising 6,000 steps, or more conveniently by cable car, rewarded with magnificent views over the landscape below.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Mount Taishan

Mount Huangshan, or Yellow Mountain, is known as the 'loveliest mountain in China' and is one of the country's most famous natural landscapes. It has spectacular scenery, with 72 granite peaks emerging from the clouds and a wealth of beautiful ridges, gorges, lakes and waterfalls. The trees on Mount Huangshan are renowned for their age, strange shapes and precarious positions. The mountain has been an inspiration and destination for poets and artists for centuries and more recently as the setting for much of the film 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'. The mountain can be climbed either by foot (9,000 steps!) or cable car, with spectacular views guaranteed at the top.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Mount Huangshan

Mount Lushan in Jiangxi Province is one of the spiritual centres of Chinese civilisation. There are approximately 200 historic buildings within the national park, including Buddhist and Taoist temples, of which the most famous is the East Grove Temple. The beautiful landscape of the area has been an inspiration for Chinese art, poetry and philosophy.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Lushan National Park

Mount Sanqingshan National Park is located in the Huyaiyu mountain range in the northeast of Jiangxi Province. It is an area of beautiful and unique scenery, with concentrated granite pillars and peaks, mixed with temperate forests, numerous waterfalls and lakes. Mount Sanqingshan has been a Taoist shrine for over 400 years and contains many Taoist relics, stone carvings and temples.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Mount Sanqingshan National Park

Mount Wuyi is an area of outstanding natural beauty with subtropical humid forests interspersed with the gorge landscapes of the Nine Bend River. It's an important region for biodiversity with many endemic and endangered species including the Chinese tiger, clouded leopard, black muntjac and the Chinese giant salamander. The area also contains the ruins of many temples and monasteries, associated with the development and spread of neo-Confucianism, and well as the archaeological remains of the Han dynasty centre of Chengcun, dated to the 1st century BC.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Mount Wuyi

The region of Wulingyuan in Hunnan Province covers 260 km² and is an area of spectacular natural beauty. Its features include more than 3,000 sandstone pillars and peaks, between which lie ravines and gorges with streams and waterfalls, as well as karst features including 40 caves with spectacular calcite deposits. The region is also a habitat for a number of endangered species including the Chinese giant salamander, Asiatic wild dog, Asiatic black bear, clouded leopard and Chinese water deer.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area

The West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou comprises the West Lake and the hills surrounding its three sides. With numerous temples, pagodas, pavilions, gardens and ornamental trees, as well as causeways and artificial islands, the area has inspired famous poets, scholars and artists since the 9th century. West Lake is an excellent example of the cultural tradition of improving landscapes to create a series of vistas reflecting an idealised fusion between humans and nature.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou

Tiger Leaping Gorge is located in Yunnan Province in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Surrounded by 5,000 metre high mountains the gorge itself is 16km long and is the world's deepest canyon, being 3,000 metres deep. The scenery is dramatic and awe inspiring, with sheer cliff faces rising above the torrents of the Yangtze below. The gorge's name is derived from a legend where a tiger escaped pursuit by leaping across the gorge, so narrow is it at some points. There are several trekking trails around the gorge which allow you to appreciate the spectacular scenery. The Gorge is part of the Three Parallel River National Park, a 17,000 square kilometre site where the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween Rivers run parallel north to south for 300km through steep gorges in the Hengduan Mountains. It is one of the world's richest temperate areas in terms of biodiversity.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas

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.

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.

China Danxia is a region in south-west China characterised by spectacular red cliffs and natural pillars, towers, ravines, valleys and waterfalls. The landscape also includes sub-tropical broad-leaved evergreen forests which host many species of flora and fauna including about 400 rare or threatened species.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: China Danxia

Located north of Lhasa, Namtso Lake is the largest and one of the holiest in Tibet, attracting pilgrims who spend weeks circumnavigating it (80km long by 30km wide). The lake is located at 4,718 metres and is towered over by the Nyenchen Tanglha mountain range, with several peaks over 7,000 metres. There are numerous Buddhist temples around the lake, including some remarkable rock shrines.

Everest Base Camp (North Face)

A drive and trek to Everest Base Camp in Tibet provides spectacular views of the north face of Everest and the neighbouring Himalayan peaks. From the Friendship Highway just after Shegar, a dirt road takes you 85km to Rongphu, over the Pang La pass at 5,120 metres which offers a superb panoramic view of the peaks of Everest, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Gyachung Kang and Makalu. The monastery at Rongphu (4900m) provides a stunning view of the north face of Everest as its colour changes with sunset. From here you can trek or take a pony cart to base camp, where there are great close up views of the Everest, a small hill decorated with hundreds of colourful prayer flags and a memorial to Mallory and Irvine's climb in 1924.

The Friendship Highway links Lhasa in Tibet with Kathmandu in Nepal across the spectacular mountain scenery of the Himalayas. Driving south from Lhasa, you cross the Kamba La (4794m) mountain pass, with superb views of the Yarlung Tsangpo River behind and the scorpion-shaped turquoise lake of Yamdrok Tso ahead. After following the lake shoreline, you pass Karo La (5010m), close to a hanging glacier near the summit, and then Simi La before reaching the town of Gyantse, home to the Pelke Chode Monastery and the Kumbum Stupa. The route continues through high altitude plateaus and mountain passes past Shigatse and Shegar and through Gyatso La (5220m) to Tingre. Reaching the Nepal border, the views of the Himalayan peaks are magnificent at Lalung La (5000m) and Tong La (5100m) including Shishapangma, the only mountain in Tibet over 8,000 metres. Descending to Zhangmu, the border is crossed at the Friendship Bridge, followed by a short journey to Kathmandu.