China

: For other places with the same name, see China (disambiguation).

China (中国; Zhōngguó) is one of the world’s oldest civilizations. Its long and rich history is present in people’s thinking and values, and in the art, architecture, and feats of engineering that remain from dynasties past. In addition to its bustling and futuristic cities like Shanghai and Shenzhen, China boasts an incredible array of breathtaking natural wonders like the karst landscapes of Guilin and granite peaks of Huangshan that have inspired painters and poets for generations.

After a tumultuous 19th and 20th centuries, China has dramatically re-emerged as an economic and technological powerhouse. Its rapid development has been paralleled by an ascent onto the international stage. Of course there are growing pains when high-rises and factories surge up to dwarf centuries-old pagodas, but there’s also a strong sense of enthusiasm and optimism about what the future holds. If you visit now, you can see the relics of millennia of history and experience the signs of further transformations in progress.

Regions

China’s hierarchy of administrative divisions has 22 provinces (省 shěng) which tend to have their own cultural identities, and 5 autonomous regions (自治区 zìzhìqū), each with a designated minority ethnic group. These along with four municipalities (直辖市 zhíxiáshì) make up what is known as mainland China (中国大陆 Zhōngguó dàlù or 中国内地 Zhōngguó nèidì).

Wikivoyage covers Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan in separate articles. They have separate immigration and visa systems and issue their own currencies. Journeys between any two of them or between any of them and mainland China involve immigration and customs inspections. This does not represent an endorsement of any political position.

For the purposes of Wikivoyage, these provinces are grouped into the following regions:

Regions of China — switch to static map

	Northwest China (Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang) A historical borderland, with grasslands giving way to deserts and mountains, and with the ancient Silk Road connecting China to Europe. Northwest China is home to many Muslims and ethnic minorities who, at times, formed independent kingdoms.

	North China (Shandong, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Henan, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin) The plains of North China around the fertile Yellow River basin were the cradle of Chinese civilization. It has been the political center of Chinese empires for millennia, and is home to the modern capital, Beijing.

	Northeast China (Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang) Historically known in the West as Manchuria, the Northeast is a land of steppes, vast forests, and long snowy winters. Culturally influenced by Russia, Korea, and Japan, it contains a mix of modern cities and “rust belt” industrial towns that have become neglected.

	Southwest China (Tibet, Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, Guizhou) Minority peoples, spectacular scenery, and backpacker havens.

	South-central China (Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi) Yangtze River Basin area, farms, mountains, river gorges, temperate and sub-tropical forests.

	South China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan) Traditional trading center, manufacturing and tech powerhouse.

	East China (Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian) The “land of fish and rice”, traditional water towns, and China’s new cosmopolitan economic center.

Cities

Here are nine of China’s most interesting cities for travelers. Others are listed in region articles.

1 Beijing (北京) — the capital, cultural center, and home of the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and other important historical sites.
2 Chengdu (成都) — capital of Sichuan province, known for tingly-spicy food, giant pandas and China’s largest LGBT scene.
3 Guangzhou (广州) — one of China’s most prosperous and liberal cities. Center of Cantonese culture and cuisine.

4 Hangzhou (杭州) — built around West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and southern terminus of the Grand Canal.
5 Harbin (哈尔滨) — capital of Heilongjiang, which hosts the Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival during its bitterly cold winters.
6 Kashgar (Chinese: 喀什, Uyghur: قەشقەر) — center of Uyghur culture, with a beautiful and well-preserved old town, and the famous Id Kah Mosque.
7 Nanjing (南京) — the capital during the early Ming Dynasty and Republic of China era, a renowned historical and cultural city with many historic sites.
8 Shanghai (上海) — China’s largest city and main commercial centre, famous for its beautiful pre-World War II French, British and American colonial architecture, ultramodern 21st-century skyscrapers, and many shopping opportunities.
9 Xi’an (西安) — the oldest city and ancient capital of China, terminus of the ancient Silk Road, and home of the terracotta warriors.

You can travel between many of these cities quickly using high-speed rail. In particular, the Hangzhou - Shanghai - Suzhou - Nanjing line is a convenient way to see these historic areas.

Other destinations

Some of the most famous tourist attractions in China are:

1 Great Wall of China (万里长城) — longer than 8,000 km, this ancient wall is the most iconic landmark of China.
2 Hainan (海南) — a tropical paradise island undergoing heavy tourism-oriented development.
3 Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve (九寨沟) — known for its many multi-level waterfalls, colourful lakes and as the home of the giant pandas.
4 Leshan — most famous for its huge riverside cliff-carving of Buddha and nearby Mount Emei.
5 Mount Everest — straddling the border between Nepal and Tibet, this is the world’s highest mountain.
6 Mount Tai (泰山 Tài Shān) — one of the five sacred Taoist mountains in China, and the most-climbed mountain in China.
7 Tibet (西藏) — with a majority of Tibetan Buddhists and traditional Tibetan culture, it feels like an entirely different world.
8 Yungang Grottoes (云冈石窟) — these mountain-side caves and recesses number more than 50, and are filled with 51,000 Buddhist statues.
9 Guilin karst (桂林) — sensational mountain landscapes that have long been the subject of Chinese paintings.

China has over 50 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Content adapted from Wikivoyage, used under CC BY-SA 3.0.