China

The Forbidden City, also known as the Palace Museum, lies in the city center of Beijing, and was once the Chinese imperial palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 - 1911). It was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1987 and is the largest, best-preserved ancient timber-built palace complex in the world.Rectangular in shape, the Forbidden City is enormous, covering an area of 72 hectares, and boasting more than 9,000 bays of rooms. It is divided into two parts – the Outer Court for national affairs in the south and the Inner Court as living quarters in the north. It is not only an immense architectural masterpiece, but also a treasury housing a unique collection of 1.8 million pieces of art, including ancient calligraphy and painting, imperial artifacts, ancient books and archives. A must-see in Beijing and the world’s most visited museum, it is worth spending half to one day to visit the Forbidden City and appreciate the precious cultural heritage of China. https://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing/forbidden.htm

Mutianyu Great Wall is located 70 km away from Beijing, which makes it significantly less busy and features some fun, modern amusements, such as a cable car, chairlift, and toboggan. It has unique design and construction, having 3 enemy towers build next to each other. When visiting, each season bring their own beauty to the scenery. From green mountains and flowers to snowy mountain tops tops and autumn leaves. http://www.mutianyugreatwall.com/homePage/toIndexEn

The Canton Tower (also know as Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower), the landmark of Guangzhou City, is one of the world's most spectacular new buildings. It is a facility for radio and television transmission, but it is also one of Guangzhou's most popular tourist highlights with restaurants and observation decks on top of it. The tourists can enjoy an unobstructed view of Guangzhou City. Standing upon the tower, tourists can have a bird's-eye view of the beautiful scenery of the Guangzhou New City and the Pearl River. At the base of the tower, you can get information about Guangzhou's history, culture, economy and tourist attractions. There is a tourist information room. Many tourist service facilities such as restaurants are at the bottom. At the top, there are fine restaurants, entertainment facilities and a viewing platform. https://www.chinahighlights.com/guangzhou/attraction/canton-tower.htm

Song Dynasty Town (Songcheng) is the largest theme park in Hangzhou, featuring the cultural characteristics of the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 AD), and also the first theme park built in Zhejiang. With Wuyun Mountain in the north and West Lake to its northeast, Song Dynasty Town is on the northern bank of the Qiantang River. Its layout and architectural style are based on a precious ancient painting, 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival', which was made by famous painter Zhang Zeduan, displaying the urban landscape and people's living condition of that dynasty. The theme park is divided into three fields, Performing Songcheng, High-tech Songcheng, and Cultural Songcheng. Performing Songcheng includes the Romance of the Song Dynasty and ten theme shows. High-tech Songcheng has many featured events, such as reproducing area of 'Along the River during the Qingming Festival', two distinguishing haunted houses, and a mysterious street. Using advanced technology, they are all very realistic and mysterious, giving visitors a totally different experience. Cultural Songcheng covers some folk activities, such as traditional workshops, custom shows and Buddhist temples. https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/zhejiang/hangzhou/song-dynasty-town.htm

Going back to the 14th century this historic landmark is a symbol of Nanjing’s time as the capital of the Ming Dynasty between 1368 and 1421. Founder of the Ming Dynasty Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang ordered its building to protect Nanjing from invaders. Purple Mountain, Xuanwu Lake and Qinhuai River provided additional natural defences as the Wall snaked around them. The curved Wall was unusual, as up until then city walls had been built in straight lines. Completed in 1386, Nanjing is one of the few cities to retain its original walls. Making the state-protected Ming Great Wall a national treasure. The Ming Great Wall was 35 kilometres long. It was considered to be one of the longest city walls in the world. Today about 25 kilometres are still intact with the following six sections being opened to the public: Zhonghua Men (Treasure Gate) to Shen Ce Men Gate (Peace Gate). It is approximately 6 kilometres long. Zhong Shan Gate (Zhong Shan Men) to Guanghua East Street (Guang Hua Dong Jie), it is approximately 2 kilometres. East Water Gate (Dong Shui Guan) to West Water Gate (Xi Shui Guan), it is approximately 6 kilometres. Qing Ling Mountain (Qing Ling Shan) to Defense Garden (Guo Fang Yuan), it is approximately 1 kilometre. Ding Huai Gate (Ding Huai Men) to Lion Mountain (Shi Zi Shan), it is approximately 4 kilometres. Zhong Fu Road (Zhong Fu Lu) to Zhong Yang Gate (Zhong Yang Men), it is approximately 2 kilometres. http://www.cityofnanjing.com/article/the-ming-great-wall-of-nanjing/

The Summer Palace is said to be the most well-preserved imperial gardens and the largest of its kind still in existence in China. There’s so much to see and enjoy that most people prefer to stay there at least half a day. Composed mainly of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, it owns over 3,000 man-made ancient structures, including pavilions, towers, bridges, corridors, etc. On the grounds of the Palace you will be able to walk through 'The Long Corridor' which is the longest corridor in the world. https://www.chinahighlights.com/beijing/attraction/summer-palace.htm

Bright Filial Piety Temple has a long history of more than 1700 years. It is a temple with the longest history and largest scale in Lingnan area. It was originally built as the residence of Zhao Jiande, an offspring of Zhao Tuo, the Nanyue King in the Western Han Dynasty. In the period of the Three Kingdoms, Yu Fan, a lord in the Wu State, when he was relegated to the Southern Sea, he gave lectures here and hence the Guangxiao Temple was called "Yu Yuan" at that time. The temple was also called "He Lin" because of a great many myrobalan trees there. After Yu Fan's death, his family denoted the residence as a temple and made a slab saying "Zhizhi", and that was the very beginning of the Guangxiao Temple. Bright Filial Piety Temple has a long history and therefore there are a lot of antiques. The Grief Bell which was first set up in the 2nd year of Baoli in the Tang Dynasty (826 A. D.) is in the shape of mushroom and is made of stone with Hercules' embossments around. Those embossments are vivid in facial expressions and well shaped and elegant in postures so that they completely represent the soul of Buddhism. https://www.chinahighlights.com/guangzhou/attraction/bright-filial-piet-temple.htm

The Hangzhou Safari Park is a fully-fledged zoo and safari park with quite an array of exotic animals. Lions, Siberian Tigers, and the odd Hippo steal the show, but The Naughty Monkey Cage is good for giggles too: nit-eating Monkeys preening every conceivable part of their bodies will have you in stitches. You can take the train around the safari park or even drive yourself via private car entry. At every stop there are zookeepers, some feeding mulberry bushes to the Camels or apples the Brown Bear, or giving live chickens to the Cheetahs to squabble over. Circus, Bird and Elephant shows can be seen at various times throughout the day. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/hangzhou/e/2010-07/06/content_10072238.htm

Guangzhou Chimelong (长隆) Holiday Resort is Guangzhou's top tourist attraction. The scale and variety and quality of its many attractions makes it unique in China. It is China's 3rd most popular theme park, and it might be worth a special trip even from Hong Kong or Macau if you really enjoy animals, circuses or fun rides. It is quite unusual to have two or three world-class entertainment and amusements, the big safari park, a world-class circus, and a large waterpark together with other interesting sections of the park all in one big place. Most tourists consider the safari park/zoo and the circus among the best in Asia! https://www.chinahighlights.com/guangzhou/attraction/guangzhou-chimelong-holiday-resort.htm

Shamian Island is Guangzhou's scenic foreign settlement, and ranks as one of the best tourist attractions in Guangzhou and is a treat for fans of architecture and history alike. Tree-lined quiet pedestrian-only roads make for a wonderful place to visit for a stroll, and the area is a quiet reminder of Guangzhou's colonial European period. Sightseers will notice that structures in one area of the island have more of an English style and that one area has more of French style, which is a result of Guangzhou's tumultuous history on this island. While walking around Shamian Island, there are lots of incredible buildings to be seen, and there is a lot of opportunity to try different cuisines including the local Cantonese cuisine. It's a great place for a stroll, and you'll find many old official embassy buildings, cathedrals, churches, as well as shade walking along the greenery. Lady of Lourdes Chapel, a big French cathedral, stands out as one of the most interesting buildings on the island. It was built in 1892. There is also the British Protestant Church, Christ Church Shameen, which was built in 1865 and makes for an interesting sight. Tourists appreciate the island as a quiet place to get away from the crowds and noise of the city, and you'll find various bronze statues around depicting life on the island in earlier times. Traffic is controlled to keep the island quiet, so it is partly pedestrian only. https://www.chinahighlights.com/guangzhou/attraction/shamian-island.htm

The cathedral, 35 meters wide, 78.69 meters long, and its twin towers 58.5 meters high is the largest Roman Catholic church in the Gothic style in China and Southeast Asia. It is sometimes referred to as 'Notre-Dame de Paris' in the East. Sacred Heart Cathedral, or Stone House, a Roman Catholic cathedral, is one of the oldest churches in Guangzhou and the largest of its kind in Southern China. Located on the north bank of the Pearl River, the church stands in the heart of the busy old town. The cathedral was consecrated in 1888 after 25 years of construction. The construction of the cathedral turned out to be very challenging. None of the Chinese workers at that time had seen a western cathedral before, let alone built one. It was also tough for them to communicate with the French clergy who commissioned the building. http://www.china.org.cn/top10/2011-03/14/content_22137978_4.htm

Tianmu Lake Tourist Resort is ranked among the first batch of National AAAA Scenic Spots, which is on the border among Jiangsu, Anhui and Zhejiang provinces. It consists of two strips of water area, lying on either side of Dongling Mountain. The source of Tianmu Lake connects with Tianmu Mountain and flows for 13.5 kilometers. The lake has an average depth of 10 meters and reaches the deepest at 28 meters. The lake water mainly came from rainwater and mountain streams, which have been purified by the vegetation of surrounding mountains and filtered by the underwater stones before running into the lake; therefore, Tianmu Lake has maintained the purity and mineral composition of natural spring, the water of which reaches National Class B for surface water and is considered as the best water within Jiangsu province. 　　Tianmu Lake is located about 60 to 200 kilometres away from Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Wuxi and Changzhou, reputed as the “Eco-Home and Dreamy Paradise”, the “Southern Pearl and Green Wonderland.” Surrounded by mountains, Tianmu Lake Resort boasts crystal clear water and pleasant climate, with vegetation coverage of 45% or more, which has become a “back garden” and “natural oxygen bar” of the peripheral cities, suitable for visiting in over 300 days a year. http://www.changzhou.gov.cn/ns_news/12134327283521

Located around 85 kilometers away from Beijing is one of China’s largest dams as well as a gigantic dragon escalator.Seemingly out of place against the cliffs in the background, the bright yellow dragon rises 258 meters and is the world’s largest outdoor escalator. Once at the top of the gorge, you can engage in even more adventures, including a ride in a cable car or a boat trip on the artificial lake. http://worldkings.org/news/weird-but-true/worldkings-worldkings-news-asia-records-institute-dragon-escalator-worlds-longest-outdoor-escalator-in-shape-of-dragon

This Chen Clan Academy was organized by two Chinese-Americans who wanted Chen clan students to have an academy in Guangzhou. It was built just before the end of the Qing era between 1890 and 1894. It became a museum in 1957, and the remaining artwork and traditional architecture and decorations were deemed to be so valuable that in 1988 it was named a National Key Cultural Heritage Protection Unit by the State Council of China. It now is a Chinese folk art museum. The building covers 13,200 square meters or 142,000 square feet. It has 19 buildings with nine halls and six courtyards that are connected in a symmetric pattern. On the main axis are the Main Entrance (头门), the Assembly Hall, and the Rear Hall (后堂). These three main buildings are separated by courtyards. It is one of Guangzhou's best tourist highlights. https://www.chinahighlights.com/guangzhou/attraction/chen-ancestral-shrine.htm

The spectacular ten-storey Shanghai Grand Theatre showcases a variety of musical, dance and dramatic acts under it's instantly recognisable curved roof in People’s Square. The theatre itself is divided into three separate auditoriums, the largest of which, The Lyric Theatre is home to ballet performances such as Swan Lake, orchestral concerts and traditional Peking opera from the China National Peking Opera Company. The box office is open from 9am-7pm daily, see schedule for opening times of individual shows. http://www.timeoutshanghai.com/venue/Theatres/830/Shanghai-Grand-Theatre.html

Located north of Guancun, Jida, and in the valley of Southeast Banzhang Mt, Bailiandong Park is famous as the home of an ancient monk who lived in seclusion and planted white lotuses everywhere. A relic of the Paleolithic Period, the park was built during the Reign of Emperor Ch’ien-lung (Qianlong) (1735-96) and is the first cave museum in China. It contains a large number of fossils from ancient humans and mammals. The fossils of relics suggest that the White Lotus caveman made clothes and used fire to cook some 50,000 years ago, framing the White Lotus Cave Culture. With clear streams flowing down to a central lake and the lush green mountain, curiously shaped rocks, caves, pavilions and barbecue site, the park is an ideal venue for Chinese and western anthropologists to do scientific research and for visitors to go on outings on the weekend or exercise at any time. http://subsites.chinadaily.com.cn/zhuhai/2016-04/28/c_51739.htm

Guangzhou White Cloud Mountain is a famous historic attraction in Guangzhou, with lots of splendid scenery and places of interest, elected as the historical and new Eight Attractions of Guangzhou. https://www.chinahighlights.com/guangzhou/attraction/white-clouds-mountain.htm

Yuexiu Park, named after Yuexiu Mountain, built in 1952, is the biggest comprehensive sight-seeing park. https://www.chinahighlights.com/guangzhou/attraction/yuexiu-park.htm

Hang out in the old haunt of Fujian fruit merchants at the Sanshan Guildhall – one of many guildhalls to pop-up in the city for traders to seek camaraderie. Though it’s been shifted 30 metres south from its original position, this relatively late addition (built in 1909) is also the only well-preserved guildhall from the Qing dynasty and currently serves as a museum. 1551 Zhongshan Nan Lu, Bansongyuan Lu. http://www.timeoutshanghai.com/features/Things_to_Do-Around_Town/44571/9-places-to-see-Shanghai-through-the-ages.html

One of the rare free museums in town, the original Shanghai Postal Museum in Hongkou well explains the history of the postal service in China. Venture up to the beautiful baroque rooftop to find a sculpted garden with a Romanesque clock tower and one of the city’s best low-level views: looking west up Suzhou Creek and east towards the Pudong skyline with the Art Deco Broadway Mansions in front. http://www.timeoutshanghai.com/venue/Around_Town-Museums-_Around_Town-Parks__Gardens/995/Shanghai-Postal-Museum.html

Hangzhou Polar Ocean Park, 7 km from downtown Hangzhou, is China's largest polar ocean park, covering a total area of 330 mu. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/hangzhou/e/2010-07/06/content_10072238.htm

Wu CulturePark, also known as Wu Culture Exhibition Center, is named Wuxi Folk-custom Village in the tourismindustry. Wu Culture Parkis the first big culture park invested by farmers in China. Lying on Xigao Mountainin Yanqiao Town of Wuxi, it covers an area of 46.7 hectares, among which 3.7hectares are for ancient architecture. http://en.wuxi.gov.cn/sitePages/channelPages/1300350200330308.html?sourceChannelId=0&did=337483

Mirror Lake, formerly called Tao Pond, belonged to Mr. Zhang Xiaoxiang, a patriotic poet in South Song Dynasty. He donated 7 hectares of farmland to make a lake. The water is so clear that it reflects like mirror. That’s why it got its name as “Mirror Lake”. The lake is open to the public, pavilions and galleries are surrounded by willows. http://english.wuhu.gov.cn/Visitors.aspx?pTypeID=11070603

Mt. Chi Zhu has a legendary story. It is said that Mr. Gan Jiang and Ms. Mo Ye (Gan Jiang’s wife) set ovens and made swords in Spring and Autumn period. The remains of “Quenching stone”, “Whetstone” are well preserved. It is recorded that Gan Jiang was buried in Mt. Chi Zhu. Mr. Li Jing, Earl in Tang Dynasty, put down a rebellion in the nearby. http://english.wuhu.gov.cn/Visitors.aspx?pTypeID=11070603

Situated in the backyard of Jiuhua Palace in Zheshan Park, Zhe Pagoda can be dated back to Song Dynasty in 1065. It is regarded as the key relics preservation in Anhui province. The Pagoda is surrounded by hills and trees. It is worthwhile taking a one-day trip in the downtown with other attractions like Guangji Temple, Shutian Pavilion, Cuiming Garden, Mr. Liu Xiping’s graveyard, lieutenant General Dai Anlan’s graveyard. http://english.wuhu.gov.cn/Visitors.aspx?pTypeID=11070601

The ongoing 90 million yuan ($14.48 million) Haibin Beach renovation encompasses Lovers Post Office, Happy Hour Pagoda, Watch Tower, support-service facility, Happy Square at the main entrance, Music Fountain and more. The beach is a more-than-ever romantic venue for wedding photographs. http://www.cityofzhuhai.com/2016-04/20/c_51428.htm

The Bijia Mountain is a small land-tied island located in the Liaodong Bay, adjacent to the Jinzhou Port. Measuring 1.5 kilometer in length and 0.8 kilometer in width, the island covers an area of about one square kilometer, at an altitude of 78 meters. http://www.china.org.cn/top10/2013-07/08/content_29354647_5.htm

Chung Ying Street (also named Zhong Ying Street) is located at Shatoujiao Town in Yantian District of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. It lies at the border of Mainland China and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/guangdong/shenzhen/chung-ying-street.htm

As China's biggest privately owned green porcelain museum, it is located in Luohu District and houses more than 2,000 pieces from the Shang to Qing Dynasty, fully presenting ancient China's porcelain history. http://english.sz.gov.cn/tis/201608/t20160830_4383184.htm

Shenzhen Safari Park is China's first zoo that lets animals live in natural habitats. There are nearly 10,000 wild animals of more than 300 species, most of which are rare and protected species, including eight tigons and ligers. http://english.sz.gov.cn/tis/201608/t20160830_4383184.htm

The Pearl River is the third longest river in China with a length of more than 2,000 kilometers. The river is composed of four separate river systems, which join up in Guangzhou, flow for about 70 kilometers, and then pour into the South China Sea. http://www.china.org.cn/top10/2011-03/14/content_22137978_2.htm

Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street in Liwan District, Guangzhou, is one of the busiest commercial pedestrian streets in China. Located in the old town of Xiguan, the 1,218-meter-long street is lined with more than 300 shops. http://www.china.org.cn/top10/2011-03/14/content_22137978.htm

Located at the foot of Yuping Hill to ther west of Jingdong county seat, the temple was constructed in the 21st year (1682) of the Kangxi Reign of the Qing Dynasty and is one of the province-level protected historic relics in Yunnan. http://en.puer.travel/content0937.html?id=870122744677