7 Best Sights in Beijing to Shanghai, China

First built in 1382, the Drum Tower (Gulou in Chinese) gives the central city district its name. In ancient times, drums housed inside were used to signal important events, from the changing of the night's watch to an enemy attack or the even greater threat of fire. Today just one drum remains.

The first heavy fortification along the Great Wall as it runs inland from the ocean, this mighty four-sided citadel guards the strategic Shanhai pass ("Shanhaiguan" in Chinese), around which the original town grew. Patrolling the battlements you can glimpse the Great Wall snaking up the sides of nearby mountains and grasp just how intimidating a barrier this must have presented to potential invaders. Not that it worked—the Manchus overran it in 1644, ultimately bringing down the Ming Dynasty.

One of the symbols of ancient Suzhou, this temple towers over the Old City. The complex has a 1,700-year history, dating to the Three Kingdoms Period. The wooden pagoda has nine levels; you can climb as high as the eighth level for what might be the best view of Suzhou. Within the grounds are the Copper Buddha Hall and Plum Garden, which, built in 1985, lack the history and complexity of Suzhou's other gardens.

Legend has it that the Great Wall once extended into the Bohai Sea, ending with a giant carved dragon's head. Although the structure you see today was rebuilt in the 1980s, witnessing the waves smash against the massive base is a stirring sight. The admission price gets you into several rebuilt Ming Dynasty naval barracks, but you can just skip it altogether and head directly to the beach for the best photo ops.

Traffic into Old Suzhou came both by road and canals, so the city's gates were designed to control access by both land and water. This gate—more of a small fortress—is the only one that remains. In addition to the imposing wooden gates on land, a double sluice gate can be used to seal off the canal and prevent boats from entering. A park is filled with colorful flowers, in contrast to the subdued hues in the city's traditional gardens. You can also climb the Ruiguang Pagoda, a tall, slender spire originally built more than 1,000 years ago.

Almost 100 memorial archways, a recurring feature of Huizhou architecture, dot Shexian County, but this well-preserved row of seven is the most famous. It commemorates the wealthy Bao family and has elements that reflect morality, piety, female chastity, and other traditional values.

Ming Dynasty founding emperor Hongwu wrote a poem describing his plans to have a tower built atop Lion Mountain, from where he could gaze out at the Yangtze River. Other imperial business got in the way, and, for several centuries, the building remained on paper. In 2001, his dreams were realized; a gargantuan, historically accurate, and slightly sterile tower arose. The views, though, are terrific.