584 Best Sights in China

A verdant holdover from colonial times, Hong Kong's Botanical Gardens opened back in 1864, and remain a delightful showcase of subtropical Asian flora, with bamboo groves, towering banyans, and groves of colorful rhododendrons. The fauna arrived much later and is a garden highlight: Lemurs, sloths, meerkats, and all manner of acrobatic monkeys swing about in well-tended enclosures. A menagerie of colorful birdlife includes flamingos housed in an aviary. The walk from the Central MTR stop is long and uphill, so consider taking a bus or taxi. Buses 1A, 3, and 22 go there from Central Ferry Pier.

A delicately arched bridge leads into Hongcun, a delightfully preserved settlement laid out to resemble a water buffalo. Two 600-year-old trees mark its horns, a lake its belly, and streams diverted for irrigation are its intestines! A number of films have used Hongcun as a location, including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Several large halls and old houses are open to visit. The Salt Merchant's House is especially well preserved, with intricate decorations and carvings that fortunately survived the Cultural Revolution.

Built into a hillside, Hongshan Park has a small Buddhist temple, a lovely waterfall, and beautiful views of the city and the harbor. The steep park shoots straight up from a busy street, so wear comfortable shoes if you're eager to explore.

Dubbed the \"robot building\" by locals, this iconic Norman Foster–designed skyscraper was the world’s most expensive building when completed in 1985. The pair of bronze lions out front, named Stephen and Stitt, belonged to an earlier version of the bank’s Hong Kong headquarters and still bear shrapnel scars from the Japanese invasion during World War II in 1941. Look up into the atrium through the curved glass panels, or step inside to admire the building’s exposed structural mechanics, a hallmark of Foster’s high-tech architecture.

Near Laoshan is Huadong Winery, Shandong's premier vinous brand made from vines imported from France back in the 1980s. Although not as famous as the province's brewery, the 30 or so wines produced here have won a string of prizes. The wines are available for tasting and purchase by the case; call to arrange a visit—they speak English. The beautiful scenery alone makes this a worthwhile side trip from Qingdao.

Throughout its various exhibition spaces, the truly unique Gulangyu Nostalgia Museum highlights the history of Fujian and Taiwan and showcases furnishings, decorative arts, curios, and curiosities.

In the cosmopolitan era of the Tang Dynasty (618–907) a Muslim missionary named Abu Wangus, said to be an uncle of the prophet Mohammed, came to southern China. He converted many Chinese to Islam and built this mosque in AD 627, making it one of the oldest in the world. His tomb in the northern part of the city has been a place of pilgrimage for visiting Muslims, but the mosque is his best-known memorial. A high wall encloses the mosque, which is dominated by the smooth, white minaret, which rises to 36 meters (118 feet).

A pleasure palace during the Tang Dynasty and later the living quarters of General Chiang Kai-shek during the Chinese Civil War, this destination gets mixed reviews from visitors. Despite the name, the hot springs are often out of action, leaving visitors to wander around the garden. You'll probably be happier spending your time on Lishan, the small mountain directly behind Huaqing Hot Springs. It was on these slopes that Chiang was captured, and it has China's first beacon tower and a number of small temples. It was also thought to be the spot where the Emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei came for their romantic escapes. If you are here in the evening (8:30 pm), catch the light-and-sound show that uses the mountain as a backdrop. The attraction is 30 km (19 miles) east of Xi'an.

The Huashan Mysterious Grottoes are a combination of impressive natural caves and rooms carved into rock illuminated with colored lights. No one seems quite certain when or why they were built, but it makes for a distracting excursion.

The 140,000-odd artifacts housed here include pottery and porcelain, weapons, ancient musical instruments, bronze vessels, and porcelain and jade. The museum's historic gems are the bronze chime bells covered in ancient Chinese characters. These were unearthed from the tomb of Yi, who was the king of the Zeng State during ancient China's Warring States Period (475 BC–221 BC). Daily at 11 and 4, visitors can listen to musicians in period clothing play replica chime bells.

This site boasts several examples of Huizhou architecture that demonstrates the wealth of the merchants who lived here. Highlights include the centuries-old city wall and a magnificent four-sided memorial gate guarded by sculptures of frolicking lions.

A symbol of China’s westernization in the 19th and 20th centuries, Hulishan Cannon Fort was built with help from Germany. When constructed in 1894, the fort was considered one of China’s most technologically advanced fortresses and served as the central command of the coast. It also played a major part in the defense against the Japanese in 1900 and 1937, thanks, in part, to two massive, 19th-century, German Krupp cannons. Today, the fortress retains its east-meets-west architectural style, with beautiful views of the coast, a castle, and one of the famed cannons. Regular performances by horseback riders dressed in old-fashioned military attire help bring history to life here.

Start your tour of the city with a visit to the center of Muslim life in Kashgar. One of the largest mosques in China, the ornate structure of yellow bricks is the result of many extensions and renovations to the original mosque, built in 1442 as a prayer hall for the ruler of Kashgar. The main hall has a ceiling with fine wooden carvings and precisely 100 carved wooden columns. When services aren't being held, you are free to wander the quiet shaded grounds and even to enter the prayer hall. Women are permitted to enter but as this is an active site of worship, dress modestly.

The cream-and-white interior of Macau’s oldest church takes on a heavenly golden glow when illuminated for service. Originally a convent founded by Spanish Dominican friars in 1587, St. Dominic’s is steeped in history. In 1822, China’s first Portuguese newspaper, The China Bee, was published here, and the church became a repository for sacred art in 1834 when convents were banned in Portugal.

Admission to all churches and temples is free, though donations are suggested.

Founded by Jesuits in 1560, the Church of St. Lawrence is one of Macau’s three oldest churches and has been carefully rebuilt over the centuries, with its current form dating to 1846. Set amid palm-shaded gardens overlooking the sea, it once drew families of Portuguese sailors, who gathered on its steps to pray for their loved ones’ safe return, hence its Chinese name, Feng Shun Tang (Hall of the Soothing Winds). Inside, elegant wood carvings, striking stained glass, a baroque altar, and crystal chandeliers create a breathtaking display of craftsmanship and devotion.

Above the Central skyline, one skyscraper rules them all: Two IFC, the slender second tower of the International Finance Centre. Designed by Argentine architect Cesar Pelli, its 88 floors top a whopping 1,352 feet. Opposite stands its dinky little brother, the 38-floor One IFC. The massive IFC Mall stretches between the two, and Hong Kong station is underneath. If you wish to see the views from Two IFC, visit the 55th-floor Hong Kong Monetary Authority. While there, take a quick look at exhibits tracing the history of banking in Hong Kong. Upon arrival, you will need to register your passport with the concierge and get a visitor pass.

The streets around the bazaar were once full of donkey carts and flocks of sheep. Men in embroidered skullcaps and women in heavy brown wool veils remain, preserving this bustling Central Asian street market. You can bargain for Uyghur crafts, such as decorated knives, colorful silks, and carved jade. Small shops are tucked into every nook and cranny. The international bazaar itself has been heavily expanded, and now includes a newly built minaret, which you can experience for Y50. The stalls, while interesting enough, are aimed firmly at tourists; more authentic options are available along the streets nearby, filled with traditional ironmongers and Islamic butcher shops.

Completed in 1918, this temple is fairly new by Chinese standards. During the Cultural Revolution, the monks pasted portraits of Mao Zedong on the outside walls so that the Red Guards couldn't tear them down without destroying Mao's face as well. The temple is built in the style of the Song Dynasty, with symmetrical halls and courtyards, upturned eaves, and bright yellow walls. The temple's great treasure is its 2-meter (6½-foot) seated Buddha made of white jade with a robe of precious gems, originally brought to Shanghai from Burma. Frightening guardian gods of the temple populate the halls, home to a collection of Buddhist scriptures and paintings. The temple is madness at festival times.

There's a simple vegetarian restaurant serving inexpensive noodle dishes.

Towering majestically over Lijiang, the 18,360-foot Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is one of China's most spectacular peaks. The mountain's jagged, snow-covered face is one of the defining sights of a trip to Lijiang. The well-maintained road to the scenic area passes numerous villages and has fine views of the valley. The park entrance is about a 30-minute drive from Old Town. Taxis should cost around Y40 one way, or Y100 or more if you want the driver to wait for you.

Jade in every imaginable shade of green, from the milkiest apple tone to the richest emerald, fills the stalls of this Kowloon market. Quality and prices at the stalls vary hugely, which means that if you know your stuff and haggle insistently, you can get fabulous finds.  Beware that some of the so-called jade sold here is actually aventurine, bowenite, soapstone, serpentine, or Australian jade—all inferior to the real thing. Look out for stalls with authentic jade certifications for a better chance of finding real jade.

The Jade Screen Cable Car runs parallel to the Southern Steps, leaving riders close to the Welcoming Guests Pine. It can close unexpectedly in inclement weather.

The Central--Mid-Levels Escalator provides easy access to this hidden gem, the first mosque in Hong Kong. Known as the Lascar Temple in the early days, the original 1840s structure was rebuilt in 1915 and reveals its Indian and Islamic heritage in the perforated arches and decorative facade work. The mosque interior isn't open to non-Muslims, but the small enclosure surrounding the building is a peaceful retreat.

Just behind the IFC stands Jardine House, a notable 1970s skyscraper recognizable by its grid of round porthole-style windows. The 52-level building serves as the Hong Kong headquarters for Jardine, Matheson & Co., once the greatest of the British \"hongs\" (trading companies) that dominated trade with imperial China. Historically linked to the opium trade, Jardine Matheson has since transformed into a global conglomerate in retail, property, and financial services.

Home to China's highest percentage of Christians, Ningbo has several active churches. Marking the beginning of the Laowaitan district, this church was built by the Portuguese in 1872 and is considered to be the best preserved in Zhejiang Province. Sunday morning services are well attended and welcoming.

The embassy area has some good foreign restaurants, but is mostly quiet blocks of gated embassy compounds; in the center there's lovely Ritan Park with its winding paths, lotus-flower ponds, a climbing wall, and a few upmarket restaurants. The area is close to the heart of Beijing's new Central Business District, aka CBD, which has some of the city's most impressive modern architecture, including the CCTV Tower, the Park Hyatt Hotel, and Tower III of the China World Trade Center, which at 81 stories is Beijing's tallest skyscraper.

One way to leave behind the crowds at the First Gate Under Heaven is to scale the wall as it climbs Jiao Mountain, about 3 km (2 miles) from the city. The first section has been restored and fitted with handrails and ladders up the sides of the watchtowers, but you can keep climbing until you reach a more wild, authentic stretch. After that you can take a path through trees that leads to the Qixian Monastery, or continue to the top for stunning if precarious views of the mountains and lakes beyond. A chairlift operates in high season. Jiaoshan is a 10-minute taxi ride from Shanhaiguan.

The four main halls of one of China's most famous ancient Buddhist sites occupy terraces on a gentle slope up to Ma'an Shan (Saddle Hill), 35 km (22 miles) west of Beijing. Built in AD 622, the temple has been used for the ordination of Buddhist novices since the Liao Dynasty. The temple complex expanded over the centuries and grew to its current scale in a major renovation conducted by devotees during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912). The temple buildings, plus three magnificent bronze Buddhas in the Mahavira Hall, date from this period. There's also a huge potbellied Maitreya Buddha carved from the roots of what must have been a truly enormous tree. To the right of this hall, just above twin pagodas, is the Ordination Terrace, a platform built of white marble and topped with a massive bronze statue of Shakyamuni Buddha seated on a lotus flower. Tranquil courtyards, where ornate stelae and well-kept gardens bask beneath a scholar tree and other ancient pines, add to the temple's beauty. Many modern devotees from Beijing visit the temple on weekends. Getting to Jietai and the nearby Tanzhe Temple is easy using public transportation. Take subway Line 1 to its westernmost station, Pingguoyuan. From there, take the No.931 public bus to either temple—it leaves every half hour and the ride takes about 70 minutes. A taxi from Pingguoyuan to Jietai Temple should be Y50 to Y60; the bus fare is Y6.

Rising 88 floors—eight being the Chinese number imparting wealth and prosperity—this tower combines the classic 13-tier Buddhist pagoda design with postmodern steel and glass. It houses one of the highest hotels in the world—the Grand Hyatt Shanghai occupies the 53rd to 87th floors. The 88th-floor observation deck, reached in 45 seconds by two high-speed elevators, offers 360-degree views of the city. The brave can also try the tower's Skywalk experience, a glass pathway without rails outside the 88th floor.

Skip the line and instead spend what you would've shelled out for a ticket to the observation deck at the 87th-floor Cloud 9 bar.

Originally built about AD 300, this temple has had a tumultuous history of destruction and rebuilding, with a brief stint as a plastics factory during the Cultural Revolution. What you see today dates from the 1980s. The temple's main draw is its copper Hongwu bell, cast in 1183 and weighing 3½ tons. The gilded temple, on one of Shanghai's busiest thoroughfares, is an interesting contrast to the surrounding skyscrapers, shopping malls, and luxury boutiques.

Just north of the city, Jinyun Mountain has some pretty views and a smattering of pavilions from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Three contain imposing statues: the Giant Buddha, the Amitabha Buddha, and the famous general of the Three Kingdoms period, Guan Yu. The park also has a set of hot springs, where you can swim in a pool or soak in the private cubicles.