592 Best Sights in China

Traditional trades are plied along this street. There are blocks dominated by tailors or shops selling Chinese cookware or everything you need to set up a household shrine. Nearby Ning Po Street is known for its paper kites and for the colorful paper and bamboo models of worldly possessions (boats, cars, houses) that are burned at Chinese funerals.

The newest skyscraper in Lujiazui was completed in early 2017. At the time of this writing, it's the country's tallest structure and the second tallest in the world (beat out by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai). The 127-story building, with five additional levels below ground, rises more than 2,000 feet and houses a hotel, offices, restaurants, and shops. Its sky-high observation deck on the 118th floor is the world's highest, a few floors above that in the Burj Khalifa, and is reached by the world's fastest elevator. There is an excellent exhibit about the world's super-tall buildings in the basement floor on your way to the observation deck.

The iconic "bottle opener" has three observation decks, the highest of which is on the 100th floor. The Park Hyatt is housed on floors 79 to 93, giving it a loftier perch than its older sibling, the neighboring Grand Hyatt. The view from up here is a knockout; on a clear day, you can see far and wide; on an overcast day, you'll feel as though you're floating in the clouds.

Consider skipping the observation decks in favor of the hotel. Afternoon tea at the 87th-floor Living Room is a treat.

This town sits on the lake's northern shore, and can be most easily reached by boat or by hiring a car and driver. Its market, held every Monday morning, is the most popular in the area.

This seaside locale is Southside's easternmost village, home to a few beach shops and casual restaurants selling Southeast Asian fare. The main reason to make the trip is Shek O Beach, an enticing crescent of golden sand facing rocky offshore islands. You can also cut through town and cross a bridge to the \"island\" of Tai Tau Chau, which is really a large rock with a lookout over the South China Sea. Hikers should head to nearby Shek O Country Park, known for its bird-watching and coastal views. To get here from Central, take the MTR to Shau Kei Wan (Exit A3), then take Bus 9 to the last stop (about 30 minutes).

Tianjin (96 km [60 miles] east of Beijing) is a huge port city of 10 million people known to Beijingers for its baozi (steamed buns), wonderful antiques market, and international architecture, including British, French, American, German, Japanese, Russian, Italian, Austrian-Hungarian, and Belgian examples. For the best antiques shopping in China, head to Tianjin on a Wednesday evening train, check into your hotel, have dinner, and go to bed so you can wake up early for the Shenyangdao Antiques Market, which opens at 4 am every Thursday and is well picked over by midmorning. When buying at Shenyangdao, be wary of items dubbed genuine antiques. They do exist, but are very rare; even the prettiest, oldest-looking pieces can be fake. Some are made with antique wood that has been recently recycled into "antiques" by skilled artisans. The casual collector should remember: buy things because you like them, not because you think they are inherently valuable. Feel free to haggle relentlessly. Trains (Y22) to Tianjin leave Beijing Station nine times a day from 4:22 am until 8:27 pm, taking 1½ –2 hours. The express train (Y58) to Tianjin takes around 35 minutes and leaves Beijing South Station every ten minutes from 6:13 am until 10:43 pm. The market is a short taxi ride away or a half hour bus journey from outside the station, getting off at Jintazhan or Shandonglu.

This health center is serious about traditional Chinese medicine. The center trains and employs the visually impaired for therapeutic massage treatments, and the friendly staff brings you endless cups of medicinal tea.

This lovely, peaceful garden on Gulangyu is immaculately kept and dotted with pavilions and bridges, some extending out to rocks just offshore. Built in 1913 by a wealthy Taiwanese merchant, the garden is home to several key sights, including the Piano Museum and the Twelve Cave Paradise, which comprises 12 caves formed from multicolor sandstone.

South of Dunhuang, where the oasis gives way to desert, you'll find a gorgeous sweep of sand dunes named for the light rattling sound that the sand makes when wind blows across the surface. At 5,600 feet above sea level, the half-hour climb to the summit is difficult but worth it for the views, particularly at sunset. Nestled in the sand is Crescent Moon Lake (月牙泉, Yuèyá quán), a lovely pool that by some freak of the prevailing winds never silts up. Camels, sleds, and various flying contraptions are available at steep prices; try your bargaining skills.

The secret meeting on July 31, 1921 that marked the first National Congress was held at the Bo Wen Girls' School, where 13 delegates from Marxist, Communist, and Socialist groups gathered from around the country. The upstairs of this restored shikumen is a well-curated museum detailing the rise of communism in China. Downstairs lies the very room where the first delegates worked. It remains frozen in time, the table set with matches and teacups. Ironically, the site today is surrounded by Xintiandi, Shanghai's center of capitalist conspicuous consumption.

A chairlift ride or a 35-minute hike leads from Pule Temple up through lovely hillside to this remarkable rock protrusion that spawned a local legend: if the rock should fall, so will the virility of local men. In fact, this unusual geological feature probably played a part in Emperor Kangxi choosing Chengde to establish his summer retreat.

Originally part of a river, Slender West Lake was created during the Qing Dynasty by wealthy salt merchants hoping to impress Emperor Qianlong on his many visits to Yangzhou. The park, laced with willows and dotted with pavilions, bridges, and tearooms, can be seen in an hour or savored for a half-day. The Fishing Terrace is where the emperor decided he'd try his hand at angling; the merchants reportedly had their servants wade into the lake and hook a fish on each line he cast. Another mark left by the emperor is the White Pagoda, a dome-shape Buddhist stupa. The emperor casually remarked that Slender West Lake only lacked a stupa to resemble Beijing's Beihai Park. By the time the sun shone through the morning mist, there was the emperor's stupa, hastily carved out of salt and convincing from a distance. A permanent structure was completed much later. It seems all the flattery had the desired effect; Yangzhou prospered as a trading center right up until the 20th century.

Known for its chic neighborhood bars and urbane eateries, this roughly defined area on the western edge of Central gets its name from being south of Hollywood Road. The bars here are a chiller alternative to the rowdier drinking spots in Lan Kwai Fong, while the narrow lanes reveal hips cafés, eclectic restaurants, and independent boutiques. This hilly neighborhood is reached by the Central--Mid-Levels Escalator, also the very reason for the rise of SoHo as a drinking and dining destination.

A palace for the exclusive use of the emperor during his visits to Hangzhou once stood on Solitary Hill Island, the largest island in West Lake. On its southern side is a small, carefully composed park with several pavilions and a pond. A path leads up the hill to the Xiling Seal Engraver's Society, where professional carvers design and create seals. The society's garden has one of the best views of the lake.

Soong Ching-ling (1893–1981) was the youngest daughter of Charles Soong, a wealthy, American-educated bible publisher. At the age of 18, disregarding her family's strong opposition, she eloped to marry the much older Sun Yat-sen. When her husband founded the Republic of China in 1911, Soong Ching-ling became a significant political figure. In 1924 she headed the Women's Department of the Nationalist Party. Then in 1949 she became the vice president of the People's Republic of China. Throughout her career she campaigned tirelessly for the emancipation of women, and she helped lay the foundations for many of the rights that modern-day Chinese women enjoy today. This former palace was her residence and workplace and now houses a small museum, which documents her life and work.

A daughter of the prominent Soong family, Soong Qing-ling (also known as Madame Sun Yat-sen) was first a Nationalist and then a Communist. Her sister Mei-ling married Chiang Kai-shek, who was the head of the Nationalist government from 1927 to 1949. This three-story house, built in 1920 by a German ship owner, was Soong's primary residence from 1948 to 1963. It has been preserved as it was during her lifetime; in the study are her 4,000 books and, in the bedroom, the furniture that her parents gave as her dowry. The small museum next door has some nice displays from Soong Qing-ling and Sun Yat-sen's life, including pictures from their 1915 wedding in Tokyo.

This quiet temple is also a school for monks—the Chinese Buddhist Theoretical Institute houses and trains them here. Of course, the temple functions within the boundaries of current regime policy. You can observe both elderly practitioners chanting mantras in the main prayer halls, as well as robed students kicking soccer balls in a side courtyard. Before lunch the smells of a vegetarian stir-fry tease the nose. The dining hall has simple wooden tables set with cloth-wrapped bowls and chopsticks. Dating from the 7th century, but last rebuilt in 1442, the temple holds a fine collection of Ming and Qing statues, including a sleeping Buddha and an unusual grouping of copper-cast Buddhas seated on a 1,000-petal lotus.

Also known as Yongning Gate, this is the most impressive of the 13 gates leading through Xi'an's 39-foot-high city walls. This was the original site of Tang Dynasty fortifications; the walls you see today were built at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, and they include the country's only remaining example of a complete wall dating to this dynasty. Head up top to watch the sunset, or even a bike ride around the city fortifications. Biking the entire 13.7-km (8½-mile) route atop the walls takes about 90 minutes. Rental bikes are Y45 for a single and Y90 for a tandem lasting 100 minutes, and you must put down a Y200 deposit. Open-air electric cars cost Y80.

Built as the linchpin of the city's defenses, this is less a gate than a complete fortress, with multiple courtyards and tunnels where several thousand soldiers could withstand a siege. It was rarely attacked; armies wisely avoided it in favor of the less heavily fortified areas to the north. Today, bonsai enthusiasts maintain displays in several of the courtyards.

South Lake covers more than 200 acres. A bonsai exhibit and an orchid garden are in the surrounding park, which is encircled by a wide path that's ideal for strolling or jogging.

Southern Mountain is the highest point in the city, and at 935 feet it's the most popular place from which to view Chongqing. For a thousand years Nan Shan has been the route over which travelers and traders of medicine, tea, spices, and silk entered the city and headed on to Sichuan. The best place to enjoy the views and the feel of the mountain is in this very traditional Chinese garden with oddly shaped rocks and bonsai trees.

Just a hop from the traffic-clogged roads surrounding Xujiahui metro station and its periphery of malls is this Neo-Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral, which opened in 1910. In 1966, with the start of the Cultural Revolution, its beautiful stained glass windows, the ceiling, and spires were destroyed by the Red Guards. The church spent the next 10 years as a State-owned grain warehouse. Finally, in the 1980s, the cathedral was restored; today it remains the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shanghai.

A gap in the skyscrapers accommodates the graceful Gothic form of this Anglican church, completed in 1849 and one of Hong Kong's oldest European-style buildings. Inside, the rows of cane wicker pews and low-slung ceiling fans will transport you to the early days of the British administration.

With its towering 200-foot twin steeples and red-tile roof, St Michael's is probably Qingdao's most recognizable landmark. The classic Gothic Revival structure was built by the Germans in 1934 but was badly damaged during the Cultural Revolution. The surrounding area is worth a stroll, the streets a mix of sturdy concession buildings and contrastingly shabby modern architecture. The square in front of the cathedral is the most popular spot in town for wedding photos; an enormous "wedding banquet restaurant" is conveniently located opposite.

This wedgelike building includes a pair of stained-glass windows by Remo Riva that represent visions of \"Hong Kong Today\" and \"Hong Kong Tomorrow.\"

This easygoing peninsula town lies south of Deep Water and Repulse bays. You'll find a row of waterfront pubs and restaurants, and great shopping in Stanley Market, full of casual clothes, cheap souvenirs, and cheerful bric-a-brac. Stanley's beach is the site of the Dragon Boat Races every June. For war buffs, Stanley Military Cemetery has graves of British and other Commonwealth soldiers who died during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in World War II. To get here from Exchange Square Bus Terminus in Central, take Bus 6, 6A, 66, or 260.

Galaxy’s former flagship venue has always been known for its over-the-top service and entertainment. As you enter the towering StarWorld empire you’re greeted by hosts in high heels, while a band serenades you from across the lobby. The gaming floors are small and dominated by baccarat tables, but the drink service is excellent. If you seek respite from the trenches, visit the Whisky Bar on the 16th floor of the adjacent hotel—an atmospheric place to begin or end your evening with a single malt or cocktail. The neon-blue building is just across from the Wynn Macau and down the block from the MGM Macau. Live lobby entertainment and local holiday attractions add a kitschy, friendly feel.

The neoclassical building on Statue Square's east side, completed in 1912, originally served as the Supreme Court and now houses the Court of Final Appeal. In front of this building stands the Cenotaph, a monument honoring those who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. The plot of land on which this public square stands was gifted by HSBC, whose headquarters dominate the southern end, with the stipulation that no building constructed there could block the bank's view of the harbor.

Hollywood glamour hits Cotai at this Zaha Hadid--designed art deco complex. Outside, you can’t miss the Golden Reel, a figure eight-shaped Ferris Wheel built into the tower. Inside, you’ll find one of Asia’s largest indoor water parks, a nine-house cinema including VIP rooms and a theater equipped with motion technology, about 20 different dining venues, great cocktail bars like Blind Tiger and A.P.D., and Legend Heroes Park, a family-friendly, tech-based entertainment zone. The casino, meanwhile, boasts 1,233 gaming machines and about 250 tables. When it comes time to call it a night, there are about 2,500 rooms spread across four hotels, including the glitzy W.

Acknowledged by both the Nationalist and Communist governments as the father of modern China, Sun Yat-sen (also known as Zhong Shan) lies buried in a delicately carved marble sarcophagus, reached by a broad set of concrete steps rising up the hillside. His final resting place is the center of a solemn and imposing monument to the ideas that overthrew the imperial system. Steep trails wind around the pine-covered scenic area, which feels a world away from Nanjing's hyperkinetic buzz.

The mausoleum gets crowded on weekends, so try to come during the week.