592 Best Sights in China

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.

Sip tea among ancient temples and take in impressive views of the city from this pretty park. The five springs that gave the place its name, unfortunately, have dwindled to a trickle.

Hidden among trees just behind the zoo and set amid carved stones, the temple's five pagodas reveal obvious Indian influences. It was built during the Yongle years of the Ming Dynasty (1403–1424), in honor of an Indian Buddhist who came to China and presented a temple blueprint to the emperor. Elaborate carvings of curvaceous figures, floral patterns, birds, and hundreds of Buddhas decorate the pagodas. Also on the grounds is the Beijing Art Museum of Stone Carvings, with its collection of some 1,000 stelae and stone figures.

Huge bucketfuls of roses and gerbera spill out onto the sidewalk along Flower Market Road, a collection of street stalls selling cut flowers and potted plants. Delicate orchids and vivid birds of paradise are some of the more exotic blooms. During Lunar New Year, there's a roaring trade in narcissi, poinsettias, and bright yellow chrysanthemums—all auspicious flowers. Head there in the morning or in the afternoon, as most of the market closes in the early evening.

Celebrating the vibrant flavors of Hong Kong, the Foodie Tasting Tour takes visitors to six restaurants either in Central and Shueng Wan or Sham Shui Po, with a certified foodie guide who will help you decipher menus and will talk you through the traditional eating customs at each stop. All meals are included in the ticket price. Arrive hungry because you'll be feasting on everything from wonton noodles to freshly steamed dim sum.

A tree-lined lane called Battery Path was built by the British in the 1840s to provide access to the artillery batteries that defended the colony—hence the name. At the top of Battery Path sits the elegant Former French Mission Building, a neoclassical redbrick structure with white columns and green shutters. Completed in 1917, it is a declared monument subject to protection. St John's Cathedral and Cheung Kong Park sit nearby.

When this beautiful neoclassical structure was built by the British in 1923, it was the second-largest bank building in the world. It served as the headquarters of the Shanghai branch of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. After the building was turned into offices for the Communist Party in 1955, the beautiful 1920s Italian-tile mosaic in the building's dome was deemed too extravagant and was covered by white paint. Ironically enough, this protected it from being destroyed by the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. The mural was then forgotten until 1997, when the Pudong Development Bank renovated the building. If you walk in and look up, you'll see the circular mosaic in the dome—an outer circle portraying the cities where the bank had branches at the time: London, Paris, New York, Bangkok, Tokyo, Calcutta, Hong Kong, and Shanghai; a middle circle made up of the 12 signs of the zodiac; and the center painted with a large sun and Ceres, the Roman goddess of abundance.

The city's quiet northern neighborhoods are great places to wander, with several historic homes and temples that are now preserved as museums. The largest is Cai Yuanpei's house. Once the president of Peking University, Cai was a famous democratic revolutionary and educator during the republic, and his family's large compound is decorated with period furniture.

Sun Yat-sen, the father of the Republic of China, lived in this two-story house from 1919 to 1924. His wife, Soong Qing-ling, of the illustrious Soong family, continued to live here until 1937. Today it's a museum, where tours are conducted in Chinese and English.

Perched on a hill overlooking the Ruins of St. Paul’s, this 17th-century Jesuit fort played a pivotal role in Macau’s history. In 1622, during Macau’s most legendary battle, a priest’s lucky cannon shot struck a Dutch ship’s powder supply, thwarting an invasion. Though fire destroyed the interior buildings in 1835, the outer walls, cannons, and artillery pieces still stand. Next door, the Macau Museum traces the territory’s history, from its origins to modern-day development.

Once an imperial retreat, Xiangshan Park is better known as "Fragrant Hills Park." From the eastern gate you can hike to the summit on a trail dotted with small temples. If you're short on time, ride a cable car to the top. Note that the park becomes extremely crowded on pleasant fall weekends, when Beijingers turn out en masse to view the changing colors of the autumn leaves.

This European-style park, once open only to Shanghai's French residents, is one of downtown's most tranquil spots. Here you'll find people strolling hand in hand, practicing tai chi, and playing cards and mah-jongg. There is a tiny amusement park and, on weekends and holidays, art projects for kids. The open spaces double as dance floors, with elderly couples dancing away the day—visitors are welcome to join in.

It’s impossible to miss the six 24-karat gold cupolas of the Galaxy complex towering over the northwestern end of the Cotai Strip. This palatial complex is currently home to seven luxury hotels—including the Banyan Tree, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, and Raffles—and as of 2025, an all-suites-and-villas Capella. The whole complex spans more than 11 million square feet of space and includes 120 dining options, a 10-screen cinema, a white-sand beach and wave pool on the rooftop, a cavernous 16,000-seat arena, a VR entertainment center, and more. Smack in the center is a brightly lit casino floor packed with gaming tables, surrounded by high-end shops where you can actually hear yourself think.

One of the more scenic areas of Xishuangbanna is this valley 37 km (23 miles) from Jinghong. Locals still live in bamboo huts in the beautiful rain forest. The area is famous in Yunnan for its tropical flowers and its millions of butterflies.

Although largely ignored by domestic tourists, the tomb of Puhaddin is a reminder of the city's Islamic influences. It faces the Grand Canal, from where you climb a stairway to a graveyard of marble-slab headstones. Toward the back, a garden with a charming pavilion reveals both Persian and Chinese design elements.

This lovely garden is named for the bamboo plant's characteristic trio of leaves, which look like the Chinese character ge (个). There are more than 60 varieties of bamboo here, including yellow stalks, striped stalks, huge treelike stands, and the delicate-leaved dwarf. The garden was developed by a wealthy salt merchant named Huang Zhiyun, who believed bamboo represented the loyalty of a good man. As you wander, note the loose bricks in the path; they're arranged to clack under your footsteps. The garden is also accessible from an entrance on Dongguan Jie.

The cookie dough–colored German Governor's Residence, transformed into a museum in 1996, was where the mustachioed governor and his aristocratic entourage wined, dined, and held sway over Qingdao for their short but influential tenure. Built in 1906 on a commanding perch over the Old City, the interior resembles a Bavarian hunting lodge, with wood paneling, glazed-tile fireplaces, colored-glass chandeliers, and quirky grandfather clocks. Notable Chinese guests since include Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Deng Xiaoping. English audio guides are available.

Rising 233 feet, this is the tallest stone Buddha and among the tallest sculptures in the world. The big toes are each 28 feet long. A monk who wished to placate the rivers that habitually took local fishermen's lives started the construction of the Giant Buddha in AD 713. The project took more than 90 years to complete, and it had no noticeable effect on the waters. It's possible to clamber, via a stairway hewn out of rock, down to the platform where the feet rest.

The Giant Panda Breeding Research Base is worth the 45-minute drive (from the center of Chengdu) to walk the peaceful bamboo groves, snap pictures of the lolling pandas, and catch a glimpse of the tiny baby pandas that are born with startling regularity. Crews of scientists help pandas breed and care for the young in a safe, controlled environment.

Visit early in the morning, when the pandas are most active.

To get here, book a driver through your hotel for Y300 to Y400 round-trip. A taxi will cost about Y80 each way depending how well you bargain.

Goldfish are thought to bring good luck in Hong Kong (though aquariums have to be properly positioned for maximum benefit), and this small collection of sellers is a favorite local source. Shop fronts are decorated with bags of glistening, pop-eyed creatures, waiting for someone to take them home. Some of the fish for sale inside are serious rarities and fetch unbelievable prices. There are other types of animals as well.

This handsome white Victorian mansion was constructed in 1855 as the official residence of British governors, and is now home to Hong Kong's chief executive. During the Japanese occupation the house was significantly rebuilt, so it exhibits a strong Japanese influence, particularly in the roof eaves. The house occasionally opens to the public for guided tours on certain days of the year. 

Suzhou is threaded by a network of narrow waterways, with an outer moat surrounding its ancient center. The canals that now seem quaint were once choked with countless small boats ferrying goods between the city's merchants. All of these channels connect eventually to imperial China's main conduit of trade and travel, the Grand Canal, which passes through the town's southern outskirts.

This blooming lotus-shape landmark towers over the Macau skyline. Inside, the main gaming floor features hundreds of tables—including some offering Texas hold ’em poker rings and craps, plus low minimums—and about 1,000 slot machines centered around a giant glowing orb. While the casino’s famed Paris cabaret show is no more, there are plenty of ways to stay entertained. The Grand Lisboa has fantastic dining choices, for example, from the baroque Casa Don Alfonso to the elegant Lotus Lounge. If the slots have been kind, celebrate by having a divine dinner on-site at Michelin-starred stalwarts Robuchon au Dôme or The Eight. 

The Grand Lisboa Palace is certainly both grand and palatial. The castle-like facility blends baroque and neoclassical influences with Chinese and Portuguese design elements. Inside, the sprawling resort houses 1,350 ornate rooms and suites, including the exclusive Karl Lagerfeld and Palazzo Versace hotels. These sit alongside a massive casino and a luxury shopping complex led by NY8 New Yaohan, a 160,000-square-foot department store with a supermarket, kid’s zone, and dining center, and Made in Macau, a space that displays products from local brands. Dining options range from high-end restaurants like Zuicho and Palace Garden to the indulgent Grand Buffet—one of the city’s best all-you-can-eat experiences. If you need some serenity, visit Jardim Secreto, a European-style garden with grass mazes and European-style pavilions.

Inaugurated in 1993 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Macau Grand Prix, this museum tells the stories of the best drivers from every year—including German legend Michael Schumacher—but the highlights are the actual race cars on display. More than 20 Formula vehicles are exhibited in the hall, the centerpiece being the red-and-white Formula Three car driven by the late Brazilian champion Aryton Senna. Though Macau has lost its premier Formula Three race, replaced by a Formula Regional championship, its sporting legacy lives on here as well as the tough, twisting Guia Circuit.

The spectacular front wall of glass shines as brightly as the star power in this magnificent theater. Its three stages present the best domestic and international performances. The dramatic curved roof atop a square base is meant to follow the ancient Chinese philosophy that "the earth is square and the sky is round." The best time to see it is at night.

After the German Governor's Residence, the 1903 Granite Mansion is Qingdao's most famous example of concession-era German architecture. This miniature castle was built as a villa for a Russian aristocrat but soon became a fishing retreat for the governor.

Perfect for history buffs, the Gray Line Heritage Tour takes visitors to the sites of Hong Kong's five great clans in the New Territories. The route stops at several well-preserved monuments, including Tai Fu Tai—the home of a Man clan scholar in the late 1800s. There's also a chance to visit a historical walled village as well as a traditional ancestral hall. Before you leave, don't forget to make a wish under the Lam Tsuen Banyan Trees. Tours are scheduled on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

This solid edifice owes its Stalinist weight to the last years of the Sino-Soviet pact. Its gargantuan dimensions (205,712 square yards of floor space) exceed that of the Forbidden City. It was built by 14,000 laborers, who worked around the clock for eight months. China's legislature meets in the aptly named Ten Thousand People Assembly Hall, beneath a panoply of 500 star lights revolving around a giant red star. Thirty-one reception rooms are distinguished by the arts and crafts of the provinces they represent. Have someone who speaks Chinese call a day ahead to confirm that it's open, as the hall often closes for political events and concerts.

This lushly landscaped mosque with four graceful courtyards may have been established as early as AD 742, during the Tang Dynasty, but the remaining buildings date mostly from the 18th century. Stone tablets mark the various pavilions, often bearing inscriptions in both Chinese and Arabic. Look above the doors and gates: there are some remarkable designs, including three-dimensional Arabic script that makes the stone look as malleable as cake frosting. Non-Muslims are not allowed in the prayer hall, as the mosque is still an active place of worship. The place is a bit hard to find, but wandering the Muslim Quarter surrounding the Mosque is a treat, particularly for foodies. The bustling streets are the center of the city's Hui (Chinese Muslim) community. Navigate narrow streets and alleys filled with endless knickknack and food stalls. Step into any well-populated restaurants and try anything from cold sesame noodles to panfried dumplings to yang rou pao mo, the local speciality of crumbled bread in a rich lamb broth. To get to the Mosque, after passing through the Drum Tower, follow a small curving market street called Huajue Xiang on the left. (You'll see an English sign posted on a brick wall next to the street's entrance reading "Great Mosque.") When you reach a small intersection, the mosque's entrance is on the left.