Top 10 Tourist Attractions in China (with Map & Photos)

China is famous for its national cuisine, but pizza is not the last among the popular dishes. People here are dressed in the latest Western fashion, but no one has canceled the morning exercises in classic silk pajamas. The southwestern region of the Middle Kingdom is the most exotic, "hidden" from national progress. Tiger Leaping Gorge is often called a must-see for any mountain hiker and climber. The surrounding area of ​​the Li River is one of the most picturesque Attractions in China. The karst peaks that rise along the coast are the recognizable landscape of this country. The rare giant pandas are a real national treasure for the Chinese. A breeding center for these animals has been opened in Chengdu.

1. Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is rightfully considered the main attraction of China. The most visited part of the Great Wall of China is located just 70 kilometers from Beijing. This section of the Great Wall of China was built in 1504 during the Ming Dynasty, along with a military outpost, reflecting the strategic importance of the location in defending Beijing. The highest point is Badaling (北 八樓), approximately 1015 meters above sea level.

Part of the Badaling wall underwent restoration and in 1957 the first section of the wall was opened to tourists. The Great Wall of China is one of the symbols of Chinese civilization. In 1988 he was included in the UNESCO world catalog of cultural heritage.

Great Wall of China
Great Wall of China, Attractions in China

2. Potala Palace

Located 130 meters above the Lhasa Valley, the Potala Palace rises another 170 meters and is the largest building in all of Tibet. Construction of the present palace began in 1645 during the reign of the Dalai Lama 5. The Potrang Marpo, or Red Palace, was added between 1690 and 1694. The Potala Palace remained the residence of the Dalai Lama until 1959, when the Dalai Lama was forced to flee from persecution by the Chinese authorities.

Potala Palace
Potala Palace, Attractions in China

3. Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was an imperial palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is located in the heart of Beijing and currently houses the Forbidden City Museum. The Forbidden City served as a home for the emperors of China and their families, and was also home to the Chinese government for nearly 500 years.

Built in 1406-1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and occupies 72 hectares. The palace complex is an example of traditional Chinese palace architecture. The Forbidden City has been a World Heritage Site since 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest concentration of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

Forbidden City
Forbidden City, Attractions in China

 4. Victoria Harbor

The bay, located between Hong Kong and the Kowloon Peninsula, is the largest in Asia and the third largest in the world. Victoria Harbor has had a tremendous impact on Hong Kong's history, culture, economy and tourism, which in large part has earned Hong Kong its reputation as an international financial and tourism center. Deep, sheltered from the winds and strategically well located in the South China Sea, all of this played an important role in the creation of Hong Kong as a British colony and its subsequent development as a trade center.

Victoria Harbor is considered one of the 10 must-visit destinations of your life, according to National Geographic magazine. The bay is famous for its scenic views and is the main attraction of Hong Kong.

Victoria Harbor
Victoria Harbor, Attractions in China

5. Terracotta Army

The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the army of Qin Shi Huang (221 BC-206 BC), the first emperor of China. It is the most popular tourist attraction in Xi'an, and one of the most popular in all of China. It is believed that the three depressions containing the Terracotta Army contain over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, most of which are still buried in the ground.

Terracotta Army
Terracotta Army, Attractions in China

6. Li River Cruise

The river cruise from Guilin Yangshuo is the highlight of any trip to the northeastern Guangxi province. The landscape is adorned with amazing hills, steep cliffs, incredibly shaped caves and old villages behind bamboo groves. The Li River cruise is one of the main tourist routes in China.

The Li River cruise lasts only 4-5 hours, but the experience would be enough for 4-5 days! All this time there is a constant change of scenery overboard. New mountains, rocks, waterfalls appear and disappear. The views are one more beautiful than the other. 

Li River cruise
Li River Cruise, Attractions in China

7. Mount Huangshan

Mount Huangshan has played an important role in the history of art and literature in China. From the Tang Dynasty around the 8th century, a legend dating back to 747 describes the mountain as the site of the discovery of the long-awaited elixir of immortality. This legend gave the name to the mountain and inscribed it in the history of China. Mount Huangshan has become a magnet for hermits, poets and artists, fascinated by the dramatic mountainous landscape, made up of numerous granite peaks.

Mount Huangshan is located 300 kilometers southwest of Shanghai. Mount Huangshan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a national park of the PRC.

Mount Huangshan
Mount Huangshan, Attractions in China

8. Leshan Giant Buddha

The Leshan Giant Buddha is a giant Buddha statue carved out of a rock in Sichuan, Western China. Work on the statue began in 713 during the Tang Dynasty, and more than 1000 sculptors and workers worked on the statue for 90 years. The giant Buddha is about 71 meters high and has three meter fingers on each of its huge hands.

Leshan Giant Buddha
Leshan Giant Buddha, Attractions in China

9. Mogao Caves

Mogao is the largest and most famous cave of the Qianfo dong Buddhist temple complex. Qianfo dong means the Cave of a Thousand Buddhas, the construction of the temple complex began in 353, 25 km from the Dunhuang oasis , Gansu province. The Mogao Caves form a system of 492 temples 25 km southeast of the center of Dunhuang, the oasis is located at the crossroads of the Silk Road. The caves contain fine examples of Buddhist art spanning around 1000 years.

Mogao Caves
Mogao Caves, Attractions in China

10. Skyscrapers of Pudong (Pudong Skyline)

On the eastern bank of the Huangpu River is the Pudong region, one can say that this is the main financial and commercial center of China. A striking number of skyscrapers on a small piece of land that grow like mushrooms after rain, the Pudong area looks especially amazing at night from the other side of the river, at night the lights of the skyscrapers shimmer, sparkle and reflect in the water creating the illusion of continuing the day.

The Pudong area is home to the Shanghai World Financial Center, Jin Mao Building, Oriental Pearl TV Tower and Shanghai Tower, due for completion in 2016.

Pudong Skyline
Shanghai Pudong Skyscrapers, Attractions in China