50 Places To Visit In China In 2025: Ultimate Bucket List By A Chinese
👦🏻 What does China offer?
China is similar to the size of Europe. Most people focus on Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Chengdu, and Hong Kong. There isn’t much awareness of the immense diversity the country offers.
This personal bucket list offers experiences, adventures, and activities in different areas of the country. It has culture, history, nature, landscapes, architecture and more! I’ve had to narrow it down to 50 places, but I could easily list 100+ places that offer unique experiences.
By the way, the distance between the two cities furthest away from each other is over 4,000km! That’s more than the distance between London and Cairo!
(No, I haven’t actually done all of these yet but wanted to share it with you as I would love more people to know more about them. See if you can beat me there before 2030!)
#North China ⬆️
🏯 Marvelling at the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the Summer Palace in Beijing
🧱 Ascending the Great Wall near Beijing
🏯 Travelling back in time at the ancient walled city of Pingyao
🪨 Hanging out at the Hanging Temple, the Yungang Grottoes, and the ancient city walls of Datong
🏛️ Admiring Chinese and European mixed architecture, visiting the Porcelain House, and shopping at Ancient Culture Street in Tianjin
⛰️ Wandering the beautiful palaces and gardens at Chengde Mountain Resort
#East China ➡️
🌆 Seeing the iconic Pudong skyline up close, strolling Nanjing Road and the Bund, and visiting Yu Garden in Shanghai
🛶 Riding a boat through the scenic Zhujiajiao Water Town near Shanghai
🌹 Viewing the exquisite gardens, ride on a boat along the canals, and enjoying sunset at Jinji Lake in Suzhou
⛴️ Taking the boat to islets on West Lake, watching the Qiantang River Bore, and visiting the National Tea Museum in Hangzhou
🏛️ Entering the Presidential Palace, exploring the cultural district of Fuzimiao, and strolling the city wall at sunset in Nanjing
🗻 Climbing to the summit of Huangshan and viewing the Xihai Grand Canyon during sunrise/sunset
🫖 Getting stuck into porcelain at the Imperial Kiln Museum and hanging out at Taoyang Alley in Jingdezhen
🏯 Gazing at the cliffside structures hanging above streams and waterfalls in Wangxiangu at night and discovering one of the prettiest villages, Huangling
🏖️ Checking out the international architecture in Badaguan, walking along the beaches by the East China Sea, and enjoying fresh seafood in Qingdao
#South China ⬇️
🗻 Staring at the Longsheng Rice Terraces, wondering at the karst mountains, and sailing along the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo (20 yuan banknote)
🥢 Marvelling at Canton Tower, strolling around Guangzhou New Cultural Center, and enjoying delicious dim sum and siu mei in the homeland of Cantonese cuisine
🏙️ Walking through a sea of skyscrapers and futuristic technology in Shenzhen, China’s tech capital
🌆 Taking in the Victoria Harbour skyline on a ferry, taking the Peak Tram up to The Peak, taking a cable car to Tian Tan Buddha, and exploring the islands in Hong Kong
🥧 Immersing in Portuguese influenced street architecture and cuisine in Macau
🏯 Visiting the remarkable Hakka Chuxi Tulou in the countryside of Longyan
🏝️ Cycling around Xiamen Island and walking in tranquil Gulangyu with no cars
🏊🏻♂️ Lying on the beach and swimming in the ocean in Sanya
#Central China 🎯
🪨 Standing before the mighty Terracotta Army, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, and the ancient city walls in Xi'an, a city serving as the Chinese capital for 13 dynasties and a history of 3100 years
🪨 Admiring Buddhist statues carved into cliffs at the Longmen Grottoes and visiting White Horse Temple in Luoyang, one of the four great capitals
⛰️ Riding the glass elevator above the legendary Zhangjiajie National Forest and viewing the Tianmen Mountain’s stairway to heaven in Wulingyuan
🏯 Visiting the picturesque water towns of Furong and Fenghuang
🛳️ Cruising along the Yangtze River from Chongqing through the Three Gorges Dam to Yichang
#Southwest China ↙️
🐼 Hanging out with cute giant pandas at the Panda Research Base, checking out Sanxingdui from over 3,000 years ago, walking through Wuhou Temple and Jinli Ancient Street from the Three Kingdoms era, and indulge in spicy Sichuan cuisine in Chengdu
🏞️ Discovering the breathtaking lakes, pools, and waterfalls at Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong in northern Sichuan
🗻 Climbing the sacred Buddhist heights of Emeishan and standing in front of the 1,300 year old Leshan Giant Buddha
🌉 Experiencing the epic night-time skyline, floating on monorail trains, and walking across the bridge over the Yangtze River in the “easy-to-get-lost” mountain city of Chongqing
🏞️ Gazing at Dazu Rock Carvings and The Three Bridges in rural Chongqing
🏯 Wandering in the old towns of Dali and Lijiang, and challenging yourself at Tiger Leaping Gorge
🏯 Exploring Shangri-La’s alpine meadows and Tibetan monasteries
🏠 Visiting ethnic villages near the mountain and forest city of Guiyang
🌊 Staring at China’s largest waterfall, Huangguoshu Waterfall in Anshun
🏘️ Witnessing the visually stunning sea of red houses over 4,000m above sea level in Seda
🛤️ Taking the Qinghai-Tibet train from Xining to Lhasa along the highest plateau in the world and gaping at Potala Palace
#Northwest China ↖️
🐪 Exploring the Mogao Caves, listening to the singing sand dunes behind Crescent Lake, and riding a camel in the Gobi Desert in the oasis of Dunhuang
🏳️🌈 Staring at the beautiful colourful rock formations at Zhangye National Geopark
🗻 Seeing Tianshan Mountains and Tianchi Lake, while enjoying lamb skewers and dapanji in Urumqi
🏞️ Sleeping under the stars at Sayram Lake and rolling on the Narat Grasslands in Yili
🏜️ Discovering the old city of Kashgar, visiting the Grand Bazaar, driving down the Karakoram Highway, followed by a train ride across the Taklamakan Desert
🛖 Visiting the ancient Western Xia Imperial Tombs in Yinchuan
🏕️ Camping at Qinghai Lake, the largest lake in China, near Xining
🏙️ Looking down on the city from Baitashan, walking across Zhongshan Bridge over the Yellow River, and tasting bowls of Lanzhou lamian in Lanzhou
#Northeast China ↗️
❄️ Chilling at the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival alongside Russian architecture and Siberian tigers while braving some of the coldest temperatures you ever experienced
🏯 Sauntering through the Imperial Palace and relaxing in hot springs in Shenyang
🐎 Riding horses and sliding down the lush grasslands in Hulubuir
