25 TOP Activities For First Time Tourists In China : Ultimate Bucket List (2026)
👦🏻 What does China offer?
China is similar to the size of Europe and is culturally rich. While most people have heard of a few things, China has a lot of unique activities. The opportunities are endless!
This bucket list offers experiences and activities. It encompasses culture, theatre, dance, music, Chinese language, fitness, food, nature, technology, and more!
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All Over China / Most Cities
1. 🎪 Watching an acrobatics show (e.g. Beijing Chaoyang Theatre)
2. 🎭 Seeing a Beijing opera/ Sichuan opera/ Cantonese opera
3. 🥋 Viewing a martial arts show
4. 🪈 Taking in a traditional Chinese music performance
5. 🏮 Dressing up in traditional hanfu clothing / ethnic clothing
6. 🎭 Attending a traditional Chinese show (e.g. Impression West Lake in Hangzhou)
7. 🌃 Visiting a night market, trying street food, and buying souvenirs
8. 🪭 Watching an ethnic dance performance
9. 🎭 Admiring shadow puppetry
10. 🈶 Taking a calligraphy class taught by a master
11. 🙆🏻 Taking a tai chi class first thing in the morning
12. 🍯 Trying pottery making
13. 👯 Having fun at a traditional Chinese dance class
14. 🌿 Picking tea leaves at a tea plantation (e.g. Hangzhou Tea Plantations)
15. 🧑🏻🍳 Trying a cooking class e.g. making dumplings or noodles
16. 🍜 Going on a food tour with a culinary expert (especially in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi’an, Hong Kong!)
17. 🦞 Visiting a wet market
18. 🛖 Immersing yourself in rural villages (see this article for a list of villages)
19. 🚅 Riding a long distance sleeper train (see this article to see how to book trains)
20. 🎆 Gazing at the incredible fireworks, sparks, and lantern displays during Spring Festival
21. ♨️ Going to a hot spring (e.g. Qingyuan, Tengchong, Sanya)
22. ⛴️ Embarking on a boat trip (e.g. Yangtze River, Victoria Harbour, Pearl River)
23. 🈶 Taking a one-off language lesson to learn everyday Mandarin phrases
24. 🤖 Having a robot deliver food to your hotel room (see this article for how to do this)
25. 🚖 Hopping in a robotaxi and seeing the car drive without anyone in the front seat (see this article for how to do this)
