Which Provinces Should You Visit In China? Best Types of Attractions For Every Province (2026)
Introduction
A lot of visitors to China flock to the megacities and are quite unaware of what the provinces have to offer. If you ask me, I think Guangdong, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Tibet are the most famous among tourists.
You will find 3 types of attractions listed against each province/region. The point of this list is to highlight the 3 best things about each province. I hope this will help you identify the ones that interest you the most.
This list was created by me and is partly subjective. But youโll find that a lot of people will come up with a similar list if they were asked to pick the 3 strongest things about each province for tourists.
There is no official list that states the top 3 things each province is famous for.
Although only 3 things are mentioned, I must emphasise that some provinces are very strong in all categories. You should look out for them if you are visiting!
For first time visitors, I recommend:
Sichuan for cuisine, pandas, and natural scenery
Hunan for natural scenery, ancient towns, and cuisine
Shanxi for ancient architecture, cultural landmarks, and cuisine
Yunnan for natural scenery, ancient towns, and cuisine
Regarding natural scenery, there are many landscape wonders in China. Check out this article ๐๐ป 20 Natural Wonders You Should See In China
I aim to give you a better understanding of Chinaโs historical, cultural, and natural diversity. Each of these provinces are worth visiting in their own right.
Donโt overlook them because it may be tempting to just focus on the most famous cities. Break it down into multiple trips and try not to do it all in one trip!
This list focuses on the provinces and autonomous regions in mainland China only. It does not include Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, which will be covered elsewhere.
Wishing you an amazing trip throughout China! Do your best to explore as many provinces as you can during your trip!
North China
1. Shanxi ๅฑฑ่ฅฟ - historical sites | ancient architecture | cultural heritage ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ญ
2. Inner Mongolia ๅ ่ๅค - natural scenery | Mongolian culture | outdoor activities ๐๏ธโจ๐ฅพ
3. Hebei ๆฒณๅ - Great Wall | historical sites | cultural heritage ๐ชจ๐ฟ๐ญ
South China
4. Guangdong ๅนฟไธ - Cantonese cuisine | skyscrapers | technology ๐๐๐ค
5. Guangxi ๅนฟ่ฅฟ - natural scenery | multi-ethnic culture | seaside resorts ๐๏ธโจ๐๏ธ
6. Hainan ๆตทๅ - seaside resorts | tropical paradise | water activities ๐๏ธ๐ด๐๐ป
7. Yunnan ไบๅ - natural scenery | ancient towns | multi-ethnic culture ๐๏ธ๐๏ธโจ
8. Guizhou ่ดตๅท - natural scenery | villages | multi-ethnic culture ๐๏ธ๐โจ
East China
9. Jiangsu ๆฑ่ - water towns + gardens | historical sites | Huaiyang cuisine ๐ถ๐ฟ๐
10. Zhejiang ๆตๆฑ - natural scenery | water towns | cultural heritage ๐๏ธ๐ถ๐ญ
11. Anhui ๅฎๅพฝ - natural scenery | villages | cultural heritage ๐๏ธ๐๐ญ
12. Jiangxi ๆฑ่ฅฟ - natural scenery | cultural heritage | spicy food ๐๏ธ๐ญ๐
13. Fujian ็ฆๅปบ - traditional architecture | natural scenery | cultural heritage ๐ฏ๐๏ธ๐ญ
14. Shandong ๅฑฑไธ - Confucius | natural scenery | Shandong cuisine ๐ฟ๐๏ธ๐
West China
15. Sichuan ๅๅท - Sichuan cuisine | pandas | natural scenery ๐๐ผ๐๏ธ
16. Shaanxi ้่ฅฟ - historical sites | traditional architecture | Shaanxi cuisine ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐
17. Gansu ็่ - historical sites | natural landscapes | cultural heritage ๐ฟ๐๏ธ๐ญ
18. Xinjiang ๆฐ็ - natural scenery | ancient towns | multi-ethnic culture ๐๏ธ๐๏ธโจ
19. Ningxia ๅฎๅค - natural scenery | cultural heritage | multi-ethnic culture ๐๏ธ๐ญโจ
20. Qinghai ้ๆตท - natural scenery | wildlife | multi-ethnic culture ๐๏ธ๐ฆโจ
21. Tibet ่ฅฟ่ - natural scenery | cultural heritage | religious sites ๐๏ธโจ๐
Central China
22. Hunan ๆนๅ - natural scenery | ancient towns | spicy food ๐๏ธ๐๏ธ๐
23. Henan ๆฒณๅ - historical sites | religious sites | natural scenery ๐ฟ๐๐๏ธ
24. Hubei ๆนๅ - historical sites | natural scenery | cultural heritage ๐ญ๐๏ธ๐ฟ
Northeast China
25. Heilongjiang ้ป้พๆฑ - winter scenery | snow and ice activities | architecture โ๏ธโท๏ธ๐ฏ
26. Jilin ๅๆ - winter scenery | snow and ice activities | historical sites โ๏ธโท๏ธ๐ฟ
27. Liaoning ่พฝๅฎ - historical sites | natural scenery | multi-ethnic culture ๐ฟ๐๏ธโจ
Relevant articles to plan your trip ๐๐ป
30 Historical Landmarks You Must See In China
30 Futuristic Landmarks You Must See In China
20 Scenic Towns and Villages You Should Visit In China
20 Natural Wonders You Should See In China
20 Engineering Megastructures You Should See In China
5 Skylines You Must See in China: A Full Guide (2025)
Ultimate China Bucket List By A Chinese: 50 Places To Visit In 2025
Prepare
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How To
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