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China is a vast country with a cultural history spanning over 3500 years, boasting numerous unique and captivating architectural marvels. Everyone knows about the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City. However, that's just the beginning. China is home to a plethora of other unique and magnificent architectural wonders such as the Huyền Không Pagoda, the Leshan Giant Buddha, and the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang... Let's discover the most beautiful and famous tourist destinations in China with Mytour!
The Most Famous Tourist Destinations in China
1. The Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province
Arguably one of the most famous tourist destinations in China today. In 1974, while digging a well in the eastern part of Mount Li, Lintong District, a farmer discovered an underground tomb with over 8,000 ancient terracotta warrior statues. These warrior statues were dated by scientists and archaeologists to around 221 BCE and are considered the terracotta army to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang.
According to Chinese beliefs, the deceased continue their lives in the afterlife, and Emperor Qin Shi Huang constructed an entire miniature empire with clay warriors to protect his tomb. This massive undertaking is still undergoing excavation today because the clay warriors are fragile and difficult to preserve. Therefore, the mystery surrounding the tomb of Qin Shi Huang remains unsolved, and the tomb itself has not been fully excavated.
2. Huyền Không Pagoda, Sơn Tây
A highly renowned spiritual tourist destination in China. The Huyền Không Pagoda is nestled deep within a cliff on Mount Hằng Sơn, Sơn Tây Province. The pagoda was built around 1,500 years ago, perched precariously on the cliff about 50 meters above the ground. Despite harsh weather conditions and strong earthquakes, the Huyền Không Pagoda remains steadfast thanks to sturdy wooden beams and supporting columns. It is a favorite attraction for China tourists.
3. Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China - the most famous tourist destination in China. This is one of the greatest architectural feats built by human hands. The Great Wall stretches 21,196 kilometers and was started construction in the 5th century BCE. Most famous is the wall section constructed by Qin Shi Huang from 220 to 200 BCE to protect China from attacks by the Huns, Mongols, and other nomadic tribes. The Great Wall is the most attractive destination for foreign tourists in China.
4. The Forbidden City, Beijing
The Forbidden City is located in the heart of Beijing, it is the largest palace complex in the world. Over 500 years, it has been the epitome of China's political power. The Forbidden City covers an area of 250,000 square meters, including 980 buildings and 8,886 rooms, surrounded by a 7.9-meter-high, 6-meter-thick wall and a 52-meter-wide moat. Inside the Forbidden City are magnificent palaces, splendid architecture, and extravagantly decorated buildings. It is currently one of the most famous tourist attractions in China.
5. Leshan Giant Buddha, Leshan City, Sichuan Province
Another spiritual tourist spot, famous for its giant Buddha statue in China. The Leshan Giant Buddha is the tallest stone Buddha statue in the world. The statue was built over 1,000 years ago with a height of 71 meters. It took over 90 years and a lot of effort and money to complete this project. The statue depicts Maitreya Buddha sitting with both hands on his knees facing the confluence of 3 beautiful and sacred rivers. The Leshan Giant Buddha is a highly attractive tourist destination for domestic and international tours. Besides the temple, this site also features thousands of other exquisite sculptures, ancient temples, and picturesque landscapes.
Top Chinese Royal Residences for Tourist Visits
6. The Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven is a complex of religious buildings located in the southeastern part of central Beijing. It was originally visited by emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties accompanied by a series of elaborate rituals, prayers, and blessings for the nation. The parks surrounding the temple area are quite spacious, covering an area of 660 acres.
Today, The Temple of Heaven is a famous tourist destination in China, equipped with modern facilities including playgrounds, simple entertainment service areas, and fitness areas. Therefore, families often bring their children here to play on holidays. Some open spaces and nearby buildings are often used mostly in the morning for choir programs, folk dances, and other presentations.
7. The Summer Palace
The Summer Palace is a large-scale complex of lakes, gardens, and palaces in Beijing, China. The palace is located on a land area of 720 acres, three-quarters of which are water. In 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace in the World Heritage List.
The Summer Palace is considered a masterpiece of landscape garden design in China. The natural scenery of hills and water combined with modern features such as pavilions, palaces, temples, auditoriums, and bridges create a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic values. The Summer Palace is not only a famous tourist attraction that attracts travelers to book cheap tours but also a very interesting amusement park in China.
The Most Beautiful Scenic Spots in China
The beauty of China is renowned for its majestic mountains, vast plains, and magnificent lakes. China's nature creates a mysterious and enchanting landscape that captivates every traveler. Especially noteworthy are the following destinations.
Truong Dich Dan Ha Geological Park is a stunning tourist destination for check-ins. The park is located in the Cam Tu province in Northwest China. The landscapes here exist vividly, known as the 'rainbow mountains' due to their colors.
The mountains here are vibrant with various colors like red, chestnut, lemon, yellow, and sea blue... This is the result of the accumulation of red sandstone and dry lacustrine sediments, oxidizing.
Stripes of color like a long rainbow across the mountain range - Internet photo
The landscapes comprise many layers, many shapes, most of which are hundreds of meters high; when the sun shines, the colors here appear vividly. It looks like an oil painting as the existence of large red rocks contrasts with the pure blue of the sky.
9. Huangshan Mountain Range
The image of a pine tree growing from a rock with its strange shape and curve seems to be deeply ingrained in the minds of the Chinese when mentioning Huangshan.
The mystical mountains with floating clouds are the most beautiful and famous tourist destination in China. Huangshan focuses on the beauty of mountains in China known as the 'Four Wonders'.
Especially the pine tree on the summit of the Jade Maiden - Internet photo
One is the beauty of pine trees. Huangshan has many ancient pine trees over a hundred years old. Two is the strange-shaped rocks, towering mountains, perilous cliffs, and enticing valleys. Three is the ethereal clouds of Huangshan, with mountains seemingly floating in the sea of clouds, mountains appearing and disappearing, and especially, one should not miss this beauty when admiring the sunrise. Lastly, there are the characteristic streams of water from the Chinese mountains.
The mountains appearing and disappearing in the veils of clouds - Internet photo
The beauty of sunrise on the mountain peaks - Internet photo
10. Huangshan Village
Huangshan Village is a picturesque ancient village with streams flowing around lotus ponds and under graceful, exquisite ancient bridges. The village, with its vibrant life, attracts many Chinese art students.
When traveling here, looking down from above, the village resembles a leisurely buffalo resting amidst the verdant mountains. Stepping into Huangshan Village, visitors will feel as if they have stepped into ancient streets paved with cobblestones, with red brick walls, green tiled roofs, and locals dressed in traditional attire, resembling a time machine taking everyone back through time and space, returning to the Qing and Ming dynasties hundreds of years ago.
The tranquil, serene charm of the village - Internet photo
11. Wuyuan Village
Dubbed as the 'most charming village in China,' Wuyuan Village is a tourist destination in Jiangxi Province famous for its unique ancient architecture blending with vibrant fields of rapeseed flowers.
The bright yellow rapeseed flowers and unique architectural houses nestled beneath the hills - Internet photo
The tranquil village in the early morning mist, with gentle sunlight casting over the winding canals and narrow village lanes. The simple, harmonious lifestyle of the locals here has been preserved through generations. Traveling to Wuyuan Village, tourists will experience a truly 'slow' lifestyle, seemingly vanished by today's fast-paced living.
The peaceful, serene life in the countryside - Internet photo
12. Jiuzhaigou Valley
Jiuzhaigou Valley is a renowned natural conservation park situated at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level, located in the northern part of Sichuan Province, China. It has long been an attractive tourist destination for visitors worldwide with its breathtaking scenery resembling a fairyland.
Jiuzhaigou Valley is formed on a limestone karst plateau on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. It captivates attention with the beauty of its pristine forests, crystal-clear lakes revealing their bottoms, and majestic mountain ranges surrounding the area. Particularly, the color of the water in the lakes can change depending on the sunlight's contrast. All of these elements make visitors feel like they are wandering into a paradise on earth.
A harmonious landscape of sea, mountains, forests, and lakes - Internet photo
The scenery here is stunning in all four seasons. However, Jiuzhaigou Valley is perhaps most beautiful in autumn. Travelers visiting this land around September or October will experience the breathtaking color coordination of nature's landscape. It's the carpet of red leaves stretching out, the rows of golden trees swaying in the wind, painting the sky blue like a masterpiece of art.
The carpet of forest colors reflecting on the water surface - Internet photo
It's the clear emerald-colored lake, transparent to the bottom, occasionally rippled by a gentle breeze.
The emerald-colored water surface - Internet photo
Those are dense green pine forests, with countless cascading waterfalls. The scenery is so beautiful that you can't help but stand there and gaze endlessly, a beauty that leaves people speechless, mesmerized by its enchantment.
The majestic waterfalls - Internet photo
13. Panjin Red Beach
The beach is covered by the brilliant red color of a type of grass growing on the mixed alkaline and saline soil. Originally a nature reserve, it is the habitat of a diverse ecosystem, with the most prominent being the red grass called sueda. In recent years, Panjin Red Beach has become a popular tourist destination in China, attracting many visitors from near and far.
The distinctive red hue on Panjin Beach in autumn - Internet photo
This plant species only grows in waterlogged land with saline and alkaline characteristics. The wild grass starts to sprout and grow rapidly from April and May, during which time it appears green like any other normal grass. But as autumn approaches, this grass species transforms into its characteristic red color, turning the entire beach into a vibrant red expanse, creating a rare and stunning natural spectacle. This waterlogged land has also attracted a large number of rare and endangered wild bird species, including the red-crowned crane and spoon-billed sandpiper.
The bridges leading out to the sea for visitors to explore - Internet photo
Famous tourist cities in China
Being a vast country with a long history of development, China boasts numerous cities that have existed for thousands of years, with many historical architectural landmarks. Alongside this, the rapid development pace of the populous nation has also created some of the most modern and dynamic cities in the world. Below are the most famous tourist cities in China that you can visit.
14. Shanghai
Shanghai, known as the 'Paris of the East,' is one of the busiest and most developed urban centers in Asia. Setting foot in this city, tourists booking affordable tours will be amazed by the dazzling skyscrapers and high-end fashion boutiques lining the Shanghai Bund. However, the iconic structures of the modern era do not overshadow the rich cultural heritage of this city, as Shanghai still preserves ancient temples and historical landmarks of great value.
15. Beijing
The vibrant and bustling capital stands out as a must-visit destination in China, attracting both domestic and international tourists alike. With its delicate blend of ancient architectural marvels and modern vibes, Beijing easily captivates visitors from the first glance. Among them, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China are top priorities. Additionally, the city's cuisine is enticing with its famous Peking roast duck. Once you've tasted it, you can't forget its delicious flavor.
16. Xi'an
Xi'an is the second most culturally historic city in the country after the capital Beijing. Xi'an served as the capital of China during the peak periods of the Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties.
Furthermore, this Chinese tourist destination is the starting point of the famous Silk Road, an ancient trade route connecting Europe and Asia, playing a key role in the ancient Asia-Europe trade system. This foundation has endowed Xi'an with many unique historical sites such as the Terracotta Army in the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor with many unexplained mysteries, the Great Mosque with a history of over a thousand years, or the archaeological site-museum of Banpo.
17. Hangzhou
Locals often whisper, 'Heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below,' hinting at the irresistible charm of Hangzhou and Suzhou. Hangzhou consistently ranks among the most beautiful destinations in Chinese tourism.
Every year, the city entices hundreds of thousands of visitors to explore the scenic West Lake area, marvel at the picturesque riverside gardens, and admire the serene, tranquil waters. Additionally, there are numerous cultural and historical landmarks in the West Lake area such as the Lingyin Temple and the Luhuadang Pagoda...
A distinctive feature that sets Hangzhou apart from other places is its two most outstanding products: tea and silk. Visitors can explore the National Silk Museum, the National Tea Museum, or take the time to learn more about the tea culture.
18. Taizhou
Taizhou lies along the banks of the Yangtze River and is a quintessential tourist destination in China. With its intricate network of canals, Taizhou is often dubbed the 'Venice of the East.' The ancient towns within the city embody the tranquil and serene beauty of traditional Chinese villages: ancient wooden houses silently lining the canals, stone bridges with graceful arches, and locals wearing bamboo hats paddling sampans. Taizhou is also home to over 200 well-preserved classical gardens, seamlessly blending nature, architecture, calligraphy, painting, and bonsai art. Some of these have been recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.
We hope that the list of the most beautiful and famous tourist destinations in China shared by Mytour can help travelers have comprehensive and enjoyable journeys. If you're interested in touring China, contact us via hotline Mytour for advice and to receive attractive promotions.
