24 cities
China city guides
24 Chinese cities — what each one is worth the trip for, when to go, what to eat, and exactly how to book the sights that need it: the official channel, who is authorised to sell, the release rhythm and what documents foreign visitors need.
Beijing Hub cities
An imperial capital with a lived-in hutong heart
April–May and September–October (clear, dry, fewer crowds) · 4–5 days
🏯 Forbidden City & the central axis🧱 Mutianyu Great Wall🛕 Temple of Heaven & the hutongs🏛️ National Museum of China
Shanghai Hub cities
Art-deco waterfront, plane-tree lanes, soup dumplings
March–May and October–November · 3–4 days
🌆 The Bund & Lujiazui🏡 Wukang Road & the former French Concession🏮 Yu Garden & the old town🎢 Zhujiajiao or Disneyland
Guangzhou Hub cities
The city that takes morning tea seriously
October–December and March–April (summers are humid with typhoons) · 2–3 days
🗼 Canton Tower & Pearl River cruise🏛️ Chen Clan Ancestral Hall & Shamian Island🍵 Morning tea in the old Xiguan quarter
Shenzhen Hub cities
A forty-year-old city between the hills and the sea
October–December and March–April · 2–3 days
🎡 Window of the World & theme parks🎨 OCT Loft and the design districts🚲 Cycling Shenzhen Bay🏯 Dapeng Fortress & Jiaochangwei
Wuhan Hub cities
Two rivers, three towns, and 65 bronze bells
March–April and October–November (mild and dry); June–August is the hot, wet window, when about 40% of the year's rain falls · 3–4 days
🏯 Yellow Crane Tower🏺 Hubei Provincial Museum🌸 Wuhan University cherry blossom🌿 East Lake greenway
Xi'an Heritage & landscapes
Thirteen dynasties, and a wall you can cycle
April–May and September–October · 3 days
⚔️ Terracotta Army & the First Emperor's Mausoleum🚲 Cycling the city wall🏮 Big Wild Goose Pagoda & Tang night street🥢 Muslim Quarter & Yongxingfang
Nanjing Heritage & landscapes
Six dynasties, plane trees and lantern-lit canals
March–April and October–November · 2–3 days
🏛️ Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum & Ming Xiaoling🏮 Confucius Temple & Qinhuai night cruise🏺 Nanjing Museum
Suzhou Heritage & landscapes
Gardens, pingtan ballads and a bowl of noodles
March–May and September–November · 2 days
🏞️ Humble Administrator's Garden & Lion Grove🏘️ Pingjiang Road & Shantang Street🏛️ Suzhou Museum & Tiger Hill
Hangzhou Heritage & landscapes
Lake, hills and tea, 45 minutes from Shanghai
March–April (blossom) and October–November (osmanthus) · 2–3 days
⛵ West Lake and the Su Causeway🛕 Lingyin Temple & Feilai Peak🍃 Longjing tea village & Nine Creeks🎭 Songcheng and the Romance Show
Huangshan Heritage & landscapes
Granite peaks above a sea of clouds
April–May and October–November for clear ridges and cloud seas; 20 December–20 January is the official winter season, when tickets and cableways are cheapest · 2–3 days, including one night on the summit for sunrise
🏔️ The summit circuit🚡 The five cableways🏘️ Hongcun and Xidi☁️ Sunrise over the sea of clouds
Zhangjiajie Heritage & landscapes
The sandstone peaks that inspired Avatar
April–June and September–October · 3–4 days
🏔️ Wulingyuan & Yuanjiajie🚡 Tianmen Mountain & glass walkway🥾 Golden Whip Stream hike🛶 Baofeng Lake & Yellow Dragon Cave
Pingyao Heritage & landscapes
A whole Ming–Qing county town that people still live in, not one big compound
Mid-April to end of May, and mid-September to end of October (China Weather city page: mean 10.1 °C, 158 frost-free days, only 439 mm of rain — a dry, crisp climate that makes spring and autumn the easiest seasons; the wall has no shade in July–August, and nights are windy from November to March) · 2 days
🏯 Pingyao Ancient Town (World Heritage)🧭 First: 'Pingyao Ancient Town' and 'Pingyao county' are one place🏛️ Wang Family Compound (Lingshi)⛩️ Qiao Family Compound (Qixian)
Kaifeng Heritage & landscapes
Northern Song Tokyo rebuilt from Along the River During the Qingming Festival, and a park that only starts at dusk
The night season, May to October (the programme page states: opens 09:00, night programme 17:30, closes 22:00) · 2 days
🏮 Millennium City Park🏯 Dragon Pavilion and the Iron Pagoda🖌️ Kaifeng Prefecture yamen🌾 Dongjing Food Street
Xiamen Coastal cities
Sea breeze, arcaded streets and a car-free piano island
March–May and October–December (July–September is typhoon season) · 2–3 days
🎹 Gulangyu Island🚲 Island Ring Road & Zengcuoan🛕 Nanputuo Temple & Xiamen University🏮 Eighth Market & the old town
Qingdao Coastal cities
Red roofs, green trees, blue sea and a bag of fresh beer
May–June and September–October (July–August is busiest and liveliest) · 2–3 days
🌉 Zhanqiao Pier & Badaguan⛰️ Laoshan🍺 Tsingtao Beer Museum & Dengzhou Road🌅 Xiaomai Island & Yandao Island sunsets
Sanya Coastal cities
Palm coast, island ferries and the 18th parallel
November–April; typhoons are possible in August–September (rain gear is worth packing May–October) · 3–5 days
🏝️ Wuzhizhou Island🪨 Tianya Haijiao🌴 Yalong Bay: beach + rainforest park🐠 Atlantis Sanya Aquaventure
Chengdu Southwest
Pandas, teahouses and a slow, very spicy city
March–May and September–November · 3–4 days
🐼 Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding🍵 People's Park & Kuanzhai Alley⛰️ Dujiangyan & Qingcheng Mountain
Chongqing Southwest
An 8D vertical city of cliffs, rivers and chilli
March–May and September–November · 2–3 days
🏮 Hongyadong & Jiefangbei🚝 Liziba monorail through a tower🚡 Yangtze River cableway🍲 Ciqikou & the hotpot streets
Guilin Southwest
Karst peaks, rice paddies and one very good day on a scooter
April–June (high water) and September–October (clear and cool) · 3 days
⛰️ Li River raft, Yangdi to Xingping🛶 Yulong River rafting🌾 Longji rice terraces🏮 West Street & Ten-Mile Gallery
Kunming Yunnan
An eternal-spring plateau city with a flock of winter gulls
Year-round; March–April for blossom, November–March for the gulls · 2–3 days
🪨 Stone Forest karst🕊️ Dianchi Lake and the red-billed gulls🌺 Dounan flower market🌿 Yunnan Ethnic Village & Dragon Gate
Lijiang Yunnan
A Naxi town of stone lanes under a snow mountain
March–May and September–November (rainy June–August; winter is clear but cold) · 3 days
🏘️ Lijiang Old Town & Sifang Square🏔️ Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (glacier cableway)🏞️ Shuhe & the Baisha frescoes🌌 Lashi Lake & Lugu Lake
Harbin Northeast
A city built of ice at minus twenty
December–February (ice season) and July–August (summer escape) · 2–3 days
🏰 Ice and Snow World⛪ Central Street & Saint Sophia⛄ Sun Island snow sculpture expo🏛️ Laodaowai Chinese Baroque
Dunhuang Silk Road
Painted caves and a crescent spring at the edge of the desert
May–June and September–October (July–August is scorching, winter is cold but empty) · 2–3 days
🕍 Mogao Caves🏜️ Singing Sand Dunes & Crescent Lake🌪️ Yardang World Geopark🏯 Yumen Pass & the Han Great Wall
Luoyang Silk Road
Grotto sculpture, China's first Buddhist temple, and a palace city dug back out of the soil
Early to mid-April for the peony festival (all three museums single it out as a schedule-changing event — busiest, but the flowers are real); mid-October to mid-November is the calmer window, with the grottoes running shorter winter hours · 2–3 days
🛕 Longmen Grottoes🛕 White Horse Temple🏛️ Luoyang Museum🏯 Sui–Tang Luoyang City and the old-city gate
Nothing matches.