Fascinating places to visit in China
Jiu Zhaigou
Jiuzhaigou literally: "Valley of Nine Fortified Villages" is a nature reserve and national park located in the north of Sichuan province, China.
Jiuzhaigou Valley is part of the Min Mountains on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau and stretches over 72,000 hectares (180,000 acres). It is known for its many multi-level waterfalls, colorful lakes, and snow-capped peaks. Its elevation ranges from 2,000 to 4,500 metres.
Jiuzhaigou Valley was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992 and a World Biosphere Reserve in 1997.
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi province, located in the northwest of China, in the center of the Guanzhong Plain.One of the oldest cities in China, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming dynasty. Xi'an is the oldest of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, having held the position under several of the most important dynasties in Chinese history, including Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang.
Xi'an is the starting point of the Silk Road and home to the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.
Beijing
Beijing is the capital of Communist China and one of the most populous cities in the world. It is the second largest Chinese city by urban population after Shanghai and is the nation's political, cultural, and educational center.
The city's history dates back three millennia. As the last of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, Beijing has been the political center of the country for much of the past eight centuries. The city is renowned for its opulent palaces, temples, parks and gardens, tombs, walls and gates, and its art treasures and universities have made it a center of culture and art in China.
Guilin
Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, situated on the west bank of the Li River, and bordering Hunan to the north. Its name means, "Forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city. The city has long been renowned for its scenery of karst topography and is one of China's most popular tourist destinations.
"Guilin's scenery is best among all under heaven."
- popular Chinese saying
Tibet
Tibet (pinyin: XÄ«zàng) is a region on the Tibetan Plateau in Asia northeast of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Qiang and Lhoba peoples and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han Chinese and Hui people. Tibet is the highest region on Earth, with an average elevation of 4,900 metres (16,000 ft).
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest Chinese city by population. It is one of the four direct-controlled municipalities of China, with a population of more than 24 million as of 2013. It is a global financial center, and a transport hub with the world's busiest container port.
Shanghai is a popular tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks such as The Bund, City God Temple and Yu Garden as well as the extensive Lujiazui skyline, many skyscrapers, and major museums including the Shanghai Museum and the China Art Museum. It has been described as the "showpiece" of the booming economy of mainland China
Hangzhou
Hangzhou is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. It sits at the head of Hangzhou Bay on China's coast between Shanghai and Ningbo. Hangzhou grew to prominence as the southern terminus of the Grand Canal and has been one of the most renowned and prosperous cities in China for much of the last millennium, due in part to its beautiful natural scenery. The city's West Lake is its best-known attraction.
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of China, located in the far southwest of the country.
Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with high elevations in the northwest and low elevations in the southeast. Most of the population lives in the eastern part of the province. In the west, the altitude can vary from the mountain peaks to river valleys as much as 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). Yunnan is rich in natural resources and has the largest diversity of plant life in China.
Yunnan Province, due to its beautiful landscapes, mild climate and colorful ethnic minorities, is one of China's major tourist destinations.
Chengdu
Chengdu is the provincial capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China, as well as a major city in Western China.
Chengdu is one of the most important economic, financial, commercial, cultural, transportation, and communication centers in Western China. The fertile Chengdu Plain, on which Chengdu is located, is also known as the "Country of Heaven"
The giant panda, a Chinese national treasure, is one of the rarest animals in the world. Sichuan Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve, the biggest of its kind in the world, is only 130 km outside Chengdu.
Gansu
Gansu is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northwest of the country.
The Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, covering an area of 510 square kilometres, is located 30 kilometres west of the city center. Known for its colorful rock formations, it has been voted by Chinese media outlets as one of the most beautiful landforms in China.
Mogao Caves are the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes and, along with Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, are one of the three famous ancient Buddhist sculptural sites of China.
