A
Anhui
Anhui not only has charming natural scenery but also possesses splendid culture. The most distinctive one is Hui Culture, which is shown by historic buildings and heritages, and gorgeous folklore.[find more]
Cities of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Villages of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Chengkan Village Hongcun Village Jixi Lucun Village Nanping Shexian Tunxi Old Town Xidi Village
Arts & Crafts:
Huizhou Ink Stick She Ink Slab Xuan Paper
Natural Scenery:
Famous Historical People:
Local Food:
Hui Cuisine Roast Chicken in Fuli Town
B
Beijing (Peking)
As the capital city, it is the nation’s political centre as well as the culture centre. Because of its history, there are plenty of culture heritages. Most of the buildings and temples built in Ming Dynasty, which well present the traditional Han culture. There are also some traditional arts existing, such as the Peking Opera and crosstalk (Chinese name: xiang’sheng).[find more ]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Religious Art: The Temple of Earth The Temple of Heaven The Temple of the God of Agriculture
Palatial Structures: Beihai Park(the Winter Palace) The Forbidden City The Summer Palace
Folk Architecture: The Hutongs in Beijing
Mausoleums: The Ming Mausoleums
Local Food:
Beijing Traditional Snacks Beijing Roast Duck Beijing Mutton Hotpot
C
Chongqing
Its many nicknames, from the “Fog Capital” to the “Hilly City”, demonstrate how, in spite of constant modernization, the city’s character is very much rooted in its natural surroundings. it boasts two magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Dazu Rock Carvings and the Wulong Karst National Geology Park.[find more]
F
Fujian
Fujian Province, located in the Southeast of China, is one of the richest provinces in China, even though nearly 90% of the land is mountainous. The flourishing tea trade contributes a lot to the wealth of the residents of Fujian. The history of Fujian is full of such immigrations and emigrations. Fujian people are regarded as some of the bravest people in China, as they are never afraid to venture outside of their homeland and fight for a new life wherever they end up.[find more]
Cities of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Xiamen: Gulangyu Island Zengcuo An
Villages of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Gaobei Hongkeng Taxia Tianluokeng Xiabanliao Yunshuiyao
Natural Scenery:
Local Food:
Fujian-style Soup Buddha jumps over the wall (Fotiaoqiang)
Famous People:
Hakka People: Hakka History Hakka Cuisine Hakka Performance
G
Gansu
With the Yellow River winding its way to the south and the Qinghai-Tibetan, Mongolian, and Loess plateaus dominating the north, the geography of Gansu province is one of the most complex in China. Meanwhile, you can find fascinating Buddhist arts like grottoes and temples there.[find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Museum: Gansu Provincial Museum
Religious Art: Labrang Monastery Maijishan Grottoes Mati Temple Mogao Caves The Giant Buddha Temple White Pagoda Mountain Park Wuwei Confucian Temple Wuwei Dayun Temple Yulin Grottoes Yuquan Taoist Temple
Historic Ruins: Hecang Ruins Jiayu Pass Yumen Pass
Folk Architecture: Hu Family Mansion
Cities and Towns of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Dunhuang Lanzhou Tianshui Wuwei Yongtai Ancient Town Zhangye
Natural Scenery:
Crescent Lake Dunhuang Yardang Landform Kumtag Desert Qilian Mountains Zhangye Danxia Landform
Local Food:
Gansu Cuisine Gansu Local Snacks
Guangdong
In China, the province of Guangdong has long been synonymous with commerce and prosperity. Since its time as a major trading hub along the Maritime Silk Road, it has flourished into one of the most populous and wealthiest regions in the world. Like the floods of people who flock to New York to pursue the American Dream, millions of people immigrate to Guangdong every year to try and make their fortune.[find more]
Cities and Towns of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Local Food:
Cantonese Cuisine Cantonese Dim Sum
Famous People:
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is rich in cultural heritage sites and stunning natural scenery. It is home to over 14 million people of the Zhuang ethnic minority, and also to significant numbers of people from the Dong and Miao ethnic minorities and smaller populations of Yao, Hui, Yi, and Shui people.[find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Museum: Guangxi Museum
Folk Architecture: Weizhou Island
Cities and Towns of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Beihai Daxu Ancient Town Guilin: Jingjiang Princes City Nanning: Qingxiu Mountain People’s Park Sanjiang Yangshuo: West Street
Villages of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Zhuang Villages: Guzhuang Village Ping’an Village
Natural Scenery:
Beihai Silver Beach Big Banyan Tree Park Elephant Trunk Hill Jinkeng Red Yao Terraced Fields Longji Rice Terraces Moon Hill Reed Flute Cave The Li River
Local Food:
Guangxi Cuisine Guangxi Local Snacks
Guizhou
Guizhou is one of the most culturally and environmentally diverse provinces in China. It is a mountainous province and is home to several species of animal, and also home to 48 of the Chinese ethnic minority groups, including Miao, Yao, Dong, Bouyei, Tujia, and Gelao people.[find more]
Cities of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Guiyang (Jiaxiu Tower) Kaili Zhenyuan Ancient Town
Villages of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Dong Villages: Chengyang Sanbao Xiaohuang Yintan Zhaoxing
Miao Villages: Basha Langde Upper Village Xijiang
Natural Scenery:
Dragon Palace Cave Huangguoshu Waterfall
Local Food:
Guizhou Cuisine Guizhou Local Snacks Dong Oil Tea Maotai Liquor
H
Hainan
Hainan is China’s southernmost province and is comprised predominantly of Hainan Island, and over 200 smaller, outlying islands. The majority of the island is blanketed in verdant greenery, from towering palm trees and exotic flowers to lush bamboo groves and dense rainforests.[find more]
Hebei
With the Taihang Mountains in the south and the Yan Mountains in the north, Hebei is like a natural fortress nestled deep within the North China Plain. From east to west, the Great Wall winds its way through its northern reaches and terminates at the seacoast of Shanhaiguan in the northeast.[find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Religious Art: Eight Outlying Temples
Palatial Structures: Chengde Mountain Resort
Cities of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Natural Scenery:
Bashang Grasslands Mulan Paddock
Heilongjiang
As China’s northernmost province, the region is renowned for its crisp snowy scenery and the International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. The name Heilongjiang literally translates to mean “Black Dragon River”, the Chinese name for the scenic Amur River which marks the border between China and Russia.[find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Folk Architecture and Customs: Harbin Ice Festival Mohe
Cities of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Natural Scenery:
Jingpo Lake Wudalianchi Global Geopark
Henan
Henan is widely regarded as the cradle of Chinese civilisation. Archaeologists discovered the Oracle Bones and Oracle Bone Script, the earliest known Chinese writing system in history. Over time, three of Henan’s cities (Luoyang, Anyang, and Kaifeng) would come to be ranked among the Seven Great Ancient Capitals of China.[find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Religious Art: Longmen Grottoes Shaolin Temple
Natural Scenery:
Hong Kong
As one of the most densely populated places in the world, Hong Kong evidently holds a particular fascination for people from across the globe. Perhaps it’s the fact that, with over 1,000 skyscrapers and more buildings over 150 metres (500 ft.) than any other city, more people live and work above the 14th floor than anywhere else on Earth, making it the world’s most vertical city.[find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Hubei
Lying at the very heart of central China, Hubei province forms a large part of the middle basin of the Yangtze River. The high profile Three Gorges Dam is located in the west of the province, positioned in Xiling Gorge of the magnificent Three Gorges. You also can find UNESCO World Heritage Sites there both in culture and nature parts.[find more]
Cities of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Natural Scenery:
Hunan
With the ethereal Wulingyuan Scenic Area, picturesque Fenghuang Ancient Town, and sacred Mount Heng, Hunan boasts more must-see tourist attractions than many provinces combined! The poet Qu Yuan was supposedly born somewhere in Hunan and drowned himself in the province’s Miluo River, which became the basis for the legend of the Dragon Boat Festival.[find more]
Cities of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Villages of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Natural Scenery:
Mount Heng Wulingyuan Scenic Area (Zhangjiajie)
Local Food:
Hunan Cuisine Hunan Local Snacks
I
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Inner Mongolia hosts substantial constituencies of the Mongol, Daur, Oroqen, Ewenki, and Manchu ethnic groups and has two official languages; Chinese and Mongolian. The landscape varies greatly, from lush grasslands, dense forests, and misty mountains in the east to scorching hot deserts in the west.[find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Historic Ruins: Khara-Khoto
Mausoleums: Mausoleum of Genghis Khan Zhaojun Tomb
Cities and Districts of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Badain Jaran Desert Gobi Desert Hulunbuir Grasslands Yin Mountains
Local Food:
Inner Mongolian Cuisine Inner Mongolian Local Snacks
J
Jiangsu
Bound by the Yellow Sea to the east and with the Yangtze River cutting through its southern expanses, it’s unsurprising that Jiangsu province has become synonymous with water. It hosts several famous Chinese traditional villages and delicate gardens. The capital city Nanjing is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. [find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Cities of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Local Food:
Jiangsu Cuisine Jiangsu Local Snacks
Jiangxi
Bounded by the Huaiyu Mountains in the northeast, the Wuyi Mountains in the east, the Jiulian and Dayu ranges to the south, and innumerable mountain ranges to the west and north, Jiangxi has long been celebrated as a haven of great natural beauty. It has long been renowned for the blue-and-white porcelain that has been produced in the region for over 1,800 years. You could almost say that this province puts the china in China. [find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Cities of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Natural Scenery:
Jilin
From the Koreans of the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 BC–668 AD) and the Khitans of the Liao Dynasty (907–1125) to the Jurchens of the Jin Dynasty (1115–1234), Jilin’s history is a patchwork of cultures and ethnicities. [find more]
L
Liaoning
Although nowadays its population is dominated by the Han Chinese, this region frequently found itself under non-Han rule throughout the course of history. Whether it was the Khitans of the Liao Dynasty (907–1125), the Jurchens of the Jin Dynasty (1115–1234), or the Mongolians of the Mongol Empire, Liaoning was passed around between different ethnic groups faster than a hot potato! It even formed part of several Korean kingdoms, such as Gojoseon, Goguryeo, and Balhae. [find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
M
Macau
Macau is classified as a Special Administrative Region in China because it was once a foreign colony. Heralded as the “Vegas of China”, gambling has been legal in the region since the 1850s and is the only place in China where gambling is legalised. Meanwhile, Many of the region’s most celebrated historical buildings were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 under the banner the “Historic Centre of Macau”. [find more]
N
Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Ningxia’s official name is Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, since over one-third of its population is made up of the Hui ethnic minority. While most of Ningxia is made up of unforgiving desert, the vast plain of the Yellow River in the north has long been a fertile centre for agriculture. [find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Religious Art: Xumi Mountain Grottoes
Mausoleums: The Western Xia Tombs
Cities of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Natural Scenery:
Q
Qinghai
Qinghai’s main claim to fame is its wonderful scenery and diverse landscapes, meanwhile it is the home to 37 of China’s recognised ethnic minorities, with large constituencies of Tibetan, Hui, Tu, Mongol, and Salar people. With 5 out of its 8 prefectures being designated as Tibetan autonomous regions, the province itself is noticeably dominated by Tibetan culture. [find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Dongguan Mosque Kumbum Monastery
Cities of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Natural Scenery:
Local Food:
Qinghai Cuisine Qinghai Local Snacks
S
Shaanxi
Shaanxi Province is often referred to as one of the birthplaces or cradles of Chinese civilization due to its incredible significance to China’s history and development.Over a period of 1,100 years, from the Zhou Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, 13 feudal dynasties set their capital in this province. [find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Palatial Structures: Huaqing Hot Springs
Mausoleums: Qianling Mausoleum The Terracotta Army Zhaoling Mausoleum
Cities of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Xi’an: Da Ci’en Temple Muslim Quarter The 8 Immortals Temple
The Gao Family Mansion The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda The Great Mosque of Xi’an The Small Wild Goose Pagoda Scenic Area
Natural Scenery:
Famous Historical People:
Qin Shi Huang Wu Zetian Xuanzang
Local Food:
Shaanxi Cuisine Shaanxi Local Snacks
Shandong
Shandong province is best known as the birthplace of two of the greatest philosophers in Chinese history: Confucius and Mencius. The province itself played a pivotal role in the establishment of Chinese civilisation along the Yellow River. The province itself can be roughly divided into two distinct segments: the inland zone and the Shandong Peninsula. [find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Cities of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Natural Scenery:
Local Food:
Shandong Cuisine Shandong Local Snacks
Shanghai
Located right on the coast between the mouth of the Yangtze River and the bay of Hangzhou, Shanghai consists of 18 districts and several islands just offshore in the East China Sea. It is an international modern city. [find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
The Bund The City God Temple District
Local Food:
Shanxi
Shanxi Province is called “the museum of Chinese ancient architecture”. It has more than 70% old buildings constructed during or before Song Dynasty (960-1279) . There also have Yungang Grottoes, Mount Wutai that is one of the four Buddhist pilgrimage destinations. [find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Religious Art: The Hanging Temple Shuanglin Temple Yingxian Wooden Tower Yungang Grottoes
Cities and Towns of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Datong Pingyao Qikou (including Lijiashan Village and Xiwan Village) Taiyuan
Natural Scenery:
Hukou Waterfall Mount Heng The Loess Plateau
Famous Historical People:
Local Food:
Shanxi Local Snacks Traditional Shanxi Dough Cuisine
Sichuan
With its unusual geography, Sichuan is one of the most bio-diverse provinces in China and boasts a range of spectacular nature reserves, from dense highland forests to lush grasslands. Many of these reserves are home to some of the most fascinating and endangered animals on the planet, such as the Sichuan takin, the snow leopard, the clouded leopard, the red panda, and the giant panda. [find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries
Cities of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Natural Scenery:
Local Food:
Sichuan Cuisine Sichuan Local Snacks
T
Tianjin
Often eclipsed by its neighbour Beijing, Tianjin is a much-underrated city and municipality in northern China with a fascinating history and colonial twist. After China’s brutal defeat during the Second Opium War, the Qing Dynasty was forced to sign a treaty that granted Britain and France the right to extraterritoriality in Tianjin, as well as opening the port up to free trade. [find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Tibet Autonomous Region
Often described as “the Roof of the World” and “the Land of Snows”, the Tibet Autonomous Region is located on the Tibetan Plateau, which is the largest and highest plateau on earth. Approximately 90% of the population in Tibet is comprised of ethnically Tibetan people, who are celebrated for their rich cultural heritage, most notably their dedication to the indigenous religions of Tibetan Buddhism and Bön. [find more]
X
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
Xinjiang is geographically divided by the east-west chain of the Tian Shan Mountains, with the Dzungarian Basin in the north and the Tarim Basin in the south. It is home to a number of ethnic minorities, including the Uyghur, Kazakh, Tajik, Hui, Kyrgyz, and Mongol people, most of which are religiously Muslim. [find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Religious Art: Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves Emin Minaret
Historic Ruins: Gaochang Ruins Jiaohe Ruins
Folk Architecture: Grape Valley Turpan Karez Water System
Mausoleums: Astana Cemetery
Cities of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Villages of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Natural Scenery:
Gurbantünggüt Desert Kanas Lake Kumtag Desert (Shanshan) Kunlun Mountains Tarim Basin TianShan Mountains
Local Food:
Xinjiang Cuisine Xinjiang Local Snacks
Y
Yunnan
With the literal meaning of “south of the clouds” so, if you’re looking for a heaven on earth, Yunnan may be as close as it comes. It is the place where you fancy hiking up the misty mountains, relaxing in a backpacker’s paradise, studying China’s ethnic minorities, or marvelling at the majesty of ancient Chinese towns. [find more]
Attractions of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Museums: Dali Prefecture Museum Dongba Culture Museum
Religious Art: Golden Temple Manfeilong Pagodas Three Pagodas
Folk Architecture: Cuihu Park Mu Family Mansion Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture
Cities and Towns of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Chuxiong Dali (Dali Ancient Town) Kunming Lijiang Old Town Shaxi Shuhe Old Town Xizhou
Villages of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Natural Scenery:
Black Dragon Pool (Lijiang) Cangshan Mountains Dianchi Lake Erhai Lake Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Shangri-La County The Stone Forest Three Parallel Rivers Tiger Leaping Gorge
Local Food:
Yunnan Cuisine Yunnan Local Snacks
Z
Zhejiang
As a coastal province, it is riddled with numerous rivers large and small. South of Hangzhou Bay, the terrain becomes distinctly more mountainous and its rocky coast is littered with more than 18,000 islands. The capital city Hangzhou is renowned as one of the most charming cities on earth. [find more]
Cities and Towns of Historical and Cultural Significance:
Local Food: