The worth-visiting cities in China

A picturesque country full of diverse landscapes, cuisine and culture, China boasts captivating cities that showcase its colorful contrasts, from gleaming skyscrapers to cobbled alleyways. It is a country where you can experience ancient traditions and visit world-class attractions, and spend your time exploring iconic landmarks, meeting pandas and meandering through the quiet countryside. From the Great Wall in Beijing to the UNESCO-listed streets of Lijiang, here are some of the best cities to visit in China.

Shanghai

Shanghai is a city that sprawls and seethes with the energy of more than 24 million people and is one of the world’s largest cities. It gradually increased in importance as a city throughout the dynastic ages of the Song and Ming, but it was under the Qing that it boomed to become the most important trading port on the Yangtze River Delta.

In the present day Shanghai is much the same and the shimmering skyscrapers on the Bund are testament to the city’s trading power. You will still find traces of the old however in the numerous historic buildings and the leafy canals of the French Concession.

Hangzhou

Famed for its natural scenery, Hangzhou and its West Lake have been immortalized by countless poets and artists. In the 13th century Marco Polo described the city as the most beautiful and magnificent in the world. Hangzhou’s most famous sight, West Lake, is a large lake separated by causeways and lined with ancient buildings and gardens designed for relaxation and spirituality. Visitors will find pagodas, temples, walking paths and tea farms along its shores.

Chengdu

Found in the Sichuan province, Chengdu is China’s panda capital. Home to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, this city is one of the best places to see these iconic animals.
The research base is dedicated to the breeding and conservation of giant pandas, with a population that has grown from just six in 1987 to over 80 today. And alongside observing them, visitors can learn all about the species at the Giant Panda Museum. Whilst in Chengdu, be sure to check out the city’s tea house culture. The city is also famous for its Sichuan cuisine, so don’t leave without trying a bite or two.

Guilin

Guilin, with its marvelous limestone scenery, is renowned as one of the most beautiful place on earth. On his tour, Former US President Nixon remarked: "I have found that no city can surpass the beauty of Guilin."

Xi’an

Guilin is an hour due west from Hong Kong by air. A tour of Hong Kong can be easily combined with a Guilin tour for visa-free travel.

Xi’an was once the start of the indispensable Silk Road that made commerce between many countries in Eurasia possible. It was also the imperial seat for no fewer than eleven dynasties, before the unification of China between 1000 BC and 1000 AD making it one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. Its most famous attractions is the rather recently discovered Terracotta Army, the protectors of the tomb of the first emperor of China. Xi’an also boast 14th century city walls that are more than 12 km (8 miles) long. They are not only a part of the city history, but traveling in Xi’an sometimes requires going under, on or around them.

See more: Top 10 attractions to visit in Xian, China

Beijing

Beijing is the capital of China and a typical big city that never sleeps. With a population of over 21 million, it is slightly smaller than Shanghai, although it is also the political center of the country and home of iconic spots like Tiananmen Square.

One of the big draws here is the fascinating Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived, and you will find opulent ceramics, artwork, fountains and thrones here. The National Museum of China is also located in Beijing and is one of the most acclaimed art institutions in the country.

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The unusual things to do in Beijing, China

The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace, the Olympic precinct, eye-popping temples around every corner, Beijing is home to a lengthy list of huge tourist drawcards that attract equally huge crowds. But if you are looking for attractions that you might not find in the guidebooks, try these unusual things to do around the Chinese capital.

Ride a tandem bike around Houhai Lake

Houhai Lake is one of the hippest spots in Beijing. It is also known as the “back lake” and is surrounded by restaurants, bars, coffee houses, and boutiques set along cobblestone lanes.
To save on rickshaw fees, hit up one of the bicycle rental stands, which rent by the hour and day, and pedal yourself around the lake. You can even pick up a three-person tandem.

Eat creepy crawlies at Wangfujing Snack Street

While the Wangfujing Snack Street might be touristy, there is no doubt that it is unusual. Scorpions on a stick, silkworms, rabbit heads, seahorses, donkey meat, boiled tripe, snake, wasp larvae, pig brains, lamb spine, the infamous fermented ‘stinky tofu’, these dishes certainly are not what Western visitors are used to seeing on the menu. You will find similar stalls at the Donghuamen Night Market near the Forbidden City, too.

Go karaoke

Karaoke is a staple of the social fabric in China, just like in other East Asian nations. Do not miss out. Venues can be found in most hotels and seemingly along every major street. They are sometimes called KTV, so watch for that on signs.

Check in and pay for a specified amount of time at the front desk, after which you will be escorted to a private room with audio-visual equipment, microphones, a TV, and couches. You can order drinks and sometimes food.

Delve into an underground palace

Located 45 kilometres (28 miles) north of Beijing, the Dingling Tomb is a subterranean mausoleum offering a glimpse into China’s imperial past. While Chairman Mao raided many of the other 13 famous Ming Dynasty Tombs during the Cultural Revolution, this one was opened as a museum in 1959, inviting visitors inside the haunting 400-year-old burial place of the Wanli emperor and his two empresses.

Try cupping therapy

Around China, you will notice some people with giant purple polka-dots on their skin. It is not an exotic disease; it is evidence of cupping therapy, an ancient form of traditional medicine where heated cups are applied to the skin creating local suction.

Cupping therapy is believed to treat a wide range of medical conditions, from rheumatic diseases to blood disorders and skin problems, even though no evidence exists to support these claims.

See more: Dishes you must try before leaving Beijing

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Best specialities you have to try when visiting Beijing

Beijing has so many exceptional dishes and snacks that first-time travelers may not know where to start. To cut through the confusion, we present the must-try local favourites.

Peking Roast Duck at Quanjude

The three things that everyone who comes to Beijing must do: Eat Peking roast duck; climb the Great Wall; and visit the Panjiayuan Antique Market.

Check out Quanjude. Founded in 1864, the restaurant inherited its representational “roast duck in stove” from the imperial court, priced from 238 RMB yuan (36 USD), according to the duck’s quality. Quanjude has nearly 20 locations all over Beijing.

Stewed Liver at the Tianxing Restaurant

Beijingers have a thing for dishes made from intestines. Their famous dishes of pig intestines include luzhu huoshao, baodu and stewed liver. Stewed Pig Liver and Fried Pig Lungs have been around since the Song Dynasty. The stewed pig livers were served in soup thickened with starch afterwards. You can still get the original Huixian taste at the Tianxing Restaurant,.

Xiao Diao Li Tang (Old Beijing Pear Drink)

After having greasy roast duck, how about a refreshing Old Beijing drink? This drink boiled from sweet pears and added edible white fungus, crystal rock sugar, green plums and Chinese Wolfberries is a nutritious drink that is supposed to be good for your throat and lungs. You can try the drink at most of the Beijing cuisine restaurants like Juqi and Xiaodiaolitang, where the drink is served in vintage-style thermos flasks, mostly used in the 1960s.

Qianlong Cabbage

Here’s a must-try dish for veggies. Named after the Qianlong Emperor in the Qing Dynasty, legend has it that the dish was ordered by the emperor at a small, nondescript restaurant during his tour outside of the imperial palaces in disguise and was spoken highly of by him. Though made of cabbage leaves with sesame sauce, vinegar, and honey (and sometimes with black sesame seeds atop the dish), it has been one of the most famous traditional dishes of Beijing and can be found in most of the Beijing cuisine restaurants today.

Zhajiangmian at Hai Wan Ju

Beijing is known for its fried sauce noodles, also known as noodles with soybean paste. It is a dish of thick wheat noodles mixed with sauce made by simmering stir-fried ground pork or beef with salty soybean paste. All locals know Hai Wan Ju has the best fried sauce noodles — you will not only eat the noodles but experience the ritual. It is served in a giant bowl with sauce and garnish, like shredded cucumbers and soya beans, each put in a small plate and laid around the bowl. Compared with this, the DIY burgers they offer are nothing.

The Beijing Mutton Hotpot at Jubaoyuan

If you have taken a stroll in the hutongs in winter, you may have noticed the copper giving off steam in front of some restaurants. Those are the pots that the traditional Beijing Mutton Hotpot uses. If there’s one mutton hotpot restaurant you should go, it must be the Jubaoyuan Restaurant on Niujie. Apart from the top-quality mutton slices, it also offers a limited supply of sesame seed buns. The two Jubaoyuan restaurants on Niujie always have a long queue during rush hour, so you have to make reservations in advance.

See more: Best dimsum restaurants in Beijing

Source: Internet

The ideal places to hunt snow for winter lovers in Asia

If you are not looking to escape the chill of winter, but instead want to take in wondrous snow-covered views while exploring some of Asia’s best destinations, you will find that and more by heading to one of these spectacular places.

Photo @fswildvet

Sapporo, Japan

There are many places in Japan to experience snow, but one of the most popular is Sapporo. This city has a lot of ski resorts only 20 to 60 minutes ride away by car, so, adding that to your day trip itinerary would be bearable.

If you are a beginner, you could try sledding or snow-tubing, on the other hand, if you are not interested in snow games, you may want to time your visit during Snow Festival which usually takes place in February. Despite the freezing cold temperatures, more than 2 million people go to the Hokkaido capital to witness the snow come alive annually and Japan is well-known as one of the snow countries in Asia.

Mongolia

Looking for a snowy place that is unique and far the flocks of tourists? Why not pack your bags, and head to Mongolia in winter? With its majestic landscapes and countryside covered in white, snow seekers will absolutely find their bliss in this pristine and untouched land. For bona fide adventurers, Mongolia can help you unleash your wild side with its mishmash of outdoor thrills, such as canoeing, horseback riding, mountain climbing and skiing.

Harbin, China

The “Ice City,” as Harbin is known, hosts one of the world’s largest snow and ice festivals, the Harbin International Ice Festival. Held throughout much of January and into February, it features some 1,500 larger-than-life ice structures that shimmer with multi-colored lights. Every year there is a different theme, varying from mythical beasts to famous landmarks from across the globe. Harbin and the surrounding area also offers some of the best winter sports opportunities on the planet, including skiing and snow boarding.

Lhasa, Tibet

If you do not mind, or perhaps even revel in, extreme winters, by heading to Lhasa you will enjoy the breathtaking beauty of one of the world’s most jaw-dropping snowy wonderlands with fewer crowds and cheaper hotel accommodation. While it will be cold, it will not be nearly as chilly as you might think, particularly as December and January are dry months and the high-altitude sun is almost always in abundance, making it feel warmer than the temperature would have you believe.

You can also enjoy festivals, like the Monlam, or Great Prayer Festival, in which monks and artisans create colorful butter sculptures for burning during the Butter Oil Lantern Festival. If you are here for the Tibetan New Year, Losar, you can celebrate with the locals by watching dance performances at Potala Palace and even hanging up prayer flags on the temples and mountain tops.

Sapa, Vietnam

Being surrounded by many top summer destinations like Bali, Phuket, and Boracay, it may come as a surprise to you that Vietnam also experiences snow! Even though snowboards and toboggans are not commonplace to Vietnam, you will surely fall in love when what used to be green fields of rice in summer turn to white during the winter.

Beijing, China

Traveling to China during winter? China’s capital gets pretty cold in December, with the average temperature sitting around negative 2 degrees Celsius. Besides being a low-tourist month (you can enjoy super affordable fights and hotels in December in Beijing), you likely find snowfall in this city during Yuletide getaway.

Most of the city’s ski resorts open their doors, when December sets in, meaning you can try your hand at tobogganing, snowboarding and skiing. If you are lucky to catch some snow during your visit, make your way to The Summer Palace, for breathtaking snow views. And do not forget to check out the world renowned Great Wall of China, to enjoy elevated view of its snowy surrounding landscapes.

Shimla, India

Fabulous for a nature retreat, Shimla is surrounded by stunning mountain scenery, while monkeys roam freely along the overhead cables, casually watching the shoppers below. It enjoys snowy winters thanks to its northern latitude, making it an ideal place to escape the intense heat that so many other cities in India endure.

Nearby at Wildflower Hall, you will find a haven for ski enthusiasts seeking refuge from crowded, overly commercialized resorts. This premiere mountaintop resort will make you feel as if you are stepping into the pages of a fairy-tale with its gorgeous vistas of endless forest and snow-capped mountain peaks. Spend your days taking part in whatever winter sport suits your fancy, and indulging in holistic spa treatments, complemented by more extraordinary views.

Read more: 7 Asian dishes you will love during winter

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The yummy dishes you should not miss in Beijing

Beijing has so many delicious dishes and snacks that first-time travelers may not know where to start. Here is the list of must-try dishes in Beijing.

Peking duck

Peking duck is the one culinary event you definitely should not skip, no matter how long your trip is. Ducks are usually roasted over fruitwood until the skin is crisp and the flesh is juicy, before being sliced and served with pancakes, sweet bean paste sauce, cucumber, and scallions. The duck ticks all the right boxes and the vibe is satisfyingly local. Be sure to book in advance or be prepared to queue.

Zhájiàng noodles

Firm, drained, hand-pulled wheat noodles are topped with minced-pork in a smoky yellow-soybean paste reduction in this classic Beijing noodle dish. To balance out the addictive saltiness of the chunky sauce, fresh vegetables are laid to the side, julienned cucumber, crunchy radish and, in modern Beijing, juicy bean sprouts or edamame (fresh soybeans). You turn the toppings through the noodles to reach the flavour-to-noodle ratio of your liking and quietly slurp away. Vegetarian versions swap the pork for tofu.

Chinese Egg Crepe 

A Beijing street food specialty, jianbing is the perfect start to any morning (or afternoon) in Beijing.
Watching the process of creating jianbing is almost as good as actually biting into one. First, your cook will pour a doughy batter (made of wheat and mungbean) on the grill, and spread it around using a flat stick. They will crack a few eggs into the mix and let the crepe grill until it is all ready.

Lamb hot pot

The perfect dish for winter, Beijing-style lamb hot pot features a mild broth boiled in distinctive conical copper pots heated with charcoal, into which diners dip thin cuts of lamb and vegetables. Once cooked, the lamb is often dipped in sesame paste before eating.

Like many other traditional Beijing dishes, the southern and western areas of the city have the highest concentration of lamb hot pot places. Time-honored brand (laozihao) Dong Lai Shun is the best place for visitors to try this dish.

Mala crayfish

Crayfish are farmed in areas such as Hubei and Jiangsu, before being shipped up to Beijing. The current most popular preparation sees the spiny beauties cooked in a broth laced with chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, and other dried spices. Don a pair of disposable gloves and get cracking to reveal the tender meat inside the shells. Ghost Street is the most popular destination for crayfish, and mammoth restaurant Huda attracts the crowds for its lip-tingling version and other spicy dishes. Be prepared for a long wait.

Kungpao Chicken

Kungpao Chicken is a favorite among locals, travelers, and expats all over China. Every Chinese province seems to have their own version of this Sichuan favorite. You will find very numb-spicy chicken in Sichuan and veggie-loaded Kungpao in Yunnan, the Beijing variety features a sweet and savory sauce with a ton of peanuts.

See more: Top 5 historical sites in Beijing, China

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What to do in Beijing at night

When people travel to Beijing, they usually pay more concern in the sightseeing activities in the day. But to maximize your time in Beijing and explore more about Beijing, you can make good use of your night time in Beijing to visit some places that you miss in the day, see the views that is not available to see in the day, or join in activities or shows that are only available at night in Beijing. There are many interesting things for you to do at night in Beijing.

Lose yourself in the Hutong alleys

The hutongs, the winding and maze-like narrow alleys of old Beijing, are the best place to experience local life. In the evening, when the residents are back home after work or school, the hutongs come to life.

The best hutong areas are around the Drum Tower and Tong Luo Gu Xiang. You can have a leisurely walk along the hutongs to see residents playing mahjong in the street, enjoy a jamming session on traditional instruments, or find a local restaurant for your dinner.

Visit Solana

Solana Lifestyle Shopping Park is like a small town coming from the European by air. It is a perfect blend between commercial civilization and the natural landscape and is full of innovation and surprises. As a water shortage city of Beijing, SOLANA has a superior hydrophilic environment on its three sides, the south and east are teeming with the water from Chaoyang Park, and the north from
Landmark Lake.

If not in person, you are hard to believe that there is such a beautiful environment in the city center! Solana houses more than 1,000 international brands, with dozens of retail shops, restaurants as well as a lively bar and clubs. It is located south-west of Chaoyang park, the largest city park in Asia.

Watch a Kung Fu Show

Chinese Kung Fu is a unique Chinese style of martial arts, and probably one of the earliest and most enduring sports, utilizing both brawn and brain. The theory of Kung Fu is based upon classical Chinese philosophy.

The most popular place to enjoy a Kung Fu show is Red Theater. The show, the Legend of Kung Fu, tells the story of a young boy, who dreamed of becoming a Kung Fu master, overcomes difficulties and temptations on the road to enlightenment. This spectacular show is a combination of Kung Fu, acrobatics, and dancing. It is a show not to be missed for Kung Fu fans, or families with kids.

Have beer at Latte

Photo: Latte - Hit Music & Drink

Do not be tricked by its name, despite the Latte moniker, the venue is not at all a quiet café, quite the contrary. As one of the few ticket-free clubs in Beijing, it is very popular, with one customer commenting that “the club at midnight looks like a subway station during morning rush hour”. It is said that Latte’s performances are a bit cheesy, but that does not stop it from being one of the most popular clubs in town.

Read more: A day to visit Beijing, China

Do some shopping

Shopping in Sanlitun keeps tourists and Beijingers on their toes. From local souvenirs to the latest high-tech devices and “Western” fashion, there is nothing one cannot buy.

After a day-trip to Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City, having dinner in a traditional Chinese restaurant, and hanging out in Wangfujing Street is a wonderful way to finish a day. The shopping malls generally close at 10pm. Similar to Wangfujing Shopping Street, Qianmen Street is one of the most popular shopping streets in Beijing, with traditional-style buildings.

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A historical tour of Beijing through 5 sites

The place we know as Beijing today has seen the rise and fall of dynasties and the comings and goings of millions of people. Let's see the development of Chinese capital through five unmissable historical sites.

Source anek.soowannaphoom/Shutterstock

Capital Museum

Source TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

A vast space with multiple levels, the Capital Museum is a comprehensive look at how Beijing has developed, starting with its earliest days of inhabitation. The most interesting section is the highest floor, dedicated to the folk art and customs of old Beijing. Here, you can see artifacts from the past, including hand-sewn silk ‘tiger shoes’ (cloth slippers were typically worn by children with the face of a lion), festival props like lion-dance heads, Peking opera costumes and more.

Yuan Dadu City Wall

Source Wikidata

Beijing was first designated as a capital in the Yuan Dynasty, which was founded by the grandson of Genghis Khan. Across different dynasties, the boundaries of Beijing fluctuated. The second ring road that traces a shape around Central Beijing is the city border established during the Ming Dynasty. But the earliest city fortification was built during the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th century. Remnants of this wall can be seen in an open-air park just above the third ring road.

Shijia Hutong Museum

Once Beijing was selected as a capital, it began to grow and attract people from around the country. Outside of the emperor’s palace, the common folk would live in single-level courtyard homes made of timber called siheyuan (literally translated means ‘four-jointed courtyard’). The history of these structures and the narrow alleyways that formed the arteries of the city is presented at the Shijia Hutong Museum. The hutong lanes dominated old Beijing for some 700 years but many have been demolished to make way for multi-lane roads and more space-efficient apartment blocks. Learn more about this distinct part of Beijing history while it still stands.

Beijing Postcard Museum

This intimate exhibition space focusses on the historic Dashilar neighborhood, located just south of Tiananmen Square. For centuries, this part of Beijing has been home to the city’s greatest artisans and performers. It has also acted as the Ellis Island of Beijing, the first point of entry for migrants from around the country. The Beijing Postcard Museum has amassed a small collection of beautiful maps that present how the city has evolved in recent centuries.

Peking Man

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Discovered in 1923-1927, and then incredibly misplaced during World War II, the fossil remains of Peking Man were unearthed near Beijing in the town of Zhoukoudian. This skeleton of Homo erectus pekinensis is estimated to have lived around 400,000 years ago. Zhoukoudian is about a 1.5-hour drive from southwest of Beijing. There is a modest museum at the site that introduces some facts about Peking Man and his discovery.

Read more: A day to visit Beijing, China

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Best dimsum restaurants in Beijing

If you are an authentic Chinese food lover, you must be familiar with dimsums. Here, we pick the best restaurants in Beijing where you can get the best shrimp dumplings, steamed creamy custard buns, and char siu bao.

Tang Palace

Owned by the Hong Kong Tang Palace Food and Beverage Group, the Tang Palace chain restaurant is almost a household name for dim sum in Beijing. With deluxe décor and a spacious dining hall that resembles the traditional large dim sum restaurants in Guangdong, the Tang Palace is popular among customers from Guangdong. It is said that the branch inside the Beijing Tibet Hotel is the best of all, though you have to find out on your own if it’s true.

Crystal Jade Restaurant

The restaurant in the SKP Shopping Mall is on the must-go list of dim sum lovers in Beijing. It not only features the classic dim sum like shrimp dumplings, chaoshan fenguo, and chilled mango sago pomelo dessert, but also the contemporary dishes like the most photographed tomatoes with Japanese sesame dressing – wait, you said you didn’t see the dressing? It’s inside the tomatoes!

Dragon Court

Indeed, it seems that only the dim sum restaurants with deluxe décor can go with such name today. What’s more, the Dragon Court has proved with its food that the name is no exaggeration. Its steamed creamy custard buns are said to be the best in Beijing, because it managed to achieve the just the right consistency of the creamy custard inside the buns, which is quite tricky. You may also try chaoshan casserole porridge and Guangdong dishes other than dim sum here.

Lei Garden

Lei Garden is an old and well-established restaurant brand for Guangdong cuisine, with Michelin-starred branches in both Hong Kong and Shanghai. Its signature dish Cantonese crispy pork belly, with strictly selected top-quality pork and a sophisticated cooking process, is a taste from heaven. Just remember to reserve the dish before you go to the restaurant, because it’s highly possible that the dish will be sold out!

Hengshan Hui

The restaurant has been the favorite of people from Guangdong and Hong Kong who live in Beijing since its opening in 2008. The authentic flavours of its dim sum have made all praises redundant. What’s also special at Hengshan Hui is its down-to-earth atmosphere that reminds people of the local Guangdong restaurants, where guests actually see dim sum as part of their life instead of a special treat.

See more: Discover the traditional Cantonese dishes

Source: Internet