Must See Cities of Mainland China
China has become an extremely popular tourist destination since the lifting of various travel controls and huge investments in public transports like railways, airlines as well as roads. These measures taken by the Chinese government has encouraged tourism in China. China has an extremely rich history as well as natural beauty. One need to prepare a careful itinerary while traveling to China, a list of must see cities are listed below –
Beijing
The capital of People’s Republic of China, it is not just the political capital but the cultural capital of China as well. There are many important landmarks in the city, the most important being the Tiananmen Square. It is the world’s largest public square and a major tourist attraction for both the Chinese as well foreigners.
There are many grand buildings like the Qianmen gate, museum of Chinese Revolution amongst others around the Tianmen Square. The symbol of the 2008 Olympics – the bird’s nest national stadium is located in the Chaoyang District of Beijing. There are many palaces, parks and temples in Beijing worth visiting as well. The Forbidden City is the most important palace in China. The Temple of Heaven and the Lama Temple are very popular tourist sites. Beijing can also boast of some incredible museums including the Palace Museum of Beijing is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Guangzhou
It is the capital of Guangdong Province which is located in the southern part of China. There are many sights worth visiting in Guangzhou like the Chen Clan Academy locally known as the chen-ja-ci, it is known for its nineteenth century architecture as well as the artistic statues and ivory sculptures that it houses. The Canton Tower is the tallest building in China; besides having an observation deck, the tower also has a 4-D theater among other avenues of entertainment. One can also see many traditional Cantonese buildings reminiscent of the Qing dynasty as well as traditional Guangzhou buildings. It is an interesting place from an architectural point of view.
Guilin
It is located in the North Guanxi district of Southwest China. It is known for its scenery and attracts a number of tourists each year. The main draw is the beautiful and significant mountain peaks and hills around it. The Deicai Mountain, Fubo hill, Elephant Trunk Hill, Peach Blossom River, Reed Flute Cave, Solitary Beauty Peak are amongst the many sights that one can visit from the city. There are buses available that can take one to the mentioned sights and the entry fee varies from one place to another. The city itself also boasts of many museums and parks.
Besides the aforementioned cities – Hangzhou, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou and Xi’an are also popular for tourist activities. One can reach these cities with ease with the help of fast trains.
