China Attractions

Forbidden City (The Palace Museum)

Tiananmen Square





The Bund

From the Puxi side Pudong, and its thriving financial district, Lujiazui, are right in front of you. Oriental Pearl and Jin Mao Towers stand proudly as a testament to China’s growth and development.
Naturally the best place to see the Bund is from the river, and there are countless river trips to choose from. Some tours take just one hour while others can choose to take an excursion up the river into central China. My personal favorite is the Sea Captain which offers one hour trips for 50RMB. Though other operators may offer the same excursion for a cheaper fare, the Sea Captain, decked out to look like an old wooden ship, offers a luxurious and fun ride around the Bund. Though there are more authentic boats, none are traditionally Chinese, so any trip you make will be pleasure oriented and designed for tourists.
The Bund is a beautiful sight and one of my favorite places in Shanghai. It is worth braving the crowds to visit at night, when the lights of Shanghai sparkle till 10pm and reveal a truly majestic city.

The Mutianyu Great Wall
The Mutianyu Great Wall is about 75 kilometers northeast of Beijing. It's the most famous section for foreigners . Unlike Badaling Great Wall, Mutianyu has a beautiful landscape all the year round, but less tourists there. It was built in the Ming Dynasty, served as a very important a...
The Mutianyu Great Wall is about 75 kilometers northeast of Beijing. It's the most famous section for foreigners . Unlike Badaling Great Wall, Mutianyu has a beautiful landscape all the year round, but less tourists there. It was built in the Ming Dynasty, served as a very important and strategic pass in the old days. There are two unique features of the Mutianyu Great Wall. The other parts of the Great Wall have battlements on the outer sider only. But the surroundding wall of the Mutianyu section with merlons on both sides. So, you can image how important strategic place it was .Sometimes, the enemy came from either side. Another feature of Mutianyu Great Wall is the branch walls. Which was built on the mountain ridge but connected with the main wall. There was the watch tower on the branch wall also.
It's accessible by cable cars from below, and use the toboggan to slide down.
Bus No. 926 to Huai rou Country , and take a Mini bus ( 10 RMB or 20 RMB ) to the Great Wall.

The Summer Palace
The Summer Palace is located on the northwest outskirts of Beijing, about 20 kilometers away from the center of the city. It is formed mainly of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake ,covering a total area of over 290 hectares while Kunming Lake occupies three quarters of the whole area. As the best pr...
The Summer Palace is located on the northwest outskirts of Beijing, about 20 kilometers away from the center of the city. It is formed mainly of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake ,covering a total area of over 290 hectares while Kunming Lake occupies three quarters of the whole area. As the best preserved imperial garden in the world and one of the largest of its kind still existing in China today, it was placed on the List of World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1998.
According to the legend ,there were supposed to be 3 islands called Penglai, Yingzhou and Fangzhang to the east of Bohai Bay, where people believed that the Gods lived. One of the island-Penglai Island was where a kind of Chinese herbal medicine grew which was supposed to prolong people’s lives. Emperor Qin Shihuang ,the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty and Emperor Wu Di in the Han Dynasty both sent lots of people to look for the herbal longevity medicine in Penglai Island but both of them failed . After the failure, Emperor Wu Di ordered people to dig a big pool at the back of his palace with 3 artificial hills representing the 3 Fairland Mountains of Penglai, Yingzhou and Fangzhang. Since Han Wu Di built a big pool with 3 artificial hills in his garden, this layout became a traditional legendary style of gardening followed by one dynasty after another. The Summer Palace was also built in this traditional style.
“Although it is artificial, it looks like the masterpiece from the hands of God.” This is a basic construction theory in our ancient Chinese Architecture . And the Summer Palace has been the most beautiful illustration of it.
East Gate of the Summer Palace (Dong-gong-men Stop):
Bus 330、331、332、346、394、712、718、726、732、737、801、808、817、826
North Gate of the Summer Palace (Bei-gong-men Stop):
Bus 303、330、331、346、375、384、393、634、716、718、737、801、808、817、834、Express 5
South Gate of the Summer Palace ( Xin-jian-gong-men Stop):
Bus 374、437、481、952、704、992
West Gate of the Summer Palace ( Xin-jian-gong-men Stop):
Bus 469

West Lake (Xi Hu)
In China there are 36 West Lake, but we people mentioned "West Lake" usually refers to the Hangzhou West Lake.
There are ten famous Scenes Spots of West Lake we call it "西湖十景", which are:
In China there are 36 West Lake, but we people mentioned "West Lake" usually refers to the Hangzhou West Lake.
There are ten famous Scenes Spots of West Lake we call it "西湖十景", which are:
Remnant Snow on the Bridge in Winter (断桥残雪)
Dawn on the Su Causeway in Spring (苏堤春晓)
Curved Yard and Lotus Pool in Summer (曲院风荷)
Leifeng Pagoda in the Sunset (雷峰夕照)
Moon over the Peaceful Lake in Autumn (平湖秋月)
Two Peaks Piercing the Clouds (双峰插云)
Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon (三潭印月)
Orioles Singing in the Willows (柳浪闻莺)
Fish Viewing at the Flower Pond (花港观鱼)
Evening Bell Ringing at the Nanping Hill (南屏晚钟)

The Temple of Heaven (Tiantan)


Villages around Lijiang
There are 25 ethnic group people living in Lijiang,but most of them are living in the big mountain,and usually the higher of their villages,the poorer they are. Do pay a visit to the Minority people when travel to Lijiang.
1. Rent a car 2, use public transportation 3, house back riding ...
There are 25 ethnic group people living in Lijiang,but most of them are living in the big mountain,and usually the higher of their villages,the poorer they are. Do pay a visit to the Minority people when travel to Lijiang.
1. Rent a car 2, use public transportation 3, house back riding 4,Hiking
Pagination
China Articles

Ten Famous Hutongs
Of the more than 1,000 alleys left, there are ten most distinctive ones attracting thousands of tourists from home and abroad. Some of them are famous for the old-style buildings, while some house many traditional and time-honored workshops. Walking along the crisscrossing lanes, you will definately immerse in the peaceful atmosphere.
South Gong and Drum Lane (Nanluogu Xiang)
Skewed Tobacco Pouch Street (Yandai Xiejie)
Mao'er Hutong
Guozijian Street
Liulichang Cultural Street
Jinyu Hutong
Dongjiaomin Lane (Dongjiaomin Xiang)
Xijiaomin Lane (Xijiaomin Xiang)
Ju'er Hutong
Bada Hutong
Besides, there are still many less famous ones also worth a visit, such as Yichi Street - the shortest one, Jiuwan Hutong, with 13 turnings, and Lingjing Hutong - the widest one.

5 China’s Top National Parks
1. Wulingyuan National Park — Zhangjiajie’s Precipitous Pillars
...1. Wulingyuan National Park — Zhangjiajie’s Precipitous Pillars
Wulingyuan is usually the only one of China’s national parks to make it to a top-in-the-world list. It features some awesome towering geology, alongside rich wildlife. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park makes up most of it, alongside Suoxiyu Nature Reserve. Its inspiration for the floating rocks in Avatar has added to its fame.
●Popular activities: hiking, mountain climbing, photography, rafting, and Halleluyah Mountain dreams?!
● Access: From Zhangjiajie take a bus or private transport 1 hour north to Wulingyuan. From there hike or take local transport on park roads.
●Suitable for: able hikers, with enough to tire the fitter and more adventurous
●Best time(s) to visit: October is the best month, with cooler temperatures and fall foliage; but for summer activities like rafting go in the early summer to beat the rain.
●Popularity: Expect crowding at the major view points at peak times, otherwise there’s moderate to low visitor concentration.
●Facilities: two cableways, an elevator, and electric cart; farm houses and small tourist shops provide food and snacks inside the park
●Accommodation: The best hotels are in Zhangjiajie, otherwise there are some good hotels in Suoxiyu and the west gate, but farmers’ guesthouses inside the park can be quite rudimentary.
●Days needed for a classic tour: 3 days are needed to see the main attractions in the park.
2. Jiuzhaigou National Park — Multicolored Mountain Lakes
Jiuzhaigou (‘Nine-Village Valley’) National Park is known for its colorful lakes in high-altitude valleys, with waterfalls, snowy peaks, forested slopes, and Tibetan villages. It’s a classic national park.
●Popular activities: Hiking, photography, marveling at lakes and reflected mountains
●Access: flight or 8-hour bus ride from Chengdu; then 50 km of good park roads are plied by buses and hikers
●Suitable for: All who can tolerate mountain bus journeys will enjoy it. Altitudes over 3,000 m in the upper valleys shouldn’t trouble very fit hikers; others should be prepared to take it easy.
●Best time(s) to visit: The fall colors reflected in the lakes is when the park is at its prettiest. Winter is harsh there and travel is unadvisable.
●Popularity: Avoiding the Chinese holiday crowds (especially Oct. 1–7), when the park in overrun, it is still difficult to get away from tourists at the main speak times.
●Facilities: good valley roads, guest houses, and Tibetan-family-run shops/eateries
●Accommodation: better hotels outside the park gate; much simpler guest houses inside
●Days needed for a classic tour: 2+ days to hike the main sights, 1 day with transport
3. Guilin Li River National Park, Guangxi — Karst Landscapes
More of a scenic area, with not much of a national park feel, the Li River National Park has no entrance and fee to get in. It covers the 80-km (50-mile) stretch of river between Guilin and Yangshuo, bounded by classic sheer karst hills, which have inspired many a poem and ink painting.
●Top features: Nine Horse Fresco Hill, Yellow Cloth Shoal, 20-Yuan-Bill Hill, Xingping Ancient Town
●Popular activities: cruises, hiking, photography, hill climbing
●Access: from Guilin, take a Li River cruise, or visit villages along the river by mountain/rural roads
●Suitable for: Anyone can take a cruise or vehicle to see this amazing limestone and water scenery.
●Best time(s) to visit: summer for misty peak views after the rain; fall for drier, cooler weather
●Popularity: Immensely popular, dozens of tour boats ply the river daily, but you can find quieter villages and hills to enjoy relative peace
●Facilities: Cruise boats serve buffet lunches, bamboo rafts offer another way to see the river; Guilin and Yangshuo offer everything from Western food to local specialties, while farmer restaurants along the river provide simple local fare.
●Accommodation: hotels in Guilin and Yangshuo are the mainstay with all price ranges, though more modest lodging is offered in Xingping and other riverside resorts
●Days needed for a classic tour: 1 day for the main sights + 1/2 days to explore Guilin and Yangshuo
4. Huangshan National Park — the Legendary Yellow Mountains
Surrounded in myths of ancient immortals, the Yellow Mountains have some bizarrely charming geomorphology. Compact and complex, this National Park has it all in a small area. There are peaks to climb, gorges to hike, and ethereal sights to see.
●Top features: the seas of clouds, bizarre rocks like ‘Monkey Watching the Sea’, and strange pines like Welcoming Guest Pine
●Popular activities: trekking the mountain paths, photography, gazing out over the swirling mists and island-like peaks, getting up before dawn to see the sun rise
●Access: 3 hours by coach from Hangzhou or 1 hour from Huangshan to the main gate; there are taxis in the park to take you to the cableways, but from there it’s by foot on narrow concrete paths and steps.
●Suitable for: Avoiding the steepest climbs and the long hikes, most of the top sights are accessible even by those of low fitness.
●Best time(s) to visit: Summer is best for weather, but crowded; winter beautiful and peaceful, but treacherous underfoot and closed in places. The intermediate seasons offer a compromise.
●Popularity: Crowds peak in the summer, when the narrowest of passes become queuing places, as lines of tourists march up and down alternately, and Welcoming Guest Pine becomes clogged with hundreds trying to snap themselves in front of it.
●Facilities: Three cableways, including Asia’s longest telpher, and a monorail provide access from every side. The mountainside is well-signed, and there are plentiful (though expensive) restaurants and shops. There’s a hot-spring spa at the mountain foot.
●Accommodation: The mountain-top hotels offer everything from 4* to dorms, all at least twice the price of those at the mountain bottom. An overnight stay is recommended to catch the dawn and to save time going up and down.
●Days needed for a classic tour: Typically 2 days are spent on the mountain (though 3 or 4 days are needed to see everything)
5. Lijiang Yulong Xueshan National Park — with Tiger Leaping Gorge
Yulong Xueshan (‘Jade Dragon Snow Mountain’ 5,596m or 18,360 ft) National Park includes popular hiking route Tiger Leaping Gorge on its west side. The mountain has glaciers and a small ski resort, and the Yangtze thunders north in the gorge, one of the deepest and most spectacular in the world.
●Popular activities: hiking, photography; viewing glaciers, yaks, and snowy peaks, imagining tigers leaping the cataract?!
●Access: The gate is 15 km north of central Lijiang. Trams go up to 4,500 m (14,800 ft) where the glacier park is and to other mountain sights. Take the G214 to 40 km (25 mi) north of Lijiang to access 30-km-long Tiger Leaping Gorge.
●Suitable for: The gorge hike is strenuous but enjoyable for those of normal fitness. A trip up the mountain, especially with physical exertion, should be viewed with caution, due to altitude sickness, especially at Glacier Park.
●Best time(s) to visit: from February to June is the best time to visit the snow mountain.
●Popularity: you can visit Yunnan all year round, but avoid the Chinese holiday crowds (especially Oct. 1–7).
●Facilities: Tiger Leaping Gorge is well-developed for hiking tourists with plenty of shops and hostels. Trams, oxygen, and the usual range of day-visit facilities are available on Yulong Mountain.
●Accommodation: good hostels on the gorge hiking route, and plenty of hotels in Lijiang
●Days needed for a classic tour: The Tiger Leaping Gorge hike is best done over two days. Take one day to explore Jade Dragon Mountain.

Types of Roofs on traditional Chinese Architecture
Types of Roofs on traditional Chinese Architecture
...
Types of Roofs on traditional Chinese Architecture
When visiting Chinese traditional architecture, do you feel perplexed by the "almost-the-same" architecture? You have no idea what the difference is between all these buildings. Here I will introduce you several types of roofs which is the most direct part to know about the social status of its owner.
1. Hip/Hipped Roof (Wudian Roof)
See the 1st picture below
Hipped Roof is of the highest level in traditional Chinese architecture. Only the royal family and Confucius had the privilege to use such style of roof. Such roof has five ridges and four sides, all in the form of gentle slope.
2. Eastern Asia Hip and Gable Roof (Xieshan Roof)
See the 2nd picture below
The roof on the building in front of us is called Eastern Asia Hip and Gable Roof. Let's count how many hips it has. Okay, the horizontal one on the top, called main ridge; connecting the main ridge, there are four other ones, called vertical ridges and after a stop, there are four more, called diagonal ridge. To sum up, nine ridges in total. Therefore, such roof is also called "Nine-Ridge roof". In Chinese, the roof has a interesting name, literally meaning a mountain taking a break.
Such kind of roof is only next to hipped roof in terms of social position. Now let's look at the side of the roof. Does it look like a mountain? Yes, therefore, this side is called pediment/gable.
3.Suspended Roof (Xuanshan Roof)
See the 3rd picture below
The roof we can see now is called suspended roof. It's hard to tell where is it suspended from. Well, to understand the name, it requires a little bit imagination. Look at the side of the roof, it formed a triangle. Does it remind you of a small mountain? Yes. And the roof on top of it does not stop at the edge,instead, it stretches out and looks like it is suspended on the mountain.Therefore, it is called "suspended roof".
Speaking of the social ranking, such roof is not of high level. It is the most common type and could be used by ordinary people or used as side hall in palace and temple.
4."Hard mountain Roof" or "Ying Shan Roof".
See the 4th picture below
Since we have covered the "suspended roof", let's talk about it's sister "Hard mountain Roof" or "Ying Shan Roof". The major difference between the two sisters lies in whether the roof goes beyond the pediment. If it does, then it is the suspended roof, if it doesn't, then it is the "hard mountain" roof. Sometimes, the pediment can even goes beyond the roof. Such roof style is called“fire-sealing gable". And you can tell from the name that such style is helpful for preventing the fire from going wild. In fact, not only the "fire-sealing gable" but all "hard-mountain roofs" are helpful for limiting the fire. Why is it? Because unlike the other styles whose wooden structure are partly exposed, such style constructed the ends of the purlin into the pediment. Looking from outside, it reminded the ancient Chinese people of solid and hard mountain, thus came the name.
In contrast, the suspended roof is helpful for preventing the rain from wetting the room. Since the south part of China is raining, therefore, it is widely used in the south, while the hard-mountain roof is commonly used in the north.
5.Pavillion Roof
See the 5th picture below
Pavillion Roof is commonly used on pavilions, pagodas and so on. It looks like a big cone.
Pagination
Top China Tours

Private Hangzhou Day Trip from Shanghai by Bullet Train
Take in the highlights of beautiful Hangzhou on a private full-day tour from Shanghai. After hotel pickup and transfer by high-speed train to Hangzhou, your private guide takes you to see some city attractions, such as Faxi temple. Moreover, enjoy a tasty lunch at a local restaurant before heading to Longjing village. There, learn about the process of farming and producing dragonwell tea, the region’s most famous product. Finally, enjoy a scenic boat cruise on UNESCO World Heritage-listed West Lake before returning to Shanghai.
...Read more
Take in the highlights of beautiful Hangzhou on a private full-day tour from Shanghai. After hotel pickup and transfer by high-speed train to Hangzhou, your private guide takes you to see some city attractions, such as Faxi temple. Moreover, enjoy a tasty lunch at a local restaurant before heading to Longjing village. There, learn about the process of farming and producing dragonwell tea, the region’s most famous product. Finally, enjoy a scenic boat cruise on UNESCO World Heritage-listed West Lake before returning to Shanghai.
This is a private, full-day trip from Shanghai to Hangzhou. After you are picked up in your hotel lobby in the early morning, you will take a bullet train to Hangzhou. This is the fastest way to Hangzhou and you can experience train speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour. Your tour begins at one of Hangzhou's signature sites, the West Lake. Enjoy a lake cruise to see the top ten West Lake scenic views. You will then be taken to experience the wonderful cuisine of Hangzhou at a local restaurant. After lunch, you will visit Faxi temple, a well-known Temple dating back to the Jin Dynasty. See its famous wooden Buddha. Here, you will see fewer tourists and more locals. Finally, enjoy a cup of green tea when you visit the famous Longjing village to see wild fields of Longjing tea bushes where the locals produce the world famous green tea- Longjing Tea. In the village, all locals are tea farmers and you will see the entire procedure of making the famous tea and will get the chance to taste the best quality emperor tea. Afterwards, you will take the bullet train back to Shanghai and you will be returned to your hotel.

Guangzhou
Day 1 Arrive in Guangzhou
Arrive in Guangzhou in the morning, you will be met and transferred to hotel, then visit Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. The Memorial Hall is a very famous historical scenic spot. It is in memory of Sun Yat-sen, the great revolutionary forerunner. After that proceed to visit the Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family. It is a unique site for offering up sacrifices to worship ancestors of 72 Chen families in Guangdong. This ancestral temple is also the largest, best preserved and best decorated ancient architecture existing in Guangdong province.
...Read moreDay 1 Arrive in Guangzhou
Arrive in Guangzhou in the morning, you will be met and transferred to hotel, then visit Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. The Memorial Hall is a very famous historical scenic spot. It is in memory of Sun Yat-sen, the great revolutionary forerunner. After that proceed to visit the Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family. It is a unique site for offering up sacrifices to worship ancestors of 72 Chen families in Guangdong. This ancestral temple is also the largest, best preserved and best decorated ancient architecture existing in Guangdong province.
Day 2 Guanzhou Tour
After breakfast, you will go to Yuexiu Park first, the largest and the most famous park in downtown Guangzhou. There are three artificial lakes and seven hills of Yuexiu Mountain. Then you will visit Temple of Six Banyan Trees, which is one of the four best Buddhist temples in Guangzhou and located on the Liurong Road (meaning the Six Banyan Trees Road). The Nanyue King Tomb Museum is a must-see Guangzhou attraction, which dates back to 2,000 years ago, is the earliest large scale painted stone chamber tomb ever found south of the Five Ridges. Buried with the tomb owner in a jade shroud are a gold seal and a lot of exquisite jade adornments. It has become a world famous museum. After the day tour you will be transferred to airport for your next destination.

Pingyao Highlights Walking Tour
Pingyao Highlights Walking Day Tour
With our guide to know the Ancient Pingyao better!
Our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby at 08:00 or 08:30, then show you the ticket office to get the ticket for the museums we will visit later.
...Read morePingyao Highlights Walking Day Tour
With our guide to know the Ancient Pingyao better!
Our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby at 08:00 or 08:30, then show you the ticket office to get the ticket for the museums we will visit later.
First we will visit the 700 years old City wall, We will climb up from south gate and have a walk on the wall. We are not sure how many km we can walk, because of the renovating of the wall. Normally we will walk from south gate to the Yunlu Exit.
Then visit the Confucius temple, there is a old building named Dacheng Hall which is over 840 years old. From outside, we can see the big wood joints to lift the big roof around the building which is named Dougong. Due to this design, there are less columns inside the hall for giving the big space for the statues and the prayer. We have chance to see the Confucius statue and learn the philosophy of Confucius. If you like, you can pray for you and your children to get better study.
There is the Paper Cutting master named Wentao nearby the exit of Confucius temple. She is very smart and create the new style paper cutting with much more details and good wishes on it. Her products are made by hanks. It is worth to visit and buy as a souvenir from Pingyao. From the table standing and wall hangings. Please remember, take the red one because of red is the traditional and happy color. But the white one is the best. It is really difficult to choose, because of all of them are really nice.
Then you can have coffee break or tea break if you need at Chummy coffee, after this, visit the City god temple (ChenghuangMiao) which is most beautiful temple inside the wall. Because of the roof is covered by the colorful glazed tiles. There is not only city god and also the three money gods, Now you know why pingyao was the financial center.
Next we will visit the Ancient government building, to see the pingyao politics center in the ancient time. It is the complete building with officials bed room, kitchen and private garden. Follow the guide to look the official’s life from the 250km far away from the hometown.
Have a stroll in the alley to the Rishengchang exchange bank, which is the first bank all of china.You can not miss it.
After lunch, walk to the Ming and Qing street, this is the shopping street full of the stores on the both side of street. You can find alot things here , from post card to lacquered boxes, and wall panels. One more place to see, it is the Armed escort agency also named security and transport service for the business man before the bank founded.
Inlcusions
1.private english speaking tour guide servcie
2.bottle water for the tour