Three Gorges China’s most awesome river panorama.
Lí River The hypnotising karst landscapes of northeast Guǎngxī.
Star Ferry, Hong Kong The short but iconic ferry hop across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui.
Evening river cruise, Chóngqìng Before getting all misty on the Yangzi, experience Chóngqìng’s nocturnal, neon performance.
Qīngyuǎn boat trip, Guǎngdōng Lazily float along the Běi River, past secluded Fēilái Temple and Fēixiá monastery.
Fantastic Food
With its novel flavours, unexpected aromas and tastes, China is a true culinary adventure. Head west for zing, zest and spice, north for hearty and salty flavours, east for fresh and lightly flavoured seafood, and south for dim sum.
Peking duck Once bitten, forever smitten, and only true to form in Běijīng.
Chóngqìng hotpot Sweat like you're in a sauna over China’s most volcanic culinary creation.
Xiǎolóngbāo Shànghǎi’s bite-sized snack packs a lot of flavour (but watch out for the super heated meat juice).
Dim Sum Head to Hong Kong for the very best in China's bite-size delicacies.
Museums
Urbanisation means that museum collections can be the clearest window onto China’s past, and they are ubiquitous, covering everything from ethnic clothing to clocks, Buddhist artefacts and vanished civilisations.
Palace Museum The official and highly prosaic name for the Forbidden City, China’s supreme link to its dynastic past.
Shànghǎi Museum A dazzling collection of ceramics, paintings, calligraphy and much more at the heart of Shànghǎi.
Alashan Museum Terrific museum and collection of artefacts and objects relating to Ālāshān and Mongolian culture.
Hong Kong Museum of History Entertaining, resourceful and informative.
Nánjīng Museum A lavish celebration of Chinese culture's big hitters, with astounding exhibitions.
Sacred China
From the esoteric mysteries of Tibetan Buddhism to the palpable magic of its holy Taoist mountains and its disparate collection of Christian churches, mosques and shrines, China’s sacred realm is the point at which the supernatural and natural worlds converge.
Pǔníng Temple, Chéngdé Be rendered speechless by China’s largest wooden statue, a towering effigy of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy.
Labrang Monastery Tap into the ineffable rhythms of southern Gānsù’s place of pilgrimage for legions of Tibetans.
Gyantse Kumbum An overwhelming sight and monumental experience, the nine-tiered chörten is Tibet’s largest stupa.
Dà Zhào Hohhot's riveting and colossal Tibetan Buddhist temple at the heart of the Inner Mongolian capital.
Wǔdāng Shān Commune with the spirit of Taoist martial arts in the birthplace of taichi.
Hiking
Despite urban encroachment, China is one of the world’s most geographically varied and largest nations, with stupendous hiking opportunities amid breathtaking scenery.
Tiger Leaping Gorge Yúnnán’s best-known and most enticing hike is not for the faint-hearted.
Lóngjǐ Rice Terraces Work your way from Dàzhài to Píng’ān through some of China’s most mesmerising scenery.
Wùyuán Follow the old postal roads from village to village in the drop-dead gorgeous Jiāngxī countryside.
Lángmùsì Excellent options in most directions from the charming monastic town on the Gānsù–Sìchuān border.
Yàdīng Nature Reserve Follow a Tibetan pilgrimage route on two- to eight-day tracks around magnificent peaks.
Ganden to Samye An 80km, four- to five-day high-altitude hike between these two Tibetan monasteries.
Ethnic Minorities
Han China hits the buffers around its far-reaching borderlands, where a colourful patchwork of ethnic minorities preserves distinct cultures, languages, architectural styles and livelihoods.
Tibet Explore this vast region in the west of China or chart an itinerary through the easier-to-access regions outside the Tibetan heartland.
Déhāng This Miao village in hilly Húnán finds itself delightfully embedded in some breathtaking scenery.
Lìjiāng Yúnnán’s famous home of the blue-clothed Naxi folk.
Kashgar Dusty Central Asian outpost and Uighur China’s most famous town, on the far side of the Taklamakan Desert.
Bayanhot Easily reached just over the border from Níngxià, this town is a fascinating introduction to west Inner Mongolia and its awesome desertscapes.
Woman in traditional Miao dress | MARK READ/LONELY PLANET ©
Stunning Scenery
You haven’t really experienced China until you’ve had your socks blown off by one of its scenic marvels. China’s constructed splendours give cities such as Shànghǎi head-turning cachet, but nature steals the show.
Yángshuò You’ve probably seen the karst topography before in picture-perfect photographs; now see the real thing.
Huángshān When suffused in spectral mists, China’s Yellow Mountain enters a different dimension of beauty.
Jiǔzhàigōu National Park Turquoise lakes, waterfalls, snowcapped mountains and green forests: all this and more.
Chìshuǐ Trek past waterfalls and through ancient forests dating to the Jurassic.
Yuányáng Rice Terraces Be transfixed by the dazzling display of light and water.
Yuányáng Rice Terraces | NUTEXZLES/GETTY IMAGES/MOMENT RF ©
Month by Month
Top Events
Monlam Great Prayer Festival, February or March
Naadam, July
Bookworm International Literary Festival in Běijīng, March
Spring Festival, January, February or March
Luòyáng Peony Festival, April
January
North China is a deep freeze but the south is less bitter; preparations for the Lunar New Year get underway well in advance of the festival, which arrives any time between late January and March.
zSpring Festival
The Lunar New Year is family-focused, with dining on dumplings and gift-giving of hóngbāo (red envelopes stuffed with money). Most families feast together on New Year’s Eve, then China goes on a big week-long holiday. Expect fireworks, parades, temple fairs and lots of colour.
Spring Festival decorations, Tàiyuán | MEIQIANBAO/SHUTTERSTOCKS ©
zHarbin Ice & Snow Festival
Hēilóngjiāng’s good-looking capital Harbin is aglow with rainbow lights refracted through fanciful buildings and statues carved from blocks of ice. It’s peak season and outrageously cold.
Ice & Snow Festival, Harbin | TONYV3112/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
1Yuányáng Rice Terraces
The watery winter is the optimum season for the rice terraces’ spectacular combination of liquid and light. Don’t forget your camera, or your sense of wonder.
February
North China remains shockingly icy and dry but things are slowly warming up in Hong Kong and Macau. The Lunar New Year could well be underway, but sort out your tickets well in advance.
zMonlam Great Prayer Festival
Held during two weeks from the third day of the Tibetan New Year and celebrated with spectacular processions (except in Lhasa or the Tibet Autonomous Region); huge silk thangka (sacred art) are unveiled and, on the last day, a statue of the Maitreya Buddha is conveyed around.
zLantern Festival
Held 15 days after the spring festival, this was traditionally a time when Chinese hung out highly decorated lanterns. Píngyáo in Shānxī is an atmospheric place to soak it up (sometimes held in March).
March
China comes to life after a long winter, although it remains glacial at high altitudes. The mercury climbs in Hong Kong and abrasive dust storms billow into Běijīng, scouring everything in their path. It's still low season.
zBěijīng Book Bash
Curl up with a good book at the Bookworm cafe for Běijīng’s international literary festival, and lend an ear to lecture
s from international and domestic authors at one of China's best bookshops.
1Fields of Yellow
Delve into south Chinese countryside to be bowled over by a landscape saturated in bright-yellow rapeseed. In some parts of China, such as lovely Wùyuán in Jiāngxī province, it’s a real tourist draw.
April
Most of China is warm and it’s a good time to be on the road. The Chinese take several days off for the Qīngmíng festival, a traditional date for honouring their ancestors and now an official holiday.
zA Good Soaking
Flush away the dirt, demons and sorrows of the old year and bring in the fresh at the Dai New Year, with its water-splashing festival in Xīshuāngbǎnnà. Taking an umbrella is pointless.
zPaean to Peonies
Wángchéng Park in Luòyáng bursts into full-coloured bloom with its peony festival: pop a flower garland on your head and join in the floral fun.
zThird Moon Festival
This Bai ethnic minority festival is another excellent reason to pitch up in the lovely north Yúnnán town of Dàlǐ. It’s a week of horse racing, singing and merrymaking from the 15th day of the third lunar month (usually April) to the 21st.
3Formula One
Petrolheads and aficionados of speed, burnt rubber and hairpin bends flock to Shànghǎi for some serious motor racing at the track near Āntíng. Get your hotel room booked early: it’s one of the most glamorous events on the Shànghǎi calendar.
May
Mountain regions, such as Sìchuān’s Jiǔzhàigōu National Park, are in full bloom. For the first four days of May China is on holiday (Labour Day). Buddha's Birthday falls on the 8th day of the fourth lunar month, usually in May.
zBuddha's Birthday in Xiàhé
A fascinating time to enjoy the Tibetan charms of Gānsù province's Xiàhé, when Buddhist monks make charitable handouts to beggars and the streets throng with pilgrims.
zCircling the Mountain Festival
On Pǎomǎ Shān, Kāngdìng’s famous festival celebrates the birthday of Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, with a magnificent display of horse racing, wrestling and a street fair.
2Great Wall Marathon
Experience the true meaning of pain. Not for the infirm or unfit. See www.great-wall-marathon.com for more details.
June
Most of China is hot and getting hotter. Once-frozen areas, such as Jílín’s Heaven Lake, are accessible – and nature springs instantly to life. The great China peak tourist season is cranking up.
zFestival of Aurora Borealis
The Northern Lights are sometimes visible from Mòhé in Hēilóngjiāng, in the ultra-far north of China not far from the Russian border. Even if you don't get to see the (often elusive) multicoloured glow, the June midnight sun is a memorable experience.
3Dragon Boat Festival
Head to Zhènyuǎn or the nearest large river and catch all the water-borne drama of dragon-boat racers in this celebration of one of China’s most famous poets. The Chinese traditionally eat zòngzi (triangular glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in reed leaves).
zDhama Festival
This three-day festival in Gyantse in Tibet kicks off on 20 June for horse racing, wrestling, archery, yak races and more.
zShangri-la Horse Racing Festival
In mid- to late June, the north Yúnnán town of Zhōngdiàn (Shangri-la) lets go of the reins with this celebration of horse racing, coupled with singing, dancing and merriment on the southeastern fringes of Tibet.
3Tǎgōng Horse Festival
Celebrated on varying dates each year based on the Tibetan calendar, this festival on a hilltop overlooking the town's two monasteries and surrounding mountain peaks is a breathtaking display of Tibetan horsemanship.
July
Typhoons can wreak havoc with travel itineraries down south, lashing the Guǎngdōng and Fújiàn coastlines. Plenty of rain sweeps across China: the ‘plum rains’ give Shànghǎi a big soaking, and the grasslands of Inner Mongolia and Qīnghǎi turn green.
zTorch Festival, Dàlǐ
Held on the 24th day of sixth lunar month (usually July), this festival is held throughout Yúnnán by the Bai and Yi minorities. Making for great photos, flaming torches are paraded at night through streets and fields, and go up outside shops around town.
zMongolian Merrymaking
Mongolian wrestling, horse racing, archery and more during the weeklong Naadam festival on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia at the end of July, when the grass is at its summer greenest.
6Dàlián International Beer Festival
Xīnghǎi Square in the Liáoníng port city is steeped in the aroma of hops and ale and strewn with beer tents in this 12-day celebration of more than 400 international and Chinese beers from a plethora of breweries.
August
The temperature gauge of Yangzi's ‘three ovens’ – Chóngqìng, Wǔhàn and Nánjīng – gets set to blow. Rainstorms hit Běijīng, which is usually 40°C plus; so is Shànghǎi. So head uphill to Lúshān, Mògānshān, Huáng Shān or Guōliàngcūn.
zLǐtáng Horse Festival
Occasionally cancelled in recent years (restrictions on travel may suddenly appear) and also shrunk from one week to one day, this festival in West Sìchuān is a breathtaking display of Tibetan horsemanship, archery and more.
6Qīngdǎo International Beer Festival
Slake that chronic summer thirst with a round of beers and devour a plate of mussels in Shāndōng’s best-looking port town, a former German concession and home of the famous Tsingtao beer brand.
September
Come to Běijīng and stay put – September is part of the fleetingly lovely tiāngāo qìshuǎng (‘the sky is high and the air is fresh’) autumnal season – an event in itself. It's also a pleasant time to visit the rest of north China.
2Tài Shān International Climbing Festival
Held annually since 1987, this festival at the sacred Taoist mountain of Tài Shān in Shāndōng draws hundreds of trail runners, mountain bikers, climbers and worshippers of all ages and abilities.
zMid-Autumn Festival
Also called the moon festival; celebrated by devouring daintily prepared moon cakes – stuffed with bean paste, egg yolk, walnuts and more. With a full moon, it’s a romantic occasion for lovers and a special time for families. On the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.
1International Qiántáng River Tide Observing Festival
The most popular time to witness the surging river tides sweeping at up to 40km/h along the Qiántáng River in Yánguān is during the mid-autumn festival, although you can catch the wall of water during the beginning and middle of every lunar month.
zConfucius’ Birthday
Head to the Confucius Temple in Qūfù for the 28 September birthday celebrations of axiom-quipping philosopher, sage and patriarch Confucius.
October
The first week of October can be hellish if you’re on the road: the National Day weeklong holiday kicks off, so everywhere is swamped. Go midmonth instead, when everywhere is deserted.
5Hairy Crabs in Shànghǎi
Now’s the time to sample delicious hairy crabs in Shànghǎi; they are at their best – male and female crabs eaten together with shots of lukewarm Shàoxīng rice wine – between October and December.
zMiao New Year
Load up with rice wine and get on down to Guìzhōu for the ethnic festivities in the very heart of the minority-rich southwest.
zKurban Bairam (Gǔěrbāng Jié)
Catch the four-day festivities of the Muslim festival of sacrifice in communities across China; the festival is at its liveliest and most colourful in Kashgar.
November
Most of China is getting pretty cold as tourist numbers drop and holidaymakers begin to flock south for sun and the last pockets of warmth.
2Surfing Hǎinán
The peak surfing season kicks off in Rì Yuè Bay (Sun & Moon Bay) in Hǎinán, where the island's best surf rolls in. Hordes o
f Chinese flee the cold mainland for these warmer climes.
Itineraries
Northern Tour
4 Weeks
China's richest seam of historic antiquity runs through rugged, dry north China. This route takes in the north's signature sights, all the way from Běijīng and the Great Wall via the Terracotta Warriors to the Silk Road of the distant northwest.
Lonely Planet China Page 4