7 Best Places to Visit in China

China spans deserts, mountains, ancient capitals, and some of the world's largest modern cities. These seven destinations cover the country's best-known landmarks and landscapes, from the Great Wall to the karst peaks of the south.

1. The Great Wall of China

Stretching for thousands of kilometers across northern China, the Great Wall is one of the most recognizable structures on Earth and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Most travelers visit the Badaling section, about two hours from central Beijing and the most fully restored, or the less crowded Mutianyu section, which has a cable car and a toboggan ride down. Sections built during the Ming dynasty (14th–17th century) are the best preserved and the ones most visitors see today.

2. The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties for nearly 500 years, home to 24 emperors from 1420 until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912. The complex covers roughly 180 acres in central Beijing and contains nearly 1,000 surviving buildings, making it the largest palace complex in the world. It sits at the northern end of Tiananmen Square and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

3. The Terracotta Army

Discovered by farmers digging a well in 1974, the Terracotta Army near Xi'an consists of thousands of life-sized clay soldiers, chariots, and horses buried to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor, around 210 BCE. No two soldiers' faces are exactly alike. The excavation site is now a museum with three pits open to visitors, and it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

4. The Li River and Yangshuo

The Li River winds between Guilin and the small town of Yangshuo through a landscape of dramatic karst limestone peaks that has inspired Chinese painters and poets for centuries. A popular way to see it is the roughly four-hour river cruise between the two towns, and the classic view near Xingping appears on the back of China's 20-yuan banknote. Yangshuo itself is a good base for cycling or bamboo rafting among the peaks.

5. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Established in 1982 as China's first national forest park, Zhangjiajie in Hunan province is known for thousands of narrow sandstone pillars rising out of the forest, scenery widely credited with inspiring the floating "Hallelujah Mountains" in the film Avatar. The park is also home to the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge, one of the highest and longest glass-bottomed bridges in the world, and is recognized as a UNESCO Global Geopark.

6. Shanghai

Shanghai's Bund is a waterfront promenade lined with early-20th-century buildings, facing the modern Pudong skyline across the Huangpu River, including the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Shanghai Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world. Away from the riverfront, Yu Garden is a classical Chinese garden dating to the Ming dynasty, tucked inside the old city surrounded by a traditional bazaar.

7. Chengdu

Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, is best known as home to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, established in 1987 and one of the best places in the world to see giant pandas up close. The city is also the heart of Sichuan cuisine, known for its use of Sichuan peppercorns, and its teahouses and slower pace make it a popular stop for travelers heading toward western China.

Staying connected while you travel

China's major carriers (China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom) cover all seven of these destinations, including Beijing, Shanghai, and the more rural stops like Zhangjiajie and Yangshuo. An eSIM lets you land with data already active instead of hunting for airport Wi-Fi — compare current China eSIM plans below.

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For more on how eSIMs work before your trip, see our beginner's guide to eSIMs. You can also browse the full list of China eSIM plans sorted by price.