Top 5 Cities I’ve Visited in China
You’ve heard of Shanghai and Chongqing — the viral cities all over your feed right now. But if you’re looking for something more on your holiday, this is where you can actually plan your trip. Five places, five completely different reasons to go, from beaches to blizzards.
If this is your first time in China and you’re still getting your head around visas, apps and the basics before you even think about an itinerary, start with my China First-Timer Guide — it covers everything you need to know before you land, then come back here to pick where you’re actually going.
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1. Best Beach – Sanya (Hainan)
China isn’t the first place people think of for a beach holiday, but Sanya on the southern tip of Hainan Island quietly delivers — white sand, warm water and a tropical climate that holds up even when the rest of the country is deep in winter.
- Yalong Bay for the calmest, clearest water on the island
- Wuzhizhou Island for snorkelling and diving
- Tianya Haijiao for the classic “edge of the sky” coastal scenery
- Nanshan for a slower, more cultural day away from the sandotherwise first thing the next morning.
Read the full breakdown in my Hainan Guide for accomodation and attraction info.
2. Best Winter Break – Harbin
If you want snow and lots of it, Harbin in China’s far north is unmatched. This is where the famous Ice and Snow Festival happens — entire buildings carved from ice and lit up after dark — and it’s an easy add-on if you’re already tackling a Beijing leg further south.
- Harbin Ice and Snow World
- Central Street (Zhongyang Dajie) for Russian-influenced architecture
- Siberian Tiger Park
- Sun Island for daytime snow sculptures
See the complete Harbin Guide for accomodation and detailed itinerary.
3. Best Weekend Getaway – Zhoushan
Zhoushan is the one most first-timers have never heard of, and that’s exactly the appeal. An archipelago off the coast near Shanghai, it’s close enough for a genuine weekend trip but feels a world away from the skyscrapers — fishing villages, temples and quiet coastline.
- Putuoshan for one of China’s four sacred Buddhist mountains
- Dongji Island for the most dramatic coastal scenery in the archipelago
- Fishing villages around Shengsi for a slower pace
- Fresh seafood everywhere you turn
Full details in the Zhoushan Guide including accomodation and attractions.
4. Best for History – Beijing
Obviously, nothing else in China really competes with Beijing for historical value. This is the obvious answer, but it’s obvious for a reason — the Forbidden City and the Great Wall alone justify the trip, and there’s centuries more layered underneath.
- Forbidden City
- The Great Wall (Mutianyu over Badaling if you can)
- Temple of Heaven
- Summer Palace
Full details in my Beijing Guide.
5. Best for Nature – Chengdu
Chengdu gets a reputation as the panda city, and rightly so, but the nature around it is what actually surprises people. Within a few hours of the city you’ve got sacred mountains, waterfalls and one of the oldest working irrigation systems in the world.
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
- Mount Qingcheng, a Taoist mountain thick with forest and monasteries
- Mount Emei, one of China’s four sacred Buddhist mountains and a proper hike
- Leshan Giant Buddha, carved into a cliff face and the largest stone Buddha in the world
- Dujiangyan Irrigation System, still functioning after more than 2,000 years
Check out my Chengdu Guide for hotels and tickets.
Essential Apps to Download Before You Go
Looking for the essential travel tips for China as a whole – the apps, the gadgets and everything else you’re gonna need to optimise your time? You can read my first-timer guide here.
Final Thoughts
Five places, five different trips — a beach escape in Sanya, snow and ice in Harbin, a quiet weekend in Zhoushan, history in Beijing, or nature and pandas around Chengdu. If you’re planning a longer trip and want to combine a few of these, check out my 2-week or 3-week itineraries for how they all fit together.
Where to Next? Your China City Guides
To help you decide your next Chinese adventure, I’ve written detailed guides for every city I’ve loved and hated from my very own archives. Including where to stay, the best hotels, top things to do, eat and a 3 day itinerary, check them out below.
