China is a vast land with countless natural wonders, valuable historical sights, and leading metropolises that you should spend your entire life to see. When traveling to China, you should know in advance where you want to go and what you want to do in the limited time you have to travel. This is why we suggest you take a look at the list below which includes the top places and reasons to visit China.
1) Visit the Biggest Snow and Ice Festival in Harbin
The world’s largest annual snow and ice festival has been held since 1963 in Harbin, a city in northeastern China with cold winters. The sculptures are placed in different parts of the city, but most of them are displayed on Sun Island and Ice and Snow World. The sculptures are categorized according to the subject, for example, some of the sculptures are similar to Chinese classical works of art, and others depict famous European stories such as fairy tales, or are similar to famous monuments.
There is a big ice track for sledding too! While you are in Harbin, visit the saunas of this city and enjoy skiing on the slopes of different parts of the city as part of your reasons to visit China.
2) Visit the Red Beach
The wonderful view of this beach is created by the red grass. Every year in autumn, this 26 km protected area turns red. This beach is located on the bank of the Liao River. The grass is actually green during the summer season but turns deep red in September after full growth.
Tourists can visit the Red Beach by using the bridges that are built in certain parts of the area. You can get to Red Beach by bus or train from Beijing or Tianjin and enjoy its attractive scenery at least once.
3) Experience the Magnificent Colors of Danxia
Danxia in southern China is truly one of the natural wonders of the world. Danxia is the place of sandstone mountain ranges with shallow caves that are definitely very attractive for speleologists. The region is actually a UNESCO World Heritage site. Tourists usually go to the small town of Zhangye, and from there they can easily go to Danxia and enjoy its beautiful scenery as part of their reasons to visit China.
New roads and wooden crossings have been built to facilitate the walking of tourists in this area and to promote tourism. In addition to the beautiful nature, many ancient temples are also located in this area, which makes a trip to Danxia an unforgettable experience.
4) Take a Boat Tour on the Li River
This area is considered one of the most popular places for sightseeing and one of the major reasons to visit China because of its beautiful and poetic ambiance. An 83-kilometer (52-mile) route stretches from Guilin to Yangshuo. Famous for its beautiful scenery, the best way to explore this area is by boat. This river is the most popular tourist attraction in Guangxi and is considered one of the best sightseeing areas in China.
Tour guides introduce different places to tourists, each of which has an interesting history. Markets, shops, and the old city are places that tourists visit during their trip.
5) Visit the Amazing Terraced Paddy Fields
The terraced rice fields of Yuanyang State on the banks of the Red River are world famous. This region is registered as a World Heritage site and has maintained its authenticity throughout time without any changes. These fields were built about 1000 years ago by the Hani people in the heart of the mountains at an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level.
Although these paddy fields are located in a very remote area and the roads leading to them are not of good quality, seeing them will be a special and unique experience and is definitely one of the major reasons to visit China. In addition to the beautiful layers of rice fields, the life and culture of ethnic people in the region will also reveal a new dimension of Chinese culture.
6) Visit Tianmen Shan
The most beautiful views of this area can be seen from its highest point, Heaven’s Gate Mountain at an altitude of 1520 meters. You can climb the mountain with the help of 999 steps without a rest platform or use the cable car. Tianmen Shan cable car is the highest cable car in the world, so prepare yourself for a 1279 meter climb. Faith glass pass is another way to climb the mountain.
The park has countless stone columns and Tianmen has amazing passages as well as the highest cable car in the world.
7) Take a Boat Tour to the Historic City of Phoenix
This city is located in Hunan Province, which is famous for its beautiful nature and unique Tianmen Mountains. From different languages and different ethnic rituals to art and architecture, they are all part of the rich culture of this historical city. The Ming and Qing Dynasty architectural style buildings in this area are well protected by UNESCO and are part of the reasons to visit China.
Fenghuang is called the most beautiful county in China because it is surrounded by beautiful nature and has historical architecture and attracts many tourists.
8) Walk on the Great Wall of China
This wall, which can even be seen from space, was built several centuries ago and has been renovated many times over the years. The first wall was built 7 centuries BC and during the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644), it was considered the largest military structure in the world. This wall is the most famous historical place with a rich heritage in China.
9) Visit the Dreamy Huanglong
This scenic spot means Yellow Dragon in Chinese. Huanglong is located in the Minshan mountain range and is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site, turning it into one of the major reasons why you should visit China. There are many natural wonders in this area, but the most beautiful and famous of them are the colorful tiered ponds. Temples and Buddha statues are also located in different parts of this protected area.
In addition to forests, waterfalls, hot springs, and mountains, Huanglong is home to endangered species such as the giant panda and the Sichuan golden proboscis monkey.
10) Visit Hong Kong
The autonomous region of Hong Kong is like an independent country. Hong Kong is a dynamic, lively city and at the same time preserves ancient traditions that attract many tourists from all over the world. Go to the tallest skyscraper and enjoy the view of the city from there, shop, eat like a local, and enjoy the recreation available on the city’s many beaches.
11) Visit Beihai Park
This park is located in the Xicheng area and with a history of 1000 years, has been built and maintained during 5 dynasties in the following order:
Liao (1125-916).
Jin (1115-1234).
Yuan (1368-1271).
Ming (1644-1368).
Qing (1911-1644)
The total area of this garden is 69 hectares, half of which is surrounded by water, and the whole complex is divided into four different parts with different names. One of the most important parts of this park is the Yong’an Temple, which is the largest complex of this park and is also known as the Temple of Peace. This temple consists of several halls, a guard tower, and a retaining wall. This temple has been a place for worshiping different gods and holds a place of its own among the reasons to visit China.
In the southern part of the park is the circular city surrounded by a wall. The Chengguang Hall, which is decorated with colorful glazed tiles, is where the kings of the Ming Dynasty used to watch various ceremonies, including fireworks, from this place. There is a Buddha statue made of high quality jade stone in the main hall of this palace.
12) Visit the Lama Temple
This temple is one of the largest and best preserved temples in the city of Beijing, which belongs to the year 1694 and the years of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). This place was used as the resting place of the Yongzheng Emperor (the third king of this dynasty). The area was completely changed in 1744 and became a temple.
The area of this temple which is like a small palace with yellow glazed tiles and a red roof with exquisite tiles is 66,400 square meters. According to the ancient and traditional architecture of China, each of the architectural elements of this temple is symmetrical with the main hall, which is located on the north-south axis.
This temple which is one of the major reasons to visit China has 5 main halls, which are located around the southern main courtyard. This temple is a complete collection of various types of architecture from different periods of government, such as Han, Manchu, and Mongolian Tibetan, which has added to the splendor of its architecture.
13) Visit National Assembly of China
This building is located in the west of Tiananmen Square and is called the National People’s Assembly of China, which was built in 10 months on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1959. The architect of this large building which has an area of 171,800 square meters and is designed for about 10,000 participants is Zhang Bo.
This building has 3 main parts (the central part, the main hall, and the assembly hall) and also has various other parts such as the negotiation hall, the golden hall, the northern part of the guest hall, and other parts. The roof of this building has very beautiful decorations of many lights. It is decorated with a big star in the middle, and waves are designed around it, which represent the nation of China.
One of the important halls of this complex is the Foreign Affairs Hall, which is 7000 square meters. It can accommodate up to 7000 guests or host up to 5000 guests for dinner. This Hall was equipped on the occasion of Richard Nixon’s arrival in China in 1972.
The Great Hall of the People is the political center of Beijing and the home of the National People’s Congress. Every year, in March, this large hall hosts various meetings of the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese People’s Congress, which are held for 2 to 3 weeks in the main hall. The doors of this huge building are open to visitors who can visit this center as part of their reasons to visit China.
14) Visit the National Museum of China
This museum is located to the east of Tiananmen Square and it is the center of the history and art of Chinese people. This center was established in 1959 and was renovated in 2003. This museum with an area of 65000 square meters has 2 different sections:
1- Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution in the northern part
2- The Chinese History Museum in the southern part
After renovation and repairs in 2003, this museum increased its area to 191,900 square meters. The museum contains historical works of China from the Yuanmou Man period (one and a half million years ago) to the Qing Dynasty (the last empire). This museum contains 620,385 pieces of historical artifacts that are exhibited in different sections. One of the most significant works that is exhibited in this museum is a vase-shaped object that belongs to 3000 years ago and is the largest bronze work in the world.
15) Cross the Marco Polo Bridge
This bridge is located 15 kilometers southwest of Beijing and is also known as the Guangli Bridge, which connects the two banks of the Yongding River. This bridge is the oldest bridge in Beijing and the world.
This bridge was built in 1189 by the Shizong dynasty. Marco Polo bridge was destroyed several times due to the severe floods of the river but was completely rebuilt in 1444 and 1698. This 260-meter bridge has 11 arches and spans. One of the interesting features of this bridge is the row of 485 stone lions on both sides of the bridge, and none of these lions are similar or equal to the next one. Based on the opinion of the residents of the city it is these lions who protect the bridge.
Final Word
Looking for reasons to visit China? China is a big country full of natural wonders, historical gems, and advanced cities. To be able to discover all parts of this magnificent country, you have to spend your whole life there!