Amazing Places to Visit in China Beyond Beijing and Shanghai

China is an incredible country but most tourists usually only experience two cities, Beijing and Shanghai.

And while both of those great cities are must-visit and worth the time to explore in detail, if you want to really experience China you need to also look outside these urban centres! From an iced-over winter wonderland near Siberia to a tropical Asian elephant preserve, here are six spots that should be on your must-visit list.

What is your favourite?

Harbin

In China’s frozen northeast, near the border with Siberia, the city of Harbin hosts an annual ice and snow-sculpture festival through the end of February, with massive palaces chiseled from blocks of ice—arrive before dusk to see the temporary edifices before and after they’re bathed in pastel LEDs—and snow sculptures up to 100-feet tall. Later, step into the gilded dining room of Huamei, on the tourist drag Zhongyang Street, to warm up with Russian fare and crisp vodka. Just bundle up, as winter temperatures regularly dip into the negative-teens Fahrenheit. A two-hour flight from Beijing, Harbin is also home to a Siberian tiger preserve and the Byzantine-style Saint Sophia Cathedral. Stay at the Kempinski Hotel overlooking the Songhua River.

Macau

While the island territory of Macau is most famous as a gambling destination (if that’s your style, hit the gaudy-glamorous Hotel Lisboa), a deeper dive reveals Buddhist temples (the hilltop A-Ma), sandy beaches, and tropical architecture left behind by Portuguese colonists (the Baroque structures around Senado Square; Saint Paul’s haunting facade, all that remains of the church after an 1835 fire). The cuisine, a stirring mix of European, African, and Asian elements, is most expertly realized at Hac Sa Beach’s open-air Fernando, with grilled sardines, roast suckling pig, and fried rice, all complemented by vinho verde.The fast ferry takes just under an hour from Hong Kong, but if you choose to stay overnight, the Banyan Tree provides a quiet refuge in the buzzing city.

Hangzhou

There’s a Chinese saying that goes something like “Shang you tiantang, xia you Hangzhou” (“Above there is heaven, below there is Hangzhou”), and the capital of the Zhejiang province, 45 minutes from Shanghai via high-speed train, is justifiably famous for its beautiful scenery, specifically the lush West Lake and pagoda-dotted hills. Hire a wooden boat to explore the lake and the gardens, pagodas, and temples along the shores. The China Academy of Art houses a set of museums, including a fine art museum and a just-opened folk art museum designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, while the privately run T Museum specializes in contemporary art. Like many Chinese cities, Hangzhou is known for its distinctive cuisine (there’s even a museum dedicated to Chinese food), lighter, less spicy fare like sweet-and-sour West Lake carp, beggar’s chicken (wrapped in lotus leaves and clay-baked), and freshwater shrimp prepared with Dragon Well tea leaves. Set amid ponds and lagoons on West Lake, the villas and suites of the local Four Seasons draw inspiration from Chinese design and architecture; the hotel spa’s Moonlight Tide Massage incorporates qigong movements.

Xishuangbanna

Near the border with Laos and Myanmar, the Yunnanese region of Xishuangbanna has a more tropical and Southeast Asian vibe than the rest of China—look for plates of pineapple fried rice; sticky rice cooked in bamboo tubes; and, for the adventurous, deep-fried bee larvae. Every April, the city hosts a “water-splashing festival” in which locals and visitors douse each other as a cleansing ritual to mark the new year of the local Dai ethnic group. But any time of year you can glimpse the rare Asian elephant at the Mengyang Nature Reserve. Within the park, Wild Elephant Valley’s tree houses let overnight guests go eye to eye with the giant pachyderms. For more luxurious surroundings, the new Anantara Resort has tropical gardens and restaurants specializing in Dai and northern Thai cuisine.

Chengdu

Most travellers visit Chengdu for the city’s Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, home to the lazy, playful black-and-white bears, as well as smaller red pandas. But the city has more charms, known within China for its laid-back culture, bamboo-shaded teahouses, and the quiet parkland of Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage. As the capital of the central Sichuan province, Chengdu is also the perfect spot for sampling the area’s signature mala (hot and numbing) cuisine: Chen Mapo Tofu for the spicy classic tofu dish, Ming Ting for shuizhuyu (fish and vegetables served in a broth of fiery red oil), and Shujiuxiang for hot pot. The Temple House, with a Qing Dynasty courtyard at its heart, opened last year with 100 sleekly designed rooms near the ancient Daci Temple. A soaring Grand Hyatt arrives in March.

Lijiang

The UNESCO-protected Old Town of Lijiang, in the mountainous northwest of China’s Yunnan province, has an almost magical quality, especially when approached at night while the traditional stone buildings with upturned eaves are brightly illuminated. A wander through the canal- and lantern-lined streets leads to shops selling embroidery and other crafts of the local Naxi ethnic minority; restaurants specializing in Yunnan cuisine (try the jidou liangfen, cold noodles topped with spice and cilantro; baba, a flaky pastry often filled with scallions or ham; and fried goat cheese); serene Buddhist sites; and nightly performances by the Naxi Orchestra, playing old—sometimes centuries-old—folk songs on traditional instruments like the pipa and erhu. Intrepid travelers can use the city as a base before heading on an overnight hike of Tiger Leaping Gorge, a vast canyon on the Jingsha River with rustic guesthouses along the trail. Within the ancient city walls, the new Amandayan provides more plush accommodations, outfitted in local embroidery and wood carvings.

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