The 10 best places to visit in China

Once a closed culture, China was a mystery to the world for a very long time. But, after the Chinese government embraced liberalization and financial independence people from all over the world come to China, to see its ancient history, experience a modern society and also on a shopping crusade, as it is one of the most sought after shopping destination of Asia apart from having some of the best natural sites, valley and green hills. Here is a list of the top ten places that you must visit when in china.

1. XIAN: Once the capital of China, Xian has a history of over 3000 years and was a part of famous Silk Route. In recent times, the finding of Terracotta Army and Horse brought Xian on the map of tourists throughout the world. With the bell tower at its centre and many universities around, Xian is a great place to visit as majority of its population constitute students and has all international stores and is quite famous among tourists for its night life. In addition to it, if you wish to buy some Chinese antiques, Xian is the place to be. It has an Antique Market near Small Goose Pagoda, where one can shop for Chinese antiques including herbs and spices. Apart from this, Baihui Market and Century Ginwa Shopping Mall are the spots where you can spend your time in exclusive boutiques and international stores.

2. BEIJING: With the second busiest airport in the world, Beijing is a great place to experience both the ethnicity of ancient Chinese culture and the developed and Americanised China. Silk Alley Market and Yaxiu Market in this city are home to the famous American and European Brands. And if, you wish to shop from local flee market, you can go to Panjiayuan Market which is a air flea market consisting 3000 shops and opens on every weekend. For those interested in architecture and history can enjoy a visit to Great Wall of China , The Temple of Heaven , Beijing Hutongs to name a few.

3. JIUZHAIGOU SICHUAN: Situated in the mountains of north-western Sichuan Province, Jiuzhaigou is beautiful valley of around 32 miles and is named after nine Tibetan villages of the valley. The valley has also been included in the list of World’s Natural heritage by UNESCO.

4. SHANGHAI: Most populous city of the world, Shanghai is situated in the Yangtze River Delta. A popular tourist destination, Shanghai has one of the most beautiful skylines in the world. Often referred as the ‘Oriental Paris’, you just can’t miss shopping in here. Some of the most famous spots for shopping in the city are Nanjing Road and Huaihai Road. Apart from this, some of the other places to visit in the city of Shanghai are City God Temple, Yuyuan Garden and The Bund. You must also visit the famous Madame Tussauds Museum where you get to see statues of both Chinese as well as Hollywood celebrities.

5. LIJIANG YUNNAN: Located in South China’s province of Yunnan, Lijiang is a UNESCO world heritage site and is inhabited by mainly Naxi people. Lijiang Yunnan has a history of over 1300 years and is a destination for beautiful sightseeing.  Ancient Town Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Yulong Snow Mountain are some of the most popular places here.

6.   ZHANGJIAJIE HUNAN: Situated in the West Mountains, Zhangjiajie has a forest park and Suoxi Valley Natural Reserve. Golden Whip Stream, Yellow Stone Stronghold and Yaozizhai are a must visit.

7. GUILIN: On the banks of Li River, with immense natural beauty, natural streams and green hills, Guilin is renowned for its scenic beauty. It has humid subtropical climate with long monsoons and is widely visited by people who admire nature. Amid the developed and crowded cities of China, Guilin has beautiful caves, forests and caves. Red Flute Caves and Guilin Forest Garden are few of the most visited spots of Guilin.

8. YANGTZ RIVER: It is the longest river of Asia and the third longest in the world. Near Shanghai the river finally meets the East China Sea and thus it renders beautiful scenic beauty along its route. The river is popular for river cruise along its path to East China Sea.

9. HENAN-LONGTAN VALLEY: Running over 7 miles, Henan-Longtan Valley is a splendid valley of red-purple sandstones. In U shape, the valley is visited by thousands of people each year.

10. THE SILK ROUTE: The ancient Silk Route has a history of over 2000 years. Starting from Xian it extended up to Rome and Italy. The old Silk Route was about 2500 miles long with half of it in China. At present there are some very interesting places like Jiayuguan Pass, Dunhuang, Hami, Turpan, Urumqi and Loulan which are not to be missed.

Author Bio : Neha Aggarwal works for Hotellasuite.com, the leading online Cheap Luxury Hotels in New Delhi in the INDIA. You can find out more information about the company at http://www.hotellasuite.com/