Written by Ruqin Li

bejing	Xian	Shanghai	Guilin
Yangtze River	Lhasa Tibet	Jiuzhaigou Sichuan	Lijiang Yunnan
Zhangjiajie Hunan	Silk Road in China

1.Beijing
Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is unarguably the heart of the nation's politics, culture and international intercourse. It is a fast changing and modern city full of vigor. Beijing is one of the six ancient capital cities in Chinese history. The other five ancient cities are Xian, Luoyang, Kaifeng, Nanjing and Hangzhou. It once used as the capital for the dynasties such as Jin (1115 AD - 1234 AD), Yuan (1279 AD -1368 AD), Ming (1368 AD -1644 A D) and Qin ( 1644 AD - 1911 AD).
Important sites in Beijing:
Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, the Great Wall, Ming Tomb, Tiananmen Square, Hutong, Lijiang Yunnan, Beihai Park, Beijing Capital Museum, Yashow Market etc.
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2. Xian
Xian, also named Changan, is the biggest city in north-west China. It once served as the nation's capital for thirteen dynasties such as Western Zhou (11th century BC - 771 BC), Qin (221 BC - 206 BC), Western Han (206 BC - 24 AD) and Tang (618 - 907) for over 1000 years. It is well noted for historical value.
Important sites in Xian:
Terra-cotta Army, Banpo Museum,Shaanxi Provincial Museum, Xian Great Mosque, Huaqing Hotspring, City Wall, Big Goose Pagoda, Forest of Stone Steles Museum etc.
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3. Shanghai
Being the largest metropolitan area in China, Shanghai is situated in central-eastern China, facing the East China Sea.
Shanghai is divided into two sections: Pudong and Puxi. Pudong is the new development zone on the east of Huangpu River while Puxi is the old area lying on the west of Huangpu River. Shanghai possesses two airports - Shanghai Pudong International Airport ( PVG ) and Shanghai Hongqiao Airport ( domestic ). Shanghai Pudong International Airport is for international passengers while Hongqiao for domestic travellers.
Important sites in Shanghai:
Shanghai Bund, Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai Xin Tian Di, Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Huangpu River etc.
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4. Guilin
Lying by the banks of the Li River, Guilin has become famous both at home and abroad for its intriguing natural views: green hills, featuring rockeries, clean water, unique caves,stones of many shapes. The many ethnic minorities inhabit here . ThemainminoritiesaretheZhuang, Yao, Hui, Miao, Mulao, Maonan and Dong. They add a lot of colour to the cultural life of the city.
Important sites in Guilin:
The Li River, The Reed Flute Cave, Seven Star Park, Guilin Folded Brocade Hil, Fubo Hill, Elephant Trunk Hill, Fubo Hill, Solitary Beauty Hill, Longji Terraced Field in Longsheng, Fengyu Cave in Lipu County Guiline etc.
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5. Yangtze River
Yangtze River cruises is a must for those who look for romantic travel. Yangtze River is coming through the mountains and the cities from the west to the east, finally blending into the East China Sea near Shanghai with a total length of more than 6300 km, ranking the third largest rivr in the world, only after the Nile and Amazon.
Important places and sites along Yangtze River:
Chongqing City, Fengdu, Baoshizha, Wanxian, Shennong Streem, Lesser Three Gorges, Three Gorges, Three Gorges Dam and Yichang City, Wuhan City etc.
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6. Lhasa Tibet
Lhasa Tibet well known as " the Roof of the World ", has turned into an exciting land both for normal tourists, climbers and adventurers coming from all over the world. Travellers are looking for the unique things of snow mountains, mysterious religions, exotic customs etc. Lhasa is the political and cultural center of Tibet. Lhasa in Tibetan means "The land of gods". In the time of information, people can easily reach the mysterious destination by jet aircraft, now even trains!
Important places and sites in Lhasa Tibet:
Potala Palace, Nobulingka, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Ganden Monastery and Jokhang Temple, Shigatse etc.
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7. Jiuzhaigou Sichuan
Nestled in the valley of the mountains in the area of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in the northwestern Sichuan Province, Jiuzhaigou is a fairyland named after the nine Tibetan villages in the valley. The valley is about 50 kilometers long. In 1992, It was listed as the world natural heritage of UNESCO.
Important places and sites in Jiuzhaigou Sichuan:
Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, Qingchengshan & Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Emei Mountain and Giant Buddha of Leshan, Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, Huanglong etc.
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8. Lijiang Yunnan
Listed as UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage, Lijiang is located in Yunnan Province of south China. It is an ancient town with the history of more than 1,300 years. Lijiang is inhabited by Naxi people, local people for a long history. It lies on a plateau at 2,600m above sea level. Lijiang is well noted for its natural scenery, fresh air and green vegetation. Its Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is the nearst snow moutains close to the living place in the world. The old town mixes naturally with the natural scenery. The local Naxi people have developed a culture called "Dong Ba Culture". Classical Naxi music is regarded as the "living musical fossil" due to its long history.
Important places and sites in Lijiang Yunnan:
Ancient Town Lijiang, Yulong Snow Mountain, Tiger Leaping Gorge, etc.
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9. Zhangjiajie Hunan
Zhangjiajie City is situated on the west mountains area of Hunan Province. UnderZhangjiajie City, there is an administrative district called Wulingyuan District where the world famous Wulingyuan Scenic Area is. The Wulingyuan Scenic Area is divided into three sections: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park; Tianzi Mountain and Suoxi Valley. Most of the travellers prefer staying at the Wulingyuan area instead of the city center of Zhangjiajie City. In December of 1992, Wulingyuan was listed in the World Heritage of UNESCO.
Important places and sites in Zhangjiajie Hunan:
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianzi Mountain, Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve etc.
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10. Silk Road in China
The ancient Silk Road has a history of over 2,000 years. The old silk road started from Chang'an ( now called Xian, Shaanxi Province ) in the east and extended to Rome, Italy in the west. The old silk road passed through Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai provinces, Ningxia Hui and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions in China and further stretched over the Pamirs, then extending to Central and West Asia. And finally the silk road connected the east bank of the Mediterranean Sea and Eastern Europe. The Silk Road had the total length of over 2,485 miles and over half of which is within Chinese territory.
Important places and sites along the Silk Road in China:
Lanzhou, Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiayuguan Pass, Dunhuang, Hami, Turpan, Urumqi, Loulan, Korla, Kuqa (Kucha), Aksu, Kashgar (Kashi), Hotan etc.
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How to plan out the top 10 destinations per your short stay in China?
It is virtually impossible to put all the top 10 destinations into your first time travel to China. Then how to fix a travel plan to get the most of your first trip to China? Please find below my suggested travel itineraries:
1. Beijing Xian 4-6 Day Tour Package
2. Beijing Shanghai 6-8 Day Tour Package
3. Beijing Xian Shanghai 8-10 Day Tour Package
4. Beijing Xian Guilin Shanghai 10-12 Day Tour Package

1. Beijing Yangtze River Shanghai Tour 6-10 Day Tour Package
2. Beijing Xian Yangze River Shanghai Tour 8-12 Day Tour Package
3. Beijing Jiuzhaigou Yangtze River Shanghai Tour 8-12 Day Tour Package

1. Beijing Lhasa Shanghai Tour 10-12 Day Tour Package
2. Beijing Xian Lhasa Shanghai 12-13 Day Tour Package
3. Beijing Lhasa Yangtze River Shanghai 10-16 Day Tour Package

1. Beijing Lijiang Shanghai Tour 8-10 Day Tour Package
2. Beijing Xian Lijiang Shanghai 10-12 Day Tour Package
3. Beijing Chengdu Lijiang Shanghai 10-12 Day Tour Package

1. Beijing Zhangjiajie Shanghai 8-10 Day Tour Package
2. Beijing Xian Zhangjiajie Shanghai 8-12 day Tour Package
3. Beijing Jiuzhaigou Zhangjiajie Shanghai 11-13 day Tour Package

1. Beijing Xian Dunhuang Shanghai 8-10 Day Tour Package
2. Beijing Lanzhou Jiayuguan Dunhuang Turpan Urumqi Shanghai 13-15 Day Tour Package
3. Beijing Xian Dunhuang Turpan Urumqi Shanghai 10-12 Day Tour Package

1. Beijing Jiuzhaigou Shanghai 10-12 day Tour Package
2. Beijing Jiuzhaigou Yangtze River Shanghai 10-15 Day Tour Package
3. Beijing Xian Jiuzhaigou Shanghai 8-12 day Tour Package
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How to visit the top 10 destinations in China?
Oversea travellers have many travel methods to fulfil their sightseeing or adventures in China. Among them, the following travelling methods are usually used:
1. Purchase a China tour product from a local travel agency in your own country.
2. Search for travel China informtion via internet and arrange the local tours by yourself.
3. Locate a local travel agency in China to take care of all your land arrangement or part of your travel arrangement in China.
Remark:
Very often local tour operators in China provide two kinds of tour packages: join-in travel packages and private travel packages.

Private Travel: Expensive, more flexibility and more personal interaction. Join-in Travel: Good prices, less flexibility, meet new friends.

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More lists of top 10 must see attractions and destinations in China
1. If you are intereted in more adventurous tours, The 10 top destinations below you must not miss.
The list below is done by David Harris, a client from the United States:
1) Lop Nor Silk Road
2) Ancient City of Loulan
3) Lugu Lake
4) Mount Chogori
5) Kekexili Nature Reserve
6) Great Canyon of Yalu Zangpu
7) Gaoli Gong Moutain & Nu River
8) Yangze River Three Gorges
9) Across Sea Lane
10) Mother Rivers Adventure
2. A top 10 list from John Nunemaker, a client from the internet:
1) Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan in Hunan Province
2) Lijiang, Dali and Zhongdian in Yunnan
3) Huangguo Waterfall in Guizhou
4) The Great Wall
5) Terra-cotta Army in Xian
6) Huyang Tree living in the Southern Xinjiang Province. This kind of tree is said to exist in the world for three thousand years: alive for 1000 years;; dead for 1000 years; not rotten for another 1000 years!
7) Mt. Everest in Tibet
8) Yangtze River Cruising
9) Huangshan Mountain ( Yellow mountain )
10) Jiuzhaigou ( nine Tibetan village valley ) in Aba Sichuan
Note: You are welcome to write your own top 10 list of must see destinations about China. Please send to manager@tour-beijing.com for posting the list here.
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China Travel Tips
In general, China is relatively a stable country. Our present central government has adopted a policy of" Harmony": harmony among people; harmony between human and nature; harmony between the central government and the local and more... China is a safe destination for oversea travellers. Actually, as a foreign traveller, you will often be rendered special care and a certain amount of leniency. Of course, you have to act according to the law in China and respect the local culture and customs. Hostility towards foreigners is very rare. Most people are friendly and willing to be helpful if possible. To learn more Beijing China travel information, please visit Beijing China Travel Tips. You are also welcome to submit your China travel tips to China travel community to help the new travellers. Thanks!
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