China Top 5A & UNESCO World Heritage Attractions Directory
Explore China's 38 most iconic cultural and natural wonders with high-definition photo galleries, crowd-avoidance insider hacks, and private guide bookings.
Mutianyu Great Wall
慕田峪长城 · Mùtiányù Chángchéng
The most scenic and family-friendly section of China's iconic ramparts, surrounded by lush green forests and featuring 22 ancient watchtowers.
The Forbidden City & Tiananmen Square
故宫博物院与天安门广场 · Gùgōng Bówùyuàn
The world's largest palatial complex, home to 24 Ming and Qing emperors across five centuries of imperial rule.
Temple of Heaven & Morning Tai Chi
天坛公园 · Tiāntán Gōngyuán
A circular three-tiered masterpiece built without a single nail where ancient emperors prayed for bumper harvests.
The Summer Palace & Kunming Lake Boat
颐和园 · Yíhéyuán
The largest and best-preserved imperial garden in China, combining tranquil Kunming Lake, Longevity Hill, and the 728-meter painted Long Corridor.
The Bund & Huangpu River Promenade
外滩与黄浦江风光带 · Wàitān
A 1.5-kilometer waterfront boulevard lined with 52 diverse architectural buildings, offering panoramic views of futuristic Pudong.
Yu Garden & Yuyuan Bazaar
豫园与城隍庙 · Yùyuán
A pristine 1559 Ming Dynasty classical garden featuring rockeries, curving dragon walls, and tranquil koi ponds in the heart of old Shanghai.
Shanghai Tower (World's 2nd Tallest)
上海中心大厦与东方明珠 · Shànghǎi Zhōngxīn Dàshà
Soar to the 118th-floor observation deck at 20.5 meters per second inside a twisting eco-skyscraper overlooking the Yangtze River estuary.
The Terracotta Army Museum
秦始皇帝陵博物院（兵马俑） · Bīngmǎyǒng
The monumental subterranean army created in 210 BC to guard China's first Emperor Qin Shi Huang into the afterlife.
Xi'an Ancient Ming City Wall
西安城墙 · Xī'ān Chéngqiáng
The largest and most complete medieval city fortification surviving in the world, standing 12 meters high with moat and drawbridges.
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda & Great Tang All-Night City
大雁塔与大唐不夜城 · Dàyàn Tǎ
A 652 AD brick pagoda built by monk Xuanzang to house Buddhist scriptures brought back from India along the Silk Road.
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (Avatar Mountains)
武陵源·张家界国家森林公园 · Wǔlíngyuán
China's first national forest park featuring Yuanjiajie (Avatar Hallelujah Mountain) and Tianzi Mountain's sea of clouds.
Tianmen Mountain (Heaven's Gate)
天门山国家森林公园 · Tiānmén Shān
A 1,518-meter isolated peak pierced by a massive natural water-eroded arch, reachable via the world's longest urban cableway.
Grand Canyon Glass Bridge (Yuntiandu)
张家界大峡谷玻璃桥 · Dà Xiágǔ Bōlíqiáo
An engineering marvel designed by Haim Dotan, bridging two sheer canyon cliffs with 99 panels of multi-layered glass 300 meters above the canyon floor.
Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base
成都大熊猫繁育研究基地 · Chéngdū Dàxióngmāo Jīdì
The premier non-profit panda conservation facility in the world, home to over 200 giant pandas and playful red pandas in open bamboo forest enclosures.
Qingcheng Mountain & Dujiangyan Irrigation System
青城山-都江堰风景名胜区 · Qīngchéngshān - Dūjiāngyàn
The world's oldest non-dam irrigation engineering marvel built in 256 BC, paired with the misty green sacred Taoist mountain.
Jinli Ancient Street & Wuhou Shrine
锦里古街与武侯祠 · Jǐnlǐ Gǔjiē
A charming Qing Dynasty style pedestrian promenade lined with red lanterns, folk puppet shows, sugar-candy sculptors, and teahouses.
4-Star Li River Cruise (Guilin to Yangshuo)
漓江风景名胜区精华游 · Líjiāng Yóuchuán
A world-renowned 83-kilometer river voyage winding past legendary karst formations, water buffalo, and bamboo groves.
Yulong River Bamboo Raft & Countryside Cycling
遇龙河竹筏与十里画廊 · Yùlóng Hé Zhúfá
A peaceful tributary of the Li River bordered by emerald rice paddies, ancient stone bridges, and orchard villages.
Reed Flute Cave (Palace of Natural Arts)
芦笛岩风景区 · Lúdí Yán
A spectacular subterranean karst cave filled with ancient stalactites, stalagmites, and crystal-clear reflective underground pools.
West Lake Cultural Landscape
杭州西湖风景名胜区 · Xīhú Fēngjǐng Míngshèngqū
A classical freshwater lake flanked by hills on three sides, inspiring Chinese garden design, poetry, and art for over a thousand years.
Lingyin Temple & Feilai Peak
灵隐飞来峰景区 · Língyǐn Sì
One of China's most celebrated Buddhist monasteries, founded in 326 AD in a tranquil forested gorge with 300+ rock-carved statues.
Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City
良渚古城遗址 · Liángzhǔ Gǔchéng
A UNESCO World Heritage site revealing an advanced 5,000-year-old jade-using hydraulic civilization that pre-dates China's earliest dynasties.
The Humble Administrator's Garden
拙政园 · Zhuōzhèng Yuán
The largest and most renowned Ming Dynasty garden in Suzhou, centered on water pavilions, connected bridges, and bamboo groves.
Zhouzhuang Water Town (China's #1 Canal Village)
周庄水乡古镇 · Zhōuzhuāng
An enchanting 900-year-old water town connected by 14 ancient stone bridges spanning serene waterways lined with Ming and Qing residences.
Mount Huangshan Scenic Area
黄山风景区 · Huángshān
Massive granite spires rising above 1,800 meters, famous for the Welcoming Pine, West Sea Grand Canyon, and sunrise vistas.
Hongcun Ancient Village
皖南古村落·宏村 · Hóngcūn
An 800-year-old ox-shaped village designed with a sophisticated network of canals feeding into the iconic Moon Pond and South Lake.
Dazu Rock Carvings
大足石刻 · Dàzú Shíkè
Extraordinary 9th to 13th-century cliffside Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian carvings featuring the 31-meter-long Reclining Buddha.
Wulong Karst National Geology Park (Three Natural Bridges)
武隆天生三桥·仙女山 · Wǔlóng Tiānshēng Sānqiáo
Colossal limestone natural bridges spanning a lush subterranean sinkhole gorge, home to a restored ancient Tang Dynasty wooden postal outpost.
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum & Purple Mountain
钟山风景名胜区·中山陵 · Zhōngshān Míngshèngqū
A majestic granite mausoleum with cobalt-blue glazed tile roofs perched on the forested slopes of Purple Mountain, honoring the founding father of modern China.
Fuzimiao & Qinhuai River Scenic Belt
夫子庙·秦淮风光带 · Fūzǐmiào Qínhuái
The historic center of imperial scholarship and cultural life, centered on the Grand Imperial Examination Hall and lantern-lit river promenades.
Longmen Grottoes
龙门石窟 · Lóngmén Shíkū
Over 2,300 caves carved into steep limestone cliffs stretching a kilometer along the Yi River, representing the peak of Chinese stone sculpture.
Mogao Grottoes (Caves of the Thousand Buddhas)
敦煌莫高窟 · Mògāo Kū
The world's richest treasure house of Buddhist art, featuring 492 decorated caves containing vibrant wall paintings and 2,000+ painted sculptures.
Singing Sand Dunes & Crescent Moon Spring
鸣沙山·月牙泉 · Míngshā Shān Yuèyá Quán
A natural freshwater spring cradled inside massive desert sand dunes that whistle in the wind without ever burying the crescent lake.
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain & Blue Moon Valley
玉龙雪山与蓝月谷 · Yùlóng Xuěshān
A majestic sacred snow-capped mountain range featuring high-altitude glacier cableways and crystal-clear turquoise terraced lakes.
Old Town of Lijiang (Dayan)
丽江古城（大研古镇） · Lìjiāng Gǔchéng
An 800-year-old preserved town built without defensive walls, featuring three stream networks, water wheels, and traditional courtyards.
Canton Tower & Pearl River Cruise
广州塔与珠江夜游 · Guǎngzhōu Tǎ
A world-renowned twisting architectural landmark with open-air observation decks, bubble tram cars, and spectacular nightly LED light shows.
Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area
白云山风景名胜区 · Báiyún Shān
A 28-square-kilometer lush forested mountain oasis inside the metropolis, featuring peaceful walking trails, bird aviaries, and cable cars.
Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone
三亚南山文化旅游区 · Nánshān Wénhuà
A world-renowned coastal Buddhist sanctuary centered on the magnificent 108-meter three-sided bronze statue of Guanyin rising sheer from the South China Sea.
Wuzhizhou Island Coral Resort
蜈支洲岛旅游区 · Wúzhīzhōu Dǎo
A butterfly-shaped tropical island ringed with pristine white beaches, clear coral diving reefs, and coastal electric golf cart tracks.