Most Beautiful Places in China

Most Beautiful Places in China would like to show you the most popular scenic cities with stunning natural scenery. China has many cities with spectacular views that will make a feast for your eyes and even lead you to the dreamy land. Sometimes areas with gorgeous natural beauty are located outside city in a prefecture governed by, and with the same name as, a city. TopChinaTravel has, though very hard, tried to pick out 10 of the most popular China scenic cities for you that with precious top scenery (in no particular order).

Guilin (Yangshuo/Longsheng)

Situated in South China, Guilin is like a glittering pearl on a green carpet, the scenery here enjoys the praise of “top landscape in the world”. It is renowned for its Karst landscape, exquisite mountains, wired caves and especially the limpid Li River that runs from downtown to Yangshuo County, all of which mix together and form a giant elegant Chinese painting. At the same time, you would not wanna miss the unique beauty of graceful rice fields in Longsheng County.

Li River, Guilin

Guilin Highlights:
♦ Li River , is the top ranked attraction in Guilin, which expressed perfectly the inner core of scenery and also the custom of the city – mild, delicate, genial but also proud. It is said that the river between Yangdi and Xingping (of Yangshuo County) is the most outstanding section.

♦ Longji Rice Terraces is a very special site that considered the best of its kind, attracted people with its creative layout, well-toned figure and extraordinary size.

Jiuzhaigou

Situatied inthe east part of Sichuan Province, Jiuzhaigou county owns one of the most famous fairy-land-like spots of the world – Jiuzhaigou Valley, which is a legendry land that recognized by UNESCO as World Natural Heritage in 1992. Jiuzhaigou County is also a good place for people to experience unique Tibetan culture and unspoiled local custom.

Jiuzhaigou Valley

Jiuzhaigou Highlights:
♦ Called as the living paradise, Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic Area is reputed for its bright green waters, icy waterfalls, colorful forest (especially in autumn) and pure snow mountains surrounded. It is also home of varied creatures like wild pandas, white-lipped deer.

♦ Huanglong , a World Natural Heritage site, touching Jiuzhaigou, is also famous for its colorful ponds, snowy mountains, deep valleys, and dense forest. Between 3,145 and 3,578 meters above sea level at the foot of Xuebaoding, the main peak of Mt. Minshan, lies a 3.6-km-long calcified hill, resembling a giant golden dragon galloping among the virgin forest, and this is how the mountain was named.

Huangshan

Situated on the mid-east part of China, Huangshan city owns abundant natural and cultural resources. Boasted grand mountain-view sites, elegant water-view spots and primary national forest reserves, this city is a real popular tourist city of China. In 1990, the most outstanding site Yellow Mountain (Mt. Huangshan) was recognized by UNESCO as World Natural Heritage.

Huangshan Highlights:
♦ Yellow Mountain (Mt. Huangshan) is one of the top mountain-view spots of China and known as the No. 1 Mountain under heaven. It features imposing peaks, grotesquely-shaped rocks, steep cliffs, fantastic caves and those peculiarities that make the mountain outstanding among others.

♦ Hongcun Village is an ancient village with a history of 400 to 500 years. The original residential style and features of the Ming and Qing Dynasties were preserved perfectly there. It was inscribed into the list of the World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000.

Shangri-la

Shangri-la enjoys the reputation of “Highland Garden” and “Realm of Living Creatures”. Read about the Lost Horizon, we would know it is a remote peaceful land with transparent sky, snow-covered mountains, dignified monasteries and primary forest. Shangri-la, the lost paradise, is the place where we can expect a stunning adventure to the nature which beautiful enough to feast our eyes.

Potatso National Park, Shangri-la

Shangri-La Highlights:
♦ Mery Snow Mountain , or Meili Snow Mountain or the Crown Prince of Snow Mountains, is known as the most beautiful snow mountain of the world. Kawagebo Peak, the main peak, is the highest peak in Yunnan Province and one of the grand four holly mountains of Tibetan Buddhism.

♦ 22km away from Shangri-la, Potatso National Park is the first national park of mainland China, which consists of two main attractions – Bitahai Lake and Shuduhu Lake. With well-preserved ecological environment, primary forest, wetlands, deep valleys and alpine meadow can also be seen in this park.

Zhangjiajie

Situated in the northwestern part of Hunan, central of Wuling Mountain range, Zhangjiajie is one of the popular tourist cities of China, especially renowned for its mountain scenery. Enjoying superb geographical and natural environment, its Wulingyuan Scenic Resort (including Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Suoxiyu Scenic Area and Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve), which was included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO in December 1992, attracting people from all over the world.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie Highlights:
♦ Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is the first national forest park of China, with a forest coverage rate up to 98%. Renowned for its numerous sheer peaks, secluded valleys and primary forest, this park also rich in biology resource, is a decent Museum of Nature.

♦ Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve enjoys a reputation of “grand potted landscape, mini fairyland”. Its wild primary scenery is the masterpiece of nature. There are four scenic wonders there, namely Cloud Billows, Moon Brightness, Sun Glow and Winter Snow, you would not wanna miss.

Sanya

Facing the South China Sea, Sanya enjoys the best coastal scenery of Hainan Island. With bright sunshine, fine and pleasant weather, soft white sandy beach, pure sea water and comfortable seaside resorts, Sanya is an incomparable place to spend the holiday.

Yalong Bay, Sanya

Sanya Highlights:
♦ Known as “the Oriental Hawaii”, Sanya has the most beauty beach of China – Yalong Bay , which stretches 7.5 km, is a crescent-shaped soft sandy beach with gentle and broad slope. Vast shallow-sea area embraces this beach with pure clean water and calm waves, made this beach the most popular attraction and also the best swimming spot. Besides, Sanya Bay and Dadonghai Bay are also ideal places for strolling, swimming, diving and water skiing, etc.

♦ Wuzhizhou Island with abundant vegetation resources and flash water resource, is only 30km away from Sanya. Except for the beautiful tropical landscape, the exciting aquatic sports are another choice to experience this island.

Lijiang

Rich in natural and cultural resources, Lijiang is a well-known city that famous for its grand mountain-view, serenity lake-view, steep valley-view and peaceful old town-view multi-ranged scenery. It is, therefore, an ideal place suitable for a whole year round travel, for both nature lovers and anyone interested in ancient people groups and their customs.

Lijiang Ancient Town

Lijiang Highlights:
♦ Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is the holy mountain worshiped by Naxi people. Renowned for its dignified momentum, elegant figure and mysterious legends, this mountain is yet to be conquered by a human.

♦ Lugu Lake is about 300km to the northeast of Lijiang City, is a paradise that far from the stir of society and unspoiled virgin land in Yunnan. Mosuo people is the main inhabitant there, which well remained the custom of primeval matri-clan system.

♦ As one of the deepest valleys in China, Tiger Leaping Gorge locates 60km north of Lijiang, around 15km in length, is known throughout the world for its amazedness, awesomeness and strangeness.

Hangzhou

Hangzhou is famous for its profound historical accumulations, and especially, for the paradise-like natural scenery. Since ancient times, it has enjoyed a title as “one of the most beautiful and elegant cities of the world”. Nowadays, it is one of the most popular tourist cities of China, which with many splendid sightseeing attractions, attracting people from home and abroad.

West Lake, Hangzhou

Hangzhou Highlights:
♦ West Lake is a previous natural gift of Hangzhou as an apple of the eye. Ancient Chinese people praised the West Lake as a place of intoxicating beauty as for its vast serenity water surface and the long narrow river levee that full of sense of “willow down and flowers reign”.

♦ Only 5km away from West Lake, Xixi National Wetland Park is a rare and the only inner city wetland park in China, which combines urban wetland, farming wetland and cultural wetland three together.

♦ Has 1,078 small islands within the range, Thousand-islet Lake hence the name. Surrounded by verdant mountains, the crystal-clear lake, which is dotted by the 1,078 islets, is like a mirror covered with a great amount of jade.

Shigatse

Shigatse means “the Best Manor with Fertile Land” in Tibetan language. It is a national historical and cultural city, but the majestic natural scenes it owns, made it one of the best destinations for nature lovers as well, which gives you the highest mountain of the world, the largest inland lake of north Himalaya and other miracles of nature.

Mount Everest Camp

Shigatse Highlights:
♦ Mt. Everest (Mt Qomolangma) is the ultimate goal of mountaineers. It is the mighty king of mountains with its waist hidden in the clouds. Each year, a great number of brave robust mountaineers come from all over the world to visit and climb Mt. Everest, hope to fulfill a life-long dream by climbing onto and looking over from the world’s highest peak.

♦ Tashilhunpo Monastery is one of the six big monasteries in Tibet. It is the seat of the Panchen Lama, the second ranking person in the Gelugpa Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy, after the Dalai Lama. The monastery houses the tombs of Panchen Lamas and a 22.4-meter statue of Maitreya Buddha. Tashilhunpo remains popular among the Tibetans, as they carry on coming here on pilgrimage.

Yangtze River

Yangtze River is one of the most popular tourist destinations of China, especially for the section between Chongqing and Yichang, where you will be deeply impressed with the beauty of spectacular Three Gorges, elegant Shennong Streem or Lesser Three Gorges and mighty Three Gorges Dam, etc.

Yangtze River Highlights:
♦ Three Gorges is an outstanding natural attraction of Yangtze River, which consists of Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge. Qutang Gorge or Kui Gorge, though is the shortest one (8km), is considered as the most magnificent and awesome gorge among the three gorges with its steep cliffs stick into the water straightforward. Wu Gorge is known for its zigzags turnings, deep valleys and forest covered mountains. Xiling Gorge is the longest gorge among them that full of shoals and rapid currents.

♦ As one of the tributaries of Yangtze River, Shennong Stream is an important attraction that renowned for its special virtues of serenity, uniqueness, primitiveness and wilderness. With a total length of about 60 km, one exciting sport played here is “Gliding in Water”.

The above mentioned places are highly recommended places for you to enjoy natural landscape in China. Actually, with a vast land and abundant resources, China can present you more, not just the above listed place to admire the magnificent view of the nature.