World Guide

China

Country · Asia, Eastern Asia

China
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

China is located in Eastern Asia, covering about 9.6 million square kilometers with a population of approximately 1.4 billion. The capital is Beijing. The country offers a wide variety of destinations, ranging from historic landmarks to modern architecture.

Highlights

This site covers 120 sights. Historical sites include the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the Terracotta Army, the Potala Palace, the Shaolin Monastery, the Grand Canal, Shangdu, and Sanxingdui. Modern engineering and urban landmarks include the Three Gorges Dam, the Shanghai Tower, the Canton Tower, the Huajiang Canyon Bridge, Zhongnanhai, and Tiananmen Square. Natural landscapes feature Mount Kailash, Lake Manasarovar, the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, and Tianmen Mountain. Visitors can explore these across cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Nanjing, Lhasa, Lijiang, Suzhou, Datong, Dujiangyan City, Dunhuang, Hangzhou, Luoyang, and Zhangjiajie.

Food and drink

The culinary options include Peking duck, Mooncake, fried rice, century egg, spring roll, wonton, Zongzi, Jiaozi, chow mein, shrimp paste, dim sum, and Kung Pao chicken.

When to go

Based on the climate in Beijing, the weather varies significantly by season. Winters are cold; in January, temperatures range from a high of 2 °C to a low of -9 °C. Summers are hot, with July temperatures reaching highs of 32 °C and lows of 22 °C. July and August are the rainiest months, with rain occurring on about 17 and 15 days respectively. Spring and autumn offer more moderate temperatures.

Practical notes

The currency is the renminbi (CNY). The official language is Standard Chinese (Mandarin). Driving is on the right side of the road. The time zone is UTC+08:00. Electrical outlets use plug types A, C, and I with a voltage of 220 V.

Cities

Food and drink to try in China

  • Peking duck
  • Mooncake
  • Fried rice
  • Century egg
  • Spring roll
  • Wonton
  • Zongzi
  • Jiaozi
  • Chow mein
  • Shrimp paste
  • Dim sum
  • Kung Pao chicken

Top sights in China

  1. Great Wall of ChinaGreat Wall of China
  2. Terracotta ArmyTerracotta ArmyXi'an
  3. Mount KailashMount Kailash
  4. Forbidden CityUNESCOForbidden CityBeijing
  5. Three Gorges DamThree Gorges DamYichang
  6. Tiananmen SquareTiananmen SquareBeijing
  7. Mausoleum of Qin Shi HuangUNESCOMausoleum of Qin Shi HuangXi'an
  8. Shanghai TowerShanghai TowerShanghai
  9. Huajiang Canyon BridgeHuajiang Canyon BridgeAnshun
  10. ZhongnanhaiBeijing
  11. Shaolin MonasteryUNESCOShaolin MonasteryDengfeng
  12. Temple of HeavenUNESCOTemple of HeavenBeijing
  1. Potala Palace · LhasaUNESCO
  2. Grand Canal · HangzhouUNESCO
  3. Lake Manasarovar
  4. ShangduUNESCO
  5. Canton Tower · Guangzhou
  6. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
  7. Tianmen Mountain · Zhangjiajie
  8. Sanxingdui · Chengdu
  9. Summer Palace · BeijingUNESCO
  10. Leshan Giant Buddha · LeshanUNESCO
  11. Old Summer Palace · Beijing
  12. Great Hall of the People · Beijing
  13. Shanghai World Financial Center · Shanghai
  14. Beijing National Stadium · Beijing
  15. Oriental Pearl Tower · Shanghai
  16. Mogao Caves · DunhuangUNESCO
  17. China Zun · Beijing
  18. JiuzhaigouUNESCO
  19. Jin Mao Tower · Shanghai
  20. Mount TaiUNESCO
  21. Tiananmen · Beijing
  22. Chairman Mao Memorial Hall · Beijing
  23. HuangshanUNESCO
  24. Spring Temple Buddha · Pingdingshan
  25. Mount Hua
  26. West Lake · Hangzhou
  27. Yu Garden · Shanghai
  28. Ping An Finance Centre · Shenzhen
  29. Pangong Tso
  30. Badaling · BeijingUNESCO
  31. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum · Nanjing
  32. Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon
  33. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain · Lijiang
  34. Dujiangyan · Dujiangyan City
  35. Giant Wild Goose Pagoda · Xi'anUNESCO
  36. Longmen Grottoes · LuoyangUNESCO
  37. Fujian tulouUNESCO
  38. Mount EmeiUNESCO
  39. CCTV Headquarters · Beijing
  40. Yinxu · AnyangUNESCO
  41. Wudang Mountains · Shiyan
  42. Wulingyuan · ZhangjiajieUNESCO
  43. Hanging Temple · Datong
  44. Shanhai PassUNESCO
  45. Qinghai Lake
  46. Porcelain Tower of Nanjing · Nanjing
  47. Great Mosque of Xi'an · Xi'an
  48. Zhangye National Geopark · Zhangye
  49. Cemetery of Confucius · Qufu
  50. Shanghai Museum · Shanghai
  51. Mawangdui · Changsha
  52. National Museum of China · Beijing
  53. Ming tombs · BeijingUNESCO
  54. Yellow Crane Tower · Wuhan
  55. Yonghe Temple · Beijing
  56. GulangyuUNESCO
  57. Daming Palace · Xi'anUNESCO
  58. Yungang Grottoes · DatongUNESCO
  59. Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Bridge · Qingdao
  60. Dazu Rock Carvings · DazuUNESCO
  61. Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center · Jiuquan
  62. Qinghai–Tibet railway
  63. Marco Polo Bridge · Beijing
  64. Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest AreaUNESCO
  65. Classical Gardens of Suzhou · SuzhouUNESCO
  66. Mukden Palace · ShenyangUNESCO
  67. Humble Administrator's Garden · SuzhouUNESCO
  68. Norbulingka · LhasaUNESCO
  69. Fanjingshan
  70. Chengde Mountain Resort · ChengdeUNESCO
  71. Kizil CavesUNESCO
  72. Wuyi MountainsUNESCO
  73. Jiayu Pass · JiayuguanUNESCO
  74. Duge Bridge · Liupanshui
  75. Weiyang Palace · Xi'anUNESCO
  76. Mount Qingcheng · Dujiangyan City
  77. Lake Tai
  78. White Horse Temple · Luoyang
  79. Mount Song · Dengfeng
  80. Mount Wutai · XinzhouUNESCO
  81. Namtso
  82. Eastern Qing tombsUNESCO
  83. Yumen Pass · DunhuangUNESCO
  84. Hangu Pass · SanmenxiaUNESCO
  85. Mount Putuo · Zhoushan
  86. Old Town of Lijiang · LijiangUNESCO
  87. Monument to the People's Heroes · Beijing
  88. Zifeng Tower · Nanjing
  89. Jokhang · LhasaUNESCO
  90. South China KarstUNESCO
  91. Jingshan Park · Beijing
  92. Western Qing tombs · BaodingUNESCO
  93. Xiao Mausoleum · NanjingUNESCO
  94. Lingering Garden · SuzhouUNESCO
  95. Three Parallel RiversUNESCO
  96. Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site · BeijingUNESCO
  97. Sera Monastery · Lhasa
  98. Badain Jaran DesertUNESCO
  99. Western Xia mausoleums · YinchuanUNESCO
  100. Qiandao Lake · Hangzhou
  101. Huangguoshu Waterfall · Anshun
  102. HongcunUNESCO
  103. Maijishan Grottoes · TianshuiUNESCO
  104. Hoh XilUNESCO
  105. Small Wild Goose Pagoda · Xi'anUNESCO
  106. Honghe Hani Rice TerracesUNESCO
  107. Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing DynastiesUNESCO
  108. Black Dragon Pool · LijiangUNESCO
  109. Songyue Pagoda · DengfengUNESCO
  110. Jiaohe ruins · TurpanUNESCO
  111. Beijing Central Axis · BeijingUNESCO
  112. Lion Grove Garden · SuzhouUNESCO
  113. Mount Heng · Datong
  114. Helan Mountains · Yinchuan
  115. Fuling Mausoleum · ShenyangUNESCO
  116. Zhao Mausoleum · ShenyangUNESCO
  117. Shuanglin Temple · PingyaoUNESCO
  118. Zhenguo Temple · PingyaoUNESCO

UNESCO sites in China →

Weather by month

The warmest month is June, with an average high of 32 °C. The wettest is July, with about 174 mm of rain.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high, °C261322283232302620103
Average low, °C-9-6-1714202221157-2-7
Rainfall, mm35102638791741485124103
Rainy days022571017159431

Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for Beijing (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.

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