Smart Self-Managed Tours

Country guide

China

A photograph of China
Photograph · Severin.stalder · CC BY-SA 3.0

China covers 9.6 million km², third largest of any country, and holds more than 1.4 billion people — about 17 per cent of everyone alive. It is divided into 33 province-level divisions, two of them special administrative regions. Beijing is the capital; Shanghai is the most populous city by urban area. Between them the land runs from the Central Plain and the Yangtze and Yellow rivers out to desert, plateau, subtropical and temperate forest, and the Himalayas in the southwest. The first decision a visitor makes here is therefore not which sight to see but which climate to travel in.

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information
Language spoken
Standard Chinese; regional languages are widely used
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+86 mainland · +852 Hong Kong · +853 Macao
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Renminbi (CNY); HKD and MOP in the SARs
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
110 police · 120 medical on the mainland
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A, C and I · 220 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No single verified statement covers mainland China and both SARs

Planning a visit

  1. January: no seasonality data recorded
  2. February: no seasonality data recorded
  3. March: no seasonality data recorded
  4. April: no seasonality data recorded
  5. May: no seasonality data recorded
  6. June: no seasonality data recorded
  7. July: no seasonality data recorded
  8. August: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  9. September: no seasonality data recorded
  10. October: no seasonality data recorded
  11. November: no seasonality data recorded
  12. December: no seasonality data recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

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Category

Historic monuments 6931 Museums 0 Places of worship 3667 Nature sites 1 Viewpoints 0 Food and drink 0 Markets and shopping 7 Entertainment 0 Nightlife 0 Family attractions 0 Art and culture 0 Activities 0

Typical visit duration

Up to 1 hour 6931 1 to 2 hours 3

Interests

History 6931 Art 0 Museums 0 Nature 0 Sea and beach 0 Viewpoints 0
  2. Central–Mid-levels escalators
    02 45 min

    Central–Mid-levels escalators

    The Central to Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System is a piece of public transport infrastructure that happens to have become a sight.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  3. A Symphony of Lights
    03 45 min

    A Symphony of Lights

    A Symphony of Lights is not a building a visitor enters. It is a nightly light and sound show staged across Victoria Harbour, and the map point that carries this page marks a viewing position rather than a venue.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  4. Avenue of Stars
    04 45 min

    Avenue of Stars

    The Avenue of Stars is a 440-metre waterfront promenade on the Tsim Sha Tsui shore of Victoria Harbour, built as a tribute to the Hong Kong film industry and laid out as a walk rather than as a building.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  6. Lan Kwai Fong
    06 45 min

    Lan Kwai Fong

    Lan Kwai Fong is a compact nightlife and entertainment district in Central, Hong Kong. The area comprises a cluster of L-shaped streets and alleys that form one of the territory's most concentrated zones of bars, restaurants, and clubs.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  10. Noonday Gun
    10 45 min

    Noonday Gun

    The Noonday Gun is a historic naval artillery piece located in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Island. It is famously fired daily at noon, a tradition maintained by Jardine Matheson, the British trading company established in the territory.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  11. The Cenotaph
    11 45 min

    The Cenotaph

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  13. Lo Pan Temple
    13 45 min

    Lo Pan Temple

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  17. Lui Seng Chun
    17 45 min

    Lui Seng Chun

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  18. Former Marine Police Headquarters
    18 45 min

    Former Marine Police Headquarters

    1881 Heritage occupies the Former Marine Police Headquarters, a declared monument in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. The compound comprises the main building constructed in 1884, the stable block, and a signal tower added in 1907.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  20. Tiananmen
    20 45 min

    Tiananmen

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Beijing
  22. Central Market
    22 45 min

    Central Market

    Central Market is a historic market building located in the Central district of Hong Kong Island. The structure represents one of the city's significant surviving examples of market architecture from the early twentieth century.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  24. King Yin Lei
    24 45 min

    King Yin Lei

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  25. PMQ
    25 45 min

    PMQ

    PMQ, formerly the Police Married Quarters, is a creative hub in Hong Kong's Sheung Wan district. The heritage site has been revitalized into a center for design, creativity, and entrepreneurship.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  26. Fan Lau Fort
    26 45 min

    Fan Lau Fort

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  27. Dragon's Back
    27 45 min

    Dragon's Back

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  33. Béthanie
    33 45 min

    Béthanie

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  35. So Lo Pun
    35 45 min

    So Lo Pun

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  39. Shing Mun Reservoir
    39 45 min

    Shing Mun Reservoir

    Shing Mun Reservoir is a water storage facility in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Constructed in the 1930s, it represents an important piece of colonial-era infrastructure.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  42. Bride's Pool
    42 45 min

    Bride's Pool

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  43. Garden Road
    43 45 min

    Garden Road

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  46. Ming Xiaoling
    46 45 min

    Ming Xiaoling

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Shanghai
  48. The Peak
    48 45 min

    The Peak

    The Peak is Hong Kong's highest hill on Hong Kong Island, standing as the city's most famous vantage point. Known locally as 山頂, it offers panoramic views across Victoria Harbour, the skyline, and surrounding islands.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  57. Zhengyangmen
    57 45 min

    Zhengyangmen

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Beijing
  60. Shek Pai Wan
    60 45 min

    Shek Pai Wan

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  61. Shanghai Tower
    61 45 min

    Shanghai Tower

    Shanghai Tower is a landmark skyscraper in the Lujiazui financial district of Pudong, Shanghai. It is among the tallest buildings in the world by architectural height.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Shanghai
  64. Island House
    64 45 min

    Island House

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  68. Stone House
    68 45 min

    Stone House

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  69. Beisi Pagoda
    69 45 min

    Beisi Pagoda

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Shanghai
  70. Deshengmen
    70 45 min

    Deshengmen

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Beijing
  77. Tam Kon Shan
    77 45 min

    Tam Kon Shan

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  87. The Bund
    87 45 min

    The Bund

    The Bund is Shanghai's historic waterfront promenade along the western bank of the Huangpu River. It features a concentration of early 20th-century colonial-era buildings representing various European architectural styles, including Neoclassical, Art Deco, and Beaux-Arts.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Shanghai
  88. Au Pui Wan
    88 45 min

    Au Pui Wan

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  90. Maoling
    90 45 min

    Maoling

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Xi'an
  91. Ha Fa Shan
    91 45 min

    Ha Fa Shan

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  94. Santa Casa da Misericórdia
    94 45 min

    Santa Casa da Misericórdia

    The Holy House of Mercy, known locally as 仁慈堂大樓, is a historic welfare institution in Macau's Senado Square. Founded in 1569 by the first Bishop of Macau, it is one of the oldest charitable organisations in Asia.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Macau
  95. MGM Macau
    95 45 min

    MGM Macau

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Macau
  96. Shan Mei
    96 45 min

    Shan Mei

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Hong Kong
  98. Juyongguan
    98 45 min

    Juyongguan

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Beijing

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to China be?

Twelve to eighteen days can link Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai by high-speed rail, with Shenzhen as a southern extension. Hong Kong and Macao need separate border planning and should not be treated as ordinary domestic stops on the same timetable.

What entry documents are needed for China?

Entry rules differ between mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao, even within one journey. Check the official immigration authority for every border segment and match the permission to the passport, purpose, and exact itinerary.

What is the best way to travel around China?

High-speed rail and domestic flights cover mainland distances, while metros handle most urban journeys. Hong Kong uses Octopus and separate border controls, and Macao has its own formalities, so prepare payment and identity requirements for each jurisdiction.

When is a practical time to visit China?

April to May and September to October are only broad mainland planning windows. Beijing, Shanghai, the south, Hong Kong, and Macao have different heat, rain, and holiday pressures; the least flexible regional leg should set the dates.

What money and payment basics apply in China?

Mainland China uses renminbi (CNY), while Hong Kong and Macao use HKD and MOP. Payment systems and card acceptance differ across those jurisdictions, so prepare the appropriate local method before crossing each border.

What practical safety details should I save for China?

On the mainland, save 110 for police and 120 for medical help; Hong Kong and Macao use separate emergency systems. Mainland electricity is recorded as 220 V with Type A, C, and I sockets, while tap-water guidance is not recorded.