Provincial Attraction Guides

For centuries, the heart of Xi'an beat to two buildings: the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower, standing 500 meters apart at the exact center of the old city. In the Ming dynasty, the bell was struck at dawn and the drum at dusk — a city-wide signal for when to open gates, start markets and end the day. They were the clock of an imperial capital.

At the foot of Mount Li, 30 kilometers east of Xi'an, lies a palace that has hosted emperors for over 3,000 years. Huaqing Palace began as a Zhou-dynasty resort, expanded into a Tang-dynasty royal retreat, and is best known today for two things: the love story of Emperor Xuanzong and Concubine Yang Guifei, and the 1936 Xi'an Incident that changed modern China.

A 2.1-kilometer pedestrian street in south Xi'an has become one of China's most photographed night attractions — and it's completely free. Datang Everbright City is a full-scale recreation of Tang-dynasty Xi'an: lantern-lit architecture, costumed performers, poetry written in light on the buildings, and crowds that feel like a festival every single night.

Eighty kilometers northwest of Xi'an, the Qianling Mausoleum holds the only husband-and-wife imperial burial in Chinese history: Emperor Gaozong of the Tang dynasty and his wife Wu Zetian — the only woman in Chinese history to rule as emperor in her own right. In nearly 1,300 years, no one has successfully looted or opened the main tomb. Its underground chamber remains untouched, sealed behind the mountain it was carved into.

In 1987, workers repairing a collapsed Tang-dynasty pagoda at Famen Temple, 110 kilometers west of Xi'an, made one of the great Buddhist archaeological discoveries of the 20th century: beneath the pagoda's foundation they found an underground crypt (地宫) sealed for over a thousand years — containing a relic believed to be a finger bone of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. It is the only known example of this relic anywhere in the world.

South of Xi'an rises Mount Taibai (Taibaishan), the highest peak of the Qinling Mountains at 3,767 meters — and the highest mountain in eastern China. The Qinling range is China's great natural divide, separating the north and south of the country: rivers on the north slope flow to the Yellow River, rivers on the south slope to the Yangtze. Climbing Taibai means standing on the watershed of an entire nation.

High on a hill above the Yan River stands the Yan'an Pagoda, a 44-meter Tang-dynasty brick tower that became the most recognizable symbol of modern Chinese history. From 1937 to 1947, Yan'an was the base of the Chinese Communist Party — and the pagoda, lit red at night, has become the visual shorthand for that era. For Chinese visitors it's a place of pilgrimage; for international travelers it's one of the most historically charged sites in the country.

Experience Guangzhou's iconic Canton Tower (600m) and nighttime Pearl River cruises. Complete guide with tickets and itinerary tips.

Explore Kaiping Diaolou, UNESCO-listed fortified towers blending Chinese and Western architecture in rural Guangdong. Complete guide.

Visit Shunde, China's UNESCO City of Gastronomy and the birthplace of Cantonese cuisine. Complete food guide with must-try dishes.

Visit Danxia Mountain in Shaoguan, a spectacular UNESCO Global Geopark with red sandstone peaks, caves and hiking trails.

Visit Chaozhou Ancient City, a 1,600-year-old cultural center preserving authentic Teochew architecture, traditions and world-class cuisine.

Explore Shamian Island in Guangzhou, a leafy colonial-era island with 19th-century European architecture along the Pearl River.

Visit Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai, the largest aquarium in Asia with whale sharks, beluga whales and world-class marine shows.

Visit Chen Clan Academy in Guangzhou, a magnificent 19th-century temple complex with intricate Lingnan woodcarvings and the Guangdong Folk Art Museum.

Explore OCT Loft in Shenzhen, China's premier creative arts district with contemporary galleries, design studios, street art and independent cafes.