28 SIX OF THE BEST china
CHINESE CITIES
The word ‘metropolis’ is taken to another level in China, where cities virtually unknown in the west boast 10 million-plus populations. But the following cities also hold treasures for visitors looking to explore China’s culture.
hub and is home to many of the icons of Chinese culture that visitors strive to see: the ancient courtyards of the Forbidden City, the austere Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace. It’s also a jumping-off point for the most accessible points of the Great Wall and home to the legacy of China’s 2008 Olympics. BOOK IT: Travel Indochina’s 15-day China Panorama group tour visits every city mentioned on this page, bar Hangzhou. Priced from £2270pp.
travelindochina.co.uk
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futuristic city of towering glass and steel buildings in fantastical shapes, such as the ‘bottle opener’ and the Oriental Pearl Building. But across from the modern Pudong area resides Shanghai’s past in the form of The Bund and the colonial-built architecture which fronts it. Other attractions include the serene Yuyuan Gardens, shopping on Nanjing Road and the Jade Buddha Temple. Day trips from Shanghai often visit traditional water villages nearby to see markets and temples. BOOK IT: Audley Travel offers a culinary tour of Shanghai as part of its tailor-made packages.
audleytravel.com
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archaeological find of the 20th century, Xian is traditionally included as part of a triangle tour with Shanghai and Beijing. The Terracotta Warriors were first unearthed by local farmers in 1974 and excavations are still ongoing. The life-size
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XIAN Home to the most famous and important
SHANGHAI The economic powerhouse of China is a huge
BEIJING China’s capital is the country’s political and cultural
BEIJING CHINA XIAN SHANGHAI CHENGDU
HANGZHOU GUILIN
sculptures were made to protect China’s first emperor in the ‘after life’ and date back to the third century. Xian is also surrounded by China’s best-preserved city wall. BOOK IT: For families, On the Go Tours has the eight-day Warriors and Dragons tour which takes in Xian plus Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai. From £769ppp.
onthegotours.com
by limestone karst mountains, Guilin is visited for the dreamy Chinese landscapes that fill popular Chinese art. Actually, it is neighbouring Yangshuo that visitors head on to in order to get the full rural experience. Yangshuo is often reached by a river cruise between the two. Hiking, kayaking, tea plantation tours and trips to the Longji Rice Terraces of Longsheng are popular add-ons. BOOK IT: China Links Travel has the13-day China Dreams rural tour, also visiting Beijing, Shanghai and Xian. From £2,198pp.
chinalinkstravel.co.uk
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province Sichuan has China’s most popular ambassadors on its side – its native giant pandas. The endangered animals’
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CHENGDU The regional capital of the proudly unique
GUILIN Set on the banks of the Li River and surrounded
natural home is in the area and visitors can see them up close at the Panda Breeding and Research Centre, just outside the city. Here, amongst 92 acres, giant pandas, red pandas, black-necked cranes, white storks and over 20 species of rare animals can be found in the bamboo groves. BOOK IT: Wendy Wu offers a short stay in Chengdu for four days from £620.
wendywutours.co.uk
shouldn’t need to sell itself. The city is just 180km from Shanghai and is famous for its West Lake and surrounding pagodas and temples, which has long been a spiritual destination for artists, poets and other cultural elites of China. Visitors are usually encouraged to partake in some shopping as Hangzhou is China’s silk capital. This can be rounded off with a visit to one of the city’s famous and historic tea houses. BOOK IT: Wexas’ comprehensive 14-day Highlights of China tour includes a day in Hangzhou, reached by bullet train from Shanghai. From £1499pp.
wexas.com
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HANGZHOU With a nickname like ‘heaven on earth’ Hangzhou
www.sellinglonghaul.com
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