Things to Do in China

Built in the 1840s and located inside Hong Kong Park, Flagstaff House is the oldest example of colonial heritage in Hong Kong. Since the 1980s, Flagstaff House has been home to the Museum of Tea Ware, with the KS Lo Gallery added a decade later in a building southeast of the museum.

The Museum of Tea Ware traces the history of tea in China throughout the ages, with a large collection of antique Chinese tea ware on display. Here you can explore a whole range of rare Chinese ceramics, including teapots, bowls, teaspoons, brewing trays, and sniffing cups. As well as the exhibits, the museum also holds regular demonstrations, gatherings, and lectures on China’s tea drinking culture, as well as on ceramic art.

Flagstaff House can be taken in as part of a historical walking tour of Hong Kong, or can be combined with larger tours incorporating the Botanical Gardens, Victoria Peak, and a number of the city’s other main attractions.

Flagstaff House’s cafe on the ground floor is a great place to relax with a pot of tea.

Boasting more than 1,000 years of history, Fengjing Ancient Town is one of Shanghai’s most charming water towns. Black and white houses and scarlet lanterns flank shady canals; ancient bridges, such as Yuan Dynasty Zhihe Bridge, reflect in the water; and folk artists create prized “peasant paintings”. The wedding museum is also charming.

Fengjing Ancient Town has a moderate entrance fee, and a few of the attractions within also charge for entry. Many visitors choose to visit as part of a tour, either of Fengjing alone or combined with another ancient Shanghai water town such as Xitang. 

Fengjing tours typically cover attractions such as historic Zhihe Bridge and the wedding museum and include a boat ride and stops to sample mooncakes, millet wine, and other delicacies. Fengjing is famous for its folk art, so painting classes or demonstrations are other popular options. 

Fengjing Ancient Town is about 43 miles (70 kilometers) southwest of Shanghai. To reach it by public transport, catch metro Line 1 to Jinjiang Park station, then ride the bus from West Meilong bus station to Fengjing station. If you don’t speak Chinese, you might find it easier to join a Fengjing tour or hire a private driver and guide. 

Fengjing Ancient Town is open seven days a week from morning until afternoon. As with all canal towns, try to avoid visiting during China’s peak domestic tourist seasons, the Golden Weeks in early October and the Lunar New Year period (January or February). In winter, roughly mid-November to mid-March, even subtropical Shanghai can be surprisingly cold.

Built around a canal network that includes the mighty Grand Canal, southern China’s water towns have been drawing domestic tourists for centuries, even since they first grew wealthy on the proceeds of the Silk Road. Famous water towns such as Tongli, Wuzhen, Xitan, and Zhouzhuang, as well as less well-known towns like Fengjing, have been heavily reconstructed to recreate their historic charm.

Get a glimpse into the life of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Chinese Republic and the Great Forerunner of the Chinese Democratic Revolution, at his former residence in Shanghai. See where he carried out a large number of revolutionary activities, wrote treatises, and met with members of the Communist Party from 1918 until 1924.

 

The two-story Western-style house contains a number of original artifacts, and the rooms are arranged as they were when Dr. Sun Yat-sen lived here. Walk around and see his personal belongings, original furnishings, books, paintings, photographs, and other memorabilia, including a map hand-drawn by Dr. Sun Yat-sen himself. Don’t miss the house’s lovely garden. Finish up at the museum next door, featuring over 300 items, including manuscripts, historical documents, and audiovisual exhibits on Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s life and the revolution.

 

A number of sightseeing tours feature a stop at the residence. Depending on the option chosen, tours also include other attractions around the former French Concession; important historical sites, such the former residences of Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai; or top attractions such as the Bund and Xintiandi.

 

 

The Former Residence of Dr. Sun Yat-sen is located in the French Concession, near Fuxing Park. By metro, take line 13 to Middle Huaihai Road Station (exit 1) and walk south for about five minutes, or take line 10 to Xintiandi (exit 6) and walk west about 10 minutes. A number of buses also stop nearby, including buses 24, 36, 42, 301, 780, 932, and 986.

 

The Former Residence of Dr. Sun Yat-sen and museum do not usually get that crowded, so they make a good alternative when other attractions in Shanghai are busy. Commemoration activities are held and flowers are presented on the anniversaries of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's birth (November 12) and his death (March 12).

 

In addition to the former residence and museum in Shanghai, there are a number of museums and memorials to Dr. Sun Yat-sen around the world. Most notable are the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, the National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei, and the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Guangzhou. Museums and memorials dedicated to Dr. Sun Yat-sen can also be found in other cities, such as Hong Kong, Macau, Penang, Chicago, and San Francisco.

Feilai Peak, or Feilai Feng – literally translated as ‘Peak Flown from Afar’ – is a unique, 200-meter tall limestone peak located next to the Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.

At the site, ancient tree roots rise above the ground, their branches twisting and winding up the peak. Due to erosion, there are a large number of caves within the mountain, and some of these feature intricately carved Buddha statues that were created during the Song and Yuan dynasties.

The largest Buddha statue here is the Maitreya Buddha, with its exposed belly and beaming smile; this is one of the best-preserved statues of its kind, displaying the artistry of carving in the Song Dynasty. In Longhong Cave, there is a seated statue of Avalokitesvara, while in Shexu Cave, a beam of sunlight pours in through the rock tunnels above – a famous scene known as 'the gleam of the sky'.

The Gate of Heavenly Peace, or Tiananmen Tower, is featured on the officially emblem of the People's Republic of China. Situated on the northern edge of Tiananmen Square, it served as the principal entry to the Imperial Palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The Gate of Heavenly Peace is also the name of a documentary film about the protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989. The protests sparked the largest nonviolent political protest in the country’s history. 

The structure itself is made up of a tower situated on top of a platform. It’s one of the most imposing monumental gates in the world, notable for its sheer size and ornate features, including its columns. Stone lions and white marble bridges guard the entrance to the tower and viewing stands flank both sides, which are opened up for visitors on the first day of each month.

The Peace Hotel (or Heping Fandian) is an historic art deco hotel located on the Bund and divided by Nanjing Road. Built in 1929, it has recently been restored to its former glory and today operates as two separate hotels, the North Building and the South Building.

As well as beautiful rooms and excellent food, there's a gallery on the first floor that charts all of the historic events that have taken place at the hotel, as well as the famous people that have stayed here. Don't miss the mature jazz band who perform every evening in the lounge bar – these musicians have been performing here for years and have become famous in their own right.

You can enjoy a stop at the Peace Hotel to listen to some classical jazz as part of a Shanghai luxury dinner and nightlife experience, which also includes dinner at Lost Heaven and drinks at Bar Rouge. Explore the attractions and other landmarks of the Bund on a two-hour private walking tour or with a Shanghai hop-on hop-off bus tour.

The Forbidden City, or Imperial Palace, is the world’s largest palace complex, with more than 800 buildings and some 8,000 rooms set in the heart of Beijing. Deemed off-limits to visitors for some five centuries, today this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the city’s most popular attractions.

With so much to see at this Beijing landmark—everything from the living quarters of emperors to ceremonial rooms and galleries lined with Imperial artifacts—many visitors opt to visit with a guide who can navigate the vast complex from the Ming and Qing dynasties and point out its most interesting features. Those short on time in the Chinese capital can opt for a day tour that combines a Forbidden City visit with time at other Beijing attractions, such as Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, and the Great Wall. As well, number of gardens, museums, pagodas, and pavilions dot the area.

Arriving by public transport or walking is preferred over taxi, as taxis are not allowed to stop nearby. Take the subway Line 1 to Tiananmen West or Tiananmen East, or catch one of the many buses going to Gugong.

To avoid crowds at this popular Beijing attraction, it’s best to visit first thing in the morning when the ticket office opens. Avoid weekends and Chinese national holidays.

Before or after touring the Forbidden City, it’s nice to get a sense of its size by seeing it from above. Jingshan Park, located just across from the palace’s north gate, is home to the highest point in Beijing and affords the best panoramic, bird’s-eye view of the Forbidden City.

While the terra cotta warriors have been mostly excavated, their entombed emperor has been resting undisturbed in his mausoleum of underground caverns for over two millennia. Emperor Qin Shi Huang, born in 259 B.C., was China’s first emperor. He conquered six warring kingdoms, joined them and created the first unified nation of China – something no one had managed before. When he died, Qin was buried with the usual artifacts and even live people such as concubines, armies and servants, which was a custom at the time and supposed to be useful in the afterlife. Additionally, and maybe most famously, he was also buried with their clay replicas.  

The mausoleum is part of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum Site Park, which includes a garden, the museum with the terracotta warriors and horses, and Quin’s tomb itself, which can so far only be imagined. Geological surveys prove that the opulent mausoleum is bigger than the Great Pyramid, consisting of a whole underground city resembling the city plan of the ancient capital Xianyang and including a massive palace, pavilions and offices. According to ancient writings, there are believed to be additional pits with the models of concubines, ceilings mimicking the sky and stars and imitations of the region’s rivers made of mercury. The unexcavated mausoleum is located to the west of his famous terracotta soldiers and it is not known, when and if China will allow an excavation. Doing so would not only endanger the treasures hidden and expose them to the elements, making them lose their color like the terracotta warriors, but soil samples have also indicated dangerously high levels of mercury.  

At over 500 years old, the Fuli Bridge is yet another ancient stone bridge which can be found in the countryside around Yangshuo. While the Yulong Bridge is the biggest single arch bridge in the province and the Xiangui Bridge is the oldest passage across the river, the Fuli Bridge is the tallest one. When seen from a distance away, the bridge with its high arched back and the reflection created in the water form a perfect circle, called a full moon by the locals. Single-arched stone bridges were a common type of bridge built in ancient China due to their strength and sturdiness, and like many of them, the Fuli Bridge has survived thanks to its high resistance to weathering.. 

But although it is located only a short distance from the very touristy and popular Yulong Bridge, the Fuli Bridge is a barely visited gem. Only very few travelers come here and those who do, usually have the stunning stone arch completely to themselves. Sometimes, children from the neighboring villages come here to swim in the shallow pools, squealing and jumping in over and over again in their clothes. Once in a while, a farmer crosses with a heavy load on his shoulders or a motorbike whizzes past, but otherwise, the stunning landscape around Fuli Bridge is completely tranquil. Only seldom do the bamboo rafts make it this far upriver and there are no coach tours to be seen and thus, it’s a great idea to imitate the locals and hop into the cool water for a peaceful swim in the dragon river.

Fuli Ancient Town is a historic village made of stone slabs and cobblestone roads. The village is small and all the old houses are still intact and humming with life. While everything, from local produce to goods, wares and livestock can be bought at the regularly held and popular market, Fuli is especially famous for the handmade fans. This intricate trade, in which the majority of people living here are somehow involved, has earned the village the reputation of being the artistic town in the area. 

Fan craftsmanship has a long tradition in China, and the exquisite structures made of bamboo, as well as painted and folded papers, are used for more than just to keep cool. Over the years they evolved to be used in theatre or dance, as gifts, status symbols, or as simple pieces of art. The handmade fans created in Fuli Ancient Town range from small handheld fans intended for everyday use to huge pieces of art, which when hung up, will cover a whole wall. Consequently, prices vary according to the size and level of detail incorporated in the fans. But while they range from cheap travel fans to exquisite pieces of art worth hundreds of dollars, they all show intricately painted flowers, the karst landscape of Yangshuo, birds, insects and Chinese girls in traditional outfits. 

Set amid bustling Mongkok, Fa Yuen Street Market is a must-visit Hong Kong street market. It’s best known for sportswear—one stretch with scores of sports shops is known as Sneaker Street—but it’s a mecca for all sorts of goods and clothing. There’s an indoor wet market with stalls selling cooked food and nary a souvenir in sight.

Fa Yuen Street Market is easy to visit independently: just hop on the MTR, then cruise the stalls for goods. However, both the wet market and the cooked food center will be hard to navigate if you don’t speak Chinese. A good local guide can enhance the shopping experience. 

Fa Yuen Street Market typically features as a stop on Mongkok walking tours, market walking tours, Hong Kong market tours, and occasionally on Mongkok food tours. You can also request a Fa Yuen Street Market tour when planning travel with a private guide.

Set in Mongkok, on the Kowloon side, Fa Yuen Street Market runs from Dundas Street to Prince Edward Road. Just take the MTR to Mongkok station, select exit D3, and turn right along Argyle Street until you hit Fa Yuen Street. Taxi drivers generally speak English but in case of doubt, show the Chinese characters: 花園街.

The stalls tend to get going around 10am or 10:30am and start to close over the course of the evening—although it’s not unusual for shops and stalls to still be serving at midnight. Weekdays are less crowded than at weekends and Fa Yuen Street Market is open year-round, with the exception of the first two days of Chinese New Year.

Hong Kong’s trend-conscious youth have been shopping for the latest sneakers on Fa Yuen Street since the 1980s, and sneaker junkies will be awestruck by the range on offer. Besides the latest offerings from mainstream global brands such as Nike and New Balance, look for chic boutiques with niche brands and Asian favorites.

Situated in northeast Guilin, beautiful Fubo Hill (Fubo Shan) sits half in and half out of the Li River, causing the passing water to swirl and lending it its other name: “Wave-Subduing Hill.” With a height of 695 feet (213 meters), Fubo Hill offers spectacular views of the city and river views from its summit.

 

In addition to its stunning views, Fubo Hill features a number of caves and points of interest, including the Pearl Returning Cave, the Thousand Buddha Cave, and the Sword-Testing Rock, all at the foot of the hill. There are also a number of pavilions where you can stop and enjoy the scenery.

 

Fubo Hill is a popular attraction and many tours will include a stop here, along with Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave, and Seven Star Cave. You can also combine a visit with a multi-day tour to explore top attractions outside of Guilin, such as Yangshuo.

 

 

Fubo Hill is located on Binjiang Road, Xiufeng District, in northeast Guilin. From the South Train Station, take bus no. 1 directly to Fubo Hill. Bus nos. 2, 58, and 203 also stop at Fubo Hill.

 

Open year-round, Fubo Hill is a popular tourist attraction; to avoid the crowds, arrive early in the morning.   

At the foot of Fubo Hill is Pearl Returning Cave; inside of that is the Sword-Testing Rock, which hangs from the ceiling and nearly touches the ground. Legend has it that the emperor tested his sword by cutting what used to be a stone pillar, leaving the crevice at the bottom. At the back of the cave is the Thousand Buddha Cave, with more than 200 Buddhist statues and more than 100 inscriptions, some dating from the Tang and Song dynasties.

Duolun Road, in the Hongkou District, was known as the cultural and literary center of Shanghai in the early 20th century, when a number of famous Chinese writers called it home. Restored and reopened in 1998, today it’s a pedestrian street filled with museums, galleries, studios, antique shops, teahouses, and cafes.

 

The Basics 

Full of historic buildings that have been restored, there’s much to see on the half-mile-long (0.8 kilometer) Duolun Road. Top attractions include the Duolun Museum of Modern Art, the League of Leftist Writers Museum, Hong De Temple (Great Virtue Christian Church), and the 60-foot-tall (18.5-meter-tall) Xi Shi Zhong Lou bell tower. Browse the many galleries and shops, then take a break at the Old Film Café, which plays old Chinese movies from the 1920s and ‘30s.

 

It’s best to experience Duolun Road on foot or opt for a bike tour that includes other top Shanghai attractions such as the Bund, Yuyuan Garden, and Nanjing Road.

 

 

Duolun Road is located in the Hongkou District. By metro, take Line 3 to Dongbaoxing Road Station (Exit 1) and walk northwest, or Line 4 or Line 10 to Hailun Road Station (Exit 5) and walk west. By bus, take bus nos. 18, 21, 52, 318, or 939 and get off at Luxun Gongyuan (Luxun Park) Station.

 

Duolun Road is all day, every day. Both the Duolun Museum of Modern Art and the League of Left Wing Writers museum are closed on Mondays; if you’re interested in these museums, time their visit accordingly.

 

In the 1930s, Duolun Road was home to a number of famous Chinese writers, including Guo Moruo, Mao Dun, Ding Lin, and Lu Xu, many of whom were part of the League of Leftist Writers. You can find out more about them and their works at the League of Leftist Writers Museum; there are also life-size bronze statues of a number of these writers along Duolun Road.

The name ‘Erhai’ translates to ‘ear-shaped sea’ — the name giving to the 97-square-mile (250-square-kilometer) lake sandwiched between the town of Dali and the Cangshan Mountains in China’s Yunnan Province. It’s one of the seven biggest freshwater lakes in all of China and the seconds largest highland lake after Dianchi.

The local Bai people — one of China’s 56 recognized ethnic minority groups — have long used the waters of the lake for fishing using a rather unusual method. Fisherman train cormorants to catch fish (mostly carp) and return them to the fishing boat. Parks along the banks of the lake offer hiking and cycling opportunities, but most visitors choose to explore the lake by boat. These tours allow visitors to see cormorant fishing in action as well as visit some of the lake’s many islands and temples.

Sitting to the west of Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the Great Hall of the People is where the National People’s Congress is held, along with other administrative, social, and ceremonial events. Built in just 10 months and completed in September 1959, the Great Hall is a grand and modern structure with a flat green and yellow roof. It’s divided into three wings, with the central one raised higher than the outer two.

The East Gate is the only visitors' entrance to the hall. Through this bronze door with the emblem of the PRC above it, an expansive lobby reveals itself and leads into the Central Hall. The Great Auditorium is also in this section, which seats almost 10,000 people with audio equipment for simultaneous interpretations of various languages. Elsewhere, the Banquet Hall is situated in the northern section, and the offices of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress are to the south.

The series of Qing Tombs located 78 miles (125 kilometers) east of Beijing remain relatively off the map, despite the fact that they’re arguably more interesting than the more popular Ming Tombs. Between 1663 and 1935, 5 emperors, 15 empresses, 3 princes, 2 princesses and 136 imperial concubines were interred in this complex of 15 tombs.

Collectively, these tombs are considered the best-preserved and largest in China, and many of them are open for visitors. The tomb of Emperor Shunzhi (China’s first Qing emperor) is the oldest on the site; it’s also the largest and most elaborate. The Yuling and Dingling mausoleums are also well worth visiting.

Insider’s Tip: Bring along a picnic lunch to eat at picnic tables scattered around the scenic grounds, as well as a light jacket; the underground portions of the tombs get chilly, even in summer.

A landmark in Guilin since the Tang Dynasty, and considered by many to be a symbol of the city, Elephant Trunk (Xiangbishan) Hill got its name because it’s said to resemble a giant elephant drinking water from the Li River. Towering more than 180 feet (55 meters) above the water, it’s one of the top attractions in Guilin.

 

In addition to the hill itself, there are a number of caves, pagodas, and temples, including Water Moon Cave, which is said to resemble the full moon on water, or the Elephant Eyes Cave, which is located where the elephant’s “eyes” should be. Climb to the top of Elephant Trunk Hill to see the Puxian Pagoda and for panoramic views over Guilin and stop by Love Island, in the middle of the Li River, for a great vantage point of Elephant Trunk Hill.

 

Elephant Trunk Hill is a popular site, and many half-day and full-day tours will stop here, along with other attractions like Fubo Hill, Reed Flute Cave, and Seven Star Cave. You can also combine a visit with a multi-day tour that explores other areas nearby like Yangshuo.

 

 

Elephant Trunk Hill is located at the confluence of the Li River and the Taohua River. Take bus nos. 2, 16, 23, or 58 (free tourist bus) and get off at Xiangbishan Park Station.

 

Elephant Trunk Hill is a very popular tourist attraction. Visit early in the morning for fewer crowds or at night on a moonlit cruise.

 

Puxian Pagoda, at the top of Elephant Trunk Hill, was built during the Ming Dynasty to worship Samatabahra. Yunfeng Temple, located on the southwest slope of Elephant Trunk Hill, was the home of the Buddhist Monk Jianzhen during the Tang Dynasty, and was also used during the Taiping Rebellion. Today the temple contains an exhibition gallery devoted to that conflict.