China is roughly the size of Europe. For a first trip, these ten places offer the most variety for the effort.
1. Beijing
The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and hutong courtyards where daily life continues. Imperial history and modern China in one city.
2. Xi'an
Home of the Terracotta Army — thousands of life-size clay warriors guarding an emperor's tomb. The intact city wall is best explored by bicycle at sunset.
3. Shanghai
The Bund's colonial skyline facing Pudong's glass towers. Art Deco lanes, excellent museums, and the best coffee and cocktail scene in the country.
4. Guilin and Yangshuo
Karst peaks rising abruptly from the Li River. A bamboo raft drift or a cycle through rice paddies is the classic experience.
5. Chengdu
Pandas, teahouses, and Sichuan's fiery cuisine. The city's slow pace and live music scene make it a pleasant base.
6. Hangzhou
West Lake, willow-lined causeways and tea hills producing Longjing. A landscape that has inspired Chinese poets for a thousand years.
7. Zhangjiajie
Sandstone pillars rising out of mist — the landscape that inspired the floating mountains of Avatar. Glass walkways and cable cars included.
8. Lijiang and Dali
Old-town canals, cobblestones and snow peaks in Yunnan, with a rich mix of ethnic cultures and reliably mild weather.
9. Tibet (Lhasa)
Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and high-altitude light. Requires permits and acclimatisation, but it is unlike anywhere else.
10. Hong Kong
Tram rides, harbour ferries, dense markets and world-class dim sum. A city where skyscrapers meet hiking trails in twenty minutes.
Two weeks realistically covers Beijing, Xi'an and either Shanghai or Guilin. Trying to see everything in one trip means spending most of it in transit.