China is an enormous country, full of beautiful and exciting cities, and above all difficult to navigate without a good planning. There are so many things to love China for! We’re asked for travel recommendations nearly every day, and so here’s eTramping’s list of top 3 cities to visit in China.
Lhasa
Lhasa is the capital of Tibet (Autonomous Region) and it’s by far the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Blue sky, the color I’ve never seen anywhere else, and mountain ranges surrounding it are breath-taking. Add to it hospitable people, distinctive architecture, spiritual atmosphere – all influenced by Tibetan Buddhism – and you’ll be dreaming of coming back again.
Zhangjiajie
A little town situated at the feet of beautiful Tianzishan mountain ranges is only a starting point for your journey to the Zhangjiajie National Forrest Park. There, you’ll find pillar-like rocks that shoot to the sky, sometimes more than 1000 meters. It is also claimed that the views from this park inspired the floating Hallelujah Mountains in the famous Hollywood movie “Avatar”.
Not sure if I mentioned, but Zhangjiajie is Cez’s favorite place in the world. If that convinces you to go and check it our for yourself, here you can find some recommendations as to where to stay in Zhangjiajie.
Macau
The most densely populated city in the world – it says something! Firstly, it’s really small, so you can easily walk from one side of the peninsula to the other. Secondly, people from all-over-the-world flock to experience Macau.
However, Macau is not known for the number of people per square kilometer. It is know for it’s deep-rooted Portuguese influence and beautiful architecture, but the main reason why people come to Macau is to gamble.
Honorable Mentions
There’s a number of cities in China that deserve to be mentioned here. Let me list some for you together with some helpful guides:
- Dalang – where I’ve stayed for quite some time and where part of my heart still lingers – check out what to do in Dalang!
- Nanjing – much can be said about the city, and so much should be read – take a look at 10 Incredible Things to Do in Nanjing.
It’s been, for me, 1 year since I left China and although I’m really enjoying my life in Amsterdam, I truly miss the Land of Dragons!
