China – The Land of Heroic Adventure

The territory of China is considered as one of the leading tourist destinations. From its great wall widely welcoming to the vista of Tibet to its mesmerizing mountains and historic places and to its relaxing beaches, it is surely an attention-grabbing memorable itinerary with ethnically the most distinctive nation in the world.

Despite not being possible to cover the entire country’s tour in a stipulated time, yet my friends and I enjoyed a fantastic tour by exploring the most vibrant and appealing places in China. We actually visited the diverse picturesque sights along with the top ranks such as the tallest mountain, deepest lake, and so on.

Prime Attractions

• The Great Wall of China:
  This obviously needs a very little introduction. One of the astonishing man made marvels; it spreads across up to a length of 5000 km where one can take up a challenging walk.

• The Tallest Saltwater Namtso Lake:
  Located in the northwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region at 4,700 m, this is a sacred lake for Tibetans for pilgrimage. Its scenery is breathtaking that attracts thousands of visitors and photographers each year. Explore the lake by walking around on foot particularly from May to October.
• The Tallest Mount Everest:
  Just stroll around or in front of this natural wonder to feel proud of yourself. If you are a professional climber, climb this mount. The best time here is from April to June and from September to October. Remember, professional physical strength training is required before climbing.
• The Deepest Canyon of the Brahmaputra:
  Walk to explore this canyon where the cultural sight of the Menba Ethnic Group is a must to visit.
• The Lowest Aiding Lake:
  Located in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, this is the second lowest in the world at 155 m below the sea level after the Dead Sea. Water being only 1 m deep, the lake presently takes up a small area as compared to the older days. However, the mineral content is high and best way to explore it is to walk barefoot on the sand beach. The peak season here is from July to September when the Xinjiang fruits are harvested.
• The Steepest Cable Car:
  Located in the Victoria Peak in Hong Kong, the car at the peak offers a dazzling view of Hong Kong. Do so especially in the evenings when the night view is simply stunning.
• The Dazu Rock Carvings in Chongqing:
  With 50,000 Taoist, Confucian and Buddhist rock carvings and inscriptions, it dates back to the years of the Tang dynasty. One of the largest preserved cultural sites of China.

• The Wildest Tide of the Qiantang River Bore:
  Located in the Zhejiang Province, this offers the most high tides of eight to nine meters earning it the title of “No. 1 Tide in China”. Do not miss the bore festival on the 18th of the eighth month according to the Chinese lunar calendar. Walk the natural wonder in Haining along with traditional poems.
• The Largest Clustered Zhijin Caves:
  Located at the Guizhou Province, these are the scenic caves throng by the tourists in May and October.
• Most Hot Springs:
  These are the springs of Rehai at one km in the Tengchong County of Yunnan Province. Climb the volcanoes and bath in the spring surrounded by sheer precipices and splendid natural scenery. Do not miss to visit an ancient temple nearby.
• The Largest Yinsugaiti Glacier:
  Located in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, climb this or just tour from July to October.
• The Largest Clinkstone Zone:
  Located in the Fengsheng village of Banan district in the southwest China’s Chongqing, hit the stones to produce iron-like ring sounds. Offering two kinds of clinkstones, one is filled with sand and the other with water.
• Bad Peoples Hanging Coffins:
  In Chongquin, this is a historic sight that displays nearly 108 hanging coffins in the Bawu Gorge.
• The Largest Hailuogou Icefall:
  Located in the Luding County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province; this offers a contemporary 15 km long glacier, icefall, and hot spring. The glacier stretches until the virgin forests. Do not miss the three springs. All these together provide the mesmerizing scenic marvel. One can climb the glacier in winters for a thrilling adventure, but professional training is mandatory.
• The Three Gorges on the Yangtze River:
  The Yangtze River Cruise is the best water trip for exploration between east and west for the visitors.
• The Largest Beijing Zoo:
  Located in the northwest of the capital, the zoo is the home to 6000 animals of various species making it a must see place.
• The Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Emperor Qin Shi Huang:
  Another man made marvel in the city of Xian, it is the home of nearly 6000 pottery warriors and horses standing in rows each weighing over 300 kg.
• The Largest inland Qinghai Salt Lake:
  Located in the Qinghai Province and covering the land of over 360 km, its enclosing mountains, livestock, and the Bird Island offers mesmerizing scenery. The Bird Island houses over 1,00,000 birds and is also known as the Xiaoxi Hill or Egg Island as the birds’ eggs are seen anywhere. The best time to stroll here is from May to September.
• The Ancient City Capital of Beijing:
  A vibrant city, Beijing is among the six ancient cities. Here, we visited the Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Ming Tomb, Lama Temple, Beihai Park, and Beijing Capital Museum.
• The Largest City of Shanghai:
  Located in the central-eastern China, it is divided into two sections occupying the two sides of the Huangpu River namely, Pudong on the east and Puxi on the west. Here, we visited the Shanghai Bund, Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai centre on Nanjing Xi Lu for an acrobatic show, and the tallest building of Jinmao Tower having 88 storeys that is best explored through a parachute from the top floor.

Best Time to Visit

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to early November)

Accommodations

In Beijing:

• Starway Tianan Rega Hotel – a four star starting from $59
• Wangfujing Grand Hotel – a five star starting from $91

In Shanghai:

• Shanghai Metropole Hotel – a three star starting from $39
• Best Western Shanghai Ruite Hotel – a four star starting from $56
• Central View Suites Shanghai (Former Grand Pacific Hotel) – a five star starting from $100