Key Destinations For China Holidays

China is a huge country (more like a sub-continent) and planning a visit to China is difficult as there is so much to see that any itinerary must be, at best a compromise.

This hub is aimed at identifying those key destinations that many people include because the crowd are usually right. Another hub looks at the lesser-known destinations.

Your plan can therefore mix and match to suit your taste.

Beijing: Capital of the People's Republic of China. The city is rich in historic sites such as the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Summer Palaces. Visitors should also be aware that the city has developed rapidly over the last few years and now also contains many more modernd sites of interest. A good itinerary would balance the two aspects.

Beijing is too important to cover here. I will do that in a sparate hub soon.

Chengdu is now the capital of Sichuan Province (perhaps better known as Szechuan, as in the spicy style of Chinese cuisine). It is a large city and can be frustratingly slow to travel around so do allow plenty of time as there are many attractions.

Top of the list for most visitors is the Panda Breeding and Research Centre located in the outskirts. Most go to see the Giant Pandas but many leave having found their cousins, the Red Pandas, just as lovable. Pandas don't like the heat so it is best to schedule a visit early, especially in the summer. Autumn is the best time to see new-born pandas.

Other popular attractions include:

• Wenshu Temple (Buddhist);
  
• Qing Yang Gong (Daoist);
  
• Dufu Thatched Cottage;
• Jinsha Ruins Museum;
  
• Jinli Street; and
  
• Wangjiang Tower Park.
  

Each evening it is possible to watch a Variety Performance. The highlight for many is the Changing Faces routine where the performer manages to switch between a series of masks with dazzling speed.

Visitors to Chengdu can also may excursions to sites further afield such as Sanxingdui, Mt. Qingcheng and Dujiangyan. Chengdu is also the main transport hub for those heading to Leshan, Emei Shan, Jiuzhaigou and Lhasa.

Guilin has been noted for its beatiful scenery for more than a thousand years; long before tourism even existed. It is now a key destination for both foreign and domestic visitors.

The city offers good transport options but many now prefer to head straight to Yangshuo. This market town is considered to be centred at the heart of the very best karst scenery and has therefore developed a tourism industry much larger than its size would indicate

Yangshuo is a great place to take a bike ride in ther countryside. Alternatively, visitors enjoy similar scenes by taking a bamboo raft down the Yulong River or a motorized raft on the main Li River. The more active may climb Moon Hill or have a muddy adventure in a water cave.

Those staying in Guilin may visit mountain peaks within the city such as Elephant Trunk Hill or Folded Brocade Hill. There is a boat tour around the city - best enjoyed after dark. The most popular underground excursion is to Reed Flute Cave.

A stay in Guilin is essential for those wanting to enjoy a Li River Cruise. These boats all leave from the docks about 45 minutes south of the downtown at 09:30 and take 3-5 hours to reach Yangshuo.

The rice Terraces at Longsheng are about 2 hours away from Guilin by road.

Hangzhou lies just to the west of Shanghai and the two are now connected by a high-speed rail link making a visit much more convenient. This is good news for visitors to China as Hangzhou has more historical and scenic spots and can therefore offer a more traditional view of this complex country.

West Lake is by far the most famous scenic spot. This extensive body of water is criss-crossed by attractive causeways so eailsy enjoyed on foot, though most visitors will also take a boat trip.

The Lingyin Temple (Temple of Soul's Retreat) is also popular. It has many splendid buildings as well as rock carvings on Feilai Feng - the Hill That Flew Here.

Qing He Fang Street has been preserved in the Qing Dynasty style and is home to many curio shops making for an interesting distraction. There is also a Traditional Chinese Medicine Museum here housed in a old factory building that is of great interest in itself.

The village of Longjing lies just outside of the downtown area and can be visited by taxi or even bicylce. The tea here is one of the most famous in China. You can learn more at the Tea Museum.

The nearby Qiantang River experiences a tidal bore every lunar month; the biggest being that in mid-autumn. Many gather to watch this event. Others just enjoy a visit to the Six Harmonies Pagoda a traditional solution to tame the turbid water.

Hong Kong is a cosmoplitan city with a strong western influence but a decidely Asian feel. It is famous for its sky-scrapers and as a international financial centre but visitors are more likely to be interested in the shopping opportunities and the sites.

Most visitors stay on Hong Kong Island or on the Kowloon Peninsula. Here the most popular things to do include:

• an ascent of Victoria Peak with its views down over the harbour;
• a ride on the Star Ferry;
• a ride on a tram;
• the themed markets in Mongkok;
• Stanley Market;
• Aberdeen;
  
• Lantau Island (location of the airport and now with a Disneyland); and
  
• Lamma Island.

The map below will help locate these sites.

Each evening there is a Symphony Of Lights show across Victoria Harbour with more than 40 buildings emitting searchlights and lasers in a co-ordinated display. Lan Kwai Fong and Soho are popular bar areas and many head here for a glitzy night out.

Hong Kong's New Territories cover a much more extensive area. These are rarely visited and will be covered in the lesser-known destinations hub.

For a long time an unreachable destination, Lhasa is now one of the hottest destinations. Visitors arrive by air or, now, on the new railway through Qinghai Province and across the Tibetan Plateau.

The Potala Palace is prehaps the most famous site for foreigners. For locals the heart of Lhasa is the Jokhang Temple. This is so important to them that they do not head striaght there but complete a number of circuits around it first. The route of this traditional circuit is known as the Barkhor Circuit.

Most visitors are also interested in visiting some of the monasteries; Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery are popular.

Few know that the Potala Palace was effectively the winter palace for the Dalai Lama and that in the summer he would prefer the grounds of the Norbulingka. This site has extensive gardens and even a small zoo.

Luoyang is an Ancient Capital of China and contains several important sites that many visitors enjoy.

Top of the list is the Longmen Grottoes. These Buddhist rock carvings are some of the most highly-rated in China even if they have suffered various ravages over time.

The White Horse Temple is considered the first Buddhist temple in China. Its importance is demonstrated by a recent restoration project that not only refreshed the buildings but also extended the grounds.

Luoyang Museum is well worth a visit as it contains some very fine Tang Dynasty pieces.

Luoyang is home to an annual Peony Festival. Traditionally from 15-25 April, this event now extends into May.

Those interested in martial arts may be attracted to the famous Shaolin Temple several hours to the south east.

Luoyang is now connected by high-speed rail  to Xi'an and other cities. As such, it could be fitted into a day excursion if time is short.

Shanghai is an ultra-modern port city with a reputation for fast living. Small bits of the past have been preserved but it's mostly about the future.

Given that the city has so many exciting buildings one of the best things to do is get up to the observation deck of one of the towers fro a view: Jinmao Tower and the Oriental Pearl Tower are the two most popular.

The classic view is the one across the Huangpu River from the Bund. Most visitors end up here at least once. Many will return for another look after dark. Eveneings are also the best time for a river cruise.

A visit to one of the old traditional gardens is on most people's list. The Yuyuan Gardens are the most popular; Longhua Gardens are a quieter alternative.

Shanghai has a host of interesting museums catering to a wide range of tastes. The Urban Planning Museum does not sound so exciting but is worth a visit as it has old photographs showing the city as it was as well as a large model showing how it will be. The Shanghai Museum is also nearby, just across People's Square, and that has excellent displays for many aspects of Chinese culture.

Many visitors enjoy Zhujiajiao, an old district on the outskirts of the city with more canals that streets. Such water-towns also exist further afield and many visitors to Shanghai head out to Zhouzhuang, Wuzhen, Tongli and Xitang.

Xi'an is best known for the Terracotta Warriors. There are many other great sites especially for fans of the Silk Roads which traditionally began here.

Xi'an still has its City Walls and these provide not only a site of interest but also a reference point which helps the city seem smaller and more comfortable to navigate. With the Bell Towerat the centre, and the Drum Tower not far away, and roads leading staright out to gates on each of the four sides it is hard to get lost.

Within the walls the visitor can enjoy the the Muslim Quarter with its highlight, the Grand Mosque.

The Wild Goose Pagoda is a magnificent structure. It houses the sutras obtained by the monk Xuanzang who walked all the way to India and back again to collect original texts for translation. This journey forms the basis of the fictional account Journey To The West, a Chinese classic novel, as well as the TV adaptation featuring the Monkey King.

The Shaanxi Provincial Museum houses one of the biggest collections in China.

Yunnan Province is tucked away in China's far south-west. It is now firmly established on the tourist trail. Here I only intend to note the provincial Capital, Kunming, as a transport hub and the two key tourist destinations - Dali and Lijiang.

Dali, by Erhai Lake, is home to the Bai ethnic minority. The 'old town' still has a defensive wall and is a great place to wander. For better views a hike along Cloud Way is highly recommended. A level path around the mountain is easily reached by cable cars at either end making the enjoyable excursion more accessible for all.

Lijiang is home to the Naxi ethnic minority. The 'old town' is again the focus - being a centre for handicraft shops and quiet cafes. Visitors here can venture out to nearby monasteries or take a cable car up Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

Tiger-leaping Gorge is a famous hike located between these two centres. The hike requires an overnight stop for all but the fittest; simple accommodation is available at several villages en-route.

Luge Lake can be reached from Lijiang and is of interest mostly because of the scenery and the matriarchal Mosuo ethnic group who live there.

A holiday in China is now an affordable option for many people and one that allows an insight into a culture that is so very different.

Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong are all well served by international airlines and a growing number now stop at other airports such as Guangzhou, Chengdu and Guilin. Air and rail travel within the country is relatively cheap with an ever increasing number of options.

The highlights presented above are just a flavour of the offerings to be had. These do not even address the other important aspects of travel; the levels beyond an itinerary of places: Interaction with the locals, the food and and other little discoveries that just cannot be planned.

This hub has focussed on the Key Destinations. If you prefer Lesser-known Destinations then I'll be working on that next. Watch this space.