北京

The imperial city’s landmarks, still-smoking alleys and sumptuous northern cuisine make it a perfect place to take your time to explore between classic attractions.

成都

Teahouses, greenways and rich Sichuan flavors make Chengdu an easy starting point for slowly understanding western China.

大理

Dali is not just an ancient city, but a travel area spread between the high ridges of Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake. Bai ethnic communities, the history of Nanzhao and Dali, lakeside wetlands and mountain routes are suitable for a few days to slowly understand. The Erhai Lake Loop is very long, so you should choose a section of the lakeshore or a group of villages for an in-depth tour instead of completing the circle in a hurry.

杭州

The West Lake Trail, Tea Mountains and Canal District make Hangzhou a relaxing and green travel option near Shanghai.

西安

With its dynastic history, bikeable city walls and plentiful street food, Xi'an is much more than a museum trip.

苏州

Suzhou is suitable for slowing down and observing: private gardens condense the landscape into a limited space, while canals, bridges, museums and streets where people still live extend the story beyond the pavilions. Staying one night allows you to see the gardens before the day visitors arrive, and you can also experience a quieter community in the evening.

平遥

Pingyao is a rare and well-preserved traditional county town. The city walls, streets, courtyard houses, temples and banknotes all retain the ancient Chinese urban structure. The World Heritage Site also includes Shuanglin Temple and Zhenguo Temple outside the city. If conditions permit, you should stay for one night. You can see the still living community outside the popular streets in the early morning and evening.

广州

Guangzhou is a Pearl River trading city with more than 2,000 years of maritime exchange history coexisting with high-density modern urban areas. Lingnan ancestral halls, archaeological sites, arcades, markets, gardens and Cantonese cuisine culture are suitable for in-depth exploration by area. With high humidity and cross-city travel time consuming, it’s often more reasonable to focus on one or two areas each day rather than chasing a list of landmarks.

南京

Nanjing is a city that has been a capital many times. Its long history is spread out among the Zhongshan Woodlands, Ming City Walls, museums, Republic of China institutions, and neighborhoods along the Qinhuai and Yangtze Rivers. The itinerary lends itself to grouping by historical threads and areas, and allows time for city views between landmarks, rather than compressing multiple dynasties into a crowded list.

丽江

Lijiang is a plateau travel area, not just an ancient city. Dayan, Shuhe and Baisha preserve different levels of Naxi settlements and water system management, while Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and long-distance Lugu Lake require independent transportation and high-altitude preparation. The itinerary should revolve around two or three connected areas, and leave the most crowded commercial streets as early as possible to observe the living heritage that continues.

武汉

Wuhan developed from the three towns of Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang at the intersection of the Yangtze River and the Han River. Ferries, bridges, opening blocks, universities, museums, and the vast East Lake jointly make the water system the core of the urban structure. The itinerary should be arranged according to river banks and areas, because places that appear to be very close across the water may require longer bridges or subway transfers.

泉州

To understand Quanzhou, one should not just view it as a group of isolated monuments, but should see a set of interconnected maritime trade systems. Management institutions, docks, bridges, kilns and warehouses during the Song and Yuan Dynasties supported the international port, and Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism and folk belief groups also left visible marks. The ancient city is still a living space, suitable for walking slowly and respecting the local daily order.

兰州

Lanzhou is a city sandwiched between dry mountains that stretches along a narrow strip of the Yellow River, and its bridges, irrigation technology, and riverside public spaces illustrate how urban life depends on this water corridor. The Provincial Museum and the Slip Museum connect the city to prehistoric painted pottery, Silk Road transportation and frontier fortress administration. Lanzhou is not just a transportation transfer station. Itineraries should be organized along the Yellow River and Metro Line 1 to adapt to its long and narrow geography.

洛阳

The importance of Luoyang comes from the many capital constructions and repeated reconstructions in the Yellow River Civilization, rather than from a completely preserved ancient city. Longmen records Buddhist patronage in the Northern Wei and Tang dynasties, Erlitou discusses early state formation, and the museum and archaeological site park explain the subsequent capital structure. Archaeological remains, protected grotto art and modern display reconstructions should be distinguished, and sufficient travel time should be reserved for dispersed points.

开封

Kaifeng was once the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, but repeated Yellow River floods, wars, and reconstructions left that metropolis largely archaeologically layered beneath later cities. Museums, evidence of city stacks, ancient pagodas, guild halls, and Ming and Qing city walls can provide better historical anchors than simple modern Song-style landscapes. The central city is more walkable, but the monuments visible everywhere belong to different eras.

绍兴

Shaoxing is a canal city where Vietnamese archeology, calligraphy, classical gardens, modern literature and rice wine culture are still embedded in the living neighborhoods. The famous former residences and landscapes span completely different eras, from the legend of Dayu, Wang Xizhi's calligraphy to Lu Xun's 20th century world. The ancient city is suitable for slow travel, but peripheral points such as Lanting require the use of transportation.

贵阳

Guiyang is a cool, mountainous provincial capital with a close proximity to forested ridges, karst water systems, Ming Dynasty landmarks and vibrant Guizhou culinary traditions. It is not only a transportation base for traveling to various places in Guizhou, but it is also worth a separate stop: the urban area is suitable for visiting museums and riverside monuments, while Qingyan or Tianhetan require half a day each.

西宁

Xining is located in the Huangshui Valley on the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, where archaeological transportation lines, Tibetan Buddhist academic traditions, Islamic community life, and modern provincial capital institutions intersect. This is not just a gateway to Qinghai Lake; one should first understand the plateau through the museum, maintain respect in the living religious space, and acclimate before heading to higher altitudes.

拉萨

Lhasa is both a high-altitude regional capital and a living center of Tibetan Buddhism. The Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Norbulingka form a World Heritage ensemble, while monasteries, museums, neighborhood teahouses and everyday city life extend far beyond its postcard skyline. Allow time to acclimatize, use official booking channels and be considerate of pilgrims and residential areas.

日喀则

Shigatse stretches from the agricultural valley of the Brahmaputra River to the Himalayas, the world's highest reaches. Important temples, dzong towns, highland barley culture and border landscapes are separated by long, high-altitude roads; before traveling, you should adapt to the altitude in the city and treat temples as living institutions.

康定

Kangding is located where the road from the Sichuan Basin rises to the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, connecting the history of the Dadu River, Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, trade traditions and the alpine landscape around Gonggar. Municipal areas are much more than compact urban areas, and itineraries should be grouped geographically and respect the privacy of pastures, worship and villages.

阿坝

Aba Prefecture connects the world-famous travertine with lakes, mountains, grassland wetlands, Tibetan and Qiang communities and earthquake memories. Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong, Siguniang Mountain and Ruoergai are located in different corridors. Slow transitions, ecological bearings and community boundaries must determine the itinerary.