11 AAAAA Tourist Attractions of China You Absolutely Can't Miss

Are you planning your first trip to China but don’t know where to start? I’ve got you covered!

China is a dream! I’ve lived there for more than a year, and in this blog post, I will share all about the most charming AAAAA tourist attractions of China.

If this is your first time in China, check out my China Travel Guide for First-Timers!

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What Do We Mean with AAAAA Tourist Attractions?

Easy!

The AAAAA degree is awarded to the most significant and best-maintained tourist attractions in the People’s Republic of China.

China is a vast country boasting many well-known scenic areas, remote natural beauty, and historical sites. Here are the AAAAA tourist attractions of China that I have personally visited or on my bucket list for my next trip.

Planning Your First Trip to China

General Tips for First-Timers in China

1. Download Alipay and Add Your Credit Card (but bring some cash!): Everything in China works with digital payments. Alipay will be your lifesaver.

2. Purchase an E-SIM with VPN Included: It is very convenient, as you won’t have to pay for a VPN and will have unlimited internet data.

3. Download Pleco and DIDI App: Pleco is a helpful dictionary you can use during your stay in China. DIDI is the Chinese Uber, it is straightforward to use to avoid the problem of the language barrier.

4. Licensed Taxis Only!: It’s easy to recognize them.

5. Book Your Visits in Advance & Avoid National Holidays!: Chinese tourism is wild! Book your entry tickets to sites on trip.com or GetYourGuide.com.

Best & Worst Time To Visit China

👍 Best Time To Visit China: As a rule of thumb in October (after the Golden Week), March, April, May, and the beginning of June.

❌ National Holidays To Avoid:

The first week of October (the Golden Week)
Chinese New Year in February
Qingming Festival at the beginning of April
Labour Day

Beijing – The Capital You Can’t-Miss

The Capital of China, Bejing, is the perfect mix of traditional heritage and modern trends.

Well-known scenic spots like the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City meet futuristic skyscrapers and lively night markets.

Beijing is the perfect city for discovering China, full of AAAAA attractions.

⚡Discover The Ultimate 3-Day Beijing Travel Guide with Accommodation, Transport, & Tips on the Best Time to Visit! 🌍

Discover some of the amazing activities and things to see in Beijing by GetYourGuide.com

1. Forbidden City

Even though The Forbidden City 紫禁城 (Zǐjìnchéng) is not my favorite attraction in Beijing, it’s a must-see!

You have to witness the majesty of what was the home of Chinese emperors for nearly 500 years.

This sprawling imperial palace comprises over 980 buildings decorated with classical Chinese carvings, golden roofs, and vast courtyards.

2. Summer Palace

Summer Palace 颐和园 (Yíhéyuán) is one of my favorite tourist attractions in Beijing.

I love the harmonious blend that the lush green nature and the elegant Chinese-style buildings create.

All the buildings are decorated in the traditional Chinese color palette: red, golden yellow, green, and blue.

You can’t miss the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity (仁寿殿 Rénshòudiàn) and Suzhou Street (苏州街; Sūzhōujiē).

Ideally, you would spend more than half a day at the Summer Palace site enjoying the atmosphere and looking for less crowded areas to take some pictures.

You can book your ticket on the Get Your Guide website.

💡PRO TIP: Visit the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace with a local guide. Guides will make your visit much more interesting.

3. Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven (天坛; Tiāntán) is one of my favorite (if not my favorite) temples in China.

Built during the Ming Dynasty, it was used by Chinese emperors to conduct rituals and pray for good harvests.

The complex is known for its circular structures, which symbolize heaven, and square bases, which represent the earth.

Again, the colors of the complex, mainly blue and white, create a profoundly symbolic atmosphere.

4. Great Wall of China – Badaling & Mutianyu Sections

The Great Wall of China doesn’t need any introduction: of course, it is one of China’s most renowned AAAAA tourist attractions.

Among its sections, Badaling (八达岭; Bādálǐng) and Mutianyu (慕田峪; Mùtiányù) are considered the best preserved.

All sections of the Great Wall hold some unique features, mainly in the different surrounding nature and scenic views.

I’ve always been told to avoid the Badaling section, as it’s the most common among domestic tourists.

I visited Mutianyu at the beginning of June 2018, and it was perfect. It was not too touristy and crowded, and we managed to slide down the Great Wall!

In 2024, I visited the Juyongguan section. I found it steep to climb, and there was no one. So it’s ideal for great pictures but not the best if you’re out of shape.

Based on my personal experience, I would still suggest the Mutianyu section.

Shanghai – The Nightlife You Don’t Expect

If you’re visiting China and want to experience what a never-sleeping city in Asia has to offer, Shanghai is the place to be.

Shanghai is well-known for its futuristic skyscrapers, such as the Oriental Pearl Tower and Shanghai Tower.

However, traditional neighborhoods like the Yuyuan Garden still exist, with lively traditional streets and the best of Chinese cuisine.

While Shanghai doesn’t host many AAAAA tourist attractions in China, it’s still one of my favorite cities.

It’s perfect for experiencing the ancient traditions blended with the new ways of modern Chinese living.

⚡Discover The Ultimate 3-Day Shanghai Travel Guide with Accommodation, Transport, & Tips on the Best Time to Visit! 🌍

5. The Pearl Tower

The Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai is the striking landmark of the city!

Standing at 468 m, it features unique spherical pods and a light display shining in the Shanghai night sky.

Visitors can explore observation decks with glass floors, dine with stunning city views, and learn about Shanghai’s history at the museum located at the base.

It’s worth a visit if you are in the City!

Discover some of the amazing activities and things to see in Shanghai by GetYourGuide.com

Xi’an – Home Away From Home

Xi’an holds a special place in my heart because it’s the city where I’ve lived in China.

It’s the main city in northern China’s Shaanxi province.

As the ancient capital and the starting point of the Silk Road, Xi’an boasts remarkable historical sites, including the famous Terracotta Army and the ancient city wall.

You can’t miss the vibrant Muslim Quarter, where you can enjoy diverse street food and explore traditional markets.

⚡Discover Xi’an in 2 Days: Accommodation, Transport, Tips on the Best Time to Visit & and Day-Trip to Mount Hua🌍

6. The Heart of Xi’an: The City Wall

Xi’an’s city wall is a magnificent ancient structure around the city’s heart.

Originally built during the Ming Dynasty, the Xi’an City Wall is one of China’s best-preserved and largest city walls.

Visitors can walk or cycle along the top of the wall, enjoying panoramic views of Xi’an and its modern surroundings.

The Xi’an City Wall is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

💡PRO TIP: The area within the city walls is lively in the evening. Sunset is the best time to visit the City Walls!

7. Terracotta Army

Only one hour from Xi’an, you’ll find one of the most iconic landmarks in China.

The Terracotta Army is an extraordinary archaeological site featuring thousands of life-sized clay soldiers, horses, and chariots buried with China’s first Emperor, Qin Shi Huang.

What impressed me the most was how each figure was uniquely detailed—they were all so different from each other!

The site includes three main pits where these statues are displayed, and ongoing excavations are revealing more of this vast burial complex.

Discover some of the amazing activities and things to see in Shanghai by GetYourGuide.com

Luoyang & Longmen Caves

One of the four Ancient capitals of China for multiple dynasties, Luoyang is home to the Longmen Caves (龙门石窟; Lóngmén Shíkū), a vast complex of Buddhist cave temples carved into the cliffs along the Yi River.

I visited these caves in 2019, and I recall how perfectly the Buddhas are engraved in the stone, as if they have always been part of the stone complex.

No wonder this is a UNESCO World Heritage site, showcasing one of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art.

Spicy Cuisine and Scenic Landscapes in the Sichuan Province

Located in southwestern China, Sichuan province is renowned for its spicy cuisine (and if you’ve been there, you know how spicy it is).

The province is also famous for its stunning natural landscapes, including the amazing Jiuzhaigou Valley and the Mount Emei scenic area.

Sichuan is home to the giant panda, and one of its nature reserves is in Chengdu.

Rich in cultural heritage, it offers fascinating historical sites and the most untouched nature, making it one of the most intriguing regions to discover

9. Buddha of Leshan

The giant Buddha in Leshan is one of the most impressive sculptures I’ve seen living in China.

It is the highest stone Buddha in the world and one of the most relevant examples of ancient Chinese sculpture.

The statue depicting Maitreya Buddha was constructed during the Tang Dynasty, and It overlooks the confluence of three rivers.

The site is UNESCO World Heritage protected.

If you like Buddhas, you’ll be happy that this sculpture is part of a larger complex where you’ll discover other massive Buddhas.

Hunan Province: Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang

This is definitely one of the first places I’ll visit during my next trip to China. Hunan Province, located in central China, is renowned for its diverse natural beauty, vibrant culture, and rich history.

10. Nature’s Paradise in Zhangjiajie & Tianmen Mountain

If there’s a place I will not miss on my next trip, it is the Zhangjiajie National Park (张家界; zhāng jiā jiè).

Since the first pictures I saw, I’ve been highly impressed by the towering sandstone pillars that inspired the floating Mountains in the film Avatar.

The park features dramatic cliffs and green forests, creating a scenery that seems part of another world.

Highlights include the Glass Bridge, one of the world’s longest and highest glass bridges, and the Tianmen Mountain, known for its “Heaven’s Gate” arch and thrilling cable car rides.

🌸 Nature lover? Discover the ultimate guide to the Chinese Mountains worth visiting once in a lifetime! ☘️

11. Ancient Beauty in Fenghuang

Fenghuang, also known as Phoenix Ancient Town, is located along the Tuo River and is renowned for its well-preserved traditional architecture.

Wooden stilt houses, ancient city walls, and charming cobblestone streets make it one of the most peculiar of China’s tourist attractions.

The town’s layout reflects its rich cultural heritage, blending Han and Miao minority influences.

You can explore vibrant markets, traditional crafts, and local cuisine here while enjoying peaceful river views and surrounding mountains.

🇨🇳 Discover the Ultimate 1 5-Day China Itinerary for First-Timers: From Shanghai to Guangzhou, you will admire and fall in love with all the different facets of China! 🇨🇳

China is huge, with hidden gems spread from North to South and East to West.

These AAAAA tourist attractions are just 11 locations you absolutely can’t miss if you are visiting China.

However, many more are worth seeing! I hope this blog post helped you planning a beautiful trip, enjoy China!🇨🇳

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This blog post was all about 11 AAAAA tourist attractions in China

DISCLAIMER: The suggestions and information in this article are purely based on my experiences during my trips and are meant to provide inspiration and guidance for your adventure. All instructions mentioned reflect my personal experiences at the time of writing and may have changed since. You must double-check all the details before your trip to ensure accuracy. All opinions and recommendations shared here are entirely my own, rooted in my unique journey through China.

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11 Tourist Attractions You Can’t-Miss if It’s Your First Time in China

What Do We Mean with AAAAA Tourist Attractions?