A Guide to 100 Chinese Cities
From the imperial walls of Beijing to the neon skyline of Shanghai, from the Terracotta Warriors of Xi'an to the karst peaks of Guilin — China is a country of staggering scale and contrast. Start your journey here, one city at a time.
An interactive map of China's top travel cities for foreign visitors. Hover a city for a quick intro, then click to open its full guide.
Desktop: click a province to focus · hover a city for info · Mobile: tap a city
Four thousand years of civilization, five UNESCO World Heritage sites in one city, and the world's largest high-speed rail network.
Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, Great Wall, ancient canals — China holds more living history than almost any other country on earth.
From Sichuan's face-numbing chilies to Cantonese dim sum at dawn — each region eats completely differently, and the food is consistently world-class.
40,000+ km of high-speed rail connect every major city. Beijing to Shanghai in 4.5 hours. Subway maps in English in every tier-1 city.
Alipay and WeChat Pay both accept foreign Visa/Mastercard cards now. Setup takes 5 minutes and works at any QR-code sticker.
Before you board the plane, sort the essentials: visa, payment app, eSIM, and a handful of words in Mandarin.
Many countries qualify for visa-free entry (15–30 days). For longer stays, apply at a Chinese consulate or visa centre.
China is a QR-code economy. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with your foreign card before you arrive.
The fastest way between cities is the high-speed rail (G/D trains). Inside cities, subway + DiDi covers 95% of trips.
International chains, design boutiques, and local brands — most accept foreign guests with a passport.
Even ten words of Mandarin changes the trip. People light up when foreigners try.
China is one of the safest countries for tourists. A few practical habits and you're set.
Third-largest country in the world. Same size as the US, but with 4× the population.
56 officially recognised ethnic groups. Mandarin is the common language, but 300+ dialects exist.
USD 1 ≈ ¥6.7 (2026). Cash still works in small shops; mobile pay dominates everywhere else.
Beijing time (UTC+8) applies nationwide, even in far west Xinjiang. Expect late dinners (7–8pm).
Why is everyone suddenly talking about travelling to China? A wave of foreign creators — and a wave of new visa rules — turned the country into 2024–2026's most-discussed travel story.
The #ChinaTravel hashtag exploded on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram as foreign vloggers posted unfiltered trips across the country — sparking a global inbound tourism boom.
After the visa-free policy widened, a new wave of creators skipped the megacities and went deep into tier-3 and tier-4 towns — documenting the real China beyond the postcards.
From futuristic skylines to ancient teahouses, young travellers abroad are embracing "China Cool" — and even "ChinaMaxxing", a trend of adopting Chinese food, habits and aesthetics (Sinicisation / "becoming Chinese").
Raw, no-filter vlogs of night markets, bullet trains and small-town life are the biggest driver of the cultural tourism craze — and of the unfiltered documentary style now defining China content.
Two quiet revolutions fuel the boom: a sweeping visa-free policy (240-hour transit visa-free and growing mutual waivers) and everyday digital convenience — foreign cards now work on Alipay and WeChat Pay, and transit apps speak English.
