City quick-starts
Where to stay, what's worth it, what to skip. Opinionated on purpose.
Beijing
北京The imperial capital, still the center of the story
Shanghai
上海Where China shows you its future
Xi'an
西安2000 years of it, wrapped in a Ming-dynasty wall
Chengdu
成都China's easy-living capital of spice and pandas
Chongqing
重庆The cyberpunk mountain city the internet discovered
Hangzhou
杭州West Lake, tea hills, and China at its most poetic
Suzhou
苏州Gardens, canals, silk — Venice by way of the Ming dynasty
Guangzhou
广州The food capital, and the oldest trading port
Shenzhen
深圳The futurist's city: drones, robots, makers
Yangshuo (Guilin)
阳朔The karst mountains on every Chinese painting