Places in China — Beautiful Scenery and Exceptional Cultural Attractions

There are many attractive places in China, ranging from extraordinary feats with significant historical and cultural values to stunningly beautiful natural scenic areas steeped in fascinating legends.

Five Great Mountains

In the Chinese creation myth, Pan Gu’s head and limbs incarnated into the Five Great Mountains after he departed.

They are divine, magnificent, and spectacular, believed to be the path to heaven or the residence of different deities.

Therefore, in those great mountains, emperors held grand ceremonies to worship heaven and pray for blessing, and Taoists and Buddhists built temples to practice.

In addition, mountains seem eternal compared to human history.

Hence, they have accumulated many folktales and legends passed on from generation to generation for thousands of years.

Therefore, besides amazing natural scenes, every mountain’s origin and historical and cultural values are also interesting.

Mount Tai

Mount Tai was the most sacred place in history, where accomplished emperors held grand Fengshan ceremonies to worship heaven and earth.

In mythology and religion, it is believed that the place connects immortal deities, humans, and ghosts.

Mount Hua

Mount Hua, the steepest mountain in China, has been respected as the origin place of Chinese culture and the holy land of the Taoism Religion.

Photo by Taoming.

North Mount Heng

North Mount Heng is famous for the Hanging Temple, a splendid representative of the syncretism of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.

Besides, it had been an important military site in history, leaving many battlefield-related ruins.

South Mount Heng

South Mount Heng is representative of longevity in Chinese culture and an important center of private Confucianism academies in history.

Mount Song

Mount Song was believed to be The Centre of Heaven and Earth in ancient Chinese culture, where the oldest observatory and the famous Shaolin Monastery were located.

Exceptional Mountain Landscapes in China

Besides the Five Great Mountains, many other magnificent mountains have amazing natural scenes, fascinating legends, and significant historical, cultural, and religious values.

Wudang Mountains

Wudang Mountains, the holy land of Taoism Religion, is a National Geopark with spectacular natural sceneries and the center of Wudang Kung Fu.

As the imperial Taoist place of the Ming Dynasty (1368 — 1644), the building complexes hold exceptional artistic and architectural values.

Huangshan Mountain

Huangshan Mountain, named after Huang Di (Yellow Emperor), the cultural hero and ancestor of the Chinese Han people, is a magnificent landscape with exceptional scenic views and cultural attractions and an influential place that has been praised in tens of thousands of articles, poems, and paintings throughout history.

Mount Wutai

Mount Wutai is one of the world's five Buddhist holy lands where Han Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism have been thriving and coexisting in harmony for centuries.

Besides, ancient building complexes of Wutai are of great value; the oldest existing wooden structure building, constructed in 782, is located there.

Photo by Tiejiache.

Mount Lu

Mount Lu, a splendid mountain with extraordinary natural sceneries, has ancient buildings of six religions, including Taoism, Buddhism, Christian, Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity, and Islam.

Mount Wuyi

Mount Wuyi is a grand mountain that has many mysterious coffins on the cliff, millennial city ruins of ancient Minyue Culture, historical Confucianism academies, and temples scattering on.

Mount Emei

Mount Emei is one of the holiest Buddhist places and the dojo of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (Puxian Pusa), with giant Golden Buddhas on the peak.

Photo by Chongqing Xiaoya.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, a World Geopark with large numbers of plant and animal species, is famous for its thousands of unique quartzite sandstone pillars and Karst landscape nearby.

Photo by Song Shoufu.

Lake Landscapes

According to Tao Te Ching, water is the finest good.

It is soft, shapeless, stays low and indisputable, and nurtures everything in the universe; besides, it is the strongest force capable of destroying everything.

Confucius respected the water as insistent, targeted, and pure, which contains many good virtues that a decent person should obtain.

Therefore, besides the magnificent Yellow River and Yangzte River, lakes in China carry captivating cultural significance, boasting mysterious origins, alluring legends, and profound historical values.

West Lake

West Lake in Hangzhou is a picturesque cultural landscape with exceptional aesthetics, beautiful folklore, and invaluable historical relics that have been eulogized for thousands of years.

Photo by Dadaowuyan.

poyang lake by Liao Hao.jpg

Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, has invaluable ruins, important historical events, fascinating folklore, the mysterious Devil's Triangle, and picturesque scenes.

Photo by Liao Hao.

Taihu Lake

Taihu Lake, the cradle of Wuyue Culture, is a huge Freshwater Lake with stunningly beautiful natural views.

Qiandao Lake

Thousand Island Lake, or Qiandao Lake, is a beautiful artificial lake scattered with 1078 islands, surrounded by invaluable cultural sites, and with ancient cities and villages submerged underwater.

Chaohu Lake

Chaohu Lake, formed after an affluent state was devoured and buried by water, has picturesque natural views and exceptional cultural values, including ruins of the ancient underwater city.

East Lake

East Lake, the center of ancient Chu Culture, is a large lake with picturesque natural views, surrounded by beautiful specialized botanical gardens and rich cultural sites, including ancient ruins, grand museums, universities, etc.

Dongting Lake

Dongting Lake used to be named the Dream of Cloud, is a cultural landscape that famous scholars eulogized and an important military site where many important historical events took place.

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Ancient Cities and Towns

While many modern cities look similar, some notable ancient towns in China stand out with their unique beauty and hold great architectural and cultural values.

These remarkable settlements showcase unparalleled uniqueness and profound significance.

Serving as historical relics, they offer a glimpse into the rich tapestry of China's heritage, where each street and ancient structure tells stories of bygone eras, preserving a living testament to the country's enduring history and cultural diversity.

Dunhuang

Dunhuang, an important garrison city on the northwest of the Han Dynasty (202 BC — 220 AD) and a trade center along the Silk Road, is an attraction with exceptional historical, religious, artistic, and cultural values, and surrounded by the magnificent Gobi Desert and mysterious Yardang Landforms.

Ancient City Pingyao

Ancient City Pingyao, rebuilt in 1370, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the best representative of a traditional Han county-level city of the Ming (1368 — 1644) and Qing (1638 — 1912) Dynasties, with valuable historic city walls and building complexes.

Huizhou in Anhui

Huizhou is a well-preserved, ink-painting-style ancient city that originated and developed the Huizhou Culture, one of the most important regional cultures in China.

Lijiang

Lijiang is a city resided by different ethnic groups of China, preserved ancient building complexes, and is surrounded by stunning natural views, including magnificent snow mountains, lakes, and rivers.

Photo by Shi Xiongfeng.

Jiuzhaigou

Jiuzhaigou, named after nine stockaded villages of Tibetan living in this area throughout history, is a county inhabited by many minority ethnic groups of China and famous for its stunning, colorful waterscapes, diverse ecosystems, picturesque terraces, and impressive karst views.

Photo by Zeng Yongqian.

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Cultural Landmarks

These cultural landmarks are more than just marvelous and spectacular manmade feats; they represent the pinnacle of human achievement and ingenuity.

Take, for instance, the awe-inspiring Imperial Palaces and the iconic Great Wall, each boasting exceptional architectural values that transcend mere construction.

Behind these remarkable structures lie not just bricks and mortar but a wealth of exciting stories and fascinating histories.

Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China, an extraordinary military defensive system for thousands of years, is an embodiment of the ancient military and a significant icon of Chinese culture.

Terracotta Army

Terracotta Army, consisting of over 8000 life-sized terracotta soldiers, horses, and chariots, is the guarding troop of the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang (259 BC — 210 BC).

Photo by Zhao Zhen.

Silk Road

Silk Road was an ancient trade route network that connected the east and the west since the Han Dynasty (202 BC — 220 AD); today usually refers to the historic Trade Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor.

Photo by Sun Zhicheng

Forbidden City

Forbidden City, the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 — 1912), is the largest existing imperial palace in the world.

Temple of Heaven

Temple of Heaven was the sacred place for the emperors of the Ming (1368 — 1644) and Qing (1636 — 1912) Dynasties to hold sacrificial ceremonies to heaven.

Potala Palace

Potala Palace, a grand fortress located in Lhasa of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, is the highest ancient palace in the world and a valuable museum of Tibetan history and culture.

Gardens

Taoism and Confucianism both value the idea of the “Integration of Universe and Humanity.”

Under this ideology, ancient Chinese Gardens look like miniatures of natural landscapes, with exquisite buildings dotted inside.

However, in historical contexts, classic Chinese gardens still typically fall into two major categories: the Royal Garden in the north and the Private Garden in the south.

Royal Garden in the North

The royal gardens were grand and luxurious, which included real mountains and lakes inside, constructed with spectacular imperial architecture, and witnessed important histories.

Summer Palace and Chengde Mountain Resort are perfect examples of imperial gardens of the Qing Dynasty (1636 — 1912).

Chengde Mountain Resort by Official Site

Chengde Mountain Resort, Photo from Official Site of Chengde.

Private Garden in the South

Classic southern-style private gardens, exemplified by the Humble Administrator's Garden and Lingering Garden in Suzhou, are known for their smaller and exquisite designs.

These gardens skillfully integrate buildings, ancient philosophy, natural views, and poetic elements within limited spaces.

Lingering Garden, Photo from The Official Site of Suzhou Travel.

Grottoes

Buddhist Grottoes are invaluable art wonders that reveal various aspects of the society that constructed them.

These aspects encompass history, architecture, ceremony, military activity, transportation, musical instruments, dance, costume, makeup, and business

Mogao Caves

Mogao Caves, constructed from the 4th to the 14th century, is the largest-scale Buddhist art wonder that preserved frescoes, figurines, scrolls, and relics with unparalleled historical and cultural values.

Yungang Grottoes

Yungang Grottoes, built from 460 to 524, are exceptional caves that present the localization and secularization of Buddhist arts in China.

Longmen Grottoes

Longmen Grottoes, constructed under the support of royals of the Northern Wei (386 — 534) and Tang (618 — 907), are invaluable imperial Buddhist stone carving arts.