nǐ hǎo china destination guide

Walking the Great Wall is not only one of China’s highlights, but one of the world’s top travel experiences and you’ll soon understand why. Imagine setting eyes on the 21,000-kilometre wall, with nearly 3,000 years of history held within some of the stones, snaking like a dragon through lush green valleys, deserts and mountains. It’s truly iconic.

Prepare for the magic of seeing some of the world’s most heavenly landscapes, as we take you on an unforgettable journey down the longest river in Asia. Cruise from the lush peaks of the Wushan Mountains, to the ancient shrines and temples of Fengdu’s ‘Ghost City’, to the Goddess Stream that absolutely lives up to its name.

The Terracotta Warriors are a must see in China and for good reason. There’s nothing quite llike seeing this hand-made life-sized army of thousands of sculptured warriors all with a different face. Your local China guide will share tales of how the warriors were rediscovered after standing guard over the body of China’s first emperor for over 2,000 years!

We took an incredible trip to the Temple of Heaven, a massive religious complex in the old city of Beijing. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered to be a masterpiece of traditional Chinese architecture. It was interesting to hear how the temple was designed to represent the belief that the earth is square and heaven is round!

Enclosed by 3.5km of citadel walls at the very heart of Beijing, the Unesco-listed Forbidden City is China’s largest and best-preserved collection of ancient architecture. Built between 1406 and 1420 by the Ming emperor Yongle, the construction of the Forbidden City was a titanic undertaking, employing battalions of labourers and craftspeople. Getting lost in its streets is an absolute must on your China tour!

There is so much to explore in Shanghai, it's hard to know where to start! We went to the ancient water town of Zhujiajiao with 36 bridges built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and also relaxed in the shady coves of the Yùyuán Garden in the Old Town. By night we went to a thrilling acrobatics show and shopped 'til we dropped on Nanjing Road, a three-mile strip of over 600 stores!