Famous Tourist Cities of China

China is a vast country with numerous nationalities. Developments are different in each city. There is the capital of China in the northeast, China's economic hub in Shanghai in the east, Lhasa with beautiful scenery in the west and Kunming with rich displays of all four seasons. Charming and prosperous cities, like pearls, decorate the land of consisting of 960 square kilometers.

In China, 137 cities have been honored as National Excellent Tourist Cities including Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Dalian, Nanjing, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenyang, Qingdao, Ningbo, Xi'an, Harbin, Jinan, Changchun and Lhasa. In addition, ten famous historical and cultural cities have been selected, including Harbin, Jilin, Zhengzhou, Zhaoqing, Liuzhou, and Qingdao.

Beijing

As the capital of China, Beijing is the political and cultural center of the country. It is located in the northern part of Northeast Plain. Beijing lies in the same latitude as Rome in Italy and Madrid in Spain. Beijing has a continental monsoon climate. Its winter and summer are long while spring and autumn are short and dry. The annual average temperature is 11.8 oC.

Beijing has been a city for more than 3000 years. Since the Spring and Autumn and Warring State Periods (770 BC --- 221 BC), Beijing had become the capital of the leud kingdom and the town of military importance in north China. Beijing became the national capital during the Jin dynasty. Afterwards, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties all claimed Beijing as the capital. There were 34 emperors who once gave orders here and governed the country.

Beijing has continued to be the capital of the People's Republic of China. During more than 20 years of reforms and opening up the country, the visage of Beijing is changing dramatically. As the modern buildings are set up and international communication is gradually enhanced, Beijing is confidently becoming a world class and modern metropolis. Here, ancient history and modern style combine perfectly, attracting visitors from all over the world. Beijing receives millions of foreign visitors and thousands of domestic travelers every year.

Beijing's long history has left a large number of cultural relics and interesting historical sites. If you love cultural and historical relics, you many climb the magnificent Great Wall, visit the very large Forbidden City, or enjoy the imperial gardens like the Summer Palace, Beihai Park, Fragrant Mountain and Temple of Heaven. These beautiful sites and splendid architecture will attract you to linger and want to return. If you are interested in ancient culture you can visit numerous former personal residences or enjoy the Beijing Opera. If you want to learn about politics, the economy, science, technology and military of China, you may enter hundreds of museums all over Beijing. To enjoy natural scenery, you can go to Beijing's suburbs to view the beautiful landscape and mountains.

So far, national 4A scenery zones in Beijing include the Temple of Heaven, Ming Tomb, Summer Palace, Beijing Aquarium, Badaling Great Wall, Beihai-Coal Hill, Chinese Ethnic Culture Park, China Science and Technology Museum, Beijing Zoo and Beijing Botanical Gardens.

Xi'an

Located in the northwest of China, Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi province and is regarded as the political, economic and transportation center of the northwest and inland.

Among the 6 major ancient capitals (Xi'an, Luoyang, Nanjing, Kaifeng, Hangzhou and Beijing) Xi'an was established the earliest and has lasted the longest, succeeding through most dynasties. Its fame in historical and cultural circles is beyond comparison. The West Zhou, Qin, West Han, Former Zhao, Former Qin, Later Qin, West Wei, North Zhou, Sui and Tang dynasties took Xi'an as capital. As a result, the historical influence of Xi'an, the ancient capital of thousands of years, cannot be compared to other cities.

As one of the four ancient capitals in the world, Xi'an is a famous tourist attraction. The Terra Cotta Warriors, called "The Eighth Wonder of the World", are located in Lintong District of Xi'an. With over 6,000 pieces it is known as the greatest discovery of the 20th century. Additionally, Wild Goose Pagoda, Huaqing Pool and Huanshan Mountain are all famous sightseeing spots.

Lhasa

Lhasa, as the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, covers 29,052 square kilometers. It lies on the north side of the Himalayas Mountains. As a result, there is much less rainfall and more sunshine year round. Winter is not extremely freezing and summer is not extremely hot. It belongs to the plateau monsoon half dry climate and the average annual temperature is 7.4oC. Rainfall is centralized in July, August and September. Annual rainfall is about 500 mm. The city experiences over 3000 hours of sunshine each year, which is why Lhasa is called "Sunshine City". Lhasa, with fresh air, sunny skies, and moderate temperatures has become a popular summer destination for tourists.

Located on the "Roof of World", Qingzang Plateau, Lhasa has average altitude of 3,600 meters. Due to the low air pressure and low air density, the oxygen contained in the air is 25% - 30% less than inland. New residents to the plateau are known to experience altitude sickness, including headaches or shortness of breath. To remedy this, visitors are advised to rest on their first day visiting Lhasa. April to October is the best season to visit.

In Tibetan language, Lhasa means the sacred resident of god. Lhasa has a long history and strong religious atmosphere. Major tourist sites in the city include Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street and Potala Palace. (the picture is the distance shot of Potala Palace)