Scaling the monumental Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River near Yichang city in Hubei, the Three Gorges Dam Five-Step Ship Lock is one of the largest in the world. Large freight ships ascend or descend 40 stories in five separate stages, while many smaller vessels use the ship elevator (ship lift), which is the world’s biggest.
Erhai (Lake Er is a 97-square-mile (250-square-km lake sandwiched between the town of Dali and the Cangshan Mountains in China’s Yunnan Province. The local Bai people—one of China’s 56 recognized ethnic minority groups—have long used the waters of the lake for carp fishing with cormorants.
This impressive museum provides unprecedented access to the science, history, and cultural heritage of the Three Gorges region near the Yangtze River. Exhibits showcase traditional painting, calligraphy, and porcelain, as well as ancient coins and sculpture from the Han Dynasty, traditional costumes, and artifacts from southwest China.
An early Tang Dynasty classic, Qingyang Palace (also known as the Green Ram Temple) is considered to be one of the oldest and most important Taoist temples in all of China due to its location near the boyhood home of Lao-Tzu, the father of Taoism. Much of the palace was restored during the Qing Dynasty.
Sichuan food (known in Chinese as Chuancai is one of China’s eight great cuisines. The Museum of Sichuan Cuisine (Chuancai Museum outside Chengdu pays tribute to its spicy delights. Enjoy a range of displays, hands-on activities, tastings, a shop, an enormous temple of the kitchen god, and (of course cooking classes.
China’s signature river trip, a Three Gorges (Sanxia) cruise is the defining experience of the Yangtze, Asia’s longest river. Famed for their beauty for more than 1,000 years, the Three Gorges have been reshaped by the rising waters of the Three Gorges Dam. But the magic of Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, and Xiling Gorge endures.
A few hours north of Chongqing on the north banks of the Yangtze River sits one of the most bizarre (and bizarrely popular with Chinese tourists) sites in China: Fengdu Ghost City. This temple complex atop a hill overlooking the river offers a vivid representation of the three tests that the dead must pass to enter the netherworld.
Tucked between Erhai Lake and Cangshan Mountain, Dali Old Town (Dali Ancient City) was once a gateway to the Silk Road and, later, a haven for backpackers. Today, the scenic town is a popular domestic tourist destination, with historic sites, temples, and traditional Bai architecture, along with plenty of shops, restaurants, bars, and hotels.
With soaring-eaved roofs and timber-framed homes threaded with lanterns, Shaxi Ancient Town (Shaxizhen) represents the China that time forgot. Lovingly preserved since its era as a market town on the Tea Horse Road, highlights include the Ming Dynasty Xingjiao Temple and the Yujin stone arch bridge. Try and catch a Chinese opera performance or the lively Friday market.
Go back in time to visit Xizhou, an ancient village town near Dali in Yunnan. People of Bai ethnicity live here and have preserved their culture, architecture, and local delicacies, like Xizhou Baba, a savory or sweet bread. Some well-preserved Bai houses are dated to the Ming Dynasty. Visitors can barter at the large daily market, explore the tea culture, make local tie-dye textiles, and much more.
The former home of Du Fu, one of China’s most revered and influential poets, this 24-acre (10-hectare) park and museum is now dedicated to his life and legacy. Inside, you can see examples of his work, while the ground’s lush gardens and pretty streams provide a peaceful respite from the hustle and bustle of Chengdu.
This former residence of General Joseph Stilwell was converted into a popular museum where travelers can learn about this commander-in-chief of the American Army in the China Burma India Theater and learn about his life, conquests, and death while wandering the 1940s-style halls. The grounds offer some of the best views in Chongqing.
Located inside Chengdu Cultural Park, Shufen Yayun Teahouse (Shufeng Yayun) has been hosting Sichuan Opera performances for over 100 years. It’s one of the city’s most popular venues for this art form, which involves an exciting mix of music, dancing, acrobatics, martial arts, hand shadows, puppet play, comedic theater, sword play, and costume changes (face changing).
Some 4,000 animals representing 230 species, including the iconic giant panda and rare South China tiger, call the Chongqing Zoo (Chongqing Dongwuyuan home. Besides animal exhibits, the zoo also features an outdoor state, teahouse, amusement park, and a roller skating rink, making it a favorite family attraction.
Situated on Lingyun Mountain, Lingyun Temple is also called Great Buddha Temple because of its location at the head of the Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest stone Buddha in the world. Four monuments flank the entrance to the temple, which contains the Heavenly King Hall, Precious Hall of the Great Hero, and Scripture Collection Hall. .
Song Xian Qiao Antique Market is the country's second-largest antiques market and an excellent place to shop for souvenirs. With more than 500 separate stalls selling exquisite watercolor paintings, fake Buddha statues, and everything in between, it’s a treasure trove for shoppers and people watchers alike.
The picturesque Haoshang Bridge leads travelers visiting the Leshan Giant Buddha across a river to the steps of Wuyou Temple, situated on the slopes of the mountain of the same name. Built in the Tang Dynasty, the site consists of seven Buddhist palaces, including the Arhats Hall with its 500 clay figures of the Buddha’s disciples.
By Qingyang Palace, Chengdu Culture Park (Wenhua Gongyuan is an oasis of green in downtown Chengdu. Lotus ponds, ginkgo trees, and shady teahouses create an old-time feel. Other attractions include mass exercise classes, a sculpture wall, rides for small children, the ancient Zhiji Rock, and a mausoleum of Communist martyrs.
Located west of Dali Ancient City, Cangshan Mountain stretches for 31 miles (50 kilometers) and encompasses 19 peaks, with the highest at 13,523 feet (4,122 meters). There’s also 18 streams, numerous waterfalls, alpine lakes, pools, and temples. Accessible by hiking or cable cars, a scenic paved path winds its way around six mountains.
At the Chengdu Sichuan Opera Art Center, learn about the history of Sichuan opera, enjoy tea and local cuisine, and take in a performance. Located in downtown Chengdu, the comprehensive cultural center is made up of Jinjiang Theater, Yuelai Teahouse, Pansun Restaurant, and the Sichuan Opera Museum.
Wangjiang Tower Park fringes Chengdu’s Jinjiang River and is centered around the ornate Wangjiang Tower, which rises 130 feet (39 meters). The park honors the ninth-century female poet Xue Tao. You'll walk by 200 different types of bamboo, which create shady walkways and scenic avenues, and pass pavilions and a sculpture of Tao.
A historic town with a rich Hakka culture, Luodai Ancient Town sits on the outskirts of Chengdu. Attractions include four guildhalls built for Hakka people from other provinces of China, a Hakka Museum, gardens, parks, temples, and a wealth of food stalls. The town hosts dragon dance festivals twice a year.
Mengding Mountain (Mengding Shan) is considered the birthplace of the world’s tea culture and home to some of the oldest plantations. Visitors to this verdant and historic locale can tour a tea plantation, soak up spectacular views, and purchase tea close to the source.
Located in northern Chengdu, Wenshu Monastery (Wenshu Yuan) is often regarded as the best-preserved Buddhist temple in the city. Originally known as Xinxiang Temple, the Buddhist center was later renamed after a 17th-century monk who famously inhabited the monastery. Wenshu Temple features an 11-story iron pagoda—the largest of its kind in China.
Towering twice as high as the Statue of Liberty is tall, the Three Gorges Dam is earth’s largest hydroelectric project and home to the planet’s largest boat lift—the Three Gorges Dam Five-Step Ship Lock. It has reshaped not only the Yangtze River but the Three Gorges that gave it its name: Xutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, and Xiling Gorge.
At the foot of the Haba Snow Mountains, the White Water Terraces (Baishuitai) is an otherworldly landscape of crystallized limestone terraces. One of the most popular day trips from Shangri-La, the scenic White Water Terraces is also an important cultural site, as it's the birthplace of the Dongba culture of the Naxi minority group.
The Old Town of Lijiang, also known as Dayan Old Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site nestled in the picturesque landscape of the Yunnan Province. This historic enclave, sometimes called the “Venice of the East,” boasts ancient architecture, meandering cobbled streets, and tranquil waterways. Here, you can immerse yourself in Naxi culture as you explore bustling markets, hidden temples, and charming teahouses.
The Platonic ideal of a Chinese city park, Green Lake Park Kunming is a timeless highlight of China’s Spring City. Wood and stone bridges amble over four lakes, where lotuses bloom in summer amid reflected pavilions. Musicians play live music; old folk sing, dance, and practice tai chi; and young sophisticats sip iced coffee or stroll hand in hand.
Baoguo Temple is one of the oldest preserved wooden Buddhist temples. It’s distinctive in other ways too, since along with honoring Buddhist bodhisattvas, it’s also home to Confucian and Taoist spiritual statues. There are several different halls to explore, areas to light incense and offer prayers, and beautiful gardens to stroll. It’s also possible to stay overnight and get up at dawn with the monks.
China’s largest construction project since the Great Wall and the biggest dam in the world in terms of installed capacity, the Three Rivers Dam spans 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) and is more than 600 feet (183 meters) tall. The dam is an impressive feat of engineering despite the controversy surrounding its environmental and human impacts.
