The floating mountains that inspired Avatar

Ancient Naxi cobblestone town at 2400m altitude

Giant pandas, hotpot, and the most liveable city in China

Karst peaks rising from rice paddies along the Li River

China's Silicon Valley — futuristic architecture, tech culture, and world-class food

Terracotta warriors, ancient city walls, and Muslim Quarter night market

Ice sculpture wonderland, Russian architecture, and winter magic at -25°C

Cantonese food capital with colonial Shamian Island and modern CBD

Futuristic skyline meets colonial-era French Concession

West Lake serenity meets Alibaba tech hub — China's most liveable city

Cyberpunk vertical city on stilts — monorail through apartment buildings

Three sacred snow peaks above turquoise alpine lakes at 4,000m altitude

Surreal multicoloured lakes and waterfalls in a UNESCO valley

The Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism

German colonial architecture, beaches, and China's best beer culture

Rainbow mountains — geological layers in red, yellow, green, blue

Dramatic stilt houses along the Tuo River with mountains rising behind

Colonial Gulangyu Island, tropical coastline, and laid-back island vibe

Bai minority town on the shores of Erhai Lake with snow-capped peaks

Ancient capital with Ming dynasty walls, Purple Mountain, and Republican-era architecture

Great Wall, Forbidden City, hutong alleyways, world-class food

One of the world's deepest river canyons — a 2-day high-trail trek above the Jinsha River

Backpacker paradise surrounded by karst peaks — cycle between villages

Silk Road oasis with Mogao Caves, singing sand dunes, and Crescent Moon Spring

World's largest stone Buddha carved into a cliff — 71 metres tall

Endless grasslands, Mongolian yurts, and some of the world's clearest night skies

The Chicago of China — Yangtze River confluence, street food, and cherry blossoms

China's most photogenic ancient villages surrounded by rapeseed flower fields

1300-year-old canal town that looks like a painting

The Spring City — mild weather, stone forests, and gateway to Yunnan's ethnic minority regions

Dramatic Danxia peaks, ancient tea culture, and bamboo raft river journeys

China's largest saltwater lake surrounded by golden rapeseed fields and Tibetan prayer flags

Ancient pine trees emerging from a sea of clouds

13-dynasty capital, Longmen Grottoes, and China's most spectacular peony festival

Sacred Kawagarbo peak (6,740m) — Tibetans believe it's the home of a protective deity

700-year-old rice terraces cascading down Dragon's Backbone mountain

Colonial concession architecture, riverfront charm, and China's best local breakfast culture

Mystical primeval forest, golden snub-nosed monkeys, and alpine meadows

Complete Ming dynasty walled city — China's best-preserved

UNESCO geopark with red sandstone pillars that inspired Chinese landscape painting

Northern Song dynasty capital with Millennium City Park and night markets

UNESCO classical gardens — the aesthetic that defined Chinese landscape art

Ming dynasty ink-wash painting village — rapeseed fields in spring

900-year-old Venice of the East with twin stone bridges