Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China, and its second largest city after Shanghai. It was also the seat of the Ming and Qing dynasty emperors until the formation of a republic in 1911. Beijing is the political, educational and cultural center of the country and one of the largest well-known historical and cultural cities and ancient capitals. The Forbidden City is the number one tourist attraction in Beijing.
Shanghai is the biggest city in China, with several district containing sightseeing, restaurant, nightlife and accommodation. Shanghai was the largest and most prosperous city in the Far East already during the 1930's, and has remained the most developed city in mainland China. Among the most visited tourist attractions in Shanghai is the Bund with some 52 buildings of various Western classical and modern styles.
Xian is a renowned ancient city in China. It was the earliest city to be the national capital and lasted the longest time. It is also the one of ancient capitals of the world. The city is more than 3,000 years old and for 1,000 years, the city was the capital for 13 dynasties, and a total of 73 emperors ruled here. Today the city has a pleasant cosmopolitan flair to it and it is worth visiting for the famed Terracotta Warriors alone.
Nanjing, also known as Nanking, is situated in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. As Beijing and Xian, it is a renowned historical and cultural city and was the capital of several dynasties over the course of Chinese history. It has many historical sites including Ming tombs that are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Guilin in North Guangxi is a scenic town and one of the best-known tourist destinations in China. The town center is surrounded by two rivers and four lakes and studded with sheer sided karst mountains. The scenic Lijiang River is within short traveling distance of Guilin. The city itself is like most other medium size Chinese cities, other than that it has a large number of western-style hotels, tourists and is relatively free of air pollution.
Hangzhou is famous for its natural scenery and historic heritages. As a famous tourist city in east coastal China, Hangzhou has become more and more popular in China. The West Lake is the most famous scenery in Hangzhou. Not far away is Huangshan, famous for its four unique scenes: queer pine trees, shaped rocks, hot springs and sea of clouds. The core area covering 154 Square kilometers is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of China's major tourist destinations.
Guangzhou was known in the West as "Canton". It is the third largest city in China after Shanghai and Beijing. The Cantonese are proud and hardworking people known throughout China. Guangzhou is not only a beautiful southern Chinese metropolis, but also a city full with south China's culture and food. Anyone coming to Guangzhou can fell the big difference with the northern city of China. It is also one of the best developed and modern cities of China. Thousands of people from the west China and north China come here for work and living.
