Beautiful Scenery: 5 Must-See Parts of China

China has many places of natural beauty, but which five rank as absolute must see places to visit?

With over 9.7 million square kilometers of territory, China has a very unique and diverse topography. It can be split into a number of different climatic zones, with each region enjoying its own distinct weather patterns and geographic conditions. The result is a country that has just about everything - tropical beaches, rainforests, numerous mountain ranges, grasslands, deserts and forests. Unsurprisingly, China boasts numerous heritage and cultural sites of interest to tourists, and from this list we have chosen five standout places of supreme beauty that continue to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

1. The Great Wall

One of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, the Great Wall receives thousands of visitors each year. It is synonymous with China and is regarded as one of the country’s main heritage and cultural sites. The wall itself is estimated to be over 8,000 km in length, and the first sections of the wall were built as early as the 7th Century B.C. It stretches from Shanhaiguan in eastern China to Lop Lake in western China.

Although most parts of the wall are unsafe to host visitors, there is a general section of wall near the capital city, Beijing, which has been reinforced and maintained to permit tourists to walk along it and marvel at the surrounding scenery. These sections have full tourist facilities including accommodation, restaurants, museums and locals offering guided tours. Travel companies based in Beijing also organise day-trips to various sections of the wall.

2. Huangshan, Anhui Province

China has numerous mountain ranges along the western side of the country, such as the Himalayas, Karakoram and Pamir, which are home to some of the highest mountains in the world. Situated in China’s relatively flat eastern Anhui province, however, is the mountain range called Huangshan or Yellow Mountain. Although it is far smaller in size when compared to its sister ranges, it receives more visitors each year within China than all of the other ranges.

The reason? The highest point in the range stands at 1,800 meters yet it provides some of the most spectacular scenery to be found in China. These mountains are enveloped in clouds for roughly 200 days each year, offering visitors wonderful sunrises, sunsets and panoramic views of the Anhui countryside. It is known within China as the ‘Sea of Clouds’ and due to its relatively low altitude, many inexperienced climbers are able to scale its highest peaks without difficulty and enjoy the wonderful scenery.

3. Harbin Snow and Ice Festival, Heilongjiang Province

Tucked away in China’s northeastern corner and along its border with Russia is Heilongjiang Province. Its capital city, Harbin, is a delightful mix of both Russian and Chinese cultures, with many locals speaking both languages fluently. The city also contains some prominent Russian-style buildings, such as the elegant Saint Sophia Orthodox Cathedral.

As temperatures plunge to minus 35 degrees Celsius during winter, the Harbin Snow and Ice Festival becomes the city’s main focal point and attraction. The festival, which is China’s biggest, runs for the entire month of January and draws thousands of tourists each year. Many of the sculptures take months to build, with some starting construction as early as November. The sculptures look their most impressive when lit-up at night time.

4. Wulingyuan, Hunan Province

Rumoured to have been the inspiration for the hit movie “Avatar,” the area of Wulingyuan near Zhangjiajie city is an eerily beautiful part of China. Massive pillars of quartz rise up out of the ground at every turn, some reaching to heights of 400 meters. There are over 3,000 of these pillars in total, and they are at their most spectacular when the early morning mist slowly rises between them.

Wulingyuan is fast becoming one of China’s most popular tourist destinations. As such, a modern train station and airport have been constructed at Zhangjiajie, linking the area to many of China’s largest cities.

5. Heaven Lake and Changbai Mountains, Jilin Province

The Changbai Mountains are located along the border between China and North Korea. They are part of the larger Manchu-Korean mountain range, which is the largest mountain range in northeast China. Baekdu mountain is the range’s largest peak, standing at 2,700 meters.

Meaning ‘the perpetually white mountains,’ the Changbai Mountains and Heaven Lake are an area of picturesque natural beauty. Given its relatively high elevation, the area is permanently cold, even in summer. The water of the lake is crystal clear, offering wonderful views and reflections of the surrounding mountains. It has also earned somewhat of a reputation for itself as China’s ‘Loch Ness’ with many visitors claiming to have seen a large 20-meter creature swimming in the lake.

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