City: China
Top Things to do in China
Top Hotels in China
- 1. InterContinental Century City Hotel Chengdu
- 2. Nina Hotel Tsuen Wan West
- 3. Crowne Plaza Hangzhou HEDA, an IHG hotel
- 4. Holiday Inn Chengdu Century City-WestTower, an IHG hotel
- 5. Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
- 6. Holiday Inn Chengdu Century City-EastTower, an IHG hotel
- 7. Wyndham Grand Shenzhen
- 8. Crowne Plaza Xi'an, an IHG hotel
- 9. Alva Hotel by Royal
- 10. The Arca
Countries
The 10 Best Bodies of Water in China, China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a unitary sovereign state in East Asia and the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.404 billion. Covering approximately 9,600,000 square kilometers (3,700,000 sq mi), it is the third- or fourth-largest country by total area, depending on the source consulted. China also has the most neighbor countries in the world. Governed by the Communist Party of China, it exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
Restaurants in China
1. Nu River
2. Jinsha River
3. Li River
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 732 reviews
Reviewed By Helen2310 - Adelaide, Australia
This boat cruise was well worth it, beautiful scenery, spectacular views, very relaxing day. Our boat & allocated seating was comfortable, we were on top deck at the front of the boat which was organised thru our tour guide/company. There are many different boats cruising at same time. Very enjoyable, highly recommend.
4. Three Gorges
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 258 reviews
Known for its scenic beauty, this 120-mile stretch of the Yangtze River is a primary attraction on river cruises.
Reviewed By coldy - Lake Country, Canada
Amazing views. Well worth taking a cruise to see it all. Interesting that the water level has gone up so much.
5. Laoshan Scenic Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,055 reviews
One of China's most celebrated scenic areas, Laoshan presents a panorama of mountains, cliffs, waterfalls and temples.
Reviewed By Sillypiggys - Sydney, Australia
Snow capped peaks in winter! Perfect time to visit with barely any visitors. Spectacular views from the top! Great for hikers. We caught the 104 bus which starts at Taidong and travels down to the Xianggang West and Xianggang East Road (the West road becomes the East Road) along the coast until you reach Laoshan about 35km away. The cost is RMB3 from Taidong (terminus) to the Tourism Office of Laoshan. You just hop on and the ticket lady will tell you the correct fare to pay her. You need to book your tickets to the Laoshan scenic areas at the Tourism office before entering the park. Cost is RMB120 pp (low season) and RMB90 for students. Peak is RMB150 and RMB105 respectively. We then took one of the private driver’s offer of RMB300 for the day and she took us along the coast to see the Frog Rock, Laozhi statue, a look out to the Tea plantation and then Huayan Temple where we did a hike for a 1.5 hour round trip up the mountain. The temple was only 20mins walk up. We started at 10am and returned to Taidong around 6pm. The bus trip was 1hr in the morning (no traffic) but 2 hrs on the way back (peak weekday traffic). The private drivers speaks virtually no English and will try to take you to tea houses to sample teas and coerce you to buy or encourage you to eat at one of the restaurants. They won’t force you so gently decline if you are not interested. Note: there are no food options other than these restaurants so bring snacks or eat a good breakfast before you head out!!
6. Slender West Lake
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 841 reviews
Reviewed By 997DanielC - Middlesbrough, United Kingdom
A perfect place to visit in the summer, the only problem is that everyone else will be visiting it then too; as soon as you arrive you can either walk along the river or get a boat cruise across the beautiful water which reflects the hanging trees and clear sunny skies above. Along the sides of the river are hundreds of different kinds of plants of all different sizes and colours and paths leading in different directions, giving something new to discover each time you visit. At the centre of the lake rests the most famous landmark in the city of Yangzhou, the Five pavilion bridge, it's bright colours look beautiful in the sunlight and is usually filled with other people coming to visit. As you explore the different parts of the lake you can see birds like swans or peacocks and groups of people taking the perfect photo. You see the traditional Chinese architecture, old buildings lost behind plant life and different paths to explore.
7. Lake Kokonor
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 597 reviews
Reviewed By garyr0bertb - China, null
I visited Qinghai Lake in December 2020. Qinghai Lake (Koko Nor), China’s largest lake, changes according to the seasons. I wanted to see it in winter, the low tourist season. The lake is majestic, even in winter as the edges are iced over. I took alpine hiking gear but abandoned the idea when the temperatures hit minus 20 centigrade with strong winds blowing. Further away from the lake though it was only minus 12. At the touristy Erlangjian, only 1 of the 25 shops was open and I encountered only 6 other travellers. I saw more yaks & sheep than people. Still I walked for a bit around the lake and noticed a lot of small Tibetan Buddhist shrines and other things I could not identify. I booked a car & driver through a national Chinese tourist company to ensure a knowledgeable and licensed local driver with necessary insurance. We used a translation app to communicate. While only 130 km from Xining, the drive took nearly 3 hours as the driver thankfully drove slowly through the snowy roads. The scenery (photos uploaded) was spectacular, and he knew from experience where to stop and say “photo”. There were only two small towns enroute with distinctive Tibetan architecture. The driver informed me that Qinghai Lake is sacred to Tibetans and many pilgrims come here each year. I only experienced one section of the lake on a day trip and visited the famous Ta’er Monastery on the way home. I intend to visit the lake again in either Spring or Autumn and stay for 4-5 days, do some hiking, visit the mountains nearby and also Chaka Lake. Some Tips # This is a very remote part of China so careful preparation is needed if you do not join a tour group. # Hiring a licensed driver for a day or more provides you with greater flexibility but is more expensive. # Winter is not the best time for everyone. # There is a narrow bitumen bicycle path around the lake or sections of the lake but I’m not sure I would take by racing bike! # Definitely avoid Chinese national holidays unless you are comfortable with large crowds. # Read about its geography, history & religious significance before visiting as it might influence the type of experience you have. It’s a photographer’s paradise. # Remember that most of the land to the water’s edge is fenced, private, pastoral land which means “Keep Out”.
8. Karakul Lake
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 266 reviews
Reviewed By pcmusic1 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This is a big lake with many opportunities to visit, Nice views and a very good view on the surrounding mountains.
9. Tianshan Tianchi Lake
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 355 reviews
Formerly known as Yaochi (Jade Lake), it is guarded by the stately peaks and offers a spectacular sight.
Reviewed By KodoDrummer - Yekaterinburg, Russia
Awesomely beautiful views. The Heavenly Lake of Tianshan is a show of the beauty of nature, and some say, a reflection of what heaven is like.
10. Lugu Lake
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 888 reviews
Reviewed By Sijia22 - Sydney, Australia
One of the last female dominant societies in China, nested away around a fully natural lake, outside the busy cities and approx. 3000m above sea level. We stayed here for one night during April 2019 and whilst everything looks old, the lake is a beautiful light blue-ish silk colour that we have never seen before. It is truly unique and we have been to many famous lakes around China and all around the Asia Pacific. No lake is as tranquil or natural as the Lugu lake. We came via car from Lijiang (4 hour drive) but it's also possible to enter from the eastern Chengdu side. We went around the lake, took the boat to a famous little island where they shot a popular entertainment show, crossed the wedding bridge, experienced the bonfire dance at night and stayed at a nice hotel at the edge of Da Luo Shui. The hotel was called 'San Se Yun' or 'three colour cloud' but I couldn't find it on TripAdvisor. If you don't mind the long drive (or you can fly here from Kunming or Chengdu) and want to experience going back in time to a nice hideaway tribal village, then spending a day (or a few days) at Lugu Lake would be a nice choice.
