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SHANGHAI and Beijing are the heavy hitters when it comes to Chinese cities.
Here are five Chinese cities that provide an alternative to the usual suspects.
Hangzhou
One of the largest cities in eastern China, Hangzhou is home to the famed West Lake, one of the most well-known sights in the country. Visitors can walk around the lake, pausing at its numerous tourist spots, or take a private gondola to enjoy the scene from the water. There are numerous temples and pagodas throughout the city, but a must-see is the Longjing (Dragon Well) Tea Fields. Not only are the fields themselves quite beautiful, but you can purchase fresh tea leaves straight from the course.
Tianjin
The Tianjin Eye over the Hai River in Tianjin
Tianjin lies southeast of Beijing and is accessible from the capital by high-speed rail that will have you there in about 30 minutes. Though it doesn’t have quite the rising star power that Beijing does, Tianjin has seen rapid development in recent years, with many foreign companies opening hotels and stores there, as well as a burgeoning number of expats. Visit the Five Avenues, where the 230 buildings represent the architectural influence of several European countries. The Tianjin Ancient Culture Street is a great place for seeing the various forms of ancient Chinese artistic traditions, and picking up a few pieces to bring home with you.
Chongqing
Chongqing Great Hall of People
China’s fourth largest municipality (after Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin), Chongqing is best known for being home to the Three Gorges Dam. From here, you can take a river cruise along the famous Yangtze, observe the ninth-century Dazu Rock Carvings and see Ci Qi Kou, the Porcelain Village (a great place to pick up souvenirs). All this is set in what is now a thoroughly modern and rapidly growing city.
Chengdu
Sichuan food is known to be spicy
Chengdu is located in Sichuan province, which is famous for its delicious and especially spicy foods. You can look forward to that in Chengdu, but there’s plenty more to anticipate as well – like a nightly water show held at the statue of Chairman Mao in Tianfu Square. Take in a performance at the Sichuan Opera, which is not your standard musical theater performance. This show may feature face-changing, comedy, and magicians, and you get to watch it all while being served snacks throughout the show.
Xi’an
Terracotta Army
The big draw in Xi’an is the opportunity to see the Terracotta Army, the 8,000 stone soldiers and their horses for which the city is known. There are, however, plenty of other things to see in Xi’an. You can visit Banpo Village and see 6,000-year-old ruins, or see the interesting Grand Mosque, the first to ever be built in China. The DaMing Palace and Park holds an interesting blend of ancient and contemporary – the grounds of this Tang dynasty complex have both ancient ruins and an IMAX theater.
Source: travelwireasia.com