Cities in China — PandaPanda Guide

北

Beijing

北京

Beijing

The imperial capital — Forbidden City, hutong alleys and Peking duck

上

Shanghai

上海

Shanghai

China's future and its 1930s past, on one neon riverfront

天

Tianjin

天津

Tianjin

The port city of concession-era villas and cross-bridge snacks — 30 minutes from Beijing by bullet train

重

Chongqing

重庆

Chongqing

The vertical megacity of neon, noodles and night views

广

Guangzhou

广州

Guangzhou

Cantonese food, river cruises and a 2,000-year-old trading port

深

Shenzhen

深圳

Shenzhen

China's design-and-tech showcase, 45 minutes from Hong Kong

湛

Zhanjiang

湛江

Zhanjiang

China's seafood kitchen at the top of the Leizhou Peninsula

北

Beihai

北海

Beihai

Silver Beach and volcanic islands — Guangxi's low-key tropical coast

杭

Hangzhou

杭州

Hangzhou

The city Marco Polo called the finest in the world

宁

Ningbo

宁波

Ningbo

Ancient deep-water port — China's oldest library, old-bund warehouses and the ferry to Putuo

温

Wenzhou

温州

Wenzhou

Merchant city ringed by mountains and the blue-green Nanxi River

苏

Suzhou

苏州

Suzhou

Classical gardens, silk canals and the Venice of the East

南

Nantong

南通

Nantong

River-and-sea city of museums, kites and the Haohe moat

连

Lianyungang

连云港

Lianyungang

Eastern bridgehead of the New Eurasian Land Bridge — Monkey King's mountain by the Yellow Sea

南

Nanjing

南京

Nanjing

Six-dynasty capital of plane trees, city walls and duck in every form

青

Qingdao

青岛

Qingdao

Seaside beer city with German colonial charm

烟

Yantai

烟台

Yantai

Penglai's fairy coast — wine chateaus, misty islands and crisp apples

秦

Qinhuangdao

秦皇岛

Qinhuangdao

Where the Great Wall walks into the sea — Shanhaiguan, plus classic beach resorts

大

Dalian

大连

Dalian

Liaodong's seaside city of squares, seafood and Russian ghosts

成

Chengdu

成都

Chengdu

Pandas, teahouses and the food capital of China

西

Xi'an

西安

Xi'an

The old capital of 13 dynasties, home of the Terracotta Army

武

Wuhan

武汉

Wuhan

Nine-province thoroughfare — cherry blossoms, hot dry noodles and two great rivers

长

Changsha

长沙

Changsha

China's late-night capital — river island, thousand-year academy and chilli with everything

郑

Zhengzhou

郑州

Zhengzhou

Henan's megahub — 3,600-year-old city walls beside the doorstep of Shaolin and Luoyang

沈

Shenyang

沈阳

Shenyang

The Manchu capital before Beijing — one UNESCO palace, warlord mansions and dumpling culture

长

Changchun

长春

Changchun

Film history, forest parks and the last emperor's palace museum in China's car city

哈

Harbin

哈尔滨

Harbin

China's ice city — Russian domes, minus-30° winters and the world's largest ice festival

石

Shijiazhuang

石家庄

Shijiazhuang

Gateway to Zhengding's ancient temples and the 1,400-year-old Zhaozhou Bridge

太

Taiyuan

太原

Taiyuan

Shanxi's 2,500-year-old capital — the launchpad for Pingyao, Wutai and the Yungang Grottoes

呼

Hohhot

呼和浩特

Hohhot

Blue city on the grassland edge — temples, dairy culture and the gateway to Inner Mongolia's steppes

合

Hefei

合肥

Hefei

Anhui's science-city capital and the jumping-off point for Huangshan

福

Fuzhou

福州

Fuzhou

Banyan city of hot springs, old lanes and the original Buddha Jumps Over the Wall

南

Nanchang

南昌

Nanchang

Riverside city of the Tengwang Pavilion and gateway to Jiangxi's lakes and mountains

济

Jinan

济南

Jinan

City of Springs — 72 springs bubble beneath a relaxed provincial capital

贵

Guiyang

贵阳

Guiyang

Cool summer capital of Guizhou — sour soup, canyon day trips and karst all around

昆

Kunming

昆明

Kunming

Spring city at 1,900 m — eternal mild weather, wintering gulls and the Stone Forest next door

南

Nanning

南宁

Nanning

Green gateway to Guangxi — between karst country and the Vietnamese border

海

Haikou

海口

Haikou

Hainan's laid-back capital — arcade streets, volcano parks and island seafood

拉

Lhasa

拉萨

Lhasa

The rooftop city — Potala Palace, incense-filled lanes and 3,650 metres of thin air

兰

Lanzhou

兰州

Lanzhou

Yellow River capital — birthplace of beef noodles and gateway to the Hexi Corridor

西

Xining

西宁

Xining

Gateway to the Tibetan Plateau — cool summers, Kumbum Monastery and the railway to Lhasa

银

Yinchuan

银川

Yinchuan

Ningxia's oasis capital — Western Xia pyramids, sand lakes and lamb everything

乌

Ürümqi

乌鲁木齐

Ürümqi

The furthest major city from any sea — a Silk Road crossroads under the Tianshan

三

Sanya

三亚

Sanya

China's tropical resort floor — bays, reefs and the world's tallest seaside Guanyin

香

Hong Kong

香港

Hong Kong

Vertical city of the Victoria Peak tram, Star Ferries and dim sum mornings — Hong Kong, China

澳

Macao

澳门

Macao

The first and last European port in China — baroque ruins, egg tarts and neon casinos in Macao, China

台

Taipei

台北

Taipei

Night markets, hot springs and the world's greatest Chinese art collection — Taipei, Taiwan, China