Historical sites in China : Site Index

Beihai Park

Of the historical sites in China, Beihai Park has one of the strongest
links with the countrys royals. This imperial palace and garden have a
history dating back to the 1st century AD.
Photo by kevinpoh (cc)

Chaotian Gong

This archaeological museum is set on the location of one of the

ancient historic sites of China, a Confucius Temple dating to the 4th
century AD.
Photo by RightIndex (cc)

Emei Shan
Emei Shan was the site of Chinas first ever Buddhist temple and
remains one of its most holy sites.
Photo by McKay Savage (cc)

First National Congress of the Chinese

Communist Party
Whilst probably not one of the top tourist things to do in China, The
Museum of the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist
Party is an important part of the nations past as the place where the
party was founded.
Photo by Brian Harrington Spier (cc)

Giant Buddha of Leshan

Definitely among the more arrestingly beautiful historic sites in China,

The Giant Buddha of Leshan has the honour of being the biggest
Buddha in the world and is a World Heritage site.

Great Wall of China

Its impossible to list the historic sites of China without The Great Wall.
This iconic ancient defensive structure was first built by the Qin
Dynasty.

Great Wall of China - Huanghuacheng

This little known section of the Great Wall of China is not open to the
public.
Photo by JorizDG (cc)

Great Wall of China - Mutianyu

Less well-known than the main tourist area of this famous site, the
Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China offers an alternative place
to view this fantastic icon of the historic sites of China.
Photo by firepile (cc)

Jingshan Park

Several historic sites in China are located in Jingshan Park. Once an

ancient imperial garden, Jingshan Park is now home to sites such as
the holy Hope Tower and the coffins of members of the Qing Dynasty.
Photo by vincentraal (cc)

Longhua Martyrs Cemetery

One of the historic places in China located in Shanghai, The Longhua

Martyrs Cemetery is a memorial to those who died under the

Kuomintang and was a Japanese internment camp in WWII.
Photo by IvanWalsh.com (cc)

Longhua Temple

The Longhua Temple in Shanghai is a Buddhist monastery dating to

the 10th century and one of many picturesque holy historic sites in
China.
Photo by triplefivechina (cc)

Longmen Caves

Listed amongst the World Heritage historical sites in China, the

Longmen Caves contain a vast collection of Buddhist statues dating
back to the Northern Wei Dynasty.
Photo by marek (cc)

Ming Tombs

Dating back to the fifteenth century, the Ming Tombs are among the
best known historic places in China and house the mausoleums of 13
of the Ming Emperors.
Photo by storyvillegirl (cc)

Pingyao Ming City Walls

Among the best preserved examples of Ming-era historic sites in

China, the Pingyao Ming City Walls still surround the city.

Puning Si - Chengde

An 18th century Quing Dynasty temple, Puning Si is one of the historic

sites in China listed as part of the UNESCO site of the Chengde
Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples.

Shaanxi History Museum

The Shaanxi History Museum in Xian, China explores the history of

the Shaanxi people.

Shaoshan
One of the lesser known historic sites in China yet often still a place of
pilgrimage for many is Shaoshan, the birthplace of Mao Zedong.

Shuanglin Si
A 1,500 year old Buddhist temple, Shuanglin Si in Pingyao is one of
the more distinctive historical sites of China, with some two thousand
lifelike statues of Buddha.

Temple of Heaven
This Ming Dynasty era holy site in Beijing is another great example of
the UNESCO historic sites of China.

Terracotta Army
With a staggering collection of over 7,000 life sized clay soldiers,
horses, chariots and more, the third century BC Terracotta Army is
one of the most iconic historic sites in China.

The Forbidden City - Beijing

The Chinese imperial residence for nearly five centuries, the
Forbidden City in Beijing is one of the top historic places in China.

The Hongwu Emperor Mausoleum

One of a series of important historical sites in China located in the

Purple Mountains, The Hongwu Emperor Mausoleum is the burial
place of the first Ming Emperor.

The Nanjing Memorial

Among the more harrowing of the commemorative historical sites in

China, The Nanjing Memorial remembers the 1937 massacre.

The Old Ming Palace

Whilst not the best preserved of the historic sites of china, this once
outstanding fourteenth century palace is an important part of its
history.

The Shanghai Museum

The Shanghai Museum is a museum of art and history in Shanghai in

China.

The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum

The tomb of the founding father of the Republic of China, this is one of
the grander historic sites in China.

The Sun Yat-sen Museum

The Sun Yat-sen Museum tells the story of the Republic of Chinas first
leader.

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Museum

Telling the story of a major civil conflict, The Taiping Heavenly

Kingdom Museum is among several fascinating historic sites in China
located in Nanjing.

Tiananmen Square
Certainly one of the most famous historic sites in China, Tiananmen
Square is of great political, social and cultural importance.

Zhonghua Gate

Large and imposing, the Zhonghua Gate is one of the more arresting
historical sites in China and is among the remains of Nanjings 14th
century city walls.
Photo by Sam Ose / Olai Skjaervoy (cc)

Top 10 Attractions in China

With a vast territory and a long history, China offers so much
to see and explore. China Highlights has listed for you the
top 10 attractions or must-visit attractions in China. Check
out Top 10 China Tours, or contact usfor a customized tour.

Also read 10 Best Cities to Visit in China

1. The Great Wall

Location: Across North China, near Beijing

Tours: Great Wall Tours

The Great Wall of China is one of the greatest sights in the
world. The longest wall in the world, it is an awe-inspiring
feat of ancient defensive architecture. Its winding path over
rugged country and steep mountains takes in some great
scenery. It deserves its place among "the New Seven
Wonders of the World" and theUNESCO World Heritage
Sites in China.

2. The Yangtze River

Location: Across South China

Tour: Three Gorges with classic China Tour

The Yangtze is the third longest river in the World, but
the longest river within a single country. The Yangtze River
has a good case for being the most interesting and popular
river in the world. It has thewidest variety of outstanding
tourist attractions, scenery and culture along its length,
all contained within China, and holds several world records.

3. Terracotta Army

Location: Xi'an, Central China

Tours: Terracotta Warriors Tours

The Terracotta Army has laid underground for more than
2000 years. However, in 1974, farmers digging a well
uncovered one of the greatest archaeological sites in the
world. In December 1987, UNESCO enrolled it as a World
Cultural Heritage Site. It is significant because the
hundreds of detailed lifesize models represent the army that
triumphed over all other Chinese armies and who were the
decisive factor in forming a united China.

4. The Bund

Location: Shanghai, East China

Tour: Shanghai and Suzhou Memories Tour

The Bund is one of the most recognizable architectural
symbols of Shanghai. Looking out on the river, various cargo
vessels, speedier tourist ferries and other locally owned boats
navigate. Towering skyscrapers such as the Oriental Pearl
Tower line the river, and the neon lights indicating the offices
of top world brands and European architecture surrounding
them.

5. Li River

Location: Guilin, Southwest China

Tour: Li River Cruise and Yangshuo Combo Tour

The 83-kilometer-long section between Guilin
and Yangshuo is the most beautiful part. The landscape is
decorated with startling hills, steep cliffs, fantastic caves and
farming villages, and is lined with bamboo groves. As one of
the most popular and picturesque scenic spots in
China, the Li River was listed as one of the Worlds Top
Ten Watery Wonders by Americas National Geographic
Magazine. Some world famous figures have visited the Li
River, including former US President Bill Clinton, former US
President George Bush, and Bill Gates.

6. Victoria Harbor

Location: Hong Kong, South China

Tour: Hong Kong Essence Tour

It is among the world's most beautiful skylines with a
backdrop of Victoria Peak. Wonderful and stunning views of
the city and harbor area can be had in the observation decks
of the tallest buildings and from Victoria Peak. During the day
or evening, and perhaps especially during the Symphony of
Lights most evenings, the view is beautiful and memorable.

7. The Yellow Mountains

Location: Huangshan, East China

Tours: Huangshan Tours

The Yellow Mountains is one of the most famous and
beautiful mountains in China. It was enlisted as a World
Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990. Outstanding natural
beauty is Huangshan's number one feature. Yellow
Mountains classic attractions could be counted as five natural
wonders in the winter: the imaginatively named pines, oddlyshaped rocks, the sea of clouds, hot springs and winter
snowscapes.

8. West Lake

Location: Hangzhou, East China

Tours: Hangzhou Tours

West Lake is man-made and created after the Chinese love
for garden style parks for recreation. West Lake is a place of
tranquility where urbanity becomes a silhouette on the
northeast horizon and mountains near and far surround it on
the other three sides. The occasional pagoda and Chinesestyle arched bridge add atmosphere to the tree-lined
walkways, verdant islands and hills.

9. The Potala Palace

Location: Lhasa, Tibet, Southwest China

Tour: Lhasa Essence Tour

In 1994, the Potala Palace was declared a UNESCO World
Cultural Heritage Site. It is a huge treasure house of
materials and articles from Tibetan history, religion, culture
and art. The palace is widely known for the precious
sculptures, murals, scriptures, Buddha statues, murals,
antiques, and religious jewelry housed within.

10. Yungang Grottoes

Location: Datong, North China

Tours: Datong Tours

Enrolled as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 2001,
Yungang Grottoes represent the excellent achievement of
Buddhist sculptural art of ancient China, and it is the largest
among the four most famous ancient grotto complexes in
China. Yungang Grottoes with 252 caves and 51,000
Buddhist statues are the classical masterpieces of of Chinese
Buddhist art in the 5th and 6th centuries. The whole grotto
complex ismagnificent with delicate carvings. All the
statues are precious and vivid, representing the development
of art, architecture, music and religion at that time.