A travel destination with rich cultural heritage and transformed modern cities

Modern China is a land of paradox, and it’s becoming increasingly so in this era of unprecedented socioeconomic change.

Travel to China these days and it’s quite jarring to walk around parts of old Beijing. Although old grannies can still be seen pushing cabbages in rickety wooden carts amidst huddles of men playing chess, it’s not uncommon to see them all suddenly scurry to the side to make way for a brand-new BMW luxury sedan squeezing through the narrow hutong (a traditional Beijing alleyway).

Relentless change, seen so clearly in projects like the Yangtze River dam, has been an elemental part of China’s modern character. Violent revolutions in the 20th century, burgeoning population growth (China is now the world’s most populous country by far) and economic prosperity (brought about by a recent openness to the outside world) have almost made that change inevitable. China’s cities are being transformed—Travel to Beijing and Shanghai and one finds they are probably the most dynamic cities in the world right now.

China has always been one of the most attractive travel destinations in the world, partly because so much history exists alongside the new, partly because it is still so unknown to outsiders. The country and its people remain a mystery. The rice paddies may have sprouted cities and manufacturing centres, and the streets may be clogged with cars and pollution, but the people remain rooted in a rich cultural heritage.

Concierge Traveller has a range of China Travel itineraries, from a few days stopover in Beijing or Shanghai to a trip up the Yangtze River.

 UNSECO World Heritage sites in China

Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang
 Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
 Mogao Caves
 Mount Taishan
 Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian
 The Great Wall
 Mount Huangshan
 Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area
 Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area
 Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area
 Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains
 Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa7
 Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde
 Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu
 Lushan National Park
 Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area
 Ancient City of Ping Yao
 Classical Gardens of Suzhou
 Old Town of Lijiang
 Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing
 Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing
 Dazu Rock Carvings
 Mount Wuyi
 Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui – Xidi and Hongcun
 Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties
 Longmen Grottoes
 Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System
 Yungang Grottoes
 Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas
 Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom
 Historic Centre of Macao
 Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries – Wolong, Mt Siguniang and Jiajin Mountains
Yin Xu
 Kaiping Diaolou and Villages
 South China Karst
 Fujian Tulou
 Mount Sanqingshan National Park
 Mount Wutai
 China Danxia
 Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in “The Centre of Heaven and Earth”
 West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou