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The Best Cities to Visit in China in 2023?

Great Wall of China

7. Shanghai

No journey to China is complete without a trip to Shanghai. This beautiful city is one of China's largest and based around one of its oldest and most important ports. The Pudong area shown above is recognisable to many due to it's appearance in cinema over the years and is one of the most visited tourist hotspots in the country. There are many bars and restaurants where you can sit outside and enjoy this famous view.

Just down the road from Pudong you will find the French Concession, an area previously dedicated to Shanghai's French immigrants. Here you can walk beautiful tree lined streets and take in views of antique, European style buildings. Many walking tours are available and we recommend you take one if you have time to learn about the fascinating history of this area. Find our more here.

Shanghai's nightlife and food culture are both vibrant and international. As China's most multicultural city, you can find food from all corners of the globe. There is also a famous bar street playfully names 'Laowai Jie' or 'Foreigner Street', where many expats and locals like to hang out and get drinks. When visiting Shanghai be sure to try some of the local foods - Soup dumplings or 'xiaolongbao' are an absolute must! You wont regret it.

6. Harbin

Harbin is located in the very North West of China. It borders Russia and is often referred to as China's Ice City. This nickname is earned in more ways than one. Firstly, it is very cold! In winter it can reach temperatures of 38 degrees below zero and the surrounding Heilongjiang Province will play host to the Winter Olympics in 2022. The second reason for this nickname is that every winter from the 5th of January, Harbin becomes a literal Ice City. Buildings and sculptures made entirely of Ice litter the streets, creating beautiful scenes wherever you look. The uniqueness of this experience, coupled with the joyful atmosphere of a place which is, let's be honest too cold, is why Harbin makes our list of the best cities to visit in China.

The ice sculptures are usually removed around March, so if you plan to go then we recommend aiming for early in the year. However, if you do manage to miss peak season, there are still plenty of things to do. Its Russian border makes Harbin a fascinating place for anyone interested in Russian culture and architecture. In fact Harbin remains the hub of Russian-Sino trade to this day and there are plenty of Museums where you can learn all about this. 

Furthermore, Harbin has a reputation for being the home of the most beautiful women in China, at least from a traditional perspective. We will leave this up to you to decide!

5. Guilin

Guilin has been officially listed as a Nation Famous Historical and Cultural City by the Chinese government. It's one of the most popular tourist destinations in China and a place of outstanding natural beauty. To be honest, words can only do so much in describing such a place and I'm sure you can see from the pictures what we mean.

Guilin is reachable by train from many major cities, but unlike many of the other cities in this list, visitors to Guilin are not advised to go there for the bars, restaurant or shopping centres but for the sheer joy of looking at the landscapes formed by the rivers, mountains and rice paddy fields. If you speak some Mandarin, it would also be a great experience to interact with the locals, some of whom will have lived such a different life to you it's almost difficult to comprehend. 

To get the true experience of Guilin, go to as many parts of it and try as many things as possible. Speak with everyone you see and try to learn as much as you can about this beautiful place.

4. Xi'an