The same tired destinations often come to mind while planning a trip to China. These include the Terracotta Army in Xi’an, the Bund in Shanghai, and the Great Wall and Forbidden City in Beijing. However, if you’re willing to go a little farther, you’ll discover some breathtaking landscapes and environments. Here is a list of five of China’s most stunning and (probably) unheralded tourist destinations.
Crescent Lake: an oasis in the middle of the desert
Many visitors to China focus on the nation’s eastern regions, but the western part of the country offers a very different experience. Among the many attractions in the area is Crescent Lake.
The oasis in the desert that surrounds Dunhuang in Gansu includes this lake. This crescent-shaped body of water is a natural wonder that has been meticulously maintained so that tourists may marvel at it. The adjacent sand dunes even provide camel rides!
You may take a cab from Dunhuang to Crescent Lake and get there in less than an hour.
The Great Wall like you’ve never seen it before, at Old Dragon’s Head
Undoubtedly, China’s most well-known landmark is the Great Wall. The annual influx of tourists to view it is in the millions.
Tourists tend to congregate in the same spots in Badaling and Mutianyu. However, the Great Wall’s length of nearly 21,000 kilometers means that there are innumerable additional sections to discover. Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, is home to some of the Great Wall’s most out-of-the-ordinary sections, including Old Dragon’s Head, which is located where the wall plunges into the ocean.
There’s a poetic quality to the sound of waves lapping against the rocks. This is the Great Wall, but not in the traditional sense. When you’re done exploring the wall, go to the beach or one of the adjacent water parks to unwind.
At terms of the Great Wall, Old Dragon’s Head may be found in the Shanhai Pass. Take a cab from the Qinhuangdao railway station to get there.
Houtouwan: Unlike any other town in the world
Houtouwan represents the polar opposite of all that contemporary China stands for. Houtouwan is a deserted fishing town that has been taken over by nature, providing a striking contrast to the overpopulated megacities of Shanghai and Guangzhou. For those looking for a break from urban life, it’s hard to imagine a better option.
Houtouwan was a fishing village of around 2,000 inhabitants on Shengshan Island, about 65 kilometers from Shanghai. But in the 1990s, as fishing routes dried up and possibilities opened up on the mainland, many people departed. Houtouwan quickly became abandoned to the whims of nature.
Houtouwan has been converted into a fascinating ghost hamlet throughout the years, with all of its buildings now hidden by the overgrowth of native flora. These days, Houtouwan may easily serve as the backdrop for a fantastical or horror film.
Houtouwan is not the easiest spot to get to, which may be part of its appeal to adventurers. To reach Lizhushan Dock on Shengsi Island from Shanghai, you’ll first need to take a bus from Nanpu Bridge Bus Station to Shenjiawan Dock. Another cab ride will bring you to Small Caiyuan Dock, where boats to Shengshan Island depart.
Panjin Red Beach, the most stunning wetlands in the world
If you saw a picture of Red Beach for the first time, you may suspect it was altered. The vibrant red weeds in the otherwise picturesque wetlands give the landscape an otherworldly appearance.
The Red Beach in Panjin, Liaoning Province, is a section of the world’s largest wetland. The efforts of the local government to maintain the area’s historic significance while accommodating visitors is admirable. Visitors may wander about the wetlands without having to worry about trampling the strange plants thanks to the elevated paths that have been built.
Bargain with the taxi drivers at the Panjin railway station for a ride to Red Beach.
Atypical religious structure: Hengshan’s Hanging Temple
There are much more old temples than necessary in China, and some tourists may feel that after seeing a handful, they’ve seen them all. If you haven’t visited the Hanging Temple of Hengshan in Shanxi, you’re wrong.
This spectacular temple, constructed into the side of a cliff, justifies its name with the most implausible of sites, and is of appeal to rock climbers as well as history aficionados. The temple, which was built in the fifth century, is an unusual combination of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. It has 40 chambers and was built on the thinnest rock ledges using bamboo sticks as foundations.
About an hour’s drive from Datong is where you’ll find this temple. The temple is accessible through a treacherous wooden boardwalk that winds along the edge of a precipice.