The Top 25

Below is a list of my 25 favorite places and pastimes in the areas covered by this book. While by no means definitive, if you manage to see and do all that follows, you'll get a real flavor for what this giant land has to offer – contrast and diversity.

• Beijing – Imagine China of old at the imperial trio of sights: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace.  Eat Beijing duck in Beijing. Walk the Great Wall from Jinshanling to Simatai.
• Chengde – Take a hike and a boat ride through the parkland of the imperial Mountain Resort.
• Xi'an – Stare in awe at Qin Shi Huang's Terracotta Warriors. Cycle along the top of Xian's imposing ancient city walls.
• The Three Gorges – Relish a boat trip up the spectacular Lesser Three Gorges or Shennong Stream
• Shanghai – Witness the mindboggling contortions and agility of the Shanghai acrobats. Enjoy an evening stroll along the colonial Bund, with the bright lights of China's future shining from across the river in Pudong.
• Suzhou – Visit one of the city's exquisitely styled traditional gardens.
• Hangzhou – Take a bike trip out to the famous tea-growing village of Longjing. Enjoy a boat ride across the enduringly beautiful West Lake.
• Huangshan – Ascend the majestic and mystical Yellow Mountains for scenery fresh from a scroll painting.
• Guilin & Around – Enjoy a cruise along the Li River, which winds its way through the fairytale wonderland of Guangxi's mystical tower karst mountain scenery. Take an exhilarating bike ride between the forest of pinnacles to one of the region's bustling, colorful and sometimes disarming produce markets. Hike up to the breathtaking Dragon's Backbone rice terraces above Ping'an village.
• Guangzhou – Tuck into the finest Cantonese dim sum in the world, in Canton. Enjoy the quiet life on the sleepy former colonial enclave of Shamian Island.
• Hong Kong – Shop ‘til you drop. Take the Star ferry across the harbor seemingly adrift amidst a sea of skyscrapers. Enjoy a day-trip to the beaches, hiking trails and fish restaurants of Lamma Island, only 30 minutes by boat from the bustling metropolis.
• Macau – Forget you're in China for a while with an amble around the peninsula's stunning colonial Portuguese architecture. Pay your respects to the Goddess of the Sea at the A-Ma Temple.
• Anywhere – Practice tai chi at sunrise in the park with hundreds of others. Soak up a traditional Chinese massage to soothe those aching traveler's limbs.