Rebecca Staple

Yangshuo

Topping out my list is Yangshuo a small town in Guangxi around one hour away from Guilin. The town sits on the Li River and it is close to here that one can see the iconic view of the river as featured on the twenty yuan note. The countryside in and around Yangshuo is truly stunning due to the karst peaks dotting the landscape. The town has a vibrant atmosphere due to its popularity with both Chinese and international tourists. One afternoon, make sure to head up to the TV tower which sits on a top of karst peak just on the edge of the town. At the top, a ten-yuan fee will be charged to get in you can haggle but its includes a bottle of water which is much appreciated after the walk. If you want to be particularly prepared, bring some snacks and drinks with you, sit on the roof of one the buildings and take in the view. If you want to catch the sunset take a torch with you for the walk back down. There are many other sites in the surrounding area to explore... rent a bike and get out there.

Xi'an

Xi'an is an ancient city located in Shaanxi province, it is most famous for the Terracotta Army which is located around an hour away from the city. When I visited was possibly one of the busiest days of the whole year (not to be recommended). There are a lot of people living in China and this visit definitely helped me to appreciate that. The city itself has numerous attractions; it is surrounded by a wall where one can rent bikes and cycle round, and the Muslim quarter has amazing street food. An hour and a half away by train is Hua Shan one of the five holy mountains in China. This mountain has sometimes been dubbed the most dangerous mountain in the world. This is due to one section called "the plank walk", which one can go along with a harness if feeling brave, however this section does not need to be walked along to hike up the mountain or around the peaks.

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Tiger Leaping Gorge is in the northwest of Yunnan. To reach Tiger Leaping Gorge one needs to take a bus from either Lijiang or Dali two popular tourist towns in Yunnan both well worth spending a few days in in their own right. Plan to stay at least one night in the Gorge; this would require a 5/6 hike on the upper path for the first day and staying in the Halfway Hostel with amazing views of the mountains. The next day one can head down and book the bus out of the Gorge while waiting you can head down to the river and see the rock that the tiger leapt across according to legend. After the hike you can take the bus on to the town of Shangri-La, which has a strong Tibetan culture.

The Great Wall

No trip to China is complete without a visit to the Great Wall. The easiest section to get to is a mere hour from central Beijing. I would recommend the Mutianyu section over Badaling as at Mutianyu you can toboggan back down the hill. Both these sections are heavily restored and developed for tourists, if you are feeling more adventurous you can head out to some of the unrestored sections and even camp. For those who fancy a challenge several marathon events are held on the Great Wall every year.

Chengdu

Rounding up my list is Chengdu a large city in Sichuan. Sichuan is the home of the Sichuan peppercorn which has a numbing effect and contributes to the regions famous spicy food. One of the most beloved dishes among foreigners in China "gongbao jiding" originates from Sichuan. Chengdu is also home to the panda research base; they house the most pandas in the world and have a committed and successful breeding programme. Try to time your visit for when they are being fed to see them at their most active as pandas really are quite lazy animals. The largest stone Buddha in the world is also located a three-hour trip from Chengdu at Leshan, it was carved out of the rock around 1200 years ago.