Cities

Lanzhou, the capital of China’s Gansu Province, is the gritty, friendly gateway to the northwest — famous worldwide as the birthplace of Lanzhou hand-pulled beef noodles and as the city…

Nanning, the capital of China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is a leafy, relaxed city that most foreign travelers pass through on the way to Guilin or Vietnam — but it…

Yantai, on the northern coast of China’s Shandong Peninsula, is where golden beaches meet the country’s oldest wine country. Less hectic than nearby Qingdao, it pairs seaside relaxation with the…

Haikou, the capital of China’s tropical Hainan island, is often overshadowed by its glamorous sibling Sanya — yet it is exactly that slower, more local pace that makes it special….

Dalian, a breezy port city at the southern tip of China’s Liaodong Peninsula, blends Russian and Japanese-era architecture with sweeping coastal promenades and some of the north’s cleanest beaches. This…

This Shenyang travel guide is for travelers who want to explore the birthplace of the Qing dynasty and the gritty, friendly character of China’s northeast (Dongbei). Shenyang is the capital…

This Chengde travel guide is for travelers who want to escape Beijing’s summer heat and step into the retreat where Qing emperors once governed the empire. Tucked in the hills…

This Hohhot travel guide is for travelers who want to pair a real city with the wide-open steppe of Inner Mongolia. Hohhot, whose name means “Blue City” in Mongolian, is…

This Jingdezhen travel guide is for travelers who want to trade busy city itineraries for something hands-on and quietly beautiful. Tucked into the hills of northeastern Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen has…

This Quanzhou travel guide is for foreign travelers who want to step away from China’s megacities and into a living museum of global trade history. Once the busiest port in…