China Tours to the Sights of the Cities

With a balance of ancient and modern architecture, and varied regional cultures, each of China's cities offer a number of world-famous attractions for China tours. If you incorporate visits to Hong Kong, Beijing, and Xian into China holiday tours you can appreciate the variety and splendour of Chinese history, and fill your China holidays with colour and spectacle.

Hong Kong

It makes sense to start or finish your China holiday tours in Hong Kong, where you'll be able to take in the bright lights and colonial influences of this vibrant island city. Take the tram to 'The Peak' area to enjoy the best views.

The Peak Tower is a matchless piece of architecture, with the top floors forming a semi-circular, upturned shape so it looks like a massive chair for the gods. From the Sky Terrace at the top there's a complete 360 degree panorama of Hong Kong. From there you can look out over the bay, the green hills of Hong Kong Island and the attractions you'll visit next on your China holidays such as Victoria Harbour, the Giant Buddha, or even Hong Kong Disneyland.

Beijing

China's capital city is a must-see destination. Attractions in Beijing include the vast and bustling Tiananmen Square, Chairman Mao's Memorial Hall and the Temple of Heaven.

A good place to stay while in Beijing is the Peninsula Hotel, one of the finest luxury hotels in China. The Grand Deluxe rooms here have a fresh, modern decor and features such as king-sized bed, a 42 inch flat-screen TV, and mood lighting. The hotel is located next to the Forbidden City.

A mainstay of China holiday tours, the Forbidden City is surrounded by high walls and protected by a moat. Exploring this intricate and sprawling enclosure will keep you occupied for hours as you move between the gates, towers and courtyards that once protected the Chinese Emperors. The buildings here have curved, tiled roofs, decorated with varying numbers of statuettes, which denote the importance of the building and who was permitted entry.

Guided tours of China's Ming dynasty palace will inform you about the protocols that ruled the daily lives of the courtiers in the Forbidden City. Find out about who could drink from which well, and how to spot the gender of the golden lion statues by what they hold under their giant paws.

The Great Wall

From Beijing, most China holidays will travel to see the Great Wall. Mutianyu is a good place to see a stretch of this giant bastion as it undulates and curves through the green countryside. This is one of the most intact stretches of the wall with many watchtowers and a cable car to reach the section at the top of the hill, for an amazing view of the area. Badaling also has a cable car and is another good point to visit the Great Wall of China with luxury hotels and restaurants nearby to serve the attraction's many visitors.

Xian

The city of Xian in the Shaanxi Province is famous for the Terracotta Army which guards the tomb of the First Emperor of China. Touring the ranks and files of the hundreds of statues, you'll see that each stone warrior has a different face, expression and hairstyle, with impressive detail in their armour and clothing. Some hold weapons such as swords and spears.

For accommodation in Xian, the Sofitel Xian is recommended; this is one of the most chic and stylish luxury hotels in China and the most luxurious hotel in the region. From the Sofitel you can visit the Shaanxi History Museum and the Wild Goose Pagoda.

If you like the idea of visiting more than one of these cities on your China holidays, there are China holiday tours with itineraries that will include everything mentioned here as well as a lot more, such as a visit to Shanghai, China's oldest city.