One of the most stunning and beautiful places in the world, the Wulingyuan Scenic Area in China's Hunan Province has more than 3,000 sandstone pillars and peaks, some higher than 200 meters/660 feet. Its amazing views became inspiration for the "Avatar" movie and it is on the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Wulingyuan Scenic Area includess 4 parts, all covered in the video: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve, Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve and the Yangjiajie Scenic Area.
Emei Shan (Emeishan, or Mt. Emei, 3,099 m/10,167 ft) is one of the four Chinese Buddhist sacred mountains. Emei Shan is UNESCO World Heritage Site (together with the Leshan Giant Buddha) : "...an area of exceptional cultural significance as it is the place where Buddhism first became established on Chinese territory... The first Buddhist temple in China was built on the summit of Mount Emei in the 1st century CE... Mount Emei is also notable for its exceptionally diverse vegetation, ranging from subtropical to subalpine pine forests. Some of the trees there are more than 1,000 years old." Main points of interest in the video: Summit of Mount Emei (0:57), Wannian Temple (2:11), Qingyin Ge (4:55), Baoguo Temple (5:17).
The Yungang Grottoes are mountain side Buddhist caves, listed as UNESCO World Heritage site: "The Yungang Grottoes, in Datong city, Shanxi Province, with their 252 caves and 51,000 statues, represent the outstanding achievement of Buddhist cave art in China in the 5th and 6th centuries”
Hiking on the Great Wall from Jinshanling to Simatai, one of the most scenic and less crowded sections of the wall. Views all the way from the 22 towers hike plus 3 towers further in the unrepaired section of the wall.
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, Sichuan has been created to imitate the natural habitat for Giant Panda and other rare species rearing and breeding. Its stated goal is to "be a world-class research facility, conservation education center, and international educational tourism destination." In this video in addition to the Giant Pandas you can see also the so called Red Panda.
The Terracotta Army was created during the reign of the first emperor of China's Qin dynasty (221-207 B.C.), to protect the emperor's tomb. 700,000 people probably worked on the site for almost three decades. More than 8000 figures have been excavated so far. The tomb has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Classic Yangtze River downstream cruise along the most popular stretch of the river, from Chongqing to Yichang. In the video: Chongqing at night; Fengdu Ghost City - area with temples and shrines dedicated to the afterlife in Chinese mythology, with history going back 2,000 years; Shibaozhai Pagoda - hill with a three story temple on top and 9 story side pavilion, forming together unusual striking pagoda; White Emperor City (Baidi City, Baidicheng, Baidi Temple) - temple complex known also as the "City of Poems" as some famous poets lived and wrote about it. The area is known with history going back almost 2,000 years, the temple has outstanding cultural and historical relics and offers view of the Qutang gorge; Goddess Stream - beautiful narrow tributary flowing into the Yangtze river right across from the Goddess peak; Three Gorges Dam - the largest hydroelectric dam in the world.
The Ancient City of Pingyao is UNESCO World Heritage site for being "an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional Han Chinese city, founded in the 14th century. Its urban fabric shows the evolution of architectural styles and town planning in Imperial China over five centuries." The impressive city walls (total length 6 km/3.7 mi) were constructed in 14th century. Most buildings in the Old city are from the Ming and Qing dynasties. During the late Qing Dynasty, Pingyao was the financial center of China.
Dali was capital of two large kingdoms from the 8th and 10th centuries, until conquered by the Mongols in the 12th century. The present Old Town was rebuilt by the Ming dynasty in the beginning of the 14th century. Outside of the Old Town are the famous Three Pagodas, from 9th-10th century.
Two days hiking in the Tiger Leaping Gorge. "At a maximum depth of approximately 3790 meters (12434 feet) from Yangtze River to mountain peak, Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest and most spectacular river canyons in the world." (Wikipedia) Tiger Leaping Gorge is formed between Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain. It is part of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Stunning rock carvings and statues, created between 9th and 13th centuries nearby Chongqing, China. The main cluster at Baodingshan (shown in the video) has more than 10,000 carvings with Buddhist and Taoist themes, very well preserved and with high aesthetic quality.
Xi'an is one of the oldest cities in China, it served as China’s capital for more than 1,100 years. The city wall was built starting from 1370. It is the world's largest city wall - 12 m/40 ft high, 15 m/50 ft wide on the top, 14 km/8.5 mi long. The Great Wild Goose Pagoda was completed in 652 (64 m/210 ft), and was built to store the translations of Buddhist sutras obtained from India. The Small Wild Goose Pagoda was completed in 707. The Grand Mosque, 8th century, is the oldest mosque in China, it blends Islamic and Chinese architecture styles.
The four hour Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo passes through spectacular karst peaks scenery, making it top tourist attraction in China. Also views over Yangshuo from the peak known as the TV tower, and from short boat trip from Fuli (down the river from Yangshuo) before sunset.
Forbidden City is the widely popular name of the Imperial Palace in Beijing. On the list of the UNESCO World Heritage (quote): "Seat of supreme power for over five centuries (1416-1911), the Forbidden City in Beijing, with its landscaped gardens and many buildings (whose nearly 10,000 rooms contain furniture and works of art), constitutes a priceless testimony to Chinese civilization during the Ming and Qing dynasties”
The Old Town of Lijiang is well-preserved old city of the Naxi minority. It is listed by UNESCO as World Heritages Site, quote: "Lijiang is an exceptional ancient town set in a dramatic landscape which represents the harmonious fusion of different cultural traditions to produce an urban landscape of outstanding quality.”
The stunning Tianmen Mountain ("Heaven's Door Mountain"), near the city of Zhangjiajie, province of Hunan, China. The video is following one of the two standard routes around the mountain: The longest cable car in the world from the city center to the mountain top; West rim cliff-hanging walkway and glass Skywalk; Tianmen temple; East rim cliff-hanging walkway and glass Skywalk; elevators down to Tianmen Cave; the 999 steps "Stairway to Heaven" down to the square with the bus stop; bus down the 99 Bends road. The other possible route is exactly the opposite to the one above, the tourists must choose which one to take when they buy the ticket to the mountain.
Leshan Giant Buddha is 71 m (233 ft) tall statue, carved out of a cliff face during the 8th century, for more than 90 years. It is the largest stone Buddha in the world and the tallest pre-modern statue in the world. (Weekipedia) The Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Macau (Macao) is a special administrative region of China, former Portuguese oversees territory (until 1999). Macau is inscribed on the UNESCO WORLD Heritage list, quote: "Macao, a lucrative port of strategic importance in the development of international trade, was under Portuguese administration from the mid-16th century until 1999, when it came under Chinese sovereignty. With its historic street, residential, religious and public Portuguese and Chinese buildings, the historic centre of Macao provides a unique testimony to the meeting of aesthetic, cultural, architectural and technological influences from East and West. The site also contains a fortress and a lighthouse, the oldest in China. It bears witness to one of the earliest and longest-lasting encounters between China and the West, based on the vibrancy of international trade.”
The Classical Gardens of Suzhou, China are inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site: "Classical Chinese garden design, which seeks to recreate natural landscapes in miniature, is nowhere better illustrated than in the nine gardens in the historic city of Suzhou. They are generally acknowledged to be masterpieces of the genre. Dating from the 11th-19th century, the gardens reflect the profound metaphysical importance of natural beauty in Chinese culture in their meticulous design.” In the video: Humble Administrator's Garden (0:07), Lion Grove Garden (1:51), Couple's Retreat Garden (3:05), Master of Nets Garden (4:01), Ke Yuan & Canglang Pavilion (4:33), Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty (5:14), Garden of Cultivation (5:46).