Everyone knows that China is an economic powerhouse with the largest population in the world. China contains well over 100 cities with a population of over one million. Although modern transportation and communications have made the world a global village, China is still a relatively unknown and exotic country to most people. Come and explore China’s top attractions and well-known cities.
The Top 10 most popular China’s cities
These 10 significant Chinese cities are also among the country’s ten most prominent cities. Even though some of them might not be China’s most popular tourist attractions, all of them have significantly impacted the nation’s commercial and financial interests.
- Beijing
- Hong Kong
- Shanghai
- Nanjing
- Guangzhou
- Chongqing
- Canton
- Harbin
- Wuhan
- Yangzhou
Beijing
Beijing, China’s capital, excels at enhancing industrial structure as the country’s most important and business-friendly metropolis. The percentage of the primary and secondary sectors has steadily declined over the last 10 years, while the tertiary sector share has sharply risen. Pharmaceutical and aerospace manufacturing are two prevalent examples. Your work trip to this Chinese metropolis will be delightful because of the abundance of restaurants, hotels, and services.
Although Chinese economic policy is becoming increasingly capitalist, Beijing is still regarded as the world’s most vital “communist” stronghold. The period of Mao Zedong’s communist policies is long gone. While some still revere him as China’s great leader (Mao’s Mausoleum is known as a “mecca” in Tian’anmen Square), most people now support modernization and progress above the ideas he stood for. This is typical of modern Beijing.
Hong Kong
The only question about Hong Kong’s status as one of China’s most renowned cities is whether it is genuinely Chinese. Hong Kong is still quite autonomous and has a distinct Chinese-Western identity despite giving up its 100-year British rule in 1997. Jackie Chan and the movies he starred in helped popularize Chinese culture in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is renowned for having a large population of overseas Chinese. Cantonese and Hong Kong characters are common in Chinatowns. Hong Kong was open and mobile before 1978, while the rest of China was restricted; most second and third-generation Chinese were born there.
Shanghai
Shanghai is well-known as the pearl of Asia because of its significant influence on the area. Studying in Shanghai will provide you access to the changes that come with living in a cosmopolitan metropolis and a financial hub of the globe. Because of this, the majority of foreign students who want to study in China choose Shanghai as their favorite city.
For degree programs, summer short-term, and semester Chinese Language programs, Shanghai is the best option. A once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience Shanghai’s uniqueness, opportunities, people, culture, and history firsthand is to study there. Haipai culture, often known as the “Shanghai style,” originated in Shanghai and profoundly impacted contemporary Chinese society. Undoubtedly, Shanghai is a historical juncture where Western and Eastern cultures collide.
Nanjing
The Taiping Rebellion established its headquarters in Nanjing and seized control of southern China in the nineteenth century. Furthermore, the issue of Japan’s World War Two slaughter of more than 300,000 city people continues to be a point of contention between China and Japan. The Nanjing Massacre Monument in the city still has open wounds.
Despite its terrible background, Nanjing remains a lovely and friendly city today. An opportunity to visit its city walls is only one of the numerous joys it provides. The defensive walls of other Chinese towns have been destroyed by industrialization and development, but Nanjing’s towering, substantial stone walls and gates are still reminders of the city’s past.
Guangzhou
Guangzhou, one of China’s most wealthy commercial hubs, represents the strength of China’s commerce and economy. With a population of 14.90 million, it is south China’s biggest and most significant gateway (2019). Guangzhou, the first trading port in China, was a center of international trade as early as 200 B.C.
Navigation links connecting the Huangpu Port, where ocean-going ships may anchor, to every continent. A biannual fair for Chinese export goods has been held here twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Guangzhou has many contemporary hotels and serves as a key entrance and exit point for international travelers.
Chongqing
Chongqing is not only one of China’s renowned sanlu (“three furnaces”) but also a bustling industrial hub with abundant mineral and natural gas resources. While it became accessible to foreign trade in 1890, its remote location was due to the difficult 1,400-mile journey up the Yangzi. With over 30 million registered citizens, Chongqing is now the most populous municipality in China.
It can now be reached by ocean-going vessels and is situated in the western province of Sichuan, behind the reservoir built by the enormous Three Gorges Dam. The Chinese government is making significant investments in the growth of Chongqing in the hopes that this inner municipality will serve as the Gateway to the West.
Canton
Anyone conducting manufacturing business with China has likely heard of Guangzhou, the country’s largest manufacturing hub, or one of the 40-million-person metropolis’s other cities, such as Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong.
The Cantonese language and cuisine are probably Guangzhou’s two most well-known exports. The Cantonese language, which is used throughout the southeast of China, particularly in Hong Kong, and Chinatowns around the world, was named after Guangzhou, which was then known as Canton. Today, references to “Canton” are limited to events like the Canton Fair.
Harbin
Harbin, which is well-known for its magnificent Ice Festival, is located in the far north of China, where it may get exceedingly cold. The St. Sophia Church in Harbin is a noteworthy attraction. Harbin has a significant Russian influence on its culture and architecture due to its proximity to Russia.
You must visit during the Ice Festival, which takes place from December to February and lasts for more than two months. It is a fantastic extravaganza in which everything is made of ice and brilliantly illuminated by lights.
Wuhan
Wuhan, situated at the confluence of the Yangzi and Han rivers, is the union of the three towns of Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang. The largest metropolis in central China is connected by three bridges that span three rivers. The economy of Wuhan depends heavily on river transportation and tourism, which will continue to expand after the Three Gorges Dam is finished.
The Yellow Crane Tower, which was created in Wuhan in 1981 after being renovated and initially built around 220 CE, is admired for its height and attractive design. They try to escape the summer heat by visiting the little street eateries to eat the regional delicacy, regan main, or “hot and dry noodles.” Wuhan is considered the hottest of the sanlu or “three furnaces” of China, the other two being Chongqing and Nanjing. The humidity pushes down while the temperature soars to 104°F in summer.
While Wuhan, further up the Yangzi River, is considered the hottest of the sanlu or “three furnaces” of China, Nanjing has a reputation for boiling over. In the fourteenth century, a peasant named Zhu Yuanzhang led a rebellion that toppled the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). He established Nanjing (literally “Southern Capital”) as the seat of the Ming dynasty.
Yangzhou
Yangzhou, which has a history dating back around 2,400 years, is located in Jiangsu Province’s center section between the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal. Yet it was the construction of the canal in the sixth century that gave the city its prominence as a center of international trade. Moreover, the attention of people like the Arab missionary Behao Aldin in the seventh century and later Marco Polo, who visited briefly.
The town is well known for its distinctive handicrafts, original art, and traditional food, as well as a variety of other top-notch sights that make up a fantastic walking tour of the old town. The Temple of Heavenly Peace from the fourth century is another must-see sight. It is well-known for being the spot where a Nepalese monk translated the Buddhist scriptures in AD 418. It is situated at the base of the Mountain of the Plum Blossom (Meihua Ling).
