Travelling in China: Art, History, and Culture

This is part of a series on places to travel in China: cities, natural places, and destinations for art, culture, and history.


I'm not including any of the things from the cities section, but there is obviously a lot of historical and cultural stuff in those major Chinese cities.

Longjing village and Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou - these places are not very far from the center of Hangzhou and are must-sees on even a short trip to Hangzhou. The Longjing tea village is accessible by public hiking trails, which take you through the terraces of tea plants!

Shengzhou, Zhejiang - I went to Shengzhou by being brought as a 'travel blogger' - basically got driven around all for free. It's full of a long history of art and literature. We got to visit some artists' studios which was so, so amazing. I watched someone do some calligraphy then he just gave it to me after. I hung it up in my flat in China for the rest of the year. I also got a mini lesson in playing the erhu.

Leshan, Sichuan - This is the famous giant Buddha. It's an easy day trip from Chengdu. I recommend going at an off-peak time. It was so busy when I went - just a few days after Chinese New Year - I didn't even get to see the Buddha from the viewing area even after queuing for over an hour and a half.

Lijiang, Yunnan - Lijiang is famous for its old city and ethnic culture. It's also surrounded by some really stunning mountains. We spent a couple days there and it was fantastic!

Dali, Yunnan - Dali is a small town famous for its architecture and surroundings. All the buildings are still in the traditional style. It is also a primarily minority region. The big temple there - famous for the three towers in front is the best temple I've ever been to. The front of the temple is no longer in use, but the part further back and closer to the mountain is a functioning Buddhist monastery.

Guilin and Yangshuo, Guangxi - Guilin and Yangshuo are famous for their scenery. You can get a taste of the rural culture at the Longji Rice terraces. There is also a local fishing tradition that involves training birds to retrieve fish from the river.

Lhasa, Tibet - Tibet is obviously full of culture and history. Obviously, it is the home of Tibetan Buddhism, of which the Potala Palace is a symbol. There are also many monasteries, although they are strictly controlled by the government. Tibet is difficult and expensive to get to for foreigners, because of the travel permits required. I found it worth it, but I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. I would also recommend that everyone who goes do a lot of research about the history in particular, because I found that helped me prepare myself for being there.

Urumqi, Xinjiang - Urumqi is the capital of Xinjiang province, largely occupied by a Muslim Turkic minority group called the Uyghur. It's a completely different world from other parts of China. The food, the smells, the people - everything - is different. I would recommend it, as long as you are aware of safety concerns and travel restrictions.

Turpan, Xinjiang - I was really pleasantly surprised by Turpan. Most people pass through for a day or two, but we stayed for about 4-5 days. I really liked it. It's a small town, but there are lots of cool sights to see in the area, like the Flaming Mountains, Bezeklik grottoes, Tuyugou village, the ruins of Gaochang, Sugong Tower, and the ruins of Xiahe ancient town. I really enjoyed the desert scenery. The region has a long traditions of Buddhist and Muslim history.

Bezeklik grottoes

Ruins of Xiahe ancient town

Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang, Henan - Luoyang is famous for the Longmen Grottoes, which are just outside the city. There are hundreds or thousands of grottoes with Buddhist figures, which are still pretty much completely in tact.

Labrang Monastery, Xiahe, Gansu - Labrang Monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist Monastery outside of Tibet. I highly recommend going to regions like this if you're interested in Tibetan culture, but don't want to go to Tibet. The monastery was amazing, if not better kept than the ones in Tibet. They were doing construction, and it seems like they are expanding the number of monks they can hold, which is exciting.

Mati Temple (Horseshoe Temple) Zhangye, Gansu - This is another sight near Zhangye that is doable in the same day as seeing the Rainbow Mountains. It's basically carved into a cliff face and is several stories tall. You can visit all levels and see all the shrines. You can also walk up a nearby hill and get a view of the scenery.