What to See in Southern China

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Southern China has 20 sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list:

Macao Historic Centre ★★★ (2005)
The heart of the city, a blend of Portuguese and Chinese architecture through monuments, churches, houses, squares, and streets. The entire area is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Dazu ★★★ (1999)
A stunning complex of caves and rock carvings near Chongqing, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Gulangyu ★★ (2017)
This island facing Xiamen is a tourist hotspot with its many colonial-style buildings. It is UNESCO-listed for this very reason.

Kaiping ★★★ (2007)
This district-level city in Guangdong is home to over two thousand traditional fortified towers (diaolou) built in the 1920s–30s. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• South China Karst *** (2007): Among others of its kind, these are four groups of large karst rock formations rising from the ground (Libo, Shilin, Wulong, and Wulingyuan), creating the impression of stone forests. They are inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

West Lake of Hangzhou ★ (2011)
This is a famous lake located near the historic center of Hangzhou. It appears on the back of some Chinese banknotes.

Leshan ★★★★ (1996)
This city in Sichuan is home to the world's largest stone-carved Buddha (71 m tall) on its outskirts. The Buddha is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as is the sacred Mount Emei facing it.

Lijiang ★★★ (1997)
This UNESCO-listed town in Yunnan is renowned for its old town and remarkable historic architecture. You can also explore several traditional villages in the surrounding area on treks.

Lushan National Park ★★ (1996)
On the edge of the city of the same name, this site (also known as Mount Lu) is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its beautiful landscapes.

Inscribed natural sites:

Huanglong ★★ (1992)
This region in northern Sichuan is a UNESCO World Heritage site, renowned for its landscapes and particularly its stunning natural pools.

Mount Sanqing ★★ (2008)
This sacred Taoist mountain in Jiangxi is a UNESCO-listed national park celebrated for its breathtaking landscapes. Hiking is a popular activity here.

Wuyi Mountains ★★★ (1999)
A beautiful mountain range in southern China, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Hiking and river rafting are popular activities here.

Jiuzhaigou Valley Nature Reserve ★★ (1992)
In northern Sichuan, this stunning UNESCO-listed valley is famous for its lakes and waterfalls. It’s quite (very) touristy but offers great hiking opportunities.

Wolong Nature Reserve ★★ (2006)
A UNESCO World Heritage site (along with other locations), it is one of the last natural areas home to giant pandas. It is located about a hundred kilometres from Chengdu.

Yuanyang Terraced Rice Fields ★★ (2013)
Created by the Hani and Yi minorities, these terraced rice fields around the high-altitude town of Yuanyang are the oldest in the country and form stunning landscapes during the season, earning them a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Three Parallel Rivers in Yunnan ★★ (2003)
This is where the Yangtze, Mekong, and Salween rivers converge. This stunning site of mountains and gorges is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and trekking is possible here.

Wulingyuan ★★★ (1992)
This is the main site of the UNESCO-listed "South China Karst" and a stunning natural area in Hunan, made up of thousands of "sandstone pillars," some over 200 m tall. Hiking is possible here.

Cities and Cultural Heritage

Three Gorges Dam ★★
It is the world's largest hydroelectric dam. It is on the Yangtze River.

Chaozhou ★
A rather pleasant city with various buildings worth visiting.

Chengdu ★
This vast metropolis is the capital of Sichuan. It isn’t particularly touristy and mainly serves as a stopover or transport hub for other destinations.

Chongqing ★
This special-status municipality features various historic buildings, including several from the World War II era.

Dali ★★★
A beautiful tourist city surrounded by mountains and lakes, Dali offers visitors old quarters and, in its surroundings, many traditional villages.

Dazu ★★★
A stunning complex of caves and rock carvings near Chongqing, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Fenghuang ★★★
This is a very pretty city in Hunan (and even considered the most beautiful in its category by some), with a well-preserved old town along the river.

Fuzhou ★
The city is the capital of Fujian Province, though not very touristy.

Garzê ★
This town in western Sichuan is strongly influenced by Tibetan culture. Several Tibetan monasteries can be found in the surrounding area.

Guangzhou ★
China's third-largest city and the capital of Guangdong Province, also known as Canton. It is primarily an economic hub, though it offers a few museums, parks, and religious sites for visitors.

Guilin ★★
A popular tourist destination. Guilin is a pretty city surrounded by karst massifs. Most visitors come to explore its surroundings (caves, rivers including the Li, landscapes).

Gulangyu ★★ (2017)
This island facing Xiamen is a tourist hotspot with its many colonial-style buildings. It is UNESCO-listed for this very reason.

Haikou ★
It is the capital of Hainan Island and the main gateway to it.

Hainan ★★★
This tropical island at the southern tip of China attracts over 20 million Chinese and Russian tourists every year thanks to its beaches, landscapes, and climate, making it a highly popular and frequently visited destination.

Hangzhou ★★
This former capital of China, south of Shanghai, boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage as well as a pleasant lake, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Hong Kong ★★★★
A blend of China and England that is reflected in both the architecture and, to some extent, the society of this former British colony—creating a reality quite distinct from the rest of the country. It’s also a place where nature and urban life coexist.

Kaiping ★★★
This district-level city in Guangdong is home to over two thousand traditional fortified towers (diaolou) built in the 1920s–30s. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kunming ★
The capital of Yunnan has several temples, museums, and parks to visit.

Leshan ★★★★
This city in Sichuan is home to the world's largest stone-carved Buddha (71 m tall) on its outskirts. The Buddha is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as is the sacred Mount Emei facing it.

Lijiang ★★★
This UNESCO-listed town in Yunnan is renowned for its old town and remarkable historic architecture. You can also explore several traditional villages in the surrounding area on treks.

Longsheng ★★
This small region north of Guilin is known for its traditional Zhuang and Yao villages, as well as its stunning terraced fields, where you can go hiking.

Lushan ★
A former hill station built for Westerners in the 19th century, Lushan still features many colonial-era buildings. You can also hike and explore the beautiful surrounding landscapes, particularly in the UNESCO-listed park of the same name.

Macau ★★★
With its casinos and the remnants of 400 years of Portuguese presence at China’s doorstep, this city-territory has developed its tourism—especially since its entire old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Nanning ★
Capital of Guangxi Province on the route to Vietnam. It is more of a transit city than a tourist destination.

Quanzhou ★
A major city in Fujian with several religious buildings, museums, and surroundings ideal for hiking.

Sanya ★★
At the southern tip of Hainan Island, Sanya is a renowned beach resort famous for its beaches, water activities (surfing, diving), and the nearby small islands.

Shangri-La ★★
Close to Tibet, this city in Yunnan is home to an old town and a Tibetan monastery. You can go hiking, mountain biking, and skiing in the surrounding area.

Shaoshan ★
This is Mao's birthplace, in Hunan Province. Quite logically, a small tourism industry has developed around this theme.

Shaoxing ★
This city southeast of Hangzhou features traditional Chinese architecture.

Shenzhen ★
This vast conurbation bordering Hong Kong is primarily popular with Chinese visitors for its many theme parks.

Tengchong ★
On the border with Myanmar, the city and its surroundings are home to various local ethnic groups with cultures and traditions that remain vibrant.

Wenzhou ★
A major port and commercial city 400 km south of Shanghai.

Xiamen ★
A large, lively coastal city in Fujian. Its main tourist attraction is the many colonial buildings on Gulangyu Island, located across from the city.

Yangshuo ★★
A town near Guilin nestled in a stunning landscape of karst peaks, mountains, caves, and rivers (including the Li). You can go hiking, climbing, and take boat rides here.

Yongding ★★
This region of Fujian, around the city of the same name, is home to many Hakka villages where the culture and customs remain very much alive. Their striking traditional circular houses (the "Tulou") are UNESCO-listed.

Zunyi ★
This city in Guizhou is a historic landmark from the Mao era, with several "memory" sites.

Natural Heritage

Huangguoshu Falls ★★
Beautiful and tall waterfalls of about 80 metres near Anshun in Guizhou.

Detian Falls ★★
These are wide waterfalls on the border between China and Vietnam.

Yangtze River ★★
It is the third longest river in the world. You can explore it on a cruise, particularly between Yichang and Chongqing.

Tiger Leaping Gorge ★★★
Stunning gorges in Yunnan near Lijiang, perfect for hiking.

Huanglong ★★
This region in northern Sichuan is a UNESCO World Heritage site, renowned for its landscapes and particularly its stunning natural pools.

Shilin Karst ★★
Around a hundred kilometres from Kunming (Yunnan), this is one of the "stone forests" made up of impressive karst massifs listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Mount Emei ★★★
This sacred UNESCO-listed mountain near the city of Leshan (and facing its famous Buddha) offers great hiking opportunities through stunning landscapes. It is also home to numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries.

Mount Sanqing ★★
This sacred Taoist mountain in Jiangxi is a UNESCO-listed national park celebrated for its breathtaking landscapes. Hiking is a popular activity here.

Wuyi Mountains ★★★
A beautiful mountain range in southern China, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Hiking and river rafting are popular activities here.

Lushan National Park ★★
On the edge of the city of the same name, this site (also known as Mount Lu) is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its beautiful landscapes.

Jiuzhaigou Valley Nature Reserve ★★
In northern Sichuan, this stunning UNESCO-listed valley is famous for its lakes and waterfalls. It’s quite (very) touristy but offers great hiking opportunities.

Wolong Nature Reserve ★★
A UNESCO World Heritage site (along with other locations), it is one of the last natural areas home to giant pandas. It is located about a hundred kilometres from Chengdu.

Li River ★★★
This beautiful river flows through the cities of Guilin and Yangshuo in the Guangxi region. It is renowned for its stunning UNESCO-listed karst landscapes, which can be explored by cruise between the two cities.

Yuanyang Terraced Rice Fields ★★
Created by the Hani and Yi minorities, these terraced rice fields around the high-altitude town of Yuanyang are the oldest in the country and form stunning landscapes during the season, earning them a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Three Parallel Rivers in Yunnan ★★
This is where the Yangtze, Mekong, and Salween rivers converge. This stunning site of mountains and gorges is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and trekking is possible here.

Weizhou ★
An island off the coast of Guangxi with beautiful beaches and diving opportunities. It's a nature park.

Wulingyuan ★★★
This is the main site of the UNESCO-listed "South China Karst" and a stunning natural area in Hunan, made up of thousands of "sandstone pillars," some over 200 m tall. Hiking is possible here.