The top cities to visit during your 1 week in China should definitely include 3 days in Beijing, 2-3 days inShanghai, and an additional city such as Xian, Hangzhou, Xitang, or YellowMountain. Note that I did not include Hong Kong and Macau in the itinerary because they can take 3-4 days alone and they are also easier to travel to compare to Mainland China.
DAY 0 OF 1 WEEK IN CHINA – TRAVEL DAY, ARRIVE IN BEIJING
Start your 1 week in China in either Shanghai or Beijing, it really doesn’t matter. Both Shanghai and Beijing have international airports with direct flights from major cities around the globe.
After landing in Beijing and going through immigration, take either a subway, shuttle bus, or taxi to check into your hotel in Beijing.
DAY 1-3 OF 7 DAYS IN CHINA – BEIJING
When you think about where to go in China, I’m sure Beijing is probably No. 1 on your list. To be honest, 3 days in Beijing doesn’t do it justice, but if you only have 1 week in China and would like to see as much as possible, then it would be difficult to spend more than 3 days in Beijing.
Day 1 in Beijing Overview:
Start your first day of your 1 week China adventure in Beijing, the modern capital city of China. Beijing is the political center of China, and it is so important that it is the only time zone in China. Beijing became the capital of China in 1421 under the Ming dynasty, even though it had been the capital of China on and off.
Morning:
Tian’anmen + Flag Raising Ceremony
Tian’anmen Square is world-famous for many reasons. The square is one of the biggest in the world. Visitors generally walk around Tian’anmen Square and take photos of the Tian’anmenRostrum, with a portrait of Mao Zedong right in the middle.
Every morning, precisely at sunrise, there is a flag-raisingceremonyatTian’anmen where uniformed guards will march to the flag pole.
The whole flag-raising ceremony lasts about 3minutes and you want to get there about 10-15 minutes before it starts. There is also a flag-loweringceremony every day at sunset.
National Museum of China
The National Museum of China displays art pieces covering the span of Chinese history and many of the artefacts are not found anywhere else in China or in the world. I personally think it’s pretty cool to see the exhibitions if you are interested in Chinese history.
Hutongs in Beijing
Beijing is known for its well-preserved Hutong (alleys) and there are several famous ones in Central Beijing. Most of them are either south of the Mausoleum or near the Bell Tower and Drum area.
Day 2
Temple of Heaven
Temple of Heavenwas a sacred place where the emperors of China during the Ming and Qing dynasties worshiped the god of heaven and prayed for a good harvest. It’s also one of my favorite places in Beijing because the architecture is just so pretty.
Yuanmingyuan Park (Old Summer Palace)
Yuanmingyuan Park is what’s known as the Old Summer Palace in Beijing. It was originally constructed in 1707 as an imperial garden and then expanded as the main imperial residence of the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty.
National Stadium (Bird Nest) & National Aquatics Centre (Water Cube)
The Olympic Sports Center (the stadium, National Aquatics Center, etc.) was either constructed or renovated for the 2008 Olympics. There is pretty tight security when you try to get into the vicinity of the building, so be prepared to have your bag scanned and checked.
Day 3
Great Wall of China -> Sanlitun
The Great Wall is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and you simply cannot say you’ve been to Beijing without visiting the Great Wall.
The Great Wall was built in 220-206 BC by Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. Many people died during the construction of the Great Wall, and over the years, it was pretty much destroyed by nature, but many parts have been rebuilt.
Since the Great Wall is so long, there are different parts of it you can visit from Beijing.
Badalona
Bandaging is the most popular section of the Great Wall because it’s the closest section to Beijing. Many tour buses go to Badaling.
Mutianyu
Mutianyu is the most “pretty” and tourist-friendly part of the Great Wall thanks to the restoration efforts. Mutianyu is slightly farther from Beijing than Badaling making it less crowded and a better experience.
Jiankou
The Jiankou part of the Great Wall is by far the most dangerous and wild part of the Great Wall because it has not been maintained or restored. Because of the danger, this part of the Great Wall is not officially open to tourists, although you can technically hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu in 4 hours.
DAY 4 – 5 OF 7 DAYS IN CHINA: XI’AN
Day 4
Terracotta Army
Many people come to Xi’an to see the world-famous Terracotta Army, a collection of life-size Terracotta sculptures depicting the army of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China in his tomb.
Day 5
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
One of the most famous Pagodas in China, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is located in the Da Ci’en Temple complex.
The pagoda was built during the Tang dynasty to collect Buddhist materials and study Buddhist scriptures from India. It had gone through numerous renovations and reconstructions due to war, earthquakes, and gradual decay.
Xi’An Drum Tower and Bell Tower
Located inside the Xi’An historical center (inside the city wall), the Drum Tower and Bell Tower are historical structures similar to the one in Beijing. If you stay nearby, you can take photos of the towers from the outside.
DAY 6 – 7 OF 7 DAYS IN CHINA: SHANGHAI
Shanghai is the largest city in China by population and perhaps the most prosperous city in China. If Beijing was the political center of China, then Shanghai would be the economic center of China. Visitors would describe Beijing as ancient, whereas Shanghai is one of the most modern cities in China.
Day 6 Shanghai
YuYuan Garden & Bazaar
Yuyuan or Yu Garden is a famous garden inside the City God Temple. Even though the garden itself is famous, the surrounding area is a huge Bazaar with tons of stalls for food, restaurants, and shops that attract tourists and locals.
Lujiazui
Lujiazui is Shanghai’s financial center and is located on the other side of the Huangpu River. When you see photos of the skyline in Shanghai from the Bund, you are looking at all the buildings in Lujiazui
The Bund
The Bund is perhaps the most famous area in Shanghai and an area that you would see in any movie featuring Shanghai. The Bund used to be the financial centre of Shanghai with a number of banks and trading houses located there.
Day 7 Shanghai
Former French Concession
This area was expanded in the 1900s and basically doubled in size. Even to this day, the former French concession area is a nice residential area with tons of cute restaurants, cafes, and shops. One hallmark of the Former French Concession area is a wide road lined with London plane trees.
The buildings in the Former concession area are either colonial-styled buildings or traditional Shanghainese buildings called Shikumen – old brickworks and big stone doorways.
Xintiandi
Another famous and trendy area of Shanghai called Xintiandi is also located in the Former French Concession.
In the end, I would like to conclude this article by saying that China is not the easiest place to visit if you don’t speak Chinese. However, this shouldn’t stop you from visiting China because it is truly interesting and historical, and the people are friendly. The only concern you should have while visiting China is where to stay since it’s so big and diverse
