Do you know that Beijing, Xian, Guilin and Hong Kong are the most visited cities in China?

A lot of people refer it as the ‘golden route’ or ‘presidential route’ after Bill Clinton visited these cities in 1998.

Certainly the golden route has a good combination of everything: great historical heritages, beautiful landscape, delicious Chinese food, great shopping and so on.

Best time to visit China is spring and autumn when China has beautiful weather and fewer tourists.

If you are a first-time visitor to China, the golden route is your top pick. You would need at least two weeks to complete the tours.

Beijing ? you would need at least four nights to complete what you need to see and do.

Great Wall of China – the longest man-made architecture on earth. This should be your number one destination in Beijing.

Forbidden City – the former palaces and offices of Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is currently a museum with countless treasures.

Summer Palace – the most well preserved royal resort of Qing Dynasty.

Temple of Heaven is the symbol of Beijing. Ming and Qing emperors worshipped Heaven here.

Please do include a hutong tour in order to have an old Beijing feel. After all, don’t forget a Beijing duck feast.

Tip: Beijing travel requires a lot of walking. Please be prepared for it.

Xian ? everyone should visit Xian at least once in life, Chinese and foreigners alike. Spend three nights here is necessary to cover the most important sightseeing.

Xian has been a capital city for 13 dynasties, totaling 1,100 years. It was the world?s most prosperous city in Tang Dynasty, 1300 years ago.

The Terra Cotta Warriors is a full-scale replication of the Qin Dynasty army. There is no other place in the world you can see a life-size army of over 2,000 years old.

Banpo Neolithic village is a famous site of 6,000 years old which has typical features of a matriarchal society. You?ll also see clues of ancient burial, marriages, creative tools and artifacts.

In Xian, don?t forget to go for a dumpling feast which usually goes with a first class entertainment show of Tang Dynasty music and dance.

Guilin is ranked second on China?s list of top 10 tourists? destinations. It has beautiful landscape integrated with fabulous countryside. Make sure you won?t miss the Reed Flute Cave, the Crown Cave and some of the beautiful peaks.

Don?t forget to make a day trip to Yangshuo where the best hills and waters are. Go there on a Li River cruise and return by bus. If you choose to stay overnight, you would be able to watch the spectacular ?Liu Sanjie? performance, which takes place on the Li River. Yangshuo is truly a place for you to relax and enjoy.

In Guilin, make sure to go for a rice noodle feast. Or you can just eat it as a street food at ?2 per bowl. They are extremely yummy.

A Guilin tour including Yangshuo would require a minimum stay of three nights.

Hong Kong is very different from any other mainland Chinese cities. In Hong Kong, you can experience one-country-two-systems. I would suggest a minimum stay of three nights here.

Being Asia?s World City nowadays, Hong Kong is an important leg on the China travel golden route.

There are several ?bests? of Hong Kong. The world?s best night view, best skyline, best shopping paradise, best gourmet?s paradise and so on. You would be able to buy the trendiest everything here at the lowest prices in the world, including authentic luxury goods.

Cantonese cuisine is one of the yummiest among Chinese foods. Don?t forget to go for a dim sum lunch and a typical Cantonese seafood dinner.

Hong Kong was always a major trade hub right from the time when the Chinese ruled the island. But the area started to gain attraction of the Chinese as well as the rest of the world again in the 19th century when the British established their regime. In fact these areas were collectively named Hong Kong after the British. Presently Hong Kong is governed by an elected administration with the Chief Executive heading the rule.

Hong Kong is located on the eastern side of the Pearl River Delta which lies to the south eastern coast of China. The south China sea falls on the southern part of the island and the Guangdong province in the north.

From the early ages Honk Kong has been an important trade hub. Presently, it is one of the most important international center of finance and trade. In fact it is China’s riches region with the most liberal economy.

Geographically Hong Kong is divided into Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. The Kowloon peninsula is connected to the New Territories which are attached to the mainland of China. The Sham Chun river flows across the mainland and Hong Kong. Hong Kong is constituted of 236 islands. Lantau is the largest among them followed by Hong Kong island itself. Ap Lei Chau is the most densely populated island of Hong Kong.

As a harbor Hong Kong stands tall among all of these in the world. With brilliant facilities it has carved its way to the top of the list. Hong Kong also has the best facilitated airport in the world.

The cosmopolitan culture of Hong Kong has won it the proud laurel of “City where East meets west”. Located on the on the eastern side of the Pearl River Delta on the southeastern coast of the People’s Republic of China, facing the South China Sea in the south, and bordering Guangdong Province in the north, Hong Kong is a throbbing commercial centre and the most affluent region in China. The Island has all the ingredients for the perfect vacation be it shopping, nightlife, and dining. Especially known as the shopper’s paradise the towering shopping arcades in Hong Kong house the latest in everything from European styles to “Made in China” products.

With an absolute cosmopolitan civilization Hong Kong is home to various cultures of the world. Though Chinese is the dominant one, still other cultures too find their way in the island. It is a perfect example of a place where east meets west. In fact all aspects of life in Hong Kong reflects this attitude.

For the tourists Hong Kong is a dream shopping vacation. You name the rand and the outlet is there in Hong Kong. From the latest European trends to the ethnic Chinese clothing; Hong Kong has it all. It also encompasses the traditional Chinese shops along with the huge state of the art shopping malls.

The night life of Hong Kong is another attraction of this grand island for the travelers. The districts of Lan Kwai Fong (Central) and Wanchai are the entertainment headquarters of the island.

Other than all these Hong Kong also features few beaches in its topography. The tourists can indulge in the water sports and other activities related to the sea.

Once in Hong Kong you are never going to miss out on happenings. Doesn’t matter what time it is? The island never sleeps!

Hong Kong offers loads to explore for those who wants to add that ‘extra’ into their tour itinerary. For further information about Hong Kong, you can check out

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