Beijing 
Without Beijing, any tour itinerary to China is incomplete, especially for first-time travelers. As the capital of China, Beijing is one of the world's truly imposing cities, with a 3,000-year history and over 11 million people. Covering 16,808 square kilometers in area, it is the political, cultural and economic center of the People’s Republic of China. 

Situated in northeast China, Beijing adjoins the Inner Mongolian Highland to the northwest and the Great Northern Plain to the south. Five rivers run through the city, connecting it to the eastern Bohai Sea. Administratively, the Beijing municipality equals the status of a Province, reporting directly to the central government. 

Changchun 
Changchun, located northeast of Beijing, is the capital of Jilin Province. It is a Chinese version of a combination of Detroit and Hollywood. It has China's largest motor vehicle plant and largest film studio. 

Changsha 
Changsha, located on the Xiangjiang River in south central China, is the capital of Hunan Province. The city’s history dates back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods (770-331 BC). In 331 BC, after the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty unified China, the Changsha prefecture was set up. The city was opened to foreign traders in 1904. European and American merchants quickly moved into the area to set up businesses and warehouses. Such merchant activities received a great boost in 1918 when the town was linked by rail to Hankou and then Beijing. The development spurred an increase in production from the light industrial sector, particularly in food products, textiles, paper, lacquerware, jewelry and furniture. 

Chengde 
Tucked away in a valley 155 miles northeast of Beijing, the mountain resort at Chengde, formerly known as the Jehol Summer Palace, is one of the biggest and most celebrated former imperial gardens in China. 

Chengdu 
Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province in the southwest, has been the economic and cultural center of China's most populous province since 400 BC. 

Chongqing
The city of Chongqing can be best described as southwest China’s commercial capital. Since 1997, the city has become the fourth municipality, independent from Sichuan Province, to be under the direct control of the central government. The religious cliff sculptures of Dazu and Baodingshan and the Three Gorges scenic region of the Yangzi River are all nearby, making Chongqing an important center for tourism despite the scarcity of notable sights within the city proper. 

Dalian
Dalian is a major port of northeastern China and a trading gateway for all of northern China. Declared a Coastal Open City in 1984, it is located on the southernmost tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, jutting out into the Bohai Sea in the northeast, between China and North Korea. It is 4 hours by train south of Shenyang. It has a population of about 1.5 million, with a total of 5 million in the larger metropolitan area. 

Datong 
Among the unsung wonders of China's history-soaked heritage are the 1,500-year-old Buddhist grottoes of Datong – an eight-hour train journey from Beijing – in Shanxi Province. 

Dunhuang
Dunhuang, a small city in Gansu Province, is located near the crossroads of the ancient Silk Road. It is made famous largely by the Buddhist Grottoes, known as the Mogao Grottoes, which are one of the world’s most important sites of ancient Buddhist culture. The grottoes, also known as Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, preserve nearly a thousand years of Buddhist cave-temple architecture, clay sculpture, mural paintings, and manuscripts, dating from the 5th to the 14th centuries. 

Fuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital city of Fujian Province, located on China’s southeastern coast. With a long tradition as a coastal port and shipbuilding center, Fuzhou is the major coastal city between Hong Kong and Shanghai. It is known as “Banyan Town” after the subtropical Banyan trees planted there since the Song dynasty. As the central city of a province with many ethnic and linguistic links to Taiwan, Fuzhou has benefited from cross-strait investment and is today a major commercial and manufacturing center. 

Guangzhou 
Known as the "City of Five Lambs," Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong Province and the southern gateway to China. It is a city of pleasant tropical parks and tree-shaded streets, and also an important commercial center. Its port, Huangpu (Whampoa), is southern China's major foreign trading port and is close to Hong Kong and Macao. 

Guilin 
Situated in the northeast corner of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guilin is hailed by many as the most beautiful place in China and is one of the must-see destinations for most foreign tourists. According to a popular Chinese saying, “Guilin’s scenery bests all others in the world.” Its shapely-rising limestone towers and crystal-clear waters are often portrayed in Chinese artworks. Adding to its natural beauty are many fascinating caves. 

Guiyang
Guiyang is the capital of Guizhou Province, located at an elevation of 3,000 feet in the very center of the southwest Province. It is dominated by mist-shrouded hills surrounding the Wujiang Valley. The climate is mild throughout the year, much like that in Kunming, the capital of neighboring Yunnan Province. 

Haikou
Haikou is the capital of Hainan Province and Special Economic Zone, a tropical island just south of Guangdong. Separated from the mainland by the 30-kilometer-wide Qiongzhou Channel, Haikou is the main port and business center for the island, a tropical city with streets lined with palm trees.

Hangzhou 
Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province in east China, lies close to the mouth of the Qiantang River at the western end of the Gulf of Hangzhou. The city is best known for its natural beauty and historical attractions. Many sections of the city are said to have unchanged for centuries. The famous West Lake region enjoys the reputation as one of the most beautiful spots in China, with landscaped gardens on its banks, tree-shaded walks, and in the nearby hills, temples, pagodas, and monasteries. 

Harbin 
Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang Province, which borders Russia in the north. Situated in the middle reaches of the Songhua River, it is a busy river port. With several highways and railways converging at Harbin, the city is an important transportation hub in northeastern China. 

Hefei
Hefei is the capital of Anhui Province in central China, north of the Yangzi River that divides the province into two parts. An important agricultural trading center and military base in early times, Hefei was made provincial capital in 1949. The famous scenic area of Mt. Huang (Yellow Mountains) in southern Anhui is across the Yangzi River and thus more easily reached from the cities of Wuhu or Hangzhou. 

Hohhot
Hohhot (meaning ‘blue city’ in Mongolian) is the capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The center of Mongolian culture, it became a military and religious center in the later Ming (late 16th century) and Qing periods. Now the political, cultural, and industrial center of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot is a center for wool and leather products, building materials, iron and steel production, and fertilizer plants. 

Jinan
Jinan, capital of Shandong Province, is located on the southern bank of the Yellow River, north of the famous Mt. Tai. For centuries, the city has been renowned for its lakes and springs, such as the Daming Lake and Baotu Springs, known as “The First Spring under Heaven.” 

Jiuquan 
Jiuquan, or “Wine Spring,” is a major stopover on the "Silk Road" northwestwards from Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province. From the second century BC, commissioners and high-ranking officers were dispatched by the rulers of Western Han Dynasty (306 BC- 34 AD) to develop the region. As the traffic along the "Silk Road" became busier and more important, the prefecture of Jiuquan was established more than 1,600 years ago to protect this vital artery. On a triumphant expedition, as legend has it, Huo Qubing, a celebrated commander of the Western Han army, visited the town with his troops. Emperor Wudi had decreed that they feast on wine, but there was not enough to go round. Commander Huo then poured his cup of wine into a spring so that it could be shared with his soldiers. That was how the city got its name. 

Kaifeng
Situated on the southern bank of the Yellow River, Kaifeng is an important city in Henan Province. With a recorded history close to 3,000 years, Kaifeng is known as one of the six major centers of ancient Chinese civilization. 

Kunming
Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, is known as the “city of eternal spring.” Located in the middle of the Yunan Plateau 6,300 feet above sea level, subtropical Kunming is skirted by mountains to the north, east, and west, while to the south lies a large lake called Dianchi. Kunming has a mild climate and flowers bloom most of the year round. But its association with eternal spring can be misleading, because there are sometimes cold winds in winter, chilly days in spring, and heavy rains in summer. Generally speaking, though, the city's climate is kind to travelers most of the time. 

Lanzhou
Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province, is an important stop on your journey along the ancient “Silk Road,” west of Xi'an. 

Lhasa
If Tibet is the "roof of the world," then its capital, Lhasa, is certainly the “city of the sun.” Standing on a plain over 13,000 feet above sea level, surrounded by towering mountains, Lhasa is a town bathed in sunlight. 

Luoyang
Luoyang, a city in Henan Province, is known as the “city of peonies.” Situated on the north bank of the Luo River, it is cut by two rivers that flow into the Luo, the Jian to the west and Chan to the east. 

Nanchang
Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi Province, is located along the Ganjiang river. For many centuries, it remained a storage and distribution center for the famous porcelain from nearby Jingdezhen. In 1937, it became famous when on August 1, Zhou Enlai led an uprising against Chiang Kai-Shek’s nationalist army at Nanchang before retreating to the nearby Jinggang Mountains to form one of the first armed forces of the Chinese Red Army. 

Nanjing
Nanjing is the capital of Jiangsu Province in the southeast on the south bank of the Yangzi River. It has a rich history as a political center, as the capital of early regimes in the south and as the Southern Capital during the Ming dynasty, as well as the seat of the Nationalist Government in the 20th century. Today Nanjing’s three special economic zones are home to manufacturing and production facilities for some of the world’s leading multinational corporations. 

Nanning
Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Autonomous Region in southwest China. It is the center of the Zhuang culture, China’s largest minority at well over 15 million people. The city has been closely involved in relationships with neighboring Vietnam, both positive and negative, and now has an open border with Vietnam. A prosperous industrial city, its mild climate allows a year-round growing season for rice, sugar-cane, and subtropical fruits such as mangos and lychees. 

Shanghai
The largest city in China, Shanghai contains the most striking blend of oriental and western cultures and of the past and present. In this city, European-style buildings can be seen standing alongside Chinese structures and ancient temples. Modern ocean-going vessels sail past junks. 

Shenyang
Shenyang is the capital of Liaoning Province, about 500 miles north of Beijing. The city used to be known as Mukden, a name used by the Tartar people who once ruled the area. It has a history of more than 3,000 years. When the Manchurians seized Beijing in 1644 and established the Qing dynasty with Beijing as its capital, Mukden became its secondary capital and remained so far 350 years. 

Shenzhen
Only twenty-some years ago, Shenzhen was not much more a small village of 20,000 across the border from Hong Kong. Since being declared a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), Shenzhen has seen explosive growth in population and economy. Today it is a modern city, filled with modern high rise office and apartment buildings with export value alone over US$6 billion. Including Shenzhen City, the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, and Shenzhen County, the population is 2.3 million and growing. Textiles, electronic goods, toys, furniture, and machinery are among the major products, for domestic and international consumption. Shenzhen is a major resort destination for Hong Kong visitors, with many resort hotels and theme parks. 

Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang is the capital of Hebei Province 280 km (174 miles) southwest of Beijing. It is a major railroad junction for northern China, and home of China’s largest pharmaceutical factor and a center for the study of traditional Chinese medicine. 

Suzhou
Suzhou is located in the south of Jiangsu Province, some 50 miles west of Shanghai, along the old Grand Canal. The city has been famous for its gardens for many centuries. According to a Chinese proverb says: “In heaven there is paradise. On earth there are Suzhou and Hangzhou.” Suzhou has also long been noted for its beautiful women. 

Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital of Shanxi Province, and a city rich in political, military, and religious history. Located along the invasion corridors between the nomadic regions to the north and the agricultural heartland around the Yellow River, it was the site of repeated invasion and occupation over the centuries. The central Shanxi region is rich in Buddhist and Taoist sites, including the famous Mt. Wutai and the Taoist Palace of Eternal Joy. Taiyuan is now a major industrial city in northern China, close to major iron and coal reserves. 

Tianjin
Tianjin is China’s third largest city, an independent municipality with a population of 9.5 million that is a major commercial and industrial center as well as the biggest port in north China. 137 kilometers (85 miles) southeast of Beijing, Tianjin is situated at the confluence of five tributaries of the Haihe River, 50 km from the Bohai Sea. 

Urumqi
The last stop on your westward journey along the “Silk Road” is Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, situated at the northern foothill of the snow-capped Tianshan Mountains. 

Wuhan
This capital of Hubei Province, Wuhan lies at the confluence of the Yangzi and Han Rivers, roughly midway between Beijing and Guangzhou. The city is comprised of three towns – Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang – which face each other across the rivers and are linked by several bridges. 

Wuxi
Wuxi is a city dominated by waterways -- the ring of canals that surround the city, including the main branch of the Grand Canal, and the waters of Lake Taihu, China’s fourth largest lake that extends to the south of the city. In addition to its scenic attractions and role in a regional transport system, the water system supports a flourishing rice agriculture and fisheries. Wuxi was also known in imperial and modern times for its silk textile production, and the nearby town of Yixing is renowned for its “purple-sand” tea-ware pottery. 

Wuyi Mountain
Wuyi Mountain, in south-east China's Fujian province, on the border with Jiangxi, is in fact a series of red sandstone hills covering about 30 square miles. It is one of China's best known beauty spots. 

Xiamen
Xiamen is an island city with a rich and dramatic history, replete with pirates, rebel leaders, and European merchants. Now linked to mainland Fujian by a causeway, Xiamen retains a strong international flavor. Known in the West as Amoy, Xiamen has a long history as a port city, and later became a center of British trade in the 19th century. Their foreign settlements, later taken over by Japanese invaders at the start of World War II, were established on the nearby small Gulangyu Island. Many of the old treaty-port and colonial buildings in Western styles survive. Xiamen was declared one of China’s first Special Economic Zones in the early 1980’s, taking advantage of the city’s heritage as a trading center and the proximity to Taiwan. Today Xiamen is one of China’s most attractive and best-maintained resort cities. 

Xi'an 
Xi'an was one of the most important cradles of Chinese civilization. The famous “Silk Road” that linked China with central Asia and the Roman Empire starts in Xi’an in the east. The city served as the first capital of a unified China and capital of 11 dynasties periodically from the 11th century BC to the early 10th century AD. 

Xining
Xining, the capital of Qinhai Province, used to be a major stop on the Silk Road's southern route. It is one of the poorest provincial capitals in China, and has little of real interest to offer a tourist. But some worthwhile excursions begin there. 
Yangzhou
Yangzhou, a city in Jiangsu Province, is located on the lower reaches of the Yangti River and the Huaihe River. Its history dates back to 486 BC, when a long ditch called the Han Ditch was dug. This project later led to the construction of the Grand Canal that stretched over 1,000 miles to link the fertile south with Beijing. 


Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou is the capital city of Henan Province, and an important railway hub on the Beijing-Guangzhou and Xi’an-Shanghai rail lines. It is home to the national grain wholesale market and a new high-tech science park. Along with its modern economic position, Zhengzhou played a key role in China’s early civilization as the site of an early Shang dynasty walled city some 3,500 years ago. Here and at nearby Anyang China’s early bronze industry developed for military and ritual use, and remains of the ancient Shang city foundations and wall are still visible on the outskirts of town.