China

China has many faces, like masks in the Beijing opera.

It spans almost 10 million square kilometres — from the icy peaks of the Himalayas to the azure shores of the South China Sea. Along a single route, you can witness Tibetan monasteries perched above deep gorges and high-speed trains gliding through kilometres of glass and concrete.

Morning fog shrouds the Potala Palace in Lhasa, cranes cry out above the rice terraces of Longji, and from the hundredth floor of a Shanghai skyscraper, the city appears like a mirage. In the south lie the fantastical landscapes of Zhangjiajie, which inspired Avatar; in the north, the Great Wall of China snakes like a ribbon along the mountain ridges.

Scenario Travel will help you focus your journey and discover the soul of a country where modernity does not replace the past, but converses with it in the same language.

Beijing: the eternal capital

Beijing resembles a play in three acts: the imperial past, the socialist drama, and the modern high-tech era. People come here to experience living history, walk along the alleys once trodden by emperors, sense the evolution in its architecture, and catch the rhythm of this vibrant metropolis.

The Forbidden City (Gugong)

A city within a city — 980 buildings, over 8,000 rooms, and pavilions with evocative names such as the Hall of Perfect Harmony and the Gate of Heavenly Tranquillity. Covering an area of 720,000 square metres, the Forbidden City is the largest palace complex in the world. It has withstood fires, wars, and revolutions, yet has remained the immovable centre of the nation.

Beijing Hutongs

Hutongs are the narrow streets and alleys lined with low grey houses, unique to Beijing. Begin your exploration at Nanluoguxiang Lane, the most atmospheric hutong, known for its designer boutiques and street food stalls. Gaoxiang Hutong narrows to just 40 centimetres — you must walk almost sideways. Jiuwan Hutong twists and turns more than twenty times, a true labyrinth of old Beijing. It stretches for two kilometres, while Yichi Dajie is the shortest hutong, measuring only 20 metres in length.

Beijing: Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is an architectural marvel. This temple was constructed without a single nail. Emperors once came here to pray to the heavens for a good harvest. Today, those seeking tranquillity in the midst of a metropolis visit this serene site.

The Imperial Vault of Heaven has preserved a unique circular structure known as the Echo Wall. If you whisper something at its base, a person standing on the opposite side can hear every word, as clearly as you were standing beside them.

District 798
An unusual art space, District 798 is a post-industrial paradise for art lovers. Here, the walls of former factories serve as a canvas for graffiti, installations, and stylish coffee shops. It is a zone of creative freedom where artists, designers, photographers, and sculptors gather, both from across China and around the world.

The Great Wall of China
Most tourists rush to Badaling — only to find themselves stuck in a crowd of excursion flags and selfie sticks. To truly experience the scale and spirit of the Wall, visit the beautifully restored section in the Mutianyu area, or head to Jinshanling – the most picturesque and nearly untouched stretch. The masonry reaches heights of up to 7 metres and widths of 6 metres, and along the route, you’ll pass dozens of watchtowers, often with no crowds in sight.

Zhangjiajie

Zhangjiajie National Park, located in Hunan Province, served as the inspiration for the floating mountains in the film Avatar and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. Remarkably, the reality surpasses the special effects: over 3,000 limestone pillars, cloaked in moss and pine trees, rise like stone giants. 

Main points:

• Tianzishan is a viewing platform offering breathtaking panoramic views.
• Yuanjiajie is home to the iconic peak officially renamed Avatar Hallelujah Mountain, in tribute to James Cameron’s cult film.
• The glass bridge over Zhangjiajie Canyon is the longest in the world, stretching 430 metres at a height of 300 metres.

Shanghai

If Beijing is the face of history, then Shanghai offers a glimpse into the future, while still reflecting the spirit of the old city.

On one side lies the Bund, built in the style of colonial Europe, overlooking the glass towers of Pudong. On the other hand, there's the Yu Garden, founded in the 16th century, where even the stones are placed with philosophical intent.

Here, you can begin your morning with a tea ceremony in the old quarter of Nanshi and end the day on the 118th floor of the Shanghai Tower, admiring the city's lights stretching out to the horizon.

The French Concession has a distinctive charm: shady streets, low-rise mansions, old plane trees, and cafés with windows echoing the spirit of the 1930s.

To see Shanghai from a different perspective, visit the M50 art district, where contemporary artists have transformed former factory buildings into galleries and studios.

And for those travelling with children — or simply searching for a bit of magic — there’s Shanghai Disneyland, Asia's youngest Disney park.

Suzhou: "Venice of the East"

The main wealth of Suzhou is the classical Chinese gardens, which are listed on the UNESCO list. The most famous is the Humble Administrator's Garden, laid out in the XVI century: a pond, a bridge, and a gazebo — everything was built according to the canons of Taoist harmony.

Narrow bridges, pavilions, artificial hills, old houses with white walls and gray roofs, and street lamps reflected in the water. Today, Suzhou has more than 60 kilometers of historic canals and about 20 classical gardens, each of which can be walked in an hour and remembered for a lifetime.

Huangshan

The yellow mountains of Huangshan are granite peaks polished by the winds, century-old pines growing directly from the rocks, and clouds that slowly float through the gorges. There are cable cars for those not ready for many hours of climbing.

Huangshan is a living symbol of Chinese art and philosophy. From here, the artists and poets of the Tang and Song dynasties drew inspiration. The film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" scenes were filmed here. 

The most famous is the Lotus Peak, 1864 meters, named after the lotus flower, and is sacred. The Hundred-step Cloud Ladder is a steep staircase of about 200 steps that leads through an impressive landscape with towering cliffs.

Here you can see a unique atmospheric phenomenon — the "Seas of Clouds", when the peaks of the mountains seem to float above a thick layer of clouds. It is especially common at dawn — photographers from all over the world are hunting for this moment.

Hangzhou

Hangzhou is one of the most ancient and beautiful cities in China. It has been celebrated by poets and depicted in paintings by artists for centuries.

The centre of attraction is West Lake (Xihu). Chinese pagodas, elegant arched bridges, and islands immersed in greenery create a truly picturesque landscape. You can reach Xiangui Island — also known as Fairy Island — by boat, where one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake, the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, can be seen.

Be sure to visit Lingyin Temple, the oldest Buddhist temple in the region, nestled in lush greenery. Its centuries-old pagodas, intricately carved grottoes, and ancient scrolls preserve the rich history of Buddhism’s spread throughout the Celestial Empire.

If you venture beyond the city centre, you’ll discover the renowned Longjing tea plantations — known as "Dragon Well" tea. Here, you can enjoy a cup of freshly brewed tea and observe the traditional, hand-harvested tea-making process.

Tibet: the roof of the world

Tibet is a state of mind — a land of ancient Buddhist tradition, where more than 600 monasteries are hidden among the mountains, where mantras echo, and thousands of prayer flags flutter in the wind.

Lhasa
The city lies at an altitude of 3,650 metres, as if floating between clouds and peaks. Old houses with whitewashed walls, carved cornices, and brightly painted window frames, along with streets where pilgrims turn prayer wheels, create the impression that you have stepped into another century.

Potala Palace
The main shrine of Tibet and the former residence of the Dalai Lamas — spiritual and, at the same time, secular rulers of the country. Towering above the city, the Potala appears to rise from the rock itself. It holds more than a thousand rooms, chapels, and corridors, with walls up to five metres thick, red and white façades, and a dome adorned with gold.

Jokhang Temple

One of the most sacred sites for Tibetan Buddhists, Jokhang Temple is always bustling with activity. Pilgrims perform the kora (a ritual circumambulation), prostrate themselves, and offer prayers. Housed within is one of the oldest and most revered statues of Buddha — Jowo Rinpoche, representing Buddha Shakyamuni. This statue was brought to Tibet in the 7th century by the Chinese Princess Wencheng.

Namtso Lake

Located to the north of Lhasa, Namtso is one of the highest lakes on Earth. Its turquoise waters mirror the sky so perfectly that the horizon seems to vanish. Along its shores, yaks graze peacefully, nomadic tents dot the landscape, and a piercing wind carries the scent of sage and the spirit of freedom.

Mount Kailash

An extraordinary spiritual site, Mount Kailash is sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, and Bon followers. No one has ever reached its summit, as the mountain is considered inviolable. Pilgrims undertake a clockwise circumambulation of the mountain — a 52-kilometre journey through high-altitude terrain, believed to cleanse the karma of an entire lifetime.

Monasteries of Tibet

• Sera means "wild rose" — according to legend, bushes of these flowers once bloomed in the area. This monastery is one of the six principal monasteries of the Gelug school and has served as a centre of learning and spiritual practice for centuries. Many distinguished lamas and philosophers were raised and educated here. A unique tradition of the monastery is the daily public debates held by monks in the courtyard.
• Drepung was once the largest monastery in the Buddhist world, with up to 10,000 monks residing within its walls at the same time. It became a hub for the formation of both political and religious elites, and its rituals and philosophical schools had a profound influence on the development of the Gelug tradition.
• Samye is the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet, founded in the 8th century under the patronage of King Trisong Detsen. Its design reflects the structure of a mandala — a sacred representation of the universe — with the main temple, Utse, at the centre and four smaller temples positioned at the cardinal points. Samye became the site where Indian and Tibetan schools of Buddhism first merged into a unified doctrine.

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The eight cuisines of China

In China, each region is like a distinct culinary school, with its flavours, techniques, and traditions:

• Sichuan cuisine is spicy and pungent, and it is known for the numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns, as found in the famous mapo tofu.
• Cantonese cuisine is delicate and balanced, prioritising the natural taste of ingredients, such as in steamed dim sum.
• Shandong cuisine is hearty and filling, featuring fried dishes like Peking duck or sweet and sour carp.
• Jiangsu cuisine is refined and elegant, with an emphasis on freshness, soft textures, and aesthetic presentation, especially in seafood and fish dishes.
• Zhejiang cuisine is fresh and light, exemplified by dishes such as prawns stir-fried with fragrant Longjing tea, a signature of Hangzhou.
• Fujian cuisine is coastal, focusing on soups and broths made with ingredients like sea cucumber and chicken.
• Hunan cuisine is hot and bold, highlighting chillies, smoked and rich dishes, often flavoured with garlic and shallots.
• Anhui cuisine is seasonal, blending stewing and roasting with natural ingredients such as game, mushrooms, roots, and herbs.

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When to Fly to China

• Spring (April — May) is the best time to stroll through historic gardens, parks, and ancient quarters. Cherry blossoms and peonies are in bloom, and the weather is mild and sunny.
• Summer (June — August) is the peak season in the mountains, with rice terraces, mountain landscapes, and "seas of clouds". It is hot in the cities, but in Huangshan, Zhangjiajie, and Tibet, the air is fresh and the scenery picturesque. Do take into account the high number of tourists.
• Autumn (September — October) is the most picturesque season, with golden forests, clear air, and comfortable weather. It's ideal for exploring natural and cultural routes.

Tip: Avoid travelling during the Chinese New Year (January — February) and the Golden Week in early October due to the influx of tourists, higher prices, and the need to book months in advance.