Paralight · Themed Routes
Five routes to string China into one journey
First trip or a themed deep-dive — pick a route, watch it draw across the map, and follow the numbered stops into real place profiles.
SELECTED ROUTE
First China Trip · Classic Circuit
Five gateway cities, two thousand years of history, and a practical orientation to China that sets up everything that comes after. Begin in Beijing — hutong mornings and Great Wall afternoons ground you in imperial scale. Move west to Xi'an for the Terracotta Army and Tang-era walls. Chengdu slows things down with teahouse culture and Sichuan hotpot. Then Shanghai: the Bund, the former French Concession, and the country's easiest landing. Finish in Guangzhou, China's great eating city — dim sum mornings and old trade-port streets beneath the new skyline.
Start here — wander ancient hutong alleys, climb the Great Wall, and feel a capital endlessly reinventing itself through food, art, and history.
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Home of the legendary Terracotta Army and ancient Tang-era city walls — explore the Silk Road's eastern terminus, then slow down over Muslim Quarter street food.
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Teahouse afternoons, fiery Sichuan hotpot, and giant pandas in a city that actively rewards slowing down.
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Stroll the colonial-era Bund waterfront and the leafy streets of the former French Concession — a cosmopolitan, foreigner-friendly launchpad for your China journey.
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China's best eating city — dim sum mornings and century-old trade-port streets beneath the new skyline.
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Practical notes
The essentials that apply to every route. Route-specific details live on each place page and in the full China guide.
Many nationalities enter visa-free or via 240-hour transit — the exact days depend on your passport. Confirm your policy and the accommodation-registration rules in the China guide before you fly.
WeChat Pay / Alipay run daily life and now accept most foreign cards; pick up a local eSIM or travel SIM on arrival to stay online the whole trip.
High-speed rail links nearly every stop on these routes — book with the official 12306 app (passport required). Pair with a flight for the longest legs.
Skip the national-holiday crush (Spring Festival, May 1, Oct 1) for fewer crowds and lower prices; each stop's best season is on its place page.