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
Pins use each place's public coordinates on official Tianditu / OpenFreeMap base maps — no third-party navigation data.
Five gateway cities, two thousand years of history, and a practical orientation to China that sets up everything that comes after. Begin in Beijing, where hutong mornings and Great Wall afternoons ground you in imperial scale. Move west to Xi'an for the Terracotta Army, Tang-era walls, and Muslim Quarter street food at an unhurried pace. Chengdu slows things further — teahouse culture, Sichuan hotpot, and giant pandas in a city that rewards doing less. Hangzhou then bridges past and future, pairing West Lake walks and Longjing tea villages with China's digital frontier. Finish in Shanghai, where the Bund, the French Concession, and foreigner-friendly infrastructure make it the country's easiest place to land and plan your next move.
Start here — wander ancient hutong alleys, climb the Great Wall, and feel a capital endlessly reinventing itself through food, art, and history.
View placeHome 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.
View placeTeahouse afternoons, fiery Sichuan hotpot, and giant pandas in a city that actively rewards slowing down.
View placeStroll misty West Lake lakeside paths and head into hillside tea villages to pick your own Longjing — a gentle, poetic introduction to Jiangnan.
View placeStroll the colonial-era Bund waterfront and the leafy streets of the former French Concession — a cosmopolitan, foreigner-friendly launchpad for your China journey.
View placeBefore you go
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.