Summer is about the best time to sightsee in China as vegetation is lush and
there is a wide variety of flora and fauna in the country's best scenic spots.
Escape from the city to the outskirts where the temperatures are cooler and the
air is fresher.
Chengde Summer Resort is one such place to consider.
Located in the northern part of Chengde City in Hebei province, it is the
largest existing imperial garden in China, listed in the directory of the
cultural heritages by the UNESCO. It occupies an area of 5,640,000 sq m and is
twice as large as the Summer Palace in Beijing.
It has become a model for China's classical gardens, not only for its
largeness but also for its general layout and design.
The designer of the garden made full use of the natural scenery, the
traditional park design methods of the Tang, Song and Ming Dynasties and those
of southern China, thus improving the art and skill of garden designing.
Within the summer resort, there are 72 scenic spots named by ancient Chinese
Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong.
To the east and north, there are twelve temples and monasteries surrounding
the resort, which have diversified architectural styles, reflecting the Han,
Mongolian and Tibetan Cultures.
1. Chengde Summer Resort in Hebei province
2. Qinghai Lake
From ancient times to the present, whenever people mention Qinghai Lake,
they think of "green lake", "blue sea" or "fairyland" because of the marvelous
natural beauty reflected on it.
Qinghai Lake is China's largest inland salt lake, with an area of 4,456 sq
km and a perimeter of 360 km. The east and west sides of the lake is long and
the south and the north sides of the lake is narrow, looks like the oval shape
of the maple leave.
Since the average daily temperature in the hottest period of summer is only
about 15 deg C, Qinghai Lake is a favorable summer resort.
2. Bird Island at Qinghai Lake
In the northwest of Qinghai Lake, there is Bird Island, named after the tens
of thousands of migration birds on the island. When the birds are flying, the
sky is covered to darkness, which is the awesome picture on Qinghai Lake.
3. Guizhou Province
Guizhou province has been gradually thrust into tourist limelight as the
best city in China to escape summer heat.
In 2006, Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province, had the distinction of
being chosen as the best summer destination in China. Its beckoning treasures
include Asia's biggest waterfall, China's largest limestone cave, areas of
primeval forest, rare plants and animal species.
The world-famous Hangguoshu Waterfall (above) is 137 km away from Guiyang.
With the altitude rising from 500m to 1,500m, the scenery of Hangguoshu
Waterfall is pretty and the mountains rise one after another.
Guizhou is a multicultural province with the fifth largest ethnic population
in China. Those ethnic people still live in their aged houses, practise their
centuries-old customs and adhere to their simple life. Their pristine culture,
tradition and lifestyle are well-preserved and displayed.
Neary by Guihou has the landscape of traditional Chinese paintings; a
delicate beauty of moss-greens and grey-blues. It has great potential for
hikers, potholers and nature lovers.
4. Emei Mountain
Emei Mountain in Sichuan Province is one of the most well-known summer
destinations in China thanks to its pleasant weather, congenial atmosphere, and
the inspiring natural scenery.
The mountain is characterised by lofty ancient trees, impressive waterfalls,
pristine brooks and numerous Buddhist temples. It is a natural "Oxygen Bar",
which can motivate the metabolisation of the human body to repel exhaustion,
improve sleep, and prolong life.
4. Emei Mountain
Emei Mountain not only provides physical space to travelers but also affords
a personal exposure to the intimacy of nature and China's Buddhism culture.
With a large number of cultural and historic relics, it leaves rich historic
and monumental legacy.
5. Guilin
Guilin is regarded as the most picturesque city in China. Two crystal-clear
rivers meander through the city, which are encircled by hills with unusual and
bizarre rock formations and caves inside.
The Lijiang River is the highlight and climax of any journey to Guilin.
Created by a stirring "Movement of Mother Nature", the Lijiang River cruise
will provide you a great enjoyment of its charming scenery.
5. Guilin
Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangshan) is the badge of Guilin City, and was given
its name because the hill looks exactly like an elephant drinking from the
river with its trunk. It is a masterpiece of karst landscape, composed of pure
limestone deposited on the sea floor 360 million years ago.
The Silver Cave is a Karst cave, and a collection of various stalactites
formed in different geologic times. At present, about 2km of cave is opened to
tourists, including lower cave, grand hall and upper cave.
6. Zhangjiajie
Zhangjiajie is located in the northwest of Hunan province.
Due to its unique geology and landform, it became one of the first
recognized World Natural Heritages and World Geo-parks in China.
Zhangjiajie is a surreal world with sandstone pillars towering above
mist-shrouded ravines, pristine waters gently flowing under dense forests,
rapids thundering, birds singing and animals leaping.
