Still haven’t made up your mind for the October Holiday yet?  Don’t want to bother leaving the country, but have already done Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, and the like?  Well worry not, I’m here to help!

I’ve come up with 10 of my favourite places to visit here in China that are off the usual laowai tourist route.  Of course, since this country has a billion people, it is very difficult to truly be able to leave the beaten path.  But is that necessarily such a bad thing? I mean, places are visited because they are exceptional…for the most part.  But many of these locations seem to be skipped over by other foreigners for reasons I do not truly understand.

Hopefully you’ll find some inspirations here…

City Walls of Pingyao
City Walls of Pingyao

Pingyao, Shanxi – Planning on going to Xi’an and Beijing, but feel like you have a few extra days in your trip?  Well is this ever a perfect spot for you!  While this city may lack a certifiable “A List” sight, that is simply because the entire city is a sight unto itself.  Pingyao is a quaint Ming Dynasty era city, full of incredible charms, windy streets, and a virtually unrestored city wall.  If you are the kind of person who likes to just wander aimlessly then this may be the best little town in China for you.  When I went in 2007 it was becoming a backpacker mecca very quickly, be sure to go before it becomes a centre for red hats everywhere.

Glen Recommends: A couple of days in Xi’an, bus to Pingyao, stay for at least two full days, overnight train/bus to Beijing (possibly via Taiyuan) for the rest of the week.  Or reverse.

Labrang Monastery, Xiahe
Labrang Monastery, Xiahe

Xiahe, Gansu – Speaking of backpacker meccas, we have Xiahe.  I had the pleasure of going here back in August, and it absolutely pained me to leave.  Xiahe is home to Labrang Monastery, which is the largest Tibetan Monastery outside of Lhasa.  While I have yet to go to Lhasa, it certainly felt like what I imagined Tibet to be.  The monastery was simply stunning, and worth a wander through at all times of the day.  I did both the inner and outer kora, which I found to be absolutely serene experiences.  Like Pingyao, this is very rapidly becoming a backpacker locale, and would be well worth a trip to before it becomes a stop on all of the tour buses.

Glen Recommends: Fly to Xining, bus to Tongren (see below) for a few days, bus to Xiahe for a few more, bus to Lanzhou to fly back home.

Prayer Wheels at Gomar Gompa, Outside Tongren
Prayer Wheels at Gomar Gompa, Outside Tongren

Tongren, Qinghai – I hit this city on the same trip as above, and got “the plague” according to one less than reliable blogger.  Tongren (Repkong in Tibetan) was a highlight on the trip.  It is a sleepy monastery town that sees very few foreign tourists, but is very friendly to them all.  It is home to the large and impressive Longwu Si (Rongwo Gonchen Gompa in Tibetan) which was virtually deserted every time I meandered my way through.  Also there are two other excellent monasteries just outside of the town which can make for a very pleasant day’s stroll.

Glen Recommends: See above.  I think it is better to go to Tongren as the monasteries get grander as the trip progresses.

Macau – I know, I know, this is hardly removed from the beaten path.  However, I have gotten the sense that most people only go to Macau as a day (or night) trip from Hong Kong.  I really do not think that this is very fair to China’s “other” SAR which is a great destination in its own right.  While most visitors go to the glitzy casinos, a short stroll across the peninsula to the area around the Church of St. Paul will feel like an entirely different world.  The relaxing islands of Taipa and Coloane will feel even more removed from the high rollers at Lisboa and Sands.

Statue at the Longmen Grottoes, Outside Luoyang
Statue at the Longmen Grottoes, Outside Luoyang

Glen Recommends: A 3 day or so trip from Hong Kong, with one night being a Saturday, just to see what the hype is about.

Luoyang, Henan – An absolute tower in Chinese history, which seems to be ignored for sexier locations like Beijing and Xi’an.  Luoyang served as a capital in multiple dynasties, most recently for the Later Tang until 936, and is home to what is considered to be the oldest Buddhist Temple in China.  Most excitingly, one of China’s premier Buddhist caves, the Longmen Grottoes lies just outside the city.  These caves are awe inspiring, as it has tens of thousands of Buddha carvings that range in size from minuscule to simply gigantic.

Glen Recommends: Xi’an for a few days, bus/train to Luoyang for a few more, bus to Shaolin Temple (not mentioned in this post, but certainly worth a trip), bus to Zhengzhou to fly or train back.

The Aptly Named "Sea of Clouds", Emei Shan
The Aptly Named "Sea of Clouds", Emei Shan

Emei Shan, Sichuan – Need to add a bit more to your trip to Chengdu?  Well Emei is certainly worth a trip!  One of China’s four sacred Buddhist mountains, there are enough dramatic cliffs, beautiful temples, and wild monkeys to keep you busy.  I spent two days hiking up the mountain, and I certainly wish that I had reserved another day to explore it further.  There are a host of dorms (including several at the temples) that provide cheap lodging.  The sunrise across the “Sea of Clouds” is worth the leg cramps you get from the thousands of stairs.

Glen Recommends: Chengdu for four days, bus to Leshan for the Giant Buddha, bus to Emei Shan for three days.

Chongqing – Most travelers arrive to Chongqing for one purpose:  the Three Gorges River Cruise, and often ignore the city itself.  A large number of travelers had told me to skip over Chongqing, so I only arrived two days before my flight last summer.  I found that I was unable to do all that I had hoped.  The city has an interesting bit of 20th century history as the war time capital, and very thorough urban planning museum.  Sadly, I did not have enough time to get to the Dazu County rock carvings.  The best part of Chongqing?  The food!  Warning though, it is not for the week of heart (or stomach or taste buds..)

Glen Recommends: Two to three full days in Chongqing, either before/after a Three Gorges trip, or as part of a trip to Sichuan (see above).

Karakul Lake, near Kashgar
Karakul Lake, near Kashgar

Kashgar and Turpan, Xinjiang – China’s western-most province has taken quite the hit in tourists since the July riots.   This is a huge tragedy, because Xinjiang is easily one of China’s highlights.  I spent my May holiday centred around the cities of Kashgar and Turpan this past year, and I simply fell in love with both locations.  Kashgar is simply a complete other world from Eastern China, and is an excellent base to explore the Taklamakan desert and the Khartoum Pass.  To be honest, I wish that I had spent more time in and around the Khartoun pass, and would love to go back and make it all the way into Pakistan.  Turpan, with its ancient desert ruins is an amazing treasure trove of Silk Road history and is well worth a few days.  If you are interested in more details of this trip of mine please check out the feature I wrote for ChinaTravel.net back in July.  Of course, be sure to check up on current events before heading to a location with such a recent history of violent outbreaks, although I believe that both Kashgar and Turpan would be safe.

Ruins at Jiaohe, near Turpan
Ruins at Jiaohe, near Turpan

Glen Recommends: At least 5 days in and around Kashgar (one of which simply must be a Sunday), one day bus/train to Turpan (seriously, it’s around 24 hours) for three days.

Xishuangbanna Region, Yunnan – Another part of China that “isn’t China” anymore.  Instead of turning into Central Asia like Xinjiang does, it begins to turn into Southeast Asia.  There are exciting chances to go jungle trekking and visit elephant sanctuaries.  I bet you can’t do that in Beijing!

Glen Recommends: Nothing yet!!  But check back after the October Holiday, that’s where I’m going.

So, I know that I missed about a zillion locations.  Any suggestions out there comment land?

Discussion

35
  1. Well, that was some trip you had there! Good to hear more about Gansu and Qinghai, which quite rarely get mentioned in either the news or as a travel destination.

  2. Thanks for your tips, I’m always on the look-out for new places to discover. I’ve got some recommendations to add:

    Fenghuang, Hunan:

    Easily one of the most beautiful places I’ve been around in China. A small Miao village built in their unique style (several storeys, all in wood), located on a river, surrounded by lush green hills. Certainly, it’s not a secret among Chinese tourists anymore, but every single view of the river is worth going there!

    How to get there: Take the train to Huaihua (from Beijing: 24 hours), then catch one of the frequent buses to Fenghuang (about 2 hours). Stay for two to three days.

    Chengde

    The ancient summer residence is well worth a trip in autumn when the leaves turn red. Little Potala and the other temples, many of them imitations of famous temples from all over the country, make this a rather special place.

    How to get there: train and bus both take about five hours. It’s possible to do it in one day when you take the first train (6.00 am).

    Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong National Parks, Sichuan

    Located in the north of Sichuan province, the two National parks offer stunning nature that can be found nowhere else. Turquoise lakes, a lot of waterfalls – and tranquility once you get away from the bus stops.

    How to get there: Going by bus from Chengdu is a pain, but Jiuzhaigou has an airport nowadays.

    Could go on for hours, but that will do for the next holidays 🙂

  3. I don’t know how “off the beaten path” you would consider Nanjing, but it definitely seems to get less foreign visitors than a place like Beijing or Shanghai (for better or for worse, I guess).

    After having stayed there for 5 weeks this past summer, Nanjing definitely gets my seal of approval. Because it’s a reasonably-sized city, there’s a lot going on. It also has a lot of historical sights to go visit. There’s the Jiming Temple, Confucius Temple, the Presidential Palace, Ming-era tombs, and the old Ming-Dynasty city wall, of which there is a large amount still intact.

    For those who prefer hiking there’s Purple Mountain which is pretty easily accessible by several different bus lines that go straight into the downtown area. In the summer it’s a nice place to go to escape the heat that earned Nanjing the nickname “The Big Furnace” without actually having to leave the city.

    Xuanwu Lake, too, is a must-see in my opinion. You can spend several hours walking around the lake perimeter, or you can rent a paddleboat and paddle around the lake. At the stand I rented a paddleboat from, it was only 35RMB pr hour.

    The city itself is also very easy to walk around. If you are a pedestrian, crossing the street is definitely much less fatal than it is in Beijing or Shanghai.

    Because of its proximity to Shanghai, as well, it would even make a good day trip if you don’t want to stay overnight. You can grab one of the high-speed, shiny new D trains and be in Nanjing in 2 1/2 hours.

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  5. Nice list Glen, and I hope you enjoy Xishuangbanna. My advice there is simply to wander off into the countryside in a certain direction and soak up the atmosphere. Menghai in particular is beautiful. Just be aware that the temperatures will be boiling, but I suppose that’s true of everywhere around China at this time of year.

    As for everything else- Yunnan Province cannot fairly be called ‘off the beaten track’ as it’s one of China’s most popular tourist destinations. But as I’ve discovered in my three-odd years of living here, the pleasures of Yunnan extend far beyond the common destinations of Banna, Dali, Lijiang, and Zhongdian. I highly recommend anyone hit up Honghe, the prefecture bordering Vietnam, or Dehong, the prefecture bordering Myanmar and featuring the formerly wild frontier town of Ruili. The Nujiang (Salween) River valley is also spectacular for rugged travelers into hiking.

    These and more are why I’m finding it so difficult to travel anywhere else!

  6. Great list — I can’t wait to follow up on some of these suggestions. I’d second the recommendations of Xiahe and Tongren — if you can’t get to Tibet (or are unwilling to, because of the cost and/or strict rules), both places give you a chance to experience Tibetan religion and culture.

  7. Wow, you’ve been all over the country!

    On your recommendation, I would love to try out the places in Xin’jiang. Hope by the time I’m there, there will be no more syringe attacks!

  8. I’ll second ChinaGeeks on Luoyang – the Longmen Grottoes are fantastic and worth the trip all by themselves, but don’t plan to stay in Luoyang for anything besides that. (Though you should go to the old town quickly, just to have one of the water banquets – yes, they are that delicious.)

    If you’re in Henan anyway, though, I’d recommend trips to Kaifeng and Zhengzhou. Kaifeng, like Luoyang and Xi’an, is an important ancient capital, and it still has the vibe. It also has by far the most impressive (and most tasty) night market I’ve ever been to. Zhengzhou is modern and bland, but the Henan Provincial Museum is one of the best in the country – appropriate, since Henan is the place where Chinese civilization began!

    Lastly, I’d like to give a shout-out to Xiamen and Quanzhou, on the coast of Fujian province. Quanzhou is a small and friendly town that’s chock-full of cultural sites, museums, temples, etc., while Xiamen is just an incredibly laid-back, modern city with amazing seafood. I visited them in January ’08, after having spent most of the winter in Beijing, and stepping from Beijing’s freezing cold into the warmth of the south was one of the most incredible things ever.

  9. If you head to Luoyang, make sure to stop off at Little Bar, on Mudan Square – it’s one of the only cool places to hang out in this city. LYC represent!

  10. I second Codfish’s recommendation of Quanzhou in Fujian. It was a major trading and cultural hotspot back in the days of Marco Polo and while it’s become just another Chinese city more or less, there are still more relics and preserved sites than most cities of comparable size. Xiamen is cool too (I live there) but I would consider it a bit more touristy in the modern sense. Gu Lang Yu is a very famous island a few hundred meters off the coast of the city and it’s a treasure trove of Western architecture, Chinese gardens, and seaside handicrafts. And the weather is totally righteous pretty much all year round, though it’s a bit toasty in the summer and the winter can be a little brisk, though it certainly beats the winters in most other cities. Great for travel during the Spring Festival holiday.

  11. @Everyone

    Thanks for the feedback! Always nice to get some good comments, especially after the mad debate I started last time I posted here.

    Double thanks to anyone who posted any sort of further suggestions, always good to get new ideas of places to go.

    @Yuemeiqi thanks for those three suggestions in particular. Seriously, Chengde, Fenghuang, and Juizhaigou have near the top of my “Places to go in China” list, but your descriptions put them all even higher.

    @Dena I was ever so close to including Nanjing on the list but bumped it for whatever reason. I know that it gets a fair amount of tourists, but it seems to be frequently skipped over for the sexier Yangtze Delta cities like Shanghai, Suzhou, or Hangzhou. I’m not really sure why, it is a great mix of old and new, happy and sad, and everything else in between.

    @Matt I agree most of Yunnan has a pretty beaten path, but to be honest, most of the rest of China does as well. This trip is going to be my first foray into the province, and I will (hopefully) get to go to Kunming and Dali as well. I may be pushing it a bit too much though. Spending a considerable time in that province is high on my list of things to do.

    @ChinaGeeks and Codfish funny I didn’t mind Louyang, the temples and old town are well worth a trip. It’s also only an hour or two away from Shaolin Temple which is well worth a visit for the geek-out moments alone!

  12. @Glen – I couldn’t agree more about Nanjing. It’s a big enough city in its own right, but it does seem to be constantly overshadowed by Shanghai.

    Shanghai is great in its own right, but you can see a lot more “real China” in Nanjing than you would in Shanghai.

  13. Great list and always looking for something off the beaten track.

    I would definitely recommend Honghe in the Yunnan province, and then head to Qingkou a very small village, homes that look like something out of a storybook, also take in one of the markets that they have, you will find many of the minority people in their traditional garb.

    Karakal lake up by Kashgar is a definite must if you go up to Turpan/Kashgar. I would also recommend Dunhuang to go to the Magao Caves. Similar to Longmen except a)you can’t take pictures as they are inside, sealed for protection b) the Buddhas stand about 36 meters and very colourful.

    If you are close to Shanghai spend a weekend in Xitang. Though you get tourists, most are Chinese and leave after 5pm. If you stay overnight it’s like you have been transported back in time.

    HOpe this helps!

  14. Luoyang is not worth your time.
    Datong has far better caves and surprisingly better food and better temples even if it is one of the most polluted cities in the world.

    Luoyang’s caves just are not worth the trip, most of the sculptures are either in Japan or were destroyed by the CR. The ticket price is high and they dont give you a student discount unless you look Chinese. “Ni Bushi Hanzu,” is what they told me, after looking at my Xueshengzheng.

    The old town is a fake reconstruction and full of annoying tourist stalls.

    Kaifeng on the other hand is great. Relaxed, great food, some great temples, wonderful old streets, beautiful parks, few tourists, and easy transport to and around the city. There is even a great coffee shop that does halfway decent espresso for 5rmb per cup. Dont miss the Iron Pagota, the night market, or the Gansu Shaanxi guild hall which are the gems of the city.

  15. Wow, a lot of hatred for Luoyang, I must have gotten lucky when I was there. I guess that serves as a valuable lesson for people who follow any sort of travel advice from a complete stranger (i.e. most of you reading this): Take it with a grain of salt. Some people will really like a place, while other will not. I guess that’s what make all of these comments so valuable. It helps everyone make up their own mind a bit better.

    I would like to be able to echo everyone’s comments on Kaifeng…uggh next time I get some time I guess 🙂

  16. We are also a little surprised at the feelings for Luoyang, but then it really is only someplace people stop so that they can get to the Longmen Grottoes which are absolutely amazing an worth the trip. We just did that 3 weeks ago and were thusly somewhat disappointed with the appearance and no photos rule at the Mogao Caves (although once inside looking at the colors and the 36m and 23m high Buddhas you’re still blown away).

    Urumqi and Kashgar are amazing, as Tina said the Sunday market is Kashgar is a must. We were just up there, flying up on September 4, the day after the newest reports and protests, and found no problems. If anything, we kind of enjoyed how there were almost no laowais around when were were touring. We were the only people at Karakul lake on a picture perfect clear blue day. We felt the same as you that more time is needed in that area, and are hoping the someday we will be able to return up there….

  17. Great list. I would add the following:
    1. Chang Bai Shan (Jilin)
    2. Chuandixia (Beijing)
    3. Shangdu (Inner Mongolia) — this is the remains of the ancient Yuan capital Xanadu.

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  19. I agree with Fenghuang. Absolutely beautiful and amazing. The market stalls keep you busy for days and the stilt houses all along the water…so Chinese! It’s like being in a fairytale especially at night as it gets dark the mist above the water, the beautiful lights, the candles floating down stream. A fantastic atmosphere. It’s obviously not a secret though…very busy! Also…closer to my home many parts of Yichang are quite beautiful…In my opinion,Shennongjia and Changyang are both worth a look.

  20. If anyone is interested, Xishuangbanna is simply amazing. The Capital of Jinhong had its share of tourists (not too many considering it was a Golden Week). But the real highlight of it all was going on a trek to the nearby villages. We hired a guide who took us on a two day hike through rice fields and jungles. We stayed the night in a tiny village that had a few hundred people in it and literally had chickens and pigs crossing the street. It was all kinds of awesome to say the least.

    It gets the highest recommendations as one of my favourite places in this great country.

  21. What a great website!! I just can’t believe the amount of useful information you have here guys, keep up the good work.
    Lestere.

  22. It’s a shame you missed Dazu. I was in Chongqing for a week a few months back and that was probably the highlight. That said I agree with your assessment of Chongqing, a very interesting multi layered place. I spent a few days wondering aimlessly and came across some really interesting non toursty places.

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  24. Everything sound sooo interensting, But what happens with the language. We are three planning a China trip, but we do not know the language.. Any suggestions? We’ve done the tourist trip already (Xian, Beijing, Shanhai, Yantzee river, Cruise, overnight train and planes)… Now we want the adventure, but we have no Chinese. Ah! we are traveling with a super cool adventurous 10 yr old. I know you are not a travel agency, but your ideas were awesom…. Gracias! Ideas? Suggestions?

    • Hi Maria, there’s no doubt having access to a bit of the language opens up a lot of doors — in China more than a lot of places I’ve visited. However, it’s amazing how far a small phrasebook, a bit of patience and a smile will get you. Also, brush up on charades! 😉 I’ve travelled a bunch of places where I couldn’t speak a lick of the language and always had the best time. More than anything else, a good attitude and a lot of patience is all you really need.

      More practically, I would also use a bit of foresight by getting common things written in Chinese so you can basically just point — train station, airport, your hotel address (just grab a business card from the lobby when you check in), a list of common Chinese dishes you like, etc. Worst comes to worst, just point at your cheat sheet.

  25. Wow! What great ideas. We are planning a first time visit to China (usual spots + Yellow Mountain) and are ending up with too much time at the end of three weeks in Beijing. We are New Yorkers and would prefer to spend about 5 nights someplace less urban. Where to go in July for five nights, flying out of Beijing and back on the 6th night? We were thinking of the Linden Center but worry that it is too much schlepp for such a short time. Any suggestions?

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  27. Hello!

    I know this is an old post but I figured it’s worth asking to see what comes back. Great post by the way!

    Just wanting a bit of advice with regards to travel to China, I’ll be in hong kong in August and was thinking of taking an extra week to see some sights in China.. but I’d like to get off the beaten track really.. Emei Shan or Kashgar seems pretty awesome, a week exploring the mountains and temples or the khartoum pass would be amazing.

    Any recommendations on how to get there from hong kong? best to go with a guide or possible to explore by yourself? (I don’t really speak much chinese even though I am chinese – grew up and live in nz)

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