China Tourist Attractions

Nanjing Botanic Garden

The Nanjing Botanic Garden was opened on September 26th, 2005.

Nanjing Botanic Garden is located in the new city zone in Hexi. The garden covers an area of 0.77 square kilometers. The scale of the garden and volume of visitors it receives are...

The Nanjing Botanic Garden was opened on September 26th, 2005.

Nanjing Botanic Garden is located in the new city zone in Hexi. The garden covers an area of 0.77 square kilometers. The scale of the garden and volume of visitors it receives are impressive. Several large exhibition halls feature a variety of distinctive plants which represent every province in China as well as other nations, including Korea, Singapore, and Mexico.

How to get there

-Take No. 152 bus from Qing Liangshan Garden or take No. 109 bus from Wu Taishan.

-Take the subway to Olympic Sports Centre. From here several buses go to the garden which is actually only one bus stop distance away.

-Taking a taxi from Xinjiekou to the garden will cost around 25-30 yuan.

Estimated duration of a trip

A whole day. There are vendors that serve food and water in the garden.

Ritan Park

Ritan park, one of the oldest parks in Beijing, is an oasis of tranquility in a busy embassy area of the city. This 200 hectare park, originally built as a sacrificial altar, was opened to the public in the 1970s and provides a wonderful refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city. Perfect for strolling or just finding a bench to enjoy some greenery, the park features numerous traditional gardens, rock features and a beautiful lotus garden.

Ritan Park is also a great place for outdoor enthusiasts as there is a rock-climbing facility, fishing, a yoga studio, a miniature golf course, and numerous open spaces for playing badmington and other games. For the less active, there are one or two laid back coffee shops and restaurants, as well as the quaint Stone Boat bar, which has an outdoor area that looks out directly onto a lake. Stone Boat also hosts live music, usually jazz.

Botanical Gardens and Wofosi Temple

The Wofosi Temple, also known as the Temple of the Sleeping or Reclining Buddha, is one of the more peaceful temples in Beijing. Nestled at the top end of the Botanical Gardens, the temple is quite similar to the Lama Temple, another of Beijing’s well-known Buddhist Temples. The Wofosi Temple contains 4 pavilions connected by interleading courtyards, culminating in a 54 ton bronze statue of the Buddha lying on his side, reclining and/or sleeping. A large number of benches scattered about the Temple’s grounds are perfect for enjoying some peace and quiet while marvelling at cypress trees and the hills in the background.

Plan to make this a day trip as you’ll also want to spend some time exploring and enjoying the tranquility of the Botanical Gardens. The entrance fee for the Botanical Gardens is 5 Yuan, however once inside you’ll pay an additional fee to visit some of the other attractions. The Wofosi Temple costs 5 Yuan and the huge indoor tropical garden will set you back 50 Yuan, so it makes more sense to get an all-inclusive ticket for 50 yuan. The grounds of the Botanical Gardens are big, 400 hectares, and whilst you may not have the time or energy to explore the entire area, some of the outdoor gardens well worth visiting include the peony tree garden, the rose garden, the ornamental peach garden, and the Japanese garden which has an impressive collection of bonsais.

The Botanical Gardens/Wofosi Temple is situated in the northwestern outskirts of the city near the Fragrant Hills. The area is about an hour drive from the city center. There are a number of other attractions in the area for nature lovers seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, namely Fragrant Hills Park (Xiangshan) and the Temple of the Azure Clouds.

How to get there:

Getting there by taxi will take close to an hour and cost anything between 60 and 90 Yuan.

The buses that stop at the Gardens are: 331, 904, 737, 714, 833, 733, 318, 360.

ake 331、904、737 or Yuntong 112 to Beijing Botanical Garden or Wofosi temple. Take 360、318、714、733 and 66 to Beijing Botanical Garden and walk toward north for 200 meters.

River Viewing Pavillion Park

River Viewing Pavillion Park is much more peaceful and interesting than its bland name suggests. The park features a four-story Qing dynasty pagoda built between 1886 and 1889. It provides a fantastic unobstructed view of a large portion of the Brocade river as well as the Chengdu skyline. Entrance to the park itself is free. Like everywhere else in Chengdu, tea drinking, card slamming, and Mahjong foursomes leave you wondering, "When do these people actually work?"

The river-viewing pagoda is known as the Tower of Magnificence. It is included in a confined section of the park that is also dedicated to the Tang Dynasty poetess Xue Tao. Entrance to this area is Y20, but the fee is worth it. If you speak Chinese, but do not have student ID, tell them you are a student. If they ask for your ID, just say, "If I am not a student, then how am I speaking Chinese?" (At least this worked for me!) The student price is only Y10.

Very few travellers have the time to come here, and since the park isn’t very centrally located, even many expats aren’t familiar with it. Obviously locals aren’t interested in paying Y20 either. By putting up the entrance fee, you have the opportunity to relax in one of the quietest hideouts in urban Chengdu. The gardens in this section are extremely diverse, serene, and well-kept and finding a shady spot is not a problem. Climb the pagoda and bring a book. The opportunity to enjoy a moment as quiet as this one in a Chinese urban setting is very rare.

Xue Tao was born in Shaanxi province, and wrote her first poem at age 6. She came to Chengdu with no money after her parents died when she was 16 years old. She was quickly able to make a living for herself as a poet. She apparently loved bamboo, so this section of the park includes a bamboo garden featuring over 200 species of bamboo from all over Asia (according to one Chengdu resident). The Xue Tao commemorative hall includes beautiful murals with vibrant neon colors not often seen in China.

The park is open everyday from 6:00 am until 9:00 pm. The Xue Tao Shrine and Tower of Magnificence are open from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm everyday.

Directions: The park is located southeast of the city center adjacent to Sichuan University. You can catch the no. 35 bus which runs on the north side of the river along Binjiang Lu by walking south on Renmin Lu from Tianfu Square. When you see the park, get off the bus, and walk along the river to the next bridge that allows you to reach the park’s southwest gate. A taxi from downtown should not cost more than Y10-12.

Take bus No. 19, 335, 35, 3 to get there.

The Movie Sets

Now here we have a tourist attraction that is a little unusual. While it's a notable change from temples, rock-cut stairs, and gardens, it remains so very Chinese. You will probably witness a movie being made, take a ride on a boat, horse, or even a camel, and definitel...

There are three movie sets:

“The Three Kingdoms” (三国城), “The Water Margin City” (水浒城), and “The Tang City” (唐城).

You could easily spend a couple of hours at each.

Getting there:

The K 82 bus goes to the movie sets from the Railway Station, or you can pick it up along the route. The bus costs 2 yuan, like all ‘K’ buses, but on this bus there is a conductor selling tickets. The trip takes about half an hour and the Three Kingdoms set is its final stop. You can get off earlier if you wish to visit one of the other sets first.

Entrance Fees:

To see just the Three Kingdoms – 55 yuan

To see just the Water Margin City – 50 yuan

To see both of these – 90 yuan

To see all three sets – 120 yuan

Obviously the package deal will save you money, but make sure to allow yourself enough time and that your legs are up to a fair bit of walking. You could also hire an electric cart to transport you around, but you may not be able to see as much close up that way.