Chinese culture is in and of itself a diverse landscape ranging from ornate golden temples to a family’s traditional potstickers recipe being passed down for generations. This culture is one that has fascinated foreigners for centuries now. Due to the country’s enormous landscape, it can be difficult to narrow down which areas are worth visiting. Read below to discover some of the top places to see in China.

The Great Wall of China

Not many civilizations can attest to having a grand wall that runs thousands of miles through their land. In fact, China is the only country with such a unique monument in its midst. The Great Wall of China is an ancient monument originally built to protect the Chinese territory from invaders. What began as a defense is now a major tourist attraction. While nobody intends to walk the entirety of the wall, there are various well-preserved sections that tourists can visit to commemorate the history, take photos and look out over the valley. Given that you’ll never find another monument like it in the world, the visit to The Great Wall of China is worth the journey.

Li River

Guilin, China, is home to the beautiful Li River, situated between the mountainous pyramids of the region. This river was an ancient area of inspiration for poets and other dreamers. Nowadays, it draws in numerous tourists hoping to feel as inspired as these ancient civilians were. While various tourist cruises embark from this area, perhaps the best way to experience it is by taking a ride on a bamboo punt, as the ancient Chinese would have regularly done. You can spend as little as a few hours up to a few days exploring the wonders of Li River and its surrounding territories.

Leshan Giant Buddha

Regardless of your religious beliefs, there is nothing quite like witnessing the 21st-century remains of Chinese temples, shrines and religious monuments that were built thousands of years ago. It is a wonder in and of itself that these monuments have stayed intact, some looking brand new to this day. The Leshan Giant Buddha is a 71-meter tall Buddha sculpture carved entirely from stone, overlooking a scenic river. This impressive work of art is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site definitely worth a visit.

The aforementioned locations are only a sliver of the cultural and natural wonders that China has to offer to its visitors. Planning a trip to this country will require you to carefully plan out your days in order to see as much of its wonder as possible. You’ll likely return home with a newfound appreciation for Chinese culture and the diverse landscape the ancient civilizations were able to preserve.