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All China

The Atlas Obscura Guide To China

211 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in China

Updated April 3, 2023

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The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel
Shanghai
Beijing
Qingping Market Guangzhou
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Suzhou
A holographic pyramid displays images of Du Fu's hut.
Chengdu
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Attractions
Food & Drink
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Stories
Lists

Unusual Attractions in China

Hanging Temple

Datong, China

Hanging Temple of Hengshan

A 5th-century temple improbably built into the side of a cliff.
Red Seabeach

Panjin Shi, China

Red Beach

A part of the world's largest marsh seems to be growing bright red Martian grass.

Zhangjiajie, China

Avatar Hallelujah Mountain

This vertical pinnacle in China was the inspiration for the floating mountains in the movie “Avatar.”
Houses are covered with creepers in the deserted village.

Shengshan Island, China

Houtouwan

This abandoned fishing settlement may well be the greenest village in the world.
The Forbidden City

Beijing, China

The Forbidden City

The most famous location in China was home to whole dynasties worth of imperial rulers.

Zhangjiajie, China

Tianmen Shan

999 stairs lead visitors through a massive hole in a mountain known as the Gateway to Heaven.
Huanglong Travertine Pools

Aba, China

Huanglong Travertine Pools

Intensely colorful calcite pools in Southern China.
With a little color manipulation.

Zhangye Shi, China

Zhangye National Geopark

These layered sandstone mountains in China look like they are made of pressed crayons.
See All 211 Things To Do in China

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in China

China Watermelon Museum

Beijing, China

China Watermelon Museum

This Chinese museum proves that it's a watermelon world, we're all just living in it.

Yichang, China

Fangweng

A cliff-hanging restaurant.
A holographic pyramid displays images of Du Fu's hut.

Chengdu, China

Du Fu KFC

A KFC honors an eighth-century Chinese poet with holograms and verse.

Shanghai, China

Peace Hotel Jazz Bar

This bar is home to what's likely the oldest living jazz band in the world.
See all 9 Places to Eat in China
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China: The Great Cuisines of the Middle Kingdom

From bustling night markets to fine-dining institutions, this journey down China’s east coast reveals the story of countless delicious dishes and culinary traditions.

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Explore China

Statues 21
Architectural Oddities 21
Nature 21
Ecosystems 21
Natural Wonders 20
Geological Oddities 16
Buddhism 16
Museums And Collections 16
Geology 16
Temples 13
Sacred Spaces 13
History & Culture 13
Unique Restaurants & Bars 6
Places To Stay 6

China Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Avatar image for serflac
    serflac
    16
  2. Avatar image for katielou106
    katielou106
    11
  3. Avatar image for Max Cortesi
    Max Cortesi
    9
  4. Avatar image for Tony Dunnell
    Tony Dunnell
    8
  5. Avatar image for Luke Cata
    Luke Cata
    6

Places Edited

  1. Avatar image for Rachel
    Rachel
    36
  2. M
    Martin
    34
  3. Avatar image for Wandering Moon Bear
    Wandering Moon Bear
    23
  4. Avatar image for atimian
    atimian
    21
  5. Avatar image for serflac
    serflac
    12

Places Visited

  1. J
    jakenewby
    51
  2. Avatar image for cococrazykelz
    cococrazykelz
    46
  3. Avatar image for The Map Room
    The Map Room
    46
  4. Avatar image for balazs
    balazs
    43
  5. Avatar image for lisarogers444
    lisarogers444
    39

Recent China Activity

  • J

    jordynnolivia

    wants to go to Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

  • C

    coffimex

    has been to The Central Perk, Beijing

  • J

    jco

    has been to The Forbidden City

  • J

    jco

    has been to Working People's Cultural Palace

  • J

    jco

    has been to Chairman Mao Memorial Hall

Stories About China

At New Outlook Café in Saskatchewan, Canada, Founder Noisy Jim sits with cousin Chow Fong.

How Chinese Food Won Over the World

Chinese-Canadian filmmaker Cheuk Kwan tells a story of innovation and survival.
by Sam Lin-Sommer
April 3, 2023

Podcast: A Delicious Mission with Cheuk Kwan

Enjoy a round-the-world meal: three courses, three incredible places, three stories of Chinese immigration.
by The Podcast Team
March 29, 2023
A man makes a traditional dragon heads for the Lunar New Year celebration in Bogor, Indonesia.

5 Colorful Stories About the Pageantry of the Lunar New Year

Go behind the scenes of celebration, from molten metal to sticky cakes.
by April White
January 24, 2023
An ancient forest blankets the bottom of the sinkhole.

Descending Into the Lush Underworld of China’s Newly Discovered Sinkhole

The country’s karst terrain is fertile ground for massive caves, and a new-found hype for adventure. 
by Ye Charlotte Ming
July 8, 2022
A 1964 public health poster about preventing malaria, painted by Wu Hao.

The Secret Maoist Chinese Operation to Conquer Malaria

A young medical researcher's idea led to a powerful weapon against the disease—and a Nobel Prize.
by Jia-Chen Fu
March 14, 2022
Lu Yu, the Tea God or Tea Sage, in a 19th-century image.

The Medieval Influencer Who Convinced the World to Drink Tea—Not Eat It

Caffeinated soups and chewing the leaves were once the norm.
by Miranda Brown
March 2, 2022
Today, the Changma Basin in China is a dry, rocky expanse but 120 million years ago it was a thriving lake teeming with Mesozoic birds.

The World Has Two New Flying Dinosaurs

Or at least it used to. What can these recently identified dino-birds teach us about extinction?
by Sarah Durn
February 18, 2022
The word goldfish, or jīnyú, sounds exactly the same as the words for "gold and jade."

The Wondrous Wordplay of Lunar New Year Food

Layers of meaning surround the names of nearly every dish.
by Miranda Brown
January 31, 2022

Lists Featuring China

Red Seabeach
Padar Island and its crystal-clear turquoise water.
Black Sand Beach

10 Unique Beaches From Around the World

From bright red grass to stranded shipwrecks, these beaches are anything but ordinary.

10

Including Driftwood Beach, Red Beach , and Padar Island

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