173 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in China - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in China

Hanging Temple of Hengshan

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

Josh

Panjin Shi, China

Red Beach

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

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Zhangjiajie, China

Avatar Hallelujah Mountain

This vertical pinnacle in China was the inspiration for the floating mountains in the movie “Avatar.”

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Huanglong Travertine Pools

Intensely colorful calcite pools in Southern China.

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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.

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Lexiaguo

Vibrant soil and a canvas of crops create China's "Red Land."

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Shengshan Island, China

Houtouwan

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

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Atlas Obscura Trips

China: The Great Cuisines of the Middle Kingdom

Oct 8—Oct 21, 2019

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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Atlas Obscura Trips

China: The Great Cuisines of the Middle Kingdom

Unique
Food & Drink
in China

Dragon's Beard Candy

Gastro Obscura

Dragon's Beard Candy

The ancient confection consists of wispy sugar-strands that look like dragon whiskers.

Gastro Obscura

Added by Sam OBrien

Hmong Stuffed Chicken Wings

Gastro Obscura

Hmong Stuffed Chicken Wings

Next-level egg rolls are wrapped in an entire chicken wing.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

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Jiānbǐng

Gastro Obscura

Jiānbǐng

Every morning, Chinese vendors sling savory, crispy crepes to lines of patient fans.

Gastro Obscura

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Added by rachelrummel

Longevity Peach

Gastro Obscura

Longevity Peach

These buns artfully resemble peaches and represent immortality.

Gastro Obscura

Anne Ewbank

Added by Anne Ewbank

See all 34 things to eat in China See all 34 things to eat in China

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Recent China Activity

Polyhymnia updated Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre

theliz wants to go to Dinosaurs Fairyland

theliz wants to go to Erlian Kissing Dinosaurs

MayumiMex has been to Shanghai Marriage Market

MayumiMex has been to Oriental Pearl Tower

Stories
About China

Cordyceps for sale at a high-end Chinese medicine store.

The Race to Cultivate China's Beloved 'Zombie Mushroom'

Used in traditional medicine, caterpillar fungus is pricey, potent, and increasingly scarce.

by Isobel Whitcomb

A section of the Great Wall, in Yanqing County, contains mortar made with blood.

Ancient Chinese Buildings Are Held Together With Rice, Sugar, and Blood

Edible additives in mortar served both practical and philosophical purposes.

This 18th-century ivory ball contains eight smaller spheres.

The Mind-Boggling Artistry of China’s Ivory Puzzle Balls

This traditional art from Guangzhou can never be produced legally again.

A diagnostic doll reclines on a miniature couch.

Chinese Women Once Had to Point Out Their Medical Troubles on Ivory Dolls

For centuries, miniature ivory women helped real women seek medical help.

by Sabrina Imbler

The Chinese Bagel That Helped to Win a War

General Qi Jiguang's 500-year-old military tactic still makes a good breakfast.

by Lizzie Philip

February 07, 2019

Chicken feet are just one part of an international wrangle over poultry imports.

Why China and America Fight Over Chicken Feet

International squabbles have stopped a once-mighty chicken foot trade.

by Kristi Allen

January 28, 2019

In Xinjiang, the cheese-making process has changed little in centuries.

The Life-Giving Properties of One of the World's Oldest Cheeses

In Xinjiang, the living process dairy the way 4,000-year-old mummies did.

by Alice Levitt

November 06, 2018

The Shengong Shengde stele, supported by a tortoise, in the Sifangcheng pavillion at the Ming Tombs in Nanjing, China (left) and a tomb plaque marker on a tortoise base from China, 219–316 CE (right).

Why Some Gravestones Are Shaped Like Tortoises

They originated as ancient Chinese funerary markers.

October 26, 2018

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