The Best Photography in China

Mt. Laozhai is an approximately 220m karst peak in the village of Xingping. It overlooks a dramatic bend in the Li River, showing off some of Guilin Province’s most classic landscapes. Xingping is best reached from the well-known tourist town of Yangshuo (阳朔) either by rafting down the Li River o...

The Forbidden City is the incredible palace of the Ming Dynasty. It housed the Chinese government for almost 500 years and is located in the middle of Beijing. The palace is massive and extremely unique. Visiting the palace gives you a sense of how developed the Chinese culture was even hundreds...

The 2nd most visited section of the Great Wall of China, Mutianyu is a beautifully restored and a relatively accessible spot of the wall. Located 43 miles from Beijing, it can take between 1 ½ to 2 hours to drive to the entrance. Note that you’ll have to park slightly away from the actual entranc...

Constructed during the Ming Dynasty in 1368 CE, the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall is famous for its many watchtowers and stunning vistas as the rest of the wall stretches out to the east and west. On a clear night, it's possible to see the milkyway. One of the best times to go is in April...

The terraced fields of Longji offer some of the most spectacular scenery in China. Located 62 miles north of Guilin, the terraces take about 2.5 hrs to get to by car from the Guilin airport. The drive twists through some beautiful scenery itself before reaching the village of Ping’an.The rice ter...

The Li River has a long history of Cormorant Fishing. Set amongst Karst Mountains, the city of XingPing (39 miles from Guilin & 15.5 miles from Yangshuo), is the perfect setting to see this beautiful and ancient method of fishing.To get to Xingping, you have a couple options via highways and...

Mount Gonga is located on the western side of Sichuan Province, approximately 330km from Chengdu. The trek around its western face follows major river valleys and traverses one pass over 4900m (highest point). In its entirety, the trek takes five to six days to complete and is entirely above 3000...

This is a really nice section of the Great Wall that is much less known than many other parts. You are likely to hike here and find yourself the only one on the wall. Some parts are completely overgrown, you have to bushwack through the growth on top of the wall to go ahead and stairs are dangero...

About 100km and a 1.5 hour ride from the city of Lijiang in Yunnan Province, the Tiger Leaping Gorge cuts between Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain. The upper route takes around 8-10hrs to hike in full, but most people split the hike up in two days staying at one of the many local ...

The Jiankou section of the wall is known as the ‘Wild’ section due to its complete lack of restoration since its construction in the 1300s. This fact alone makes this area of the wall fascinating. Located 45 miles outside of Beijing (1.5 -2 hrs driving), getting to this area of the wall can be ac...

A secret spot of Chinese photographers for years, Cuipingshan Hill within Yangshuo, China is a view unrivaled by many others in the world. The hill is a relatively easy hike but is nearly impossible to find. The reason for its difficult nature is that the name and location aren’t on any maps and ...

This adventure starts in the village of Yangdi. Located 45 miles from Guilin, the closest metropolitan city, Yangdi sits at the base of karsts on the west side of the Li River. The village itself is small but is bustling with activity from the the local merchants and dozens upon dozens of bamboo ...

Start from Chongu Monastery and go toLuorong Pasture. To get here you can either walk 6km on the boardedpathways or take a ~20minute electric cart for 80RMB round trip or50RMB one way. The Luorong Pasture offers some great views of thesurrounding peaks, especially a famous and jaw-dropping view o...

For a landscape with panoramic dramatic views, there might be none better than that of the Fairy Maiden Peak. The launching point for this hike will be out of the town of Xingping.To get to Xingping, you have a couple options via highways and main roads, as its 39 miles from Guilin & 15.5 mil...

An experience unlike any other in the world, camping on the Great Wall of China is a truly once in a lifetime adventure. The ability to legally camp on the actual wall is limited to the Gubeikou section. The section is considered ‘wild’ as it has never been restored since its original constructio...

The town of Lijiang is one of the best hiking and cultural hubs for Yunnan province. It's an awesome place for exploration and relaxation for both the first-timer in China and the China-hand. This camp spot offers a quick and easy way to get out of the city bustle and spend the night above the c...