FX.co ★ Top 5 fascinating tourist sites in China

Forbidden City

The first place on the list of unique sights of China goes to the Forbidden City, an outstanding imperial palace located in the heart of Beijing. It was built in 1420 by the Ming Dynasty. More than 1 million workers were involved in its construction. It is considered to be the largest ancient temple structure in the world. The Forbidden City is a unique object of Chinese heritage and a masterpiece of national architecture that is quite well preserved. The structure covers an area of 720,000 square meters. The Forbidden City houses the world's largest collection of medieval wooden buildings. This temple complex is distinguished by its size, beautiful decoration, and national coloring. Every detail of the Forbidden City reflects the specifics of traditional Chinese architecture and culture. Within the complex, all important buildings, especially those along the main axis, face south toward the sun.

Great Wall of China

Architects and scholars consider the Great Wall of China to be the most grandiose structure created by humans. This ancient construction resembles a fairy-tale dragon. The Great Wall of China runs through plains, deserts, mountains, and plateaus. It also consists of fortifications interspersed with towers, which were built for surveillance and served as shelters. The length of the wall is 8,852 km and its total length is about 22,200 km (from east to west). The Great Wall of China consists of numerous fragments, many of which are dilapidated. The ruins of the construction reflect thousands of years of history of this landmark. This engineering structure was erected to protect the northern border of the country. The most extensive and best preserved fragment of the wall remains from the period of the Ming Dynasty. On December 11, 1987, UNESCO inscribed the Great Wall of China on the World Heritage List.

Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses

Third place in this rating is occupied by the Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses. It is one of the most impressive sights of China, which is located 45 km east of Xi'an city, taking about 1 hour by car. In 1974, archaeologists discovered a huge mausoleum of the first Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huangdi, which housed 8,200 of his warriors. These underground warriors, which make up the Terracotta Army, were created in the 3rd century B.C. to guard the emperor in the afterlife. For about 2,000 years, the famous Terracotta Army was underground and, according to the legend, guarded Qin Shi Huang's rest. According to some reports, part of the emperor's tomb is not fully excavated. Thus, future researchers can find something really interesting. Experts suppose that the discovery of the Terracotta Army is the greatest archaeological event. In 1987, the site was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Li River

The karst landscapes along the Li River in Guilin, the watery wonder of China, is one more spectacular tourist site. The 83-kilometer stretch between Guilin and Yangshuo is considered the most beautiful part of the river, mesmerizing with its unique scenery. It is the most popular place for photographers. The river scenery is decorated with hills, cliffs, cozy villages, and bamboo groves. Cruises along the Li River, the watery heart of China, are especially popular. According to National Geographic, the unique landscapes of the river banks are among the top 5 most picturesque places in the world. The ferries offer spectacular views of rice paddies and buffalo roaming the expanse. You can also see local fishermen sailing on bamboo rafts. China's Li River has been visited by many celebrities, including former US President Bill Clinton and billionaire Bill Gates.

Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge

A long glass bridge located in Zhangjiajie closes the list of China's top 5 mesmerizing tourist sites. Designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan, this pedestrian bridge is completely transparent and has a glass pavement. Experts consider it the longest and highest one in the world. This structure, which is 430 meters long and 6 meters wide, was opened in August 2016. Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge is suspended 260 meters above the ground and spans a canyon between two mountain cliffs in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan Province of China. The construction of this enormous structure cost $3.4 million. This amazing bridge can carry up to 800 pedestrians at a time. The structure is made of a steel frame with 120 glass panels, each of which has 3 layers of tempered glass 5 cm thick. For brave tourists, there is a special attraction. They can make a dizzying jump from a height of 265 m.