Travelling China Independently
My wife and I were in Central China (Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, Anshun, Lijiang, Chengdu, Luoyang and Xian) recently and spent a month there travelling independently.
We did a lot, travelled 4000 km by high speed train, walked 300 km through national parks and cities and climbed many steps. In all it was very interesting, very worthwhile and very tiring: a trip we will always remember.
Unknown Chongqing, one of the largest cities in the world
Chongqing is a huge city that most foreigners have never heard about. It is located in a very hilly landscape in the very heart of the country. 30 Million people live here!
We liked the city. It has a positive, active and friendly atmosphere. The city centre is located on a peninsula in the river Yangtze, with more than 30 bridges connecting the island to the outskirts.
Highlights include Times Square in the shopping district, the unique Cable Car during sunset, the many hanging bridges (with cars and trains on 2 levels), the innocent-looking Kuixinglou square on top of a 22-story building, Liziba metro-station that enters a building at the 5th floor, the lighting up of the Hongya Cave and simply people watching.
Zhangjiajie and the Avatar Mountains
Zhangjiajie is a larger city that is known for the nearby Wulingyuan Scenic Area with lots of extra-ordinary sandstone columns. These columns now have the nickname “Avatar Mountains”, as in the famous movie. Some are more than 200m tall. The entrance ticket for the park is valid for 4 days.
Also nearby are the glass-bottom bridge and Tianmen Mountain.
Romantic Fenghuang, river village of lights
Fenghuang, translated as Phoenix Town, is a city that kept its original appearance with wooden houses along the river, as in the Ming and Qing dynasties. By day you can walk along the water front and admire the old structures, at night the whole city centre will be lighted. Especially the bridges are quite impressive. China is about big cities, Fenghuang is small.
Here we noticed the “I want to be special for a day” phenomena for the first time in China. Many young women dress up like a traditional women, a queen of princess, with lots of make-up and a tiara, and walk around the city looking great. Picture sessions by professionals or Influencer-Movies are of course part of this experience.
Mount Fanjing, a small miracle
Fanjingshan is the highest peak of a small mountain range, at an elevation of 2,570 m. It is a beautiful nature area with waterfalls and untouched forests and home to the endangered Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys. You can walk all the way up, or take the cable cabin (recommended).
Mount Fanjing itself is a steep, sacred mountain peak with a small temple on top, a bit similar to Meteora in Greece. With a little luck you’ll have unique views of the peak and the surroundings.
You can either visit the mountain peak in a long one day tour from Tongren, or with a 1-2 night stay in Fanjngshan Village, a tourist-only place with different accommodations and restaurants.
Anshun, where nature and technology meet
Anshun is a mid-size Chinese city with its main attractions just outside the city.
The most famous and most accessible attraction is the Huangguoshu Waterfall, the largest of China and maybe even Asia. Even if you have seen other major waterfalls around the world, this one is still worth the visit. If you do visit and spend the day, then do not forget to go into the cave behind the waterfall.
A new attraction is the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, the highest bridge in the world that opened in October 2025. The bridge not only serves transportation across the canyon, but will also feature some touristy highlights. This will include a glass-bottom-bridge, bungee jumping, a restaurant on top of one of the pillars as well as a viewing point nearby. Tickets will be needed to walk on the bridge. In November 2025 most of this was still under development and closed for the public.
To visit the falls and the bridge, you should probably make the city of Huangguoshu home for a few days. This place is quite pleasant with lots of outdoor eateries and friendly faces.
A third attraction could be the 500m Aperture Spherical Telescope, the largest telescope in the world. It will take several hours from Anshun to get there and pre-booking, but would be something special, for those interested.
Kunming: the famous Stone Forest
Along the way in the same region is Kunming. This is not only a big city and huge transportation hub, but also home to the gigantic Stone Forest. These are limestone rock formations spread out over an area of 500 km2, and look like giant trees. It is an important AAAAA Chinese Tourist destination and may take 1 whole day to visit properly.
We were in doubt for a long time, but eventually skipped it to prioritize other locations. We did not have all the time in the world. Maybe you should go.
Scenic Eastern Tibet
LiJiang is part of Eastern Tibet and located at an altitude of 2430m. I recommend spending a few days here to relax, enjoy the picturesque old town and simply look around. There are many eateries along the little canals and some feature live music.Nearby attractions are the Gulong Snow Mountain and the Tiger Leaping Gorge. The Snow mountain is slowly but certainly running out of snow, especially in summer or the dry season. The Tiger Leaping gorge is one of the deepest gorges and worth visiting especially for its surrounding scenery.
From LiJiang it is a 1 hour train ride to Shangri-La City (Xiang Ge Li La in Chinese). The city is named after a fictional land in the 1933 book “Lost Horizon” and has this name only since 2001. You will like Shangri La, with its main square, old houses, the largest prayer wheel in the world and the impressive Songzanlin monastery.
Giant Pandas, Giant Buddha, Sacred Buddha Temple
Chengdu is a major city of 20 Million People and the capital of Sichuan. If you like spicy food and chili… this is the place to be! The city itself has a few sightseeing points like Kuanzhai Alley and Anshun bridge.
Chengdu is home of the Giant Panda research and breeding centre. This iconic place is easily reachable by metro (station “Panda Avenue”). It is the only place in the world where you can see more than 3 adult Giant Pandas and a must-do in Chengdu. Giant Pandas by the way are everywhere and in all shapes and sizes (souvenirs)
1 hour South of Chengdu is Leshan that features the Giant Buddha. This 71m high sitting stone Buddha figure along the waterfront is definitely worth the trip. It is not only gigantic, but also 1200 years old. It can be crowded in high-season.
Mount Emei, 1 hour South-West of Chengdu, is one of the most sacred places for Buddhism in China. You can walk from the base to the top, but that is a really long walk. I recommend taking the bus, walk a bit and change to the cable car to get to the Golden Summit, what is far more convenient. Be prepared: there can be a temperature difference between base and top of 15 degrees centigrade. Be aware: there are big, hairy monkeys along the path. The Golden Summit itself is amazing.
Luoyang, the second capital of China
Luoyang is the 2nd capital of China and widely considered the “Cradle of Chinese Civilisation”. It is now an industrial city, but kept a lot of its historical memorials. There is a lot to do inside and outside the city.
The ancient city features beautiful old wooden buildings along a small canal. This is a protected zone, where Chinese need to register before entry. In the evening it is completed lighted.
Yingtian Gate and surroundings look big and boring by day, but change completely at night. You will find many girls and women taking pictures dressed up like empresses.
The Longmen Grottoes are 1500 years old and an easy bus ride from the city. There are more than 2000 smaller and larger caves and niches that hold more than 100,000 Buddhist statues. The largest is 17m tall.
People say that the White Horse temple, the oldest Buddha temple in China, is a must-visit destination. It has mixed reviews. We skipped it. Lajun Mountain with temples high on top really looks impressive, but may be accessible only for Chinese (because of military base nearby).
Xian, the very first capital of China
Xian was the first capital of China and is included in many itineraries.
The old city centre is completely surrounded by a thick, 8m deep stone wall with guard posts and all. You can walk parts of it or completely (13.7 km). Part of the old centre are the Drum Tower and Bell Tower, two similar looking buildings. Also worth visiting is the large Muslim market, a street with lots of little stalls selling spices, meat, fish, tea, etc.
Xian is truly world famous for one thing: the Terra Cotta Army. Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, planned for his mausoleum during his reign, more than 2000 years ago.
This Army of thousands of Warriors was discovered by local farmers in 1974 and is now one of the main cultural attractions of China. This iconic place is located approx. 40km north of the city and reachable by metro/bus or tour bus.
Should you travel China Independently or in a group?
Travelling China independently is possible, especially for experienced travellers. But for sure it is not the easiest country to explore and this mainly for three reasons: language, food and internet. If you go alone, you must prepare yourself, have patience and accept that things will go wrong and will take time. China is a very safe place with excellent public transportation.
Alternatively you can consider joining a group tour, where transportation, accommodation and sightseeing is organised. You won’t face these problems alone and you will see the things as promised within the time scheduled.
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