209 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.

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.”

Shengshan Island, China

Houtouwan

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

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

Intensely colorful calcite pools in Southern China.

Zhangye Shi, China

Zhangye National Geopark

These layered sandstone mountains in China look like they are made of pressed crayons.

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in China

China Watermelon Museum

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

Fangweng

A cliff-hanging restaurant.

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.

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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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Stories About China

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

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.

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

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?

February 18, 2022

Fish and fish-shaped treats are a common sight during Lunar New Year.

The Wondrous Wordplay of Lunar New Year Food

Layers of meaning surround the names of nearly every dish.

by Miranda Brown

January 31, 2022

Steamed bread in the shape of tigers is displayed at a stall ahead of the Lunar New Year in Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, China. (January 16, 2022)

The Magic Behind the Lunar New Year Is Lots of Hard Work

Colorful scenes from behind-the-scenes.

January 28, 2022

Anne Bonny and Mary Read were both "convicted of piracy at a Court of Vice Admiralty [and] held at St. Jago de la Vega on the Island of Jamaica, 28th November 1720," according to the inscription accompanying this 1724 Benjamin Cole engraving from <em>A General History of the Pyrates</em>, by Daniel Defoe and Charles Johnson.

Women Plundered and Swashbuckled With the Best (and Worst) of Them

The new book "Pirate Women" uncovers the stories of the women who sailed their way into history, cutlass in hand.

January 4, 2022

The sign for Lotus Chop Suey, a restaurant in Chicago, Illinois.

The Hidden, Magnificent History of Chop Suey

Discrimination and mistranslation have long obscured the dish's true origins.

by Miranda Brown

November 30, 2021

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