168 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.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Zhangjiajie, China

Avatar Hallelujah Mountain

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

lewblank

Added by lewblank

Huanglong Travertine Pools

Intensely colorful calcite pools in Southern China.

serflac

Added by serflac

The Forbidden City

The most famous location in China was home to whole dynasties worth of imperial rulers.

Lexiaguo

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

serflac

Added by serflac

Zhangjiajie, China

Tianmen Shan

999 stairs lead visitors through a massive hole in a mountain known as the Gateway to Heaven.

atimian

Added by atimian

Zhangjiajie, China

Tianmen Skywalk

For those with no fear of heights: a skywalk 4,700 feet up on a Chinese mountain.

See All 168 Things to Do in China See All 168 Places

Atlas Obscura Trips

China: The Great Cuisines of the Middle Kingdom

Oct 7—Oct 20, 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.

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

Added by rachelrummel

Jiānbǐng

Gastro Obscura

Jiānbǐng

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

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

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

Explore China

Launch Map

China Leaderboard

Places Added

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent China Activity

trbadgley wants to go to China Watermelon Museum

Laika wants to go to Fengdu Ghost City

sierra29445 wants to go to Danxia Landforms

sierra29445 wants to go to Avatar Hallelujah Mountain

shelrayne wants to go to China Watermelon Museum

Stories
About China

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

A raptor, genus <em>Zhenyuanlong</em>.

Paleontologists Are Still Digging Into the Origins of the 'Chinese Pompeii'

What we know (and what we don't) about the Jehol Biota.

by Robin George Andrews

October 22, 2018

A People's Commune canteen pictured in 1958.

The Mandatory Canteens of Communist China

They led to one of the worst famines in history.

September 26, 2018

Diplomats in Guangzhou have been experiencing strange symptoms.

The Mysterious Illness Affecting U.S. Diplomats in Cuba Has Spread to China

Scientists still haven’t figured out why or how the symptoms started.

by Sarah Laskow

Hot water thermoses, like the one on the table, have long been a fixture of Chinese public life.

Are China’s Days of Hot Drinking Water Over?

Bottled water or thermos—pick a side.

by Vittoria Traverso

February 13, 2018

Lists Featuring
China