CHINA

The Middle Kingdom – an early translation of a name for China – reflects the cultural and geographic centrality of this Asian superpower. Its natural wonders, including the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River, the waterfalls of the Jiuzhaigou Valley and Sichuan’s Giant Panda National Park, are equalled by the attractions for travellers lying within its cities.

Beijing remains a thriving metropolis, with moving historic sites such as the Forbidden City (the central palace complex to which access was once restricted to the imperial family and entourage), as well as Tiananmen Square, the traditional Liulichang district and, on the northwestern edge of the capital, the old imperial Summer Palace.

Xi’an, one of the country’s oldest settlements, lies close to the site of the Terracotta Warriors, and has its own treasures, such as Huajue Xiang, a historic Islamic district. Shanghai, meanwhile, is as futuristic a metropolis as you could hope to visit, while still preserving antique delights, including the Jade Buddha Temple, as well as the city’s historic waterfront, the Bund.