Granite peaks soaring into the mist are the iconic image of China’s “Yellow Mountains” but the UNESCO World Heritage site also boasts heavenly natural hot springs, pine trees and caves. The clouds that engulf the mountain make it especially pleasing at sunrise and sunset.

Stretching across more than 20,000 kilometres, the Great Wall of China is one of – if not the – most incredible architectural feats in history. Hike along the one of the fortification’s walkable sections and you’ll get to look out at the forested hills and wild countryside that surround it.

More than 3000 stone columns, some as tall as 400 meters high, dot the skyline in this scenic area of north-western China. The unique rock formations are said to be the inspiration for the floating mountains in the movie Avatar, which is a good indication of how otherworldly they look.

The “Rainbow Mountains” of Zhangye look almost supernatural but the swirling orange, brown and yellow hues are actually the result of hundreds of years’ worth of sandstone and mineral deposits, which have eroded into these kaleidoscopic layers. No wonder it’s one of the most popular places in China for photographers.

Head all the way up Tianmen Mountain and you’ll be rewarded with unforgettable views. From the top of the peak you can see “Heaven’s Gate”, a keyhole cave cut through the mountainside – the highest of its sort in the world.

Water buffalo roam and fishermen ride bamboo rafts down this tranquil waterway, which flows through 83 kilometres of the Guangxi region. The limestone peaks, rice paddies and placid villages that fringe the shores make this an irresistible area to explore by boat, bike or on foot.

At the top of Mount Emei in Sichuan rests a Buddhist temple seemingly positioned among the clouds. The Jinding, or “Golden Summit”, is a spectacular 3000 metres high and looks best as dawn breaks, when warm light cuts through the fog to illuminate the complex. 

Marco Polo once described Hangzhou as the “city of heaven” and who are we to disagree? The city is renowned as one of China’s best-looking thanks to the classic architecture, flower blossoms, green hills and peaceful causeways that are found here. Hangzhou is also the home of the famous West Lake, one of the country’s top tourist sites for its charming willow-lined banks.

Shimmering lakes, flowing waterfalls, untouched woodlands and snow-capped peaks make up the technicolour hues of this national park, which is at its most vivid when autumn sets the trees ablaze. Even the colour of the water changes with the seasons, as it reflects the surrounding landscape.

The largest stone Buddha statue in the world sits in Lè Shān, carved into a cliff face overlooking the meeting point of three large rivers. China’s Grand Buddha was built during the Tang Dynasty some 1200 years ago and at 72 metres high, its magnitude is astounding.

Towering limestone mountains, tea plantations, serene lakes and dramatic caves decorate Guilin, long considered China’s loveliest city. It was one of the first places in the country to open to tourism, with the Chinese government declaring its natural endowments “the best under heaven”.

The charm of old-world China is alive and well in this rural province, home to a cluster of sleepy villages that seem to have escaped modern development. Gaze at the centuries-old buildings or rent a bike and ride out into the countryside, where rapeseed flowers bloom each spring and cover the hills in bright yellow blossoms.

Not all of China’s most beautiful sites are off the beaten track. The world’s largest and best-preserved collection of ancient buildings sits in the centre of Beijing, encircled by 3.5 kilometres of fortified walls. The pavilions, gardens, intricate carvings and exquisite details (like roofs covered completely in golden tiles) of the Forbidden City are awe-inspiring.

With a history that dates back to AD386, this historical temple remains the home of the Shaolin school of Buddhism and a centre for martial arts study. Set on the slopes of the Song Mountains, where wildflowers and pine trees grow, it’s a picture-perfect piece of Chinese history.

A collection of eerie limestone pillars rising from the earth has made the “Stone Forest” of Shílín a tourist hotspot. But while the rocks are the main attraction, the trails around the forest that wind through the formations and take in underground rivers, caves and waterfalls are just as attractive.

These rice terraces cascade across more than 125 square kilometres of the Ailao Mountains, carved by the local Hani villagers over more than 1000 years. Water pools in the terraces after rainfall and reflects the colours of the sky and bloom a rich green in the sun.

The Three Pagodas at Chongseng Temple, built some 1800 years ago, are one of China’s grandest Buddhist sites. The towers soar almost 70 metres high – a skyscraper by Tang Dynasty standards, and still the country’s tallest pagodas today – forming a vista made even more striking by the neighbouring Changshan Mountain and Erhai Lake.

Iron deposits give the soil of Dongchuan a deep red colour, an unusual natural phenomenon that’s earned the expanses the nickname of “God’s Magic Palette”. It’s especially striking when contrasted with the nearby green barley, golden buckwheat and white flowers, and is best visited when crops ripen from May to June and September to November.

Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was filmed in the narrow lanes of this UNESCO-listed village. Lotus ponds, Ming dynasty-era buildings and an idyllic central waterway are set against the backdrop of rice fields and the Haungshan Mountain, creating a panorama that’s positively cinematic.

Beaten only by the Amazon and the Nile, the Yangtze is the world’s third longest river and stretches an enormous 6380 kilometres between Tibet and Shanghai. Along the way it encompasses the Three Gorges, a trio of dramatic cliffs that rank among China’s most incredible wonders.

Yes, China can beach with the best of them. Golden sand, coconut palms and a year-round tropical climate draw visitors to the resorts of Sanya, billed as the “Hawaii of the East”. Bliss out on a sunbed or explore this island’s rainforests and waterfalls, which be reached on hikes that also stop off at gorgeous scenic lookouts.

The word “mudflat” might not inspire awe but the shores of Xiapu are an incredible sight. Stretching for 400 kilometres, the watery plains attract photographers keen to capture the area’s endless tiger-striped beaches, which are interrupted only by the sight of fisherman on the hunt for kelp and oyster.