China in the Winter

Most people would recommend checking out China during the spring and fall months. However, in the winter, China can be a great place to be too.

In the most southern tip of China lies city called Sanya. It is roughly on the same latitude as the island of Hawaii which means warm weather all year around. This beautiful island city also known as the "Hawaii of the East" is number 2 on the top 10 places Chinese people like to vacation in China (click here for the complete list). In recent years, Sanya has attracted many tourists around the world and numerous hotel chains to develop resort properties there. It even played host to several Miss World competitions. In Sanya it is not just about the white sandy beaches, there are also plenty of culture sites like the Nansan Temple, Guan Yi Statue and etc.

Now moving to the north of China, a city called Harbin is worth visiting in the winter despite the cold and snow. Often referred to as "Ice City", Harbin is the capital city of Heilongjiang Province located in the northeast of China. The city is the host of one of the world's four largest ice and snow festivals: Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. It starts on January 5th of every year. The festival features larger than life ice and snow sculptures of famous people, landmarks and scenery. In 2007, the Canadian themed festival featured the largest snow sculpture ever made depicting Niagara Falls and Crossing the Bering Strait was 250 meters long, 8 meters high and used over 10,000 cubic meters of snow. For more awesome pictures of the festival click here.

FYI: The other three festivals are Japan's Sapporo Snow Festival, Canada's Quebec City Winter Carnival and Norway's Ski Festival.

Where do Chinese people like to vacation in China? - Part II

Here are the rest of top 10 domestic destinations in China:

5. Guilin city (桂林山水) - During a visit to China former U.S. President Bill Clinton said "No place in China is more evocative of the beauty of your country than Guilin." Two crystal-clear rivers flow through the city, encircled by mountains with unusual and bizarre rock formations and caves. (Previous Post on Guilin)

4. Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟), Sichuan - The place is dotted with more than 100 gorgeous lakes, which differ from others by having a high concentration of calcium carbonate, so that the lakebeds and embankments are all covered with crystals. The water is so clear that the bottom is visible despite depths of several dozen meters. Waterfalls are the essence of the scenery in Jiuzhaigou. They are created between lakes on different levels with water flowing down the cliffs covered with trees.

(Photo courtesy of www.worldinterestingfacts.com)

3. Yellow Mountain (黄山), Anhui - this mountain was listed as one of the World Natural and Cultural Heritages in 1990. Yellow Mountain is characterized by the four wonders: odd-shaped pines, grotesque rock formation, seas of clouds and crystal clear hot springs. Because of its mists and clouds, natural scenery in the area changes beyond prediction. (Previous Post on Yellow Mountain)

(Photo courtesy of www.chinatownconnection.com)

2. Sanya (三亚), Hainan - The city is located at the southern most tip of Hainan Island to the West of Hong Kong. Sanya has 19 bays and over 40 inlets lying along a 209 km coast line. It is often refer to as the "Hawaii of the East". It is China's idyllic island paradise!

(Photo courtesy of www.worldsbestbeachtowns.com)

1. Lijiang (丽江), Yunnan - With the Jade Dragon Mountain as backdrop, the Lijiang Old Town has adapted itself harmoniously to the natural scenery. Lijiang maintains an ancient water-supply system of great complexity and ingenuity that is still functioning effectively. (Previous Post on Lijiang)