North China

North China covers Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia, combining culture and grassland scenery, from imperial palaces and the Great Wall and Shanxi's ancient architecture to the Bashang and Hulunbuir grasslands.

North China, following China's seven-region geographic division, includes the two municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin, the provinces of Hebei and Shanxi, and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Note that in this scheme Inner Mongolia is placed entirely in North China, whereas in some definitions eastern Inner Mongolia, including Hulunbuir, Hinggan League, Tongliao and Chifeng, is counted as part of the Northeast; destinations such as Hailar, Manzhouli, Ergun and Arxan therefore also belong to North China here. The top highlights are Beijing's Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace and the Badaling and Mutianyu sections of the Great Wall, and Tianjin's Five Great Avenues and Haihe River night views. In Hebei are the Chengde Mountain Resort, Beidaihe in Qinhuangdao and Shanhaiguan, and the ancient city of Zhengding, while Saihanba and the Fengning grasslands in Bashang are popular self-drive destinations near Beijing and Tianjin. Shanxi is known as the "museum of ancient architecture," and its best-known sights include the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, Mount Wutai, the ancient city of Pingyao and the Taihang Grand Canyon in southeastern Shanxi. Inner Mongolia is famous for the Hulunbuir grassland, the Ergun wetlands, the Arxan forests, Alxa and the Badain Jaran Desert, and the Ejin populus euphratica forest. Classic itineraries: four to five days exploring Beijing in depth; a self-drive loop through Beijing, Zhangjiakou, Chengde and Bashang of about five days; Shanxi's north–south "Datong–Mount Wutai–Taiyuan–Pingyao" route in five to seven days; a Hulunbuir loop in seven to ten days. Getting there: Beijing Capital and Daxing airports are the hubs, and Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Hohhot and Hailar all have airports; the Beijing–Shanghai, Beijing–Guangzhou, Beijing–Zhangjiakou and Datong–Xi'an high-speed railways link the region, while grassland and desert destinations are mostly reached by self-drive. Notes: day–night temperature differences on the grasslands in summer are large, so bring a jacket; Inner Mongolia is bitterly cold in winter, so dress warmly; during the National Day holiday, Beijing and popular ancient towns are crowded, so book tickets in advance.

Destinations

Itineraries