Hangzhou, China - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Hangzhou, China

Weather: Considerable cloudiness, occasional rain, 55/64F.

Route: From Huangshan Mountain 330 km east on G56.

Population: 10,711,238

Places to visit: Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou Songcheng, Xixi Wetland Park, Fei Lai Feng, National Tea Museum, Leifeng Pagoda, Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, China National Silk Museum, Hangzhou Botanical Garden, Prince Bay Park, Pagoda of Six Harmonies, Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guo's Garden.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images:

The modern district of Hangzhou (from yingying.wordpress.ncsu.edu)

The historical west lake district of Hangzhou (from whc.unesco.org)

Mount Huangshan, China - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Mount Huangshan, China

Weather: Rain showers early with overcast skies later in the day, 59/64F.

Route: From Hongcun 54 km NE on G530.

Significance: Another place of natural beauty that is important to the history and culture of China. The granite peaks in a sea of clouds with pine trees on the impossibly steep cliffs have been an important part of Chinese art since the 8th century.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

The beauty of Mount Huangshan is unrivaled (from whc.unesco.org)

A pine tree on a rocky peak (from whc.unesco.org)
 

Hongcun, China - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Hongcun, China

Weather: Rain showers, 56/73F.

Route: From Lushan Mountain 314 km ENE on S42.

Significance: Established in the 12th century, it developed it's current plan in the 14th century. There are many traditional homes and a complicated network of water ways. The movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was filmed here. 

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Images:

Traditional house of Sothern Anhui (from whc.unesco.org)

Half moon pond in the center of Hongcun (from whc.unesco.org)

Lushan National Park, China - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Lushan National Park, China 

Weather: Mostly cloudy, 62/73F.

Route: From Sanqingshan 304 WNW on G56.

Significance: Nature has been important to Chinese culture for thousands of years and Lushan mountain is one of the most important religious sites in China. On Lushan there are Buddhist, Tao, and Confucian temples.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

Waterfall on Lushan (from whc.unesco.org)

Lake Lulin (from whc.unesco.org)

Mount Sanqingshan National Park, China - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Mount Sanqingshan National Park, China

Weather: Showers and thunderstorms, 68/81F.

Route: From Wuyishan 191 km north G1514.

Significance: A fanciful landscape with granite peaks and pillars. The area is many times shrouded in clouds. There are many religious monasteries in this park that has been seen as sacred by Chinese for over a thousand years.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Image:

A trail in the park (from whc.unesco.org)

Mount Wuyi, China - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Mount Wuyi, China

Weather: Thunderstorms likely, 71/85F.

Route: From Fuzhou 287 km NW on G3.

Significance: Mount Wuyi is an area that has a place in the imagination of the people of China. The Nine Bend River is surrounded by dramatic rocky cliffs. There are ruined Confucian Temples and valuable tea trees standing on cliff faces.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

A dramatic turn in the Nine Bends River (from whc.unesco.org)

Da Hong Pao tea shrine (from whc.unesco.org)

Fuzhou, China

 Place: Fuzhou, China

Weather: Partly cloudy in the morning followed by scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon, 70/90F.

Route: From Quanzhou 182 km NE on G15.

Population: 8,291,268

Places to visit: Xihu Park of Fuzhou, Fuzhou National Forest Park, Drum Mountain, Xichan Temple, Fujian Museum, LInzexu Memorial of Fuzhou, Yongquan Temple Gushan, Luoxing Tower, Confucian Temple of Fuzhou, Dingguang Pagoda Temple.

Images:

Fuzhou Park and skyline (from chinadiscovery.com)

Xichan Temple (from china.org.cn)

Quanzhou, China - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Quanzhou, China

Weather: Partly cloudy, 71/89F.

Route: From Xiamen 95 km NE on G15.

Population: 8,782,285

Places to visit: Kaiyuan Monastery, Qinyuan Mountain, Quanzhou Maritime Museum, Fujian Quanzhou Chengtian Temple, Qinhjinh Mosque, Tianhou Temple of Quanzhou, Fumei Palace.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images:

Twin Pagodas and old town (from chinadaily.com)

Modern downtown Quanzhou (from travelweekly.com)

Xiamen, China

 Place: Xiamen, China

Weather: Overcast, 71/86F.

Route: From Fujian Tulou 144 km east on S318.

Population: 5,163,970

Places to visit: Kulangsu Island (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Xiamen Botanical Garden, Nanputuo Temple, Xiamen Piano Museum, Xiamen Shuzhuang Garden,  Overseas Chinese Museum, Zhongshan Park, Huli Mountain Fort, Xiamen Science Museum.

Images:

Xiamen skyline (from arrivalguides.com)

Kulungsu Island (from whc.unesco.org)

Fujian Tulou, China - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Fujian Tulou, China

Weather: Mostly cloudy skies, 68/87F.

Route: From Guangzhou 523 km ENE on S2 and G35.

Significance: Tulou are communal circular structures that were constructed between the 15th and 20th centuries.  The buildings are occupied by a clan amongst rice, tea, and tobacco fields where they work.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

The inside of a traditional tulou (from whc.unesco.org)

A group of tulou near terraced fields (from whc.unesco.org)

Guangzhou, China

 Place: Guangzhou, China

Weather: Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers, 66/72F.

Route: From Hong Kong 129 km NW.

Population: 18,676,605

Places to visit: Chimelong Safari Park, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall-Folk Craft Museum, Baiyun Mountain, Shamian Island, Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, Temple of the Six Banyan Tree & Flower Pagoda, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Memorial Hall, Guangdong Museum, Huaisheng Mosque, Southern China Botanical Garden, Shawan Ancient Town of Panyu, Yuntai Garden.

Images:

Guangzhou skyline (from chinahighlights.com)

The Flower Padoga (from chinadiscovery.com)

Hong Kong, China

 Place: Hong Kong, China

Weather: Mainly cloudy, 67/76F.

Route: From Macau 66 km east.

Population: 7,413,070

Places to visit: Tian Tan Buddha, Victoria Peak, Ngong Ping 360, Lantau Island, Hong Kong Museum of History, Nan Lian Garden, Chi Lin Nunnery, Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, Hong Kong Park, Hong Kong Science Museum, Po Lin Monastery, Kowloon Park, Hong Kong Heritage Museum.

Images:

Hong Kong skyline (from asgam.com)

Tiantan Buddha Statue (from visitourchina.com)

Macao, China - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Macao, China

Weather: Cloudy, 66/75F.

Route: From Kaiping 157 km east on G15 and S47.

Population: 682,300

Places to visit: Ruins of St. Paul's, Taipa Village Macau, A-Ma Temple, Mandarin's House, Monte Forte, The Taipa Houses Museum, Macao Museum, Guia Fortress, St. Dominic's Church, Lou Lim leoc Garden, St. Francis Xavier Church, Macao Science Center, Maritime Museum, Camoes Garden and Grotto.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

Macao skyline (from businessinsider.com)

Colonial Portuguese Historical Center (from whc.unesco.org)

Kaiping Diaolou, China - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Kaiping Dialou, China

Weather: Rain showers early with overcast skies later in the day, 67/78F.

Route: From Nanning 512 km east on G80 and G2518.

Significance: These Diaolou, or large tower houses, were built by Chinese in the late 19th and early 20th centuries after they made their fortunes, many times from North America.  The architecture is influenced by European castles, Baroque, or even mosques.  These houses were built high in part to protect them from floods in this low lying area and also for defensive purposes, as there were wars here during that period.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

Diaolou among the fields (from whc.unesco.org)

A Diaolou modeled to look like a European castle (from whc.unesco.org)

Nanning, China

 Place: Nanning, China

Weather: Cloudy with periods of rain, 58/69F.

Route: From Zuojiang Huashan 168 km ENE on G7211.

Population: 5,293,359

Places to visit: Qingxiu Mountain, Nanhu Lake Park, Nanning People's Park, Guangxi Museum of Nationalities, Yangmei Ancient Town, Guangxi Science and Technology Museum, Guangxi Provincial Museum, Nanning Confucius Temple, Guangxi Medicinal Botanical Garden.

Images:

Nanning's downtown (from news.cgtn.com)

Nanning People's Park (from tour-bejing.com)

Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape, China - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape, China

Weather: Mostly cloudy, 69/87F.

Route: From Bagan 1,263 km East.

Significance: The Luoyue civilization existed from 5th century BC to 2nd century CE. On the white cliffs are thousands of red colored depictions of the life of the Luoyue.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images:

The Ming River (from whc.unesco.org)

Rock art of the Luoyue people (from whc.unesco.org)

Bagan, Myanmar - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Bagan, Myanmar

Weather: Sunshine, 80/104F.

Route: From Kaziranga 982 km south on AH1.

Significance: Between the 11th and 13gh centuries there were over 10,000 Buddhist temples and padogas in this region. It was the capital of the Bagan Kingdom.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images:

Shwezigon Pagoda (from whc.unesco.org)

Payathonzu Temple (from whc.unesco.org)