When you hear "travelling to China”, what’s the first image that pops into your mind?

Perhaps it’s the Great Wall of China or the Forbidden City. Or maybe some beautiful natural landscapes with red pagodas?

We asked Mothership’s Instagram followers to share their thoughts and advice for travelling to China, and got some pretty interesting responses.

These people, for instance, clearly had a great time:

Some also gave us helpful tips on getting around, such as apps to download for transport, navigation and payment:

When we asked our followers to share their best recommendations on interesting places to visit, here’s what they said:

Beijing 798 Art Zone

For the hipster, art-loving travellers, Beijing 798 Art Zone features art galleries, studios, design companies, restaurants, and bars.

This space is a cluster of former military factories turned into a space for the arts. It is located in the Dashanzi area, northeast of central Beijing.

Beaches in China

Someone also recommended visiting beaches in China, because it’s “totally different from Singapore”.

What? You didn’t think there were beaches in China? Of course they have beaches.

Some seaside places to check out include Sanya within the Hainan province, such as Haitang Bay and Wuzhizhou Island. Tianya Haijiao is also a short drive from Sanya city.

There are also plenty of beaches on the coastal city of Qingdao (Tsingtao beer isn’t the only thing that’s good around there, apparently).

Not into beaches but interested in waterfront views? You might fancy a trip to the Wuzhen Water Town, a historic (over 1,300 years, actually) city in the southern region of the Yangtze River.

Xi'an Muslim Quarter

If you’re visiting Xi’an, don’t miss out on this Muslim enclave.

Apart from soaking in the vibes of this bustling neighbourhood, you can also feast on street food such as Chinese hamburgers, biang biang noodles and tang bao (soup dumplings).

Truly a foodie haven.

Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake Nature Park

One also recommended Mingsha Mountain, known for its stunning desert scenes and “singing” sand dunes, where you can ride camels or go desert camping.

There, you’ll also find Crescent Lake, an oasis surrounded by the sand dunes.

How about some cities to visit?

Chongqing

Recurring suggestions for cities to visit included Chongqing, which one described as “damn nice” and “very crowded at night”.

It’s “the best place in China,” according to this enthusiastic comment written entirely in capital letters.

It’s not just a place known for hotpot, though. Here we are in 2024 while Chongqing is living in 2080.

Take the Kuixing Building for example – an elevated building with a plaza that looks like you’re on the ground floor. The plaza is actually located on the 22nd floor and if you look down, you’ll see pedestrian walkways on the ground level (for real this time).

Or the Liziba Station – an overhead monorail station that is built through the sixth to eighth floors of a block of flats.

With such mind-boggling architectural features, this is perhaps why Chongqing is also known as the “8d city”.

Suzhou

Another city to visit is Suzhou. Located west of Shanghai, Suzhou is known for its water canals and classic gardens.

One of our followers even recommended doing a hanfu (traditional Han dress) photoshoot there.

But of course, let’s not forget this very important place in Beijing:

Inspired to plan a holiday to China? Changi Airport is directly connected to over 30 cities within China. Book that flight right now here.

This sponsored article by Changi Airport Group is your sign to explore China.

Top photo composite image from 莉莉白日梦, 展辰Shayne and 是陈同学📸  via Xiaohongshu.