Which cities for first trip to China
Beijing > Chengdu > Shanghai > Beijing (return flight)
Or
Beijing > Chongqing > Shanghai > Beijing (return flight)
?
For a first trip to China, Nov 30 to Dec 13.
So your question is really: should I choose Chengdu or Chongqing?
What appeals to you in either city?
Between Chengdu and Chongqing, I'd pick Chengdu.
I'd also pick Chengdu between those two choices, but for a third city most on a first trip would go to Xi'an, with a possible stop overnight in Pingyao ancient town located between Beijing and Xi'an on the high speed train line.
#3 Can not agree more. First time visit means see something unique and representative of the country or civilization. Then Shanghai can even be skipped,due to it's skyscrapers view and similarities to other modern metropolis,like Beijing. But xi'an is totally different. Think about the underground army terracotta,or the unique citywall experience.
Pingyao is special for the very rare authentic citywall and the architectural legacies in it,which is well preserved thanks to the poverty and undeveloped local economy. Yes,numerous citywalls once stand in vast land of China,but most of them were destroyed or demolished,in war,or in development decades ago. Even Xi'an is non exceptional,but a very visionary mayor,and his intellectual men there in the abandoned ancient capital city, saw the potential of ruins,and restored the city wall,when other Chinese cities were busy demolishing all old things for ugly concrete boxes,and know little about true value of their old cities.(almost the same time,Jinan the capital city of shandong,pulled down the old central station. Ironically they wanted to rebuild it yrs later.) Xi'an deserves the name and fame of a ancient capital city,for their vision and values.
Edited: 10:48 pm, October 18, 2025
