The origins of the rating system for tourist attractions are based on criteria first set out in 1999 by the China National Tourism Administration (predecessor to the current Ministry of Culture and Tourism) and revised in 2004.[2] The criteria include quality and management factors like ease of transportation links, site safety, cleanliness, etc., and also takes into account the uniqueness and recognition of the sightseeing offers.[2] Tourist attractions were graded according to the criteria on a scale initially from A to AAAA with AAAAA or 5As added on later as the highest rating. A group of 66 tourist attractions was certified as the first set of AAAAA rated tourist attractions in 2007.[2] The first batch included many of the most iconic historical sites in China including the Forbidden City and Summer Palace. Additional batches of additional sites have been added including 20 new 5A sites in February 2017.[3] On rare occasions, a few locations have been downgraded from the highest rating category for deficiencies in visitor experience.[4]
A 2.97km2 compound surrounding Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake,[10] initially constructed by the Qianlong Emperor from 1750 to 1764[10] to represent other famous sites of China and Chinese mythology in miniature, used as the unofficial main palace for the rest of the Qing,[11] infamously[12] razed by European troops in 1860 during the Second Opium War, rebuilt by the empress dowagerCixi and a center of late Qing government, damaged and looted by foreigners again in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion, converted into a public park in 1924,[10] and extensively restored since 1953.
A 6ha (15acre) compound with an expansive garden,[18] initially constructed in 1777[19] by the Qianlong Emperor's notoriously corrupt[20]officialHeshen, used as a residence for members of the imperial family including the diplomat Yixin during the rest of the Qing,[18] repurposed as the women's campus of Fu-Jen Catholic University under the Republic and as residences for leaders of the Ministry of Public Security under the People's Republic,[11] restored after 1982,[18] and opened as a museum in 1996.[21] It is one of the few surviving Qing palaces, out of the 74 still used by imperial princes at the fall of the empire.[11]
An 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) northwest of the walls of the former Imperial City section of Beijing. Constructed throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, the Old Summer Palace was the main imperial residence of Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty and his successors, and where they handled state affairs; the Forbidden City was used for formal ceremonies. Widely perceived as the pinnacle work of Chinese imperial garden and palace design, the Old Summer Palace was known for its extensive collection of gardens, its building architecture and numerous art and historical treasures. It was reputed as the "Garden of Gardens" (万园之园; 萬園之園; wàn yuán zhī yuán) in its heyday.
A 105km2 forest park surrounding 850mMount Pan,[26] whose temples were first built in AD25 during the Han. The four surviving temples include a 13-story dagoba and have all been renovated since the 1990s.[26]
The largest lake in northern China, although growing urban and agricultural water use after 1950 reduced its size from more than 1000km2 to almost nothing in the 1980s.[31][32] It is presently composed of 143 smaller lakes around 366km2 and is used for nature tourism,[33] but its size is now maintained by unsustainable use of highly pollutedgroundwater.[31][34]
A 6.1km2[35] compound initially constructed from 1703 to 1792 during the Qing,[35] with an imperial summer resort surrounded by areas of mountains, plains, and lakeshore mimicking China's overall topography,[36] serving as a culmination of traditional Chinese gardening and an influence on landscape gardening worldwide.[35] The palace was a particular favorite of the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors, and its intermixed ethnic architectural styles consciously affirmed their government's commitment to a multicultural state, and it.[35]
A 334.8km2[37] park at the intersection of the Taihang and Yan chains,[37] comprising three main scenic areas—the Baili Gorge, the Longmentian Pass, and Fodongta Peak with Yugu Cave.[37]
A 1.7km2[44] compound beside Phoenix Mountain (Fenghuangshan)[45] honoring the goddessNüwa,[44] who temples were first built under the Han.[44] The surviving palaces and temples were initially constructed under the Wanli Emperor of the Ming,[45] were restored in the 1990s, and include one of China's most impressive rock carvings: 130,000 characters of Buddhist scripture engraved into the mountains from the Northern Qi onward.[44][46]
A 2.25km2[68]walled town of about 4000 buildings[69] in central Shanxi, first protected by earthen ramparts c. 800BC,[68] thoroughly reconstructed and fortified c. 1370 under the early Ming,[68] serving as the financial center of the region from the 16th century and of the entire Qing Empire during the late 19th century.[68] The town exemplifies Ming & Qing urban planning, with over a hundred streets and lanes lined with 17th–19th century shops criss-crossing the town.[68] Organized restorations have been undertaken periodically since the 15th century, the most recent phase beginning in 1979.[68] The World Heritage Site also includes the nearby Shuanglin and Zhenguo Temples.[69]
The area includes the Matryoshka Resort, a cultural resort with a matryoshka theme, and National Gate Resort, a huge border gate with an observation deck at the top for visitors to overlook the border area between China and Russia. Other attractions at the scenic area include the No 41 Border Monument, Locomotive Square and the historical site of the 6th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party held in 1928.[80]
Jinfo Mountain is an isolated mountain with cliffs up to 300 m surrounding its relatively flat top, surrounded by forest. With its outstanding karst features and superb biodiversity, Jinfo Shan has been listed as a tentative World Heritage site since 2001.
Longgang Geological Park is characterized by peculiar landforms such as karst, deep karst caves, grasslands and stalagmites. The world's longest cantilever bridge can also be found here.
Construction of the Dujiangyan irrigation system began in the 3rd century B.C. This system still controls the waters of the Minjiang River and distributes it to the fertile farmland of the Chengdu plains. Mount Qingcheng was the birthplace of Taoism, which is celebrated in a series of ancient temples.[83]
The first Buddhist temple in China was built here in Sichuan Province in the 1st century A.D. in the beautiful surroundings of the summit Mount Emei. The addition of other temples turned the site into one of Buddhism's holiest sites. Over the centuries, the cultural treasures grew in number. Mount Emei is also notable for its exceptionally diverse vegetation, ranging from subtropical to subalpine pine forests. Some of the trees there are more than 1,000 years old.[84]
Stretching over 72,000 ha in the northern part of Sichuan Province, the jagged Jiuzhaigou valley reaches a height of more than 4,800 m, thus comprising a series of diverse forest ecosystems. Its superb landscapes are particularly interesting for their series of narrow conic karst land forms and spectacular waterfalls. Some 140 bird species also inhabit the valley, as well as a number of endangered plant and animal species, including the giant panda and the Sichuan takin.[85]
The most remarkable is the Giant Buddha of Leshan, carved out of a hillside in the 8th century and looking down on the confluence of three rivers. At 71 m high, it is the largest Buddha in the world.[84]
Situated in the north-west of Sichaun Province, the Huanglong valley is made up of snow-capped peaks and the easternmost of all the Chinese glaciers. In addition to its mountain landscape, diverse forest ecosystems can be found, as well as spectacular limestone formations, waterfalls and hot springs. The area also has a population of endangered animals, including the giant panda and the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey.[86]
The Former Residence of Deng Xiaoping was built in the late Qing dynasty (19th century). It is located in Paifang Village of Xiexing Town, Guang'an District, Guang'an City. It has a building area of about 833.4 m2 (8,971 sq ft), embodies buildings such as the old houses, the statue of Deng Xiaoping, the Dezheng Place, the Cultural relics Exhibition Hall, the Hanlin Yard .
Since 1985, the PRC government has awarded Langzhong with various accolades on three separate occasions. In 1986 the State Council named it a famous and historical town. In 1991, it was finally upgraded to county-level city status.
Located in Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County, the tourist area is composed of ruins of the old Beichuan county seat, new Beichuan county seat, and Beichuan Earthquake Museum, etc.
Wenchuan County is a county in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan. The county was the site of the epicentre and one of the areas most severely hit by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, also known as the Wenchuan earthquake.
Jianmen Pass is a mountain pass located southwest of the city of Guangyuan in Sichuan province. It has also been called "Jianmenguan Pass". The mountain pass was a part of the Shu Roads. The construction of the gate was related to the Three Kingdoms era strategist, Shu Han chancellor Zhuge Liang.
Zhu De's Former Residence was built in the late Qing dynasty (1644–1911). It is located in Linlang Village, Ma'an Town, Yilong County. It has a building area of about 2560 square meters, embodies buildings such as the old houses, the Zhu De Memorial Hall, the statue of Zhu De, the Cultural relics Exhibition Hall, and Lancao Garden.
Hailuogou is a glacier national park located southeast of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province. It is by the east face of Mount Gongga(Miya Konka) at the east boundary of Eastern Tibetan Plateau. Inside this park there are hanging glaciers, hundreds of ice caves, giant icefalls and quiet forest. Among them the Great Icefall is 1000 meters’ long and 1100 meters’ wide. The glaciers locate by the elevation of around 2800 meters above sea level. The difference of plantations is massive between the base at Moxi and Camp 4 at the highest location of the park.[87]
Originally built in the year 1378, during the Ming dynasty. Qingyan's pig's feet is a local delicacy found in the town. The pig's feet symbolize good luck. Located in Huaxi District.
The highest peak of the Wuling Mountains in southeastern China, at an elevation of 2,570 m (8,430 ft). Mount Fanjing (also known as Fanjingshan) is also a sacred mountain in Chinese Buddhism.
The 5th Dalai Lama started construction of the Patala Palace in 1645, and it served as the residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India during the 1959 Tibetan uprising. The palace consists of thirteen stories of buildings —containing over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues— that soar 117 metres (384 ft) on top of Marpo Ri, the "Red Hill", rising more than 300 metres (980 ft) in total above the valley floor.
Located in Barkhor Square in Lhasa, the oldest part of the temple was built in 652 by Songtsen Gampo. Tibetans, in general, consider this temple as the most sacred and important temple in Tibet. The temple is currently maintained by the Gelug school, but they accept worshipers from all sects of Buddhism.
Founded in 1447, it is a historic and culturally important monastery that is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama. The monastery is located on a hill in the center of the city. The full name of the monastery in Tibetan means "all fortune and happiness gathered here."
Tourist sites found deficient by the China National Tourism Administration (merged into the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2018) have lost their 5A accreditation due to deficiencies in visitor experience.[4] In 2015, Shanhai Pass in Hebei was the first tourist site to be downgraded from 5A. The next wave of downgrading occurred in 2016 with the removal of Orange Isle in Hunan and Shenlong Gorge in Chongqing for "security concerns, overpricing, poor environmental management and poor facility maintenance, as well as bad service mainly resulting from a lack of staff members."[4]
A 1.1ha[89] (2.6acre) courtyard house comprising six large courtyards and 313 rooms built in the shape of a 囍,[89] the character for "double happiness", initially constructed in 1755 for the tofu and tea merchant Qiao Guifa,[90] rebuilt twice,[91] including for the financier Qiao Zhiyong,[89] converted into the Qixian Folk Museum in 1986, and the setting for Zhang Yimou's 1991 Raise the Red Lantern and over 40 other movies.[89]
^ ab"介修县绵山风景区", 山西旅游 (in Chinese), Taiyuan, retrieved 25 November 2017
^Holzman, Donald (June 1986), "The Cold Food Festival in Early Medieval China", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, vol. 46, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, pp. 51–79, doi:10.2307/2719075, JSTOR2719075.
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