• Visit Beijing's crowning glory, the Forbidden City (website: www.dpm.org.cn), officially the Palace Museum. The imperial palace of the Ming and Qing emperors for 500 years, it is China's greatest surviving historical site with fabulous halls, palaces and gardens. 

• Take in other Beijing sites including Tiananmen Square, the world's largest public square; circular 15th-century Temple of Heaven; the Summer Palace imperial resort (website: www.summerpalace-china.com); the old city wall gates; traditional hutong alleys and courtyards; and beautiful Beihai Park. 

• Stop off on a day trip from Beijing to the Great Wall to see the Ming Tombs (website: www.mingtombs.com.cn), where most of the Ming emperors were buried. They lie just outside Beijing.

• Marvel at the Great Wall, built over 2,000 years and stretching over 5,400km (3,375 miles). The restored stone and brick Badaling section stands 8m (26ft) high and 6m (20ft) wide, and is the closest to Beijing, 70km (44 miles) away. 

• Wonder at Xi'an's Terracotta Army - 6,000 life-sized warriors and horses buried with Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di, who first united China in 200 BC. Also visit the Big and Small Wild Goose Pagodas and the old city walls. 

• See the monumental carved Buddhist effigies of Yungang Caves, near Datong, or carved effigies and monuments in Luoyang's fifth-century Longmen Buddhist Caves. Visit the 34 early Buddhist caves at Bingling Lamasery, near Lanzhou. Dunhuang's Mogao Caves have some of China's oldest Buddhist shrines. 

• From Chengdu, visit the holy Buddhist mountain of Emei Shan and the spectacular Grand Buddha of Leshan, carved out of a cliff. At 71m (225ft) high, it is so enormous that 100 people can fit on its instep.

• Explore China's oldest wooden pagoda, the Yingxian Pagoda, Kaifeng's Iron Pagoda and Fan Bo Pagoda (AD 1049 and c. AD 977), Jinan's Square Four Gate Pagoda (China's oldest stone pagoda) and Guangzhou's Huaisheng Mosque (built by Arab merchants in AD 650).

• Pay homage in Qufu at Confucius' Tomb, Temple and Mansion. Shenyang's North Imperial Tomb is where the Qing Dynasty's founding father is buried. Nanjing possesses the Xiaoling Tomb of Ming Dynasty founder Zhu Yuanzhang, and the mausoleum of China's first president, Dr Sun Yat-sen.

• Soak up the cosmopolitan atmosphere of economic powerhouse Shanghai, where soaring skyscrapers contrast the European-style Bund waterfront and traditional delights like tiny Yuyuan Gardens and the Yuyuan Gardens Bazaar, a touristy warren of lanes and stalls housing the Temple of the City God.

• Shop for silk and tea in ancient China capital Hangzhou, described by celebrated traveller Marco Polo as ‘the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world'. Popular with Chinese and foreign tourists, its main attraction is the beautiful West Lake scenic area. 

• See China's own Venice, 2,500-year-old Suzhou. Its streets lining the Grand Canal and famous water gardens are a delight. Gardens include the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Garden of the Master of the Nets. Buy exquisite Suzhou silk fabrics and embroidery. 

• Spot unique wildlife. Sichuan province's ancient parks and bamboo forests are among the last strongholds of the endangered giant panda. View them close up in Chengdu's panda breeding and research centre and on a day trip to a mountain sanctuary at Wolong.

• Touch the sky at Tibet's capital, Lhasa, which stands at 3,700m (12,000ft). The iconic seventh-century Potala Palace, home to successive Dalai Lamas, houses exhibits include frescoes and gigantic bejewelled Buddhas. Also visit the Norbulingka (Summer Palace) and Jokhang Temple, with its golden Buddhas.

• Trace the ancient Silk Road trading route, which ran from Xi'an through deserts and mountains to the Caspian and Mediterranean seas, bringing Buddhism and Islam into China. The main sights include Dunhuang's Buddhist grottoes at Dunhuang, the ruins of Jiaohe city near Turpan and Kashgar's lively Sunday market.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.