3-Hour Express Guide to Badaling Great Wall (Suitable for Seniors)

Hangzhou City, referred to as "Hangzhou", was formerly known as Lin'an, Qiantang, and Wulin. It is a prefecture-level city, provincial capital, sub-provincial city, and megacity under the jurisdiction of Zhejiang Province. It is located in the northern part of Zhejiang Province and the lower reaches of the Qiantang River. It is a city in the central area of ​​the Yangtze River Delta [160] and a global financial technology center [162-164]. As of the end of 2024, Hangzhou City has 10 districts, 2 counties, and administers 1 county-level city, with a total area of ​​16,850 square kilometers. As of the end of 2024, the permanent population of Hangzhou City is 12.624 million. [170] Hangzhou City has a subtropical monsoon climate with distinct four seasons, sufficient sunshine, abundant rainfall, short spring and autumn, and long winter and summer. The terrain of the city gradually decreases from west to east, with low mountains and hills, river valley basins, and accumulation plains. [140] [143] After the Qin Dynasty unified the six kingdoms, it established a county seat at the foot of Lingyin Mountain, called Qiantang. In 589, Qiantang County was abolished and Hangzhou was established. The name Hangzhou appeared for the first time in history. In 1912, the former Qiantang and Renhe counties were merged into Hangzhou County. In 1927, Hangzhou City was established by dividing the urban area of ​​Hangzhou County and other areas. [144] Hangzhou City is an important central city in eastern China approved by the State Council, a national historical and cultural city, an international comprehensive transportation hub city, a national digital economy innovation center and a regional science and technology innovation highland, an advanced manufacturing base, an eastern modern service industry center, and an international tourist destination. [1] [147] Hangzhou is known as the "paradise on earth" for its beautiful scenery, represented by the West Lake culture, Qiantang River culture, and canal culture. [145] The excavation of the Kuahuqiao site in Hangzhou City shows that humans have lived and multiplied here as early as more than 8,000 years ago. The Liangzhu culture, which dates back more than 5,000 years, is known as the "dawn of Chinese civilization." Hangzhou City is an important birthplace of Chinese civilization and is known as the "famous county in the southeast." The Wuyue Kingdom of the Five Dynasties and the Southern Song Dynasty established their capitals in Hangzhou. [144] In 2024, Hangzhou's GDP will reach RMB 2,186 billion, a year-on-year increase of 4.7%.

Shenzhen City, abbreviated as "Shen", also known as Pengcheng, is a prefecture-level city, a sub-provincial city, a national planned city, and a megacity under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province. It is a Chinese special economic zone approved by the State Council, a national innovative city, a modern marine city, an international comprehensive transportation hub city, a national economic center, a national advanced manufacturing base, a gateway to the outside world, an important carrier of an international science and technology innovation center, and a pilot demonstration zone of socialism with Chinese characteristics [1] [346-347]. It is located in the southern part of Guangdong Province, on the east bank of the Pearl River Estuary, bordering Daya Bay and Dapeng Bay to the east, the Pearl River Estuary and Lingdingyang to the west, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to the south, and Dongguan City and Huizhou City to the north [191]. By the end of 2024, the city will have 9 districts, a total area of ​​1,997.47 square kilometers, and a permanent population of 17.9895 million [378]. Shenzhen has a 7,000-year history of human activities and a 1,700-year history of city construction [326]. It is a comprehensive landform with hills as the main feature, and a combination of low mountains, hills, plateaus, terraces, and plains [323]. It has a subtropical monsoon climate, with long summers and short winters, mild weather, abundant sunshine, and abundant rainfall [324]. Shenzhen's predecessor was Bao'an County [236] [238] [285]. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the main part of the city belonged to Xin'an County of Guangzhou Prefecture [234-235]. Before the establishment of the city, it belonged to Huiyang District [239]. The name Shenzhen first appeared in historical records in the eighth year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1410). In March 1979, Bao'an County was renamed Shenzhen City, which was under the dual leadership of Guangdong Province and Huiyang District. In November, it was directly under the leadership of Guangdong Province. On August 26, 1980, Shenzhen established the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone [290] [376]. Shenzhen is one of the key overseas Chinese hometowns in Guangdong Province, one of the important old revolutionary bases, and one of the birthplaces of the Dongjiang Column during the Anti-Japanese War [327-328]; it is a window of China's reform and opening up and an emerging immigrant city, creating the world-renowned "Shenzhen Speed" and is known as the "Silicon Valley of China" [254]; it is also one of the four central cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a national logistics hub, an international science and technology industry innovation center [2], and one of China's three national financial centers [3]. In 2024, Shenzhen's GDP will reach 3680.187 billion yuan, an increase of 5.8% over the previous year

Xi'an, formerly known as Haojing, Chang'an, Jingzhao, Xijing, and Yongzhou, is the capital city of Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China. It is located in the central part of China, in the south-central part of Shaanxi Province and in the middle of the Weihe Plain. It is a megacity, a national central city, and the core city of the Guanzhong urban agglomeration. Xi'an is a sub-provincial city and the political, economic, cultural, transportation, medical, and educational center of Shaanxi Province and even the northwest region[4][5][6][7]. The total permanent population is 12.9959 million. The Municipal People's Government is located in Weiyang Square, Fengcheng 8th Road, Weiyang District. Xi'an is a famous cultural and tourist city in China and even in the world. It has a very profound historical and cultural heritage and is well-known at home and abroad. It is the first city in Chinese history to be called Jing. It has a history of more than 3,100 years of city construction[8][9] and more than 1,070 years of capital history. In history, many prosperous dynasties, including Zhou, Qin, Western Han, Sui, and Tang, had their capitals here [10], which made Xi'an witness the peak period of openness, extroversion, martial spirit, and prosperity in Chinese history, and left a huge amount of relics. Xi'an currently has two of the six world cultural heritage sites and is also the starting point of the Silk Road [Note 1]. The main urban area of ​​Xi'an still retains the complete Ming Dynasty city walls and gates, moats and bridges, corner towers, urn cities, arrow towers and other facilities. In and around the city, there are a large number of ancient cultural relics such as the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang, the Han Yang Mausoleum, the ruins of the Han Chang'an City, and the ruins of the Tang Daming Palace, which are of extremely high archaeological research value. In terms of geography and transportation, Xi'an is located in the middle of the Weihe Plain in Guanzhong. The Weihe River, the largest tributary of the Yellow River, flows from the north of the city from southwest to northeast. There are also rivers such as the Chanhe River, the Bahe River, and the Jinghe River in the north and west. It is known as "Eight Rivers Surrounding Chang'an", all of which are ecological protection areas. It is adjacent to the northern slope of the Qinling Mountains in the south and is also close to the intersection of the climates of northern and southern China. Due to its geographical location in the center of the country, Xi'an is a gateway city and an important transportation hub for the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to the northwest and southwest. It is also a must-go place for the northwest region to go to the eastern and southern regions of the country. Xi'an Railway Station is located on the Longhai Railway and is a hub station with huge transportation volume. Xi'an currently has the 4F-level Xi'an Xianyang International Airport and domestic high-speed rail transportation hubs such as Xi'an North Station. In terms of urban transportation, Xi'an currently has 11 operating subway lines with a total mileage of 403 kilometers. It also operates the Xihu Line of the urban rail and the tram Gaoxin Yunba. Xi'an is one of China's national central cities, an important city in the Silk Road Economic Belt, the New Eurasian Continental Bridge and the Yellow River Basin, and the economic, technological, educational, energy, financial, cultural and commercial center of the Guanzhong Urban Agglomeration. Its Yanliang District is an important aviation industry base in China. In 2009, the State Council approved the "Development Plan for the Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone", proposing to build Xi'an into an important national science and technology research and development center, a regional trade, logistics, exhibition center, a regional financial center, a world-class tourist destination, and an important national high-tech industry and advanced manufacturing base, and strive to build Xi'an into an international metropolis. In 2013, the State Council approved the establishment of Xixian New Area, becoming China's seventh national new area. Most of the areas under the jurisdiction of the China (Shaanxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone established in 2017 are located in Xi'an. In February 2018, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development issued the "Development Plan for the Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration" to support Xi'an in building a national central city, an international comprehensive transportation hub, and an international metropolis with historical and cultural characteristics. In terms of administrative divisions, it currently has jurisdiction over 11 districts and 2 counties and fully administers Xixian New Area, with a total area of ​​about 10,700 square kilometers (including Xixian New Area), and several officially designated economic management zones such as the High-tech Zone, Qujiang New Area, and Economic Development Zone. The Xi'an Municipal Party Committee, Municipal Government and other party and government agencies are located in the administrative center of Weiyang District.

The Bund is an area in the center of Shanghai. It consists of a section of road along the Huangpu River and the buildings and facilities along the road. It is one of Shanghai's important landmarks. It is 1.5 kilometers long, starting from Yan'an East Road in the south and ending at Waibaidu Bridge over Suzhou River in the north. To the east is the Huangpu River, and to the west is the concentration of financial and foreign trade institutions in old Shanghai. There are more than 20 historical buildings of different styles along the Bund, including eclectic, Renaissance, and early modern styles, so it is known as the "International Architecture Expo". Since Shanghai was opened to the public, the Bund has become the financial and trade center of Shanghai and even China[1], and is also known as the "Wall Street of the East"[2].

An important port city and industrial base in northern China, with a unique colonial architectural style.

China's southernmost province is a tropical island resort.

A coastal province in eastern China with a developed economy and world cultural heritage sites such as West Lake.

A coastal province in eastern China with a developed economy and world cultural heritage sites such as Suzhou Gardens.