Things to do in Jingde

No. 1 of Best Things to Do in West Lake

Lingyin Feilai Peak Scenic Area

8.8

26.7k reviews

Lingyin Feilai Peak Scenic Area is located west of West Lake Scenic Area, including Lingyin Temple andFeilai peakTwo main views.Feilai peakNot large or tall, yet it gathers hundreds of statues of bodhisattvas and eminent monks from different dynasties, creating a beauty of fusion. The Lingyin Temple in the mountains is a famous ancient temple in Hangzhou, bustling with incense offerings. Lingyin Feilai Peak Scenic Area itself is not very large, and you can explore it on foot. After entering the main gate, turn left, and you'll see it in no time.Feilai peak, following the forest trail for less than 5 minutes, you'll see the entrance to Qinglin Cave. It's said that the stone slab in front of the cave was once the sleeping bed of Ji Gong, and lying on it is believed to free one from worldly troubles, attracting many travelers to take a rest here. Heading north, the Yuru Cave houses exquisite statues of the Eighteen Arhats from the Northern Song Dynasty, with additional finely crafted statues of the Six Patriarchs of Zen Buddhism on both sides of the cave's eastern entrance. The Longhong cave ahead is commonly known asGuanyin caveInside, there is a rock crevice known as "a thread of sky." Not everyone can see the light passing through the crevice, so you often see people craning their necks to look up. The cliff outside the cave is covered with stone carvings of Buddha statues. At the lower part, you can see the Song Dynasty carving of "the white horse carrying scriptures." The Ligong Pagoda at the entrance of Longhong Cave is the only remaining Ming Dynasty pagoda in Hangzhou. Following the Cold Spring Stream from here, you can also see the big-bellied Maitreya. Opposite the stone carvings stands the famous Lingyin Temple, which is open to the public free of charge but requires real-name reservation in advance, and is still well worth a visit. The statue of Skanda in the heavenly king hall is a relic from the Southern Song dynasty, carved from a single piece of camphor wood, making it extremely precious. The newly renovated Yongfu Temple in Hangzhou is located next to Lingyin Temple. Follow the signs uphill to reach it. Besides the serene ancient architecture, the temple grounds also feature a tea plantation and many ancient trees, offering quite a scenic view. Visitors must return the same way from Yongfu Temple. For those who wish to hike, there is a fork in the path halfway back to Lingyin Temple, leading to Taoguang Temple's exit and onward to Beigao Peak. This route is quiet with few people, making for a pleasant walk. Beigao Peak can be reached by hiking or taking a cable car. At the summit, the Temple of the First Wealth God under Heaven is one of Hangzhou's famous ancient temples.

China · Hangzhou

2026 Asia 100 - Best Things to Do

Humble Administrator's Garden

8.8

88k reviews

The Humble Administrator's Garden is a famous garden in Suzhou, with water as its central feature, surrounded by artfully arranged rockeries and exquisite courtyard buildings, all flourishing with plants. This exemplary Jiangnan garden, along with Beijing's Summer Palace, Chengde Mountain Resort, and Suzhou's Lingering Garden, is collectively known as the "four great gardens of China" and has been inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage list. The garden's design is exquisitely crafted, offering "a unique view with every step" as you explore, with every corner embodying the charm of Jiangnan water towns. Its winding paths lead through layered archways and stone walls with intricate cutouts, where no two pavilions or windows are alike—each perfectly complemented by surrounding flora to create picturesque scenes. You could easily spend hours photographing here. The garden is divided into eastern, central, and western sections, each with distinct features. The central garden largely preserves the simple and natural style of Ming Dynasty gardens, representing the essence of the entire complex and warranting thorough exploration. The eastern garden offers more open spaces, while the western garden features exquisite architecture. At the southern end of the Humble Administrator's Garden lies Suzhou Garden Museum, China's specialized museum dedicated to garden art. Humble Administrator's Garden features major views including Lanxue hall, Hanqing pavilion, Yuanxiang hall, Xiangzhou boat, Thirty-six mandarin ducks hall, and bonsai garden. Two particularly interesting sights stand out: first is the "borrowed view of Beisi pagoda"—when looking westward from the east garden, the pagoda 1 km away appears within the garden, creating a popular photo opportunity for travelers, with this borrowed scenery technique visible throughout the grounds during exploration. Second is the "small flying rainbow bridge" in the central garden, where vermilion railings reflected in water resemble a rainbow, forming an exceptionally beautiful view centered on this bridge. The garden's floral displays change with the seasons: azalea exhibition in spring, lotus exhibition in summer, chrysanthemum exhibition in fall, and fruit bonsai exhibition around the Spring Festival.

China · Suzhou

No. 3 of Best Things to Do in Zhejiang

Lingyin Temple

8.7

4.7/5

21.1k reviews

Lingyin Temple, also known as "Yunlin Temple," is located at the foot of Lingyin Mountain on the west side of West Lake. With its serene environment, it is the oldest renowned temple in Hangzhou, preserving numerous exquisite cultural relics from various dynasties. This is the place where Jigong became a monk, and it is said that prayers made here are very efficacious, attracting a continuous stream of worshippers every day. Seventeen hundred years of trials have made Lingyin Temple a treasure trove of history and culture: the plaque inscribed "Yunlin Chan Temple" hanging in the heavenly king hall was written by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty; the stone pagoda in front of the main hall and the stone sutra pillar in front of the heavenly king hall are relics from the Wuyue period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms; the temple houses precious Buddhist artifacts such as ancient palm-leaf scriptures, a gilded statue from the Eastern Wei dynasty, a handwritten copy of the "Diamond Sutra" by Dong Qichang of the Ming dynasty, and the wooden dragon sutra from the Yongzheng era of the Qing dynasty. Lingyin Temple is also where the monk "Jigong" (Daoji) was ordained. In the Daoji Chan Master Hall of Lingyin Temple, a statue of Jigong is enshrined, holding a broken fan in his right hand, prayer beads in his left, and resting his right foot on a wine jar. Lingyin Temple is nestled against the Northern Peak and faces Feilai Peak. Though Feilai Peak is not tall, it features numerous fantastically shaped caves and over 340 Buddhist rock carvings dating back to the Five Dynasties period, making it a rare gem of ancient grotto art in southern China. The temple enjoys year-round bustling incense offerings, especially on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month or major Buddhist festivals, when devotees flock from all directions, creating massive crowds.

China · Hangzhou

Jixi · 20.7km from Jingde

Shangzhuang Scenic Area

3.8

3.9/5

39 reviews

Anhui Jixi Shangzhuang Scenic Area is located in the ancient town of Shangzhuang, which is known as "Little Shanghai", "Hometown of Culture" and "Hometown of Yipin Hotpot", more than 30 kilometers away from the county seat. There are many cultural and natural landscapes in the Attraction, such as the former residence of Hu Shi, Hu Tiehua's house, Hu Kaiwen's former residence, Qipan Village, Emperor's Tomb, and other key cultural relics protection units in Anhui Province, as well as traditional production techniques such as Hui ink, wood carving, and brick carving. In 2010, Shangzhuang Scenic Area was promoted to a national AAA-level Attraction. The beautiful and magical Shangzhuang welcomes tourists from all over the world to visit. Shangzhuang has beautiful ecology and beautiful scenery. Since ancient times, it has been prosperous in commerce, literature, and talents. It is one of the main birthplaces of Hui culture. It is a national comprehensive economic reform demonstration town, an Anhui provincial historical and cultural protection area, and a pilot town for small town construction in Anhui Province. Shangzhuang is a place of outstanding people and many celebrities. Hu Kaiwen, the master of Chinese Hui ink making; Hu Shi, the pioneer of the New Culture Movement and a world scholar with 36 doctoral degrees; Wang Jingzhi, the Chinese lakeside poet and author of "The Wind of Hui"; Cao Chengying, the first female professor in the field of agronomy in China; Wang Yutai, a tea tycoon... These celebrities who shine like stars have made Shangzhuang a famous place of cultural gathering. Shangzhuang has ancient charm and rich culture. For thousands of years, generation after generation of Shangzhuang people have built ancient villages with great cultural connotations and full of spirit with their diligence and wisdom: Shangzhuang Village, where the ancient buildings of the Hui style are extremely well preserved; Qipan Village, which is known as the out-of-print masterpiece of the ancient Huizhou settlement culture; Zhaitan Village, a Chinese characteristic village and the location of Guizhi Academy, the earliest academy in Anhui Province... These unique ancient villages have accumulated magnificent cultural heritage and accumulated cultural heritage with flying charm. The intangible cultural heritage represented by Hui ink, Hui cuisine, Hui opera, Hui sculpture, Hui style and customs is even more precious. Shangzhuang has a good ecology and charming scenery. It is adjacent to Dahui Mountain in the east, Huangboao in the west, Guiren Peak in the south, and Zhuganjian in the north. There are strange peaks, strange rocks, secluded caves, streams, and waterfalls all over the area. The rivers in the area are crisscrossed, the streams are crystal clear, the flowers and plants are fragrant, and the mountains are shrouded in mist, just like a natural landscape painting. "Jinshan Shiyu", the first tea product in Anhui Province to obtain the national agricultural product geographical indication registration, was bred here. It won the gold medal in the Chinese famous tea competition at the 17th Shanghai International Tea Culture Festival and the high gold medal in the famous tea competition of the World Green Tea Association.

Jing County · 32.4km from Jingde

Shuimo Tingxi Scenic Spot

5.3

3.9/5

1.2k reviews

Shuimo Tingxi Scenic Spot is situated in beautiful natural surroundings with rivers, waterfalls, and bamboo forest. The site offers a number of activities, such as rafting and ziplining, and is a popular weekend destination.

No. 3 of Night Attractions in Zhejiang

Nanxun Ancient Town

18k reviews

Nanxun Ancient Town is located in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province. Since its establishment as a town in the Southern Song Dynasty, it has prospered due to the silk trade. From the Ming and Qing dynasties to the Republic of China period, it was one of the wealthiest towns in the Jiangnan region, and there was a folk saying that "the whole city of Huzhou is not worth half a town of Nanxun." Rivers run through the town, and rows of old houses with white walls and dark tiles line both banks. Compared with other ancient water towns in Jiangnan, what makes Nanxun unique is its Chinese-Western hybrid architectural style—the silk merchants of Nanxun accumulated enormous wealth through international trade and also brought Western architectural elements back to their hometown. Many mansions and gardens incorporated Western columns, stained glass, and other components into traditional Jiangnan architecture, which is quite rare among ancient towns in Jiangnan. The core attractions of the ancient town are concentrated along the river on South East Street and South West Street, and it is relatively convenient to start touring from Little Lotus Villa. Little Lotus Villa is the private garden of Liu Yong, a great wealthy man of Nanxun. In the garden, the lotus pond, Taihu stone rockeries, and flowers and trees set each other off beautifully, and it is a representative of the ancient town's garden views. The adjacent Jiaye Hall Library was built during the Republic of China period by Liu Chenggang, grandson of Liu Yong. It was once a large-scale private library in modern China, and the building itself also presents a Chinese-Western hybrid style, with a two-story corridor-style pavilion surrounding the courtyard, and the doors and windows on the ground floor are hollow-carved with seal-script characters, very exquisite. Walking north along the river, attractions such as Zhang Shiming's Former Residence, Liu's Ti Hao, Qiushu Li, Guanghui Palace, and the Silk Industry Guild Hall are distributed in sequence on both sides of the street. Zhang Shiming's Former Residence is known for its exquisite wood carvings and Western glass windows, and is a typical example of Chinese-Western hybrid architecture; Liu's Ti Hao likewise blends Chinese and Western architectural elements and has a distinctive style. Continue north to the end of South East Street, and on the opposite bank of the river are the Hundred-Room Tower and Zhang Jingjiang's Former Residence. The traditional dwellings of the Hundred-Room Tower stretching along the river have a strong sense of daily life. In the early morning and at dusk, you can see locals living by the river in their everyday water-town life, making it suitable for strolling and taking photos. The ancient town as a whole is not large, and a quick tour takes about half a day, but if you want to savor the architectural details of the residences and gardens in each place, it is recommended to allow more ample time.

China · Huzhou

2026 Global 50 - Cool Water Escapes

Wuyishan National Park

13.4k reviews

Wuyishan National Park is located in the northern section of the Wuyishan mountain range in northwestern Fujian, stretching across the border area between Fujian and Jiangxi provinces. It is one of China's first established national parks, and Wuyishan itself was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for both culture and nature as early as 1999. The park was formed by integrating the former Wuyishan National Nature Reserve and Wuyishan Scenic Area: the Tongmu area in the north focuses on ecological conservation and scientific research, preserving a rare intact mid-subtropical forest ecosystem at this latitude. The main peak of the Wuyishan range, Mount Huanggang, is also located here, and this core area does not offer regular tourism activities. Sightseeing activities are concentrated in the scenic areas along both banks of the Nine-bend Stream, namely the four major sections: Tianyou Peak to Taoyuan Cave, Nine-bend Stream to Wuyi Palace, One-line Sky to Tiger Roaring Rock, and Dahongpao to Water Curtain Cave. The attractions in the scenic area are relatively scattered with considerable distance between them. A leisurely visit typically requires two to three days. If you only have one day, start by ascending Tianyou Peak for a panoramic view of the emerald waters and crimson mountains along the Nine-bend Stream, then take a bamboo raft downstream from Xingcun Wharf. Along the way, you'll pass landmarks like Jade Maiden Peak, Great King Peak, cliff inscriptions, and suspended boat coffins. The rafting journey ends at Wuyi Palace, making it an ideal classic route. Tea enthusiasts may prefer spending time on the leisurely Rock Bone Floral Trail between Dahongpao and Water Curtain Cave. This gentle path connects core Wuyi rock tea production areas like Liuxiangjian and Huiyuankeng, offering a uniquely fragrant experience. With two days, you can cover all four major sections. For more time, consider visiting the ancient tea merchants' residences in Xiamei Village, the starting point of the ancient Tea Horse Road, or exploring the ruins of the Minyue King's City near Chengcun Village—the latter also being part of Wuyishan's world heritage site. Bamboo rafting is very popular, so please make arrangements in advance during peak season. To get close to the ecological heart of the park, you can take the Wuyishan National Park No. 1 scenic route. Places like Moon Bay and Qinglong Waterfall are suitable for self-drive or private charter. As for food, street snacks like flat meat dumplings and Vietnamese noodles are common, while Langu smoked goose and local dishes cooked with alpine bamboo shoots and mushrooms are also worth trying.

China · Wuyishan

2026 Global 50 - Cool Water Escapes

Lushan National Park

22.9k reviews

Mount Lu is known as one of China's “four great summer retreats,” together with Jigongshan, Beidaihe, and Mount Mogan. Mountain peaks, waterfalls, unique views of “cloud oceans,” and garden architecture all lend Mount Lu its rich charm. The mountain climate allows visitors to feel the cool and comfortable feel of spring even in the summertime, and has secured Mount Lu's position as a famous scenic area and historic vacation spot and retreat.

China · Lushan City

No. 5 of Best Things to Do in Jiangxi

Sanqingshan Mount Scenic Area

4.7/5

21.8k reviews

Located in the northeastern part of Shangrao City, Sanqingshan Scenic Area is a national-level geological park and a world natural heritage. Sanqingshan Scenic Area is a famous Taoist mountain. It is known as the “Little Huangshan Mountain” and includes three peaks: Yujing, Yuxu and Yuhua. Their shapes resemble three Taoist gods, Yuqing, Shangqing and Taiqing, sitting on top of the mountain. In Sanqingshan, you can watch the beautiful sunrise amid the sea of clouds, admire the peculiar stones in the mountains, and walk the high-altitude plank path. The scenery is even more beautiful when the azaleas are in bloom during May and June.

China · Yushan